Yes, God Series - Part 1: Radically Reasonable | Andy Yeoh

Hello there, Welcome to Generations Church podcasts. We're so glad you're listening to

this message. We hope you'll be inspired to grow in your faith in God.

Enjoy the message Godless Today. I will start with this topic called radically

reasonable. Sounds like an oxymoron, and now how do you be radical and

reasonable at the same time? But you know our Bible tends to have these

concepts, right, It's a truth and grace at the same time. So

radically reasonable. Let's turn our Bibles to Romance verse one to two. I

beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you

present your bodies, you your whole self, your bodies, your kidney,

lungs, your intestines, your eyes knows everything, present your bodies a living

sacrifice that is holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

And do not be confirmed to this world, but be transformed in one that

we've been reading for so long. Do not be confirmed to this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what

is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. So it's it's all

a progression. God wants us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, you

know, and to remain in that state, we have to be transformed because

we cannot think in our own self way and continue to serve God this way

against you know what I'm saying. We've been going through a series called change,

and we talked about how our minds need to be renewed, and that's

the most important part of change that needs to happen in man. Okay,

cool, Today we're gonna read it. We're gonna look at verse one.

Okay, So let's look at verse one and two from the New Living Translation.

Here we go, and so, dear brothers and sisters. So,

okay, cool, the New Living Translation a bit or male and female bros

and sis. I plead with you that now you'll know what besiege means.

Just now you're like, what's that word? Is that English? Besige means

urge? Plead you kind of what I'm doing every Saturday and what I'm doing

today. I'm coming like I'm trying to use everything I have within me to

urge you, to convince you, to persuade you. I plead you with

you. Please, brother and sisters, give your bodies, in other words,

give your lives to God. Let your lives be a living and holy

sacrifice, the kind that God will accept. Why when you think of what

He has done for you? Is this too much to ask? It's a

different way of saying it, right, but basically this is what it means.

When you think about what God has done for you? Is it too

much to ask? What is too much to ask? To make your bodies

your life a living? Say sacrifice. I don't know about you, but

you know the word sacrifice and the word Christianity should be synonymous. It should

be no one and the same. Jesus wasn't born, you know, in

a bungalow with a civil spoon, and you know he was born in a

manger, and he was born in a manger, and he knew what he

was here for. He was ultimately going to die on a cross. Amen.

In this world where we try to be more comfortable, we work harder

so they can earn more so that they can be more comfortable. Right,

more comfortable car, more comfortable house, more comfortable bank account. You know,

in a world where we try to be more comfortable, we practice a

religion, or at least we claim to practice religion. They actually is born

out of sacrifice somebody says sacrifice again, and God is saying to us he

wants us to live our lives as a sacrifice. Now, have you ever

heard of the word radical? I wonder if you think of sacrifice as something

radical, and for some for some reason, I think we do. Like

for example, when you hear someone who maybe like me, lah, okay,

not Mela, I'm not so great, but no, people who like

well give up their jobs, give up their big paycheck to go inserve the

Lord. And we say, wow, so sacrificial. Wow, what a

radical life? Right? We tend to associate that. Right. The Bible

talks about a second kind of sacrifice. But God wants us to be a

living sacrifice. But there's a probably leaving sacrifice where we're alive. We're alive

and we can walk off. We can one Saturday say God, I'm all

for you, and the very next day maybe not. Maybe I'll delay my

obedience and obey some other time. Okay, God, to break a sacrifice.

I thought you just wanted my Saturday, But now you want my Mondays

too. That's food, so nice, God, Hey, don't touch that.

Wait God you want wait? I thought you want them, but ten

percent now you want more. No no, no, no, no,

no no. I didn't sign up for this. That's the problem with the

living sacrifice. That's what we all are, and God wants us to be

a living sacrifice. Okay, there's a difference between living and the dead.

A dead person have no rights, have no will. A dead person cannot

cannot make choices. God doesn't want you to be a dead sacrifice. God

wants you to be a living one so that you can continue to make the

choice to remain a sacrifice. Amen. So God is saying we are to

prison our bodies basically every single day. So we've learned this before. If

you're not transforming, you're conforming. So if you're not changing the way you

think and change the way you live, it's very hard to be a living

sacrifice. You've got to change the way you think about your life so that

you can become a living sacrifice. So if you're not transforming, you're not

becoming that kind of a person. It's going to be very hard. You're

just going to flow along with whatever the world is saying. Now, that's

basically it. So you've got all these concepts from the verse, a living

holy, acceptable, reasonable, all these words are there. I'm confused by

the word reasonable. I don't know about you, because living holy doesn't sound

reasonable to me. It sounds radical to me. It sounds like, oh,

it's only for certain kind of people living acceptable living sacrifices. Living means

your life. Like I said earlier, dead people don't have real you don't

have a choice, you don't have rights, You're just there. But a

living sacrifice has to continuously every day make that choice and say God, not

my will, by yours be done. Today on a Tuesday afternoon, when

I'm about to walk into the meeting room, in the room God, Today

on a Wednesday morning, when I'm about to walk to the exam hall,

God, I'm a living sacrifice. The Bible says in Look ninet twenty three.

