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Join Bishop John Chu as he shares his thoughts on wisdom from the Book of Proverbs in his message entitled Be Blessed to Bless.

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It's uh a joy to be with you. And uh this is one part of the island where I always have phobia traveling. Uh there's so much changes in the roads, and uh I thought I could turn left, but I always turned into Salita and all that Asian one and make a big round, and that's why I always got phobia. Reverend Israel know I was supposed to speak to the Indian pastors at one time at the Church of Epiphany, and I thought I found I knew the place, but then I went straight up to Singkan. So uh I'm sharing with you my insecurity, and I like you, but you it's a big challenge to me. Let Jesus be the center, but I'm sure you heard of the word decentralized that the goalposts are shifting all the time, and those of us as Christians, we we think that we know everything quite firm. And once the goalposts is shifted about even one inch, we we we we stagger. What more when the goalposts are not there and yet you still play football? That's a challenge, and you've got a player still, even without a post, to play according to the rules, even though it's not written down, right? So that does everyone have a fair chance. So this morning has come the reading from the electionary, so it's not my choice. Given a choice, it would be this. And uh I don't know whether I've sent it to our brother Jeff something like late last night. Usually I have no slides because I'm not one of those who can one, two, three, four, five. Right? And uh I just speak. And uh but I thought that if he has on the slides, in fact, it's nothing new, but it's unfamiliar ground, I believe. I wouldn't ask you to raise hands, but how many people of you have actually dipped into the book of Proverbs? I'm not just doing lucky deep, huh? Those clawing machines. But really studying the book of Proverbs and even ask, why is the book there? It's all all mother's tales, right? If you sleep too much, you won't you won't get the thing, right? If you don't know, go and look at the ends. We have the spirit leading us, we have everything, we have the promises and all that. We are even to ask to look at the end. That's in Proverbs, right? Can you say it's not spiritual? How can it be spiritual? I I am I am so angry with the red ants biting me all around. No, so this morning, our reading is from Proverbs. Actually, there's only the first part, but I thought that the other part of the Proverbs, which is a very important structure, so that it gives us a sense of what it means. So that's why I asked our brother if we can get on not so much a slide, but really the full scriptures read, so that you can see, you know, visual aid is not just voice. And then, how does it connect if or if there's any connection with the reading from the gospel, Matthew? Do we not know? And that is a very haunting thing for it. More so today, we should be thankful for that. Jesus said, go and learn. Many of us Christians, we think we know. Especially when we talk to outsiders, our friends, you know, want to introduce them to Alpha and all that. We have all the answers, right? But then Jesus said, go and learn. It should be familiar ground. But why did Jesus say again, not to just 101 primary one student, but people who are supposed to know the scriptures, the Bible, at least the Old Testament? Go and learn. If they are the trained rabbis, school in the scriptures, the madrasa, so the equivalent. What more ask? Is it just a few courses or a few seminars? And we think we know, and yet Jesus said, Go and learn. Learning something which is so basic and yet needs repeating. He said, Go and learn what? I love mercy, I desire mercy. But do you know what that means? So this morning, as we come, it's not so much a topical sermon, but I just want to reorientate ourselves to the scriptures, especially to one area that we are not very familiar. And as was pondering about the Proverbs, I must admit it's also not my familiar ground, although I if Vicar Daniel give me a chance, I will give you an eight-hour course on this. No commentaries. Doesn't mention anything about any big stars. Just proverbs. Listen to your father's instructions, your mother's teaching. Oh dear, that's the last thing on earth, right? What are we living in today? How would they know when I'm just doing TikTok all the time? Even my mother has to learn from TikTok. Or carried away by TikTok, right? No, it's very serious. We are living in such a world. And you know all the argument and all the debate between uh China and USA over TikTok. Just two most powerful countries in the world today can be caught up in this supposedly. And when you talk so much about TikTok, they are doing deep seek. You know? This is where we are. Is there anything in the world that not that it does not change? It is dynamic, it is active, it's alive, it is adaptable without compromising. That is what we need to be confident about. It's not ABC, I know this. I know it from my Sunday school, my uh youth fellowship and all that, but the world has moved on. Even your parents don't recognize what it is. So, the seminar on how to cope with stress, make decisions, I don't know. Maybe I thank God that I'm I'm past this, the pressure of the current days. Right? Uh my time is over. But as we come together, the first part of this, if if you can see that, it's really taking you through the first few chapters of Proverbs. I don't know