Devotion Revived | Pr Daniel Kong

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

Today's message is actually aligned a little bit aligned with

mothers because I'm gonna be speaking from a position of

what it is to focus on devotion, and you know,

mother's devotion and mother's are you know, we hand in hand.

You know, they definitely do not sign up for it,

but they move into this whole mother mode of you know,

you know, it's real devotions what I'm trying to say here,

and we yeah, we all don't have to say too

much about it. I think we understand and what it

is important as we move on to a time of

revival is also to see what we can do to

revive devotion because devotion to things, and all of us

understand devotion can be. We can set out devotion to

some things that are perhaps less important, or we can

devote our time and life to something that this is

very important. And I'll explain more as we move through

the different points that I have over here. So everybody, okay,

so far, yeah, okay, yeah, so yeah, let's turn to

Acts chapter two.

So cur writing, how the girls?

Well, this morning, right, I woke up and then the

boys woke up and they say, boys, do you don't.

Know what day is? And then they're like, what there

is it?

So so much for that anyway, Uh, yeah, I gotta

brought them a little bit. But yeah, they did the

right thing after that. Okay, let's move on to X two,

Chapter two, verses forty two. And this is looking at

the birth of I think one of the bigger megachurchures

during that time. Okay, and this is the account of

Luke or try I say doctor Luke. Right, he is

a doctor, so he's basically writing from an observation that

of course not just point in time, but before then,

there was a lot of history before the revival of

the first Church actually began. And this was about thirty

years in the making, by the way, because most people

when they read this is like, oh, it's like an instant,

two minute Maggie noodles kind of a thing. Suddenly the

church exploded. No, it was thirty years in the making,

but this was the account of what has happened and

transpired in that particular space. But there's a lot of

happenings before and thirty years in the making, before the

day of the Pentecost so let's just look through here.

We're gonna start off with verse forty two, and the

hitter up the very top there talks about the fellowship

of the believers, okay, and then let me.

Just read through from forty two.

They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship,

to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Okay, So

some things to just highlight that what is transpired, That

everyone was filled with awe at the many one and

signs performed by the apostles.

Forty four.

All the believers were together and had everything in common.

They sold their property possessions to give to anyone who

had need. Every day they continued to meet together in

the temple courts, they broke bread okay, in their homes

and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

Okay.

Just to highlight a little bit this every day, no,

by the way, every day, not occasionally, but every day, okay,

praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people,

and the Lord of course added to their numbers daily,

all right, and those who were who were being saved.

So this is God's word.

So I'm excited to as I mentioned, unpacked a little

bit about this passage is a very short passage, but

there's a lot to do with devotion, okay, And basically

if you see here, like I said, there's a lot

of history before this point in time, and that is

an outcome or maybe even an expression at the end

of those thirty years in the making.

So what is revival just curious? Sorry?

What is devotion? Rather just curious? Do you understand what

devotion is? In the simple English? You devote yourself usually mothers,

committing to something, yes, right, that is what devoted is.

And when you go devote, when you devote to something, right,

it's not surface, it's very deep. So what you do

on in the exterior and what you do in hiding

or in private is also the same.

That's what true devotion.

As you say mothers, it's not just they don't clock off,

you know, after six o'clock or six pm or nine

pm and the kids go to bed.

That's it. I'm done.

They are still devoted. They might be still doing other

things to prepare for the next day. They'll be praying

for the kids non stop. Right. It's a personal commitment

and also a public commitment, right or public display. So

the focus today is actually around this whole thing about devotion, right,

And why is this important is because if we do

not understand the purpose of devotion, we may actually miss

the importance of it because nowadays, like I said, we

get very easily distracted with a lot of things to

devote our lives to. Okay, and I hope that by

the end of this we have a clearer clarity of what,

at least in God's design, how it's supposed to be. Now,

let me just quickly start off with this thing first.

What devotion isn't Okay, devotion isn't intensity for a season.

It means you fix it on something and then you

focus the full intention. Then you just do some people like,

oh you know this is the greatest and latest things

that I wanted or maybe in health whatever, I'm going

to subscribe to it. I'm going to go all in. Right,

you all know that, right, that's devotion also, but it's

shot intense, yes, but it's not for the long run.

Okay.

But my big point here is devotion is actually a

living commitment over lifetime.

That's how we say this.

Now, mothers, when they move into that role, it's a

lifetime thing. There's no break, there's no stock. There is

no I say, mother's parents in general. Okay, parenting is

also it's an ongoing thing. You are committed for life.

I had the luxury or we had the luxury to

visit new parents recently. I've got a photograph over there. Uh,

I'm going to introduce I joke with them because I

say thank you for organically growing the church. This is

the very first edition in house. They came in not

not not not not a transfer from outside. Yeah, so

Hannah Wong and uh ned when we visited net he

didn't let go of the but it all none of

us can can Yeah.

So yeah again he stepped around.

I'll talk more about them later on, but I just

wanted to take the opportunity to also say, yeah, it's

a living commitment over time, and they understand that parents

or even future parents or current parents who understand this

whole thing about Yeah, it is not short term. You

need to have a long haul or long run kind

of a plan. Right, So this is where we are

going to be focused on. Our real devotion is really

a long term comitment over lifetime.

And are you ready for it? Is the question here?

Okay, So I pray that we will understand that here

in church, whether you are new here or where you've

been reversed for quite some time and actually believe in

this devoting our lives to Jesus, because that is again

the model at the very start, the very first revival

that happened is based off of this devotion.

And I'll explain more in a little while.

Okay, every go so far, all right, So let us

look at what some people have to say about devotion.

All right.

So that's an author here.

His name is James Smith. I know, very generic name,

James ka Smith.

Okay. He wrote a book called You Are What You Love? Okay.

Interesting thing is that this is of course the fascinator,

but he's also a Christian author. Okay. So the thing

he mentioned basically, it's trying to say here, if you

really want to become somebody, you actually got to trace

it back to what they love, Okay, And it's not

sometimes you say passion or love drives you further because

that's what you actually enjoy it, right, and what you

actually do.

So the question is what do you love? What do

we love?

Right? And it can be different for many different people, right,

because yeah, we're all aligned and built differently. But let's

just share a little bit. I've got some excerpts over

there from his book Sorry. One before the want of

the book, thank you. We are not just thinking things.

