The Cost of Prevailing Prayer (part 2)

Hey guys, so we keep talking about this whole idea of prevailing prayer.

That's what we continue with.

And when I last left, I was talking about the cost of prevailing prayer.

What's the cost that Acts 29 has to pay if we are to pray the kind of prayer that engages the enemy,

engages the world, engages the devil, and contends as in battles,

and eventually overcomes taking away spoil?

That's the idea of prevailing prayer.

I already explained that you can listen to the past teachings to get an idea.

And I think this guy, Jeevan, talked about some aspect of prevailing prayer last week.

And the thing is, if churches don't engage in prevailing prayer,

one of these three things happen.

Either they get ravaged as in attacked because they touch something that they're not ready for.

It's like trying to fight Hulk Hogan.

You wouldn't know who Hulk Hogan is.

It's like trying to...

You do?

Oh, okay.

So it's like trying to fight Kamal.

You get beaten.

So you got to build your muscle before you fight.

One day Kamal will get this mic from me and say things.

So either if you don't prepare for prevailing prayer, you get ravaged or you get sterilized as in,

let me use a harsher word, castrated.

Why?

Because churches become sterile in their approach to prayer,

because they're praying for things that are so...

You don't need God for it.

An expert or a doctor can do it for you.

So you get sterilized if you don't go down this route of prevailing prayer

or you get deceived where you think you're doing well, but nothing really is happening.

And that's why I think the whole idea of prevailing prayer is important.

And why did we say we need to engage in prevailing prayer?

Because Jesus is building a prevailing church.

The very word prevail carries the sense of,

will you engage and contend in battle to overcome?

And that's not the nature of the church, even though that is the nature of the head of the church, Christ.

So here is the cost of prevailing prayer.

The first cost, and we didn't talk about this the last time,

the first cost is you can never forget the mission of the church.

You know, every three weeks the church forgets its mission.

If you want to, if we want to grow in prevailing prayer, we cannot forget the mission of the church.

We cannot forget the mission of the church.

And most churches forget their mission after the message.

Or we forget the mission every three weeks.

And what's the mission of the church?

The mission of the church is to enter Satan's house

and plunder his house, taking people out of his clutches.

When was the last time you actively thought of this as the mission of Acts 29?

And when you say Acts 29, who are we talking about?

Jacob? No. Who are we talking about? An entity called the church? No.

We're talking about you.

It is the mission of our church, not our church, it is the mission of Christ's church to go.

So it requires that you go and that you enter Satan's house,

plunder his possessions and carry them off.

Plunder his possessions and carry them off.

Plunder his possessions.

And what are his possessions?

It's fascinating how people talk about,

Oh, we will plunder devil and we'll get the wealth of the wicked.

Jesus is looking for the wicked, we are looking for the wealth.

Something's wrong with us.

Oh, wealth transfer. The wealth of the unrighteous will come to the righteous.

No, no, we want the unrighteous.

We're not looking for wealth.

Isaiah 45 verse 1 to 3 says that Satan has bars of iron and gates

Isaiah 45:1–3

that prevent people who are kept captive from coming out.

That he uses all kinds of methods, condemnation,

sin, sickness, demonic bondage,

depression, hurt, pain, trauma.

All these things and many more are used by Satan to keep people inside.

And it is the mission of the church to go and plunder his possessions and set them free.

That's one of the missions of the church.

When did you actively think of that last week?

And if you didn't think of it, and if I didn't think of it, why didn't we think of it?

Because for some strange reason, the church has become so distorted in its own image

that we just like looking at the mirror, we see a nice church and we go home.

But Jesus said this thing that you do on Sunday, I'm getting weary of, I hold my nose at times.

I like your worship, but then everything you do, Jacob, is for yourself, not for others.

Guys, here's a question we need to ask and it's a very important question.

Why are we raising a strong church?

Why are we raising strong Christians?

There's only one reason why we are raising a strong church and raising strong Christians.

For the exact reason that the father raised his son strong.

Why did he raise his son strong?

Why did he raise a strong Jesus Christ?

For one reason only.

So that that strong Jesus Christ could go out and pour out his life for the sake of others.

Why are you being raised as a strong Christian?

Why are you being raised as a strong church?

For one reason only.

That from Monday to Saturday, you can go and pour yourself out, spend yourself,

so that when you come back here on Sunday or during the week, when you go for your house church,

you get strong again.

You have only one reason for being strong, so that you can be weak during the week, by pouring yourself out.

Why should Matt and Rachel raise that boy?

Only for one reason.

So that boy, when he grows up, will pour out his life for the sake of others.

Any other reason for raising that child is self-centered.

And they have an advantage that they know it now.

Our parents didn't know it.

Some of us as parents didn't know it.

We raise doctors, lawyers, engineers, sons and daughters, so that you can be marvelous in the world.

