Love Restored | Pr Dr Daniel Kong

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

All right, now, let's jump straight into the word we're

gonna pick up from Matthew twenty six. If you have

your Bibles with you, let's go there. I'm gonna do

a little bit of patchy reading, jumping here and there,

because otherwise we'll be here forever. But if you're there

you say, yeah, all right, okay, right there, all right cool.

If not, you can follow on the screen as well.

Your apologies. If you can't really see it, bring on Bible.

You'll be fine, okay. So this passage here comes from

the all the timeline is after Jesus prayer, okay. And

then he was you know the prayer where he said,

if possible, Lord, let this cup be taken away from me, right,

but not as I will, but as you will. So

that's verse thirty nine before this passage over here. This

is worse fifty seven. And then of course he also

talked a little bit about uh, you know, the potential

betrayer back then he talks about it. And then after

that in verses forty nine, rather Judath actually gave him

a kiss to signify that this is the one, this

is the person who's involved. And then after the arrests happened. Okay,

so this is the timeline, just as after the arrests

of fifty seven. Okay, let's read from fifty seven. So

just before the sen hadridden. I think that's how you

pronounce it. So those who were arrested, sorry, those who

had arrested.

Jesus took him to Kaif.

Sorry, my mind just went blanking a little bit. Okay,

it's one of those things. I had a lack of

sleep a day before. Yes, they have world restless, are

may too much sleep? Anyway, the high priests, the high priest, okay,

when the teachers of the law and the eldest had assembled.

But Peter followed him at the distance.

Okay, so he's just no Peter is right, Yeah, okay, Peter,

good friend, Peter.

Yeah, he's just a little bit further away. Uh and

where mine? Now? I lost again? Fifty eight? Thank you.

But Peter followed him at a distance right up to

the courtyard of the High Priest. He entered and sat

down with the guards to see the outcome. Right then,

the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin.

There's quite a lot of them. Now.

A few people there were looking for false evidences. So

what they're doing, they're building a case to get Jesus

into trouble.

Okay, okay.

So they had put so that they could put him

to death, Okay, but they did not find any though

many false witnesses came forward.

Finally two came forward.

Finally, so okay, these two men up came forward, and then,

of course we also know that this is not quite true,

but anyway, let's go with the okay, and declared this

fellow said, I am able to destroy the Temple of

God and rebuild it in three days.

So they kind of wrapped people up a little bit.

They're like, oh, this guy is coming to destroy and therefore, yeah,

and here sixty two, it says then the High Priest

stood up and said to Jesus, are you not going

to answer? What is the testimony that these men are

bringing against you? Sixty three? But Jesus remains silent. Now

this is a very strange place to be. Why would

he remain silent?

Normally?

Right when somebody accused you of things? What's a natural reaction? Defend?

Okay, my two boys sorry again.

Boys, They were always like, it's him or it's me,

or why there's always a reason. Okay to by the way,

just sharing. I always joke because my boys always get

used as examples. But let's let's card. So let's move on.

Jesus remains silent. Remain silent. So the High per said

to him, I charge you under oath by the living God.

Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.

Then high pers said to him, I charge you. And sorry,

sorry sixty four you had said so you have said so,

Jesus replied, so there's always it silent, And then even

his reply was a very short kill.

You said so so so.

All he said, right in paraphrasing here in our local language,

is like yeah, yeah, as you said, so you're right, Yes,

you're right. That's all he said. Amazing, right again, that's

all he said. Don't say too much, right, don't the defense.

But all I can, all I say to all of you,

for now on you you will see the Son of

Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One

and coming on the clouds of heaven.

Sixty five.

Then the high priest tore his clothes again for those

of you who came to the one I shared about

white people tear because in their culture, last time they

tear to show angs.

Remember to talk about it.

When we talk about prayer, they they pray, they also

show that they're fastening, and they tore.

They close the same thing.

They tear it to show angst, to show deep grief

in the culture. Okay, he has spoken blasphemy. Why do

we need any more witnesses? Look now you have heard

the blesphem, what do you think? And of course they

are all answered. He is worthy of death. Then what

happens after? There? His spit in his face, struck him

with his fists, rack him a bit. I just slapped

him this second. Jesus are and sid prophesy to us Messiah,

who hit you?

I don't know how you felt about that? But really really.

Heavy moment over There also heavy blows as well. But

just as we looked at this, if we move on

to chapter twenty seven, there is a few more other characters.

We talked about Peter earlier in twenty six. This other

character whose name is Judas. You don't know Judas, right, okay,

don't know Judas? Am I introduce you to Judas?

Okay, all right.

Twenty seven verse one, early in the morning, the title

hit reads that Judas hangs himself.

Okay. All the chief priests and the eldest.

Of the people made their plans how to come sorry,

how to have Jesus executed.

So they bound him.

And led him away and handed him over to Pilot,

the governor. When Judas had who had betrayed him, so

Jesus was condemned. He was seized by with remorse. It

is regretful, okay, and return the thirty pieces of silver

to the chief priest and the eldest.

I have sin, he said, for I betrayed the innocent blood.

What is that to us?

They replied, that's your responsibility. Now take a moment here.

All this is saying, is right, bro.

That guilt is on you. It's all you.

You are the one. No matter what you do, it's

on you. So Judas threw the money into the temples

and left. He went away and hanged himself. The chief

priest then picked up the coins and said, it is

against the law to put this in the treasury, since

his blood money. So you know, even reading this right,

they recognize that innocent blood has been spilt. And they

can't even take this off ring or other things that

are thrown away to put in the temple funds. So

decided to use the money to buy the Potter's Field,

the Potters Field as a barrel place for the foreigners.

Can we'll skip ahead to Jesus before Pilot. This just

before the execution. Meanwhile, Jesus stood before the governor. The

governor and then asked him are you the king of Jews?

And again, for whatever reason, Jesus didn't say much. All

he said was you have said so Why does he

say that? Because yella, he is, But he doesn't have.

Say too much.

Right when he was accused by the chief of chief

prist and the eldest, he gave no answer. Then Pilot asked,

don't you remember the testimonies they are bringing against you?

