A Disciple's Determination | Pr. Jack

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Jeremiah fought in Let's go. So the topic the title

I put on today is I think we have slides?

Does it work? Okay? All right?

Disciples? Determination? Everyone say determination extermination?

All right?

So maybe just talk a little bit about determination first

before we read Jeremiah fourteen. I am just warning I'm

gonna read the whole chapter. So, okay, stay awake. Right,

So what's determination? What does that mean?

Determination? Right?

As I looked into the word, if you look in

the dictionary, it tells you straight. It's a you know,

making a choice and sticking to it no matter what

making it.

You made a decision.

You made a choice, and I'm gonna keep to it

no matter what, no matter how challenging it becomes. That's

the determination. And we have a lot of determined people

here with a lot of determination. You know, run what

they call racers marathons. Right, I'm determined to finish this marathon,

so I would do whatever it takes to get to it,

no matter what the pain is, no matter what the

challenges come my way. That's determination, right, and the other

ways you can see it is like this. You know,

you saw you saw a girl, you saw a pretty girl,

and you say, this is the one I'm gonna marry,

and you determine, you determine ready, So no matter what,

no matter who comes my way, I'm gonna get past

and get to this person and marry her.

Right, So that's determination. Uh.

But you know, sadly, sometimes a lot of a lot

a lot of people they have a determination they want

to get married, and then later, you know, they didn't

go far enough. They go get married, who get married?

Then after that what so it's like, oh, okay, then

we have kids or not?

Right?

All these things determination need to go a bit further.

Sometimes you need to think a bit further. So sometimes

we also got I want to get married, I want

to have kids.

They have kids? Really, then what the plan? They didn't

go for far enough?

So uh, I want to point us to uh, since

we're talking about you know, young kids, families, you know, uh,

you know, of course recently we've been hearing, you know,

about violent things happening in Malaysia and very sad, very sad,

you know, young people losing their lives.

Uh.

And so the question is you know too many families

and I of course I ask it here, but we

need to ask it everywhere else. When you have a family,

what's the point, what's the plan? Because are we going

to raise up godly children? Are we going to raise

up children who will change the nation? Or are we

just happy to Okay, I got kids, that's it. I'm

happy enough, right, one boy, one girl, that's that's always

the planner, because you know, I can't remember who I

asked recently as it. Oh you know, if you you

you want to have kids, then your plan oh yeah,

it was a pre marriage counseling and we do that.

So we always ask and we at this point about

children and say how many kids you want? And good

at least they say they want two kids? They say

is it one boy one girl? And then yeah, that's

the plan? Ideal are very ideal, and so we have

a nice image of like, I want to have kids,

then I want to have one boy, one girl, and cool.

Then I'm a happy I have a happy family. I

have a happy home. But then you go further and

you go like do you want to raise them up

as godly children?

And that's a good answer.

You know, we always say yes, but then we will

have to ask what do you think it takes to.

Get them there? Wow?

And that's where sometimes where it gets harder, it gets harder.

It's not impossible, right, it gets harder. But that's where

we need faith. That's where finally we need faith, all right,

because I mean at every step actually we need faith.

But that's where you faith is really tested. And you

go like, how do you raise godly children? Then the

answer you know from the Bible will be you cannot

do it as everyone else does.

You cannot.

You cannot raise godly children if you if you raise

them as everyone else does.

All right?

Just one example I heard recently. You know, someone I

wanted a pastors asked, do you want to raise godly children?

Yes?

Then the question comes back to us, do you live

a godly life? Because you model it out for them parents?

Right?

And I believe many parents here that's why you're here

in church, right, you are modeling that out for your children.

And I believe you know we can. We can definitely

do some more.

We can debitly do some more because it's not just

about our children, it's our it's our it's our children

in the nation Malaysia. Okay, So anyway, determination, let's read

the Bible right now, okay, Jeremiah, all right, let's do

verse one to six first. Okay, all right, and XTV

is wow putting it there, all right, thank you for that, XTV. Okay,

So reader, I'll read from my version. You can look

at the screen if you need to. It's not if

your own bibles. Flip to your Bible, so you know

where the Book of Jeremiah is.

