Ownership promoting | Eld. Peng Hoe

You're listening to a message to go from ext Church.

We hope this message will light up your team.

We are today at core value number eight and very

simply I've been explaining every church, including ourselves, we have

a vision. The vision for ex Church has always been

from Habakuk where we want to see everyone in this

world know who God is. Ultimately, that's the vision. I

think that's our Christian vision as well, to see the

whole world know God and have the knowledge of God.

And the mission is of course to make disciples because

in order to actually get to the vision, which is

the direction we are heading towards, the only way to

do that is we keep on discipling people. So that's

been the mission of Extra something that we've been doing

for the past twenty six years, and we will continue

to do that. What really continues to drive us forward

are these values. These values that we have derived from

the Book of X, mainly from chapter two and if

you have the time, you can read through it. But

all these values we have taken out from the Book

of X. And these are the values that are supposed

to almost act like the feel that helps us carry

on hitting the right direction towards the vision that we

are supposed to be going towards doing the things that

we are supposed to do to be doing, which is

to make disciples.

Okay.

So we started off with Christ centered the first value.

Then we moved on to no. We started with spirit

feeld spirit field was the first value. Christ centered, kingdom, minded, word, faithful,

discipleship focused, prayer powered, faith evident. That was the first seven.

And today we are at core value number eight, which

is ownership promoting.

Okay. So I'm going to be teaching this value.

And again, yes, the call of it is taken and

derived from X chapter two, but I've been praying through

what other scriptures that we can use and to sort

of illustrate what I hope to be able to teach today.

And I'm led to teach from this parable. It's how

you may be like, does it even make sense? But

let's let me try to explain it. I'm going to

teach from the parable of the Vignyard Workers. How many

of you all heard it parable? Okay, So let's let's

look at it. Let's look at it. I'm going to

read it from the New Living Translation, chapter twenty, verses

one to sixteen, and it says this okay, Verse one

for the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who

went out early one morning to hire workers for his vinyard.

He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and send

them out to work. At nine o'clock in the morning,

he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people

standing around doing nothing, so he hired them, telling them

he would pay them whatever was right at the end

of the day. So they went to work in the

vinyard at noon, and again at three o'clock.

He did the same thing.

At five o'clock that afternoon, he was in town again

and saw some more people standing around. He asked them,

why haven't you been working today? They replied because no

one hired us. The landowner told them, then go out

and join the others in my vinyard. That evening, he

told the foe men to call the workers in and

pay them, beginning with the last workers first. When those

hired at five o'clock were paid, each received a full

day's wage. When those hired first came to get their paid,

they assume they would receive more, but they too were

paid a day's wage. When they received their paid they

protested to the owner. Those people work only one hour,

and yet you've paid them just as much as you

paid us, who work all day in the scotching heat,

he answered one of them, friends, I haven't been unfair.

Didn't you agree to work all day for the usual wage?

Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this

last worker the same as you. Is it against the

law for me to do what I want with my money?

Should you be jealous? Because I'm kind to others? So

those who are last now will be first, and those

who are first will be last. Amen, Lord blesses the

reading of his word. Okay, so the parable here shows

us attitudes which actually all of us have in our

very own hearts. Okay, it's just very honest. When you

read this parable, sometimes you'll be like, okay, it doesn't

always sit well with us. And this is one of

the stories that Jesus gives us more as a warning.

It's not like a good on you, well done, But

when you read it, you'll be like, Okay, there's something

not so subtle here. And for Jesus, you have to

understand this. The Kingdom of Heaven was not just something

that is in the future. The Kingdom of Heaven is

not just something that we will step into one day,

the Kingdom of Heaven, for Jesus had already broken into

the present in his arrival.

And that is why we.

As followers of Christ are actually known as citizens of heaven.

If you read Philippians chapter three, you'll see that reference

citizens of heaven. And that is why the message has

always been repent and believe, for the Kingdom of God

is here. The Kingdom of God has come. And basically

what is being encouraged is you need to have a

new mindset. A new mindset must break through along as

the Kingdom of Heaven breaks true into our lives right now,

and that is what is being challenged. The old way

of thinking is actually being challenged. And essentially, this is

what's happening as we are reading this parable this truth

be what is happening because it's a warning, and this

is a simple story that is actually showing a confrontation

between two very different mindsets, two very different thinking, two

very different outlooks. And the question is whether our attitude

is going to be of the all earthly attitude or

is it going to be of the new heavenly one.

