Get Down From Your Tree | Pr Dave Yeow

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Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

Right now. Behold, there was a man named.

Zacchius who was a chief tax.

Collector, and he was rich, and.

He sought to see who Jesus was, but could not

because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.

So here's a short, shorty, short king. So he ran

ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him,

for he was going to pass that way. And when

Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw

him and said to him, Zacchius, make haste and come down,

No Mars, quickly come down, for today I must stay

at your house. So he made hayes and come down

and received Jesus' joy. But when they saw it, they

being the crowd, they all complained, saying he has gone

to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.

Then zach just stood and said to the lord, look, Lord,

I gave half of my goods to the poor, and

if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I.

Restore four foals.

Wow, And Jesus said to him, today's salvation has come

to this house because he also is a son of Abraham.

For the son of Man has come to seek and

to save that which was lost.

Amen.

That is the heart of why we do what we do,

so that the son of men are able. You know,

we're able to be used by the son of Man,

used by Jesus to play a part. Because God does

the major Worklord, we just play a part. We just

avail ourselves. Amen, so that the loss can be sought

and found.

Amen.

Whether there's the loss in so many here, whether it's

the loss in Malaysia, whether it's the loss in Europe

or UK and beyond. You know, this is the heart

of God. This is the heart of our church. And

this should be our heart too, because you see, we're

called to be Christ's followers. We're called to be Christians.

If you want to be a Christian, you've got to

be like Christ. If you remove Christ from Christian, your

love with Ian. And I don't know who Ian is,

you know, but Ian cannot get you to heaven. But

I'm a Christian. I'm not Ian.

Right.

So you see a lot of Christians we forget. We

we call on seves Christians, but we resist what God

is about. And every now and then it's so important

for us to come back to remind ourselves again what

is my faith truly about? Our faith is about a

God who seeks and saves the loss. And we were

at one time loss broken, sinners to different degrees, but

seeing us all the same, and Jesus found us, healed

us and brought us home. And today we want to

continue in that and and and to continue to share

the good news.

Amen.

The day is a God. He's not angry, he wants

to seek and save us. Will we allow him to

rescue us? Will we allow him to heal us? Will

we allow him to fix us?

Amen? That is the heart of our faith.

And oftentimes we the number one thing you know, whether

in Malaysia or in the UK, can't tell you the

number one sickness that all Christians suffer from amnesia. Amnesia Okay,

not literally sitting. I'm okay, I don't have lzeimes my family.

But you know, oftentimes the problem with Christians is is

we forget. We forget. It's not like God. It's not powerful,

it's not like God, it's not good. But we forget

how he has been, We forget how speen. It's not

like God doesn't have a purpose for us, we forget

what that purpose is. We allow other things to destrike us.

Amen.

And So today I really believe that God wants to

remind us again, Amen. And and and every time I

preach us, in case it's the first time sitting under me,

I'm just very mindful of the club. I I love preaching,

so I can go over time. So, but I will

try not to, all right, But but my my desire,

you know, everything I preach, my desire is really, you know,

for you to encounter God through the scripture, and for you,

as you read the word of God, to to to

be formed and molded by the word of God. And

and and and my hope is that we will after hearing, right,

because the the you know, faith comes from hearing and

hearing the word of God. But after hearing, you know,

like we don't need to just be hearers of the world.

We want to be do us. So hope that after

this message you also leave with a mission in mind.

Amen.

And So I have three points for us this morning

that help us to I'm practice that would help us

to encounter God, be formed by him, and also leave

with a mission.

Amen.

Point number one is this carry carry right, carry one

carry God's presence. There was something about Jesus that as

he walked through that town called Jericho, it caused people

to be curious about him. There was something about Jesus

that caused people to be interested in him. I don't

think everybody agreed with him, and as from the scripture

were just read, not.

Everybody agree with he? Why he go and hang out

with that kind of people?

But even though he had detractors, even though he had haters,

but they still couldn't.

Get enough of him.

They still wanted to draw here right true not you know,

they had to be there to see what he did

to criticize him, right and then and he attracted a

wide range of people from religious types that that knew

who was a sinner who wasn't a sinner? Right because

from your language? Were singer or how you know? Were

you his neighbor? Was it by his dressing? And then

you have if you have the text collector type that

that you know whether it's poor people right who whoo?

Who crowd around Jesus or rich people? Everybody crowd around Jesus.

