12+1 Core Values: Faith Evident | Pr Stephen Kong

You're listening to a message to go from at church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

Let's go into the world of God this morning. And

we are still on this chelf plus one call Values.

So if you brought your book, I pray you bring

a book every Sunday we are going to continue on

this series called the chelth plus one called Values. Okay,

and let's just quickly recap. Just just tell me what

the core values that we have went through in the past.

What was the first one? Yes, spirit feel okay, and

then spirit feel we have Christ centered, followed by Kingdom

minded okay, Kingdom minded. And after that is followed by

word faithful okay, word faithful, and then disciple ship focus Amen,

discipleship focused.

And after that is pray your powered.

And today we will be on the next part, which

is faith evident.

Amen.

So I pray and hope that you've been blessed by

this series so far. You know it's our it's our

core values in exchur which God has given to our

farding senier pastor, which is not meant to be just

written in the book. But I pray more importantly you'll

be in our hearts in our minds and we will

catch it and we will run with these values, you know,

from one generation to another generation, you know, all the

way until we meet Jesus again, you know. So it's

very important. Values are very important because it will bring us,

you know, from one generation after another. Times can change, seasons,

can change ups and downs, but our values, I don't

want it will take us to amen. Values is the

one that will bring us through those seasons, okay. And

so today, without wasting any more time, we've got to

go straight into it.

Today. The value is faith evident.

Somebody say faith evident, and so I like it that,

you know, past I think, by the wisdom of God,

this thing is adjective behind it. You know that further

describes this word faith, okay. And I like it that

you use the word evidence because I will show you

some scripture later that we can find these two words

being put together, okay, and not exactly in this word

faith evident, but you will see the resemblance.

Okay.

So let me begin by saying that faith is not

something that we just believe, okay, but it is something

that is evident.

Okay. You will be able to see the fruit of the.

Faith okay, although you will not be able to visibly

see a person's faith on the inside, Okay, you can't

actually see it, right, it is invisible.

But faith, the measure of faith, can.

Be visible in his actions, can be visible in his works.

And that is why we put these two words together

called faith evident. You know, because faith is not a

passive belief. You know, it's not just something that you

believe in your heart. It's not passive. But I would

like to say and suggest to you that faith is active.

It is an active belief.

Right. There is action involved, there is works involved, you know.

And in a moment, you're gonna read from this very

famous portion of scripture found in Hebrews chapter eleven, about faith.

And if you read the entire chapter, which we won't

read the entire chapter, we'll probably eight verses today. If

you read the entire chapter, you will see many heroes

of faith, not because they just believed and full stop,

it's because they believed and that the works were evident. Okay,

you will see that there is a fruit of their

faith and their belief, because the Bible tells us, you know,

you know, without faith, it is impossible to please God.

You know, I think that's pout in the Hebrews chapter eleven,

verse six. I believe without faith it's impossible to please him.

For he who comes to God must believe that he is,

and he is a reward of those who diligently seek him. Okay,

so let me begin by reading from this chapter, which

is found Hebrews chapter eleven.

And I don't have the verse on the screen.

I have the reference on the screen, but I encourage

you to twenty your Bible. He said, okay, okay, so

let's all turn to Hebrews chapter eleven. Hebrews chapter eleven,

and I'm going to read eight verses. Okay, so there's

going to be a reference. Yes, there you go on

the screen. He Brews chapter eleven, verse one to eight.

If you're there, say yeah, all.

Right, here we go.

Hebrews chapter eleven, Verse one says, Now, faith is the

substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.

For by it, the elders obtain a good testimony. By faith,

we understand that the worlds were formed by the word

of God, so that the things which are seen were

not made of things which are visible. He goes onwards,

for by faith able offered to God a more excellent

offering than Cain, to which he obtained witness that he

was righteous God, testifying of his gifts, and through it, he,

being dead, still speaks by faith. Enough was taken away

so that he did not see death and was not

found because God had taken him. For before he was

taken he had this testimony. You see the same word

testimony again appearing that he pleased God.

Verse six, by way out of faith.

It is impossible to please him, for he who comes

to God must believe that he is, and that he

is a reward of those who diligiently seek him by faith. Noah,

being divinely worn by things not yet seen, moved with

God live. He prepared and art for the saving of

his household, by which he he condemned the world and

became of the of the righteousness, which is according to faith.

Verse it.