This is direct excerpt. We are desiring creatures whose love sorry,

are shaped by habits we form and practices we're engaged in.

So what does this actually mean. We're not just people

with good, great minds. Of course we are, we have that,

thank God for blessing us with great minds. But we

are also desiring creatures. There makes me desire things, right,

And I'm going to tie this a little bit based

on what he's mentioned here to the devotion. Because we

desire something, there's also some level of devotion to it

to make sure that desire actually happens. Otherwise, you say

I can desire to do whatever, but you don't devote

to it. Nothing comes to fruition. Nothing is just a

nice thought. Right. So this is where we are hitting

with this, and of course next light, Sorry, thank you.

These are again some summary of the book.

It's a quite nice book. You pick it up, go

read it.

But one thing on the highlight is what we are

is what we love iaplistically putting it our deepest desires

rather than than our believes drives our action and define identity.

This is what I said earlier.

Whatever you love is whatever you are going to eventually

uh make out of you. You know, that's your identity

forms that and that's why in the second line that

it says heart is not just anty conditioner as you

say that it feels feel my heart, really, Lord, just

feel this. But no, the heart is not the it's

not a jar that you feel. Rather, the heart is

actually the thing that drives you the compass as they

as he as he calls it. It guides you, aligns

with your desire and then you would then of course

move in where uh that desire brings you.

And just a word of warning.

The third line, sometimes culture, where we are placed, how

we are conditioned, how we are wired, dictates what good

life is right, And then sometimes we use that expression

and tied with oh this is how God.

Intense for us?

Right. I mean to say, if you say, have this

opportunity to do something or get a promotion, for example,

that is the good life, get a larger house, get

a bigger those kind of good comfortable life thing. We

sort of very easily say Okay, this is of God,

but it may not necessarily be, you know, can I

say that right? So again, try to understand that. You know,

it's not just in these things. So it's just had

to be very clear. And therefore there's some training that's

required to us understand what our desires are. Do they

align with God or we can then if not, we

can be subconsciously pulled into this whole thing and believing that, oh, anything.

Good is of God.

Okay, so the last two things there you can read

on your own, but really all these lessons are in

the book. He tells us to basically read align of

affections to God, so that you know we are not retherless.

We are not doing things just by information, and information

can move you. You can like, oh I need to

lose weight because of health reasons, et cetera. All those

are good things, don't get me wrong, But I think

having that desire, having that commitment can take it further

than just hitck knowledge.

Okay, so far.

That's why he says that we are not just thinking things.

We are creatures that are shaped by the love. Basically

our desires and then habits Reform helps bring this to

another level. Right, Ultimately, what it's trying to say is

that we need to do something about it, not just

understand it and then just wish is a wish who thinking?

I think?

But really our hearts need to be ultimately drawn to

it and therefore we can move in the same space.

Okay.

Now there's another French philosopher, okay, which has a funny idea. Okay,

he said this, I think it, and therefore I am

how many subscribe to this or how many believes that

this is true? I think something, then I am that thing,

not not entirely wrong, not entirely wrong, but it I

think it has to be more than just thinking it

and then you know, and then becoming otherwise I think

I'm a hamburger. I become a hamburger kind of a scenario.

Of course, there's a joke over there, but yeah, thoughts

are extremely wonderful. Thoughts are extremely strong as well. But

it cannot just be like this. You need to understand

that it needs to go beyond information. If I'm trying

to say here, okay, of course this French philosopher, he's

pushed the agenda. Let me just give you a simple

case study Let's say I pick up a book that

talks about how to get six packs.

You know, this guy thinks I know six packs one

day will come. Right.

I can read all I want, I can watch all

the resources out there, all the all the even the

media out there to do that. But will I ever

get this expect by just information? Well, ninety nine percent

of the time. Probably not unless yeah, unless God bless

you instantaneously. Most of the time, I can tell you,

information will only end there. Right, So this is exactly

what we're trying to say. Information doesn't do much unless

that information leads to some actions, and then that action

leads to some transformation.

Okay.

So again, his knowledge is one portion of it, and

sometimes we say that, oh, I need to download from

the law before I do anything or before I obey,

et cetera. Yes, it's important, but I think we also

need to focus on the other bits, which is the

action portion of it.

Okay. And therefore, like I said this, this guy here

half half.

Right, but I think it's beyond needs to be beyond that,

otherwise it just gets stuck there and all of us

will be still wishing that we get six packs. After

reading books and lots of books for the many ten years.

It will still be the same because this expects a jokler.

By the way, everything that that I'm not suggesting that

we do. Uh yeah, anyway, let's move on. So we

just can't think that we need to do something. And therefore,

in fact, even Jesus did the same thing. He didn't

just teach, he actually encouraged people to take action. Okay,

let me bring you to Matthew seven. This is the

portion that talks about a person building the house on

the sand h and what happens after when the storm comes.

All right, we sung about, you know, being firm in

the foundation. Just now, this is the total opposite right

where he heard the story before this this before right?

If not, just look there. It's called the parable of

the wires and the foolish builders. That's read very quickly.

The yellow ones are. Therefore, everyone who hears those words

of mind the means information and puts them into practice

will be like wise men. It means if you have information,

you practice information, then good, fantastic, you are like a

wise man, and when calamities hit you still be Okay,

I means because you've chosen, you've applied what you're taught, right,

but the rit once there is. But everyone who hears

the words of mine and does not put them in practice,

they're like foolish men. It is a kin or likened

to building your house on sand, and of course we

know that is not good. There's a civil engineer here,

so I think you forgot's where I'm coming from, right,

you need to have a proper foundation, right, Yeah, anyway.

Let's move on. Yeah.

So essentially right in a nutshell, it's not just hearing

the words, but in the process of hearing and applying

or in other words, like what we'd like to say

in Christianity, when we obey is when it takes on

a new level. Even in the professional sense, those professional

chartered accountants and engineers, et cetera. You get there by practicing,

not just going through getting your tree for your degree,

and then you become a professional whatever, right, you need

to practice and that's how you then gain better knowledge. So,

like I said, information is important, don't get me wrong,

but practicing is even more powerful.

Okay, So back to this again.

