As mentioned in our introduction post, each week we want to provide a sample of the riches and the fellowship from brother Titus Chu, as well as from the saints who have been enjoying these messages throughout the week in small groups. We hope this digest is able to bring you and those you share it with into the riches that we have enjoyed with one another.
This digest is based on the fourteenth message given by Brother Titus Chu. If you have not seen it already, you may watch it on the Youtube Channel. You may also want to read the outline and relevant Bible verses for this message.
Something for the Family
In this message, we look further into the experience of the wise men and at the Star which they saw. But first, a fun activity for the family! Click the picture below to visit an online coloring page. As your child colors the image, read Matthew 2:1-12.
The Star Becoming Stars
The Star becoming stars, which is the Prince of Life in His resurrection becoming salvation for all. From God’s point of view, every saved person is a star. Thus, Paul testified, “There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.” (1Cor 15:41)
– Message Outline
This point from the outline tells us that not only did the Star the wise men saw tell them that the King of the Jews was born, but that in God’s view, we are stars in the new creation, being transformed to shine out the indwelling glory of the Lord. Depending on how we cooperate with this salvation, we become like different stars whose shining differ one from another.
The below point continues this thought and lists roles and characteristics of a healthy star in the Lord’s hand.
When Jesus lovers who became stars begin to live for the church, they become the seven stars in the hands of the Lord (Rev. 2:1). These seven stars are:
a) The church’s messengers
– Message Outline
b) The church life’s operators
c) Among the saints, they are overcomers
d) The church life’s nourishment; they are the life-dispensers
e) For the saints, they are the shepherds
f) Helping all the saints to shine out, they are the guides
Bearing Glory During Isolation
In the video’s comments, some believers were inspired to share how the message caused them to rethink how we meet as Christians and how we can bear glory amidst the pandemic environment:
In these days of social distancing and lack of physical gatherings, the Lord has really exposed just how meeting-oriented we have become. But He desires that we be stars which bear glory! In the week after we enjoy this message, can we challenge ourselves to call a brother or sister? Have a “Zoom dinner” with a family, share a verse, a song, and a prayer with one another. Let’s really find the church life in this era where we cannot have a “meeting life”!
– Caleb Ziamba from Cleveland
Amen!
Caleb, your comment and this related part of Brother Titus’s message were really touching:
We know too much to the point that we don’t even know what it means to pay a price. To us, everything is provided. Some brothers have to buy the land. Some brothers have to build the hall. Some brothers have to pursue. Some brothers have to become rich. Some brothers have to labor. So we have a church life, but for what? So you can have a Lord’s day morning meeting. Isn’t that a shame? Isn’t that a shame? Do you realize God’s desire is not for people to know, to be happy, to say “we have a good time,” or to say “Oh we have a good message”– No. God desires people to say, “I see something, so I endeavor. I pursue, I pay a price, I labor hard, and I’d like to break the pattern of my daily life. I’d like to break the American culture of my life. I want to live unto God, to gain the best of Christ.”
– Darren Chang from Ithaca
We can break the static culture of our lives through the power of the Lord! We may find it hard at first: perhaps we are broken by our shyness, our enslavement to sin, or our innate inability. But God desires more than simply meeting-goers!
Love this idea! Gonna have a Zoom date and pray with my girls this week!
– Ruth Huoh from Columbus
We Should Be Shining Stars
In response to this message, some saints suggested we sing Brighten the Corner Where You Are
Continue your singing with the buoyant hymn Soldiers of Christ Arise! I pray that we may we see our part in pursuing the Lord practically by serving the saints near us during the week according to the Lord’s inner brightness. Let’s bring Him to people in order to strengthen our fellow believers and bless those who need the Gospel!
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
– Revelation 22:16 NKJV
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
– 2 Peter 1:19, NKJV
There are two manifestations. Jesus said, “I am the morning star. Now everything that is old is gone. Day is coming. Eternity is coming.” Then we say, “Praise the Lord. This matches exactly what is in me.” That’s why Peter says, “Here’s the dawning of the day. Night is over. ‘Til the day dawns and the morning star appears in you.”
– Message Transcript, p 7
Tell the Lord, “I want to be a star. I want to be a star with glory. I want to be a star held in your hands and operating in the church life. I want to be the star that really pursues Christ.” So eventually this star within us comes out and brings in the day, brings in eternity, even matches eternity. May Lord have mercy. I hope someone can have this view, “Oh Lord, forgive me for being a star with no light, with no glory. Make me a star with glory, held in your hand, with my pursuing causing me to even have a star growing in me. Make me bear your testimony to match your declaration.” What a glorious life the Lord has given to us. May we have mercy. May we tell the Lord, “Lord, I want to be such a star held by you. I want to have a star growing in me, testifying of you to match you in eternity.”
Learning to Shine
One young brother from Cleveland was greatly impacted by brother Chu’s sharing in this message. His reflections helped him to see how he can shine for the glory of God in this season of his life.
My name is Brad, and I’m from the church in Cleveland. To me, message 7 has been the best message so far. It has stirred up in my heart some things that I think the Lord has been priming me for. Along with some other verses I’ve been in the past few weeks, it’s made me reflect on my life and it’s given me a lot to think and pray about.
The past year was a pretty big adjustment for me. It was my first year back in school after taking a couple years off. That, along with working as much as I could to stay on my feet, occupied a lot of my time and energy. I felt hardly involved with the church. I often missed the meetings and activities at the brothers’ house I lived in. My capacity to serve was really small. Sometimes I felt like I was just trying to survive in school and work. Even still, it was a new season for me in my walk with the Lord as well. To use the language of the message, I felt as if there was a morning star rising in my heart. It was very inward and personal. Quietly, the Lord was growing in my heart. Many times I felt so drawn to Him on my long walks to my car, late at night after work. Many times I just felt so content to be quiet with Him, just sighing and calling His name. I learned how to talk to Him. I learned a little bit to abide in Him. It was a year that I felt somewhat isolated and limited because of my busyness. At the same time, it was a year of the Lord quietly and inwardly drawing my heart and giving me His sweet presence. Though I often felt like I was just trying to survive, I think the Lord was somewhat having His way in me.
The last couple months though, I haven’t been working and my school has gone online. With a lot more free time, I’ve started wondering what I’m supposed to do. I’ve thought about it. I’ve prayed about it. I’ve wondered if or how I should do more to serve. I’ve been thinking about the phrases about the body and its members in Ephesians 4: “working properly,” “builds itself up,” “joined and held together.” How do these apply to my life?
With that in my heart, the other night I sat down before bed and wrote the names of people that are in my life or that I’ve been thinking about. As I wrote them down, I just began to pray for them. And I also began to pray about how I can be with them. So I don’t know if there’s a certain role of serving that I should take on now, but I do know that there are brothers and sisters around me that I love and I want to be a life supply to them. To the brothers I live with, I want my living to be refreshing to them. To my friends, I want to be able to really enjoy the Lord with them. To the junior high kids that I help with, I want to be an example of a life lived with the Lord, and encourage them in the same way. I want to be filled with the Lord’s life, not just for myself to enjoy, but to spill out to the ones around me.
“Oh Lord, forgive me for being a star with no light, with no glory. Make me a star with glory, held in your hand, with my pursuing causing me to even have a star growing in me. Make me bear your testimony to match your declaration.”
Brad Sprau from Cleveland