Where is it? Okay?

All right, she's like more than half the book, all right,

almost quite near the New Testament, really before Daniel, before Daniels,

before Daniel, before Daniel, or before lamentations. Lamentation I think

was also by Jeremiah before easy kill.

All right, anyway, here we.

Go the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah

concerning the drought. Judah mourns, and her gates language her people,

the men on the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem

goes up. Her nobles send their servants for water. They

come to the cisterns, they find no water. They return

with their vessels empty. They are ashamed and confounded and

cover their heads because of the ground that is dismayed.

Since there is no rain on the land. The farmers

are ashamed. They cover their heads. Even the dough what's

a dough? Dough deer okay in the field forsakes her

newborn fawn because there is no grass. The wild donkeys

stand on the bear my eyes okay, on the bare heights.

They pant for the air like jackals. Their eyes fail

because there is no vegetation. Okay, let's just meditate on

this few verses for a moment. Yeah, what is it

saying here? So first of all, Jeremiah, just brief introduction

to the book will be Jeremiah was called by God

to go and speak to the people of God. And

before he even goes, God already told him, you know what,

they're not going to listen to you.

Huh. So what are you trying to tell me to do? God?

You told me to speak to them, and now you're

telling me they won't listen to me. Very encouraging, all right,

But that's how God works. So same thing for all

of us here. If God tells us do it, He's

going to tell you they're not going to listen to you.

So but just do it, Just do it.

So many times God's word sounds like it makes no sense.

Does it mean it makes no sense? Well, the people's

ear are still there. We're speaking into the spiritual many times,

all right, and so that's what we should do. And

I want to encourage all of us here.

You know.

Yeah, it may look discouraging, but just do it anyway.

If the Lord leads you to do it, has led

you to do it, then there's peace there. You know

the Lord has led you. So anyway, what does this

few versus here mean? Okay, First, there is a drought. Okay,

God speaking to Jeremiah before that. Chapter thirteen is about

this loin cloth. Just rewind binner. Chapter thirteen is about

a loin cloth. What does it mean? The loin cloth

basically speaks of you know, God is trying to say,

you are supposed to be close to me. The loin

cloth is like underwere you know? Or is it something

that's worn near the here this part here, okay, So

we're supposed to be close to God intimate. But what

happened to the loin cloth was God used it as

an object lesson, told Jeremiah to bring it to a

far away place, put it near some river, and then

by the time next in a few months. God asked

him to go back again get it and takes it

and looks at it.

It's rotten.

It's rotten, and he might he might have brought it

back to, you know, the place where his people are,

and they might have seen that and go. And he

told a story about like, you know, this is how

you will end up. You are so rotten and we

are going to You're going to be exiled.

You know, the.

Lord is fed up with you guys. All right, so

this is the message. But you see, God is so merciful.

God is so merciful in a sense. In chapter fourteen,

he did not say go just go get out. You know,

he see sends a drout, he sends a drought, and

droughts speak of warning. He still wants them, you know,

he although he says, I'm so fair up of you guys.

You know, you guys are so stubborn. But then he

still gives a warning. He still gives a drought, and

the drought helps people to feel it, to feel the pain,

to feel some suffering, and hopefully, you know, out of

that suffering they can turn and say God, I'm so sorry.

You know why, because.

You see, you see a few words there in those

verses says the farmer is ashamed. The people who send

the water say they're ashamed. Why because they have been

turning to other gods. And all these other gods are

supposed to be gods of the rain and the weather,

and when you turn to them and pray, they're supposed

to give you the good stuff, you know, rain and

help them, you know, help their farm grow and stuff

like that.

But it's not happening. And so that's why they're embarrassed.

And that's why they're ashamed, okay, And they say, oh,

pray to these gods, but nothing happened.

Yet they still don't turn back to God.

