Maturity in Christ | Jason Martin

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

Let me sage today is talking about maturity in Christ.

That's the title my message. Okay, And I wouldn't even

say if for those God who has your whoever your

bible with you, please turn to Hebrews chapter five. We're

gonna really be reading a little bit of a scripture today,

Hebrews chapter five, right, and I'm gonna read from verse

one to verse eleven.

Okay.

He says for every high priest taken from among men,

is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that

he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He

can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray,

since he himself is also subject to witness. Because of this,

he's required, as for the people, also for himself to

offer sacrifices for sins. And no man takes his honor

to himself, but he who is caught by God, just

as Aaron was. Okay, I'm gonna break down this passage

a little bit for our understanding. Okay, First thing is

we got to understand that God is the one that

instituted priesthood.

If you read or when you read.

Exodus, you will realized that Exodus is where God taught

the people of Israel how to be the people of Israel.

Before that there was no rules, no laws, nothing, no practicers,

no tabernacle, nothing. But in Exodus, word by word, line

by line, he didn't just teach them.

He provided them the materials. He provided them them the

skill set.

He provided them them the the you know, the people

that would train other people to build a tabernacle to practice.

He said the loss. God said the loss that the

people had to follow. Right, God said the loss on

sacrifice and the forgiveness of sins, because that I don't know

Jesus yet, right. And it was a serious it was

a serious method. Because we were doing a study on

Exodus in the office.

Is one you know when.

We're reading I think chapter thirty eight, anyway, one of

the chapters I read there that the priest was supposed

to sacrifice two lambs daily every day. No for the

forgiveness of sins. Now, okay, why sex you very simple?

How many of you are can confidently lift up your

hands and say you have never never made a mistake

at all, even a small mistake in your life, there

was a day in your life that it was perfect.

You never had an evil thought, you never got angry,

you never got upset or frustrated.

I think none of us can reach that. You know

who was able to do.

It Jesus, only him. That's why he was given for

our sins.

Right.

And it says here about you know, God saying that

every high priest he appointed the high priest to be

a mediator for the forgiveness of sins for people. So

you see ordered, that's a structure there. The structure is

ready there, ready, right, So the high priests appointed, and

the high priest is a human being.

High priests got weakness.

That's what I say. Even high priest is not perfect.

You know, past doctor Daniel is not perfect. I'm not perfect.

We still make mistakes. We also need intercession and forgiveness

from the Lord. But because we have compassion and because

the Lord has appointed, right, we have a higher or

more a behavior responsibility. And that's leadership. Fathers, in this place,

you have a higher responsibility over your family. You cannot

assert your responsibility no matter how there is an order

to things. Your cash are on and the moment we

don't play our role, then that's where trouble happens. The

moment we don't play our role, then that's where trouble happens. Okay,

So God says that he appointed priests for a reason, right,

for the figure. That means someone has to mediate right,

So you cannot deny that the sin. You cannot deny

that you need forgiveness. You cannot deny that there has

to be a sacrifice immediate scene. So these are all established. Right,

let's straight on further. Don't worry, I'm going to go

the good part. So also, Christ did not glorify himself

to become high priest, but it was he who said

to him, you are my son. Today I have begotten you.

And as he also says in another place, you are

a priest. However, according to the order of Malkisa that

you see, God really established in Exodus, and he re

established that Christ is our priest. Are you guys following

where this story is going. So for many, many years

they practiced what God asked them to do because they

needed cleansing. And then now God is establishing a permanent solution,

the final solution. Okay, Actually that liner if you know history, right,

it's not a nice line. I shouldn't use that line. Okay,

y'all don't study history.

It's okay.

The final redemption God Christ, who in the days of

his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications

with verheman christs and tears to him, who was able

to save him from death, and was hurt because of

his godly fear though he was a son. Yet he

learned obedience by the things which he suffered, and having

been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to

all obey him, called by God as high priests according

to the order of Melchizedec, of whom we have much

to say and hard to explain, since you've become dull

of hearing. Okay, explain this scripture to you. So there's

radly a structure and order. Right, we see the way

out is a priest come of a sacrifice. Right, do

it daily every day? Have to do we're Mathan right

you are doing now? Doctor passa doctor Daniel, No, you're worthy.

Every day.

Just sacrifice students for everybody here and himself. Every time

you think of something wrong, art he has to do

sacrifice there how matha so my fan, right, no need,

really it's difficult, right, But God gave a permanent stlution Christ.

Christ is the Lamb. He was sacrificed for our sins.

So every time you sin, you are you know, they say,

nailing Jesus to the cross again, we're painfuller.

But it's true.

But thank God, because of what he did, we have

a permanent solution for forgiveness, not just now, but for future,

you know, not just in the past, but for future,

not just you and me, but for people who don't

know Him yet, people who are still sinning today. They

have a permanent solution, which is Christ. God chose Christ.

That's why he's such a big deal to us. That's

why he's so significant to us. That's why sometimes maybe

it's too easy for us that we can take our

faith for granted because it was done. Really we don't understand,

you know, we don't understand the depth of what Christ

did for us. And then it becomes a lifestyle. Christianity

becomes a life. It just becomes dressing, It just becomes words,

it just becomes hallelojah, amen, it just becomes let's look

for something good because you know, you know it's more

than dead friends, It's more than that.

Right.

So the role of a priest having compassion for those

gone astray as he's also weak and offering sacrifices for

their sins. Christ, being a priest chosen by ever Father,

plays that role for us who are called to follow Christ.

We are called to do what spiritual maturity? Why am

I sharing this to you? Because you got to understand

that your faith is precious. It is so precious, It

is so precious Hebrew six one. It says, let's go therefore,

leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let

us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation

of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands,

of resurrection, of the date, and of eternal judgment. And

this we will do if God permits, well, very bigger.

What he's trying to say is that let's stop arguing

about the basic stuff. And this is their basic stuff.