Then he said to them all, to us all, if anyone desires

to come after me, you want to follow me, you want to be

a Jesus follower, let him deny himself and take up his cross every single

day, not just sat the day or Sunday, every day and follow me.

Wow, looks like God is asking us to think o our cross.

Means He's asking us to die to ourselves every single day. So the concepts

aligned, Paul, God is from where got it from? Here? Be

a living sacrifice, die to yourself every day. Now, I said earlier

about whether sacrifices, living a life of sacrifice, is it radical or reasonable?

We tend to think it's a radical concept. Yeah. Wow, you

give your job to serve God. Wow, so ridical? While you're serving

three minutes three waw? So ridical? You want you spend half of your

week in church? Wow? So radical? What you mean Friday nights you're

not at the club? You're aware, Gigi? Now, wow, so

ridical? What you mean you give ten percent to the church? Wow?

So redical? Where at which point? I wonder? At which point did

these things become ridical? Think about this. If I walk to Billibilla,

Matt right now, and there's a ten of cook and the cook says it's

touring. Get fifty cents and I go through the counter and I say bah

bah and they say two fifty whow? And I pay fifty cent and I

turn around and say, guys, look at me. I'm so radical.

You'll be looking at me and thinking what are you talking about? It's not

radical, it's the price to pay. Yes, what if what if we're

watching my wife and I watching Netflix at home some Korean drama we don't while

this is imagine we do. And then a Robbert comes into our house with

a knife, like him like, just now give me your television, give

me your money. Yeah, verytention. Go. Then he was about to

go after my wife. My children asleep in the bedroom upstairs, so they're

safe for now. But it's about to go and maybe I don't know,

threated my wife with a knife and maybe he's trying to stab or something.

And then I jump in front of the guy, or rather in front of

my wife to protect her. Who watching corean drama actually coding drama going on

about to jumping form ah that steps me and steps ah? How many think

that? Wow, there was so ridical of you men. Really, I

was just being a husband law. What's the alternative? Let him step my

wife out? What's the alternative? The thing about it? What's the other

dave step lay? I can remarry? What's the alternative? You do what

you have to do. If I if he's trying to step my goldfish,

and I tell me from it, maybe readical law, then you can like

what so readical goldfish? Don't you say that, but it's my wife.

I'll do whatever you think. I'm not thinking at that point. I just

want to save my wife. So I jump and I can now something.

Please don't go fish and say what so readical, because it's what's the alternative.

So in a Christian life, when God says, hey, everybody,

be a living sacrifice, as long as we think think it's some radical thing,

it's no wonder most of us don't ever live that way because we think

saving my wife who's in danger is some radical thing only some guru can do.

No, no, no no. If you read Sea, the Bible

is so beautiful. Everything connects. You know why Paul started with, Hey,

I beseech you. I'm trying to right now. Hey, I'm urging

you. Everybody, please listen to me, he said. I'm I'm pleading

with you. Why there is a therefore therefore means there's a beefore read Romans

eleven. The horror Romans level is saying, you know what, God came

for the Jews. Actually, but you know what, all you gentiles,

I'm paraphrasing obviously because I'm not. I'm not Paul, and I don't I'm

not so articulared by face like God came for the Jews, you're gentiles.

Actually, Yah, your condemn but God's mercy. God's mercy you and grafted

you. God forgave your sins. All you're wrong is forgotten. The whole

rom is never talking about God's mercy. By right, you should all be

condemned by right. Your destiny is hell by right. But God's mercy came

in interrupted and said, I'm said, he's got stabbed. The devil wants

to stab you. And God jumps front and ah, and then Roman says,

by the mercies of God, when you think about what God has done

for you, when you think about he's all got stabbed instead of you,

when you think about he's the one who went to the cross instead of you,

when you think about the price he paid for you, think about that

by the mercies of God. Now, therefore, when you think about what

He's done for you, Hey, everything we do is just reasonable. Is

paying touring gay fifty cents for a touring gay fifty cents for rock nothing radical.