I said Jesus, but you know at the time Jesus

was not there, although he was.

There, okay anyway, so a shame. Yes, still don't want

to turn you know why. You know why.

Let me describe a little bit about the gods a

few a bit more so those gods that they served,

how they turned to them is because they they they

started to mix around with the locals there who didn't

worship the Lord God, and so they also started marrying them.

And so what happened was those those gods one of

those gods are, for example, the goddess of fertility. Okay,

And what happens is they have they go to a

temple and in their temple they have what they call

temple prostitutes.

Ah.

So it's very entice, is very tempting, and so the

people of God started turning to those and started joining

those activities. You know what activities I'm talking about, all right,

And that's why they stay with those gods because it's temptation.

It's interesting, all right, and so they rather have their

good times and not turn back to the Lord.

Just some explanation. So anyway, they stick.

To their decision, and what happens here in the end

very interesting. You know, God mentions the dough, the doe,

and the fahn and the donkeys. Donkeys are actually tough animals.

By the donkeys are also suffering, okay. And so what

we decide, this is my first point. Our decisions in life,

our obedience or disobedience, affect everything around us, affect the

people around us.

What has been happening recently? All right?

I think we too should take responsibility as the church

has God's people. What what have we been contributing to

this nation?

All right.

I'm not saying we are taking full responsibility, but we

do play a part and we cannot ignore it. Yeah,

what's been happening, and so we need to step up.

We need to see what else how God's people got

people of God can play our part, all right. And

so the point is that our disobedience you can see

that is the light. Have to flip the Bible verse

and like that. So uh okay, not easy, easy to

do first time doing it.

And then kind of.

Disobedience effects affects even the animals, meaning it affects everything

around us, not just human.

It affects nature. It affects.

Nature, meaning even things like pollution, things like things, you know,

if the nation is dirty. There's something to do with

what people are deciding on decisions in life.

Okay.

So God loves even the animals, imen and the plants

because it all comes.

Together and he works together for good. So the next part.

Here, let's read Versus seven to nine and all the

way to twelve flat. Okay, Okay, here we go. Verse seven.

Though our iniquities testify against us, act, oh Lord, for

your name's sake. For our backslidings are many. We have

sinned against you, oh you hope of isra It's savior

in time of trouble. Why should you be like a

stranger in the land, like a traveler who turns aside

to tarry for a knight. Why should you be like

a man confused, like a mighty warrior who cannot save. Yet, you, o, Lord,

are in the midst of us, and we are called

by your name. Do not leave us Verse ten to twelve.

Thus says the Lord concerning this people. They have loved

to wonder. Thus they have not restrained their feet. Therefore

the Lord does not accept them. Now he will remember

their iniquity and punish their sins. The Lord said to me,

do not pray, Wow, do not pray there is a chance.

Don't go for prayer meeting. Do not pray for the

welfare of this people. So they fast, I will not

hear their cry whoa. And though they offer burnt offerings

and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I

will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pastilence.

All right, what's going on here?

So? All right?

First thing, yeah, I want to highlight is that God

actually says, don't pray for these people. Jeremiah was such

a man of prayer that God had to tell him

not to pray. I just want to highlight this part

and that that is inspiring to me, all right. I

am not saying I won't say that I'm like a man,

like a man of prayers, like pray all the time.

I but I.

Observe myself and I realized, okay, I do pray a

little bit more these days. I pray a little bit

more these days, and I want to be able to

pray more, all right, if I can wake up.

Early, okay.

Otherwise throughout the day I find myself praying. I find

myself speaking in tongues. But I don't know, you know,

Jeremiah to what extend he prays, but until God has

to tell him not to pray, okay, and he really

wanted to pray for these guys.

But also it shows me this. The point is this.

The next point is, don't depend on a piggyback faith.

Don't depend on a piggyback faith. What does this mean?

All right?

I used to not pray much, and I used to

depend on other people's faith a little bit more. Because

you see, Jeremiah was like a man who stands in

the gap.

He prays for people.

