Hey There, Jesus | Yap Ken-ji

Hey there, you're listening to the Generation's Church podcast. We pray that the

word of God today will challenge change and channel you into your God given destiny.

Now let's get started. So if you have your Bibles, whether digital

format or you have a physical Bible, can you turn to Luke chapter nineteen.

We're going to be reading from verse one to ten. So today we'll

be actually be looking at the life of Zaykaos. I'm going in zach just

so that I don't mispronounce his name. So verse one, Jesus entered Jericho

and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zachaeus.

He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become

very rich. So today we're going to talk about Zachaias. So the first

thing we know about him is that he's actually a tax collector. So back

then in ancient not Incia lat but back then in Jerusalem, Zacharias was actually

not real. I mean text collectors were actually not really liked. They were

actually well, they're not like today's LHDN said. Basically, why people hte

them so much is because when they collect Number one, when they collected tax,

they collected more than they should. So for example, if they're supposed

to collect like one ringate both of tax, they'll collect five ring it and

they'll keep the follrowing it from themselves. That's why people didn't like them.

Another reason why people don't like them is because, well, they're actually collecting

money for the oppressors, people who are oppressing the Jews that time, the

Romans. So it's basically he's collecting money from his brothers and sisters, collecting

more than they should, and then whatever he collected, he's giving his giving

to the people who oppressed them. That's why people didn't like him. And

secondly, he was very rich because he was very corrupt. He will take

all the money and he's a chief, right, so you take all the

money for himself from his own brothers and sisters. So he was a betrayer,

he was a corrupt He was a horrible person all together. So verse

three he says that. But he says that, and he was seeking to

see who Jesus was, but he was too short to see over the crowd

he met, So he actually wanted to see Jesus. So if you actually

read the word, probably one chapter before this, Jesus was actually doing a

miracle at the door before he entered Jericho. Right at the door as he

arrived at Jericho, he actually healed the blind bagger. So when he actually

healed the blind bagger, I'm word got out. Believe what I believe?

The world got out, and Zechias heard about it. So Zachaius he actually

heard about what Jesus did, maybe not even from that event, maybe from

all this wild or Jesus ministry. Zachaiyas actually heard about this. And because

of the news of what who he about, he heard about Jesus, he

wanted to know who Jesus was verse four. Verse four, it says,

and so he ran ahead and climb a sycamore fig tree beside the road for

Jesus was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came by, he

looked up Exacchaius and called him by name, Zachaius. He said, quick

came down. I must be a guest in your home today. Jesus has

never met Zachias before. Zachaius has never met Jesus before, But miraculously Jesus

knew his name because yeah, he's God. So so Jesus calls that chis

and say, hey, come down. And the next verse Zakias quickly climb

climbed down and took Jesus into his house with great excitement and joy. But

the people were displease. So other people were there when Zakias climbed the tree.

Everybody saw that when Jesus caused that chaos, everybody saw that, chais

hey something everybody calls. Everybody saw that chaos. And and when when they

found out that Jesus going to his house, they didn't like it because Jesus

was a rabbi hang out with a sinner, so they were saying all these

meanings about him, like, oh, he's a sinner, Why is Jesus

going to his house? And blah blah blah. The next verse, verse

eight, meanwhile, Zachaius stood before the lord and said, I will give

half my wealth to the poor Lord if and if I have cheated anyone on

their taxes, I will give them back four times as much. Jesus responded,

Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself

to be a true son of Abraham. For the son of Man came to

seek and save those who are lost in man. God blessed the reading of

His word. So today as I was preparing for the for the word,

today God is so ministering to me as well. And this is what God

actually says to me. He says that, you know, Kenji, I

want even in your own lives, don't just know about faith, don't just

have knowledge about faith, but you need to live by faith. So whatever

that you have heard all this while, whatever they've heard from you two,

whatever they've heard from the pulpit, whatever that if you heard from PASTA and

D, whatever you have heard from other pastors in your own life, whatever

if you have heard or whatever they've read on in the Bible. It's not

just for hate knowledge. But we're supposed to live by faith. And today

we're going to study the life of za Chaus, especially this incident, and

we will learn how we actually can live by faith, because that's actually what

God wants us to do, especially for ourselves today, even myself included.

So there are just this simple tree perspectives or tree points that we're gonna that

we can draw out from this scripture. Okay, cool Number one, if

we ask ourselves and really reflect upon our own lives, is it really enough?