We are thinking things for sure, but beyond that, God

didn't just give you a brain to think. We are

also you compair that with desire, and then desire compels

you to take action, and then therefore you become something

even more effective or even better. Okay, erykay, so far, okay,

So what it's all this? How do we start desiring

for things? How do we start putting some habits as

the word says, that matches up with the desire? Is

the main question here as a church, like I said

as thirteen thirty or as X, we need to be

clear on that because otherwise, again everybody just doing their

own thing, yeah, or just me, feed me, feed me,

But nothing goes beyond that, because why the desire is

something that I can't.

Rub it off you.

You need to understand the importance of it and then

yearn and seek for that design and then how do

you do that? We're talking about devotion here, Okay.

Now let's look at the earthly or the.

Dictionary version of what devotion actually means. Okay, there's just

taken whole sale from I think it's Miriam rept the dictionary.

Okay.

So devotion is intense loyalty, dedication, all profound love towards

a person. A cause can be right, I'm devoted for

that cause to that cause or any activity. Okay, it

signifies an unvaiving commitment, often involving some form of sacrifice.

Doesn't have to be, but sometimes it involves self sacrifice.

And then of course there's the second part there in

the in the in the definition in the dictionary that

talks about religious practices, okay, to worship or spiritual practices,

et cetera. So it's always very synonymous with how and

again religion is not Christian, the just general religions in

the world. That is what diffcies a devoted Buddhists, you know,

sort of know where we're hitting that you in and

out of season, he's still, you know, doing what he does.

He believes in that because why is to do with conviction,

to do with the love, that loyalty, that enthusiasm, right

is not ah, it comes from within. It's not just like,

oh someone is forcing me to can can can happen

that way? But I think proper devotion really comes from within.

So this is what it is.

Humans, as in we men, women, human beings. We always

yearn to be devoted to something. It's a natural, in

built thing. Now why do I say that, you know,

we we yearned to be closer to somebody, right, want

to be what what does it mean? We want to

devote our life to somebody? And of course we're talking

about more in the marriage context, right, I want to

find a life partner. I want to get married. Why

because you want to be devoted to? Because I haven't

been to a wedding before. What do they do towards

the end? It's not just celebrating, uh, you know, having

a meal, et cetera, or you know, it's really about

coming together in union and as they take their vows,

it is talking about I will devote my life to

you till death do us part both sides, right, And

that is what it is, is devotion devoted. That means

I love you forever, ever and ever, loyalty remains with you,

and I'm enthusiastic about it at least then and then

and then hopefully that enthusiasm continues beyond that as well.

But that is what a devoted relationship look like, right,

And that's why I say that we all yearn to

have a devoted relationship. Okay, However, in the context of

church sometimes this can be a little bit different. And

you know, God uses the church and the marriage as

as you know, as as a as a symbolic understand

of the relationship what it is. But do you love

the church like that? Are you devoted to the church

like that? It's the question here or we mentioned are

you devoted to Christ as it should, as he deserves

the type of devotion that he should. We talk about

young fathers, new fathers.

Right.

One thing that I remember, I think I shared in

that long time ago that Daniel Want was the new dead.

By the way, just in case, you can put that

picture again, just cause they forget what Daniel Wan looks like.

He was only here last week worship bleeding, worship bleeding,

and then hey, it was dead. And I think that

he mentioned right, He said to me, Hey, now finally

got understood what you actually meant when you said that

when I first helped my first born many moons ago.

You don't know why, la, you love the kid just

like that. He hasn't done anything. He hasn't scored any goals,

he hasn't got any a's. In fact, he costs me

quite a lot of money. But somehow you love him

like what. It's a natural response. You don't understand why,

but you loved him because it's a devoted kind of

love because why he's mine. And likewise, he finally understood

what it means when he carried that kid. So all

of a sudden, right he's like, don't let go. And

I think it's very interesting because I saw ned when

he was sort of like a campus young looking a

dot all the way till now. So I was telling Whinnie,

I felt like almost like a spiritual dad looking at

daddy one becoming a dead anyway, let's let's not go there. Yeah, anyway,

let's move on or whatever was I saying, Yeah, a

devoted person, uh, devoted parent. You can be devoted to

your job as well, and we know people that like that,

right ah when trying to like yeah, okay, yeah, and

there's nothing wrong with that being devoted to your job,

don't get me wrong, you know, but maybe there is

a space and time for us to be devoted, at

least in the context of where we play.

Scott, because there is some.

I don't say hierarchy, but priority that needs to happen

even as we put devotion or or you know, taking

the whole business of devotion.

Okay, let's uh, And of.

Course we know the answer, right, Number one, devotion should

be to God, to Christ. In case you did not

understand why I'm trying to allude to that is ultimately

it of course easies it than that. Sometimes say easiest

it than done, because we live in a world that

sometimes can often you know, things are more urgent, etcetera. Okay,

then let's look at some examples or case studies of

devoted people in history. Okay, first person, I'm surprised, uh

the game know this guy anyway, every wonder I always

put random people's photos up right, He's been doing there

for the last three for future for sermons there. So

let me introduce it to a new guy. Enough, but ya, okay,

what is he? He's a sports fanatic. Okay, if you

google this guy, he basically he is a super fans.

What they call him, okay, to be more specific, is

NBA basketballer.

Okay, you don't know what NBA is.

So he has attended every match of the Toronto Raptors.

This is a basketball team ever since nineteen ninety five,

every single match. Have not missed one match at all

since nine ninety five. How many of you know that

there is devotion? It's not easy, you know. Sick also

going on Okay. The only time that he broke his

streak of attending all the matches, right, you can look

him up, is only during COVID.

Why because COVID a lot of restrictions are so he missed.

His streak was broken during some time in twenty twenty one,

twenty twenty twenty around there. I don't know, you look

it up like this is there they go that they

really full restriction. You cannot go okay, that kind of

appearod okay. So yeah, but after that, after COVID, he

carried on, but streak broken unfortunately, right. But you know

he deeply loved the players, the fans, even he started

off this foundation that try to bring people, recruit people

to love this team. It's almost like an evangelist for

the Raptors like the team and people are passionate like that, right, sports,

you know, they are a big learn He's not even

from Canada. He's based in Canada, but it's not from Canada.

He's originally from India. But he's such a big loyal fan. Okay.

And he was also inducted to the Basketball Hall of

Fame because of his devotion. Yes, he received an official

NBA championship ring.

A ring, you know.

Okay, so this is probably a very clear picture that

we all can relate to, at least in the modern time,

if someone is very passionate, very devoted, very consistent as well. Right,

so his devotion was not just something h didn't You

can see it and like I said, look him up

his print. So that's enough, okay, second case study, all right. Anyways,

seen this guy before, remember him?