By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go

out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance,

and he went, not knowing where he was going. The

Lord blessed the reading of his word this morning, and

so if you look at this, we can see that

he was Chapter eleven and you can continue reading it

on you will see many many more names in there,

which I won't go on. I think Sarah's name and

many more others are there.

We can see that.

There are stories of faith, right and I would suggest

that faith really is obedience. That's not the first point

in your book says faith is active obedience.

You know.

Let me just go to the three points in the book.

One is faith's active obedience. Two, faith must be alive,

not just claim. And the third one is don't live

on past glories. So that's what we're gonna cover today. Okay,

So the first point in your book says faith is

active obedience, not just obedience, but active obedience, because I

really believe that when we live by faith every day

of our lives, uh, there will be space, or there

will be room for us to be obedient to His word.

You know, there will be stories of faith. And so

faith is obedience and it is a desire to please God.

So when we when I just read through the eight versus,

we we can find a few things in common.

Okay. Out of the out of the.

Few heroes in the Bible that we saw earlier, one

is that they all had faith obviously it's a chapter

of faith.

So all of the all of the people who just.

Read this now in heichapter eleven, they all had faith

right this one.

Secondly, they all obeyed, don't you agree?

They all obeyed, you know, they obeyed God's called, they

obeyed God's commandment, they obeyed God's instruction, they obeyed the word.

Of the Lord.

And the thirdly is that they please God. Okay, and

obedience and pleasing God always comes together.

You know.

The reason why we choose to obey God is because

it pleases him, you know, it pleases his heart, you know.

And that's why David is known as a man after

God's own heart, because he pleased God's.

Heart, you know. And he was not perfect, you know,

we're not asking for perfection. You know.

David also had seen you know, so much so that

when he yeah, I won't go into the details, but

he's saying, he took another man's wife, you know, and

he had a son to the wife, and God was

not pleased with it. And no matter how much David

played and asked for a miracle, the son had to

be gone, you know, who was dead, you know, because

it was a scene too great that God could not

allow the son to continue to live, you know, and

he had to teach David a lesson. And so despite

David being sinful, the being fallen nature, but yet he was.

He had a lot of faith, you know, so much

faith in God that I think when you know, he

was a you know, a shepherd. You know, when lions

and bears came, you know, he fought them, you know. So, yes,

David a man of faith, and yet he wasn't perfect.

And so where do you faith and obedience comes together?

You know, when we have faith in God, it is

because you want to obey Him to please God.

And so faith in himself you know that.

Some some speaker once said, you know that faith in

himself can be spelled as risk r I s k risk,

you know, because where there is no risk, there is

no faith. You know, really trusting God, believing and living

by faith takes risk. You know, I would say it

is not It's not comfortable for many of us to

live by faith. I'm not sure that you heard before

that passer kind of never took a salary from church,

you know, all the days of his plenty of ex church,

you know, and he lived by faith wherever he went,

people would bless him, and I know every year without

a field on his birthday. The different hurdless is what

we call out our discipleship group in ACT church, our discipleship.

I shouldn't call it a program, but it's our discipleship relationship.

In act church, you know.

And HDDOS would gether and we're given gifts, you know,

well give him, you know sometimes when even finances or money,

you know, because he bless our pastor the sermon of

the Lord, who serves the Lord, because.

He lives by faith.

It's not easy, it's uncomfortable, but yes, it is spelled risk,

you know, and it's really coming to place whereby which

first God for impossible.

You know. We live by faith, you know, every day

of our lives.

And so when we live by faith, it's not easy,

and we need a word of God.

And that is why.

I would suggest to us that really we need to

hear the word of God every day. Faith requires the

hearing of God, hearing of the Word of God. And

may I suggest to you both in the word, the

longest word, the written word of God, and also the

rama word of God, which is the revelation, the spoken,

utterans word of God to us in the season. And

so faith right require us hearing the word, whether you're

hearing the Word of God this morning, to the written

word the Bible, the Logest Word, or to the Rama

word revelation from the Lord. It requires an ongoing sensitivity

to the Holy Spirit, who is still speaking to us

even today.

Amen.

And so when we hear the Radma a word of God,

revelation from the Word of God, it's important for you

and I to also know the written Word of God,

because that's the only way we can check whether the

Radma word is consistent and from the Lord or not.

Okay, So it's but of fors to know both.

And that is why I like it that we had

this series of core values, and one of the core value,

which is word faithful, came before. So may I suggest

to you we first need to be faithful to know

the Word of God, which is the Bible.