But Jesus made no reply, not even a single charge

to the maze, to the great amazement of the governor.

Again Jesus remained silent.

Thus ends the reading of the word at least the

chunk of today's So sorry it's a bit longer than usual,

But I wanted to paint this picture.

But why do I want to start here?

Is because I wanted to talk about something about how

religion sort of failed a little bit in that context,

and not just religion, but the disciples in the story.

And of course we know at least two disciples were

spoken about they also failed. Okay, But to make it

a bit more positive, the title today's message again, I

went through back and forth back in a few times.

I'm gonna talk about love restore. It makes sense at

the end of the message. But one thing that had

to highlight as well. They were so close to Jesus

everybody in the picture over there, yet they were far

from him. Okay, So again big point is how religion

failed that they and how disciples also failed that they

and I will allude to you why I consider these

all fail us. We're wondering, what is this guy so

heavy starter for before before It's supposed to be a

cheery message, celebrating, celebrating, you know, love.

And all that.

But yeah, it is what it is, it is said,

and sometimes we ought to also understand so that we

do not fall under the same trap again. Okay, Now,

before I go any further, let's look at some worthy stats. Okay,

So in twenty seventeen, there was a poll by this

group called Tip Sauce, a global marketing research company. You

may know of it my twenty seventeen because it's the

last one that they did. Okay, at least in this context.

Twenty four countries participated look it up. I also give

a link in the next light later you see. But

this is the page of sort of this major summary,

so asking people's view about religion in general. So twenty

four countries participated. About seventeen seventeen thousand or more adults participated.

The age is between sixteen to sixty four, so a

good spread. Okay, young people, you know, middle aged people,

younger people rather middle age, and also some older folks

as well. Okay, and a few countries in there.

Okay.

Now, one question that was really interesting. Look it up,

by the way, is quite interesting. Next line you will

see that linked down the bottom. You can go to it.

You will give you all the stats as well. One

question that stood out is does religion do more harm

in the world than good? Again, this is general religion,

not necessarct talking about Christianity, Okay, But at the same time,

a lot of the countries represented there are also considered

at least Christian nations so in some sense of talking

about Christianity as a whole, okay, but not necessarily Christianity.

And this is the surprising results Japan. How many of

you have been to Japan before?

Okay?

Would you say Japan is a very religious country in general.

But you see what they found is twenty six only

twenty people agreed that religion is somewhat that's the.

World more harm than good? Interesting, right, interesting? Right?

Korea brothers, my brother, Korean brother. Yeah, Korea and US

stay tie. It is joking just now because this has

style changed today. Look more Korean today.

Yeah. So anyway, Korean US day tie.

And again you know, Korean US they are both at

least the causes of Christian nations. Right, thirty nine percent agreed,

still fairly high, not quite over fifty percent month, but

still fairly high. Great Britain sixty two percent agreed. And

then the list goes up, and funnily enough, some of

the countries up there, Germany, Spain, Australia sixtree percent agree.

Belgium or Belgians sixty eight percent agree the highest, but

overall all those that sort of participated, it's about fifty

nearly fifty percent does agree that religion in general does

more harm than good. Think about it now, Again, twenty

seventeen is quite a long time ago.

It probably is not relevant. But I don't think it

changed too much in the last ten years.

In fact, it might have even gotten worse, just saying

just saying, okay, but that's the latest stats that we have. Okay,

So yeah, religion thing is doing more harm than good.

So what does that imply? Is it better to get

rid of religion altogether, let's not have it. Maybe the

world will become a better place. I mean, that's a

very sensible scientific thought, right. I'm a scientist, so you know, yeah,

it's normal rights, it makes sense, right, So, and I'm

sure it's not just me, but many people. All these

are all just stats, you know, like real stat's nothing

spiritual about it, but just that's and you might be

like me, thinking, yeah, actually, maybe it says some truth

to it. Maybe, yeah, maybe if you get your religion

altogether from the equation, if you like Matts, cut religion,

then everything else will improve. But surprisingly, you know, religion

has its role and has its impact throughout history as well.

Let me introduce you to this person called Tom Holland. Okay,

Now Tom Holland, it's not Spider Man. Sorry to this

point you okay, but there is another Tom Holland. Okay,

it's gonna show up. Last year I showed feel I

showed some of the guy Nick right now this is

Tom all short names. You touched the message, Okay. Anyway,

this is a British historian an author as well. He

just to give some context, he grew up in a

family household of a dad who is an atheist. You

know what atheist is, right, I mean, don't believe in

God in fact, very anti religion or anti God.

Okay, and a mother who's a Christian.

Anybody live in a household like that, Maybe I don't

know that hands again, but it's you can see the

tension in the household.

But he himself didn't agree either sides.

And but of course there's a lot of Christian values

being brought up, and he did sort of like the

idea of Christian values because just like how some parents

who are non believers they send their kids to Christian schools.

Why because they are good morals, moral values, right, and

and the world is like this, So he's in that perspective.

Yeah, I don't I'm not a believer.

But I do see the validity or the good points

of Christianity because they do have good moral values. And

that's all he saw in it. But he went and

then did a sort of a research or discovery. He

did do some studying, not world oh sorry, not not

not spiritual studies, but more history as it is.

So he did some research.

He looked at the rise and fall of nations in

the past, and he discovers something very common. Now if

you look at history itself. You know, the Romans are

the ones that sort of conquered quite a fabit. Now,

how did they conquer lands or extend the empire.

By war? Right? They killed?

They they they any any resistance, wipe them out, and

then they take more land. Right, anybody opposed them, just

killed established empire.

That's how the Romans role.

Spartans same thing as well, okay, dominant kill, extend your land,

get more space. Now you think that's very old schoolar

Let's come closer to this generation, right, Uh, not too

long ago World War two. We're almost at War three.

You know Hitler, how did he do it? Same thing

as well, resistance kill, just go and oppose kill and

that's how they did it. But one thing he realized

all this, right, there's also a rise in Christian faith

in the midst of all this. Mean to say, the

Christian faith right didn't require that kind of approach to

then take I wouldn't say lens, but extend faith.