Right?

This was quite dear and true to me because we

were based in Australia for quite a lot of years.

Uh myself the teen years Hues was about nine years

before we relocated back to Malaysia, and back then we

were like young kids. Probably forgot this, but we used

to have this Friends of the Zoo pass Okay, So

essentially it's all access pass ann past. We get all

we can go in Rocking and all three major zoos

in Victoria and Melbourne, but we can also go to

other zoos outside of Australia. Uh. This is the thing anyway,

I digression is come back to this. So he was

alive for us, and there were lots of things that

were in in in I guess in a tribute to him.

Some of things. Oh, this is Steve Irvin think that

he did this?

He did that? But one thing we know, right, this

guy is not just famous in Australia, he's famous around

the world.

Or what is he famous for? Passionate for a while?

Yeah, of course the wildlife is the generic one, but

very specifically, he's very passionate or devoted to crocs, right

and the kroikya right right?

Yeah?

So, and you know when he actually passed on, there

was a huge state funeral, sorry, nationwide funeral in Australia

and also a global phenomenon because everybody was, you know,

tuning in. Why do you think that is the case?

Why is ever so interested in Steve Irwin?

Again, probably because of his devotion, a devotion specific to CROs.

I don't think the crocs are as devoted back to him, right,

So one Main Street. But you gotta give you the

guy very devoted to this to his cause, he studying

number three.

Saint Perpetua.

Okay, this is the last person I'm want to stop here,

but this is y we knows Saint Perpetu.

Yeah yeah, they didn't don't know anyway.

This is a daughter of a wealthy magistrate in the eighties,

the very old time eighteen hundred eighty two eighty. If

you're not a goal, dig into it. So she was

to give it a background story. She was not born

into a Christian family. Okay. This is a in modern

day Tunisia or or Africa, North Africa. So she heard

the gospel, uh, and something inside her came alive.

She was revised.

Okay. So this was the first generation believer essentially.

Okay.

And he had this h during that time as well,

even though there was persecution she was she was caught

reading back then the Bible, which is that she scriptures,

scrolls and all that, and she read in secret when

she was caught. Uh, of course you were shown to prison.

And back then during the era, there's this crazy guy

next line, Emperor septy Mears Septyus Severus. Okay, what a

funny name. Okay, they were looking for kid names. This

is another one you can you can use his joke

and there's funny names up on.

Yeah.

Anyway, anyway, just to give you a bit of background,

this was a excuse me, this was then emperor of

that time. He was quite known to order for his

birthday celebration. Uh, he will order the coliseum. You know,

the big gathering of people where they will put in uh,

gladiators and and wild beasts to to fight with people.

All right, who are these people? Usually those that are prisoners.

Okay. So of course that one on the top rack

on it.

Is the moon the gladiator that gives you an idea

of what it would look like. Okay, So the gladiators

like the sorry, that particular person was fighting the gladiator, right,

So guess what the person that we talked about earlier,

Perpetra or Saint Perpetra later she became sane, was actually

scheduled to be part of that exercise basically to Daila, essentially,

I don't think she's a fighter, but she was strown

in prison waiting her day to be at the coliseum

because of this mad emperor, because it's for him just fun.

Okay.

So her dad is an affluent or a wealthy businessman okay,

in the Roman province during that time. So he said, okay,

hang a man, let me try to convince my daughter.

So he went to prison to say, okay, can you

don't be too extreme mistlaw And we have also her

stories like this, right, people say, hey, you want to believe,

you believe inside Anila. Don't go in tire people. You

are a convert to you know, Christianity, Islam, whatever it is.

Just don't tell people. Are you just believe in your heart?

It's most important, right But she said no, she said no,

I will not renounce my faith. Let me just read

the conversations of her and the dead, so it said.

She said, sorry, father, do you see this vase over there?

This in prison? Then the dead said yes, I could

see the avs. Then she asked, could this be caught

any other thing than the vase of vays if you

come from America? Okay, he said no, this is a

vase as is.

Well.

Similarly, I am a Christian. I cannot be called something

else that I'm not. And that's her conviction. Uh.

And of course she gave out her.

Life to Christ as a sign of devotion or as

part of her existing devotion. And she died, of course,

and that's worry. That's the saint title that comes with it.

And of course the impact here is some other people

have heard of the story, and many have actually been

moved by her sacrifice of devotion that they came to

No crists as well from that story, because they are curious,

why would somebody die or even choose death? And there

must be some truth to this decision, right, So they're curious.

So of course there's this famous guy who later converted

Christianity and then later it became a martyr as well.

I don't know why that there's that line going down

that path. But again I'm trying to illustrate here. These

are some examples of people in history closer to modern

day all the way to olden days. Yeah, but you

understand where it's come from. Their personal lives and their

public lives are the same. What they do in private

or what they treat and do, it's the same as

what they really believe in in private, Okay, because that

is devotion.

Can we go so far?

Okay? So I guess the more confronting question to ask

ourselves is what are we devoted to? Because if you

understand what you're devoted to, your expression in the outside

should be similar with what's inside. Okay, So next question,

what are you most devoted to? Don't have to answer

and think think through it, but yeah, hopefully whatever how

we express yourself on Sunday, it's also the same ouselves Sunday,

because it's actually very easy to be devoted or just

one day a week, right, it's very easy too. But

if you observe a person long time. Uh. And that's

why I mentioned to some people that when I when

I was what's the term installed, I don't know the

commission correct, when I was commissioned as the pastor of

the church. Sorry, yes, meining, that was all blurred to

me because I'm like, why anyway, because I understand that yes,

by the way, I'm already living what I do on

Sunday outside of Sunday as well, many of you who

know me personally, I do that this is just me

here and after take off my jacket, I'm still me

and this is what it is. But one thing that

I have to also say is that if we just

reated the point just now that we are creatures of devotion,

how we devoted to and what we do to and

after taking on that role, even before then, I have

many years of serving in the in the church thing,

I think about twenty over years. I think about ten

years just doing church, being in different roles, also taking

on more leadership. I think about twelve years ago. Sometimes

it can become very lonely, come very frustrating as well,

because you realize one thing in leadership that half the

time you are just your role. Your job better as

a past this role or your leader's role, is to

try to get people to be more devoted and like

it or not, it's quite tiring or you know, oh yeah, amen, sister, yeah,

but again jokes aside, it is what it is. That

is sometimes again not saying that that is not a

good role to have, but it should be more than that,

because if you understand the importance of it, and therefore

answering that question, my job is more than half done,

or our job is more than half done, right, And

wouldn't it be nice to do that?