First. We need to know this the written Word of

God first, so that.

When we hear the Rama Word of God, when we

hear a revelation from the Lord to do something or

maybe to instruct you, then you will be able to

confirm it or you will be able to recognize the

voice of God, because it would never contradict with the

written word of God. Somebody say, amen, even never contradict.

So it's important for us to know first the word

of God. Be faithful to the word of God, be

faithful in hearing the word of God. And then here

the rama would of God, so that every single day

of our lives we can live by faith. Romans ten,

chapter seventeen says, So then faith comes by hearing and

hearing by the word of God. Hearing by the word

of God. So I'm going to give you a right now,

an example. You know, if you know this story about

Anonaius in the Bible in x chapter nine, I believe,

except nine Anonius the Bible says he was a disciple.

There was a certain disciple. His name was Anonius.

And you know there was a story whereby uh, this

guy named Saul okay, before he became Paul, Paul, he

was Saul and on the road, Uh.

What's the world?

Where was he on the way to the Mascus are

yes on Thescus? Okay, I forgot the place for a moment,

I nearly says, was Jesus?

I think? Okay? So on the word the Damascus.

Saul, you know, encounter God and he was he and

he went into the place, and the Lord spoke to

Anonaius in Act chapter nine, to go to his place

called straight street. Okay, the street was called straight and

to go and heal Saul okay, which then was called Paul.

And can you imagine and the lys at the time,

you know, if you read extra the nine you were,

you were know that the first thing that came out

and mouth was complained. He told God, are you serious?

I'm paraphrasing. He's like, God, are you killing me? This

guy saw Is has been crazy about killing people who

believe in Jesus, you know. And he's now coming here

with letters from the King to bring those back to back,

you know, to for us to to be persecuted. And

now you're calling me to go and see him. So

can you imagine at that moment, Analyze received a word

from the Lord. Let's call it as the rama, a

word from the from the Lord, an instruction from the Lord.

And he really had to trust in the Lord, you know.

And and God tell him go, well, I've called him

to bring the word of God to the gentles and

to the nations. So he went and if you really

ca fully, you will see. When he met this guy

named Saul, the first thing that came out of his mouth,

of his mouth was rather Saul from being an enemy.

The first words that came out of his mouth was

brother Saul. So adon Nas really had to hear from

the Lord, not just here, but to act in faith

and to go and meet Saul. And just by his

first words he prophesied rather Saul, it was already inviting

him into the faith, you know, you know, into the faith,

you know, by faith, I will say it, you know.

And he took really that that that confidence, you know,

to know that Lord has called him, you know. And

he did about obedience. And that's why I said faith

is about risk, because we had to put our entire

hope and tire trust in the Lord. And even as

we obey, it's not going to be easy. But I

want to suggest to you that living by faith is

actually very exciting.

It is.

Scary, but yet exciting and very very fulfilling. So faith

is more than just words. It's more than just a

belief in your heart. Faith is always coupled with actions.

And if you read the next book after Hebrews, which

is the Book of James. You will see that James

continues to talk on this topic of faith. In fact,

he takes it a step further. You know, James would

in the Book of James, you would tell us that

faith without works is dead. Somebody say out, faith without

works is dead. That's what James tells us an a

reader scripture to you in a while, you know, and

so I told you earlier that you know, faith in

itself is invisible. We can't see your faith. I can't

see how much faith you have on the inside. But

I will be able to see the measure of faith

to your actions, to your works. And that is why

James suggests to us that faith without works is dead.

And that brings me to our next point, which is

faith must be alive. It has to be alive. It

is active, it is alive. It's not just something that

we claim with our mouth. But you will be able

to see the fruit of it. So let's read the

scripture first. I think that's a verse. Is there a

verse on James? Okay, there we go James Chapter two,

verse eighteen. But someone will say, you have faith and

I have works. Show me your faith without your works,

and I will show you my faith by my works. Wow,

very strong was her. And so I'm going to begin

this point by asking us a question. You know, as

I was, I was watching the series where Pastor Man

Paster Man htes up our curriculum board for ext church.

She writes a lot of.

Our home snores and things, and he was asking past

I can this question? And the question goes like this,

can a church be faithful to the doctrine.

But yet not live by faith?

Think about it for a moment, big question, can a

church be faithful to the doctrine but yet not live

by faith? Because you think about it, if a church

just read the scripture, just did everything as what a

church would do. And sometimes you and I, as long

time believers, are especially those words.