And God raised his son Jesus for just one reason.

I want a strong son who can pour out his life for the sake of others.

Why did he send the Holy Spirit?

Same reason.

I want to send you the Holy Spirit so that you may be endowed with power from on high,

so that you may become what?

Witnesses that pour out your life for the sake of the Gospel, the sake of Christ and the sake of others.

That's the only reason.

How did we get it so wrong?

Imagine this scene.

Peter and the 120 on the day of Pentecost, waiting for the Holy Spirit to fall.

And suddenly the Holy Spirit comes upon them.

And he's like flames of fire on their head.

And Peter's getting really excited.

Oh, the Holy Spirit's come.

Oh, the glory of God is here.

Holy Spirit's come.

And they keep moving to see whether the flame will move.

That's what we do in church.

The Holy Spirit falls and people want to fall over.

People want to shiver.

People want to shake their finger and their neck.

We are interested in the little things that happen when the Holy Spirit comes.

What does Peter do?

Peter instead stands up and begins to speak from the Word.

And then what do they do?

They go out.

The saddest thing that has happened to the church is we think we quench the Holy Spirit by singing a wrong song

or by getting up or sitting down during worship or when your baby starts to cry.

Oh, the Holy Spirit was quenched because the baby started to cry.

No, the Holy Spirit is quenched when the one reason he came down to the earth for is not being met.

The Holy Spirit is being quenched on a regular basis across churches

because the one reason he came down for, which was to fall upon people

so that they may be strong to become martyrs, is not being met.

And the Holy Spirit is being quenched day after day after day in churches across the world

because we've forgotten our mission.

You can't forget your mission this week or next week

because I have every intent to remind myself and you that this is the reason the church exists.

It is our mission to profess the Holy Spirit.

We are not going to forget it.

We are going to remember it.

It is our mission to profess and demonstrate.

It is our mission to profess and demonstrate the gospel.

What is the gospel?

The gospel is preaching material.

What do you mean, preaching material?

It is the story of Jesus' life, death and ascension.

Life, death, resurrection and ascension.

The story of Jesus is the gospel.

It is your mission to demonstrate and profess the gospel.

It is your mission.

If Acts 29 fails at this, then it doesn't matter how apostolic it is, how prophetic it is,

how people get healed, how miracles happen, how wonderful worship is,

how we may or may not speak in tongues, how we may or may not plant churches in Czechoslovakia.

It doesn't matter if Acts 29 fails to profess and demonstrate the gospel with words and with our behavior.

Proclaim it.

We fail in our mission.

It quenches the Holy Spirit.

We defeat Jesus' purpose of putting our people together.

Thank God we don't have too many pastors.

Just one.

So we can't even say it's a pastor's job.

Just one.

Oh yeah, then there is Jeevan who thinks he's a pastor and Derek also.

But besides them.

The thing is, this is the job of the entire church.

And there is absolutely no excuse not to do it anymore.

It's going to be very, very difficult because it goes against the grain of everything that we are.

But if we keep hammering on this message for the next seven months, perhaps something will change.

I can't escape it now because I've been teaching it for a while.

I can't escape it.

Every time I meet somebody, I remember this.

It's very inconvenient.

Very inconvenient.

What is our mission?

Our mission is to make disciples.

By training them.

In households.

That keep multiplying.

As disciples increase.

So here's the first one.

Here's the second one.

Here's the third one.

These, this is the mission of the church.

And if you want to prevail in prayer, it is important to know the mission of the church.

Otherwise we spend most of our prayer praying for things that are important but are not primary.

It's going to be very hard for me to finish messages nowadays.

But that's okay.

So let me go over this again.

What is the mission of the church?

If you want to prevail in prayer, if you want to become a strong church, which I strongly desire for us.

Guys, the thing is I have absolutely no interest in having a strong church because I'm the pastor of the church.

I don't get two hoots anymore for that kind of importance.

But the reason I want to raise a strong church is we become strong for a reason.

That we now go and expend everything we are.

We pour it out.

We lay our lives down for the sake of Christ, for the sake of his story and for the sake of others.

And now we begin to fulfill the reason we were placed on earth.

My prayer before I come and preach now is not that it be a great preaching.

My prayer is, oh God, let everyone who hears what I have to say that comes from you have their minds enlightened and not dulled to this truth.

Because this truth has been hidden for more than 2000 years.

It is demonic.

Do you understand that for 2000 years this truth has been hidden?

Though Paul has been saying I made it plain, I made it plain, I made it plain.

Why is it that churches meet again and again on Sunday after Sunday after Sunday and they call it church and nothing else happens?

Because this is the truth that will set people free and it is demonically hidden.

My prayer now when I come to praise, oh God, let Wayne, let Ryan, let Jacob, let Oak, let our minds be open, let our minds be enlightened to receive this truth.