We have to look at it from that angle because

we love many of Jesus's stories and parables. We love it,

we love reading it. Hey, so we teach it to

our Sunday school kids. They seem to enjoy. But if

you ask anyone here in the right frame or mind,

which one is your favorite parable, very rarely they will

say this one. I love the parable of the vineyard workers.

Why would you say that? Very very rarely anyone would

choose this? And why is that so? It's because there

is always this feeling that the owner of the vineyard

was less than fair. This not very fair. And you

know what, we are all born with this in build

sense of injustice in us. Have you ever noticed that

you don't need to teach young children the sense of

injustice one. No, he's got a bigger piece than me.

He gets to start first. Why how can he's got

a room to his own, any share room with you?

No, we don't really need No, it's not fair.

It's probably one of the most common expressions on any

child's lips.

It is not fair that a man who has.

Worked for twelve long hours, especially in the scotching noonday

hit of the middle is should get the same age

as a dude who came in and worked in the

cool evening for one.

Hour of his life. Not fair. And there is something

in this.

Story that causes anyone who reads it to rebell, and

we're like, hey, why is it like that? But have

you ever stopped to think about what that feeling of

it's not fair is actually doing within you? Have you

ever tried to analyze what is happening to you when

you actually say it's not fair, you will realize if

you sit down, pause for a moment, and analyze it,

the first thing that is causing is causing you to

be self centered. Because we nearly always say it's not

fair about our own circumstances, we do not often say

about other people's circumstances. When I mean, I'm not gonna

be lie, you're not fair for Daniel, I'm like whatever

I like, not fair for myself. Siblings don't don't fight

for each other's No, they are there the other person's

fairness unless you're really matured in character. If you're really

matured in character, yeah you can be about someone else

suffering injustice than you.

But very rarely always grew up.

You know, we all had most of us had siblings,

and I know, hardly any of us can claim that nobility. Okay,

that's just the honest truth. So it causes us to

be self centered. That's the first thing the statement it's

not fair. The other thing that you realize about it's

not fair is that do you realize what it does

your emotions? Very rarely you go it's not fair, and

you're happy about it.

It's not fair.

You're usually a little bit riled up. And usually these

riled up emotions affect your health, and more often than not,

it will affect your health. You know, all sorts of

unhealthy emotions are actually associated with this phrase. Whether it's anger,

whether it's bitterness, whether it's resentment, whether it's envy, These.

Are all real. When we.

Exclaim the whole it's not fair, and this our emotions

that are bad for us, bad for the soul, bad

for our physical self. But to take it even one

step further, you will realize that when someone is saying

it's not fair, it always leads us to make a

calculated comparison with other people, and this is what usually

destroys our love for them, which is one thing makes

us like. But not only does it destroy your love

for other people, it can also cause you to hate

other people. That's that's the reality.

You know.

I may even be treated justly, but if someone else

is getting more than they deserve, even if I'm getting

what I do deserve, then somehow.

Will come on.

It's like that I could double. You may not say it,

you know it's not right, but that is exactly how

we feel. And it's hard to masquerate how we feel

sometimes on the inside especially, but before you know it,

someone who is supposed to be a friend becomes en enemy.

And so if we are going to go through live

saying it's not fair, we will actually usually end up

finishing someone who is self centered, someone who is full

of envy, someone who has a seed of hatred in

our hearts. And those attitudes, which are not healthy, is

poisonous actually, And so Jesus is challenging this attitude in

the parable, this attitude of saying what's in it for me?

What do I stand to gain from this?

The attitude that looks at the neighbor and says, are

they getting more than they deserve? You see, the Kingdom

of Heaven is not like that. Attitudes like this do

not promote ownership. One very rarely does it promote ownership.

And so our want us now to look at the

story from a slightly different angle. And now we look

at it from the angle of the owner owner. And remember,

we are trying to dig deep into understanding what ownership

really means. And I think when we are trying to

understand ownership is good. It's good to look to the

owner of the cattle of a thousand hills, like what

salms or how Psalms Chapter fifty, verse ten actually describes God.

