Church Talk: Christians amidst non-Christians– Keresitiano I rotopu I te Kerisitiano kore’

Text/Irava: 1st Peter/Petero 2:21, “Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbours. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honourable behaviour; and they will give honour to God when He judges the world … Kia meitaki ta kotou tuatua I rotopu I te au etene: ta ratou oki I akakino mai ia kotou, mei te mea e aronga rave tuatua kino, kia akara ra ratou I ta kotou tuatua meitaki, kia akameitaki ratou I te Atua i te ra e rokoia mai ei ra”.

1. Introduction: This is almost like a direct and total reminder to what Jesus Christ preached and taught in the very early days and years of his evangelistic ministry stated in Mathew 5:16, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven … Koia katoa to kotou marama, kia kaka ia ki mua I te aroaro o te tangata nei, kia akara ratou I ta kotou angaanga meitaki, e kia akameitaki ratou I to kotou Metua I te ao ra”. Mei te mea atura te aiteite nei te tataanga a te Apesotolo Paulo ki ta Iesu I ako e tei apii katoa I te au ra e te au matairi I akamata’I tana tutuanga evangelia.
2. Under normal circumstances: We as fellow Christians may be attending Sunday or other days Worship Church Services, Bible Christian educations, prayer group meetings, choir rehearsals, youth activities, community outreach ministries, prayers and fasting, birth, marriages, deaths, bereavement, funeral and burial visits. Ae, mei tei matauia: Penei te aere nei tatou ki te Pure Akamorianga I te au ra Tapati e tetai uatu au ra takake – te apii bibilia, pure, akakoreanga kai, putuputuanga mapu, apiipii imene, anau Tamariki, akaipoipo, mate takake, atoro akapumaana kopu tangata tumatetenga, au pure tanuanga tangata mate.  We often and always ensure as training for our children to say our grace or prayers before meals, before we slip off to sleep, as we wake up in the morning, to schools, works and back home, like pray, pray, pray anywhere, anytime and whatever we think, say or do – everything to God in prayer becomes the basic norm for any who is supposedly a believer or follower of Jesus Christ. Ae, ka pure kia akara mai e kia tamou ta tatou au tamariki I te apiianga ka pure I mua ake ka kai manga ei, ka moe ei, e ara mai, teateamamao no te apii, no te angaanga, oki mai mei te au akakoroanga o tereira ra – e pure, pure, pure I te au ngai ravarai, atianga, te au manakonakoanga, tuatua e ta tatou ka rave – te au mea ravarai ki te Atua naroto I te pure, ko te Oraanga  tinamou teia o te aronga tei tia tikai no te irinaki e te aru tika ia Iesu Mesia.
3. This indeed and truly is a lot of commitments, church devotions and services accorded in the Name of our Almighty God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Kare e aka angaanga e te akaatinga anga maata teia ta tatou e tia nei I roto I te Ingoa o to tatou Metua Atua e to tatou Akaora Iesu Mesia.
4.  Besides all of the above, we may be driving to drop off and pick our children up from schools and colleges. Most are committed to day and night shift jobs, sporting and exercise activities and all so very many meetings, appointments, personal leisure and entertainments to attend. Ae, penei te kave nei tatou au metua ma te tiki katoa I ta tatou au Tamariki ki te apii e oki mai ki te kainga I te paruru I to ratou oraanga. E au angaanga ao, te po, au porokaramu tarekareka, tereni akamatutu kopapa, au uipaanga, aravei taote e tetai uatu. Au angaanga tamataora, kimi noou uaorai mataora e te vai atura – ma te irinaki e e Keresitiano rai tatou noatu katoa eaa te au peu tino kopapa ta tatou e rave mou ra.
5. Yet the real crux and challenge of our Christian Loyalty is – ‘how careful and proper are we showcasing our Christianity and Jesus Christ to our unbelieving neighbours?’. Even if they falsely accuse us of wrongdoings, how humble and honourable is our behaviour, habits and attitudes towards them in honour of our God amidst an evil and wicked generation who still do need to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Only Creator and Light of the world. Ae, eaa te uianga tumu ta tatou ka ui I te tika o to tatou Oraanga Keresitiano? Te matakite e me te tau tika katoa nei ta tatou akaarianga I to Irinakianga Keresitiao I rotopu I te ara e te kino maata e tupu nei I ra kino e te uki tangata maro te ka anoano katoaia kia kite ia Iesu Mesia te Akaora okotai, tei Anga e te Marama o teianei ao katoa.