And once it is received, let something begin to happen.

And if it takes six or seven months, so be it.

But it must happen.

Because otherwise we are quenching the Holy Spirit.

And so the mission of the church is to enter Satan's house and plunder his possessions, taking people out of his clutches.

The second mission is to profess and demonstrate the gospel because it is the only thing that can rescue and transform a person.

There is nothing else on earth that can rescue a person or transform the person.

Nothing. Nothing.

It is highly inconvenient, but someone inconvenience themselves to save me and to save you.

Someone inconvenience themselves.

And the third thing is make disciples by training.

It is not enough to get someone to be rescued and transformed.

Now the person must be changed through showing them to be saved.

And the third thing is to be able to do it.

It is not enough to get someone to be rescued and transformed.

Now the person must be changed through showing them what it is to live like Christ.

And that is called discipling.

And Jesus' last words in Matthew 28, 18 to 20 was, make disciples of all nations.

And it was not given to few.

It was given to Kamal and Anne, Elmer and Anne, Jibin and Abel with an E and an I.

This was what was given to us. All of us.

Raise your son Matt and Rachel.

That he be a strong boy who will be willing to lay his life down for causes beyond him.

Teach him when he is young.

And he will have no problems embracing who Jesus Christ is and the message of Christ.

You have such an advantage as parents to know these truths.

Because everybody else sitting here, starting with me, have been raised in self-centered ovens that produce stuff that is so self-focused.

And I am not wrong in saying that because otherwise we wouldn't be where we are at.

If you go to Romans 15, verse 26 and 27, or Romans 16, verse 25 and 26, let me just check.

Romans 15:26 Romans 16:25

You'll find that Jesus says, Paul is bringing this up and God is saying, hey, why is it that these things are hidden when I've made them manifest?

Romans 16, verse, Romans 16, 25 and 26.

Romans 16, 25 and 26.

Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel.

I love it. Paul says my gospel. He doesn't even call it the gospel of Jesus.

He calls it my gospel. Why? Because guys, remember one thing.

The epistles came first, the gospels came later.

When Paul was preaching, he didn't have a gospel that he could refer to.

He couldn't say John, Mark, Luke.

He wasn't even there when Jesus was teaching.

He was a rebel who was against the people of Christ.

And so where did Paul receive his gospel from? He received it directly from Christ.

He calls it my gospel, the one I received from Christ.

And he says that now unto him who is able to establish you by my gospel and this proclamation of Jesus Christ.

He uses three words again and again.

Proclamation of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of mystery hidden for long ages past.

Meaning for all this time it's been hidden.

Poor Paul, he must be sweating it out in heaven saying I preached this and it's gotten hidden again.

When it is supposed to be proclaimed and revealed, it's hidden again.

It's hidden again.

And then he goes on to say in verse 26,

But now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God

so that all nations might believe and obey him to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen.

This is God's intent.

This is God's intent.

You better shape up Prashanth and start proclaiming and revealing and making it known.

I'm just picking on Prashanth because I saw him.

Because if this mission is not at the heart of the church, it quenches the Holy Spirit.

For this reason the Holy Spirit was sent.

For this reason the Holy Spirit was sent.

He is hardly interested in making you laugh or have you roll down the pews.

You think that's what his intent is?

He's not even interested in you receiving a few prophetic words.

Those things are things that happen on the side.

His primary intent was Acts chapter 1, 8 and Acts chapter 2.

Acts 1 · chapter mention Acts 2 · chapter mention

I will come upon you so that you may have power, so that you may go and be witnesses to me in Jerusalem,

Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.

So if you're meant to be in Jerusalem, stick to Vancouver.

So if you're meant to be in Jerusalem, stick to Vancouver.

So if you're meant to be in Jerusalem, stick to Vancouver.

If you look at the prayers prayed in the book of Acts,

If you look at the prayers prayed in the book of Acts,

will you find one prayer that talks about the things that we pray for?

No.

All the prayers are towards this one end.

Enter Satan's house and plunder.

Give us the boldness to do that.

Give us the boldness to profess and demonstrate the gospel,

which is the only power of rescue and transformation.

Or give us the power to make disciples.

This is what the book of Acts is full of.

What are the apostolic prayers or the prayers that the apostles prayed in the epistles that they wrote to people?

Same thing.

Where are our prayers?

Most people at that time were set free by learning truths than praying for them.

We shall do that too and we shall pray for our requests.

But my God, prevailing prayer is a completely different ballgame.

Prayers remain at the bless me level only when a people forget the mission of the church.

Any questions before we go on?

Any questions?

Ask guys.

If you don't agree, stand up and tell me why you don't agree.

If you agree, tell me why you agree.

I don't mind a response to such passionate preaching.

Let the zeal of the Lord accomplish this among us.