But it wasn't because Jesus is good looking. It wasn't

because Jesus was rich. It wasn't because Jesus was you know,

walked around very powerful. He is powerful, but it was

strength that was under control.

You know.

Jesus wasn't going around like some superhero and no lights

shooting out of his eyes. You know, he wasn't floating

in the air like Superman. He he he walked, and there

was something about him. He carried God's presence and Jesus

when he walked on earth, it wasn't just to save us.

It was also to role model for future generations on

how we ought to be and how and what we

can be. And so Jesus when he was on Earth,

he want you know, there's one thing we're gonna ask us,

just as wow and as a follow up, Christ, Am

I like Jesus in a way that when I walk

into a room, people sense that's something different about me.

There are some people who are studying, maybe looking for

a job in the future.

You're gonna ask yourself.

Am I like Jesus in such a way that when

I start a position in a new company, I knew

I don't know anyone, but immediately the people around me

can sense that there's something different about me.

When you move right now, you're renting. One day you

move into this.

Dream home, maybe it's a gated community, whatever it is, right,

And then when you move to the new postcode, when

you move your new condo, whatever it is, when you

move to a new bungalow, Amen, nobody here wants Bungo.

Okay, fine, I'll take the Bangalore we know for people

just go like, oh wow.

Such a nice house or all this says there's something

different about the family that just moved in. Right when

if one day, right right now, ask somebody is here.

If one day we outgrow this place, amen, and then

we have to move. We're no tries, so like we

hate Uni Village, but we have no tries, but we

have to move to accommodate a bigger place.

Will Uni Village miss us? A man?

We're people right now going to the gym across there

as they're on their trapmill. You know, sometimes I wonder like,

what what are you thinking about? You know, because they're

also so serious. Have you ever observe people in the

gym they're just walking and they're staring into nothing. That's

you know, if the gym has a TV, then maybe

they're watching the TV. But sometimes they're just like what

And I go like, what are you thinking? Are you

thinking about your grocery list?

You know?

But I wonder es they're working out there right, are

they sensing there's something about this room? And my hope

is that this will be our desire, whether it is

a case or not. Because I'm not here, maybe feel

I feel so normal. In fact, in fact is opposite

where when I taxical leave, people in the office rejoice.

Even if that's you, It's okay. If we will pray,

We'll have all the cawpray for you. But I'm just

here saying that, you know what, no matter where we

are in that just desire that Amen. As a church,

can we desire say God feel us like the song

that we just sang. What is the Church of God?

It's it's living. It's not a building. We are the

Church of God. We are the living bricks of the

Church of God. May we be filled with your presence

like your song. We're just saying I want to be

a vessel. Fill me with your presence. May we be

so filled that when we gather so much power, so

much radiation, you know, because like like when when where

I appreciate this message? In UK they could feel it

when we gather hot or not hot. But but by

can it be a different type of heats? Can it

be a touch spiritual heats, a touch spiritual love? That

the people therefore are walking out people, you know, it's

quite commitment to wake out on a Sunday morning to

go to the gym.

That means they really care about health.

It means they really care about future, or maybe they

really care about looks, that they care about a lot

of things. But as they're trying to chase after thinking

that in those six apps or make me happier, a

slimmer body will make me healthier, live longer, so that

I can enjoy life more, as they're chasing after these

other gods. Yet there we believe that there is enough

saints to gather in this room, that there's so much holiness,

so much love that that people afterward they would they

go like what is happening there? And then you know,

I will love it if in the sundays, you know,

coming that as you appreciate, you start seeing you know,

the people who don't just come out from a gym

pretend to walk past here.

You know, I haven't been there before.

When when you want to check out something, but you

don't have to show that you're checking out the only

human being here, you know, like like like you know,

sometimes you go there, you pretend to stretch your legs

and you go to one is meeting here. You know,

sometimes I do that, you know, because as a passers

sometimes and very curious about like is that space?

What space is that?

Because I don't use it for church and use it

for outreach, So sometimes I go there like you know

what this don't pret out the time my shoe legs

a little bit. Wouldn't it be amazing if you know,

because this is actually glass right right? What don't amazing?

As we're preaching here? Know as you worshiping here this

ctantly you know, a person there just came up from gym,

you know, and then they're just cooling out there, drinking

and water there. But actually that curious about what's happening here?

How will that happen?

You see?

We can talk and talk and to the cows come home.

How will that happen? Until we become people that will

carry God's presence? How will that happen in your house?