how many of you of you have that patience. I'm sure the our you you, those who are in JC or doing the IB course and three straight A's, you know. Where do we have time to listen? And in the beginning, the first few chapters of Proverbs, it keeps on saying, My son. My son, do not forget. That's the last thing you want to hear today, isn't it? Not only them, even the parents give up on saying. Because when they look at the TV, the news, what do they have to teach? And here it says, My son, receive my words and treasure up my commandments. How would you treasure such things? No, seriously. And why is it placed as it is? We argue about is it two tablets, five each, five each, or six, four, or four, six. You know, right in the middle of the Ten Commandments, the so-called fifth commandment. Why did it give so high honor to honor your parents, your mother and father? In the Ten Commandments. So, parents, you have tremendous honor, but also responsibility. That the midpoint, you stand in the midpoint of the Ten Commandments. God and those, your children, so that they are brought up in the confirm in the values and principles of life that they will not cover, they do not kill, they do not give false witnesses and all that. But under the pressure of this world, where where gain is always a thing, you think it's easy to maintain that? So, parents, why are you important? If the Ten Commandments, which goes without argument, right, should be fundamentally, the red of red, places the parents in the middle of that commandments. You think what we use our local language, you think it's play-play. It cannot be more serious, right? And yet sometimes we always go in in our Asian culture, we bow our heads down, we have nothing to say. When the people Chinese or whatever they are, say, look, we honor parents, how they honor is another thing, right? Implying that we Christians have detached ourselves from our roots. And yet, unless you don't accept the Ten Commandments, Jesus even accepted that. The role of the parents. And in the whole of scriptures, where would you find the importance of parents? Not in Prophet Isaiah, not in the Gospels, not even in Paul comparatively. None but the Proverbs. So, how many of you, I'm not asking you to raise hands, that we have really read through the Proverbs, let alone study. I don't see any courses or seminars and all that dealing on Proverbs, dealing with a lot of how to distress, how to cope with life. But if you're not read the Proverbs, how do you know at all? So it says, you see, I gave the list there, my son, do not forget, do not despise. Now I will go to the blessed part later on. Then it went on saying, hear is more intense, right? It's not just platitude, just hear, listen. How can you say tin? It speaks a lot. Don't have to give philosophy, it's like tin yah. Then listen. Listen what? Father's instruction. Be attentive. You know, in class we all doze off. Unless it's something attractive or something new. Gain insight. Learn from your father and your mother. Then he went on to say, Hear my son, and accept my words. Today you know you cover it. Even what teachers say is no guarantee to be right. It's my research, right? Then went on, keep on saying. After saying here, then he said, My son, twice in 420, 5.1, my son, be attentive. You know, there's so much I wouldn't say distraction, there's uh, you know, you you look down on those. So much attention to draw your attention. Just sit down at the TV by 6 p.m. until 10. There's no end to JKOP, right? There's no end to the China drama. Right? Now people don't watch Superman anymore. It's too artificial. What is Spider-Man? Right? Have you worked the Pao Kong? Pao Ching Tian? How can you compare with the depth, the twist, the lessons that they have? Right? Be attentive when there are so much good things drawing your attention. And finally, he went on and says, My son, Eve. Eve you put up for others, what about me? You keep your father's commandments, mother's teaching, repeat again, right? My son, keep. As though that is not enough to drive your young children or grandchildren away. Say, ah, Kong Kong Mama is always like that. Then it ends continue and finally in 724 to 832. It says, and now, oh sons, listen to me. In other words, there's some sort of urgency, right? Now don't delay anymore. Twice, 620 and 71, uh 724 and 832. And now it seems that coming to one part, one section, so important now. More than enough has been said. And now, listen to me. That is the last straw to break the camera's back. You will get students, even they are in the class, their minds elsewhere. Those of you who have been teachers, I bless you. So that's the way we look at these proverbs. I don't think any canon text, I'm not saying scriptures, in any civilization give such concentrated amount of time to honor father and mother. So hold your heads high when you speak to those ancient civilizations. Oh, we also honor parents. You more than honor parents. Parents carried such a standing that is even mentioned there in the midst of the Ten Commandments. As far as I know of many cultural canonical scriptures, they they honor. Maybe they have tablets, but to bring it up to that level, far from it. So I just want to say today at our special Sunday, especially for those who have been confirmed, we are being invited, drawn into this ancient tradition, which has stood the test of time. Not just big speakers or prophets or whatever that is, even bishops and archbishops. But people who have stood the test of time, who has gained the wisdom through