Let's not argue about baptism. Everybody here, if you follow Jesus,

you need to be baptized. Why Jesus himself was baptized

is as simple as if. That's not the explanation because

Jesus did it and followed Jesus, I do it simple enough?

Not right? No, no, no, you think know some of these things? Right?

What else?

He says, laying on of hands means praying for people

are and resurrection of the date and of eternal judgment.

The interesting part about the resurrection of the date part right,

is that we all know that Christ resurrected from the date.

If you believe in Christ, you know that we all

know that He can resurrect people from the date.

But let me ask you a question. Have you any

of you've done it or seen it before.

You?

How deep the faith goes on? Have you seen it?

If God asks you today to go and pray for

someone's date, will be very hard, right me, So you

very hot? But do you know hebro say and this

you will do if God permits. Do we have the

faith to believe that if God asks to heal the

sick easier, pray for cancer, easier, raise the day depth

of our spiritual maturity?

People think you're crazy, People think you're insane.

The line says, if God permits, He didn't say like Nolan,

Let's not do it, because no, if God said I'll

do Seriously, if God said, what are you doing not,

that's the question asked. I don't know I'll do or not.

I cannot confidently answer that question, for it is impossible

for those who are once enlightened and have tasted the

heavenly gave and and become particulars of the Holy Spirit.

And I have tasted the good word of God and

the powers of the age should come if they fall away,

to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again

for themselves the son of God and put him to

an open shame. Oh, this is very painful. Okay, let

me interpret it as best I can. People who have

known the faith, understand the faith, experience God and fallen away.

Very hard to give them back because think about it,

if you didn't know that christile for your sins and

you come to him and are changed forevermore, and then

imagine you go back to the old life and then

do whatever else you are Literally like what the Bibe

is saying, crucifying him again, he has to die on

across twice. Now, decide it is hard to get people back.

Christians who understand and experience God. Who fall away for

whatever reason, hard to come back, hard to come back,

very hard to come back. He's not a Bible saying No,

I say this is what the Bibles say, right. So

for those of us who are here who have not

fallen away, please protect your faith.

Please protect your faith, no matter.

How offended you are, no matter how hurt you are,

no matter how crazy things get, no matter who did

anything horrible to you, please forgive them and don't let

go of Jesus, no matter what, No matter what, right

are we going deeper today?

I hope we are.

For the earth, which drinks in the rain that often

comes upon it and bears herbs, useful for those who need,

is cultivated, receives blessing from God. But if it bears

torns and briers, it is rejected and near of being

to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. Let

me share another not so nice thing to hear if

I use myself for example. Okay, I know full well

of how God is real in my life, to the

point that I cannot deny him. That's how how deep

my faith has gone. Because He restored my family, he

did different things with my life. You cannot argue with me, right,

I've known the depth of it. That's why, right, you've

got us we do something. I cannot deny him, you know,

you know how you know how you not scary?

That is?

I cannot deny him, you know, because denying him will

be more scary. Actually, you think about it, right, Denying

God and said God, you know what? It's okay, I

know you can do everything, but I want to run

away from you is worser than the actual worry and

shame that I might experience are if I fail by

following what he say?

Your your cash?

Then right, it's the same example of you want to

crucive white Jesus on across another time you get, I

mean the depth of our faith, how precious.

It is to us.

We're going deeper, friends, He's not talking about coming to

church on a Sunday and being late and early. You

know those are elementary, can I car's just one more

thing if we're still worried about that and bickering about that.

Now, guyskame on la.

Okay, if you're a new believer today and that's your issue,

we will help you.

But you've been coming to if you have been if

you know Jesus for the past and years.

Today, the least you should be arguing about is how

we dress on a Sunday Passada and how come I

I must we dress up like that?

Now?

Soa go way excite me any howard. I'm not saying,

you know, complain me and I don't know. I just

use examples and okay, right, oh, just servey so longer.

Recently the most laterst I heard one ouchure, show you

very good, one out service, just so long now two hours.

I have a African brother. He has gone to back

to Africa, but he's been worse for a while. When

I told him some of these things, he looked at

me and said, passe Alvin. We start our church at

six am. One hour interceensary prayer is packed here here here,

interstitive based leaders. No, there is everybody you know, one

hour intertensive prayer. After that, no praise and worship, three hours,

preaching two hours. By the time they finish church, it's

six hours a day and people still stay for prayer

and the church is packed one hour. I'm like, I

got nothing to say. I think we implement that now

everybody will leave here. You know, See, I'm not saying

we sho your extend church time, but you give me?

Is that our issue? Is that the biggest problem that

we have facing right now? Can I challenge our mindset?

Is our faith conditional?

See?

God's love was not conditional to us? But then why

is it that we can be conditional to God?

Wow? Are you guys?

Okay?

So I wrote here, Let's not go go back to

standard one or year one to learn what is one

plus one again?

Especially when some of us here.

Are already juggling big budgets, buying big items like house car.

Some you are dealing with million dollar projects.

Okay, right you are, but we're still arguing about one

plus one?

Is one?

Man?

Passa Daniel? Huh?

You mean I must come early? You mean we must

come for prayer service? Why come one time?

You're not?

Ma?

You mean God's mean? I know I'm hitting some sensitive things. Friends.

Can I encourage us to mature the least?

Let's not worry about it anymore? Just house wear, small things, right, right,

that's maturity, you know. Right, Let's talk about milk versus meat,

because this is what the Bible teaches us.

First.

Bitter two one Tree says therefore laying aside all malice,

all the seed, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking as

new born babes desire the pure mill of the word,

that you may grow thereby. If indeed you have tasted that,

the Lord is gracious. Okay, this scripture is very interesting

because the first condition is lay aside every malice, all

the seed, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking. Meanwhile, we've

got to crucify their power ourselves first, and then it's

hard to be pure once you're already. Actually, once you've

gone through the cruelty of life, you get very cynical.

