A blessing for all people

Nearly 10,700 brothers and sisters participated in the divine service in Gombong in Indonesia on 28 June 2015. It was transmitted to an 88 locations in the country. Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider conducted the divine service in English, which was interpreted into Bahasa and Mandarin. The Chief Apostle based his sermon on 1 Peter 3: 8–9, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”

Called to be a blessing

“People sometimes think that blessing expresses itself in the improvement of our lives on earth,” the Chief Apostle said. “But that is only a small part of blessing. True blessing is something else: it helps us to attain salvation. Blessing is what brings us closer to Jesus Christ.”

“To become a blessing for somebody else is to become like Jesus, because Jesus was and is a blessing.” Special skills or gifts are not necessary to become a blessing for others, the Chief Apostle said. “All that is needed is that we allow the Holy Spirit to develop in us, and to guide and inspire us.”

Compassion and a desire to help

To be a blessing we have to have the same mind as Jesus Christ and have compassion for one another. We have to have a strong feeling of sympathy for those who are suffering and the strong desire to help them. “People are not really interested in the suffering of their neighbour. But we want to be like Jesus,” the Chief Apostle said with reference to the story of the blind beggar Bartimaeus (Mark 10: 46–52). “We want to be made aware that others are suffering.”

“What can I do for them?” the Chief Apostle posed the question and mentioned the story of the Roman centurion and the man’s concern for his servant. “We can pray to the Lord and intercede for them. We need a strong faith for this. It is not enough just to pray. We have to prove that the word of God can help them.”

Love as brothers, be tenderhearted and courteous

“We have been called to be a blessing not only for those who suffer but also for sinners,” the Chief Apostle emphasized. He mentioned the example of Moses, who pleaded with God to save the people after they had built the golden calf (Exodus 32: 7–14). “He did not want to be saved alone.”

“We want sinners to be saved just as we are saved,” the Chief Apostle said. “All men are our brothers because we all have the same Father, the Creator who created us and who provides for us. Even if they should have separated from God, we want them to attain salvation, and that is why we pray to God for them: Jesus died for everybody.”

Not returning evil for evil

“It happens that we are hurt, offended, and criticized. So we have what we call enemies, and this is something we have to deal with.” The Chief Apostle used the example of Deacon Stephen (Acts 7) to illustrate his point. He had aroused the enmity of various people because of his teachings, and was accused and put on trial.

Following a long speech in his own defence before the Jewish authorities, Stephen saw heaven opened and was allowed to see the glory of God. And with this in mind, and realizing what was waiting for him, he could say, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” Chief Apostle Schneider continued, “Those children of God who really believe in the glory of God that is promised, no longer need their enemies to be punished so they themselves can find inner peace.”

His summary: “We are ready to forgive everything, and that way we can be a blessing for the souls in yonder world and for the people around us.”