You would love that, wouldn't you. Amen, Then you moved

to a new location and your neighbors, you know, they

want to be your friends. Your neighbors, you know, sense

that there's something different about you.

You know, they will know that we're Christian.

Is not only because we hang a big plaque outside

or how says the lord is? You know, Jesus is

lord of this house, you know, but they can sense.

The worst one is they can see the Christian black,

they see the Christian cross, but then they don't sense

any love at all.

They don't sense any difference.

Now, how how how do we become carriers of God's presence?

We need to get down from the tree. You see

what does the tree represent? Zacchias was interested in Jesus.

There was something about Jesus cause Zakias to be very curious.

And Zakias wanted to have a glimpse. And Zacchias thought

the best way is to climb a tree. Climate tree.

I can see it all. I'm a short guy. I

climate tree, I can see Jesus. I climb a tree.

And but this is best because I'm a tax director.

If I go to near people will hate me. So

in this tree I have the best vintage point I have.

I have enough of Jesus. This is good enough for me.

The tree represents whatever it is. That's good enough for us.

Sometimes we come to church and church is our tree

because you go, like, I love Jesus, I'm coming to church.

But that's it. That's enough. Coming to church enough Jesus. Really,

But you see, the miracle didn't happen when Zachyrs was

on the tree. The a miracle happened when Jesus asked

us to get down from the tree.

And a lot of times, you know.

But you see, Canzach Can Jesus be seen from the

top of the tree. Yes, And so sometimes you come

to church, we experience God towards the next ten. We

see Jesus at work towards to the next tent. But

God wants more for us. The question is do we

want more for ourselves? So for some of us it

could be church. And so what's the next step? What

is the getting down.

From the tree?

Get involved, maybe serve, maybe you know, allow yourself to

be rooted. If you want testimonies in your life, you

gotta be a rooted tree, A simple as that, right,

And that's why. You know, flowers can be very nice,

but they cannot bear fruit. Flowers white because it's cut. Right,

they look very nice, but sooner or later they were

with a lot of times where Christians we look very nice,

we look very holy, having the form of godliness, but

lacking no juice, no power. Why because we're just a flower.

We're not rooted, we're not planted. A tree that's planted

will bear fruit. And so for some of us here,

don't just come. Don't just come, and don't just worship.

Be planted, be rooted, Be part of homes, be part

of the serving team. You know, get to know the leaders,

invite your leaders out for lunch, open up your place,

and not allow yourself to be a little bit vulnerable.

Do you know it was very vulnerable for execus to

get now from the tree. You know, I know it's

not easy, but but but you see, it takes vulnerability.

It takes us letting our God down for Christ to

come near. You know, if if executives didn't come down

from the tree, the story wouldn't end that way. You know, this,

this is so amazing, This prime challenge year passes, you know,

because there's a great prosperity that came to the city.

Right, one person got safe and it.

Wah prosperity, you know, half of interest inheritance. Can you imagine,

like one of the richest people, Tony Fernandez, one day

it goes, I've been convicted by Christ.

I give half my possession away.

The whole of Malaysia owns fifty percent of Asia shares

a that you, the whole nation rejoice, right, you'd be like, hallelujah,

praise God.

Whichever God that changed only Fernandez, that's that. That's a

good God. Right.

And then and then on top that, if I cheated,

you can I mention Asia saying if any of you

had delays, I will repay four times.

I tell you great.

Prosperity right across right whole of Malaysia. Do you see

the blessing, the transformation?

Right?

It didn't happen until what until zach Yis got down

from the tree. You see, we want we want the blessing.

We want God to use us. We want God to

IMpower our nation. We want to see Heaven on earth

right his kingdom comings will be done. We want to

see all that but it takes us getting down from

our tree.

So for some of us, the tree is church. For

some of us, the tree.

Could be our own devotional walk with God, thinking to yourself, Oh,

I wash it on Sunday, I serve. I love listening

to worship songs. I played it in my car. I

love listening to messages. I buy the books. But for

whatever reason, you struggle and you're reluctant to open the

Bible for yourself and have a personal devotional time with

the Lord. You know, we we we we we like

a better word. You know. We love having Jesus. We

love having other people do the homework of Jesus for us.

Doesn't make sense, you know. And they're like like it's

like wow, you know, because because when you get blessed

by preaching your gleaning from another person's journey, you're blessed

by it.

But it's it's like it's processed food.