No violence.

In fact, it is the total opposite, not using the

sword at all. Interesting, right, interesting, And yet it continues

to expand even more effectively than the the worthy approach

of using force. What my dad, they talk about serving,

They talk about loving as they expand and take more lens.

Bless your enemies, even love your enemies, Serve your enemies,

and that's how they used to do it.

Right.

So Tom Holland he wrote a book, all right, not

Spider Man again. This book is called Dominion. Flashy up,

please zag okay. That book talks about now, the Christian

Revolution remade the world.

That's the heading there. And I've got to exert over here.

The longer I spend immersed in the study of classical

anti antiquity, the more alien and unsettling I found the

values its values rather the things we take for granted

in our society, Compassion for the weak, care for the

poor assumption of human equality are not natural.

They are the fruit of the Christian Revolution. Amazing stuff.

Again, non believer, not Christian, but he acknowledges the impact

that Christians have in the dark, dark ages. In fact,

the darker is the more the Christian Revolution rose up.

And again not true violence, but true this way of loving.

So essentially, what I'm trying to say here is that

Christians historically have changed history as we know it by.

Just doing the living business. And nobody can deny that.

Okay, So if you are a believer today, if you're

a Christian today, you are part of a revolution.

You know, imagine that. Be proud of it. Right, that's

what the Church did.

The Church brought, or rather the world where it is

to some extent. So again it's a bit funny because

it didn't the surveys say we don't need religion, but

somehow religion has its role, or rather Christianity has its role.

Now listen to me.

If you think that there's all every fairy, let's look

at it a little bit. How many of you went

to school in missionary schools? I was one as well.

Do you know missionary schools are started by Christians?

Right?

And hence the name missionaries. Anyway, let's not get there. Okay,

Now I I I did a bit of research here,

so don't mind me if I know that a little bit. Okay, okay,

because this is just how anyway, I added share waining

that I prepared that message last time is the this

was one, but because I had more time, I went

a bit bun.

Because anyway, let's let's go here. Uh let start. I

told brand that I hope I get finished this. Okay.

Now, if you take let's say, hayper texts me take

a magnet, you extract Christians out of the history altogether.

There's quite a fair bit of stuff that they did. Okay,

and this is a collection oh what they did. Okay,

let's look through it. Okay, next line, Oh, sorry, next light,

I must have got the other wrong. Hey, sorry, next

light again, this is the first. Okay, sorry again this

is me Okay, anyway, thank you, uh the power AI,

because I want my notes. I also got on my

research and now not LM. By the way, noble ELM,

we can do all this fancy infographics. Okay, So I

give credit where credit is due, but facts research came

from me. But presentation wise is yeah, it's put together nicely.

Okay.

So yeah, anyway, don't worry too much about all this.

But I'll just picture some of the key things here.

This is where the Church was involved as early as

the first century all the way till the twenty first century.

So first to fourth century we're involved in a lot

of charity, okay, a lot of social care, a lot

of ethical influence as well. Now remember the time where

how women are positioned.

Okay, women has no role in society.

I mean during that era, not now, during that era,

so we wack careful what I say here, okay, But

the Christians were the ones that, you know, put women

where they're supposed to be in some sense, to give

them a bit more because before then, I don't use

this word, but they were possessions. That's how they were

treated in that century. But Christianity turned things around a

little bit. Fourth to fifth century. They gave out free education,

a lot of monastery we came back from Philippines not

too long ago. Even there, of course it's more Roman Catholic,

but there's also a lot of monasteries that focused on education, right,

free education, health care, free hospitals. Some of the first

hospitals in the world actually were started by these Christians. Okay,

free health care eleventh fifish century, universities again started by

the Church, of course, hospitals and all that same language

sixteen seventh century, also education, literacy, Some of the scientific

thinkers like Galileo and Newton, they were all Christians, you know,

imagine that given free education, and then of course missionary

worked the more current one expansion they came. They made

sure health care. It was also one way to to

to to reach different ones. Slavery mbers slavery, who fought

for slavery. These people again, same people, civil rights, Martin stuff,

you know, yeah, Salvation Army, will vision. Those are all

twentieth century stuff, and of course today we know there's

also still a lot of involvement. So essentially, what I'm

trying to say is that we are all part of

this big movement that has shaped history and will continue.

To shape history.

So whatever the stats tell you, we are doing something collectively. Okay,

you are part of something that began long, long time ago,

and we still couldn't do it. And what we're driven

by not monetary gains, driven by a simple instruction just

to go and learn others, make more disciples of all nations.

And this is exactly what we're gonna do, okay, And

that is the nature of really building the kingdom, being

that light and love and truing liberty goes out where

it's supposed to go, in every space, every corner. So

what it's going to do with revival back to the

origin story, reviving something that was started that way, but

sometimes somehow it has been forgotten. And then that's why

sometimes people say we are doing things without understanding the origin,

and maybe that's why we're not doing it correctly as well. Okay,

So what has happened why do people put path thats

away stats is because we are doing it, but maybe

we're doing it lovelessly.

And that's the difference.

You can still be doing just like today, missionary work

is probably taken over by the secutive and they forgot

what it's all about. And that's where we are going

to begin our deep dive into what I'm going to

be sharing today work.

Okay.

So John Dixon Zachs the book two Slides a Go.

Sorry I was doing it three in the morning or

sometimes yeah, anyway.

Forgive me. He wrote this book called bullies and saints. Oh,

bullies and saints.

And now he equated us to being bullies as well

and saints at the same time. Interesting, But this is

where he basically said, and a lot of these things

that we're talking about, she's taking from this book over

here as well. So the original melody, that means Jesus'

first beautiful melody centered around all these things. No charity, humility,

human dignity again aspired or inspired by love. And then

he said, over the time, over the years, the followers,

the disciples have messed up, so he used, because he

used the expression melody. These guys are doing it, but

their tone death. Have you ever had a tone deaf

band member?

They are not here? Not here? Sorry, sorry, sorry, oops, okay.

Anyway you get on prices right, the tone member is

doing it, but are you really doing it?

