Pendeta Stephen Tong

This is my personal summary of Rev Dr Stephen Tong's sermon on 2 September 2012 in STEMI Expository Preaching at True Way Presbyterian Church Singapore. It was preached in Chinese with English translation.

Passage: John 15:25-27

At the start John 15, Jesus said He is the Vine and we are the branches. At the end of the chapter, He spoke about bearing testimony for Him. Who would the disciples bear testimony to? To the world that vehemently opposed them. Christians were persecuted in the first century. By end of the first century, John was the only apostle surviving. God preserved him to write the Gospel of John.

In John 8, Jesus said He is the light of the world. When it is still day light we must work. When darkness come we cannot work. Jesus said the darkness hates the light. Light has come to the world, but the darkness does not recognise and hated it, but the righteous will come to the light to show that what they have done is based on the truth.

Why would the world hate us and Jesus Christ? Quoting from the Old Testament, Jesus said, “But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’”(Jn. 15:25) The Jews’ hatred towards Jesus was unreasonable.

The one who is sent cannot be greater than the sender. The servant is not greater than the master. Jesus also said to His disciples, “before they hate you they hated Me first. If they persecute me they will persecute you. The world cannot love you but can only love its own.”

So what should we do? We are to persevere to the end. When persecuted we are to bear witness for Christ. Those who are with God will persevere to the end. How? By the power of the Holy Spirit. God the Son promised the Holy Spirit to His Church.

Jesus could not be with His disciples physically forever. But the Father would not forsake them as orphans. And Jesus said He would give them His peace. Together with the Father, He will be with them. How? They sent the Holy Spirit to be with His disciples. So He said, “it is good that I go away because otherwise the Holy Spirit will not come to you.”

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truthwho goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” (Jn. 15:26-27)

This passage reveals where the Holy Spirit come from. The Holy Spirit goes out from the Father. All creatures are created. The Son was begotten. The Holy Spirit is neither begotten nor created. He proceeds from God.

What does it mean to be begotten? This makes Jesus completely different from a created being. He is not created, so His essence is different from us. But the One who begat and the One who is begotten is of the same essence. How is He begotten? It is a mystery. We can only depend on God’s revelation.

Ps. 2:7 says, “I have set My Sacred One in Zion.” The Holy One of God is Jesus Christ. Who are the saints? They are God’s elect who have been set apart. The Lord chose us before the world was created. Through Jesus Christ, salvation came upon us. After we are born again, we become saints. But this is not so for Jesus. In eternity Jesus is already the Holy One of God. The Holy One is not from the created world.

The Son, through the Father, grants the Holy Spirit to the saints. As human beings, we are the most privileged of all creation. In the temporal world, there are contingent existence that cannot last forever. But we have our created eternal spirit which surpass all contingent animals. And when God causes us to be born again, we partake in the resurrection of Christ and God grants the Holy Spirit to stay with us forever. We are most privileged, in that we also have this special life from the Holy Spirit.

Christ said that the Spirit has been sent to testify of Him. And secondly, He said we must also testify of Him. So Holy Spirit, the third Person of Trinity, testifies of the Second Person of Trinity. And the Second Person of Trinity, the Son, bear testimony of the First Person of Trinity, to manifest the Father. The Holy Spirit came to testify of the Son. The saints too, must testify of Christ. By understanding how the Holy Spirit testifies Christ, you will see who has the Spirit and who has not.

Like the Holy Spirit we also should bear testimony of Christ. We will discuss the work of the Holy Spirit in John 16.

This is my personal summary of Rev Dr Stephen Tong's sermon on 19 August 2012 in STEMI Expository Preaching at True Way Presbyterian Church Singapore. It was preached in Chinese with English translation.

Passage: John 15:16-24

God takes the initiative. All that is good and perfect comes from the Father. It is in His initiative that we have received His grace. Our Lord initiatively loved us and commanded us to follow His example to initiatively love others.

It is easy to say but difficult to do. We want other people to be nice to us before we are nice to them. If people are nice to us, we try to be nicer to them. If they are bad towards us, we tend to treat them badly too. So our love is not active but reactive. We trying to be nicer to others who are nice to us, we boast that we are better than others and we have shown ourselves to be passive.

Jesus said to love others the way He loves us. This is proactive love. If we love one another, people will recognise that we are Christ’s disciples. As Christians we need to change the society actively. Jesus said My joy will be found in you. If we love by the love of Christ, we will have the fullness of joy when we obey God’s will.

Jesus said there is no greater love than one who is willing to lay down his life for his friends. When are we willing to give our life to others? And what right have we that Jesus should love us to the extent He died for us? We speak big words but in reality we are very cold.

Jesus also said to His disciples, “I no longer call you servants but I call you my friends.” In the Old Testament, only one person is known as the friend of God. In the New Testament, another 11 were called the friends of God. What a noble thing to become His friend. We are Jesus’ friends.