Who are who are? You know?

Second giant Christian and and and and more. That means

we're born into a Christian family. We've been in church

all our life. Our tip people, I was in my church.

I was in church before I was born, in my

mother's boomb you know.

Uh.

And sometimes when we come to church every Sunday, week

in week out, we never keep a single Sunday. My

parents would never allow me to keep a single Sunday

unless I was sick, or unless I was I don't know, uh,

unwell for some reason. You know, every Sunday without fail.

You know, they will wake me up, wake us up,

and the whole family goes to church without fail, you know.

And sometimes we can go to church every single Sunday

without fail, except when you're unwell. And yet we can

follow all the practices and the traditions that we do

in church. We lift our hands, we sing worship song,

we stand down and sit down, we clap our hands,

we dumb for joy, and yet not live by faith

because it's very easy to go with the motion and

sometimes its believers. But we are very trained how to

behave in church, you know, we are. We just know

how how to behave ourselves. We just know what to

do in church. But the question is are we living

by faith? And so later I'll share you some stories

of how ex church I believe.

Continues to live by faith.

In fact, may I suggest to you that this building

that you're sitting in it's also birth out of faith,

you know, because when we first walked into this venue,

it wasn't like this. It was empty, literally empty. Okay,

this wall wasn't even here if you're looking at it. Okay,

the stage wasn't here. It was literally empty, you know.

And actually it's a church that lives by faith.

But I'll get there.

I'll get there my third point. And so faith and

works must go hand in hand. Somebody say, a man,

faith and works goes hand in hand, because many will

say I have faith, but they don't have works to

prove it, you know. And so I would say to us,

we've gotta be very careful because we can have we can.

Be a church that has everything.

Right, you know, our worship service, from our praying, to

our worshiping, clapping of hands, to the reading of the word,

have a lot of Bible study. We can have everything right,

but still yet have no power if we really don't

live our life by faith, you know. And the danger

that the church can go into is that we can

fall into it track webby.

You know.

The Bible tell us us that in the last days,

you know, people will have a form of godliness but

deny his power. And I pray that it actually would

never become like that, never, you know, because few power

really comes to the expression of faith. Do you really

believe it and can live by faith? To see it

come to pass because faith and works will always come together.

And so we can go on with our crystal life

and do everything right and yet have no power because

we don't work by faith. Oftentimes in the world today,

you know, that's a saying. You know, people will tell

us that seeing is believing. They will say, show me first, God,

show me first, then then our belief, or tell me

first what's going to happen, then then I will go.

Then I will do it.

You know, but if you look at carefully at what

Abraham did in the Bible, did you know that God

did not tell Abraham exactly every.

Single thing that was going to happen. He didn't.

In fact, he didn't know where he was going if

you read it, okay, And there was no waste at

a time, no Google Maps, there was no car.

You know.

I think he walked on foot or maybe had horses.

I'm not sure, but but you know, yeah, maybe he

maybe he had kept up with him, you know. But

but God did not tell Abraham exactly what will happen.

He did not tell him exactly where he was going.

God let Abraham every step.

Of the way, step by step.

And that's why I like it when we say that,

you know, we walk by faith and not by side,

you know, because we don't run by faith, Because again

I told you earlier that faith is you know, the

journey of faith is can be scary, but it's exciting.

And so when you're walking by faith, you're you're walking

carefully right every step of the way, you ask the God,

this is what you want me to do?

God? Does this please your heart? God? Is this where

you want me to be? You know?

So may I suggest to you in our own personal lives,

in your family, in your in your workplace, even your

in your campus. You know, whenever you have big decisions

to make in your life, pray about it. I think

I can spoke a lot about it last week already

about praying about prayer power, you know. And the way

to live by faith is to really ask the Lord

to seek his face, you know, and ask God what

is his will in your life? What really pleases him?

So say we can walk by faith and not by side.

You know, I still remember very clearly, if I can

just share a quick story with you of how I

got my job many years back now, if you know

my lock, my story, long story short, I worked for

five years in this engineering company as an engineer, and

and every year I prayed to the Lord. I asked

God for direction, you know, because I wanted to move

on already. That time, work was very, very tough. I

used to work six four days a week, six days,

four days a week, and then on Sunday I'm in church.

So I I practically worked.