It is important guys that we return to the very basics and the roots of why the Spirit of God came upon the church.

We've lost it.

How can we lose it?

Do you know something that in a sense,

our households that are running Langley in Richmond will again become like a regular church.

Only it doesn't meet on a Sunday.

It meets on a Wednesday because we lose the mission of the church.

And the mission of the church is these three things.

But do we keep this in mind because every two, three weeks I forget this and I have to return to it.

Is this the reason you live?

If you think I'm accusing you and pointing a finger at you and making you feel guilty and condemned,

it is truly not my intent.

But if there is a sense of guilt,

change it into remorse that will help the Holy Spirit work with you because it's working with me.

I can't stand the fact that as a pastor, this is the last thing I will touch.

The ones who preach the gospel, demonstrate it and profess it the least.

Demonstrate perhaps yes, but the ones who profess the gospel the least are apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists and pastors.

Because they are surrounded by Christian people.

They look at a wall, there's a Christian poster on it.

They listen to music.

It's either from Sydney or from Los Angeles.

There's nothing that apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists and pastors do that is even remotely missional.

And I'm ashamed of it.

I'm ashamed that apostles and prophets do not preach the gospel.

What did Paul do?

Paul said, I'm first the minister of the gospel.

The three things Paul would do.

He would go stand in places where the gospel has not been preached and he would stand and profess the gospel.

Then he would gather people and build households.

Then he would teach them.

Pastors don't do this anymore.

I put a stop to it in my life.

But it's time for you to put a stop to it too and start a new cycle.

Everything else is easy, guys.

Everything else is easy, guys.

Everything else is easy.

The one thing that will be opposed.

The one thing that will be highly inconvenient.

The one thing that will go against the grain of everything you want to be in terms of being sophisticated in the world.

Is once you start going down this road, it will be very inconvenient.

And don't wait to do it when you retire.

When you retire, everything is easy.

Because they think you're old and you don't know anything.

I agree. It's not true at all.

I agree. It's not true at all.

But people think, oh, they've retired.

Now they can preach the gospel because they've got nothing else to do.

Not true.

But I'll tell you something.

In the minds of young people, that's what they think.

We'll do this when we retire.

Right now we have our jobs and things to hold on to.

So now is not a convenient time.

We'll do it after retirement.

May you survive till you retire.

Because many of us may not.

Because we fail to fulfill the reason we were placed on the earth.

Take a while you're coming so strong and harsh.

You just came back after 11 days.

Couldn't you start with something nicer?

Not interested.

The thing is you guys can't boot me out.

Any other church, they can ask me not to come back.

Just think, you can't boot me out till I do something morally reprehensible.

Highly unlikely.

So any questions?

About the moral reprehensibility?

I'm not interested in the answer to that question.

I'm not interested in the answer to that question.

I'm not interested in the answer to that question.

I'm not interested in the answer to that question.

A decade ago I heard people saying that the church is like a church that I'm watching.

Everybody is entranced in there.

That a whole people is going around.

But they're not going out and taking what's available.

It's scary and it's tough and I'm terrified by what they're following to do.

But I think it's good and it really helps us.

It doesn't matter whether you're Dagmar who might be at present the oldest one in this church.

And it doesn't matter if you're Don who is the youngest one in the church.

Or at least behaves that way.

But it's going to change starting tomorrow because he's going to work.

Just make sure you don't call your boss uncle.

The first job I had,

I go and there's this guy and my parents knew him.

And so I go up to him and I have a question and he's down the hall and I'm saying,

Uncle, uncle, just a second.

And he couldn't look anywhere because I'm calling him an uncle in front of everybody.

So just don't do that.

So Derek, you're in a separate building, right?

It's not the same building.

Otherwise you'll hear this voice from across the corner, Derek, care.

And he'll start off.

Sorry, let me go back to what I was talking about.

That's how Don calls his brother when he wants something or when he's highly irritated,

which is what he is most of the time.

So that's how it comes across.

Yeah.

So here's the thing, guys.

Where will be?

Yeah.

Doesn't matter whether it's Dagmar or Don.

My God, that was a rabbit trail.

Doesn't matter whether it was Dagmar, whether it's Dagmar or Don.

Here's the thinking.

I am going to be made strong today so that I can pour out my life.

And that is the only reason why Holy Spirit is interested in making me strong.

It is the only reason why God will bless me in any degree so that I have strength in different areas.

And I'm going to be strong today.

I'm going to be strong today.

I am going to be strong today so that God will bless me in any degree so that I have strength in different areas.

It is just so that I can pour myself out.

That is the only reason for a strong church.

There's no other reason.

You're supposed to be spent by the time you leave the earth.

You have to have no seed in your bag when you leave the earth.

Your bag should be empty.

Your bag should be empty every Saturday evening.

The Holy Spirit cannot fill me if I am not empty.