mistakes, which parents don't make mistakes, right? If they are honest enough. But through mistakes, you learn wisdom. You have discretion, you know, don't go that way. To be very honest, I got a phobia coming this part. It was once I was supposed to go to Mandai cremation. Very dear. I really lost my way. You know, I end up where? Woodlands. That's now I just don't dare to accept any, say, can you take the cremation service? Twice I end up in Woodland. Okay. So what I'm trying to say is that unless the parents have something that in the eyes of God, not the world, not your culture, that God entrusts to them. So be who I want to say, those who are parents, can you raise your hands? Or those who are praying to be parents. Can you see the honor that you are given? But honor comes with responsibility. And I really honestly have read, try to search, consulted my friends in the who school in other canonical texts. Yeah, they honor parents, but not that the way it's being done, especially in the book of Proverbs. So I would like to highly commend to you today, brother, church, that this is a book, very important book, which I sense, correct me if I'm wrong, that it has hardly ever been taught. But it's in the scriptures. We always like the big one. Those basic down to earth, the wisdom of the life, that's children's play. But it's there. So it's not something new. Look at chapter 1 to chapter 8. Keep on saying, My son, father's instruction, mother's teaching, be attentive and now hear. Why? But the most important thing is not hearing and to get another sets of data. So the next part, and you see, as you can see, in this this uh section, there are two parts, which the first part read in Proverbs 3, and then Proverbs 8 was I was asked uh I asked to be read later on. Within this whole passage, before chapter 10, where it started, the word Proverbs of Solomon. Right? So the first nine chapters are very important. So in chapter 3, verses 13 to 17, it opens with the word blessed and ends with the word blessed. So it's what we call inclusion, right? Not hamburger. Inside the meat, but it's the bread which holds the thing together. Right? You're not your you might as well just eat meat, right? Hamburger is not meat, it's that's because it's to hold it together. Then in the other end of this introductory passage in chapter 8, there, before a very important passage, it ends again say, and now old sons listen to me. And now old son listen. You can you know that importance? Just like any of those of our young people who've been through uh SAF training, you know the parade ground. Not even the president is a parade commander which commands everything. Even in National Day, they without the parade commander, the president cannot simply just walk down and do inspection. So we say, and now time is right, listen to me. And chapter 8, then it says, Blessed are those. And then he ends up by saying, Blessed is the one who listens to me. So blessed is only when you listen. It's not just promises and we We have him, we is the center of our life, I'm sorry you say. But it's something that you listen. Now no time to go into that scriptures which we don't enjoy. Jesus once was reading, you know, in Matthew chapter 13. Suddenly he switched to using parables, which we are not used to. We are always that, give me the hard facts, right? A, B, C, D, right? What's the SOP? Parables are so-called story form. Different people enter it at different levels. You can see the read that here the same parable, but because of your experience, your the state of life you are at that point of time, you will listen different echoes. So if you want, then go to Matthew chapter 13. It's full of parables. Why did Jesus use parables? In fact, even his disciples was not really uh understanding. So after the first one, they came and asked, Why do you teach in parables? So if you don't ask me, are you better than that? I don't think so. At least they asked. They want to know, why do you teach in parables? And what Jesus replied was very, very sharp, but very caring. And he was quoting none other than the prophet Isaiah. They see, but they don't see. They hear, but they don't understand. So isn't that I don't know whether where you are. You can see a lot of things, right? Today you cannot not see, right? But you don't perceive the inner core of things. And you hear many things. Maybe in future it's not only A to Z, they have another 26th letter, 27th letter will come into play. AI. They hear, but they don't understand. So it's not just at the first level, the physical level, but to go deep, go far. How? It's not just taking a book, just pull off the shelf, and that's all. It's years and years of wisdom attested. So I hope we will not be the one facing Proverbs to say you hear but you do not understand. You see, but you don't really perceive. So the Proverbs is a very, to me it's a very important book. Because you we were singing a hymn, Jesus at center of our life, right? But I'm sure you all agree with me. The center, there's a lot of call decentralized. Decenter. Moving of the goalposts, changing of the rules halfway if you don't like it, right? There are many people and many countries doing changing the rules. Proverbs was collected together, we have no time to go into the background, was collected in the time when the east the people of God were totally this decentralized. What we call the exile. They were brought into Babylon because of various reasons. But a place that they cannot call themselves their own. The king is not their king, their