City Harvest Church Weekend Sermons

To have cravings, desires and aspirations is not wrong. What is important is the kind of food—natural, mental, spiritual—that one consumes. In this thought-provoking message, Aries Zulkarnain likens the appetite one has for food to one’s spiritual appetite for God. Just as one can spoil one’s appetite by eating junk food, making nutritious food undesirable, one can also ruin one’s desire for God by feasting on carnal content. Pastor Aries urges the listener to desire for Jesus’ food, which is to do the will of Father God (John 4:34). He presents the way to do this in a “three-course meal”: self-denial, that is, living a lifestyle of making small sacrifices daily that will prepare you for big challenges; to do all things unto the Lord, that is to please God rather than to be popular; and to be faithful to the gospel, to keep preaching the Good News.

In this message by Jeffrey Rachmat of Jakarta Praise Community Church, we are reminded of God’s glorious standard for stewardship. God (Elohim) introduced the principle of stewardship in the Garden of Eden, before the Fall. Just as Adam was called to work the Garden, Christians are called to work what they have been given—marriage, ministry, marketplace—and to keep it (Gen 2:8, 15). Nothing on this earth belongs to us, but we have been given responsibility to take care of it all, and we must one day give an account to God. This may seem daunting, but God will not ask you to do what is beyond you; when He calls you to do something, it reveals the potential He has placed in you. Let this sermon encourage you to keep working with God and increasing your ability, living the abundant life Jesus came to give us.

In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus never rebuked Martha for being busy. Her problem was, even when Jesus was sitting in front of her, she was anxious and angry, too busy and distracted to focus on Him. In this sermon, Kong Hee captures the essence of why silence and solitude are essential to a believer’s life. We must be silent enough to listen to God, and we must have enough solitude to connect with the Holy Spirit. The secret ingredient to a balanced and happy life is God Himself: it is in His presence that there is joy and freedom. Three things happen when we are by ourselves in God’s presence, and Pastor Kong covers two here: one is meditation, which is applying your mind to the word of God and two is contemplation, which is to come into God’s presence with no agenda, enjoying Him and experiencing His love for you.

Most of us wear our busyness like a badge of honour—the busier we are, the more we feel like an achiever. But being too busy causes anxiety and burnout; we have no time for our family and worse, we have no time for God. In this sermon, Kong Hee teaches that if we are seeking balance in our life, the answer is to slow down. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus tells believers He will give us rest, which is to slow down; He invites us to learn from Him. Adapting from John Mark Comer’s teaching on “Slowing”, Pastor Kong shares five things we must learn from Jesus: to adopt slow-down spirituality, to faithfully observe the Sabbath rest, to practice silence and solitude, to make devotional prayers (not just intercession and petition) and to develop detachment, which is to be content in any situation. If we can slow down and follow Jesus’ unhurried pace of life, we will be changed, we will find His yoke easy and His burden light.

Most of us wear our busyness like a badge of honour—the busier we are, the more we feel like an achiever. But being too busy causes anxiety and burnout; we have no time for our family and worse, we have no time for God. In this sermon, Kong Hee teaches that if we are seeking balance in our life, the answer is to slow down. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus tells believers He will give us rest, which is to slow down; He invites us to learn from Him. Pastor Kong shares five things we must learn from Jesus: to adopt slow-down spirituality, to faithfully observe the Sabbath rest, to practice silence and solitude, to make devotional prayers (not just intercession and petition) and to develop detachment, which is to be content in any situation. If we can slow down and follow Jesus’ unhurried pace of life, we will be changed, we will find His yoke easy and His burden light.

Psalm 23 is a well known passage written by King David. Just as how David was both shepherd and king, God was to him his Shepherd and King, providing guidance and direction in life. Just by following the shepherd, sheep will be led to still waters and green pastures. Ps Zhuang shares 3 ways to follow God our Shepherd. Firstly, by hearing His voice. Instead of following the latest trends and culture, we need to follow the voice of God. Secondly, to follow the Shepherd, we need to give up control. God wants to lead us fully on His terms, yet always for our benefit. Finally, we need to trust God’s leading and know that God’s ways are always higher than ours. May we reflect as King David did, and be led by the Shepherd of our hearts and our lives.

As we exit 2022 and enter into 2023, Pastor Aries Zulkarnain gives us keys to laying the foundation for success in the new year. While God’s plans towards may not always be easy, they are always for our good. In order for us to be successful in Christ Jesus, God wants us to be established in His identity, giving Him the glory in good times and in bad times. God wants us to be in partnership with Him, and be willing to put our hands in to work alongside Him. Finally, God wants us to encounter Him daily in this new year, by seeking Him first in all we do. May 2023 be a year of encounters with God, partnering with Him and seeing success in every aspect of life!

The reason for the Christmas season isn’t feasting and gifting. Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ, the perfect gift from Father in heaven, and the only Way to salvation. Pastor Kong Hee shares in this sermon that the Good News of Jesus’ birth invites different responses, as illustrated in the Bible. First, there were the innkeepers who had no place for Jesus represents those who are so busy making money, they have no time for salvation and no space in their hearts for God; they reject Jesus out of ignorance. Next, there was King Herod who represents those who consciously reject Jesus over and over again out of arrogance and unbelief. Finally, there were the three wise men, who knew that the newborn was the Son of God, and made time and effort to seek Him and worship Him. Listen to this Christmas message, and be like the wise men and embrace Jesus!

At this Candlelight Services, Kong Hee preaches this encouraging message for those who are facing a dark time in their lives. Matt 4:16 declares that on those living in darkness, a Light has dawned. When we go through dark seasons, it is easy to get discouraged and to quit, but Christians can be assured that no matter how dark things look, God is always next to us. Sharing powerful testimonies of the Lord bringing victory to impossible situations, Pastor Kong reminds us that it is when we find ourselves in difficult situations that we grow in God. Isaiah 45:3 promises that we will find treasures in darkness: we pray more, we press in to God—our affliction is our spiritual gym. Let this message remind you that the treasures we find in dark places are His anointing and His presence, the things of eternal worth.

Thanksgiving is a time to prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus. In this sermon, Lin Junxian teaches what the benefits of giving thanks are. The whole Bible calls believers to continually express gratitude and stay in an atmosphere of thanksgiving, which is both an inward attitude of the heart and an outward expression. Thanksgiving is a theme that runs from the Old Testament to the Epistles. Pastor Junxian teaches that God wants us to remember what He has done for us in the past and what He promises to do for us in the future. Three things thanksgiving does to and for us: it redirects us to God’s grace, it realigns us with God’s will and it results in God’s provision. Let this encouraging message relight your fire for God through an attitude of thanksgiving.