He owns everything. So let's look at the owner in

this story, and you'll find out that instead of the

story being a story of a man who is less

than fair, it is actually a story of a man

who is more than fair. Why do I say that

We've gotta think about it. Isn't the owner in this

parable going beyond what he needs to what he needs

to do? You see, his concern is primarily for others.

I don't see.

I don't think you will find an inch of self

sentencements within what he's doing. He's not doing things for himself.

He's doing favors for people. All the way through this story.

He is giving them work to begin with. And I

know maybe some others want to argue, doesn't he need

workers in the vineyard? But don't you get this impression

that he finds people who have got no work and

he creates work for them that tells you that he

wants to help them.

And where do I get that from?

Well, if you read on, you realize that that's what

he was doing for those who came in much later.

He was asking them, Hey, why y'all never do anything?

And they says, no one hired us, and he's like, hey,

can on, let's see what we can do for you.

Go into my vineyards and find yourself something to do.

So he was doing then, and then you think about

it when it comes to giving out the wages. He's

a man who looks at the workers and considers what

does he need and what does his family need? Because

what they are essentially going to get at the end

of the day is what is known.

As a daily wage.

It's a subsistence which basically you can save nothing out

of it. If you can say, from the daily wage

means you are the most gum self learn the world,

That's all I can say. The reality is it's a

subsistence witch, and you can't probably save anything. You could

only just keep your family going on this daily witch.

And imagine this. A day without a daily waite could

spell disaster for some families. And so this owner of

this vineyard look at these workers, and he thinks of

their wives. He's thinking of their children, and he knows

that if only if he only pays them one hour

worth of wage, those families are going to go hungry.

And here's a man who is doing more than what

he is called to do. And he's a man who

is not just just. He's doing more than what is just.

He's actually showing mercy. And mercy is not less than fair.

Mercy is always more than fair. If you belong to

the kingdom of earth and have a very worldly attitude,

you will say of him, this guy is less than fair,

not fair. How can you give the person who work

less more money or same amount of money. But if

you step into the kingdom of heaven and you look

at the owner once again, you realize that, wow, he

is more than fair. He is so wonderfully fair. And

it was as he was the ownership friend, I am

doing you no wrong. Isn't that true?

You see?

The problem was with the attitude of the complaining laborer.

And this is a story about mercy. It is saying

that heaven operates on a different principle than this world.

And God does not operate on what a man deserves

to get, but what he delights to give, whether you

like it or not. That's how he operates, and that

is the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus comes with this revolutionary concept.

The Kingdom of Heaven is not built on merit. The

Kingdom of Heaven is built on mercy. And the God

who owns the vineyard is a god who treats you

not as you deserve, but as he delights in treating you. Wow,

when I think about it, And that is not just

from this terrible right through the passages in the Bible,

you will find this very same God, the God who

is delighting in treating you. And the only people who

will object to that are the people who still have

right in their heart. Because behind the grumblers in the

story does not lie greed. Sometimes when we really we

are thinking, you're just a bunch of greedy people, you know,

But they're not greedy. They would have been perfectly contented

with their wage. Actually, if not, they wouldn't even have

started work at nine am in the morning. It was

their pride that hurts, you know, sometimes pride So I

actually have a bunch of stones in my back. No,

it's like I was trying to last train to the

death community.

It's like science.

We hang on to a bunch of stones, no so

hot while we hang on to it so tightly that

there is just no room for us to receive God's

wonderful gift of mercy. And you realize that we are

proud people. We hang on to our dear pride, sometimes

a little bit with I don't know too much further

and too much of a clenched fist, that there is

never room to be in a posture of reception. How

are we ever going to receive? And grace and mercy

are gifts, just like the Holy Spirit.

Is a gift. And that's why the only way in

which we can actually.

Posture ourself to what gives is always the posture of reception.

Are we able to receive a lot of times either

our hands are folded No, either our I don't know,

our whole person is turned away. If we are hanging

on to pride, we will never be able to receive

God's gif And then you think about it, when did

Jesus tell this story to whom was he speaking to?

And here comes a bit of a shocker. You realize

as you're reading it. He's talking to his disciples. No,

he's not talking to a bunch of businessmen, a bunch

of worldly.

Greedy people, rich people.

Know. He was talking to his own disciples, to those

who have left everything and followed him and devoted their

lives to him, and who had already spent maybe approximately

by that time, two and a half years walking with him.

