Consecration is all about Jesus; and to have a relationship with Him, it is crucial to hear His voice, preached Pastor Choong Tsih-Ming.
“One of the first and most vital processes in our consecration is our hearing,” said City Harvest Church pastor, Choong Tsih-Ming.
He was preaching at the services over the weekend of Jan 13 and 14. While believers commonly understand consecration to be the making holy of a person, Pastor Ming offered another perspective of the concept.
At the start of his message, the pastor encouraged the congregation to rise above their circumstances, and push on to greater heights in the new year.
“New goals and resolutions are important, but digging into the Word of God is more important,” he exhorted. “2019 must be a year where we contend for our eyes to be filled with a revelatory light, so that we will be able to see what God has already revealed to us, through a renewed perspective.”
The word consecration has multiple definitions. In the Old Testament, to be consecrated means “to be holy or set apart”. In the New Testament, it means “to make perfect of make new”.
The pastor then showed the church a less familiar Hebrew definition of “consecration” from Exodus 28. In verses 40 and 41, the word “consecrate” is the Hebrew word mâlê which means “to confirm”, and “fill the hand”.
This definition originated from Exodus 29, where it describes the consecration process of Aaron and his sons.
Exodus 29:22 speaks of the hands of Aaron and his sons being filled with the bloody parts of sacrificed animals during the consecration process. In the Old Testament, consecration was a bloody and complicated process, but in today’s context, consecration is signified by one’s life being filled with Jesus Christ.
Pastor Ming shared that in order to fill one’s heart and mind with Jesus, one must apply Leviticus 14:25, “And he shall kill the lamb of the guilt offering. And the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot.”
HEARING GOD
Explaining that the lamb’s blood on the right ear represents one’s hearing, the pastor stressed that the most vital part of consecration is a believer’s hearing. “Once we get our hearing right, the workings of our hands and the walking of our feet will be right.”
Although in Isaiah 50:4-5, it says that God has wakened the ears of all believers to hear, most believers have trouble actually hearing.
“Our belief in Jesus is not a religion, but rather a relationship with Him,” said Pastor Ming. Just as it is in any relationship, communication is the foundation. It is this crucial for believers to learn to hear from Jesus, and to effectively converse with Him.
He explained that God has created us with the capacity and ability to recognise His voice, in the same way that a baby that is exposed to his father’s voice while still in the womb, will recognise it when he is born.
With the help of dramatists Bernard Loh and Adrian Cheung, Pastor Ming launched in an engaging—and entertaining—visual explanation of ways to hear God’s voice.
The first way to develop a hearing ear, is by reading the Bible daily. It is important to do so, as reading God’s Word every day reveals to the believer both His greatness and goodness. It also renews one’s mind to think God’s thoughts, and aids in redirecting one’s life away from sin and towards holiness instead.
Pastor Ming exhorted the congregation not to be in a hurry, but instead to learn to grow gradually and consistently.
The second way to develop a hearing ear, is through fellowship with other believers. Communion with fellow believers is essential as it builds friendship, unity and God’s kingdom.
The pastor explained this using a glass of brown-colored water to represent the negativity in life. Bernard and Adrian took turns pouring glasses of clear water into the glass of brown water until it became clear.
“This is what happens during fellowship: the negativities in our lives can be washed away as other believers pour the life of the Holy Spirit into us,” explained Pastor Ming.
Just as it says in Hebrews 10:25, he urged those listening to meet frequently and build each other up through encouragement.
“When it comes to building relationships, your focus should not be on what you can get out of a relationship, but instead, what you can give to the other person,” said Pastor Ming. “Even while giving, you never have to worry about receiving, because when you give, you will surely get from God.”
The final way to develop a hearing ear is to be baptised in the Holy Spirit. Reading Galatians 5:19-21, Pastor Ming listed the behaviors that reveal a person’s inner turmoil. But the good news is, Jesus is the Deliver. The pastor went on to reference Romans 7:24-25: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Pastor Ming declared, “Jesus has broken the power of sin over our lives and He has given us the Holy Spirit.”
Bringing his message to a close, he urged the congregation to be still, so that they may be filled with Holy Spirit. He encouraged them to never stop desiring for God’s presence.
The service ended with Pastor Ming and other leaders of the church praying for individual members struggling with bitterness, anger and the inability to forgive. The rest of the church was commanded to lay hands on and pray for one another, moving in the Holy Spirit.