You know, Yes, we're here to inspire, We're here.

To to get you towards closer towards your devotion to God.

But ultimately the responsibility lies on you. We can only

do so much, so much, so right first time, I'm

aenually sharing this law. In twenty nineteen, I actually wanted

to step down from leadership. I looked up a draft

of a text that I was going to send to

my then leader. I read the text to you, Okay, heymen,

twenty nineteen April nineteen nineteen of April twenty nineteen, nineteen

four nineteen. Yeah, anyway, don't ask me why, but back

you know, nowadays everything's digital so I can can look

it up. Hey many, Hey leader blanked it out. Been

considering stepping down from fill the blanks. Okay, a few roles. Okay,

just thought I'll let you know first so that you

can pray along with me. Let me explain further. I said,

I'm still committed to in all areas, not stepping away,

but I just wanted to take some time off the

administrative expectations. I don't why I put that there for

the coming season, Okay, I say. Also, like I've shared

with you before, I'm planning to take a sabbatical.

This is I'm good.

I was going to take some time off to do

some of the work being stationed elsewhere. So I wanted

to talk to you first before I talked to past

the Kenneth back then to plan a transition, because also

I have to be responsible, just like or I step

away and then you know the kind of thing.

Anyway, this was where's the text are?

So ut I put it so just quote unquote a

title change, but not a change of heart. That message

never went out, by the way, it never went out.

I stay at the draft that you want to see

it later, I show you, But I was quite after

some wrestling with you know who, the bigger boss up there.

It didn't even true. But I remember at that time, right,

I was so burnt out, not because of the work

I do or we do, but just burnt out.

With people because I feel like, yeah, you know, like

rather than people.

You know. So that was me like back then when

you much younger, much twenty nineteen h that is a

long time ago anyway.

Yeah, so, and I'm quite sure.

You know, in Jesus he was probably had some some

some frustrations.

But remember.

Jesus himself, right, didn't quite go with this. You humans

like to do a lot of for system.

Right.

Make sure okay, you you you teach something, implement something

that you walk with a person, sign the person, okay,

now mind do again, you feel do again? But actually

that's always human in terms of system. Jesus didn't quite

focused on that. He didn't create. He says he created

a follow me system. You all, okay, you don't do

that and move on, and that that is the thing

you have to get on board. Because if you don't

get on board, you know you you, you, you.

Are the one that's to be short change.

Ah. So here's the point I wanted to make. I

don't know why I mentioned this, but uh, next point. Yeah,

almost almost lost it back then. But anyway, the only

person that can devote you, right is actually yourself. I

we can do as much as we can, but ultimately

you are yula.

Even parents, you.

Know this, right. You devote your kids too, you know,

to God, et cetera. Ultimately, the decision is still on them.

They one day want to make their choice to devote

themselves to God. So really, yes, partial job title description

is yes, we want to help you get there, but

we can't do it for you.

You have to do it yourself.

Right. We can create a space, don't get me wrong.

We can create systems where we talk about the Gospel,

the good News. We can share, but ultimately you need

to be compelled and then move towards a life of devotion.

I can't devote you. I can't do anything beyond creating

that space for you to want to get there. Okay,

at the end of the day, you yourself, You're responsible.

In case you feel all morbid I'm not. It's not

knocking at all. It's not knocking. This is just honest truth.

A manufacturer guy. You know me if I've said this

many times, I just talk in a vertifacturing because it

is a way I'm wired. Okay, I'm also read cynical, right,

and this is how a cynic will look at it.

You can do good to yourself.

I can do my part, and like I said, I

almost gave up doing my part, but ultimately, yeah, you

gotta take responsibility. So let's end today by just talking

about how, then, are some of the ways we can

then become people of devotion? Because why do we say

do I say revival? Because in the early days that

was what the church was like? Have we lost it

or have we forgotten what is supposed to be?

Okay, now let's.

Come back to uh uh X chapter two.

Sorry I rambled a bit.

What's my time? Amens? Okay? Still okay? All right?

Coming back to X two.

Okay, Eric, so far to not to haveavior right, Today's

meant to be a bit lighter until you enjoy your

mother's day dinners and all that, but and soon okay,

So back to X chapter two. Remember the Gospel came.

The day of Pentecosts actually came as well. H all

those good stuff. Right, let's go back to X chapter two.

Look at the first word there, purposiclygh highlighted that particular scripture. There,

they devoted themselves. If you are the type that scribble,

take notes, scribble there is okay. My bible is also

filled with a lot of us highlights and all that.

It's okay and it's meant to be used. The first

thing that they did is they devoted themselves. Not someone

devoted them, but the original people at the day because

they devoted themselves. Interesting, right, no one did it for them.

Something happened that day and drove them to make that

decision to dedicate or devote themselves.

So they were self devoted.

Now, sometimes you see people we see okay, these are

all company of saints or believers here. But do you

know that people on the outside so sometimes look at

us and say, oh, where is that? What's the thing

that drives a church or where's the thing that drives

the parent You can't understand this from outside the point

of perspective, But you know this is all actually devotion. Right.

If we have we're really devoted to the right thing

and being self douilded. This is what they will see.

And people are fascinated why one hundred and twenty became

three thousand plus and then the three thousand plus became

out of control very quickly because they devoted. The first

one hundred and twenty devoted, then the next three thousand devoted,

and then the next one hundred thousand other people devoted,

and then it keeps on going. It's a snowball effect.

And you think it's like fooding. No, it's not fall

lop system. I think couldn't keep up back then there's

no Google drive or spreadsheets and you know, databases and

all that. It just spread like wildfire. Right now, This

is did you call that person? Do you fall out

on a person? Do you al? Those are good? We

have technology and all that, but mst understand it is

really everybody caught it. Everybody devoted themselves. Everybody wanted to

do part. And that is what we need to revive here,

the self devotion. All right, so let me unpacked here

on the three ways of how can then we become

people that a devoted or people of devotion?

Okay, are you ready for it? Point number one.