Jesus continued, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” (Jn. 15:18). Why would the world hate us? Because we do not belong to the world. It is not convenient to believe in Jesus. That is why many people do not want to believe.

“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”(v. 19). If you become a Christian, the world also judges you by a higher standard.

If the world did not accept Jesus, should we expect the world to accept us? If we want to follow the Lord, we will suffer. We will be persecuted. There will be many challenges before we enter the Kingdom of God. If we determine to live a holy life, we will surely be persecuted. The world will only love those who belong to the world. The world will hate those who belong to Christ because the world has hated Christ first.

The challenges ahead all come because of the love of God. We need to know, they do not hate you, but Me.

In 1 Pet 3:1, it says we have left the decadence of the world and become partakers of God, that means we will live a holy life. It means we partake in God’s ethics and morality which includes, justice, compassion, mercy, righteousness and holiness. When we share in God’s morality, we share in the sufferings of God’s Son. Thus we have a part in the ethics of God and a part in His sufferings.

Are you willing to suffer with Christ? Are you willing to carry your cross? The glory to come is through sufferings.

Jesus said, “Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” (Jn. 15:20)

Who causes us to to recollect what Jesus said? The Spirit of truth, i.e. the Holy Spirit, reminds us of Jesus’ teaching. What does He remind us? He reminds us of what Jesus said. Particularly in the passage, Jesus said a servant is not greater than his master. What are these words for? Here Jesus is not talking about academic excellence. He is referring to sufferings. The sorrow that He must suffer is greater than what we will suffer. The burden of the Son of man is greater than the burden we carry, and the persecution faced by the Son of God is greater than what we will go through. None of us will suffer more than Christ. No one carries greater burden, feels greater loneliness, faces greater hatred, than Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “If they hate me, they will hate you. They persecute me, they will persecute you.” In the midst of persecution, remember your Lord. This comfort will surpass what psychologists can give you.

An example of friends who are so different is when God considers man as his friend. There is a qualitative difference between God and man. Let God be God, let man be man. There's no reason to equalise the created man with the Creator God. But the Bible says that God will befriend us. No other faith has this concept. Not in Islam, Egyptian faith, Buddhism or Hinduism. For God is the one who decides whether you live or die and who rewards you or punish you. He has the power to kill you, curse you or bless you. He wouldn't be your friend. But the Bible considered Abraham a friend of God. (James 2:23) The first time I saw this I was astonished. How can a human being be a friend of God? When speaking to a friend, sometimes you whisper. Sometimes you tell him a secret. Your friends are the ones you can say everything to. What kind of friendship did God have with Abraham? God revealed the secrets in His heart to Abraham. This intimacy comes about only from friendship. Some people have mouths but no ears. Whatever you tell him, he will tell others without remembering anything. Friends need to have ears without a mouth. He hears a lot from you, but he will keep a secret. He won't expose the details. He will hide what you share with him and not go around to gossip about it to others, and won't do things that hurt your feelings. In the Old Testament, only one person was called a friend of God. At the most intimate moment, what did God say to him? God said: “Shall I hide from my Abraham what I am about to do?” God opened up his heart to Abraham and God wanted Abraham to do the same. This is an equal friendship. Was the phrase “God's friend” used on Moses? Although Moses met God face to face, God never said Moses was his friend. What about David, Elijah, Solomon, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah? No. Abraham was unique in the Old Testament as God's friend.

But strangely, in the New Testament times, Jesus Christ suddenly said: “I no longer call you servants... I have called you friends.” Status-wise, we are servants of God. But relationally, Jesus calls us his friends. This is a sudden and great privilege. It was not just given to John or Peter, but to every single disciple. And so from one person, Abraham, we have 11 disciples. Why 11? Judas was not worthy and was segregated from them. What was Jesus's last word to Judas when he was still among the disciples? Jesus gave him some bread and said to him: “What you are about to do, do quickly.” It means that Judas' betrayal of Jesus was not part of God's plan. Jesus did not pick Judas so that he himself can be betrayed. It was what Judas wanted to do himself. That's why Jesus said: “What you are about to do, do quickly.” Some people always think Judas is the victim and that he was picked so that he could betray Jesus Christ. When people misinterpret the Bible, God has already manifested their ignorance with a couple of verses. The Bible is able to refute them by a couple of verses. We can't blaspheme against God any way we want. Some people say: God picked Judas so that he can betray Jesus. Without Judas, Jesus would not be betrayed. If Jesus was not betrayed, then he would never die to save us. Some people say we have to appreciate Judas so that we are saved. They say thank Jesus and thank Judas for betraying Jesus. It's a huge mistake. Why must Jesus be betrayed by a person in order for there to be salvation? If there is any good from Judas' betrayal of Jesus, then if Jesus did not come from heaven to earth, whom would Judas betray? There is no good in betraying Jesus. It only reminds us that you and I always betray the Lord. Judas betrayed Jesus because he was fearful and loved money. Do you deny the Lord when you are fearful? Do you say things that sin against God because of money? We are not definitely better than Peter or Judas. We cannot thank Judas for betraying Jesus. It's because of sins of betrayal and denial that Jesus came. He does not owe us anything and has no need for him to come.