Doesn't matter how passionate my song gets, how I go down on my knees and stretch out my hands wide saying,

Fill me.

He'll say, Where?

Because there ain't no space to fill you, Jacob.

Because you're a fat cat who never pulls out anything.

This kind of Christianity stinks.

And you must be repulsed by it.

And it will invite scorn.

It will invite fear.

Scorn, it will invite, leave us alone.

And it will not be sophisticated.

I love being a sophisticated Christian.

This just throws everything out.

Any questions?

I'm not done yet, but any questions?

So it's a job of me as a leader or as leaders.

And that could include household leaders and potential leaders in the next generation.

Doesn't matter.

It's a job of leaders in a church.

And this is the only job.

It's a job of leaders in the church to be mature.

And to increase in maturity so that they can now begin to affect the families and the individuals in the church.

To mature.

So they get mature too.

So if I don't mature, I'm not able to mature the leaders in the house.

The leaders in the house are not able to mature the families in the house.

Why are we doing this?

Why are we doing this?

So that you can go out into segments that you presently live in.

Into spheres of influence that you presently operate in.

Into streets that you have your houses or you walk in.

And in the stages of life that you presently occupy.

And imagine how varied it is in this room right now.

So let's take Matt and Rachel.

The segment of society they occupy is different from the segment of society that Anne and Kamal who are sitting right in front of them occupy.

The spheres of influence that Matt has are in UBC and Anne and Kamal have no influence there.

The stage of life they are in is a couple that's retired who love being grandparents.

And a couple that's just had a baby and have people that are like them.

Completely different.

The streets they walk in are different.

It's Richmond and Vancouver.

And so the intent of leaders is can I mature so that I can help families and individuals in the church to mature.

So that they can take what?

They can take the gospel which is the story of Christ.

And the teachings of Christ.

And can I profess and demonstrate it?

And demonstrate.

Why?

So that the watching world may be transformed.

This is why you exist.

Guys please understand there's no other reason.

Everything else is gravy.

No other reason.

And therefore,

once the watching world hears what you have to say they get transformed.

When they get transformed then you need to make disciples of them.

And you make disciples of them in households.

Little places where you have one on one relationships with them.

That's where they get discipled.

And so for you to come to church on a Sunday means nothing.

Nothing.

For me to come to church on a Sunday, sit here for two hours,

doesn't cut it.

Because you will not be able to go into this or have the boldness

and the skill to do this well, proclaim or disciple without being connected to the church more vitally.

It's not possible.

If you think it is possible you're just assuming it and it's a foolish false assumption.

And it does not have biblical basis.

Because here's the thing guys.

Everything Psalm 133, everything flows from the head down to the beard down to the rest of the body.

You can be a Christian but you cannot enjoy the full benefits of Christ without being vitally connected to the body.

So Prashanth just come out for a second.

I'm sorry I'm doing this to you Prashanth.

So it doesn't matter that he can polish his hand or his foot during the week.

He can do that.

That's what most of us do as Christians.

We polish off our hands by reading a bit of Bible or we polish our feet by singing and worshiping at home.

And we think we are doing what church normally does.

I'm worshiping at home.

I'm reading the Bible at home.

I'm doing the Bible at home.

I'm doing the Bible at home.

I'm doing what church normally does.

I'm worshiping at home.

I'm reading the Bible at home.

I'm praying at home.

I'm a fine individual Christian.

Yes you are.

But here's the thing.

You get nothing that flows down from the head.

Because till it flows down from the head it does not flow onto the beard.

And if it doesn't flow down to the beard it doesn't flow down to the rest of the body.

So all you are is a prosthetic limb that is being shined by you every day with a little bit of Bible reading and worship.

When the actual oil that is upon the head does not flow down to the beard and does not flow down to the body.

So you will never, never, I guarantee you this on the basis of the Bible.

You will never, I will never enjoy the full benefits of Christ if I'm not a vitally connected part of the body.

It is like having a prosthetic limb that you take off every night and shine it.

That's what individual Christianity is like.

May you not go down that route because you will leave the earth without benefiting the, without enjoying the benefits of the body.

And I'm not talking about attendance.

Please don't think that attending two hours on a church on Sunday does anything.

There was no one else with a beard.

The next guy was Gary and he's a guest so I thought I'll pick on you.

Don, if you could take him off probation for the rest of the year.

Doesn't matter what you do now.

You won't be on probation for the next six months.

Any questions guys?

Pardon?

No, that would be more water.

I just sprinkled you.

Any questions?

Go ahead.

Sure.

Yeah, go ahead Nick.

I'm taking that message and have brought it to the cell.

There were times before they got it.

So, you know, sometimes they put a card and then I guess they just kept the thought of the father and then now they're off to the home again and the family.