One. But do you know that kids.

Really really believe things on They really really believe you parents,

whatever you tell them believe. You know how dangerous that is.

I'm very careful with what keeps you because that day

I told my son, I said, son, I will teach

you how to do some video stuff, and I got busy.

See if he was an adult, he will understand that

he busy.

I have compassion over my dad is fine until today's

reminding me that you say you teach my teaching Woo

I better fulfieling man, how innocent it is for a

child you tell him it's abs b and the Bible

says faith like a child. When we approach the lot right,

faith like a child. We need pure milk of the

word right. Indeed, if we have tasted that, the Lord

is gracious. But my encouragement is, can we don't just

rely on milk?

Okay?

Why is my important? I went online and I google this.

Milk is beneficial for babies due to its complete nutritional

composition and ease of digestion, all the necessary nutrients, and

it's tailored to an infants developing needs.

Correct.

Right, Milk is a good source of calcium, protein, and

vitamins D and B twelve, but it lacks essential nutrients

like fiber, iron, and vitamin C. Relying solely on mal

for nourishment in adulthood is not a sustainable or recommended

approach due to the potential for nutritional deficiencies and other

health ways. So milk is good for newborn babes. Is

good if you're here and you have just started in

your journey with Christ. You are new born babe, continue

to take the milk. If you feed a baby meat,

they're gonna choke, correct now, so don't go in you know,

wag meat, nola, don't chill, you know, chill. But imagine

a forty year old man. I'm forty eight year still

drinking milk only. I have a bottle in my back

now I think and just no, no, no, I don't

want the chocolate there, I don't want the meat.

No, I just take milk only.

Friends, male only, unhealthy, right, something so practical, you know,

in the context of your faith.

I well, stay at milk.

No, no, no, I just want messages that are very

nice on me, right, Oh, you know these pastes, very encouraging.

I follow him everywhere he go. I follow all the YouTube.

You're all the YouTube, so encouraging. Jesus loves you all

the time you do wrong. Also, Jesus loves you correct, correct,

not not wrong. But we need to grow right, we

always yeah, that's sorry, we understand.

We need to grow right. You know, am I saying

that he has to be HoTT?

No, I'm not saying that, But I'm just saying that

we have to grow beyond milk. We have to grow

beyond milk. Don't get stuck there, right Why because meat

is good. Meat is a good source of protein, means

minerals is a valuable part of a balanced adult diet.

It provides essential nutrients like iron, zin, vitamin B twelve,

and iodine, which are crucial for various bodily functions.

Babies can and should be introduced to.

Meat, okay as part of their diet, typically starting around

six months.

Of age, right when they begin to eat solid foods.

By the time growth thief ready, Right, meat is a

good source of iron and other essential nutrients that babies

need for optimal growth and development. So babies so so

need meat once in a while, right, we need that,

they need that milk and means. So the question is

are we still relying on milk or do we want meat?

My encouragement, guys is, let's all go for meat. Don't

just stick to milk. Don't just stickle your ears on

a Sunday, right, Come seek the Lord, go deeper in

the world, be challenged in your faith.

Don't solve fast ah pin pin say painna.

Right, but it's out of love for know sometimes right,

it's not like we I mean, I passed.

Were a nice guy?

Okay? Can we say that? Yeah, he's such a nice guy. Sorry,

I feel too nice? Lat right? Asking for the meats?

The meat I know he makes a mean stake law, right, Yeah,

he knows where the meat is at, answering.

For the meat.

Don't just rely on the milk. These don't either lem

God anyway. So that's my first point versus me. You

gott understand the difference, but we gotta desire both, right.

Uh.

You know I joke about this, but I think it's true.

I were jealous for new new believer one because God

will answer all their prayers. And he will because they

need the male man. They need the confidence to know

that God is there for them all the time. So

they pray for simple things or God answering. But someone

like me, I know that God's not going to answer

my prayer so fast. Why because not because you know

I can think it, not because you know I, but

because the thing is I can persevere.

It is.

Because I know how to work myself and cook myself.

Think about it.

You mean every you mean every day daddy, like you say,

like hello, go and cook yourself and make your own

food and right, Corey or not? See, we understand that

in simple life things. You know, you guys know what's

righting wrong very clearly. Can we apply that to our faith?

Can we grow in our faith?

Right?

Can we grow in our faith? Can we disciple to

be discipled? Can we grow up? First Corinthians Tree, you

want to tree? Right, let's read that First Quarnthians Tree

on to three. We're talking about maturing in Christ today. Okay,

maturing in Christ? It says here an eyebrethren, could not

speak to you as to spiritual people, but as tonnel,

as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk

and not with solid food, for until now you're not

able to receive it.

And even now you're still not able. For you are

still carnal.

For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you,

are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For

when one says I am of Paul and another I'm

a properlas, are you not carnal? Are we still carnal

in our nature? Still concern about the flesh and the

things of the flesh. Friends, God called us today to

walk by faith and not by sight. You'll understand that

that that line or not walk by faith and not

by side? I love that testimony. Just now, site is

God brain tumor site is don't believe in Christ yet?

Site is very difficult. Faith is God will healed. Faith

is God loves faith. Faith is God can do something.

Faith is let's continue to persever to pray.

That's faith.

Walk by faith and not by side. What is the alternative?

Give up?

No, we shouldn't give up. You shouldn't give up. We

should walk in the spirit and not in the flesh.

Walk in the spirit. It's not the once in a

while thing. It's not only come to church and do things. No,

it's everyday thing. When you're in your office, when you're

at home, when you're talking to your parents, are you

walking in the spirit or are you working in flesh?

You'll catch that you want to be sot in light

in your life. Well, want in the spirit.

Die to yourself. Don't say the first thing that come

on your mind. Pray first, ask God, Go to God

first before you go to men.

Right.