Is the question here.

And this is what the danger is because if you

do that not understanding what the original melody is, there

could be some other things that would prevent you from

actually doing the original as the original piece that was intended.

So that's why all these things about violence, genocide, war,

religious size, a lot of war, right, Yeah.

Because of this, it's gone a little bit.

In Malaya, we've say of tensioneer a little bit ready, yeah,

and of course the scenes will come in and then

you know, come and say you know.

Anyway, so we've stuffed up.

In short, the church has got got it wrong, and

therefore sometimes we are more saints as well because we're like,

it's easy to say it right on our high horse.

Now you got it wrong, but we ourselves have we

got it right. And that's that's the thing here. So

how do we arrive at this place? How do we

get here? How do we come to this whole that

we can't get out of? Is when again religion fails

when we have lifelessness.

And the disciples? What about disciples?

They are there, it's originally I was they were there,

but yet they were distant. And there's a danger of

being distance from our true north, our God as well

if you're not careful about it. This is the relation

that we're talking about. So when this happens the church,

we're going to fall people who get hurt, right, And

then when people get hurt, what happens They say the

church is evil, the church is not doing the right thing.

And then you become a barrier for people to then

receive more love. So you see the spiraling, right, So

the tyber become distance is the sauce where maybe're supposed

to tap into the real source of love, but we don't.

And therefore we're teaching people how to tap into the

real saurce, but we ourselves don't have the real sauce,

and that becomes a problem. And that is akin to

this tone deafness of the people who are doing what

they are look like what they're doing is right, but

they're actually not doing it right. And this brings us

back to Matthew twenty six. And that's just all laying

the groundwork. And then I just had three points and

our end today. Okay, right, right, three long points Okay,

point yeah, let's let's lay the groundar for this and

then let's run to the end. Okay, now, point number one.

The tragedy of the loveless religion is going to be

tied to Matthew twenty six. Okay, A small sub Hey,

when love disappears, faith becomes hollow. Faith is there, don't

get me wrong, but it's actually very hollow faith all

about nothing. Okay, Okay, introduce another character here today, Okay,

and we heard of Mahamma Gandhi before. I'm quite sure

you heard of it like Nick, maybe not, but Mahammed

Gandhi heard before. By the way, Nick is the one

the last person I showed him screen up, like who's Nick? Anyway,

This Mama Gandhi Okay Gandhi. And in short, he's a

well known leader. Of course he was also killed doing

what he loves to do.

But he was a.

Fairly well educated guy. Law more specifically it is law

in in in the UK. In fact, I think he

did his bar in the UK as well. Okay, by

was activists, political activists, but the peaceful kind, not the

you know, the rah rah noisier kind. Okay, anyway, let's

come back to this Mahammed Gandhi in his student days,

in the early days, he.

Actually read the Gospel. Of course, you know his background.

Is Hindus in India. You don't know where in there is? Yeah,

it's one of the biggest country in the world. Uh

and yeah, my brother has been there. Who else has

been in there?

By the way, Oh wowsa yes? For work? Good?

Anyway, practice back to this, okay, in this student this

is you read the Gospel Okay, Matthew, Mark Luke, you know,

and John and all that and what fascinated him, true

Hindu believer.

But he realized one thing.

He said that after in the Gospel, I realized, Hey,

maybe I have found an answer to this whole cast

system in the Indian Uh. I guess the Indian system.

You know, it's a cast system right in case you

do not know. Uh, This cast system is a belief

that people in the traditional sense are born into classes.

Okay, till this day, there is.

Still the c system very popular in India, also Sri

Lanka as well. So sometimes their names are mouse and

mouse long because their names actually specify or signified where

they belong in the class system.

Okay.

So essentially it's like a social hierarchy. Okay, now next slide. Sorry,

So there will be people of higher class, lower class,

and right down the bottom is no class that means it,

not even in the class. But they call you something. Okay,

all right, I'm not gonna read the names. So these

are the different family names or surnames in those classes. Okay,

and I won't be pronounced. Maybe my brother here can

help anyway, all right, I'm not gonna try I'm not

gonna try it, okay anyway.

The classes are Brahmins.

These are reserved for those priests and scholars, so they're

born at that high is this triangle, so it gets more,

it gets wider as you come down. These are the

elites okay of their class. And then they are the

oh shah three us Okay, these are the warriors, born kings,

born rulers, et cetera, and those names. Ever since I

got a friend whose name is Nair, so I know

he's now meant to be a ruler or class okay,

class okay anyway, And then we have the what's this

one called?

Why shy? Why?

Okay anyway, I just butchered it, okay anyway. But these

are the skilled workers, so people that are involved in

maybe uh uh, you know, traders.

Farmers and farmers.

It's also a skilled worker, you know by the way

merchants they trade that kaya class. Then there is the

shudra unskilled okay. And what do they do? Then skilled

people they do uh maybe hard label lay bricks, if

there's laying bricks. Those kind of things are okay. And

then there's the last one that done it or probably

butchet it again. It's sometimes called the outcasts or the

out of class. Have you heard of the word paria

in the Malay word paria paraiya okay, pariah right, so

that's actually paria.

Some some trust you called pariah. No class. What did

they do?

Ship floor, pick up rubbish la, those kind of things? Okay,

not even unskilled, lowered and unskilled? No class Okay, So

what is this? Is it right backward? Yes, but that's

how they live. So Gandhi was living in that time

till today. Like I said, they still practice it. They

cannot win, inter marry, right, Yeah, there you go. I'm

not lying, I'm not being up. It's all real, right,

you are just essentially right. It's not merit based. Whatever

you do doesn't matter. Your name already dictates where you

are or in other words, you are born on into it.

Right, So that is the state that is on.

So when you read the Bible is so cited because

there is an outlet for him. So guess what Gandhi did.

He visited the church. So you might heard this story before, right,

I want I put it in the church.

Very tragic. Why tragic because.

The usher the hit host of the host of that

day hosts, the people that the hospitality team here.

The host is very going.

