Pastor Ted Pangilinan is the Founding and Senior Pastor of Church One Christian Community, a dynamic church serving diverse cultures and aiding the underprivileged on the Gold Coast, with branches north of Brisbane and in Manila, Philippines.
Ted and his wife Amanda have over 30 years of full-time ministry in Australia, and are parents to 3 daughters. Ted has a passion for discipleship, mentoring and leadership development. His heart is to see more churches planted nationwide, led by those who are dedicated to witnessing a transformative move of God in their communities.
Recently, Ted shared a special 5-minute sermon with us during Sunday Morning Together, highlighting the importance of equipping and empowering Christians to defend the Gospel. Read Ted’s full message below:
‘One of the things that I’m finding challenging in our current society is being able to defend the Gospel. I think apologetics is such an important part of who we are as Christians to be able to defend our faith.
Given the fact that we’re living in a very, very fluid society when it comes to morality, where people are saying, this is my truth and my truth matters, I’m finding that the real truth not only has to be proclaimed, but sometimes it has to be defended.
But here’s the conundrum in this whole thing, not everybody is going to have a theological or apologetic mind to be able to say or defend what they believe. And so I’ve come to understand that in doing this, what is the most important thing that could change people’s lives? Apart from debates, apart from arguments, apart from what they’re saying to be their truth and how they see the world, and how Christian thinking is now becoming nothing more than just a common religion with other religions.
Christianity is no longer distinct to the other religions that we see in the world today. How do we respond to that? I think about this in the very words of Hebrews 14, where it says, Jesus is the same today, yesterday and forever.
I’m always really challenged by that scripture. For a lot of people, Jesus is nothing more than a historical figure. They see Him as someone who has walked the earth over 2000 years ago. He is in history.
So a lot of people cannot deny who Jesus is based on history. But when you start to take Jesus away from just being a historical figure into a deity, into who He truly is that He claimed to be; that’s where you start to lose your audience a lot of times.
You need to be able to prove to people today that Jesus is not just a coming King who is going to be returning for His church. As I consider this, how do I make Jesus relevant today?
Well, the first thing I need is to make Him relevant in my life. How alive is Jesus? I continually ask myself this question, is Jesus’ presence alive today in my life in such a way that He will flow out of me into people’s lives?
I’m sure that if Jesus was walking on the earth today, people would like Him because of the kind of the kindness and the grace and the love that He represents. I’ve even heard a Christian say today, people don’t like church. They like Jesus.
That’s a bit of a misnomer, I think, in so many different ways. But the reality is there’s something about Jesus that was so different to the Pharisees, so different to the religious leaders and everybody else.
We as God’s people, as Christians, need to emulate that. I’m reminded of a story when Lazarus was raised from the dead in Jesus. Instead of going and helping Lazarus when he got sick, when He got news, instead of that, He went away two days away from Bethany.
If I’m going to have a Pastor, I want him there when I’m in need, not to run away from me for two days in a retreat. But that’s exactly what Jesus did. So Jesus doesn’t work necessarily because of our needs. He works because He said yes to what the Father wants for us on the earth.
Four days later, Jesus turns up. Martha goes to Him and says, Lord, if you’d been here a few days ago, he would not have died. And then Jesus says, don’t you know that I am the resurrection and the life? To which Martha said, I know on the day of resurrection He will rise again.
But Jesus says, no, no, I am the resurrection and the life. Not I will be the resurrection and the life. In that moment, Jesus was saying to Martha, I’m not just a historical figure that could have done things for you yesterday. I’m not just a futuristic figure that could do something for you in the future. I am here today. I can do something for you.
I can do something that will change and transform your life. Today I am Jesus. Today I am the resurrection and the life. And in that moment we saw one of the greatest miracles. And Martha’s eyes were open. And the stone that covered the tomb of Lazarus four days later was removed, and he walked again with Jesus. Jesus is for today.
Let me pray for you. Father, I pray that we would discover You today afresh and be renewed by Your presence in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.’
Listen to Ted’s full message below:
