Suffering and Yielding Rights
Pastor Tan Thai · Feb 20, 2016
This sermon teaches that followers of Christ must not only endure suffering but also yield their personal rights for the sake of God's work. Drawing from Matthew 5:38-42 and Paul's example in 1 Corinthians 9, the sermon calls believers to surrender their rights to revenge, honor, possessions, time, and money.
This sermon was delivered on Sunday, February 21, 2016, on the occasion of the church's election of a new executive board. The pastor opened by reminding the congregation that leaders and servants of God must be people who understand God's Word, live maturely in faith, avoid seeking titles and reputation, and place the interests of God's work above personal rights. Using the illustration of parents telling an older child to yield to a younger sibling, the sermon introduced its central theme: yielding is the attitude of a spiritually mature person.
Drawing from Matthew 5:38-42, the pastor presented five rights that Jesus Christ calls His disciples to surrender: the right to take revenge, the right to protect personal honor, the right to accumulate and use possessions, the right to use time and energy as one pleases, and the right to use money as one wishes. Each right was illustrated with real-life stories or concrete examples. The story of missionary Hudson Taylor being pushed into muddy riverbank but still inviting his offender to share the boat in order to share the Gospel stood out as a vivid illustration of surrendering the right to retaliate. Romans 12 was also cited to reinforce the principle of leaving vengeance to God.
The second section focused on Paul's example in 1 Corinthians 9. Though he had full rights as an apostle — including the right to marry, to bring a wife along in ministry, and to receive financial support from the churches — Paul voluntarily set all of these aside so as not to hinder the growth of the Gospel. The pastor emphasized that yielding rights is not weakness but the mark of someone who truly loves God and desires His work to flourish.
The sermon concluded with the supreme example of Jesus Christ as described in Philippians 2:5-8. From the Creator of the universe, He emptied Himself, took the form of a servant, endured mockery, beatings, spitting, and ultimately death on the cross — all to save sinners. The pastor called the congregation, especially leaders and those serving God, to have the same mindset as Christ: to place the interests of others and the work of God above their own personal rights.