If I can use food as analogy, God wants to

give you fresh daily bread, but we want to eat

process food. Now, we'll process food feel the tummy. Yes,

will process food kill you?

No? Can you get fat with processed with? Yes? Very much.

So I'm a living byproduct of that, but God wants

to give us daily bread. So maybe for you, you know

you're Christian, your slfing, but but something is stuck. You know,

there's no testimony, no breakthrough, your your faithful is the same,

the same. And you say, ah, but but I'm too busy.

So maybe business is your tree. I'm too busy. I

have a business to run and have two kids, two parents.

It's busy. I'm a new parent. I totally understand. Children

are a handful. Sleep is a luxury, So all the

students enjoy your sleep now because one day you will

have none of it, you know. But but now it's like, oh,

you know, if only, if only, But you know, what's

that tree? So for us it could be this personal

excuse us business, I'm too busy. I want church on

the goal, you know, audio, Bible, audio podcasts, worship song,

everything you'll actually feel with God's truth. But maybe God

is saying, hey, I desire more because I want you

to carry my word. Don't No, I'm glad that you're

being blessed by my other servants, but why don't you

get personally blessed by me? And so maybe for some

of us that that's the top, carrying that God wants

He wants you to have fresh bread, harry God's presence.

Maybe it's prayer, you know, but it happens when you

get down from that tree.

Amen.

And so I pray that that that even as we

are kicking off this brand new season, I pray that

you will have a vision for your faith. Don't just

have a vision for your bank account, how people? You

have vision for how much you want to save this year?

And I'm not saying don't do that, Please do that.

So you have a vision for traveling, you'd be like,

I want you know you you you save up your

vision and you go like, by this year, I want

to go to Japan to career, to whatever you know,

to to plang to East Malaysia, whatever, because no Malaysia,

so as lot of beautiful places I should have just

named like japanic career. And you have a vision for travel,

But what about a vision for your faith? What about

a vision to say that Lord, this year, can you

use me in such a way where my colleagues will

will spot something about me that I can have meaningful

conversations with them. That that that you know, my neighbors

will begin to realize something different about me and we

can build bridges. God, I want you to to use

me in such a way where where every time, you know,

we come together as a church.

You know.

Uh uh, the the security got happy to see us

because welcoming us is the highlight of their week. You know,

as I'm saying this, you know I'm not saying I'm

not just painting a beautiful picture.

Because you know, recently I told you X.

London, we moved our new venue and so we had

to leave our old venue and we've been there for

ten years, and we moved from we moved in in

the smallest hall and then by God's grace, we moved

to to the bigger hot, bigger hot, bigger heart until

we had to move.

Out because we ran out of halls there.

And uh And the one thing that that that made

us very sad was when the people who work on

a Sunday, the people who open up the place, the

deporters or the receptionists, they say that we're gonna miss

you so much, We're gonna miss you so much, and

then then they only start and I'm not sure whether

it's like, you know, why why do people only say

nice things when we're about to park. You know, when

when you're with each other, never say anything. So this

child is a year if you celebrate choice year. Even

if you don't celebrate the matter, say nine things to

each other. Okay, don't don't wait, don't wait until your

family mess or and great, don't wait until you leave

overseas to say actually, thank you mom. No, say thank

you mom every day so so so, but I don't

know why it is. As we're about to leave, then

the porters and say, actually, we actually open up the

place for you guys.

It's such it's all highlight. There are other groups there.

But but then they say, but we actually we love

you guys because you guys have been such a blessing.

There's something and they're saying that there's something about you

guys that brings us so much joy. And I walked

away as passed. I rejoiced, but I also regret because

I got. I got Why didn't I capitalize on that?

You know, if if only I knew they were so blessed,

then I would have been bolder. Right, if only I

knew I had so much favor, I would have been bolder.

Oh God, help me to be bold, Help me to

be discerning, and that brings me to my next point.

Choose point of one, carry God's presence, but pointub one

to point number two.

Choose.

You see, Jesus went into Jericho, and there were hundreds,

maybe even thousands that day.

That were surrounding Jesus.

Right, That's why exactly said to climb a tree to

support Jesus. So many people wanted Jesus's attention, I believe,

but Jesus chose to speak to zach Yis. And this

is a reminder from the Lord that first of all,

let's carry more of his presence. But the thing about

carrying God's presence, friends, let me encourage you.

It's not something that you feel.

It's something that you believe because He has already promised.

Now.

