Rev. Lawrence Fung is the main evening speaker at WCCCC 2018 at Mount Hermon. Our theme verse for 2018 is: "We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:20, NIV) 2nd of 3 evening messages. Presented at West Coast Chinese Christian Conference, December 2018.

1. Self-abandonment
1 Peter 1:8-9,13-17
A. Our faith becomes a needs driven religion under the influence of consumerism：
 ______________ concept (outward)
 Instant ____________ (comfort)
 _____________ with others (jealousy)
 Demand _______________ (competition)
 _______________________ (helpless)
Program driven or shopping mall culture of church is to meet the needs of different consumers
B. Needs driven religion gives birth to wrong mindsets:
 Messiah complex
 Entitlement complex
 Self-preservation complex
C. Self-preservation causes confusion in faith:
 Man desires the kind of God he wants but not God himself.
 The God who only cares for the needs and weakness of man does not exist.
 We become helpless in the complacent life of sin
 The kind of god we desire could not save us
 This god is only an idol believers worship at home
 This god enables religious people to survive in daily business with some peace of mind
 We do not want to return to the stage of unsaved/unforgiven condition.
 But we do not want to pay the price to pursue godly living
 We become lost in the gap between the land of slavery and delivery
 We thought seminary can give us a boast in our spiritual life
 We pursue deep meaning of theology but losing passion of faith
 We master the eloquent of spiritual jargon but losing intimate communication with God
D. The crises of faith caused by self-preservation: (Rom 8:22-23; Jer. 29:11; John 15:1-2; 1
Cor. 3:13-15)

2.  Man likes to use convenient ways to quench thirst
 Man likes to use quick fix means to avoid pain or hardship
Difference between hurt and harm
E. What kind of temptations disciples need to watch out in their growth？ (腓 Phi 3：17-19)
• Enemy of the cross (Pluralism)
• God is their stomach (Consumerism)
• Glory in their shame (Relativism)
• Temporal replace eternal (Hedonism)
F. Be careful of post-modern narcissism (2 Tim 3:1-4)