Is it really enough to live our lives all peaceful, all great,

live our lives being you know, having all this money in our bank,

you know, living our lives, you know, just being a good person.

Is that really enough? Or is it living by faith, living in

communion with Jesus, knowing who Jesus really is, knowing what is Jesus purpose

in our life? Is that? Is that? Is that better? Zakias

realized that Zakias realized that Jesus was the better decision. So as I was

thinking about this point, right, it's pretty cool God broadly remembers it of

this story. So that one year, right, I think when I was

nineteen years old. Yeah, I was in walm six. So my favorite

food in this whole world, not really back then was Chilipan me. Oh,

Chileipan me man my favorite way. So I was doing a Daniel Fast

that year, and then my friends told me, hey, Kenji today for

lunch, you're gonna go Chileapan me. I go, like, all right,

man, my favorite food. I can't say no to that. I'm

gonna go have some chili fan me review. But I was on Daniel Fast,

so in my head, I'm gonna not eat the mince park in it.

I'm just gonna put away the mince park at one side, maybe not

even if you can't believe, you know, because I'm a really good Christian

and I'm gonna keep my fast. So I'm just gonna have the noodles in

whatever, mushrooms and extra stuff inside the chili fan me. So when I

got there, I'm like, out, it came smells the same, right,

it looks the same. I'm like, Okay, it's gonna taste the

same. I'm positive of it. And then I put the chili inside,

I mix it up, I eat tastes horrible, one of the worst meals

I've ever eaten in my life. I never I never felt like I never

hated the meal so much in my life before because it was supposed to be

my favorite thing. It was supposed to be good. But something was missing.

The mince park was not there. So it's that same feeling that you

know that this is the best thing for you. You know that you want

to live a good life. You know that you want to you want to

experience God, you want to experience life to his fullest and everything. But

without Jesus, something is something is just missing. Amen. So that's what

Zakias actually realized. Second thing number two, Zechias received Jesus in his home.

So well, before we talk about this, let's look at a perspective

on Jesus. So you rather in the verse just now that Jesus actually call

him, right. So I'm just gonna let you guys know if you didn't,

if you is the first, if your first time walking into Generations church

today, I'm just gonna let you know that Jesus really loves you and Jesus

had really has a plan for you. In this scripture, we also learned

that before Zakias even introduced himself to Jesus, before he even said anything to

Jesus, Jesus, you already call him. And the Bible says in Revelations

chapter treat Yes, I remember Revelations chapt the tree. He says, Look,

I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and

open the door, I will come in and we will share a meal together

as friends. Jesus is always calling us to have communion with him. Jesus

is always telling us that it's always calling us to actually communicate with him,

to actually come together with him, because he wants to hear about your life.

He wants to hear about your struggles. He wants to hear about your

pain at the same time he wants to minister to it. He wants to

hear about your plans. He wants to hear everything and us in return,

we want to hear what God hasn't stop for us, because that's just how

God created us to be. The next verse in efficiency that she says,

but God is so rich in mercy because he loves us. Jesus loves us

that much that even though we were dead in our sins, like Zachaius,

who is a corrupt person, who's a greedy person, he gave us life

when he raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God's grace that

you have been saved, for he raised from the dead, raised us from

the dead along with Christ and seated with him the heavenly realms because we are

united with Christ Jesus. The reason why we were created is because we were

supposed to fellowship with God all the way back in the book of Genesis.

So this is actually God's plan for all of us. He's always knocking,

he's always calling. But today Zachaias is a good example because Zachaius received Jesus

in his life. Zach Chairs received Jesus at that moment when Jesus was calling.

So we know that Jesus is always calling. It's actually up to us

whether we want to receive that. So, as I was like meditating upon

this as well, you're thinking about it, something quite interesting happened. And

this is what God sort of like asked me and says that can she do

you know that you missed out lots of opportunities for you to even experience me

and have an encounter with me. I go like, oh really me?

Oh you know I'm a leader in church, right, so I'm always in

church. I mean even my wife as still complain I'm always in church.