I am not minimizing what we're doing. I'm just saying that's how God

sees it. Ten percent of income radical to God, He is like,

ah, I gave you one hundred percent. You know what God is saying

to us, Hello, guys, be reasonable? Be reasonable? What's reasonable?

Live our lives as a sacrifice for him. It's not radical. I

don't know where. Maybe the advancement of technology may be a little too much

message on grads and nothing wrong with that. It's the whole gospel, so

it includes grace. Maybe I don't know what happened. They suddenly makes some

of these things that to God, it's just like, I mean, yeah,

what were you thinking? Is that's what you're supposed to do. Maybe

we've reached a point where being reasonable is now radical. So in that sense,

maybe I'm asking you to be radical. But what really asking you to

do is be reasonable. Now let me qualify this. Please, This is

not a message to get you to serve in church. It might end up

with you doing a little bit more that it might, and it's so wonderful.

This is way bigger than that. This is how you lead your marriage.

This is how you work in your jobs. This is how you take

care of your children and your wife. This is how you be a good

city. Is everything, my friends, It's everything. Radically reasonable The Bible

talks about being holy. Represent yourself as a living sacrifice that you may be

holy acceptable. What's holy? We talked about this before. Set apart for

specific purpose. If you're designed to be a microphone, but you function like

an ice cream, you are unholy. You get what I'm saying right.

Our mouth is created to praise God. Let everything that has breath, curse

your friends. Then everything there's breath, curse your friend. Curse your friends.

No, no, no, we are This mouth is created to praise

God. It is not the F word that makes your mouth that tea.

Is the fact that you use your mouth for something else. Because it holy

means it's set apart for a purpose. What's the purpose? Praise God?

Speak, live, be encouraging. Amen. So when you speak something else,

then it becomes unholy. So what is your life? For? Your

life is man to live for God. And so when you live for yourself.

I don't sorry to use a bit strongest, but you know, it

almost doesn't matter how good that life is. I don't lie, I don't

cheat. I don't throw my rubbish to a neighbor's house. I know I'll

shower his stock for him. I pick up you know people's rubbish. I

don't cut the I don't care. It doesn't matter because again, it's not

about you use the month energy. It's not that you spoke bad words to

making and holy is that you didn't use it for its purpose. So if

our life is not meant lived as a living sacrifice, we are in the

in danger of living and a holy life. And you don't even have to

be a criminal withholding goodness is evil in itself. If I if my wife

has some kind of disease and I have the medicine, and I withhold americine

for her because I wanted to keep it for myself. This in case,

that's evil man. So we're holding our talent, we're holding our gift things,

we're holding our knowledge or even whatever it is, it's unholy because God

gave it to us to be utilized. The word holy means her gears.

It means properly, different, Different means unlike. It also means other.

If your holy means you are not this, you are over, you are

different, you are unlike. For the believer, it means likeness of nature

with the Lord, because different from the world, So why was this holy?

He means that you are different because you're supposed to be like God,

not like the world you gave me so far. Holy he means you are

different. Why are you different because what you wear? You wear different dress,

you come your head differently. No, No, you're different because you're

supposed to look like God. And by looking like God, you already look

different than the world. Unless you don't look like God and you look very

much like the world, then you're not holy. You see. Can we

get our minds out of thinking holiness is some kind of white like proper like

just that this is this the image, it's it's not just that, it's

just how it is how we live our life. Holy means you are like

you're like God, therefore different from the world. And I don't know about

you, but many Christians really try very hard to be like the world and

places take it. Okay, So if you know me, you know like

where I'm coming from. So so I hope you know where I'm coming from,

because I don't mean any you know, I'm not trying to put anybody

in a countcomfortable place. I'm just saying, like even my wife sometimes we

talk. Right, we're running a church. Now we can have the conversations,

and my wife is an amazing person. During the pandemic, she set

up new companies your age age, your food age, your fresh all that

her work. She was handling HR, legal, finance, three departments.

Yeah, so she had a lot of experience setting up companies, setting up

startups. We didn't know God was preparing us then for now, and so

there's a lot of experience of wisdom. And we constantly talk and she would

tell me, She'll say, very you get very great ideas. And sometimes

she would say things like, you know, in the couple of world we

do, this is good, this is good. And of course I think

we can learn for many different things, many different sources. Yes, but

she would notice I will always remind her, but remember we are a church.