Galatians five sixteen seventeen says, but I say, walk by

the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires. See,

the way to not gratify the flesh is to walk

in the spirit. It's a bit hard to gratify the

flesh when you're thinking about Jesus all the time. You know,

a bit hard, right, For the desires of the flesh

are against the spirit, and the desires of the spirit

are against the flesh. For these are opposing to each

other to keep you from doing the things you want

to do. Right, James one for says, let patients have

his perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete,

lacking nothing.

So friends, we've got to grow up.

We got to grow up already, right, We got to

get with the program. Time to be discipled, Time to

be discipled. See discipleship, right, it is something personal discipleship right, Well,

it can be done over the pulpit, but it's not effective.

You know, I asked, I asked. I like to think

about the Bible, thiszuela. Why did God do certain things

a certain way? Why did God choose discipleship? Why why

didn't God choose this format? Or why did God choose

TikTok TikTok? Quite effective for it? You know, you do

one video, you reach a million? Yeah, makes sense or not.

God's not dumb, He's very smart. Why he never you know,

why isn't Jesus like a marketing genius? Why did they

do discipleship the way they did? The sciper ship. Three

years Jesus came on earth. He lived with them. No,

they did live together. No, they ate together, slept in

the same bed. I don't know bathe together. I don't

know what they did. But they were together for three years. Right,

and this people saw him, They saw the way he healed.

There must be something about what he said to them

that kept them following him all the way until the end.

Must be something people don't simply follow for no reason. One,

he had no money in our friends, he wasn't a billionaire.

He had to sleep anywhere. No, really, I think if

he was billionaire, easier to follow. Okay, shit, I wonder

what he had? Why the format of discipleship and he left. No,

he didn't even like Okay, guys, it's the Bible.

Go with the Bible. Bye.

Nothing no man no nothing. He was the meno. The

man was a mano. The man was the Mano. Now

we have a Manola because they developed all the teaching material,

which is this. Then now we're using and we are

developing multiching material like our apps and our discipleship program

for better understanding to go deeper in the mano. Right,

nothing wrong with that is going deeper right, Why didn't

just do megacho styllar.

Good? What people get happy? They go back? Okay, let

me tell you why.

This is why I think because discipleship, one on one,

discipleship doing life is the most effective way to have

life transformation.

Is this good? Yes, but it's not effective. I don't

know of you.

I don't want your specific challenges and all. I won't

people go deep some of you after this, you might

not like me because you don't know you know who

I am? Right, I'm using strong words. You prefer pasadeniels

teaching because it's more kinder. It's words maybe, but discipleship

has none of those assumptions. Discipleship goes deep. You cannot

run away one way. In deciper ship. You cannot bluff

one when your deciper ship here I am. Discipleship is

very customized. This is why God chose the typer ship.

This is why discipleship works. Discipleship teaches you to be

responsible as well, because it's one thing to be there

to receive, but if you have to take care of

another person, which is kind of like my next point,

taking responsibility, we gotta take responsibility. Galicians six one to

five are guys okay, relations six month of five.

I don't know were the scripture there?

Ah, Okay, let's read that their brothers and sisters, if

another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly,

should gently and humbly help that person back into the

right path, and be careful not to fall into the

same temptation yourself. Why does the Bible say that, because

you know that we can also fall in the same temptation.

Imagine you're going to help someone, but the end up

you also starting the same problem. Tough, right, share each

other's burdens and in this way obey the law of Christ.

That's what we do. Pray for one another, shaish other's burdens.

Right when there's I'm sure here in the homes you know,

when someone is in need, we will come and we

will help. You know, we share the burden. But it's

a sharing, you know, it's not one way treatmental. It

has to be a share of hudden right. If you

think you're too important to help someone, you're only fooling yourself.

You're not about that. Okay, it's what Bible saying, not

I Sayah. If you're thinking are too important to help someone?

Is what Bible saying, pay careful attention to your own work.

For them, you will get the satisfaction of a job

well done, and you won't need to come by yourself

to anyone else. For we are off. We are each

responsible for our own conduct. We are friends, So let's

take responsibility first of all ourselves. First, How am I

as a follower of Christ? How am I as a

believer of Christ? Don't look at someone else? Do you

know why we need to take responsibility? I always imagine

this when I go to heaven next time and I

see Jesus at the judgment say of Christ, I wonder

what he'll say to me, and I wonder what the

excuses I will have. You know, a Pasadenia didn't nice

to me, you know, because you never take me out

and feed me the lamb in his house and all.

That's why I allow when he asked for hell, they

didn't have him. God, why are you going judge me

and a dad? So is it me? I have to

account for myself, you know, whatever he does is his problem.

Whether he gave me not nice, it's not nice, It

doesn't matter. I have to count myself. How am I

a good story of my own? Life right, So we

got to be a responsible amen. Romans Chapter fourteen, verse

twelve to thirteen says, so then each of us shall

give account to him of himself to God. Therefore, let

us not judge one another anymore, but rather is resolve

this not to put a stumbling block or the cause

to fall in our brightest way. Friends, these red clear

don't judge each other. A bit hard to do, a

bit hard to do. I can be honest, especially when

you're wrong by the person, but it's very important that

we don't judge.

We don't judge.

The Bible says do that, but resolved to do it

rerather than judge. You don't stumble other people. So you see,

back to us again, back to our own responsibility. That's

what we need to do, and that's what discipleship is.

If I want to take responsibility about myself, and I

am not the smartest person in the room right because

I cannot trust myself.

Do you know that the heart is ready receiving? Do

you know that?

I mean, if you didn't know that, then I'm telling

you that now, Ah, your heart is rest receiving. It's

very hot when you are in moretionally in a situation, right,

it's very hard to make clear judgment.

De'side.

Sometimes you need to talk to someone else that's not

in the situation because they're not feeling like you feel.

Then they can see clearly the problem. But when you're there,

you're feeling all the emotions. It's very difficult to be objective,

very difficult to be wise.

That's why we need someone else. That's why this hypergu works.