By the way right away saying the saying bye bye, bye,

bye bye. It's tragic because they say he was looking

for answers, right, So he's trying to look for the

maybe the pastor the priests to say, you know, how

do I bring this how the big how do I

become a Christian? Because I want I see it outlet

from it. But he was refused to seat and told

to worship with his own people. True story, go look

it up. So Gandhi left and never returned. Very said,

right why because he said himself a quote what he

said will be tima. If Christians had a cast difference. Also,

I might as well become a Hindu. True, they would

do label him as he come in. So you see

why he's remained a Hindu for life. It's because someone

turned him away. Again, we've lost the plotla right, So

what did it try to tell us? It can happen,

right sometimes we I mean we catch ourselves doing it

as well. Right why because lovelessess lovelessness happened, or loveless

religion happened. And it's very tragic because whatever you experience

today is supposed to mimic how Jesus intended it. But

somehow I think we have lost the boss even it

lost the plot. Sorry, even look at Jesus right, He

was also turned away at the temple right. Anyway, watched

this undercover boss show you know I'm talking about, right,

and the boss pretends put makeup on look like a

commoner work you know. Oh, okay, go look up undercover boss.

I don't know, pop on my feet. So anyway, on

that day, Jesus almost an undercover boss. He went in there,

he's the boss, right, it's God, right, But somehow people

thought he's like, yeah, it's not. And he was very

shocked because he saw the practices in the temple, right,

and they turned him away. Why did they turn him away?

This place was supposed to be a place of worship,

was supposed to be for people to go draw near

to God. But they turned him away, no different from

what they did to Gandhi. Why because they were so

stuck on the religious portion of things, the technicalities, that

they forgot about love. And that's the danger here. Now

you might think to yourself, hey, this won't happen here.

You know, we're not susceptible to it. Why we were regulars.

Think when we're with ten people we have have you

not turn people away unintentionally?

Well? What I mean by that? Think?

For example, you may have just come to Sunday service

thinking that, oh it's another service. I'm just coming here,

high fi. Somebody grab a coffee from you know, from

family mode or whatever, you know, sing some songs, go home.

The question is wherest to live? And all that.

We could you know, you could fall into that now, right,

and oh let's put this put this uh in this way.

Someone who came to church, a Gandhi equivalent who may

not know anybody. Now, there's two responses that Sometimes you may.

Like, hey bro, new guy, new guy.

New guy, but then you don't do anything about it, right, Yeah,

Notice the guys is he is he okay?

Got a cynical look, you know?

Or is your other expression you know, like okay, let's

go and talk to the new guy. Now we're going

to express his love.

You tell me.

But sometimes you're like that, Right, it doesn't mean that

literally turned them away, right, But does it compel us

to do this? It's the question here, because that's what

love does. It will compel you. Okay, you don't sound convinced.

Only one person is convinced. All right, let me let me,

let me do this exercise. Okay, everybody in his church

is actually an ex host or or a hospitality of

welcome team.

That means it's your role to say hi.

To the newcomer, the new person that is here, thank

you for joining us, those that you today. Hopefully somebody

shows some love today and not just because they are

rostered to do it, but because they want to do it.

Right.

I think what Charles will be very happy it's the

hit host today. But anyway, yeah, but yeah, that's how

we are meant to demonstrate Jesus live. It's like if

Gandhi walks and right, hey, you're the VIP looking for

always say that you're the v VI I P right,

if the vp wox in.

What do you do? You rush to them? But do

we do we?

Because I know Jesus would, Yeah, you just would do

the same. Okay, anyway, enough of that, let's move on

back to the back to Matthew twenty six. Okay, uh

so the religious leader what they have they did and

they they turned just away. I think there's two reasons

why tenses away?

Okay. First reason is probably they.

Want to hang on to power. All right, These were corrupt,

corrupt people.

Okay.

Now before again you think you get a mighty high

horse and saying, oh, this won't happen to me.

I'm not like that. I'm not corrupt. You know, I

wouldn't take power from Jesus and all that. Okay. Uh.

You see, they arrested Jesus and then he went to

this guy called uh Cathayus, right, Chiapus, sorry, Chiapas. Now,

before he went there, if you look back several chapters

right in John h sorry, in John itself, he actually

met another guy called Aus and I think a double

n a s okay, and Ands was the original high

priest before this guy took over.

Because during that time, in the Romans.

Time they were they were also taken down because Romans

they the rulers of that time, so they'll be taken down.

And then this other guy was sort of okay, given

the portfolio, but even though it's taken down, he's still

holding onto the role unofficially, okay. And that's why Jesus

was sent to the leader number one first before he

was sent to the second high priest who is the

official high priest? Okay, so now guess what during this time,

these are also high priests that are on paper name

tech or you know, like the pastor, you know all

this kind of thing. But they are not really showing.

It's not really a good room model because there's a

lot of a lot of corruption that happened. Now just

take for example, you know what they were primarily in

charge of during that time, temple sacrifices. Okay, so you

know how temple sacrifices work, right, you bring something to

sacrifice and blemish.

It means perfect.

Right, they were look at it and say, oh, not perfect,

even though it's perfect, why do they do that? They

sell theirs to you, I got a vetterl and for

a higher price. So essentially there's corruption in the temple

all today's language, there's corruption in church during that time.

So when Jesus.

Came around saw all that, you know, she just got

angry because how can you do that? And that's why

they want to take or put you to death, because

they are I mean, he's impacting. Maybe they're they're they're

you know, their extra side hustle, all right, and there's

crush in the church all the time, right, and not

just that. Before you think that coruption can happen in

the nexterior, it can also happen inside here, because crushing

can also happen in the heart.

People, Now what I mean by heart?

You know, Jesus when he comes, he comes after your heart, right,

it's not about externally, and he wants to clear things

out to start afresh again. And that's why we talk

about revival this year. Now what I mean by clear out?

What I mean by corruption the heart, the momony, if

anything else that takes over or drives you, that's already

a corrupted heart. It means any self driven ambitions. I

would say, I don't know things that drive you. If

you're doing your will before God's will, that's already classified

corrupted heart. And how many things that the religious Jesus,

I definitely have a corrupted heart externally, is corrupted internally.