Devotion doesn't work without desire. No desire, no devotion. Very

first thing desire, And that's why I talked about desire

a little bit as well. I put a little thing

there at the bottom. Rules can modify, behaviors can change you.

What desire is the one that actually changes the devotion,

the perspective of the posture devotion.

Because rules, we can just do rules.

Like blindly without any devotion. It can only go so far.

You get tired as well. So let me just go

as I always like to do. Go to the original

text in Acts chapter two where they used they talked

about the word devoted.

I'm probably gonna butcher.

This word.

Is in Greek.

Any Greek speakers, Yeah, it doesn't matter why I say ah,

pros care I put it there, pross cart ah. I

think that's how you pronounce it. Okay, that's the phonetic

phonetic phonetic spelling on how you are to say it,

prost car te a or again looking for children's name.

Feel free, okay, feel free.

But this is the word that was used in XT

chapter two to describe the devoted, the devotion that was there,

and what does it mean to devote oneself too, to

persist in, to continue steadfastly, in, to adhere, stick closely,

to wait on continually. We talked about waiting on the lord.

I think at homes or in the small groups recently. Right,

this is what it is. Wait on, to continue, to obey,

to be persistent, to be consistent. Right, These all words,

and sometimes you use the word we used to use

tied to like loyalty. People are so loyal you just do,

keep doing, keep doing. But this is what it is.

This is what devotion is. Right. So the question is

how many of us coming away from this, how many

of you have desired something before in your life? Doesn't

have to be like spiritual desire. Things are new, new,

new new house, new new car, new relationship, new life,

new new, new visa. You know to to to to

do to stay on new, Yeah, fill in the blanks.

We all desire something, having children, et cetera. Okay, these

are all real things that people desire for. So we

are not very new to this whole concept of desiring something. Okay,

Now the question is when you desire something, wouldn't you

say you are a bit more devoted to making the

desire work? Right? I want to pass my test. I

desire to get an A plus and my test. I

think there is some devotion into getting the A plus. Right, right, kids, Right?

You cannot just like, oh God, just pray that. Yeah, anyway,

you get the idea. So let me tell you this story.

Some of you may know that I am a chipper holic.

If you know what chipper holic is, there's someone who

likes potato chips.

Chipper holic, Yes, I coined that word.

No matter at what stage of health I'm in, I

always desire chips.

That's just the truth.

Okay. So I've got a very close friend who's based

in something. You may know him is based in la

in the US. After he came in visitors anyway, he

came back one of the one of the years and

it was my birthday or during that time. So he

brought back a large bag of Kettle's jalapeno the spicy chips.

When I say larger, it's not your Malaysian size bag.

You know.

It was like twenty eight ounces.

And also it's like that translates to well maybe about

nearly eight hundred grams. Have anybody traveled with potato chips before?

Can you check it?

In your pods. That not the same, like you cannot pothods.

It's not fresh anymore. Right, But yes, if you don't know,

you check it in, you come back, open you luggage back,

be very surprised because you explode anyway. Anyway, so one point, say,

is that the side story. So he brought that back,

very large bag. He had to hand carry it, you know, right,

So anyway, he came to me, he gave it to me. Now, like, bro, dude,

you know, I'm like, this had a health career. I'm

trying to like cut cobs, you know, there's a few

years ago cut cobs and all that, and it's trying

to be help having a healthier lifestyle.

So I said, I'll bring it back for my kids

for them to have.

And I took the bag after having a session in him,

and then I drove home. Then on the way home,

as I got to my car, there was an accident.

I certainly tripped and fell, and then some chips fell

into my mouth as well in the process. Yeah, very

big bad, big bad chips fell into my mouth in

the process. Yeah, very unfortunate. Yes, my birthday, ma, Yeah,

I see all this justification. Yeah, of course you all know,

if you actually put a you know, a camera dash

cam facing inside, you know what happened look at it

and wants wonder what that chip looks like in the inside. Oh,

well one the way it tastes like, uh, et cetera.

You get the idea, I get the idea. But what

drove me to it, I can tell you is because

of desire, simple as that desire, right, because I desired them.

I desired them the chips, right, No, nothing for the kids,

and I cant gets you got some right? So here's

the thing, Right, obligation can drive me to Oh sorry,

obligation did not drive.

Me to eat the chips, but desired it that day.

So here's the thing. I'm not trying to say that

you need to feel.

Obligated to to to to be a devotional kind of

a person. But if you're devoted to something, and if

the desire that had the devotion, it goes on further

rather than just obligation.

Okay, now what you obligation?

Sometimes, unfortunately we've also used this before, we use feared

h fear driven legalism where we say, okay, you do this,

if not God was might you kind of a thing? No? No,

I mean, of course, I'm just I'm doing a behavior cinding.

But you get adea right. We guilt you into doing things,

not as collectively, uh historically some of the churches back

then even the modernage is just guilt you into it, right,

fear driven legalism. But with this right, it doesn't take

you very far, doesn't take you very far, because why

would I say dance it very far? Because it's actually yeah,

after all, you if you immune to it, then then

what of course, there's also this other thing where sometimes

you can have very sporadic high commitments, you burn out,

and then later you have a lot of apathy ah wilah,

and then you sometimes you have been serving consistently but

actually no real drive for you to serve. And that's

the other scary thing. So that's why desire is actually

very very important. Otherwise you're just doing it. You're just

serving day in day out, just because it says so.

But there's no desire for you too. So the question

is how do we then want that desire? How do

we if we are in the know the desire is

actually important, how do we then get it to the

point that we're actually desiring rather than just doing it

because of legalism or because of just some sporadic I

just came from a revival conference. Let's go one hundred

and ten percent. But then you're ten percent. You run

a sprint, and then you you're being son. Okay, I

do it running now, so I'll sorry to pace myself. Anyway.

There's another thing. But anyway, let's let's let's move on.

You need to place desire where it's supposed to because

desire can take you on further. And this is what

it means in back and nexts Okay, let's go work

to the scripture.

What did they all have?

If you look at before what we read, If you

go up back to the early part of verse chapter two,

you will see that everybody they were all filled with

the Holy Spirit. That was the key ingredient before this

whole bit that we talked about. They devoted themselves too.

They had the Holy Spirit first, and then they devoted

themselves too. So this is the part where it's special, right.

Nobody wants without the whole spirit. Nobody wants much do

with Christen this this body, Like I said, we'll do

things the flesh ones braasically they're using the chips, say example,

no control and rite no control. If you're devoted to

it and you have something that helps you fan that desire,

it's a different, different kind of different kind of what

they call this, what's the word?