6. How do we treat, relate and interact with people around us? How do we behave when under pressure in schools, at works, in sports, family or community meetings and elsewhere? How do we converse, dialogue and engage with non-believing and short-circuit people? Are we always too busy to ourselves barely sparing quality time to share to anybody in a more respectable manner? Are we patient, cool mind, calm and peaceful to hold and keep our composure in the heat of challenges, or easily triggered to lose our focus and balance to throw up unnecessary tantrums? Are we easily drawn or tempted to gossips, criticisms, murmurings, complaints and being too judgemental? Do we confess and quickly admit our wrongs, seek resolution, restitution and forgiveness? Are we humble, submissive, honourable and respectable to our seniors, elders and especially to all in supervisory capacities and in higher levels of authority and leadership? Are we racist, discriminatory, bigotry, exclusive, mean, unfriendly, self-righteous, self-centred, hypocritical and pharisaic = separated?
7. Upholding Christ’s simple core-lessons: Render no evil for evil, love, pray for your enemies, do good to those that persecute you, curse not by the earth it is his footstool, neither by the heavens it is his throne, let your yay be yay and nay be nay; swear not, curse not, slander not, lie not, kill not, worship no idols, worship no graven images, flee from youthful lusts, love thy neighbours as thyself, forgive all as Christ has forgiven us.
8. Who then and truly is Jesus Christ? He is not a religious figure, religion, denomination, nor church institution but Immanuel God with us, the Creator God, born the Son and lamb of God to take away the sins of the world, crucified a slain lamb of God, hung on the cross on Calvary hill, buried in a tomb but arose from the dead three days later. He was seen in his resurrected body by several eye witnesses to the fortieth day seen by over 500 eye witnesses including even his Apostles on the Mount of Olives, his mother Mary and his brethren all saw him taken up into heaven, when two angelic witnesses stood by them in white apparel; who said, “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven”. He sent His Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost to dwell in the temple of our hearts, but only we have repented of our sins (Born Again), immersed through water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost … and evidenced by speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gave them utterance as the 3,120 believers in Acts 2:4, 41 and 42. So began the Church of Jesus Christ on Pentecost Sunday Acts 2.
9. Finally, and furthermore, the Bible records:
10. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth … I muatangana ra, kua anga iora te Atua I te rangi e te enua”.
11. John 1:1, “beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the ‘Word was God’ … I vai ana te Logo I muatangata, e te Atua ra oki te Logo, e ko te Atua oki te Logo
12. Revelation 1: 17 – 18, “Fear not; I Am the first and the last: 18, I Am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I Am alive for evermore, Amen; and have he keys of hell and death … Auraka e mataku; ko Au te muatangana e te akaopenga; 18, Ko Au teia e ora nei, I mate ana rai oki: e I na, e ora atu rai Au e tuatau ua atu, Amene; Amene; e tei Iaku te taviri o te mate e ade”.
13. John 10:30, “I and My Father are One … Ko Au e te Metua ra, okotai ia”.
14. John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I Am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me … Kua tu1:atua atura Iesu kiaia, Ko Au te Mataara, te tuatua-mou, e te ora;: kare ua e tangata e tae ki Taku Metua ra, mari ra ei Iaku”.
15. Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved … Kare rave oki e ora I tetai ke: kare atu oki e ingoa I akakiteia mai  ki te tangata I raro ake I teianei rangi, e ora’I tatou nei”.
16. Acts, 2:38 & 39, “And Peter said, Repent and be baptised everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
17. Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me (Jesus) both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”.

Believers in Jesus Christ are in the world as light in darkness, as truth against all falsities, right against all wrongs, good against all evil and life beyond death - physically present but not consumed or conformed to its lifestyle, values and systems. But transformed in the standards and principle of Christ and minds renewed to his standard of holiness – but ultimately, forever, reaching out with all Christlike longsuffering not willing that any human soul be lost and perish but all come to repentance and totally saved in Jesus Christ. Just as Hebrews 12:14 states, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord … E umuumu I te Au I te au tangata katoa nei e te Tapu, kare oki e Tapu ra, kare ua e tangata e kite I te Atu”.

Have a safe, pleasant, peaceful and blessed Jesus weekend … Kia Ora, tau meitaki, te au e te akameitakianga a Iesu Mesia I teia openga epetoma.

• Bishop Tutai Pere of the Apostolic Church