I'm quite sure there also quite corrupted. So they didn't

like Jesus lying short, okay. And then the second reason

why they drove him out is because Jesus claim is

got the easiest free kill. They try to go back

into scripture, into the into the dora because in Deuteronomy.

That's say, if he can, they put it up Zach

diuterarmy six four. If I didn't, sorry, it's Deuterarmy six four.

It says here, oh Israel, the Lord, our God, the

Lord is one, okay, something we know that some other

transitions says about our God is one Lord, the Lord

is one, the Lord is alone.

Okay.

Now they use that against him because he say, how

can you claim that you are the one God when

there's already one God that we are worshiping. But Jesus

didn't say that claim that he's the one. But it's

claim he's part of the trinity, that is part of

that war one wholeness. So they try to pull the

technicality on Jesus and say that, oh, this is blasphemy.

The oneeness Jesus talking about is actually the oneness in trinity,

in that one. So that's how they try to act

like they call it mono tius okay, which means they

try to say that Jesus acting as one. And again,

before you think that this only applies to them, we

are also sometimes like this. We can be now what

I mean by that, Sometimes we say we can say

that we are the true God.

Now why doy mean that? Because we are actually driving

our lives more than God is driving our lives.

And that is the same thing as well. How can

you have two gods in your heart in your life?

So you need to understand he's either a lot of

all or a lot of none. And that's why it's

sometimes always the heart issue. And that's tragic, right, because

they put him to trial, they let religion become loveless.

And then they they in it.

Basically right, what will happen is that actually will cause

more harm than actually good because we have lost the plot.

So next light they have over there, loveless vision can

push people from God if you're not careful. What's even worse,

you can actually push God out of the church even

without realizing it if you're not careful. Small statement down there,

Religion doesn't harm people, and but it's loveless vision that

can inevitably do more harm. Okay, So I don't know

about you, but these are things that we have to

be very very careful of because if we do not,

you're not careful about it, it can actually destroy what

we have built all this well, and instead of us

always aspiring to build, we actually destroying indirectly or even

without knowing that we're destroying. So no matter what doctrine

that you focus on, if you get this portion wrong,

that's it.

No love, that's it.

And that's why Paul also reminds us again, what do

you say in first quarrenthins their thing? It's amazing, right,

I'm going to paraphrase a little bit, but you can

put out the verse. You can that verse Corinthians the

Tin one to two. It says that if you if

I speak in tongues of men, that means if you

can do miracles and all that, right, but without love,

you are just a resounding gong or a planning symbol.

What is a gong symbol?

I'm not saying that, you know anyway, it's just sound noise.

I always imagine the monkey with the drum as the

I read this verse all right, because it's just me

means that God just.

Look at it like, oh, it's just making noise. Can't

take it.

So there needs to be harmony with love, and what

we do we cannot just do without love, because if

we do without love is just loveless religion, and therefore

people can get you.

Do you do miracles. Even what's the point God sees it?

That's just noise point number two to area finishing a day.

Okay, okay, cool, all right, okay, failure to distant of

the distant Disciples. Of course, we we know in this

story there's two Peter and Judas. Okay, a small exerpt

small thing down there. Sorry, zech the slide with the

failure of distant Disciples. The focus here is not so

much on the failure, but actually in the response and

now you make you'll be a lot clearer after this. Okay,

Now again, in this narrative where we have Jesus before

the high priests, we see two rman characters in the

make mix. Right, we've got Peter bepose we have Judas. Okay,

but don't you find it fascinating that always we always

paint Judas as the bad guy always? But did you

know Peter was also the bad guy somewhat. But somehow

this guy always as the worst. And it's not just Christians,

you know, I'll use this again. It's not biblical, but uh,

have anybody had a dantist inferno?

You might think of the game.

Okay, I know where you're going to that, Yeah, there

is a game called Dante's Inferno. I think that was

in twenty ten, maybe quite some time backline anyway, oh,

game or game, but it's based on the same premise

here Dante's Inferno. But dante Inferno is actually poetry, okay,

written in the I think the fourteenth century, and it's

part of a larger piece of poetry called the Divine Comedy.

Okay. And is this guy basically.

Exploring Hell and Earth, sorry, Heaven and Earth, sorry Heaven

and Hell's rather and the journey between those two spaces okay.

And I'm gonna put up a photograph again, it's not biblical, okay,

it's just an illustration that is made famous. So this

is the picture of Dante's Inferno, okay. And the guy

in front of the front is actually supposedly Dante himself

holding the story or the poem, the poetry that we're

talking about, okay. And behind him is the journey from Heaven,

and then there's all the way down to Hell. Hell

is below ground, by the way, just in case you

don't know where Hell is located at least in that context,

is below ground. And if you go to the next slide, okay,

that is below ground. Interesting right right, I think in

some of our Chinese culture is not too different this

this concept. Anyway, let's not get there, okay. So, uh

they believe in nine circles of hell. So there is

the limbo, and then depending on how bad your uh

I guess, your sins are, you'll be placed in those

different levels down right at the bottom, level nine, you

are there they are, and and that's where, by the way,

and that's where, by the way, Judas was placed level

nine down there together with Satan. And in case you

cannot see, this is actually supposed to be a blue

frozen lake.

Level nine. This son is two thirdler.

So I put this on the actually anyway, Level nine

is down here, and that's where Satan chills chills out

with with with Judas. And then there's two more people there,

by the way, according to him, like the poor, the

poor Brutus and Cassius, the killers of Julus Caesar, remember

Julius Caesar. Yeah, so three amigos plus Satan hanging out there,

and all they do is, yeah, over and over again

they suffer. I mean, seeing Satan is quite suffering there, right, Yeah,

every day reminded again and again. So it's the worst

of the worst. So even in non Christian circles they

paint Judas that's so bad, you know, right, you just

painted the bad guy. Even in a non Christian context,

stories put to that level. But the okay, let's move

away from this again. I don't endorse this. It's just

saying what the world believes. But the reality is right,

I really believe Peter and Judas also the same, same one,

same level. And I explained to you why same same. Okay,

let's look at some of the similarities. Okay, they are

both business disciples. Oh come sure, not right, hey, shure,

not in the things. But yeah, I'm glad you asked.