She's like, why in church so much? Why you always be the teens

while always doing this and that? But just it? Do you know that

moments? You know that moments when like the speaker or like you know,

doing worship, you feel compelled, you feel that you know you should come

to the altar and receive prayer, or like when someone asks you, you

know, just not doing prayer time and someone asks you, hey, do

you have any prayer requests? You know you have a prayer request in your

heart, and you go like, no, I'm not going to tell this

person because I don't want this person to judge me. So that's that's the

thing. That's the thing for me personally, I realized I missed out a

lot because I was afraid of what people might say. Chaus zach Chaus when

he climbed that tree and everybody saw when he received Jesus. Everybody was looking

at him. Everybody was saying that, you know, you're a bad person.

Everybody was condemning him for actually doing that, but he didn't care.

He didn't care. And I think for me, that's where God reminded me

and says that you know, Kenji, it doesn't matter what other people think.

If you need to be ministered too, if you need an experience with

God, if you need to come in front. Doesn't matter. Whether you're

a pastor, doesn't matter, whether you're a leader, doesn't matter, whether

you are lost. Everybody needs Jesus. If you need it, if you

want it, come forth and receive it. Doesn't matter whether somebody needs.

Basically doesn't matter about anything what people might say, because they don't matter.

What matters is between you and God. Zach Chaus. He understood that because

the Bible says that he was overjoyed. He was excited to receive Jesus into

his own life, was to have communion with God. And then back then

when God spoke that to me, I actually actually repented. I said,

I'm sorry, God. This is also a church for me. This is

a church for all of us. We all need Jesus. Man Zachaius received

Jesus into his home. Number three. Zachaias responded to what Christ compelled on

his heart to do. So, as we read just now in the Bible,

Zachaius for everything that he did, he had done he actually gave half.

He actually gave half of his riches half away. Then whatever there is

half left, he actually make it right. He actually go and give four

times to everybody who cheated on him. Right. So basically he gave everything

away because of that communion with Jesus, because of that constant communication with God,

because of that whole conversation he had with God, because of that encounter

he had with Jesus, he was compelled to do it. He is compelled

to empty himself out or whatever that he has received puriously of Lord, those

greed, all those wrongdoing in his life, the things that he thought he

really wanted. He was emptying himself out of it because you are so compelled.

Here's the cool thing, Because I asked God, I said, is

that it is that what Christians supposed to do? Is it just because we're

supposed to empty ourselves out? That's all? Because in the Bible that ends

the story of the chais that's never mentioned anymo Already, all he did was

just give up everything, and that's it. So I asked God, I

said, what does this mean? And God said, why don't you just

go do a little bit of research and see what happens to Zachaias. And

I go, like, all right, cool, and I searched. You

know what happened in Zachaeus after this incident. Later on in his life he

became a bishop. So this is actually pretty cool. A person who is

hated by everyone, a person who is corrupt, is now a person who

actually gives. A person who takes is now a person who blesses. A

person who is there to hurt his brotherns is now a person who actually blesses

and takes care of sheep. The people of God So this is where I

actually realize realize this interesting thought that when Zachaeus respond under to what Christ compelled

and it's hard to do, and he did it out of obedience, he

actually stepped into the will of God. He actually stepped into God's plan for

him when he emptied himself out he did what Christ compelled him to do.

At the point of time, it might look like he was giving up,

but it was actually stepping into this this plan that God has for him,

because ultimately God has planned for him was supposed to be a bishop. He

emptied himself out of everything he has received in the world because God has an

amazing plan for him. Amen this and this is actually a pretty interesting thing

as well. You know the story of the Rich Young Ruler where we actually

contrasts two stories. In the Rich Young Ruler, when the rich young Ruler

actually asked Jesus and said, how do I inherit intern her life, and

then Jesus told him and said, you need to give everything away the rich

young reeler, she walked away because he has a lot. But Zachaeas,

on the other hand, when when he had that encounter with Jesus, he

willingly give everything away because of that obedience. Because of that, because of

that willingness to surrender, Za chairs enter the will of God and she reached

that part of his life that God wanted him to be. And also I

also asked myself, I said, okay, kas actually became a bishop.

That's actually pretty cool. But did he after this incident? Did he go

back to becoming a text collector? Did he you know, did he do

other things? No? That says no, because he experienced Jesus. And

like we said, just now, only Jesus, only the communion with God

will all only satisfy you in this life. And once you receive it and

you constantly stay in it, that's where you will be satisfied. That's where

that's where when you live your life, it's no longer just knowing about your

faith, but it's living by faith. So is that Chao is number one?