Okay, share not the hyperion works, right, But we've got

to take responsibility.

We all understand this.

And the next point because again we're still at the

maturing Christ. Okay, let me recap again. How do you

mature in Christ? Well, let's understand the difference between milk

and meat, and let's try to take more meat than

we're mature. Next thing is we got to grow up.

Stop talking about the simple stuff. Really, if you've been

talking about the same problem, think about it this way.

If you are worried and busy and talking about the

same problem for the past ten years, time to move on,

time to grow up, time to overcome. Do you know

that Christ gave us the ability to overcome? Let me

give you a truth that I've observed, and I try

to challenge people in this manner. Now, I challenge people

to overcome their problems. I challenge people to do that

because at the end of the day, we need to

overcome it. Yes you can get help, we can get support,

Yes we will support. But God has given you the

ability to overcome.

You know.

It's just like everything we do in life, right exams,

you know, exercising career, when you climb the mountain, there's

another bigger mountain there, but you have to climb the

mountain first. If you don't finish criming the mountain, then

how are you going to climb the bigger mountain.

Your cash?

Right, Sitting on a helicopter and reaching a mountain doesn't count.

It doesn't make you a better person. No, But once

you scale the mountain, you know you did it.

You overcame.

This also goes to problems in life, unforgiveness, challenges, your family.

You can overcome.

You can overcome, and you're not doing it alone because

Christ in you has made you more than an overcomer.

Christ in you is greater than he who is in

the world your cash. That is scripture.

No, christ in you, Jesus in you can help you

overcome your challenges. Of course, if you do it, your

own strength cannot. There are a lot of things in

my life. If I rely on my own strength, I

will fail. So I have stopped doing that. Really, I

stop trying to make my own plan and figure out myself.

I will go to guys say okay, Jesus, I'm start.

Can you help me? Right, I don't run in a

circle anymore. I don't have the idea. Can you guide me?

Can you lead me someone that will disciple me? Can

you lead me to someone that can help me overcome this?

Because this is my blind spot, because this is my weakness,

because I'm not perfect.

Right, Yes, I'm good at certain things, but a certain

thing I'm a horrible at.

So I don't bother trying. Right, That's what life has

taught me. Right, overcome we take responsibility. And finally, I

think one of the biggest things you know when you

read the scripture meant you to need it. He says,

go and make disciples, right, means that all of us here,

not just a paste. Is everyone here, Even if you're

a new believer, you need to go and make a

disciple of Chrhyser right. You need to because why why

see like I go back to the top process. Why

God they use the cybership And I want to let

you know that I am in deciber ship and I

have the privilege to disciple others. We've been doing that

for a few years, righty now you know Pasadennial Jazz

also same and we've seen the benefit. And for those

of you who have disciple others or maybe if you

are a parent, you understand this.

You understand this principle.

One of the best ways to mature is to care

for another person, yes or no, think about it, because

when you don't care for other people, it's.

All about me, me, me, me me.

But when you have to care for someone else, you

have to die to self. Don't you think that's maturity?

You have to say no, Elvin, don't buy that PS.

Five because you have to save money for your kids college.

When you have to.

Care for someone else, doesn't that take maturity? Doesn't maturity

mean you have to watch out for someone else and

care for someone else? Isn't that deciber ship when you

know someone else is relying on you? Do you know

that the Social scripture love the Lord your God with

all your heart, and love your neighbors yourself. Nowhere there

I see love yourself, God first and others. Why because

God knows when you set up with Him and you

set up with others, yourself will be settled when you

set up with him, and when you set up with others,

yourself be settled. Right, I want to understand it, Strow,

when it comes to being a parent, even if you're

not a barter. Now you understand because you have parents, right,

and of course some of you might have not so

good parents.

Then you know some of you might have good parents.

Then you also know that we're undercare or when you're

caring for someone, it takes maturity. It's a dying to

self and to learn to not be selfish. That's maturity.

It's not about me anymore, No, not about why where

normal white thing?

No?

I just align. You know the scripture says, imitate me.

It's an immediate Christ. Yeah yeah, then we then we imitate,

then we align, then we followed the program.

Right, It's no longer about me, but it's about my child.

It's about my disciple, disciple, you know, it's about a

person I'm taking care of. It's about them being a

disciple or being sorry, being a person that disciples is

not about me and me.

You know you're follow my timing. You want my No.

That's why I like the word disciple ship and not mentoring,

because mentoring tells me that I'm no more than you.

Actually, I know, I don't know more than them. Sis

half the timer.

When I talk to my guys and all right, I

pray you no, Lord, this problem. I need help God.

I don't know how to answer. And then somehow the

Lord will give insight. Mu the Holy Spirit will praise

the Lord that he gives us that discernment and wisdom

to share. And half the things are that impact their life.

I totally don't remember right now. We don't remember.

No, they say, did you say?

Said?

I'm like, I don't remember. Thank you for the honor,

but I have no idea. And I'm like, oh, that

doesn't sound like me. It sounds I don't you know.

And they remember and they get blessed.

Right.

That's the cool thing about the apper ship Matthew ten seven.

It says, and as you go preach, saying the Kingdom

of Heaven is at hand, heal the sick, cleansed lepers,

raise the day, cast out demons freely.

You have received, freely gave.

Someone asked me this question, if Pa, why do you

why are you so generous? Why do you know, don't

care for people so much? Well, it's very simple. Someone

can for me. Someone care for me freely. I have received,

freely I gave.

See.

I cannot give out of nothing, you know, I can

only give out of something. And as I freely receive

the grace, I give the grace. As I freely receive forgiveness,

I give forgiveness freely received, freely give. That's the way,

that's the way. Second Timothy two one seven, this is

my last cripture, and I kind of send a video.

Maybe we can show that as an ending. Yeah, I

send you a link. Yeah, sorry, I just sent you. Yeah,

I just remember I send. We'll watch something together. Okay,

are you guys?