There is no demand on Jesus Christ to die for us. He is under no obligation to come to the world in the flesh. He does not owe us anything. He was willing. He loved us. He became man to die for us to defeat the devil. Let us have a clear mind and accurate logic to look at the Bible. Jesus Christ has taken on what we owe God. He does not need someone to betray him to succeed. If God did not owe us anything, why did he save us? Although he was not obligated, because of his great love, God sent his Son to die for us. We give thanks to God.

Jesus Christ says: “I no longer call you servants... Instead I have called you friends.” These 11 disciples have been elevated to be friends of God. Why does Chapter 15 tell us this? This was said after Judas had left, in Chapter 13. Jesus bent his knee and washed the feet of Judas. Our Lord was so humble, forgiving, patient and merciful. But he has never lost his status. He was not willing to consider Judas his friend. Are we servants of God? Of course. But Jesus said he would no longer call us servants. It's not for us to be arrogant, but for us to give thanks. Sometimes when we are humble, we forget to be thankful. When we say to another person: “You are articulate”, he replies: “Satan get behind me. Don't glorify me. Glorify God.” But I remind him: “I'm telling you that you are articulate so that you will be thankful to God.” Sometimes if we are overly humble, we forget to be thankful and fail to count the blessings of God. Thanks to God for giving me memory, consciousness, eloquence and lots of talents. These words of thanksgiving mean we are not praising ourselves. We are servants and students, but God is willing to call us his friends. This is huge grace.


Five hundred years ago, a great German professor visited a primary school. The teacher gathered the pupils to sit properly in the hall. When he entered, the teacher told the pupils to stand up and bow. But before the teacher could tell them to bow, the professor bowed first. The teacher felt guilty because the professor bowed first. So the teacher said to the profesor: “You shouldn't have. They should have bowed to you first.” The professor said: “I need to pay respect to the next generation for our generation will pass. I believe from this class, a great person will emerge.” He was a true leader. A great leader will not dominate the ministry and stay on the pulpit all the time. He wants to raise up people to continue the work. The professor believed one of them will become Germany's future leader. The teacher and students were embarrassed. In the end he was right. One of them was Martin Luther who changed the entire German culture. Don't look down on childen and the young. You are ignorant if you cannot identify the next leader. God will raise those who are able to identify such people and allow them to nurture the hidden talent.

When David went to Saul, he saw nothing except Goliath, a giant. Goliath was arrogant and blasphemed against God. People were afraid of him because he was a huge man with a loud voice. But David's first reaction was to say: “Who is this uncirumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26) His heart for God was revived. He was together with God in his hatred of evil. How dare Goliath blaspheme my God? He decided to fight Goliath. The Israelites thought the child was ignorant: How dare he fight the giant? Even Saul was selected as a king because he was taller than everyone else. David's brother was unhappy and asked why he was there. David knew that he had a responsibility from God. People brought him to Saul. Saul tried to be generous and gave David his armour. David was practical. The armour was very heavy. He took it off and said he did not need it. If God uses you, don't think you have to have great academic achievement or great experience. God will raise some people by giving them wisdom from above, and faith and anointing by the Holy Spirit. David said to Saul that he fought with lions and bears. Who is this Gentile? I can't let him blaspheme against my God. He just went out with a sling. The world will see this as too arrogant. But 2,500 years later, in Florence, Michelangelo sculpted David from a discarded piece of marble. It was the last moment before he threw the stone. There was no fear in him. The Government of Florence decided to put it in to the square of the City Hall to indicate that democracy and human rights are more powerful than the monarchy. David represented the poor and the people who are weaponless. Goliath represented the king and infinite military power. But a child beat him.

God is scuplting some people – they may be fishermen or poor people. But Jesus told them: “I no longer call you servants...but I have called you my friends.” The wisdom from God that ordinary people like Peter, James, John and Bartholomew has given us far surpasses any influence in the world by philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle and Plato. Through these Galileans we have received so much more than the hypocritical experts of the law. Why do we run between Athens and Jerusalem? God has despised these two and raised up the Galileans to change the world.

Jesus said: “I no longer call you my servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you my friends, for everything that I learnt from my Father, I have made known to you.” (John 15:15) Only Christians among all of humanity understand the will of God. Only these people who are called friends of God can spread the gospel to the rest of the world. God said: “I no longer call you servants... I have called you friends.” I will make known my heart to you. Whoever knows what is in his heart, whoever is obedient to his commands, they will be friends of Jesus. What are his commands? Love one another. Preach the gospel to others. Many gospel rallies these days are not gospel rallies. They involve showy antics and show off about man. What is a gospel rally? It is where our Lord is with us, and we are anointed by the power of His death, blood and resurrection. It is God's voice that has the power to make sinners repent. It is when the Holy Spirit enables people to leave sin and return to God. Where are such gospel rallies?