Why should he say it to his own followers?

It was because although they had left their businesses behind

to follow Jesus, their business haven't quite left them yet.

They had not left this calculating comparison behind when they

followed Jesus. Isn't that what we all sometimes do? We

are constantly like you, what a look at more? Why

the person gets acknowledged I work here longer in this company? Yeah,

you're like, hey, it's justifying for me to feel like that. Yeah,

I know, I've been on both ends. I've been on

ends when I don't think I deserve it, and I

wonder why I deserve certain things, and there are days

also when I feel like, shouldn't I deserve that? But

either way, we need to make sure that we don't

compare ourselves. And that is essentially the meaning of the story,

because you see the very concept of merit can spoil

Christian service. If we keep calculating and this calculative approach,

when we are serving the Lord with one eye on

the reward, we will miss the entire point. Sometimes, if

our attitudes are not right, it will lead you to

hold a grudge against a brother he's extra blessing that

the Lord, in his mercy has given. Sometimes we find

it hard to rejoice when the Lord shows grace. No

have you ever like sometimes like thinking, oh, this flir

serial killer or serial killer suddenly before going to the

gallows give his life to Jesus. There was if you

read some of these stories, especially of those who were

involved in the Nazis, who were actually involved in the trial.

Actually there were many people who just couldn't believe that

the God will actually save them, even though there were

there were and there were many who continue to reach

out to them even when they were on the death row.

Of course, some most of them rejected God, but there

were some who genuinely realized and repented from what they did.

But yet there were some people who like, wow, so

easy kills soo many people? Then Salely, No, I don't

think God want to forgive you, Sally, we play God.

But that's something that we just need to be very,

very careful because this will sometimes cause us to even

despise someone else's contribution, like the only work one hour,

I work twelve, where's the fairness in that? And all

such thoughts would actually pain Christian service and will potentially

sometimes if we are not careful, even result in earth

forfeitting our own reward.

Be very careful.

How we feel and how we look at things, because

we have no rights in a world of mercy.

None.

If God calls you or me into his service, at

is his mercy upon our lives. I have no right

to be a servant of the Lord. And if He

rewards me for what I do, that is his mercy.

I have no right to expect it. But you know what,

God is more than just, and he loves to be merciful.

What a lovely message that is the story of the Gospel.

And can you imagine working for anyone better, a better boss,

a better owner than who God is the owner of

the cattle of a thousand heels. What then, does he

expect of us in our relationship with others. I'll tell

you what he expects, and you probably can get the

answer already in the Old Testament if you read Micah,

chapter six, verse eight. There is something very profound that

is stated in chapter six, verse eight of the Book

of Micah, because he says.

This, what does the Lord require of you?

But this firstly is to do justly, to do what

is right. That is essentially the basic absolute minimum. We

must at least be fair, We must at least seek

to do the right thing.

And then he says, but that's not all. You are

also to love mercy, to love, to give what people

do not deserve, to love, to go the second mile,

to love, to be generous. And that is not enough either,

because you can fall into the trap of thinking that

loving mercy puts you up high and above everyone else. Oh,

what a wonderful, merciful person, And then before you know it,

you're floating on cloud nine. And that's why it goes

on to subsequently say you are also to walk humbly

with the Lord, walk humbly with your God, justice is

your minimum. Doing the right thing is the minimum.

Because right now, if you think about it, if it

was not for God's mercy in our lives, all of

us only have got one outcome, and that's not really

a pretty outcome, but the fact that we now have

a chance when we believe in Christ, when we put

our faith and our hope in Him, we now have

a choice to make a choice to do what is right.

Once upon a time, you can try to do all

the right things and it will count for nothing, because

no amount of right things that you do will give

you the merit to deserve God's grace. God's grace is

not earned through what we do. God's grace is his gift.

But the fact that right now, when we receive his gift,

he is essentially telling us child, you can now choose

to do what is right. And then suddenly you realize,

WHOA I have a choice? Yes, And that's why I

always tell people we always have a choice. I will

be the first to admit, but sometimes I like to

choose to do what is wrong. Isn't that all of us?