Okay?

Okay, I hope you're catching something. Okay. Second Timothy, is

a lot of meat today. Okay, I hope you can choose.

Okay, I for please forgive me for those of you

who are wearing dentures.

Okay, you don't get it, it's fine. Lame joke.

My kids recently say, Daddy, can you please stop telling

that jokes?

I can't. I'm a dad.

Any joke I say, it's gonna be a dead job. Okay,

that on your laugh. Second Timothy two one to seven.

Do I have you there? Don't have you know? It's fine,

let me look for it here. Oh my goodness, I

should have put like Second tim Yeah.

Okay.

Second Timothy two one to seven. Okay, okay, says yeah,

you there for my son. Be strong in the grace

that is in Christ Jesus and the things that you

have heard from me among many witnesses. Commit these to

faithful men who will be able to teach others. Also,

you deform us and your hardship as a good soldier

of Jesus Christ. Wow, hardship you gotta and your heart

shaped friends, Okay, No one engaged in warfare and dangles

himself with the affairs of this life that he may

please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also,

if anyone completely competes in athletics, he's not crowned unless

he completes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must

be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say,

and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. So, friends,

and there and we are called to endu. We are

called to tahan, we are called to you know, persevere.

We're not called to give in. We're called to overcome,

just what the Bible says overcome, right, you're called to disciple.

You know why is it important for all these things

to happen? Because when you are able to come to

a place of maturity in your own life, and you

have some substance in your life, you have some faith

journeys that you have walk with God that cements your

faith and strengthens your faith with God. Those are examples

that were in by your others. Because when you have

another baby that comes and say they are going through

the stuff you go through, you know, and for those

of you who disciple, you'll know. Recently, I was talking

to all my guys that you know, I have the

opportunity to walk since campus, and then he's just complaining

with me about the guys he's taking care of. So

you know this, this, this guy did this, and this

guy did that. Then he looked at me and I

look at him. I just smile, and then he said, yeah, yeah, yeah,

I don't I know I used to be like that, right,

I give you this problem and I say, yep, now

you're dealing with it.

La.

You know, what comes around goes around.

But it's true. Why because he needs to grow. And

then now because he's been through it, he can disciple.

Others say, can you be stopped doing that?

Lah?

You know I can say, look, let me share if

you what I suffered. Right, And there's more weight in that. No,

do you know there's more way in that, right? And

that's why we disciple, because when we take care of

someone else and when we teach someone else, we grow.

So it is important, you know, whether we like it

or not.

So my parents here right, whether you like it or not,

you are discipling your kids, whether you realize you you are.

I play your kids, you know, Bassasena said this morning. Yeah,

your kids are listening. How young they are. They're listening

to the way you talk.

You know.

If let's say they simply talk and you say, well

you talk like that. Look at you're looking in the mirror,

you know. So you so, I'm very careful what I say. Now,

I run, very careful, very careful.

You know. We used to use bassa. Now they know basa.

They're thinking, oh, we cannot we cannot use Basa already,

you know, because there the school is doing so well

to Bassa, so we cannot use it anymore. The discipleship, friends,

I hope I've given you a picture of discipleship. I

hope I've given you some form of importance of why

disciple is important. It is a model that works, not

because we know, because God was the one that said it.

And for those that are in disciper ship, my encouragement

is disciple someone else. Talk to your disciplers, say hey,

who can I watch out for? Who can I you know,

care for? Who can I encourage? Who can I challenge?

It is challenge. It will be challenge our guy. Right,

effective effective relationship? Right, that will cost you to grow.

It's a relationship that you get challenges from one. If

everything is good, good, good, good, good, now you're not

gonna grow. Trust me. If it's all good all the time,

it's just a good friendship, which is fine. Again, if

you're looking for friends, it's fine. But if you really

want to grow, then you gotta be challenged. If you

really want to go to the next level, then you

gotta be challenge. Your catch that okay, let me show

you this like video which I feel it is a

really good perspective in the hypership. If you have no

perspective on the cybership, I would say this is a

good good way, you know, because sometimes this another thing

I realized. You know, sometimes we talk about churches because

because church really we always talk about love and God

and and all the good, feel good stuff. Sometimes we

think that the sipership is just ko you know, you know,

oh my little don't care for me. Don't say back there,

that's it. No, Actually, it's deeper than that. No, it's

not just the cry together. It's not just the do

life together. Yeah, it's not just the dead together. It's

also the challenge because your disciplo want to see you

grow in your faith. Your discipler want to know. Your

discipler want to see you overcome your challenges. You know,

maybe before this it's very difficult for you to be generous.

And then when a discipler challenge you, you know, disciplage

is gonna be painful because it's gonna be touching things

that will be sensitive to you. But you got to

remember where it's coming from. It's not to judge, it's

not to say that you're a horrible person. Is to

see the potential in you and to see how you

be can be more like Jesus your cash there.

I hope you catch that.

Let's watch this together and then I will wrap up

and then it will end.

How many guys it needs to play a YouTube video?

I can see five people there.

So this guy is a star player.

So the coach asking him to give you his best.

So fifty yards is forty five meters, he said, I

can only do the tars. The theas is about twenty

eight meters with someone on his back. Okay, one hundred

and forty pounds. I don't know how heavy is that

are maybe like seventy kg right yeah, around there, and the.

Coach is saying, I want you to give me your best. Okay.

So imagine the coach is the discipler, and that's you

with the burdens of the world on you, and you

think you can only reach twenty eight meters before you puncture.

See people still making fun of him.

He go, don't you go trying? I said, don't quiver, Hey,

bron gey rock.

There you go, there you go, keep right, He's on pray,

keep trying and don't quit them.

Then give up the rock and then I said that

said he go again the gay don't will remember hey,

brod get dry? There you go there you know.

I know said I'm sorry, you can go Shi the

bus mother said you got to give up on the

from me keep going?