But these people have themselves don't want to pray. So

why should Jeremiah praise so much while these guys are

not even bother? All right, I think there's a place

for that. There's a place for some piggyback faith. Because

we were young and we needed to piggyback on our

daddy for a while, all right. I remember, you know, piggybacking.

My kids still do sometimes, all right, Judah, So you

know that night suddenly say can I piggyback you? But

but I was, you know, I was doing something that

sorry can't next time, I say, next time, just for memories.

It's not like not like he needs it, all right.

So anyway, Uh, I have a story, you know about

piggyback faith. I when I was getting married. You know,

in my wedding, I did a garden wedding and I

had no plan b right in Malaysia, garden wedding, right. Uh,

the plan is like the hotel will say go inside

some room, Samuela. I don't know edit it even set

it up for me, Okay, But garden wedding. It was

in the afternoon and invited you know, people and so

on that day I felt confident. I felt confident about

the wedding, the garden wedding, you know why, because Passa

Kenneth was going to be there. And so for me,

my deal we got is like, hey, that guy is there,

and you know, the main guy, you know your son,

you know your son is there, the guy who listens

to you and stuff. Right, so I'm assured that my

garden wedding was going to be okay. But on that day,

that morning, right, I saw the morning, was the evening.

I saw the clouds. It was gray, it was quite dark,

and so at the same time, I felt actually a

bit of the drops of water comingsh on my face.

But I was still confident, you know why, because Pasta

Kenneth was there.

Ah.

And then I realized that, oh, I'm very confident now

with Passa Canneth faith. I am very confident myself. I

wasn't sure if Perscanna was not there, I think I

would have been a bit more afraid. But uh, and

so that's that's what it means. I piggyback on his faith.

Uh.

And uh, I think he was okay with that. He

you know, I think he felt that as well. Uh

and uh, so thank god, you know, it was a miracle.

It was a miracle because felt the water.

Uh.

And later on, you know, after the wedding, my friends

actually came up to me and told me on the

way here to the venue, it was crazy heavy rain

on the way and we were thinking, how you're going

to get married, and we were thinking should we even

come serious? Somehow my friends actually told me that by

they say, when they arrived, it's clear, and uh, when

we were saying our vows, you know, me and doctor Jill, uh,

we actually saw, you know, a circle. So around us

all the sites were all gray and dark and probably raining.

But in the middle here it's like clear, not clear

about it's white. So it's white, and then there's dark gray.

And then of course after the uh, you know vows,

we saw a rainbow.

Yeah.

But right after I gave my speech, right then the

rain started to go a bit more and by that

time everybody needed to go inside already. So wow, the

timing just nice. Praise God, hallelujah. Yeah, so I piggyback

on Pascala's faith. But after I saw that happening, and

after a few more rounds of you know, depending on

other people's faith. I realize I now have my own faith.

And I realized I needed to have my own faith,

especially when I had kids, especially when I knew that

people were looking at me, and I go like, okay,

then I need to be the one. And especially when

I became a pastors, especially when we're hearing pasta.

I think you probably understand what I'm saying. I don't know.

I felt like I really need to be an example now,

I need to be an example of faith.

I may not be.

Experienced in terms of many things in life yet, all right,

because I'm still at a certain age.

But at least, Lord, let my faith be an example.

And I don't think it's that difficult to have an

example of faith, all right. So anyway, Harlee lujah, let's

not depend on piggyback faith for too long. You know why,

because this is this is how God feels. He says,

do not pray for these people. Let them pray by themselves.

It's almost that he didn't say that, But I can,

I can, I can heal. The follow up is, why

don't they pray themselves? Why don't they turn to me themselves?

Why is it always you? Jeremiah all right. So it's

about time, you know, church, we all step up. We

all have our own faith. Why don't you look to

God and trust him for something so big you can't handle?

And see, God, Now I need faith. I'm gonna ask

you for it. I'm gonna look to you for it.

I'm gonna pray, amen, because God is going one day.