It's really interesting that I haven't been in touch with them on whatever but just like, can you speak a little bit about like,

the father and then the mission and the people who do that.

Yeah, so here's the thing.

We've got to understand that this does not mean that you go to Lithuania.

Because we are talking about going to streets that are next door.

Segments that we presently occupy Monday to Saturday.

Spheres of influence at work and at other places and stages of life that you presently occupy.

So none of this involves going to some foreign country, not even to another province.

This is living your tomorrow at work amongst your friends in the streets you occupy differently.

Because now there is only one reason to do that and that is plunder the possessions of Satan.

Second, profess and demonstrate the gospel, which is the only power to transform and rescue.

And third, making disciples of all nations.

And that happens tomorrow without going anywhere but where you normally go.

Therefore, as we learn who God is as a father, who God is as a healer, who God is as a provider, why are we learning that?

So that from Monday to Saturday we can go and spend ourselves knowing that healing and provision and fatherhood and adoption is taken care of.

You don't have to worry about that.

Now that all this is provided, go now and live for the kingdom.

It's like someone who has everything else taken care of and has only one reason to live, fulfill his father's pleasure.

So the reason we learn about who the father is and what God can do for us is very simple.

Now that is taken care of, I don't have to worry about that.

When I'm sick I know where to go, when I don't have stuff I know where to go, when I'm weak I know where to go, when I'm helpless I know where to go, when there is no food I know where to go, when I'm thirsty I know where to go.

And where am I going? To a people called the body of Christ, through whom Christ does amazing things.

So let me change what I just said.

So when I have a baby and I don't have a babysitter, where do I go? To Don and to Derek.

When I don't have good health, where do I go? To the body who prays for me and my body gets healed by Christ, the head of the body.

When there is no provision, where do I go? I can still approach the body and I pray God that a day comes when this body will be so splendidly provided for because of the riches of each other and the lack of each other being taken care of.

I come to the body because it is through the body that Christ acts.

So all that is being taken care of. Now Jacob that I am providing for you just like I provided for Jesus, why don't you just go and be busy about my business.

And what is his business? Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

And teaching them to observe everything that I have taught you and lo I will be with you till the ends of the earth.

Be with you how? As in a spooky presence that you can't see? Be with you as in I will take care of everything else.

Why? Because you have finally begun to seek the kingdom first. And all other things shall be added to you and your eye is not even all the other things.

So that is my answer to your first question.

And what is your second question?

This message is being sponsored by Nick.

Diversity in terms of where people are at and where they are supposed to go.

Everybody and the M.T.s, do you think they can pass it on to yourself?

Can you speak a little bit about that?

And that is exactly what David did.

Where David collects stuff after stuff after stuff and what does he do?

He gives everything to Solomon to build.

And David doesn't even build it though it was his desire to build it.

So everything you do, I mean this is what good husbands do for their wives.

They will go get the moon for their wives. Why?

It cost them a lot to go to the moon. They worked really hard.

And finally they get the moon and give it to their wives. Why?

Because I want to be strong so that I can get you everything you desire.

This is what parents do for their children.

Matt and Rachel will do anything so that that boy can do better.

So when I talk about being spent, I don't mean by being spent that you crumble and fall.

I'm saying that everything I do will be for your benefit.

So that at the end of the day, I have nothing left and you have all of it.

And then tomorrow God fills me again because the depth of my life increases as I keep spending it.

It doesn't exhaust you. You may feel fatigued but it doesn't really exhaust you.

Guys, I'll give you an example.

I was in Bristol and finished the sessions that they told me to finish.

And then I had to go to Vienna.

So I finished my sessions, fly the next morning to Vienna at four or five in the morning.

I'm teaching for ten days and then I realized that there is still something Bristol needs to get

that they didn't ask for but they didn't need to give.

So here's what I do exactly.

I cancel my ticket and my brother-in-law's ticket and I pay $2,242 for a ticket for him and me

to fly back early by four hours so that I can come back to the church and teach some more.

Why am I telling you this?

Because here's what fascinated my brother-in-law.

That I would actually pay $2,242 to come to a church that doesn't know that I spent that money

to come and teach them for four hours.

Why am I giving you this example?

Because I want you to know, Acts 29, that there is nothing else Jacob desires

than to strengthen you to a point where you become people that be exactly who Christ wants you to be.

And I will empty my pocket.

I will empty my strength.

I will empty the grace I have so that you do better.

You can take this to the bank.

If you haven't experienced it, it is not because Jacob is holding back.

It is because your heart is too small to receive it.

And I'm quoting 2 Corinthians 6 right now.

And I'm being passionate about it and I can cry if I push this.

You need to understand something.

That I will spend my life to see you become the church Christ needs to become.

And I will spend my life.

I will empty my pocket.

I will empty my grace.

I will empty my gifts.