He keep go? Do you keep going? You can go

more big? You know there nobody go down the gay

god the B.

Twenty mark stamp twenty more get going round, give me

your back, don't wait, don't can't darling un that dolly

can collig dop what.

Don way dog wa rock gall you don't what dat doll?

It can't go it don't dolly, don't well me?

Do you get dollar Joe kick dollar?

Do that bar stamp that bar, that bar that art

gig going, don't way give me hard? I don't can

y can my bar? Br Rod don't wow, don't wat

the hard hard.

You are?

Look good, Rock, You're in the end zone.

So does football field You see hundred and ninety.

Rock, you are the most influential player on this team.

If you walk around defeated, so will they don't tell

me you can't give me more than what I've been seeing.

You just carried one hundred and forty pounds man across

this whole field in your arms, Rock, I need you.

God's gifted you with the ability of leadership. Don't waste it, Curt,

Can I count on you?

Yes, Kurts. What is it, Jeremy? How everyone says to.

I wonder how many of us are if our disciplos showers.

Of course it's a okay.

Or not.

But I think it shows the very picture of relationship,

anything about sipship.

We have a certain ceiling to what we can do.

That's the reality of it. Okay, you heard, Oh, I

can only do this much and if let's say, got

this extra pressure in my life, I cannot. But the coach,

the disciplers saw more. Did the coach exactly know how far?

He don't know, but I'm sure he thought you can

go further and and and in a discipleship relationship you

can have that. That's that's what we see. You can

go further with Christ. Don't just stop there, you know.

But many times I think we limit ourselves.

No, no, no, that's it. I cannot. Oh too much, lady,

And then a little b you're shouting, Okay.

You know, just don't don't you know? Not not my

friend anymore. You're too hot on me? Guys, Are we

that soft? Or can we go deeper? Again, I'm not

condoning shouting after this, and I don't think they will

start doing. But I'm just saying that what is the

goal of maturing?

What is the goal? What is important to us?

Right?

Can we go deeper? Can you go deeper this year?

That's just a similar question, you know, And and end this,

maybe I invite the extreme to come up as you

think about maturing Christ today. I mean, I give you

a few points, you know, but no matter where you're at,

and no matter where you're at, yeah, I like this picture.

No matter where you're at right in your favor, you

could be a baby, maybe you are a dollar, or

maybe you'll reach a certain level of maturity. Right, Actually,

can I tell you something, as you mature, right, your

involvement in the Church of God and His House should

be more, No, actually, not less. Can I challenge you,

guys in the area, the more you mature in your faith,

the more you should be involved. And when I say

I why, I'm not talking about quit your job, dou

I'm talking about involvement. Are you discipling people or not?

Are you with the program or not or are we

too important? No matter where you're at, there is always

a level that you can go. You can be a baby, yeah,

you can go on level. And my encouragement for us

all today is not or leave everything, give up? No, no, no,

don't don't think extreme, guys. Let's just think simple. And

the simplicity is what is your next level of maturity?

Is it serving? Is it being more consistent?

Is it finally coming to a place to say, you

know what, I think, I'm gonna let this or try

out this discipleship thing. Is it saying no to certain

things so that you can say yes to ministry? I

don't know, whatever your life is, My encouragement is just

go one level higher. Can you at least do that?

Can we at least do that? Try to go one

level higher? And the other encouragement I have for you

is you are not gonna do it alone. The Lord

is here and he will help you. The Holy Spirit

is here and it will help you to grow because

God wants you to grow. He doesn't want you to

be stagnant. Anything that's stagnant now is dead. We are

alive here, guys. Life is moving. We just need to

think what's my next level, just that what's my next

level of maturity? What's my next level? That's my encouragement

for us today. So what's gonna happen is that we're

gonna worship God and I'm gonna let the Holy Steek

speak to you.

Ask him? Can I encourage you? Ask him? Lord? I've

heard so much? Is my next level?

Tragedies in Mount Everest. I think it's around nineteen ninety

six where there was so many people going up Mount Everest, okay,

and there was this group of people going up Mount Everest,

very rich people, because to go out Mount Everest you

need a minimum of sixty thousand USD. You know, you

have to your whole preparation going there, and then all

the risks that you're thinking, you have to pay a

lot of money. So this group of people they're going

climbing up Mount Everest together with the sherpas and the guides,

and every day they are supposed to cover a certain

amount of distance. If you do not cover that distance

at that day, you need to turn back. You need

to turn back because if you don't turn back, you

get caught up there and it's pitched dark and you

get lost.

That's it.

So what happened was right, these people, their fitness wasn't there,

so they couldn't make it to the cut of time.

They were one hour behind. I think it's around there,

one hour one to two hours behind. But then the

guide told them we have to turn back, and he said, no,

we are not going to turn back. We're not going

to we have we have paid so much, we have

covered so much, spent so much to just to be here,

so we are not turning back, and against his better judgment,

the sherpard let them continue.

What happened is a lot of them perished.

Because if you don't you're not able to reach a

certain point at a certain level of fitness. The higher

you go is worse. And that's what happened, So a

lot of them perished. I think there's a movie about

it as well. And for us, for guides, we know

that in the natural, in the natural, we have to

follow the guide, you know. So I went last last

weekend was a long weekend, so I went away with

my family for Mother's Day and stuff like that. So

we end up hiking. Right then my son is like

champion here ran all the way. So we were in

like I think where were we? We were bantung. Then

I lost him already because he ran all the way forward,

and then there was a fuck in the road that

I was like, oh man, So I went up the

left fop. Of course he's not therella. So when I

came back and then went all the way right there,

I found him sitting on the ground.

Waiting for us to reach. And I'm like, what are

you doing? He said, do you know? Gun thing is there?

I'm like, dude, gun thing is there? You know how far?

I was like, Because he met other hikers along the

road and then he decided to follow them. I like,

and that's but laugh as you were right, that's what

we are doing. Sometimes we are following the wrong people.