Tell you know, Jason Jesz no postdulocy. Okay enough, really

let them pray themselves.

Amen.

But they're still gonna pray that. You know why, because

Jeremiah continue praying. He didn't stop. God told him not

to prayer. He still pray. Now what you call it?

This obedience?

Okay? That kind of maybe can that kind maybe God

is okay?

All right, all right because it's not sin, right, Okay,

something to think about, right, all right? So next one

verse thirteen to sixteen. Looking at the time, What time

do you stop here?

Good time? All right?

Thirteen to sixteen says Then I said, ah, Lord, God,

behold the prophets. Say to them, you shall not see

the sword, nor shall you have famine, nor but I

will give you a surt peace in this place verse fourteen.

And the Lord said to me the prophets are prophesying lies.

Everyone say lies.

Wow, prophets prophesying lies in the in my name. I

did not send them, nor did I command them to

speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision,

worthless divination, and and the deceit of their own minds. Wow,

deceeed of their own minds. This speaks to me of

like the to themselves. These prophets had to lie to

themselves to convince themselves that I'm telling the truth. Right

so anyway, verse fifteen. Therefore, thus says the Lord concerning

the prophets who prophesy in my name, although I did

not send them, and who say sword and famine shall

not come upon this place my by sword and famine,

those prophets shall be consumed, and the people to whom

they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem,

victims of famine and sword, with more to with none, sorry,

with none to bury them, them, their wives, their sons,

and their daughters, For I will pour out they are

evil upon them. And then Jeremiah chapter fourteen, verse seventeen

to eighteen, you shall say to them this word, let

my eyes run down with tears night and day, and

let them not cease, For the virgin daughter of my

people is shattered with a great wound, with a very

grievous blow. If I go out into the field, behold

those peers by the sword, And if I enter the city,

behold the diseases of famine. For both prophet and priests

ply their trade through the land and have no knowledge.

So this is a heavy you know, a few verses

here talking about no dying by the sword and famine

and diseases. But before that it talks about deception. It

talks about these prophets who lie. And as I mentioned

just now, you know, the prophets had to really just

had to lie to themselves. Else has had to cheat

themselves so they can cheat others. And the question here is,

you know what deception could we be believing around? You

know that that comes from many many places tagibiity, searching,

you know, and stuff like that. Do we look at

the word of God to look for the truth. Is

there anything that we believe about God that is actually

a lie? Is there anything we believe about the Church

that's actually a lie? Is there anything we believe about

our leaders that's actually a lie?

Right?

Because we sometimes we need to come to a point

where we actually lie to our own minds vers and

then say, yeah, okay, I'm convinced this is the way,

but let's check it with the word of God. Let's

listen to the word of God as it is. And

sometimes it's not comfortable. Sometimes it's not very pleasant to

hear the word of God. Yeah, and that's why these

guys do it. I don't know how they got to

this place, these prophets that they start prophesying lives, but

it does lead to a horrible consequence, right, And the

point is that what's the point here? Death awaits a

life of deception, and not just any death is a

horrible death right, it's pastilence. It's just by the sword.

Later on we will read as well, you know, perhaps

in chapter fifteen and sixteen it says that they will

die and no one will bury them. I think it's

already mentioned there. And they will be eaten by birds

and wild animals, and they will not have a pop

proper burial.

And to.

The Jews at that time, we're not burial. It is

a very sad thing. There is no honor. And that's why,

you know, you hear about the recent Israel and Gaza

and all that, they really want their hostages back, even

if they're dead. They want the bodies back because they

want to give them a proper burial to honor them,

all right, And it's a big thing for for the Jews.

So yeah, so I think I think that's the point. Yeah,

So is there any deception in the way we think.

Let's reflect on that, Let's examine that, because how we

think negatively maybe about God as well, and maybe it's

not anyone here in this room, but it's the people outside,

people around us. There's deception, there's lies. What do we

believe in? And we need to speak the truth. We

need to know the truth that will set us free.

Amen. And we need to speak the truth.