Sometimes doing the wrong things more fun, more convenient, easier. No,

didn't harm anyone else or as as Okay, it's quite pleasurable. Right,

we like to do the wrong thing even though we

have the choice to do the right thing. But remember

for people who once upon a time never had the

choice to even do the right thing. The fact that

we have the right thing to do, we have a

choice to do the right thing. Shouldn't we at least

do the basic minimum? Choose to do what is right minimum?

Then build on mercy. Mercy will help you appreciate God's

mercy itself. And then don't let your hate turn too big.

Remember to always walk humbly God.

Amen.

In medthew chapter twenty verses twenty five to twenty six,

Jesus teaches his disciples that they should not be like

others who like to laud it over people and tell

them what to do. Greatness in the Kingdom is about service.

Actually it is about service. And the example was Jesus himself,

who came to serve and came to give his life

as a ransom for many. He was telling them for

the first time the meaning of the cross, that it

was going to be a ransom. Something has to be

paid for. You see, when Jesus died, he was going

to be serving people more than he had ever served

them when he was alive, even though when he was

alive he really did crazy things that I don't think

any of us can do.

Wash the feet of.

Your enemy, you know, wash the feed of people who

harm you and wrong you.

You know how.

I know it's not an easy thing to do, because

I have initiated it before in services, and I can

tell you sometimes some people know that, Oh that's a

significance to it. I know what you're trying to do.

But man, why are you trying to do this? They

don't want to wash. They probably want to I don't know,

cut off their feet. Not really wash the feed of

other people, that's the reality of it. But to wash

the feed. Jesus really was doing that when he was alive.

Can you imagine him dying for us? He was serving

the people. He was going to be the means of

setting them free. And that is what a ransom is,

and that is why it is one of the hardest

things in the world not to come with your hands

full of your good deeds, very hard. Sometimes we come

all our good deeds, all our spiritual possessions, and we're saying, Lord,

I've done this I've done this. I've not done any

harm to anyone. You know, even though this person say

bad things to me, I never say bad things back

to the person, even though I think a lot of

bad things about the person, but I never say anything

in the person. So, Lord, Lord, I haven't done anything back.

Really accept me. Actually, the Lord has always reminded us

the better postures to come to him with empty hands

and say, Lord, I'm a beggar, Have mercy on me,

Have mercy on me. And I want us to again

think of the owner, because when we talk about ownership promoting,

we cannot lose sight of who and how the owner

of the kettle of a thousand hels functions and operates.

You see in X chapter two versus forty four to

forty five, which is where we got ownership promoting as

a value, it says this and all thels met together

in one place, shared everything they had. They sold their

property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. Wow,

it's quite a remarkable thing that they did. Really, it's

like community. But even I mean, we have a pretty

decent sense of community, at least here in Asia. I

would like to believe that the sense of communal living

is a little bit more apparent compared to different maybe

other cultures. But yet I don't releasee us doing this

la This one is different level. But Jesus teaches that

all wealth and all possessions in this world actually belongs

to someone else. It belongs to God first and foremost,

and all that He blesses us with is so that

we can be a blessing to others. What does that

tell you? It tells you that nothing you possess belongs

to you. And the proof of this is that you

cannot keep anything for yourself. There isn't a single thing

that you possess in this world that you won't have

to say goodbye to, including your husband and wife. Do

you realize that till death do you part, we will

eventually say bye bye, go out well see each other,

not your husband and wife anymore. No cannot go and

claim all the dad day up there brothers and sisters, Hello,

hello brother, Hello sister. But the relationship will be so

pure that while we may not be able to fully

understand and comprehend it, but years that is the truth.

Most things are on loan to us, and therefore Jesus

is teaching us that in this world everything you have

is another's. You are stewards of something that is on

loan to you, and you can't keep it.

Well else in the next world you can keep it.

And then so the scripture always says that when you

do things, do things to store up treasures in the

next world. But we always end up storing up treasures here,

none of which you can bring along with You cannot

bring one. No matter how much I burn for you,

no matter how much I put in your coffee, you

won't get it. In fact, you won't need it in

all honesty, unless you're not going to where you're designated

to go. Then we shouldn't be shouldn't be happening because

we are assured of our faith.

Amen.

And that's why Jesus can sometimes teach no the coin

he shows them the coin to that I'm showing. I

had to go and search for a ringing note, which

we hardly ever carry notes, because I wanted to tell them,

look who's on the Who's on the note and age, Yes,

the Argon's on the note. So basically, give back to

the argon and the people. What belongs to the argon.