We are following the wrong people, and we will reach

the wrong destination. We will reach the wrong destination. So

let me turn us to some scripture. So this is

a story about someone who came to Jesus but unfortunately

didn't follow him. So reading from Mark ten, as Jesus

was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man

came running up to him, knelt down and asked, good teacher,

what must I do to inherit eternal life? Why do

you call me good, Jesus asked, Only God is truly good.

But to answer your question, you know the commandments. You

must not murder, you must not commit adultery. You must

not steal, you must not testify falsely. You must not

cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother, next life.

Teacher.

The man replied, I've obeyed all these commandments since I

was young. Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love

for him. There is still one thing you haven't done.

He told him, Go and sell all your possessions and

give the money to the poor, and you will have

treasure in heaven. Then come follow me. At this the

man's face fell and he went away sad, for he

had many possessions. So you can see this man came

to Jesus, but when he found out what is the

price to follow Jesus, he turned back. And why is

there disparity between Christians and disciples because some Christians are

not willing to pay the price to follow Jesus. I'm

willing to say that I identify as a Christian. Okay,

he's God, but I'm not ready to follow him. I

will follow him at my convenience. All right, Uh, there's

there's this, there's another slight slight before this. I think,

do we follow Jesus like a guide or do we

follow him like we follow on social media? We follow

on social media, though, but when you follow on social media,

you are following what you like. You're following what you like,

You're following what comments that probably resonate with you. That's

what they were saying right in America, right the when

they had their elections. If you're a Democrat, you will

see all your Facebook posts it's pro democrats. Let them

Democrats going to win an But if you're a Republican,

your Facebook feed is all Republicans, and the Republicans are

going to win.

Why is that so?

It's because you are following what you want, and the

moment it doesn't agree with you, you unfollow, you unsubscribe,

you block. So when Jesus is come follow me, do

we block, do we hide? Do we restrict? Because that

is what takes out the potents of disciples. Without following Jesus,

we are not disciples.

We just come.

We're just probably spectators, right, and I mean just yeah.

So when the disciples followed Jesus, right, they left their

boats and their nets, which means they left their identity

and their livelihood. They began to obey all the other commandments.

So they left all their own priorities. They began to

learn from him, and they slowly began to leave their

own opinions and they began to imitate him. That means

they began to leave their self righteousness behind. That was

what made disciples. They followed him right. And the last

point is this make you fishes of men. Okay, so

how many of you'll like fishing? Oh, you're like fishing.

There's more hands than Okay, I'm not really a fan

of fishing. I feel like, just give me the fish. Yeah,

Fishing is a process, right. You cannot like press the

button and then a fish jump into the boat. It

doesn't work that way. Right. Fishing is you have to prepare,

you have the right bait, you have to go to

the right place, you have to cast your nets or

your fishing line, and you have to wait.

That is what fishing is. So when Jesus said, being

fishes of men, this is the long haul. This is

you have to be patient.

You have to go where he tells you to go.

You have to fish where he tells you to fish.

He tells you to cast your net on the left

side of the boat. You cast it on the left

side of the boat. He tells you what words to

say to a certain person. God gives you the right

words to say that will speak to the right person

at that time of need, and that is when they

experience God's love. So fishing is unpredictable. There is no

guarantee of a reward. It requires patience and risk. In faith,

the fishermen would throw their nets into the deep water,

letting it sink into the lake out of sight, hoping

that the reward of their efforts would.

Be a catch and for us to be fish as

a man.

If we trust God, then he will bring us to

where the harvest is plentiful.

And that is what we have to do.

We have to first follow him. We have to first

come to Jesus, then follow him. And after we follow him,

then when he directs our path, we will know where

to fish. So only after we come to Jesus and

follow him will we be able to cast our nets.

You know, and again, if we do not catch any fish,

we don't get disappointed. Do you get disappointed when you

don't catch any fish?

You get a right.

You try again, You try again, You try again, you

try again. And if God is directing our path, then

we know we will. We are going to do his will,

and we are doing his will, we will reap the harvest.

And know that a person is first drawn to you

before they are drawn to Christ. You might be the

only Christ that they see. And when they see you

and they see Christ, then they will say, hey, what

do you have that I don't? So what are Christians? Christians?

The word Christian was actually created by non Christians. The

word Christian was created by non Christians for the first

followers of Jesus. And you know why they call them Christians?

They said Christians actually meant little christ because where no

one went, they went. Where babies were discarded, they took

them in. Where the lepers were cast out, they took

them in. Christians were known as Christians because of their

act and because of their love for people, not because

of what they wrote in a gamma Christian. So this afternoon,

even as I draw towards is closed. Right are we

Christians or are we disciples? There should not be a difference.

Let's claim back the word Christian. You know, right, last time,

when I was growing up. If you when I was

in church, here's so many testimonies where this guy driving

down the roads and least stopped by police for doing something,

and then the police asked a bullet alone, help help

nop and the guy just says cannot. I'm a Christian.

Then the police Christian. Because even the non Christians know

that the Christians made a difference, they walk the top.

They will not pay a bribe. Right now, do we

have this? Are we representing christ the same way when

they say, when people say you're a Christian, no wonder

this person is a Christian?

Oh Christian.

So let's claim back what the enemy has stolen our

identity as Christians, our call as Christians, our purpose as

Christians is still be a disciple of Christ. So I

wanted to summarize it last night.

What is a.

Disciple Learn from Jesus, live like Jesus, tell others about Jesus.

That's what a disciple is, and you do it on repeat.

It is a continuous journey where we continuously learn about Jesus,

which causes us to continuously live like Jesus. And then

we can continuously tell others about Jesus because our lives

will be bearing fruit because we are walking in accordance

to God's will, and the world will know that Jesus

Christ is Lord.

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

information on our church, please visit as Church RG. We

are also on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that this

week is going to be a good week, a hit

for you.

God bless