He actually realized that something was missing. He received Jesus into his heart

and finally he actually responded to what Christ compelled him to do. And I

was thinking about it and I would go like, all right, cool,

Uh, that's great. And I asked you guy, I said, do

you have a Do I have a story to Sha and God brought this story

to remembrance. This is my this is my own p in the story.

Somebody just gonna share it with you if that's okay, in my own life,

in my own life. So back while I was dating this person,

yeah, this person, whoever, whoever that is, I was actually working

in a bank. So I was working in a bank. Life was good.

I have a great bonus, a stady salary, and that bank righte

never fires people. And even though you're the most horrible employee, they never

find you. That's why there's a lot employees there's to stay for years.

Right They don't do any work. They just collect bonus every year and just

survive. So I was like, all right, life was okay at the

time. You know, no no worries. But I go to the world.

I'm just like sleepy all the time. Nothing nothing wrong with that.

But I was living my life like that until that time. I realized that

something was missing, just like zacchays. So I went to God. I

said, hey, you know, God, something's weird. I think I

need more out of life. I mean, thank you for all this,

but I feel like I need more out of life. And God say,

okay, what do you want. I say, I want to experience you.

I've never experienced you as my provider before ever in my life, like

tangibly, so why not? Yeah, why not take me somewhere experience you

as my provider? And got to it. Yeah. Sure, then a

little bit I think about months later, then got off compell in my heart

and say that you know, you should go into digital marketing and whatsoever.

So I'm like, all right, cool, I went there. I applied

from many jobs, all rejected. Nobody wanted me because yeah, I have

no experience, until someone got introduced to me and say that, hey,

this is a job for you. So I went to that interview, right,

only got one interview in my into marketing, only got one interview because

everything was rejected. And then the person interviewed me said, you know what,

Kenji, I'm gonna take you in. I'm like, all right,

thank you, God names it. But too bad you have no experience,

so you're gonna go back to fresh ret salary. I'm like, oh uh,

that's crappy because I actually work already for like four or five years,

so I actually have a cuddain like like salary already. And then it's it

you're gonna go back down to fresh red salary, and only that you're not

gonna get EPF as well. I'm like, oh, okay, and you're

not gonna get bonus. Do you want a job? Sure? So,

and I go like, you know what, I feel peace in this.

I'm gonna take this chance. I'm gonna take. So I pray to God.

I said, okay, God, I'm going to take this job.

All right. So I started my job there week number one. On my

job week number one, my boss Sunny came and said, hey, can

you rot down to the company. We have all you can eat the urn

in SS two. It's two o'clock right after lunch, so everybody the whole

company is going there to eat urn. Go along with this. I'm like,

what, but Betty, start the work. But okay, sure,

I'm gonna eat you red. So I went there eating all the durn I

have I could eat. I'm like, all right, thank you God for

the end. That's good. All right, now let me go back to

worrying about my fresh red salary. Haha. And then and then the week

after that, Sonny got an email from my company said, hey, Kenji,

you've been invited to join us for rock climbing is free. Yes,

okay? Cool? So I went rock climbing for the first time in my

life. Every time I passed by, it's like really expensive, so I

never pay for it. Now I get to go for free. I'm like,

all right, thank you God. I got talk climbing experience. That's

great but still fresh West Ivery Rite now mine, it's okay, Thank you

God, Thank you God. Then after that, suddenly I got an email

game from a company and said, hey, you know, we're actually going

for a company retreat all the way to Bang. I'm like, oh great,

I mean I just joined a company and I said, yeah, sure,

come along. Cool. So I went to Bang. I haven't gone

the holiday for a really long time. And I went to p Nang.

It's a five star hotel and it wants. The really cool part about that

is that when I entered the lobby, they served me juice. I've never

received juice in the hotel lobby ever in my life. They gave me orange

juice. And I go like, oh, yes, I feel special after

all these years. Praise God, thanks for the juice. And then and

then my company and then you know, the hit shot people can and say,

oh, Nji, this is your money. I want this money for

for you to spending banang no buy whatever you want. Oh great cool.