We can't bring. We can't bring all the money in

the world. But what we can do is we can

store up treasures in heaven. So is the ring gate

not versus your righteous ax. Your righteous acts will be

stored up in heaven. And that's what we want to

be focusing on. I'm not sure if you ever heard

of Jim Allien. Jim Alien is a missionary to the

Indians somewhere in South America. He was martyred. Of course,

some would say that his wife even more junge. But

never mind. Let's talk about Jim Elliot. Do you know

what he said when some people felt that he threw

his life away? But he said, it is a man's

a fool who will not give up what he cannot

keep to gain what which he cannot lose. I say

that again, a man is a fool who will not

give up what he cannot keep to gain that which

he cannot lose. Better to give up what we are

not men to keep, so that what we will end

up gaining is something that we will never lose. It

will be bound in heaven. And that is what ownership

is about. Ownership actually is about true stewardship. What do

we do with what we have right now and what

we are not supposed to do with it is a

massive and try to bring it along with us because

it's not going to happen. Another example is the gifts

that God has blessed you with. What should you do

with it? Okay, let's read First Peter, First Bitter, chapter four,

verses seven to ten. You say, is a and it's

in the context of the end of the world is

coming soon.

Wow, it is la. It's sooner than he was yesterday,

So it's happening soon today. Okay.

Therefore, be earnest and discipline in your prayers. Most important

of all, continue to show deep love for each other,

for love covers a multitude of sins. Cheerfully share your

home with those who need a meal or a place

to say to stay. See, God has given each of

you gifts from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use

them to serve one another. You realize that every spiritual

gift that you are blessed with that you can actually

seek and desire for, is so that you can build

the body of believers, build one another. Because if the

end of the world is near, then I should use

my gifts and serve my fellow men all the way

to the very end. We've got to make sure that

as sane as we are, as sober as we are,

we need to get this job done all the way

to the very end. Sometimes we are like, if we

know the end is coming, and nonila sammer, you cuting yourself,

I culting myself, And no, we are in this together.

And so Jesus said, blessed are those servants who, when

the Lord comes, he finds so doing. Because the end

of the world is at hand. We get on with

the job he has given us to do, so that

when he comes we are actually busy doing it. That

is what preparation, and that's what good preparation is all about.

And the sense of the end of the word should

make us want to be useful citizens of heaven and

use our giftings well for the benefit of all. It's

so important to understand ownership and to understand what it

all means. Let's apply this now, and I'm coming to

the end, to the last phase of it. Let's apply

this to our Christian living. Isn't this what church is about.

Church is a community, not a crowd. Now we go

to your notes now and then you're like, what al

but feeling However, you want a feeling. Church is a community,

not a crowd. You see, the early church stayed together,

cared for one another, everyone shared, so no one was

in need. Wow, this was perfect communism. However, you want

to look at it perfect because they all did it willingly.

If you did it because chairman has something over your head,

that's that's the communism we understand. Okay, not not very perfect.

Perfect communism is everyone willing to share. They all had

one faith, one lot, one purpose. You see, community means

we care for each other, and we do not say

not my responsibility, I don't care. See, everyone belongs and

everyone can help. Therefore, we are able to serve each other.

And that's why we need to sometimes renovate our mindsets.

We cannot always have the Renter mindset. If you are

an owner, you're an owner. This morning I had to

remind the church also in Breakfield because they met in

a different venue.

Uh. And you know most of the venues we meet

we actually pay, we pay a rent.

Uh. And so today we will mc KL because YMC

couldn't accommodate our booking for the next two weeks. It

was good to be back in mckl I haven't been

to MTL in a long time, but they were very

very generous to allow us to use without any search

charge when there usually is a search charge.

And so I have to remind the team. I know

we are paying.

I know the person said, just do whatever you want,

leave it as it is. Uh, you can go back,

because I think maybe they felt your death community. Uh,

you know, we will do everything. They're actually quite very

kind of, very very generous. But I told the church,

if this, if you really own this, and then the

church is not just made out of the four walls. Uh,

it's not just a physical structure, it's people. Then you

leave this place better than it was before you came in.