I will even give you my time which is precious, which is the only thing I like holding on to.

I'll give it to you so that you become who you are supposed to become.

And if you haven't received it yet, it is not because my heart is small or I have held back.

It is because your heart is too small to receive it.

Enlarge it and you will get everything you need from me that God is supposed to give through me.

It may not come in the way you want it.

I'll make mistakes but you will have it if you want it.

Because I have no other reason to live but you.

Thank you.

Third question, Nick.

These are very good questions, Nick.

Ask them.

The worst that can happen is you go on probation.

So go ahead.

I made it up to you last time.

Did I already put you on probation?

Yes, you did.

Oh, okay.

It'll just be extended.

Don is in charge.

Go ahead.

What would you say to somebody who feels weak?

I would go with what Paul said where he says three things that leaders need to do.

Admonish the unruly.

As in rebuke those that don't want to stay under order but defy order.

Admonish those that are unruly.

Strengthen those that have had the stuffing knocked out of them and are weak.

And encourage the faint-hearted.

And this is where, see, you heard my passionate speech a little while ago about what I would do for you.

But remember this thing.

I can never do for you what six or seven leaders can do together for you.

I can never do for you what Heidi does for you.

I can never do for you what Derek and Jeevan do for you in your households.

I can never do for you the other leaders here who you feel are not as good as you.

The leaders here who you've seen do things.

I can't.

But I'm saying what I do, I'll do for you splendidly.

So at the end of the day, when someone is weak, the way Heidi strengthens them is very different from the way I strengthen them.

She'll go sit with you, stand with you in hospital.

She'll walk with you.

She'll wait till everything is done.

I'll probably come and pray for you and maybe in some cases tell you to shape up.

It'll be different.

But what I'm trying to say is when there are six or seven leaders that gather together, or ten or twelve leaders, or sixteen leaders that gather together, the church gets everything it needs.

And there are people who at different times in a church are weak because they had the stuffing knocked out of them that week.

They are faint-hearted and they need to be encouraged.

And they are unruly and they need to be rebuked.

Paul says this.

This is very clearly Paul says in 2 Timothy.

This is what you need to do.

Admonish the unruly, strengthen the weak.

And the whole word strengthen in the Greek, and I actually looked at it two weeks ago,

is come alongside and lift them up till they are able to walk.

And encourage the faint-hearted.

And if I'm not able to do it for you, you must come and gently correct me saying you didn't help me.

You know Matt and Rachel did it once.

And it changed my attitude towards them, my heart towards them.

When we sat at the white spot in Richmond and I actually told Matt and Rachel,

I am sorry that I could not back up my words with you, that I haven't paid enough attention to you,

that I haven't helped you, and I am sorry for it.

And since that day I've changed.

You know why I've changed?

Because my heart changed towards them.

When my heart changes, everything else changes.

And they're sitting here, you can ask them.

And they're important to me now.

That's how we deal with the weak and the faint-hearted.

And thank God people have helped me when I've been through times like that.

My God people came alongside.

They weren't able to solve my problem.

It was not as if a miracle happened and things got solved.

But I was so grateful and I'm still so grateful that whenever I am faint-hearted or weak,

that I can go to certain people and they will encourage and lift me up.

God with skin on him.

Next question, Nick.

You've got another five minutes and we'll stop in five.

We'll stop at 4.15, so you've got five minutes more.

They're living vicariously through you,

because they know only you will go on probation, so go ahead.

When I was a newer Christian, I thought that worship was just not for me.

I just wanted that to be a guide.

And the parts of God showed me differently.

And I'm still learning how to worship, which is Christianity 101.

And it's been eight, nine, 20 years, whatever, years now.

And sometimes I wonder if I'm...

I'll push myself really hard, try to turn to praise the Lord just to give it all.

And I feel exhausted afterwards.

Is that normal? Is that like...

Would I be doing it wrong?

Yes and no.

I find that when I'm trying to love somebody, it's very exhausting.

But if I love somebody, it's very easy.

So in worship, one of the things that we have to learn

is to continuously increase during the week in our intimacy with him

so that our worship is...

Yeah.

When I like somebody, then what I do for them is easy.

When I am trying to like somebody, it is difficult.

Because now I'm really exerting myself.

So why not learn how to like them more and only go so far as I like them

because anything else is fake?

But my intent is between Sundays or between Tuesdays or between Wednesdays

or every 24 hours, my hope is, Father, can I like you a little more

so that tomorrow when I open my mouth in adoration,

it flows because the words I say are just so amazing.

So if you actually heard me in my personal times of worship,

the words I speak are very different to the words I say here.

Because if I started saying those words here, it'll sound strange.

Because they're far too intimate for anyone to understand.

It's not because I'm scared of being intimate publicly.

I don't mind being intimate about God publicly.

But you won't understand it.