You have a.

Different You're stronger essentially, Okay, you're stronger and doing this

because it is no longer because of obligation, because of legalism,

et cetera. I'm doing this, but because you have the

Spirit in you, and that's why you're doing what you do. Right,

So this is what it is. I cannot live a

life that is devoted without the Holy Spirit. And that's

why you always say you need to experience revival of

the Holy Spirit on your own. Baptism of the of

the of the of the water is one thing. Baptism

of the spirits and another thing all together. And that's

why you need to be filled with the spirit, so

that this whole devotion life or devotion desire all makes

more sense and any we can tell you that, but

if you have not experienced it for yourself, yeah, it's

just all why I see that, guys, experience how can I?

But you need to want it first and then you

work towards you know, Peter, I'm gonna bring up scriptures here.

Second Peter, So Peter, he had issues or being devoted.

Sometimes he's devoted. Sometimes it's not, you know, like a

bit yoyo. It's okay, we're all like that, but judging her.

But he says this, you know, it is a divine

nature at work, and it's actually causing me to then

want to live a godly life. Because the scriptures are

all there. You can read it. But that's what it is.

You need something else to help you.

It's not just.

A coincidence or something that is. You can't do it

on your own line. Essentially, some priends here. You need

God's help. Galatians five talks about the food of the spirit.

What's the first spirit, first fruit. We talked about love

before revival. The last time I came here, I talked

about reviving love back here again, it's love. The food

of the spirit is love. And it's not love. It's

not talking about loving somebody or living something per se,

but it's God's It's love for God this one, and

then of course love for your neighbors, the people that

God has placed. That is the love that we're talking about.

That's the fruit of when you're in you have the

spirit in you, right, Otherwise it's all just empty religion.

You're just doing it because somebody is telling you to

do it. You want to be compelled by this. You

want to move beyond la a better word. You want

to move beyond surface level devotion to real true devotion.

Right when somebody says I love you, you can tell

that that is a surface I love you or really

true Like my kids sometimes they like, oh love your mommy,

Happy Mother's Day. Go run off and you'll do something else.

I mean not saying that they don't, but you know

you can't tell, right. We want to go up that

devotion to another level. So I'm trying to say here, Okay,

that's the first one. The Holy Spirit. If you didn't

catch all that, one thing they'd write down here is

the Holy Spirit will compel you towards genuine, deep, heartfelt,

true devotion to Jesus and his ways. Okay, you need

the Holy Spirit. You can't do it on your own.

Second point, and I'm gonna enter ready. Devotion is fueled

by spiritual habits. We talk about habits. Yeah, you know

how they say, right, you have to do something a

few times before it becomes second nature, right, same thing

what you practice shapes what you love. Also, you know

always like oh I love this as they get go,

but as you do it, it becomes part of it.

So devotion is filed by spiritual habits. Let's look at

the scriptures. You see the power. They devote themselves as

the first part. Then later they wanted to themselves to

what to the apostles, teaching to the fellowship, to the

breaking of bread, and to prayer. So yes, they were

feel by the Holy Spirit early on, but they still

had to do things, do what to do to keep

on focusing on the apostles, teaching to the fellowship, gether together,

they break bread, they do communion, and also they continue

to pray the four key things that they talked about earlier.

So actions, it's also important. It creates this life of devotion. Right. Yes,

Holy Spirit is there to guide, but you need to

also do something in your part. You need to participate.

I have this illustration. He may've been a bicycle before.

He cannot cycle. Not to try to embarrass you, but if

you cannot cycle, hopefully you understand this analogy. But if

you if you've been on a bike ride, the bicycle

has two two pedals. Have you tried just paddling one

side continuously? What happened? You'll fall? You need to left right, left, right,

left right, left right. So Holy Spirit is like one pedal.

You can let the Holy Spirit just take on. It's

like left, left, left, left, what's happened? Fall right? You

need to also participate. It's the two of you coming together,

building that momentum. The two pedals will keep you going. Yes,

Holy Spirit will do it is fast share, don't get

me wrong. But you also need to pedal right, pedal right,

Holy Spirit left, you go right, and that's the journey

of devotion. You do all those four things that you

just mentioned earlier. Now I told this story to you before,

properly tell it again. You know, when we were based

in Melbourne, we had a lemonary which took many years

to grow, but anyway, we planted elementary it. This is

not the elementary, by the way, This is just an

identity of the actual elementary. But it was something similar

where we have a tree when it's new, it was

short lived, just from a potet plant. We put it down.

But there's also something that we put on the side

to help the lemonary as it grows. Right, it's a

stick or a stick Okay, that goes into the ground.

Now why do you put a stick there.

The support right? Right? Does the stick grow? No, the

stick doesn't grow.

Right, it's a scaffolding correct or scaffolding big words, right,

But it is true you need to understand whose spirits

a bit like that as well. You help helps you

keeps you in place. But the growing is actually the

tree and how does shee grow? You do his partler?

Do it the habits that it's supposed to do. And

it's like this spiritual habits. Sometimes you need to keep

on doing it, but it sort of helps you as

you do it to then continue to have the growth.

But the guide is there just to ensure that you

still you know that it's two parts to growing. It's

not just you know, you go and do your thing.

But yeah, so this is what it is you need

to know. Next line, spiritual habits itself don't create life,

it doesn't grow, but they support healthy growth as the

growth continues to happen. So that's why it's important to

always continually you know, practice what does it mean it's

been intentional repetitive? Uh, you know left right, left right.

The kind of thing it deepens up since faith, it

deepens not only that your relationship with God also deepens

as you continuously obey do the four things that we

just talked about. It's important because it really shapes you. Right,

it builds it into from just practices in our habits

rather into actual lifestyle so to speak. I'm Robert mhallan'

is an author. He wrote this, Spiritual disciplines are a

means by which we offer ourselves to God so that

he can do his work of transformation in us. We

sung about transformation earlier. You know, you can only be

transform it you do something. He took it a bit further.

He said that as we do, it's like opening a door.

I have a picture of a door. After this. You

open a door, then God can come in literally and

then take it further and transform you. But if you

keep the door closed, you don't do the opening. Nothing happens.

So you need to understand that this is your part.

This is yes, I can read the Bible, but you

know you need to read the Bible and to pray.