By the way, I think, I'm sure. But let's look

at some of the examples. Say, okay, so this slide

here lists some of the things that the similarities. So

both betrayed Jesus really are Peter Jesus, Yes, he denied

just three times right in John nineteen. Right, of course, Judas,

you're trying to say a lot. He go in signify

that this is the guy to arrest by kissing him,

kissing Jesus, and he did it for Manila.

So that's the betrayal. Part.

Okay, both gave in to human weakness. Okay, Peter gave

into fear.

Right.

He was like, oh do you know Jesus, No, I

don't know, right, the night just three times fear men

Judas of course you know he did it for my right,

so human weakness. Next, they were both used by Satan.

Huh God, I mean Judas is clear that. But were

they used by Yeah? Yeah, yeah, remember the whole expression,

gets behind me Satan looking at Peter. Yeah, one day

Lord sees me. I don't say get behind me, you

know Satan. You know that means yeah, temporarily, Satan was

the one that is taking over or doing the thing.

You don't want to be nicknamed Satan, right, But that's

what happened.

For a moment.

Jesus say get behind me, because he understands that Satan

has has has has taken over. And of course you know,

Satan entered Judas as well, So they were both used

by Satan. Both felt remorse and shame. Peter's sorrow led

to repentance and subsequently led to redemption, which is a

good news part of it. You know where Judas ended

up hung hanging on the tree because the despair tragically

led to.

That outcome. And lastly, Jesus predicated both their failures.

Right, you just talk about the three times denials that

we cannot I won't lie, you know, but he did, right,

And then Jesus is so called out Judas is betrayal.

Someone will betray me, and it did happen. So yeah,

both of them were distant. However, both had different outcomes.

And if you didn't catch anything today, one of the

things you want to take home today that he take

home is no matter how you fail, and we will fail,

guys in following Jesus, we will fail, but it's more

important what you do with it. Or because you see

these two guys say but the outcome is different. Why

because the next steps are different. So that's the key

takeaway point. Now, before you say it will not happened

to me, trust me, it will happen. It's a matter

of when it will happen.

So watch this.

Uh yeah, if it's not if you fail, it's what

you do after, which is the main point.

Next Like.

Yeah, so Peter, failure plus repentance equals restoration and Judus

plus despair equals destruction. So sometimes you look at repent.

This is a very bad thing, right, it's never good.

But she's a gift, you know, it's the start. You know,

if you repent right, then only you can go to

the if you you like charts, flow chat. If you

don't repent, they will not be the next step. But

one chose restoration, one chose destruction.

Both of them.

Understood where they have messed up. So in this room today,

I hope we will recognize that we will fall. And

when you do fall, repent and you're ready to go

towards it is rock rather than Judes is round. You know,

even in Matthew it says blessed are those are the

poor in spirit?

Right, it's okay.

In other words, daily we need to recognize that we

need God. We are ready to for every new parent

new parents soon. Yeah, but you know it's okay to

be ready to let them learn from it. You know

it won't hurt them, right, same thing, it's okay to

recognize that you need God on a daily basis. And

even if you fail, God is not there to judge you.

I know you're a good thing. I have I learned

about this? Right is God actually looked at you lovingly?

But sometimes you just don't see it because you are,

you know, filled with all this guilt that you cannot

see us. You don't forgive yourself. And that's why I

said earlier. Repentance is actually not supposed to be a burden.

It's actually a gift. But you need to recognize this

because you think you're a surprised how your fail This dude,

this guy has seen everything for the last many years

of existence. You think it's something that shocks him. Oh, whoa,

this guy, how can you do? That's pertly worse right,

But it's sometimes you that no, I cannot lie. But

the beauty of it is that she God made a

way for us to come back into restoration. You just

gonna recognize it can get amen. Yeah, So it's important.

So if you're sitting there you think that the weight

on you is not for you to carry out, it's

not afraid to carry Invite the Lord in.

We will provide you. And just like how this happy

ending story come, you just need.

To recognize that the answer is Peter's path despite failures,

you know, just recognize that all he said that God,

I recognize I messed up. After the resurrection, he said, Lord,

I recognize that I love you, you love me, and

let's move on. And he recognizes the Lord which is

welcomed him back. And that's the beauty of it. And

that's why he didn't go towards Rob two destruction. The

red ended up in level nine. Okay, choking, but anyway,

let's let's move on. Last point and our end. Thank

you Brandon for giving me more time. Yeah, loving willingness. Okay,

of a silent savior, of the silence savior. Now I read,

I read the passage earlier, right that Jesus was silent.

Silence doesn't mean weakness. No, By the way, guys, he

was silent because of love. I explained why. Okay, if

you look at versus uh eleven onwards you will see

and I have the verses on the screen that can

you help me out that.

You see?

He said, if you said so, he gave no answer,

He made no reply. And again this reminds us they

were standing before all these religious leaders. Right, he's again

couldn't silent and all? He said, well, if you say so,

it is what it is now? Right?

I am who I am? I am who you say

I am? Or who I am who I say I am.

As well, the claims that Boon I am the Messiah. Right,

So even Pilot that day is like, oh, the expression

is so bam and like what happened there? For his

voice always like that because you know, Pilot probably thinking

I know they frame you.

I can see it.

I know you're not causing them fire any harm. But

why are you not doing anything? I mean, anybody in

the right man would do that, right, Like, hey.

Why don't you stand up for yourself? So he's so shocked.

Why don't you answer? Why don't you stand up for

what is right? It's okay, So he's probably prodding encourage Jesus,

come on, let let let let's get let me, let me,

let me not put you, an innocent man to death,

because I know you're innocent.

But what did he do?

Cricket silence, only say what he needs to say. I've

been thinking about this quite a long time. Some of

you may know that I started running a little bit.

Thank you, Charles influencer. And when you run right, you're

nothing to do and you just think I have averaged

about seven to ten kilometers a day for the last

six days.