Seven days for a good five years continuously. So it

was it was, It wasn't It wasn't easy, but it

was the season. It was a season of pruning or

season of building. The Lord allowed me to go to

and I was still very very close to the lot,

and so I prayed every single year without it, I

prayed ask for God. I'm done with the company. I

want to move on with this job. But then God

tells me He's not done, you know. He told me

to finish what I started, you know. And then I

was reminded that God is the finisher again. I heard

a rama word and I looked back to the scripture.

I realized God is a finisher. So I'm again, I'm

confirming it again. So cut along story shot. Five years,

I finish it and then uh, and then I lost

my job. I lost my job in the middle of COVID.

And you will know that in the middle of COVID

time was the worst time to change job. Nobody in

the right state of mind would change the job doing

COVID because it is when I had to find a job.

But I trusted the Lord. It's a Lord, you brought

me this part. For five years I lived by faith,

and now I will, standing on your goodness and your

faithfulness to then trust you by faith for my next step,

my next journey. And again the Lord gave me a

word for the season, a ram my word which I

heard so clearly because I was very close to the lot,

and he just gave me this. You know this word

that this next job, I'll give it to you. You

won't need to find it.

So I heard it.

I received the word, but I still took my person

to my own hands because I had real little faith.

So I did what the most natural young wer kadre

that would do. I applied jobs. So I send him

my application free four five jobs.

I went for interview.

Many of the jobs I went I like the I

liked the job, a good salary. I pray God, I

want this job. I didn't answer me, so cut along

story shot. One by one, the interviews I went to,

I didn't get it. And finally, after I think I

went to about two or three interviews, I finally came

to my senses and then I prayed again, asked God, God,

what now? And then I remembered the word of the Lord.

He came to me, so say, And finally I surrendered.

I said, okay, Lord, I'll trust you, I'll obey you,

and I'll trust you. And I stopped applying. So cut

along story shot. One or two months later, my housemaid

met a friend. Yeah, he he knows a friend who

owns a company. He sent my resume to him and

I did. I didn't know about it. And then long

story shot, out of the blue, someone contacted me from

my phone and said can you come in for an interview?

And the rest was history.

So really, it's not it's not easy to work by faith,

but I want to let you know that it's very

exciting even as we trust God for every start of

the way, you know, and and.

Oftentimes I think I have.

A slight day that says, you know, walking by faith,

we walk by faith.

Oftentimes we like to see then we believe that's.

What the world will tell you seeing is believing, right,

you know we we we oftentimes say God, show me,

then our believe, show me then our believe.

But may I suggest you that's that's the.

Way of the world. God's way is different. God's way

is you believe, then you will see. Or I should

say another way is you will see when you believe.

Not seeing with our physical eyes, but seeing to our

eyes of faith, seeing to our eyes of faith.

And so faith must be alive. It's active. It's not

just claim.

But the works will show your faith. Do you really

believe or not say you believe? Do you really believe it?

So that's what happened to me. I say, God, I believe,

I trust you. You gave me a word day of

the seat.

But do you.

Really believe it? It's a question, and your works will show it.

So that's when I really dropped everything. I put my

entire hope and trust in the Lord, and he came

to for me. Now listen to me, ladies and gentlemen,

please don't do this if the Lord didn't tell you too,

because I received a word from the Lord at that time, okay,

and the Lord confirmed it, and you will come to

pass and If you're not sure, peace, ask your leaders,

you know, peacheck your leaders. Peace, go back to scripture,

because the Lord will never contradict his word. That's why

we every time say you must know the word of

God first before we can hear him, you know, clearly

and confirming. And if you're not sure, asks someone as

a leader, you know, ask a pastor, us an elder,

you know, speak to speak to speak of parents, Speak

to someone who is more matured so that you can

check you know, and to confirm and pray abudy many

many times, pray about it until.

You're very very sure. So he brewp.

Eleven, verse one, a very earlier, gonna read it again,

he says faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen.

So this is.

Where we find that the word faith and the word

evidence comes together. Faith is a substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen.

So you will see, there will there will be evidence

of your faith.

And so I remember this one story one time of

this preature. I believe he was in the midst of

a healing, healing rally. And at the end of the

healing rally, you know, everybody had left, gone back, and

I remember.

A story of this boy.

It was I think it was on a wheelchair, you know,

and I think his legs was not long enough, or

I think he did not have his his limbs his legs.