religion was not a religion. The values and practices were not their familiar with. So to use this, the modern term, decentralized. How do you know how to live as a Christian? And yet you are Christian, you have to live. So which book do you go to? We go to Proverbs, the prophecies, these prophets, uh prophecies. But what I like to suggest is that we miss out proverbs. And that's to our great detriment. It's not just old mother's tale. It's that these people have lived through the exile, the difficult time, and their time-tested truth become what? Wisdom. It's not just knowledge, not data, not information. But accumulated and they know how to organize it and test it, and there's what we call wisdom. Doesn't mean you know more degrees, you've got wisdom, you know. And that's Proverbs. And the Proverbs is concerned not just going to the need. There are too many. Because you must not forget, God's people at one time was decentralized. Now we in the comfort of our church, we don't feel that, right? Outside people will say, don't talk in the echo chamber. Now it's a serious point. They might have wrong, but but we have to be very careful, not the echo chamber. And Proverbs, their life has been tested by all the foreign powers, foreign culture, foreign religion, foreign practices and all that. Do you still believe to be true? And so that's why it ended up these two. I just want to say, no, the whole point is not to just go out and being tested and decentralized. It's that after all this testing and go in the fire, so to speak, that you are called to a life of blessedness. That's why in chapter 3 it starts it off: blessed is the one who finds wisdom, not knowledge. And the one who gets understanding, not just hearing, but hearing with perception, you are able to discern and to say what right or wrong, left hand or right turn. You might not make the right uh correct answer all the time, but you know you are on the way. At least you can correct, make a U-turn when it's necessary. Some people don't even know to make a U-turn. So blessed is the one who finds wisdom. You see, there are two parts to this. The first part is something we like because everyone, I I don't know, I don't know how to, but everyone I think is watching the stock broker, the ground, right? Isn't the American coin that would give quarter percent less or whatever, then you know the whole world goes upside down, right? So remind her that broker firm is one of the best. You just sit there, drink coffee, or watch the thing. So here it says, for the gain from her is better than silver. Her profits are better than gold. Do you invest in gold? I think many people, you like it or not, you know something about gold now, right? You know it has shot up so much. But anything goes up when it comes up, we don't know. So the better bad, some people go for silver. Not so popular, but safer. Depending on your stomach. So you see, for the gain from her is better than silver. Her profit is better than gold. Who doesn't want it? She's more precious than jewels. I see many of you ladies. Even men also today put on jewels, right? Nothing you desire can compare. Now, you if you go out and say this is Christianity, it's better, people will come. But I also know people will go to Waterloo Street. If you know what is Waterloo Street, you have yours, I have mine, right? But then it went on. It's not just the hard thing, the value, the hard value currency and all that, which is not wrong in itself. If it's valuable, it means valuable. If your diamond is just a stone, it's nothing. Unless you process it, polish it, cut it into as many, any facades as possible. But then it went on in this passage. The real blessedness is what? It's long life in her right hand and her left hand are riches and honor. But these are not for your own benefit. We hand out as charity. I won't go into the various teachings in here. You know, at the end of Matthew chapter 25, and the last day is the judgment on the glorious throne, the king will be there as though a shepherd separating sheep and goats, right? Remember that story? That's very not just a story, it ends up a teaching. And then he looked at the right nose on the ship. Come in, blessed of my father. Enjoy what? And they say, What did we do? And the king said, When I was hungry, you gave me to eat. When I was thirsty, you gave me a drink. When I was naked, you clothed me. When I was sick, you visited me. Nothing spectacular or even publicity, right? But God knows. There was a KPI of separating goats and sheep. Not how much you brought people to Christ alone. I'm not saying that is not, but that is not the only criteria. And the others, they were not too wrong. Say, when did we see you hungry, naked? The king said, You didn't do it to the least of my brother, you did not do it to me. So go and learn. Blessedness. It's just that your life is a waste of pleasantness. People come into you, they feel comfortable. You know, sometimes very tense when you go to a dinner, right? Or meeting. Her paths are peace, shalom. You don't have to be specially prepared. You know what you see is what you get. You can trust this person. He's always a man of peace. Is that the image people have of we as Christians? There's so much wars going on in the world today. But more important thing is it ends up not just this and that, but she is a tree of life. Who lay hold of her to those who lay hold of her. And hold those who hold her fast are called blessed. The tree of life. I think Singapore is really blessed. Our first generation political leaders