Sometimes when we say things like God, I want to

carry your presence, and then you go, I don't feel

very powerful, no goose bumps, there's no static on my hand,

because you think that you know, wow, if I carry

God's presence, you know everywhere I walk, you know, the

shadow hits you know, you know the people and people

get healed. You know, I shake hands and demons come out.

You know, we think that I gotta feel it. And

so we spend a lot of our times feeling like

we don't cary enough of God's presence, feeling like we're

not anointed enough, feeling like we're not educated enough, feeling

like we're not good enough to be used by God

in such a wondrous way.

But do you know that God promises.

God promises his presence as in extras We notice because

because we always look at this scripture when we talk

about discipleship, we always do get this scripture. When it

comes to missions, we always do get right. But what

does he say, go into the world made disciples, and

what teach her to observe all that I've taught you?

And and some transitions say and low, So anyone here

with the surname law, you're extra blessed because Jesus promises

to be the those name lor. It's a joke anyway,

It's just saying that, and and I will be with

you until the end of the age. And so you

have a God who desires to be with us. The

question is will you open the door for Jesus. So

the moment you open the door for Jesus and say

that God, please come into my life, please come and

please use me as your vessor LRD this week, help

me to live different law from today onwards. Maybe maybe

previously you've lived selfishly. Maybe previously you never really you know,

saw it in that way that God wants to paw

out his Holy Spirit, his presence onto you, and and

and and cause you to become almost like a modern

living out of the covenant, a walking presence of God.

But now you realize that that there's God's intention, right,

And then secondly that what needs to happen after that is.

We're gonna choose.

We gotta say, God, who can I connect with God?

What should I do with all this blessing, in all

this favor? The one thing I regret that was that, man,

if only you know can just be retas sometimes we don't,

you know, we learn, we learn, right, We're not always perfect,

you know, we're not always a Hallelujah prison life.

No, we we learn, we learn, we try our best.

We want to chase after God.

And and so God reminded me recently, Hey, he didn't realize, right,

you already had so much favor what we have done

different if you knew, you know now that you're so

much favor as you're moving out. What if you knew

that two years ago? What if you knew two years ago?

What if you knew five years ago, ten years ago,

I'd be like I would have been bolder, I will

have been more daring, I would be more specific even,

And that's exactly what Jesus did, so much power And yeah,

he knew exactly who he needed to spend time with

is exactius, because he knew maybe that if I can

impact Zakias, this whole city will be impacted.

Now, we don't have the mind of price in that way.

We can't tell or if I impact that sup, if I,

if only I reached that one new student, then the

entire new intake of not the university will be here.

We don't know that. We don't know that. So what

do we do?

We just try our best reach everyone, right, But there

also comes a time and place for us to be

discerning and go God this week, you know, because because

you know, as modern Christians, sometimes it's busy. Right, We've

got work, we've got studies, we've got personal commitments. But

we should still go like, Lord, you've given me your

Holy Spirit, You've given me salvation.

Right, Yes, I.

I serve in church, and that's one way for us

to carry God's presence my God. I I also want

personal testimony. I also want to be used by I.

I you know, like like my love for you is

not just dependent on my church dream team. Does it

make sense?

Right? Like like like you know, you can serve the

lot in the marketplace.

You don't to be part of like a young working

a doubt lawyers group to make a difference as a lawyer. No, no,

you you just need to be Christian to go. Like

you know, if I'm a lawyer, God use me. If

I'm an engineer, God use me. If I'm a housewive,

God use me. If I'm a teacher, got used me.

If if you know, if whatever it is, I'm a banker, consultant,

God use me. If I'm a you don't, God use me.

Not everyone can walk into Nottingham University. You can God

use me, right, But then when you want in there,

there's classes, there's different commitments, and then the temptation is

that I don't have time. And this is where I

want to mean you halfway. I recognize that we're all busy.

I recognize that we all might not have the luxury

of time. We all like a resource one way or

the other. When you were younger, you probably had a

lot of time and energy, but you had no money.

That maybe as you work you realize I got money now,

but now I've got no time.

Right, So what do we do?

Do we just live by excuses, nor we say to

God despite my limitations, teach me, show me, help me

to be choose, even put it away, or maybe if

you don't like the word choosy, help me to be intentional.

Who I should spend time with this week? On top

of my church commitments, on top my may response, stability

at the workplace, as as as a son and daughter's

husband and wife.

You know I desire to.