And when he came up, you know, he was there

and everyone had left, and the preacher came up to

this boy. I can't remember the gender, but let me

just this boy for now, okay, on a wheelchair, and

what can I do for you? And he said he

wanted to be prayed for. He wanted to have his legs,

wear his shoes, and by faith, he took out a

pair of shoes, put it on the ground in front

of him, and as the preacher looked at him and said,

because you had faith, you brought shoes. You believe today

you will be healed. And the culongst toy shot. It

happened through limbs and on the spot he wore his shoe.

So it's like, so that's what really faith is like,

you know, coming with confidence, you know, to believe of

things that are not seen, things that have not happened yet.

You know, we're calling forth things as though they did

you know, although it's not happened yet it's not not

being seen yet.

And so faith and works will always go hand in hand.

Amen, And coming to my last lap by now and

point number three which tells us don't live on past glories,

because as the Church, we can come into this danger

whereby when we experienced one miracle after another, and after

a while we can grow complacent and grow very comfortable.

You know, we stop believing God for the impossible. We

really we cannot live on yesterday's victories. You know, May

I suggest you that every generation, every generation must have

their own encounter, must have their own testimonies, must have

their own obedience, must have their own story to tell

every generation, because we can learn from the faith and

obedience of those who have gone before us. For example,

people in a Bible, we can learn from. You know,

a man of faith past the kend Off, And I

can tell you really for a fact, Fast Academ is

really a man of faith. We can learn from his

faith and his obedience to the Lord. But we can

never borrow his faith because faith's personal. We can never

borrow his faith. It's personal, you know, you and I

in our generation and the generations to come, every single

one of us We need to have our own encounter.

You need to have your own personal faith. You cannot

borrow a parent's faith. And so that's why we every

time say that, you know, sanity is not a religion,

it's a relationship. Even though I was born into a

Christian family, that does not make me a Christian. It's

not automatic. I still had to go to the journey

of discovering the faith. I actually had to go to

my own journey of accepting Jesus saving salvation. I had

to go to my own journey of being baptized. I

had to go to my own journey of you know,

knowing the Lord, reading the Bible for myself. Because I

can never borrow my parents' faith. So we as a

church don't want to live on past glories. But the

best is still yet to come. But let me just

share with you, you know, a fair story that a

pasta can have had, and he has many many fair stories.

I can't share you enough. You know, we won't finish.

But you know I spoke to you earlier about you know,

seeing by faith, walking by faith, and many of the

venues that we take up in extrach right, did you

know that those venues right before we walk in a

really really however places. Okay, I say that because they're

really like dark places. Okay, some of the places that

we take over are like pubs or clubs. You know

they are in fact, in fact, did you know that

this place here previously used to be a cup many

years back before we talk over, you know, And we

really go into dark places by favor, turn it around

for God's glory. We bring light into darkness, and the

darker the place is, the brighter or light was shine. Really,

so don't be shy of dark places. Don't be afraid

of dark places, because the Bible tells us that he

he he was greater than he was in the world,

So don't be afraid to go into dark places. So

back to the story past the Kend, when he in

the early days of act Church. I think that time,

long time ago, we used to be in Subang Jaya.

We used to be in a shoplot opposite what used

to be called as Tailors College, now is no longer there.

I think now they already combined into Tailor's leg side.

What was the university next to the India I think so, okay,

but it's fifteen Subang Jaya. Okay, it's so long ago,

I forget about the place so ex used to meet

in the in the shoplot there, right, And they eventually

the church grew grew and grew, and the place was

no longer sufficient to hold the church, and so it

was time to move in the time, you know, I

think that there was a season whereby we were hopping places,

renting places and moving, and finally we went into Summit

Summit Hotel. Now we're in the Summit more used to

be in the hotel. Okay, that was how many years

you went back on? And and finally the hotel says, okay,

we have a space that is has not been used

for a long time.

Okay, nobody wants the space, you know.

And he brings past the kennem and the leadership in

and he walks into this dark room that time had

no lights, and I think he said it they were

sewage water leaking in the in the space.

There was carpet that was all. You know.

I bet they were cockages inside. If I went in,

I'd probably be out five seconds later, because I'm scared

of cockagous, you know, within me and my wife, we

are both scared the differences that I ran faster. Okay, okay,

I run faster to get the spade. So anyway, we

walked into the place. It was dark.

Nobody wanted it, but our of.

The darkness, you know, Lord gave him eyes of faith

to see what potential and what great future can be

in a place like that.