felt that they must plant trees, right? You know, you dare to cut down a tree, you've got to pay. You must get permission, the old trees that come along this way. There are many old trees along this way. I heard there is in the government's policy to plant another one million trees in Singapore. When you go to some countries, they are so resource-rich, but it's so poor, the whole road is so filthy with dust. No trees at all. And we know green carbon, whatever, whatever today, right? So you are a tree of life. A life of wisdom, built up in wisdom. It's like a tree of life, not for their self. Now, in the Bible, which book talks about blessedness so much? I'm not testing you, right? No, I just want you to. It's in the book, beginning with the book of Psalms, right? The book of Psalms, again, it was a book which was collected, organized, and all that, supposedly during the exilic time when their lives were disoriented, decentralized. But they have their faith, they have their knowledge and the traditional faith, and to collect it. And so when they start the first book of one, uh first of the 150 Psalms, it starts off by saying, Blessed is the man. Of course, then we know he walks not in counsel of wicked, stands not in the way, and sits in the delight is in the law of the Lord. Then verse 3 it says, He is like a tree, not a big one, what a fantastic speaker, no, he's very spirit-filled. Just like a tree, a quiet tree, by the what? Planted by the streams of water. But the importance of this tree is that that yields its fruits in the season, not to mention Jesus when he came, went back into uh the city, and he saw there were fig trees, only leaves, but no fruits. Here you see it feels its fruit in season. Even in the hottest of heat, the leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. If you don't prosper, how can you bless other people? I'm not saying material prosper again, prosperity alone. That that helps. But beyond that, when I was naked, when I was sick, when I was thirsty, that goes beyond the material thing, right? So a tree of life is what a life of wisdom is all about. You don't see, you can't see the top, but you must know the roots has to be. If it's not strong, the storm comes, the root, the tree will be upplanted, uprooted, right? It must be firm enough. Stand the weather. What sort of weather? It still produces fruits in the right time for the people. So it's not just so we begin the first psalm of that collection of psalms during the exodic period. Blessed is the man. May the Lord bless us. To be a man who is really blessed because we know who we are, we know our traditions, we know our heritage, we know our forefathers who brought to us, who nurture us, and we are humbled by all this. And yet, to have that response, continuing responsibility to pass it on, to bear fruit. So I think that many of the trees which were planted in the 1960s, probably now we say koya already, had to be replanted. Rightly so. But generation after generation. So this to be blessed is what really is all about. To be blessed. And so just want to end up by the other part, chapter 8 there. And it ends up saying, and now, oh son, listen to me. So the urgency. There's a time there, and now blessed are those who keep my ways, hear instructions, and be wise. And no neglect. It's all hard work. It's all work. We don't just think Christians are just helicopter up, helicopter down. Time capsule. It said, don't neglect it. And then it went on to say, Blessed is the one who listens to me. Just watch the next part of sentence. Watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. Now, patience is one of the most lacking assets today. Anything which is on instant, I'm not my cup of tea. I cannot because others are running faster. He says, watching daily. Come rain, come shine at my gates, because that's where you see things, right? Waiting, not just watching, you wait besides my doors. And finally it says, and whoever finds me finds life. And the other end, and who hates me, love death. So the binary between life and death is the outcome of wisdom. So go and learn. That was a very pointed statement. And Jesus was finally, after calling Matthew, decided to have a meal with him. And the people who were supposed to know the scriptures, the Pharisees, the Jews, say, why are you eating with sinners and tax collectors? Not that Jesus says it's wrong, what they say is wrong. But they say there's something deeper. That's why go and learn. I desire mercy more than sacrifice. So it's not just worship, not sacrificing, not in the church. But I desire mercy to bring out to where it's most needed. So Jesus said, go and learn. And where do you learn? My suggestion today is go to Proverbs. There's so much to learn there. Not old mother's tale. Be confident of yourself, mothers and grandmothers. But make sure that you're not just telling stories. You have so much responsibility to pass on, wisdom to pass on, father instructions, so that our children's generation will be really blessed and become a tree of life. And this tree of life will have no time to go away. Where does it end? If you turn to the last book of the Bible, Revelation. It's a tree of life. It's a tree of life. Which we have missed. We think when we are too smart, we choose the other tree. Right? God wants us to have life, but you choose the other one. So our task in being tree of life is not just uh wasting time. It has a very, very important salvation, mission to bring people back to eating.

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