Be used by you, see Jesus new zacchius zac yis

in fact certain transitions, is zachi?

Is? I need to eat at your house?

You know Jesus knew you know the Father's plan and

so here friends, I just want to encourage you. Will

you take up the challenge and say this week? And

I know it's Chinese New Year Week for a lot

of you, a lot of family gatherings. But even in

the business of all that, can you still say, God,

help me to choose wisely, how how I spend my time,

you know.

And a family gathering, there's so much going on.

There's some anties, gossiping, there's some aunties that you're running

away from because you're always asking you.

Why you're so fair while you're still saying ah, you know.

And then there's another girl because they know that there's

a lot of chaos, I mean a lot of festivity

during Chinese year, right, and and and that we believe

that even in the midst of that family gathering.

Just think about it.

So every time you get to see your extended family,

now you don't have to go to the family of

families coming to you.

So we have two choices.

A lot of us, if you're introval like me, you

just don't find the nearest box drink, presenting them tea

and then blend into the wall, right, you know. But

but maybe for some of us here when they choose

this is yeah, yeah, you know, God, I know my personality,

but I still choose you and help me to know

who to impact, who to connect with, because because maybe

you know, in the whole chaos, maybe God will show

you you're most needed right now in the kitchen helping

your auntie who is making dumplings? Can you go and

help her? And then in the helping of her, do

you know that sometimes God can open up conversations. We're

going to that in the third point, but but God

can or maybe it's direct conversation.

There's so many this is running around, but maybe the laws.

Say that that cousin talked to that cousin because sometimes,

you know, people don't always show on the outside what

they're going through on the inside. You know, so many

times I have you know, bombed to the people and

talk to people, you know, just very well with reason

for me. But just last year, I was I happened

to be back for the missions conference. Every year church

has a mission conference in August, and I just happened

to be there and I just happen to bomb.

To a church. But go there, how are you right?

And then God begin to show me even in church

sometimes you know, we can carry God's press even in church.

People need ministry. And so I was just talking to this,

you know, hey, how are you? A long time don't

see how are you?

And I think it must be the presence of God

maybe a little bit of what I'm carrying maybe a

little bit of what he's carrying, but he's definitely a

president of God. Because this person just go actually not

that great and then begin to very vulnerably and honestly

share what's not being going great in his life, what's

not been going great, you know, in his marriage. And

and I'm like, ohh this is a lot of honesty.

And sometimes you know, we underestimate the presence of God.

You know, Zach has had a transformation on the spot.

He's like, I give half away away. This is crazy

transformation that just happened on the spot. Great vulnerability that

just happened on the spot. We just gotta say, God,

help me to carry more and more and more of

your presence and that power that I'm carrying. Help me

to connect it. Maybe you don't like the word, you know, choose.

You can use the word connect. But actually that's my

third point. I know you can choose to say where

should I be? Who should I talk to? Because maybe

there is a divine appointment, that's a divine set up

that God is setting up. Amen, And so I pray,

and please don't just do this during Chinese a year.

It's not this is not a Chinese year message. This

is this is a twenty three six message and may

we right because myself like myself and Passacat, we serve

a lot in the UK.

It's busy, it's busy.

We were you know, she has a job, she works

as a lawyer, and we have a son, and we have.

Different church commitments. And we make a promise.

So you trying to say every week, on top of homes,

on top of primitting, on top of all these other responsibilities,

every week we still want to host two people. It

could be two groups of people, but we want to

use two of our weekday nights.

We want to use two of our three weekday nights.

And someone who served the lot and you know how

rare that is a free night, new laundry free and

we say that this two free nights, we want to

use it to have dinner with people. So everywhere in

church we're praying as we're talking to people, you know,

because you know Christians, after all, who doesn't say no?

Who will say no to fellowship? Right? So so we

even need to write us to.

Right people because because some people you don't need fellowship,

you need to study, you know, And so we just

go like and thens. We will talk to each other

say oh, I feel like we really need to invite

that couple, that young family back to our place, or

maybe that new growth students. You we can invite them,

you know, and we do that a meal. We have

a meal, We invite them back to our place. We

sit down, we we we we like to believe that

we're being faithful to God. This is the people that

you want us to impact besweek, and we just believe

that God will use the dinner to do something in

their hearts, to use the conversation. And every time after

having dinner, I make sure we don't just eat a

fellowship and go. The food is so good. I always,

you know, even if the conversation, sometimes the conversation turns spiritual.