Cut long story shot. We we eventually took over the space.

And we grew and grew and grew, and we outgrow

the space again, and finally we end up in the

in the mall, you know, and and uh, and then

God gave us a new strategy.

We grow small to grow big.

And we no longer wanted to have a big venue

where we could fit a thousand people, because that's not

a strategy God is given to us. God has given

us a strategy that with one hundred and twenty people,

we will multiply our service. And so I want to

see those Actually, you don't be too complacent, you know,

I know this venue.

Is big enough.

Don't worry, this venue cannot hold find your paper. At

one hundred and twenty maximum, we will have the multiplier

a day. We'll start not a service, you know, by

the grace of God. So don't ever get complacent, don't

never grow comfortable, because every season in life, as a church,

we want to continue to work by faith. Amen, Jesus

state to Martha, if you believed you will see the

glory of God, if you believed you will see the

glory of God, I think it's in your book. And

so I say to us again, don't just wait to

see then only we believe, because faith really is a journey.

It's a journey.

I want to say to us, you know, to all

of us here in ex money and even though watching

online may ext church, be a faith evident church. Maybe

be a faith evident church. Maybe continue to walk this

journey all the days of our life and continue to

experience you know His blessing, you know His his power

in our lives.

And I want to say it to you this.

You know the Bible, right, the Bible is not just

a history book in the past.

You know.

Although I understand that the Bible has many historical books,

may I suggest to you that the Bible is not

just a historical book in the past. The Bible, it's

not just a record of what God once did, but

the Bible is a testimony of what happens when faith

is expressed and lived out in every age.

Did you get that.

It's not just a record of the past. It's not

just what God did in the past. It is not

just about God healed many years ago. God raised the date,

Jesus raised the day many years ago. But do you

do you know and do you believe that today God

still raisis the day. Go to Indonesia and you will

hear it, you know. But funds there, it's very active

in praying for the sake, you know. And he raised

the Dad, you know. And so don't just look at

a Bible as a historical book in the past. Because

when I read the stories of faith in the Bible,

I don't just say that God, you did miracles in

the past two thousand years ago. But when I read it,

it reminds Smith and you today they eat is a

fruit of faith that if you believe by faith, you

would also be able to see those miracles come to

pass even today if you believe it. That's why Jesus

said the matter, if you believe, you will see the

glory of God. So I want to charge us and

encourage us today to have faith. You know, don't just

look at a past and say, God, I've had I've

done it all, been there, done that, you know. But

God has still so much more in stuff for us.

If you only truly believe by faith and to walk

by faith, you know, God has so much more to

yet in stought for us. Even I'm gonna write the

worship thing to come out, even as I prepare the clothes.

And so I want to encourage you to by faith

and not by sight, because the Bible actually tells us

that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.

You know that.

In fact, he talks about if I'm not wrong, it

talks about the Marlbury tree, and he talks about faith

as small as a mustard seed. You know, fath as

small as a mustard seed. Right, He's able to if

you say to the tree, move and it will move.

From here. He's talking about the Marlbury tree, you know.

And actually I did something you said sometime back about

this Marbley tree and it rained. Interestingly, of all trees,

why was it a Marble tree. It's because I think

the tree has very strong roots, you know, and it

can last I think for hundreds of years, you know,

that's how strong a Marlbury tree is. And yet even

if you had faith as small as a mustard seed,

you will be able to say to the.

Tree, move and you'll move.

And so I want to say to us today, it

doesn't matter about the size of your faith. But the

question is what is your faith dependent on? Not about

the size of your faith, but what is your faith

dependent on? Because you can have a big faith in

our government, you can have a big faith in our

banking system. You can have a big faith in our

health system. You can have big faith in our education system.

You can have big faith in your house, in your car,

in your bank account. But friends, all of these are

shakeable things. They will not stand. But all you need

it's a little faith, small faith in the big God

that is unshakeable, immovable, never changes. He's the same yesterday,

today and forever. More so, would you I want to

encourage you, Woults. You you know, walk by faith, live

by faith all the days of your life the ex church.

You know, the best days are still yet to come. Really,

I believe it.

You know, pasta Kennel, when he was sharing about all

these values, he kept he kept on saying, you know,

he don't want just to have stories of the past.