So I eat like some weird ice cream that tastes like a guy Am butter

bread, so really weird. I have all these great experiences. And then

the next day we went to we went to Escape Park, which I've never

been before. All we always wanted to try. I saw went and you

know, do all those like Flying Fox and all those games after that,

I didn't know, but my team won, and we want a free buffet

to Kanpat cheat all you can eat Buffey. Right after that, like,

oh thank you go had you have to be free buffay again. Man,

that's why I gained weight. But that's good. A month after that.

Month after that, I think a month roughly after that, I suddenly got

a call. Suddenly got a call from GSC. I never knew I joined

the contest. I think I watched a movie with my girlfriend. Then they

said, hey, congratulations, you won one hundred movie free tickets. Any

movie, yeah, any movie, one hundred. Great. Thanks. So

I literally received one hundred free movie tickets and I sold most of them away

because you know, I needed the money, but you know, that's pretty

cool. And after that, I got to another event. This is actually

a pretty cool one. I went to do some random event and then suddenly

he said, oh, can g come and play this game. I played

this game, I won. I got a free trip to Hong Kong for

no apparent reason. So I'm like, all right, good. And then

I needed money, right, so I saw that off. Ah, so

I didn't go to Hong Kong, but thank you Jesus anyway. And then

then Christmas again, I want a free pair of alphones for some lucky draw.

In there amount of four months, I received so many great things in

my life and I say thank you God for it. I don't feel I'm

deserving of it, but yes, thank you God. And at the end

of four months I talked. I thought to God, I'm like, oh,

thank you God for giving me all these great things. But I'm still

earning fresh cred salary. I want to I want EPF, you know,

I want to. I want to go ahead get married with my wife.

Am I gonna have the money to do it? And God say, hey,

I'm not done yet, And go like, all right, not done

yet. That's good. And I got a call lat On and then this

guy and she called me and said, hey, you know, ken g,

I'm gonna I need helpful part time, so this is a job for

you. And I said, all right, cool, ken Uh. They

asked me what's my quote? I told him the price and he said,

can you that's not enough? I'm gonna give you double of it. I'm

like, what, because I think you're worth it and I think I think

that I'm gonna take up more time than this, but she know that he's

quite chill. I didn't take up that much time, but he paid me

double why he's supposed to be And suddenly my salary revert back to revert back

to what I used to earn the bang. And not only that, right

after that, I got an a call from this random person and say that,

okay, cool, this is a job for you. And suddenly I

earned more than what I used to earn previously. And that's actually how I

save up my money to actually get married. And I don't feel deserving of

this at all, but this is what I've experienced previously when I choose to

live for life by faith. The start of it all was just to take

a step of faith and trust God as my provider. And at the end

of it, I received all these stories and all these testimonies that I've never

ever thought I've ever received before in my life. I finally understood that God

was my provider. Now, why did I actually actually share that story?

Is that as I was preparing for this message, God asked me, He

said, you know, Kenji, when was the last time you experienced this

story? Stories like this? And I go like, that's been a while.

God, It's been a while. And God says that we're not called

to just know about faith, not just called to receive all this knowledge about

Faith've not just called to sit down here and learn all the good things about

God and theology and everything, but have nothing to show for it in our

lives. Because God wants us to live by faith. God wants us to

experience our faith. God wants us to live a life. And the only

way we can do that is to acknowledge that although we might be coming to

church every Saturday, every Sunday, although we might be going to every cell

group, but in our own lives, do we commune with God? Do

we respond to God? Do we say God, come to our life,

come speak to us, do we tell God that we need you? And

do we allow God to speak? And do we empty ourselves out or what

we think is good for us? And do we actually step in to God's

will in our lives? Amen? See, I know that God has a

plan for each and everyone of us here today. Whether you're part of the

next gen, whether you're part of the no the upcoming gen, whether you

come part of the previous gen, whatever it is in your life. If

you haven't experienced a testimony in your life for a very long time, if

you haven't experienced God in your life for a very long time, I believe

that today it's time for you to do that. It's a call because God's

here and he's saying that, Hey, I want to commune. I want

to have covenion with you. I'm a fellowship with you. Why don't you

come and talk to me about your plans? Why don't you come and talk

to me about all your fears? Why don't you come talk to me about

everything you're going through? Why don't you come share with me about your victories?

Why do not you come share with me about your you know, your

plans, everything about yourself? And why not let me Minister to you.

Thank you for listening to the Generations Church podcast. We hope you have been

blessed by the Word of God today. Remember to stay tuned by subscribing to

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