But even in the conversation doesn't turn spiritual, I always say, hey,

before we leave, since I here, is there anything I

can pray for you? Point number three is this connect connect, carry,

choose and connect? Right Jesus is I must stay at

your house. Jesus self invited himself. Think about it, Jesus

invited himself. Can't imagine going up to ben and go

like I must sit in your car.

Lator you must fetch me home. Please don't abuse this.

Okay, I'll tell you like, oh yes, this is how

I get my church leaders to serve me. Bussa Stephen,

you must buy me lunch later. No, no, no, And then

he will say, and you must serve moyage. Right, two ways. Right,

you get to say one thing. You got to say,

I'm just joking, but this brutship like, okay, choose and

then connect be both be both to connect Jesus, just

think about it. Right the scripture is read, they read

like this, Zach gives come off from the tree. Hey,

exact gives you know. No, you're a chief text collector.

That means all these text collectors they're under you. Do

you know that the text collectors have not been doing good.

They have really been overtaxing the people. You know, it's

caused law of harm. As a chief text collector, I

think you need to sort out your team.

Okay. Now, if you don't saw your team, he has

a little secret. I'm the son of God.

So if you don't cooperate, we can do this the

easy way, or can do this the hard way.

Nothing.

Nothing. He didn't try to make a deal. He just

says that Gius. I want to connect with you. I

want to have a meal. I want a fellowship with you,

and that self invite. See, zach Gis wasn't changed by

the teachings of Jesus. He was changed by the love

of Jesus. Zach wasn't changed by the miracles or Jesus.

So I don't know, you get wrong. Power is power

to do miracles. I've got miracle if you pray for people.

Great.

But but but did Jesus go like, hey, that Kis

wash this water wine? He didn't.

He didn't go to zakis is there is there is

there a pain in your body?

Actually got on. I gotta be off a tennis elbow.

Okakay in Jesus name.

He didn't. He just go like, Zachis, I must fellowship

with you.

He knew exactly this town one hundreds thousand people is Zacchis,

and he knew exactly how to.

Get to Zaccius's hearts.

And I don't believe it was because that Kis was

a food e you know, Oh, I know zach is

very big like like daved so food.

No.

I think Jesus knew And that may mean Ezakius was lonely,

rich but lonely, rich but alone, rich but not having anyone.

You know, do you remember what it's like to sit

and eat alone unless you're like a freak like me

who occasionally enjoys doing that. Sometimes I do because I'm

just a cow introvert, but generally speaking it gets a bit.

I mean, even introverts can agree it's nice to sit

and eat alone, but it's not enjoyable if that's the

rest of our lives?

Right?

Could it be that Jesus knew exactly not just who

to connect with, but how to connect?

So who is?

God helped me to choose who, and then God helped

me to connect the How how do I get through

to that new student?

How can I be a blessing to my neighbor?

And for Scias it was an invitation to eat and

that changed Exaccius's life forever. For the people in our lives,

maybe it can be an invitation to go, like, hey,

I can give you a ride, you know. Maybe it's

an invitation to help because maybe you see your neighbor

and you know.

It's one thing to complain.

How wh it's so noisy that kids are misbehaving, but

maybe they need some help. Hey, can I help you

and a neighbor can help you. You know you look

like you need a break. Why don't your kids come

over and play at my place that you can have

an afternoon to take a nap. Whatever I tell you, No,

Like like God knows what different people need. Some people

need food, some people need financial aid, some people need counsel,

some people need prayer. But only God can help us

to connect. So I pray that this year you see

the key to the key to sharing the gospel, the

key to advancing God's kingdom. Right, even as this year

we talk about revival, do you know that revival is

not just something that will certainly happen. We like that

idea of revival suddenly fifty people come rushing in and

saying how do we get safe? But actually revival, if

you look at the Bible, it happens always when it's

one person bringing another person. Even among Jesus' disciples, it

was one bringing another, Andrew bringing Peter right, another bringing another.

And so.

I really believe that even as we are believing for growth,

we're believing to be true representative of Jesus, to live

for him and to reflect him. Then just as she

just connected one on one. We need to rediscover the

joy and the art of connecting one on one with

the people around us again, you know it. You know

in London really, by God's grace, we're growing right now

on paper, you know, every church on paper, Right on paper,

we know how much people have, so on paper we

have about hundred people our gathering, you know, it's about

like ninety. You know, there's always that ten people that

are on a journey, right ten plus people on a journey.