Now, so get a lot of time of things and

say Okay, So I was just thinking, why did he

not say anything? Why? It's just an amazing story. Anybody

I've heard of C. S Lewis Right next light, Zach,

you've seen this? You read this book? Right? I haven't.

It's a book written in nineteen fifty. The book is

on the level over there, he saychildren's book. Uh, I

watched the movie. I'm not a book, even children's book.

I read other things, but not not fiction fiction correct

and nonfiction stuff I like to read.

Anyway. This book is called The Lion, the Witch and

the Wardrobe, all right, And it's just C. S.

Lewis's way of trying to make the gospel the good

news simple that even kids or children can understand it,

and children like me as well, can stand it through

a movie.

So I watched the Hollywood version, all right?

What was it?

What this near? Yeah? Well thisney wow any big, big time.

So ultimately you know that this whole premise of those

who watched it or read the book, you know that

this is talking about what happened is the Jesus story

ler so in in that book, Uh, leading to Jesus

Jesus crucifixion. Right, Uh, there is uh there was a

Satan equivalent and uh, the White Witch correct, why why

is it female? Must not get that anyway anyway, Queen

of darkness okay. And then there's the lion.

What's his name? Aslan? Yeah, not that okay, Aslan Okay,

it's the lion. Uh.

And of course he represents Jesus. Why because lion of

the tribe of Judah. That's why I think they used

the lion. And then there were also some characters in there,

some kids. Uh, there was four kids.

I believe.

One kid messed up, betrays his family, uh, and then

goes to the White Witch.

What's his name? That men? Thank you?

Yeah?

Edmund? Yeah, of course you know. Then the White Witch

will say, you know, don't you remember the laws of

the of the Deep magic? Uh?

If anybody, if someone betrays, then the person must have

put to death.

Uh.

And so essentially edmunds to die in that story, poor

kid to die. Of course, Aslan steps.

In, and what do you do?

I will die for him instead. You didn't say that loud,

but you know paraphrasing here. So the great, the great Lion,

who could have easily think about it, dominated darkness, but

he chose not to do it that glorious way. And

this is sometimes why we wonder why you just don't

go and do like the like the Romans way, you know,

like just wipe out everything, reset nuclear or kind of

a style which somebody is Montrio happy these days. Let's

not talk about him. But but yeah, you get the idea.

And even in this representation, he remains silent quite a lot. Yeah,

all right, because the the I want to say the witch,

but it's not the witch. Sorry, A little bit of

the a little bit of the what was that the

wicked witch guy?

Think coming in? No?

No, this is uh the the white what's expression in

the white? Yeah queen, that's right, white queen. I know,

I say white witch anyway?

Is it rich white queen? Right? Anyway? Maybe richa anyway?

I forgot my details, but the satan in the story

said that, yeah, laughing at Asla. It's too laterly you know,

of got spoiler. Let you know, he just as he

tries to kill guess what, he resurrected ooh yeah, coming

up to life.

But in the whole part, right, he remains.

Silent, just like how in the Crucifixion story, as Jesus

remained silent through the undieting consistency, right, and why does

he remain silent?

Whether is Jesus story or Asla story.

If you look back in Isaiah, there is a prophecy

five hundred eighty years before the crucifixion itself that talks

about this. Okay, he was oppressed and afflicted, yet he

did not open his mouth. He was led like a

lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers,

his silent, so he did not open his mouth. So

I believe Jesus and Aslan as well kept quiet because

otherwise this will not be fulfilled.

Consistent.

Yeah, Da Carson theologian says this Jesus silence is a

demonstration that his kingdom does not need nor does rely

on human advocacy. Essentially, what he's trying to say is that, yeah,

he has to trust the Father, that this redemned FAITHO

had to happen.

So why do I need to defend myself? Right?

I died to rely on that, William Barclay, This guy died.

He did not defend himself because the truth did not

require defending. And that I believe is why Jesus remains

silent last night to fulfill the prophecy is what the truth?

Truth don't need defending my energury. No matter how you

say that truth is the truth, you don't say it,

so it's t truth. You say also, it's still truth

so much so don't say save some breath. But I

really believe also that Jesus remains silent because he in

his capacity, he knew all the others before him have sin.

But he choose not to say anything because I think

he understands his mission. He is to come in there

to do the redemptive work.

So what's the point. I'm going to be taking away

your place anyway, So why bring it up again?

He came to safe and not to condemn. Remember the

woman coned doubtery.

The story.

John aid, they again religiously does always try to test

this right. They bring the woman to Jesus and say, hey,

the law tells you this should happen because she was caught.

And then what they just do?

He stooped down and remain silent. What does Operadi alwaysid

that remain silent? Why did he remain silent? I believe

he could say, yeah, yeah, I understand the law, I

know you're right, but he chooses not to because you

know that by law, this woman would be stolen. But

instead of that, he also knew, like I said, he's

going to be the one that will be taking over,

like almost in replacement of this woman, to be.

Some extent. So he knew his life mission more clearly.

And therefore, again.

That's the kicker here, the final punch of this everything

that we just talked about last night, the silence of

Jesus was love in action, because Jesus indirectly in the

woman's story, it's like saying, yeah, I'm going to take

her place. So and I believe by him not saying

it but implying that he's also doing it for the

rest of humanity. So if you didn't catch anything today,

I think that's what revival actually needs to happen.

Right, You need to come back to why we do

all we do.

Love has to happen, has exists in the church, otherwise

we're just another expression of religion. So back to the

very beginning. There will be times I believe that religion

will fail because we are very prone to lovelessness. If

we do not, you know, take a stock take every day.

But if we do, if we do not, if we

allow that to continue to happen lovelessness. Revival will also

die in the process. And again, how disciples fail in

this story because they were distant Sonya yet so far

And when they are distant and we as disciples are distant,

revival will also eventually if you're not careful. So here's

the final truth.

The kicker just telling me that it's stopbody ending idio.

Okay, right, Jesus' leve will never fail us no matter what,

despite how often frequency.

We feel him. Love will never ever ever fail us.

And that's the good news. Right.

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

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

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this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you.

God bless