That should be the attitude that we all have, actually,

the owner attitude, not the rander, not the tenon, because

you see tenant comes and goes. Tenant's always complaining, why

isn't this fixed? Why isn't that fixed. I think one

of the hardest things to rent out property is this,

and it's about that something I'm like, oh my goodness,

uh makes me yeah. Now on the rand things, yeah,

it's quite quite annoying. And and we live we live

in a society that quite power and the people complain. Uh,

and you know, our life is like a constant call center.

But that's the reality of it. Tenants complain because I

will right too. And even sometimes though there are days

when okay, no, I have a property which I ran out,

and I usually ran out at a very low price

because it's always either renting to students or people who

just started work. And I really don't I really don't mind.

It's it's fine. But even then, also some ass there

will be demands. Uh, you know, there will be things

that it's almost very calculative.

Why isn't this fixed? Why isn't it uh?

And I'm like, you know, it does sometimes like, okay,

it is my property and so I will fix it

because it belongs to me. But I hope never to

have that kind of tenant mindset where I don't really care.

This doesn't be long to me, I don't care what happens.

I'm just going to be staying here for a short

or let's not build do that. Let's let's build a home.

And when things are not comfortable, it's not straight away

that we pack up and leave, you know. So what

I did was I brought a whole two box and

I told them that how many of you all go

into any property with a tool box if you're renting,

Rarely you do that because you ain't going to be fixing.

You go to a hotel, so you're not going to

bring a two box line try to help them fix

things right. You're going to be like room service. But

I say, how many of us can actually own it?

That means me, this is ours? And I told them,

whatever it is in this place, take care of it.

There was no one. I mean, why they wave the

search charge because usually they need to employ people to

come in if someone uses it during the weekends. But

they really trusted us because we're a church, and I

told them, let's own it, guys, Let's own it. Sons

and daughters take responsibility in God's house and so efficient forces.

Everyone has a part to help. Every part does his

or her share. When everyone contributes, the whole church grows

stronger together. Amen, the band can come up. I'm almost done,

and so you realize this ownership must be promoted.

It cannot be assumed.

One people do not naturally have ownership in their heart zone.

We need to teach, we need to encourage, we need

to invite them. How I know I've got kids at home.

I'm gonna teach them ownership because they're thinking that they're

living in father and mother's hotel sometimes a bit right,

are those of you with kids nowadays?

Everything you give them, give them, give them, give them.

It's one of the hardest things for me to do

with my children is trying to get them to eat vegetables,

is to get them to do house work. Why because

all this while we do everything for that when the baby,

I can't expect them to go wash the toilet, like right,

it's not humanly possible. Then before you know it, you're

washing the toilet, even when they're able body and they've

got limbs. Honestly, if I have a key, we know

limbs will the better. You better teach them to learn

to wash the toilet. Seriously, they can one. They need

to take responsibility, take ownership. And so me and my

wife one day we just told the kids the toilet

that you use your tiktens to wash it.

I don't care.

I can be doing everything, I can be picking up

after you all the time, don't you all stay here?

And then of course eventually they did it. Now I

just need to get them to do a bit more

than just the toilets lavish. But we need to teach it,

and we cannot blame people if we don't teach it.

We cannot blame people if we don't involve them. A

lot of times we don't a lot of times we

just do everything ourselves. You know some of our church

plank coordinators not not some, Actually all of our church

plank coordinators are wonderful, amazing people who would who would

sometimes singer handily.

There we entrust them to run the whole service. They cannot.

In Chinese, it's called your your text Sie one lick

kick everything. They can do everything, can sing, can play guitar,

can worship, lit, can bridge, no can do x kids.

But before you know it that the floor die. Seriously,

that's why all of us are involved. But we need

to involve sometimes. It's know when when doctor Daniel and

Jes says, can you help out in this area?

Don't be like you do yourself.

Sometimes if Nate is worship leading, sometimes we even outsource

worship Ate. Okay, thank you. Then like as though we

don't need to we don't need to sing. Don't you

think you need to worship God?

Yourself.

Yeah he maybe, I don't know. You're like Okilla. Know

God inhabits the praisers of his people. His voice is

so melodious. When God's presence come, I think you will

feel the whole place. No, I think I should be

able to get some of it. So some remnants of it. Maybe,

I don't know. Maybe if it's him singing, I can

imagine it all just on him. We need to be

a part of it. Don't don't outsource everything, seriously, because

we need to own own your personal worship, own your

Bible reading. If you think that all you get is

from whoever who is up here, and we are not

perfect and we can't cover everything, and we only see

you for a short while every week, own it, amen.