And we moved to this new place that sits about

one hundred and eighty so there's a bit more room

for growth. And we're believing that if God grows us

one hundred and fifty, we're going to start a new

plant in another part of London. So pray pray with us, Amen,

We pray that this. But but how would that happen?

You see, a new plan in London is not going

to happen just because I pray. Only it's gonna happen

because we as the church went out there to bring

one to connect with one, to use our weekdays, to

use our free times to be a blessing. And I

want you to know how we've been laboring with church.

The last ten years is one bringing one, one connecting one,

you know, opening up our place, being vulnerable, and and

it's enriched my life so much, It's grown me so much.

And so I just want to encourage you guys.

Amen, you know, this year, if you haven't already, I

pray that you will get down from your tree, whatever

your tree is, and say that enough just enjoining Jesus

from afar enough having a Jesus that I can manage.

Because if Jesus on a far, you can manage him,

you know, right. But if you're drawn here to Jesus,

Jesus will make demands by scripture, right that GISs come

down that guess in your house. But if you can

watch them more far, you'll get a version of Jesus.

It's very agreeable with you. But that's not a Jesus

that that will change your world. So I pray that

this year you'll get down from your tree, stop saying

no time, and start making time, start dying your self,

and start saying yes to Jesus and start seeing yourselves again.

I'm not just here to earn money. I'm not just

here to study. I'm not just here to live my

life I'm not just here to find a guy. I'm

not here to find a girl. I'm not here to

get married. I'm not here to have tutor. I'm here

to carry the presence of the Mighty God. He's placed

me here so that I can be an extra carrier

of his presence. And now that I carry his presence,

and I can have confidence that he will pull himself

in me because his word promises that he will be

with me. Now, God, help me to choose, help me

to be wise. Who maybe this week I need I

need to help someone work. Maybe this week it's a

neighbor at home. Maybe this week is a family member

because lots of spinning plates. Maybe this week is a

church member. But God helped me. Who is my zachis

this week? And then God, even as the person say yeah, yeah, sure,

let's connect. Even I feel like, Oh, I'm going out

lune with that colleague. God, how can I be a blessing?

How can I be a blessing to this colleague? How

can I minister to this What does this call it need? Hey?

It doesn't always. Maybe sometimes God will say share the gospel.

Maybe sometimes God will say share your testimony. Maybe sometimes

God will say, talk about your kids, if you have kids.

Sometimes God will say, talk about your marriage if you

got married. Sometimes God will say talk about you know

this or or that, or or do something you know

to do. Blessed, But the Lord will also lead you

to connect. Just just bear in mind again, Jesus was

role modeling all this out. Jesus didn't preach a sermon.

Zac Kives didn't get saved by a sermon from Jesus,

even though Jesus is there. Zak Kis didn't get saved

by a miracle of Jesus, even though Jesus is there.

Zac Kius didn't get saved. You know, he got saved

because Jesus said, let's eat, and we just got to

step up by faith and obey and leave the results

to God.

Amen.

I pray that this year you will have a renewed hunger,

new desire to say, God, use me, use me.

You know, maybe that your tree is your experience.

Maybe for you is that I've been there, done that

when I was younger, when I was your age, I

was on mission trips left right center, And maybe it's

time your tree could be coming out of retirement again.

Just like the family, as SHD you know, they paid

off the house, but God was calling them to say

buy a new house.

And opened up that for homes.

That's radical, you know, and they I mean right now

in the process of that. So keep this family in

prayer in the new case. Is not so simple to

get a bank loan, especially when you're old and don't

have income coming in, but that's their desire, ay Man,

And this year I prayed that for xmney, x ME, life,

for your for all of us, brother and sisters. I

pray that this year will be a year of stepping

out again. I pray that this year will be a

coming down of your tree year. I pray that this

year will be a year where you begin to experience that, yes,

you truly do carry the presence of the Most hi God.

And this year, I pray that God will help you

to discern who you need to connect with, because you

do have somebody that you can only you can uniquely

connect with. And I pray that the Lord will show

you that evangelism doesn't have to be a word that

you're scared about. That evangelism is exciting. It can be

eating a meal, it can be sharing the gospel, it

can be sharing testimony. It could be working on a

project together, it could be babysitting. But the Lord will

use you to connect because that's his heart to seek

and save the loss by any means necessary.

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

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

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this week is going to be a good week.

I hit for you.

God bless