We can take the good, but we can't take everything because the end

goal is slightly different now, the end it is different. So, yeah,

there's a lot of things you can learn from a couple, but we're

not learning. We're not trying to be like the world now. We can't

meant to be like Jesus. That's basically what discipleship is all about. To

be like Jesus is that process to be like him and and to be holy,

which is to live a living as a living sacrifice is to be set

apart, to be set apart, I really need to question us, and

you question myself not to try to be like the world and to not be

so afraid and run away from things like sacrifice. And I say this lovingly

because it's it's very important we don't forget this, otherwise we lose the entire

essence of what being a Christian means. I mean, you read the Bible,

it's always its opposite concept. It's like gift is better than receiving.

You know, the poor in spirit will see God. It's all these things.

God's goal for us. It's not that we live more comfortable lives.

That's your goal. That's not wrong, that's okay, but don't don't mess

it up. Don't mix it up with Oh, that's what God wants for

me. God's goal for us. It's not comfort. God's goal for us

that we become more in character with Christ. And people that use energy are

you know, especially when you talk about relevance, you know, you know

you've ministry thing. Someone will saying, you know, what if Jesus was

life to read right? No, you we skinny jeans. Oh oh no,

no, no skinny jeans so yesterday, No, they wear baggy you

know, Jesus was here, you wear you wear an oversized T shirt with

a digital print in front, and then you wear baggy jeans. You know,

you wear some spots shoes and we're like, oh yeah, yeah,

amen, Yeah, Jesus would be relevant, you know, yeah, sure,

sure, he'll probably wear oversized T shirt, maybe read some short shots

above the knee, and know those high socks with the lines there, and

then some high cadshoes and he'll walk around being swag like that, and you

know he'll slay and whatever. But do you really do you? Do you

really? Can you really imagine Jesus death while wearing all those things being all

relevant and trendy, coming to church only once a week? Let me seriously

again, this is not a message to get your come to just more than

once a week, because there's nothing here once we're here anyway, So do

you really think that's how he will live his life? We will just talking

about what he will wear. Hey, let's go deeper. Do you really

think Jesus, who just here to live a comfortable life, do you think

that's what he would do, or do you think it's more incredible with him

if he does things like he'll go out of the way, you know,

something like that to visit someone in the hospital in his oversized T shirt shots

and the long socks, and oh, would that be a more character like

like he would he will empty his wallet, or he would not be afraid

of, i know, meeting somewhere inconvenient, or he would you know,

use his talent. You know, he's a carpenter, and so maybe he'll

make a chair or tape. I don't know. That sounds more in character

then Jesus taking a holiday every three weeks, you know what I'm saying.

So being holy is to be set apart for a purpose. Be acceptable.

Sacrifice, a sacrifice, a lead sacrifice is holy, set apart, different

than the world wide. Of course, we are like God. In so

doing we become acceptable, fully, agreeable, well pleasing, gratifying to God.

They miss go up there, look at the way you live your life.

And he is happy, He is joyful. He is like, Aha,

you got it. This is why I created you for all. Don't

get me wrong, I'm not asking you to give you all your money to

the church. I'm asking to sell your luxurious car and just drive a batcha

or you know, tell your bangalow and go and live the heart. I

mean, you've got most of your heart to do it. Go ahead.

I'm just saying, sometimes we fight so hard, Really do we really do?

Christians? We fight so hard for our comfort, We fight so hard

for our time, even saying those words that some some kind of oxymdern ready,

like who says it's your time? Who told you your baby is yours?

God gave it to you, the breath that you breathe right now?

Well, you created oxygen? Know what God gave it to you, this

breath. Amen, we hold so time. But this is my time,

This is my money, this is my marriage, this is my friendship.

Again and again in perspective, I'm not asking you to have no friends.

I'm not asking you to like, oh, be a monk. I'm just

asking you to remember, renew your mind, renew your mind, think thing

differently. It's if God wants my time, I say yes, if God

wants your time. This is not a message about you doing more for the

church. I'm serious. There is no what I mean because for some of

you, your ministry could be outside of the church. I get that.

I'm really talking about, Like, if God wants your time, you got

to say yes. What's the alternative they is not? No, the is

this obedience. If God wants you to be at the hospital and not at

the football field, you say yes, because that's what a living sacrifice.

Who is only different? You think differently. You don't think about your time

the same way everyone else thinks different. Going to the hospital and God says

so is acceptable to him. Therefore going to the football field is not.

He's playing football unholy and sinful. No, it's not. It's just that

day, at that time, go want to use someone else. He's just

that day that time, go go to you to spend your money on something

else. And you know what, whatever I just said, can I bring

it back to the perspective, it's just reasonable. It's like living. Your

wife said what a husband will do that you go to shop, you buy

something, you gotta pay, I pay, you know, wow, I

probably my money. You know I worked so hard for his money to buy

this. Ah. So second, No, it's reasonable, it's reasonable.