And if I speak anything on the mic, it must be words that are intelligible.

And I'm not talking about speaking in tongues.

I'm talking about calling him names that you will think,

why is this guy calling him names like that?

And by calling him names, I don't mean calling him names.

I mean saying things to him.

So the intent then at worship is, can I know him as Father a little better?

Can I know him as friend a little better?

Can I know him as lover a little better?

Can I know him as healer a little better?

And therefore, next time I open my mouth, the words that come out will be different.

The songs, every song's words will change.

Every song's words will change.

Because you'll bring your own words up.

So there will be times when I'll say, in royal robes that I now deserve.

Why? Because last week was so amazing that I feel like I deserve it.

And I think saying that to the Father ain't all that bad because he thinks I deserve it too.

But if I sang it publicly, you would think this guy is full of himself,

which you already think and then I add to it.

Okay, one more question, Nick, and then we're done.

You sure? Okay, done? Extended by three months, huh?

Alrighty guys, let's just pray.

Father, thank you for the way this service turned out.

Even though it cost Nick, it was worth it.

And I'm grateful for the service.

I'm grateful for the service.

Even though it cost Nick, it was worth it for the rest of us.

So thank you, thank you Father.

Father, I just go back to this one thing that we've been talking about.

That, oh God, please don't let us forget the mission of the Church.

We are very sorry, I am really sorry.

For all these years not even seeing it.

Only seeing it recently.

And I am most responsible because you expected me to know this long ago, but I didn't.

This has been the least important thing.

How shameful, Father.

And so we return back to the call of our origin.

We return back to why the Holy Spirit came.

We return back to why you raised a strong son called Jesus Christ.

We return back to the reason why you were born.

We return back to the reason and the mission of the Church.

And I pray that every week you would remind us that I would remind myself and the Church.

So that we turn out to be who we are supposed to be.

Oh God, we've done you injustice in this.

And we are sorry.

Spirit of God, we will seek never to quench you again.

As long as Acts 29 lives, may this be part of it now.

So we repent, we say we are sorry.

We rise up saying, oh God, renew us in this.

Renew us in this.

Renew us in this.

To return to the mission of Jesus Christ.

Thank you, Lord. Thank you.

Thank you, Lord. We thank you, Lord.

We thank you for bringing us back to ground zero.

It is where we need to start from again.

So we receive this commission of yours with much hope.

And over the months, over the months ahead, we'll pray for boldness.

We don't know how to do this, but at least we've recognized it.

Father, I'm just going to put the mic down here and just ask two or three others to pray into this.

And then we'll go.

So I'll just leave the mic here for two or three more from the Church to come up and pray this, Father.

One or two more, Father.

One more, Father.

Holy Spirit.

Father, we submit our lives to you, Lord.

We submit our hearts to you, Lord.

Thank you so much, Holy Spirit, for teaching the truth, for revealing the truth.

The simple, plain truth, for that is hidden from us for a long time, Lord.

And now, since it is revealed, may we live in it, Lord.

May we live in it.

Bring us back to this point every time when we lose our track of it, Lord.

Bring us back, Holy Spirit.

Burn our hearts, Lord.

Burn our hearts for this one, Holy Spirit.

Since it is revealed to us, may it be evident through us in every day of our life, Lord, in every moment of our life, Father.

We ask for it, Holy Spirit.

We ask for it, Holy Spirit.

We ask that whatever we learn today, the mission of our existence,

may it be evident, may it be real through us every day, through me, through us every day, Lord.

Lord, we ask for it, Holy Spirit.

We ask for it in Jesus' name, I pray.

Amen.

One more person, guys.

I say yes, Lord, yes, to your will and to your way.

I say yes, Lord, yes, I will trust you and obey.

And when your Spirit speaks to me with my whole heart, I'll agree.

And my answer will be yes, Lord, yes.

And we say yes, Lord, yes, to your will and to your way.

We say yes, Lord, yes, we will trust you and obey.

And when your Spirit speaks to us with our whole hearts, we'll agree.

And our answer will be yes, Lord, yes.

So, Father, we go now to serve.

We're leaving this place, and the doxology is very simple.

That we go now to fulfill the mission of the Church, in our segments, in our spheres of influence,

in the streets we walk in and in our stages of life.

We go to do that now.

We learn how to do that week by week by week by week, so that our children will think this is normal.

Hallelujah.

Build a generation, Father.

Father, if there are any needs that need to be prayed for, people will be here to pray.

And I ask Karen and Joan, and Don and Mark, if he isn't here, Rhonda will sub for Mark,

will pray for people, and Elmer, will pray for people that need praying.

And we just thank you for Mae's parents and Martin, and we bless them.

We bless them again in Jesus' name. Amen.

Guys, before you go, go say hello to Mae's dad and mum, and to Martin before they leave.

And bless you. See you soon.