We want to encout rich all of y'all. And as leaders,

leaders I'm talking to you, give others the opportunity as well.

Trust them.

We as a church had to come to a place

where we had to trust different ones to even take

the pulpit and preach.

Can you imagine what a responsibility or what a.

How much it took for a past the candidate to

be able to trust others to actually preach. He's a

wonderful preacher. He's a wonderful teacher. People used to come

to exist only because it's him on the pulpit, and

people used to stop coming to actis when they found

out he's not. But for him to say no, I

need to raise more preachers and I need to trust them.

I need to give them a space to make mistakes.

Even and today we are where we are. I can't

remember what's the last county. I believe we have at

least twenty, at least twenty who can actually preach every time.

And we don't need past Canna. Trying to be in

all twelve locations doing all seventeen services not humanly possible. Right,

We can do more together compared if we are doing

it alone.

And remember this, everyone a partner. You know.

That's another thing that I want to share. Do you

know that Japanese has this culture of cleaning things up.

You go to Japan, you realize two things. You realize

there's no rubbish, but you also realize there's no rubbish beans.

It's just one of those things. And children as young as.

In the kindergarten are actually thought to be responsible for

their ways. That means you take your ways you keep

it with you. When you find the trash bean wherever

it is, chances are should be in your own home,

you throw it there, and that's why the country is

so clean. Do you know this World Cup everyone was

talking about the Japanese fans. Not only did they just

clean up after themselves, they cleaned the whole stadium unaway.

You think about it, but that is someone who is

really taking ownership. I'm not just here to use the facilities.

It's overall everywhere, and I don't care or throw my rubbish.

I think we can learn some things, but we can't

do this alone. Imagine if Japan only two or three people,

or maybe only one prefecture is clean, you think the

whole Japan will be clean.

No, but you can go anywhere.

And I have never been a japan By there are

many of y'all who have been, and I think you

can testify to that. That's the reality of it. So remember,

when we're in this together. It must be taught, can

never be assumed. The Japanese people were taught when they

were young, and that's why they continue to carry and

have this sense of ownership and everyone a partner, not

just an individual member. That's why we call each other

partners in X because a member is always what's in

it for me? I've given a membership fee, I've given

my deals. What do I stand to get? You always

come with the get, give me, give me. I'm taking

from others instead of how can I give?

Tell me?

How can I be responsible for something? And when everyone

takes a share, takes a load of responsibility. When everyone

decides to give, everyone will get on. You know, sometimes

we take for granted ex. Kids, teachers, we can, especially

if we don't have kids, then sally the day when

you have kids, you learn to appreciate the execus teachers

really because they pay a price to be in the

room teaching our children, in parting at their own expense

of not being able to be fed, at their own

expense of having to make sure that they are well fed,

outside giving us a breeder when you are with the

child twenty four to seven. I pray we will remember

this that we are all partners. We put our hands

to the plot, We serve wholeheartedly, willingly, knowing that when

everyone has a part to play, we go further.

You know.

The last when I taught faith everydent, the last value

I refer to a portion of scripture the scripture that's

called the Chapter on Faith, and the Chapter of Faith

paints this picture of many wonderful characters full of faith,

and all of their faith was evident, it can be seen.

But at the end of chapter eleven of Hebrews, we

are told that we everyone of the past is actually

now cheering us on. It says that we are now

surrounded by this cloud of winnesses. Who are this cloud

of winners? The miss Abraham is that come on, then

keep going, Father of Faith is telling us, don't give up,

keep going, because we need you all to finish the race.

When you finish the race together together we will meet Jesus.

We need faithful.

Men and women putting their hands to the plow doing

this together. We are dependent on each other, past, present,

and future. We are The journey ahead of us is

still there, and our responsibility now is to finish this

journey than to cheer others on. And we do all this,

the scripture says. It spills over to chapter twelve, which

sometimes we forget that the Bible is actually one long scroll.

Were like chapter twelve talk about different things.

But chapter twelve starts by saying You do all this

by keeping your eyes on Jesus, the Author and the

finisher of our faith.

We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit as church org. We

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this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you. God bless