We need to be courageous to speak the truth because

if you don't speak the truth, then who will?

Because who else has the truth? Truth is not subjective.

The truth is with the people of God.

And sadly and unfortunately, even church, even churches get deceived,

all right. And so you know, if you're convinced, if

you know the word of God, that's why you've gotta

check out, even as church, the following or.

Not the word of God right.

Check and if you check the READI and you're convinced,

then run with it. Then run with it. Don't sit

on the fence anymore and go like is it maybe?

Maybe? Maybe? Again?

Then check check whether this church is the church that

God has led you to.

Then run with it. Run with it. Amen.

There there's so much more that we can do. There's

so you know, we are a church planting church. We're

a church planting church. I know a lot of us

don't like to hear it. Do me not be comfortable

more like hearing that? Because if you're a church planning church,

then who is the next church planter?

Who? Right? Stop pointing your neighbor.

You are, you are, And I want to encourage all

our young people here.

You are involved as well. You are involved.

Perhaps one of our young people here that the next

church planter. You know why because ex church has always

sent out young people to plant churches.

All right.

Don't look at the older ones so much now because

not to say they're not involvement. They're here to be

involved in another way, all right, But it's a young

person who will need to step out to plant the

next church, all right, And we need we need that

you know some it's just sad that someone said that

the Christians in Malaysia have been recycling partners and members

just church transfer after church transfer. Hello, we don't need that.

There needs more. More lives need to be saved. So

when you plant a church, don't be happy you got

church trust transfers.

All right, Let's have.

More people who have not believed come into the church

to believe. Amen, Amen, hallelujah. Hope you guys are encouraged

in your spirit at least because you know we want

to we want to speak the truth of God.

Amen. Yeah, here we go.

And then finally, finally, finally, let's let's wrap up right now.

Jeremiah chapter fourteen, nineteen to twenty two. Have you utterly

rejected Judah? Thus your soul loath Zion? Why have you

struck us down? This is Jeremiah speaking to God so

that there is.

No healing for us.

We looked for peace, but no good came for a

time of healing. But behold terror. We acknowledge our wickedness,

O Lord, an iniquity of our fathers, for we have

sinned against you. Do not spurn us for your name's sake.

Do not dishonor your glorious throne. Remember, and do not

break your covenant with us. Are there any among the

false gods of the nations that can bring rain?

Exactly? None of them can or.

Can the heavens give showers? Are you not the Are

you not He or Lord our God? We set our

hope on you for you do all these things.

Amen. Amen.

So the final point is this, it's determination. Let's examine

our determination. What have you determined in life? What have

you determined for your participation in church? What have you

determined about God? Because what you determine, you will. You

will go for it, no matter what, you will go

for it, no matter what comes your way. All right, sickness, lah,

all right, children, okay, school activities, all right, whatever comes

your way. You have determined, and I will go. This

is the goal that you know the Lord has set

for me. I will go for it. I will go

and reach it. Amen. Why because I'm going to point

out to you. So you see Jeremiah, God told him

don't pray, but he still pray. Why because he's determined.

His determination is that. Yeah, even God, terminate to pray.

I will pray because I want these people to be saved.

I want to.

I want God to save them because I'm so determined.

I know that God is not like this. God loves

people and he wants them saved, and I know how

heart broken he is to see them this way, and

so why he's determined, you know. And God is also determined.

God said, no, they need to be punished. They need

to be punished because enough is enough, you know. And

and I've been lenient and kind to them for so long,

and still they don't need they don't turn to me,

And so I have a determination, and they need to

kanda from me, all right.

They need to They need to get it.

And you know what, God's punishment is so merciful, right.

He sends them to get exiled and after exile can

come back some more and then you know, come come

and read my word again and you know, be revived again.

So see, God doesn't destroy them. Ultimately, he still wants

them to turn to him. And sadly, these people are

also determined. The people are determined not to listen to God.

So there's three determinations here, So which determination do we

want to choose?

Today? Amen, we hope you've.

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