You know, he don't want just to be remembered of

a church that pasta ken I had faith, you know,

because the reality is that he to one day will

go and the next generation will take over. And may

you and I continue to carry on this pethon and

to run by faith. I want to say to you,

ex church, when you see great things happen in church,

it is because the people had faith. It is because

the people had faith. It was evident. We want to

be a church that not just talks about faith. That's why.

That's why I really really believe that testimys are so powerful. Really,

I really believe it. That's why you hear a lot

of testimonies on you know, preach on the stage. Testimonies

preach out of ordinary people.

You know.

You don't just hear it from pastors, from elders. You

hear it from your fellow friends, you know, who share

their testimonies. You know, if I share many different testimonies

of young kid I was here, who really trusted God

for their jobs, you know, families who trust God for provision.

We can go on and on, but I really believe

in the power of.

Testimony because testimonies will inspired, and you know, it's still

faith in another person's in an another believer. And when

a person walks away hearing the testimony and really by

faith will believe and do the same. I believe that

the testimony in itself will be replicated and God will

continue to receive all the glory. So remember when God

gives you a testimony, when God gives you a mimiker,

it's not just for yourself. It is for you to

and caurage someone else, you know.

By faith.

So that's why I always share my stories of faith.

I actually I have a lot. I have a lot,

a lot of stories of faith.

You know.

Even this building that you're sitting in, as I mentioned earlier,

you know, we used to meet downstairs.

At one point in time.

We got shifted upstairs here and there management and no

callers to give us an offer to take up this

this this place permanently as a long term renter.

And I really, I really prayed about it for a long.

Time, you know, because I was afraid there's a huge

commitment and once we take up the space, we need

to do renovation, which was costly.

You know.

I still remember this story I told back then you know,

when we were trying to put our budget together, I

think the budget was about forty thousand, you know, and

at one point time Elder asked me to set the budget,

you know, otherwise, if you don't set a budget, if

we just continue to go higher and higher and your blow.

And I can't remember what came out of my mouth

at the time. I think I was crazy, and I

just said, okay, we're doing if you're doing thirty thousand,

you know, and you was it was difficult, and you know,

as a as an.

Engineer, and you know, I love to do spreadsheets.

So I remember one night I couldn't sleep at night

and I was I was awake and I couldn't sleep.

And usually when I don't sleep for it's for a

good reason, you know, the Lord is saying something to me.

So I woke up in the middle of the night,

I created a spreadsheet and we wrote down, you know,

all the different contractors who quoted for the for the

for the project, for the renovation, and the product was

just beyond what we could ever afford or think off.

And I still remember clearly that I wrote the title

of the of the Google sheet, Mission Impossible made possible.

And I began to write down a figure in each

of those columns, of each of those items, how much I.

Was willing to pay.

And I wrote a ridiculous number on it, you know,

not knowing that I was doing it by faith. The

cut long story shot, we indian you managed to run.

Away the space below? What was the budget that we

asked for? You know, by faith.

Women, you know, together with a team who believed by

faith for every step of the way, you know. And

so I want to say to say it to all

of us here today, you know, as a church, maybe

continue to live by faith.

And it's very exciting.

It is very very exciting to live by faith, to

trust God for the impossible. You know, try once, try twice,

try three times, and you'll keep going going.

You know.

Today I'm still living by faith every day of my

life because some of you will know that. You know,

I run a business on my own as.

Well, you know, and I'm.

Asking God for direction. You know, I'm still making big,

big steps of faith. It's really really scary. But I said, God,

if you caught me to where I am today, if you,

if you are with me, no one can be against me.

And so I always ask God for just a peace.

God show me.

You know, He will not show us everything in detail exactly, But.

All I need to know is God, are you with

me this journey? Are you with me? Be shong and

very courageous.

You know that the people that is like say, God,

don't send us where You're not going to be with us.

As long as God is with us, Everything's gonna be okay.

All you need is faith as small as a mustard scene.

Trust in him.

Amen.

And so as I close, He's gonna read to us

one final portion of Scripture, founding he Brewsture of verse

one to two. He says, therefore we also, since we

are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let

us lay uside every weight and the scene which is

so easily and snatch us and let us run with

endurance the race that is set before us, looking onto Jesus,

the author and finisher of our faith, who for the

joy they was set before him, And you're the cross,

despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand

of the throne of God. So I asked myself this question, God,

how can I encourage the church to be to live

by faith? How can we increase our faith? How can

we have this faith? And answers very simple looking onto Jesus,

the author and finisher of our faith.

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

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

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this week is going to be a good week ahead

for you. God bless