It's it's just it's just what a son of God, who know he's been

forgiven of the most horrible sin. Remember two weeks ago we learned about the

merciful, a merciful servant, and merciful God. And basically, God forgave

us of a debt we could never repay. Is that bad? And so

what's our response? A living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God. My time

is your God, My money is yours God, my career is your.

My family it's yours, My car is yours, my shoes are yours,

my ring is yours, my head everything is yours God. And it's only

reasonable to give it to you when you want it, because it's just what

a son would do. It's just what a forgiven person would do. It's

just what a liberated, free person would do. All say it because of

what God has done. Think about that, put that into perspective, and

then now you live your life reasonably according to that. Amen. Second verse

is renew your mind. Right, renew your mind verse one and verse to

you. You can't do verse one if you don't renew your mind. I

think I've been thinking about talking about this to my face turned blue green rainbow.

Okay, but Collosions three one to three says this, if then you

were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is

sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above,

not on things on the earth. Don't just think about your life here on

earth. How many property you buy that can bring to heaven? How many

what can you so God it because just putting things in perspective only, not

really thorrowing anybody, just perspective love. Set your mind on things above,

not things on the earth, not this life, thing in the perspective of

eternity. Then verse three, why for you died and your life is hidden

with Christ in God, You're no more you when you got saved. It's

not you anymore. We're living this life for him. Look at a King

James version. Just how you say, set your mind right, No one's

other word for it. Sets your affection on things above. What's in your

heart? What do you love? Set your affection, your passion, your

love, your source of joy on things above, not on this earth,

made than your next poor share you by not be the most satisfying thing to

you in your life. It will satisfy you. But I hope he's not

the most satisfying thing, because God is saying that's greater things. Set your

affection, your love, your passion, your hunger. Set that on things

above, not below. Have a heavenly perspective. Affection. What do you

love more than anything else? What do you love more? Where is your

heart? Where is your love? Please? Sir, This is speaking from

a man who's a father, who's got children, who's always trying to my

wife, especially if trying to fight for a time for a family. Right,

we have to schedule the calendar, have to like. Yes, I

get that, I get that your family. But God is above it all.

God is above it all. I hope you catch this. I hope

you receive this into your heart and maybe you'll take some time to moule over,

maybe you take some time to reflect. First Corinthians six, nineteen twenty.

Do you not know that your body, this body, this life that

God says making a living sacrifice. Do you not know it is the temple

of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God.

And you are not your own You think you're working for your own self.

You think you're store treasure for yourself. No, you're not doing it

for God, for you were bought with a price. Yes, you're longer

a slave to sin. But did you know you're still a slave to righteousness.

We change masters, we serve the real master, a man. You

are bought with a price. Therefore, because you are bought with a price,

therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, both which are

God. This tells you not just your Saturday and Sunday, your Monday to

Friday too, Not just your God covered all, Not just your body,

your spirit, your inner life, your outer life's all God Romans fourteen eight.

For if we live, we live through the Lord. If we die,

we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we'll live or die,

we are the Lord. Very radical language, Yet God is saying reasonable,

you just it's what a son would do, just what a forgiven free slave

would do. Second Corinthians five fifteen. And Jesus he died for all that

those who live should live, no longer for themselves, but for Him who

died for them and rose again. Okay, just put this perspective onto everything

you do. I'm living for the Lord. This love is not my own,

this love is not my own. I'm doing this for him. Now,

how are you gonna sep sweep the floor? Now? How are you

gonna drive on the road. Now. Are you gonna love your husband and

your wife? Now? How're go chret your children? Now? How are

gonna cheat your government? How are you gonna serve in the church? How

are you gonna be friends to those are different than you? Just put this

not doing this for yourself. You're living for the Lord. This life is

not your own. Put that now onto everything you do. It's not even

radical. I think if Christians can be more reasonable, and I meant this,

we have a different world. We have a different world. Amen.

I pray every company want to hire you because you're different. I pray every

single person want to marry those of you who are single, got those are

merried. You'll be the most eligible bachelor. You'll be the most sort of

the employee. You'll be the best politician people want the word for because you

are different, not just your genes, not just your fashion. Bro set

your mind, your affection. Amen, thank you for joining us. We

trust that you have been blessed by the world of God. We love hearing

from you, so please do share your feedback or even questions and message ideas.

Search and follow us on social media at Generation's Mind and drop us a

message for more information, check out bits Dootley slash generation's mind. Until next

time, God bless,