But you know, even reading the Bible is just step

aside for a while.

You know, have you do.

You know anybody who reads the Bible every day and

still sometimes it's a little bit not so Christian like

I know people like that, by the way, So it

doesn't mean that you to practice what you read. That's

what I'm trying to say.

To practice.

Read the Bible, okay, be kind love people. Then they

don't practice it, say knowledge, So that's why I need

to keep on.

Yeah, so back to X two.

You devote yourself by scripture, fellowship, breaking up bread, and

prayer over and over again. But again, don't get me wrong,

you have to read the Bible too. Why because if

you don't read the Bible, you don know no truth. You

don't know truth, you cannot practice. Just like how you

haphazardly try to repair a car or change a tire

without reading about it. I'm quite sure something would been changed,

but perhaps not the right way. And then yeah, you

know where where they will hit. Okay, So yeah, keep

on reading the Bible, keep on praying, keep on communing,

and people keep on uh you know, meeting, people have meals,

et cetera. That's what they did every day. And guarantee

you that this is what has happened. Then the church

would grow, the church would grow, okay, and that's how

and twenty people became hundreds and thousands of people. You

think they all knew each other as long as we say,

you know slightly in the community, we know each other,

we do things together.

It's very fun and all that.

But with that kind of massive growth on the daily

basic thing, they got time to know everybody. No, yes,

we love the fellowship, but you must understand it's also

not just you know, just about relationship, like how come

we cannt understand me keep doing? They keep going otherwise?

Yeah, so encourage you.

If you've been in prayer serves before, Hey this Tuesday,

come to prayer service, why because we believe some ness

together we can help you. If it's something that you

perhaps struggle with one of the four come in prayer people, right,

you'll really grow in prayer once you come, because why

spiritual habits as you do together. You sort of have

been to the gym alone. With the gym with more people, yeah,

they are like, oh one more live, give me one more,

you know that kind of thing. Yeah, you definitely do better.

Or if you're if you're like something about running and

you know, just hey, home more loop you know, hormere la.

It's more effective doing together. Last point and I'll end here.

Devotion flourishes in the community. And that's what it's something

close to what I mentioned to you earlier as well,

because devotion was never meant to be something that you

do alone.

That's what the community is for.

Because why fire in brackets of devotion burns brighter together?

Otherwise you just be in individual came yes, read the

word your own yes, but come together every now and

then as well? Why is this important? Verse forty four.

All believers were together and had everything in common. It

is daily you know Bro Siss as well, right, every day,

you know, meeting once a fortnight. It's not it's not

it's not as frequent as what they did. Maybe that's

why the church is not growing like what happened back then.

Not saying but yeah, because I understand the commitments, et cetera.

But doesn't make it practical as well. But that's the

recipe back then. Okay, So yeah, there's no such thing

as we've talked about discipleship a lot last year, right,

there's no such individual discipleship. That's why discipleship involves, you know,

people working with people First Corinthians. It talks about unity

and diversity of in the body. Right, it says here

four we were all baptized in one spirit so as

to form one body, whether Jews or Gentiles. So we're

all baptized into a body. We are all in this together,

one big, happy family. In other words, it takes a

community of faith to then help you continue to grow

in your desire, grow in your devotion as well. They

say this in one of the one of the apologies,

this that the church is actually a place where you

can mirror God's image, and we can try to continue

to mirror God's image. And that's why when you see

somebody you're encouraged by what they do and hopefully that

would inspire you to then you know, do what you're

called to do as well. One last light at the end.

You know this picture over here, right, it's a mosaic,

no mosaics, right, It's like all broken pieces, but collectively

put together they can be very amazing looking. I talked

about brokenness I think a few few weeks ago. Right,

we are all broken people like it or not? Right.

I mean the tree that is just like a a

visualization of three different people, different perspective, three different broken

pieces can come together and form the church to become

something more beautiful. And this is what people are looking at,

the collective representation and not the individual pieces. That's why

community is important, because collectively this is a beautiful piece

of God's work within the church because it reflects what

people are actually looking for outside the world. So don't

ever think that if you don't have something to give,

people are actually looking in as well. Right, extreme and

come out now, I'm done. Yeah, so I encourage you.

Let's do this together.

God brought you, brought us all together for a reason.

Right. But I'm gonna end with this. I'm gonna circle

back as well to what I said earlier that devotion

isn't a short term intensity for that moment, but it's

a loving commitment for a lifetime. So we need to

do something to ensure that it's sustainable. So just two

questions here to help you reflect on that. I've asked

this before, but I asked it again. If someone were

to look at your life and observe your life just

as is at the moment, what would they see in you?

What would they see you are most devoted to? It's

a hard question, will they see that you're just an

avid sports? Oh, badminton is my thing? Nothing all with badminton,

by the way, not knocking thatad, So all you bdminton?

You don't want and cristify me outter this. But you

kept trying to say what are you known for? What

do people know you as? And that's a question they had.

Would they say is Christ? Would they see Christ in you?

Is it just your career? Is it just the relationship

that you you know that you display quite a fair

bit off? Or are you devoted to the most most

important thing, which is meant to be Christ? Second thing?

What do you need to do in this season to

then increase your devotion to Jesus? Again, difficult question to

ask or answer. Rather, so this is a part where

you participate. Really, you go back, you reflect, you think

about it, and you put some actions in place. How

can I incorporate some new spiritual habits so that I

can boost this devotion, I can boost this desire to

really want to lead live a life that is wholly

devoted to Christ. Maybe it's getting up earlier to pray.

No time, get up early to pray, you know, I

now sort of prioritize some health last. So I get

out a five in the morning to run every day

as an example. Okay, but before that, I pray first.

So sometimes I heard that, oh, we're gonna pray first

before you go out. But really, if you want to

be devoted, you've got to put that first, right. Maybe

it's committing some time for the Lord God missions maybe,

or maybe it's just something small just to come to

church regularly every Sunday. That is a commitment on his own.

That is a devotion. It's not easy, you know. I

know there are things Saturdays for Sunday afternoon, there are

things that will take please, but yeah, just come.

Or maybe it is to just come to homes to

sell group.

Yeah, I know that that night I've got to I've

got an urgent deadline. But that is devotion, guys, that

is devotion. Again, just to remind everybody, no one can

devote you but yourself. It's in your hands.

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I hit for you God, bless