Keep Your shop open | Pr Steven Soon

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

We hope this message will light up your tea.

I'm gonna start off by sharing a little something. You know.

Just about a few months ago, I was on my

way to a copyam. I love copy tams. That is

my past favorite past time. I'm a very old uncle,

I know, but during a three mornings right, I really

love to go explore copyams and find the best copy

paying have the nice I love Hocker. I'm from Pinanga,

so Hokker food is in my blood, so I love

Hawker food. So I was so excited I wanted to

go to this particular Hawker center in PJ. And I

was just like, I'm imagining already the copy peing, the

brown color with the froth overflowing from the cup onto

the plate at the bottom. Oh, I'm dreaming about it.

I'm not. I'm so excited. I'm getting ready. I'm driving there,

found my pucking and of course before that, I check

on Google Open it out today Open Yes. Drove parked

a little bit of a distance away because no parking

that I walk excitedly walk walk, and then I walk

to the entrance of the corpedia and lo and behold

it's closed. All the excitement for nothing. But how many

of us have had this experience before? You're looking forward

to this shop, to this restaurant that you want. Good

do you want to go to Google? Space is open

and you end and it's closed. Disappointing, disappointing. But you

know what, sometimes, as Christians are we also like those shops.

Sometimes we also shouldn't close our shop, but we close

our shop as believers, And why am I getting it?

We are called to be the light of the world,

and we are called to let our light shine before men.

But sometimes we decide when we want to turn on

the lights. We decide when we want to open shop.

But do you know, as believers, our shops are open

twenty four seven, our lights are on twenty four seven.

Now we are called to be light, to shine before men.

We are called to be unashamed of the gospel. But

yet we choose situations when we want to open shop

so that the gospel can be shared. So we choose

when we want to turn on our shoplights so that people.

Then we decide when people can see the gospel in us.

But we are not called to have a nine to

five shop We are not called to turn on or

turn off the lights as and when we wish. Even still,

sometimes our shop doesn't even have a signboard. People don't

even know we're Christian.

Are Oh.

The title for my message today is keep your shop open.

Keep your shop open in Matthew five fourteen to sixteen.

If I can encourage you to flip open your scripture,

your Bible Matthew five fourteen to sixteen says this. You

are the light of the world, like a city on

the hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a

lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a

lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light

to everyone in the house. In the same way, let

your good deeds shine out for all to see, so

that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. That is our call,

and if I may say, our very nature there is

light already within us. That's why the Bible never says

you snuff out the light. The Bible says you light

the lamp. But sometimes we put it in the basket,

or we put it under the bit. We're hiding the light.

You see, the light is already there the moment you

accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and savior. The Holy

Spirit comes upon you. You already have light, and that

light is not off you. That light is the lot

in you. We can't decide when or how to snuff

out the light because it's impossible, but we can decide

when to hide the light. And many times that's the problem.

We as believers, choose to hide our light. Our shop

is meant to open twenty four seven. Our big boss

tells us so, but we decide when as and when

a convenient and opener. We decide like I, oh, don't

feel like it like today, then we keep our shops closed.

But I have a few encouragements for us today and

I hope we can follow. The first point I want

to tell us is this, when business is not going

too well, keep your shop open. What does that mean?

If you are a business owner, if you're an entrepreneur,

or if you yeah run a shop of a business,

any form of business. There are days where your business

is just not doing too well. Customers are not coming in,

people are not buying a product, people are not subscribing

to your service. Where you see, as a business owner,

you also know we shouldn't give up, So fast trends

can change. There are ways so in the same way

as believers, you see, discouragements can come in a work

with God. We are never meant to be comfortable. It's

never meant to be easy. Jesus never promised us an

easy life. He promise us an abundant life. Do you

know how abundant life comes. Abundant life can only come

when you experience the fullness of life, and the fullness

of life can only be experienced when you not just

only have ups, but also downs. There's a cliche saying

that you can never understand or experience true happiness untail

your experience profound sadness. Isn't that true? For those of

us here who have gone through tough times. You learn

to appreciate things a little bit more, things that we

will have otherwise taken for granted. Talking about Mother's Day,

I've learned to appreciate my mom so much more after

she went through her bottle of cancer. You see, we

are not called to leave an easy life away from problems.

In fact, if you are a believer, I've got news

for you. You signed up for a difficult life. There's a gospel.

If I don't tell you this, I'm not telling you

the true gospel because the Bible says, deny yourself, carry

across and follow me, then you will be my disciple.

Jesus says. So a life is never man to be easy.

But you see, here's the good news. In an easy life,

you don't experience. The fullness of life is through a

life of trials, challenges, difficulties that we will find at

the end of the day that we have lived and

truly lived. There's my encouragement to you now coming back.

Discouragements can come, but don't give up so fast. My friends,

business not doing too well, don't close shops of us persevere.

Remember what the Lord has called you to do, even

though they are not fruits yet. Persevere. Don't give up

on your calling so fast. Hebrews Straw verse one to

verse three. Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by

so great a cloud witnesses, let us lay aside every

way and the scene, which so easily and snare says,

what is this sin? Pass? I can appreage on this

before later we're going to see it answers itself in

verse three. And let us run with endurance the race

that is set before us first to looking onto Jesus,

the author and finisher of our faith, who for the

joy that was said before him, and dure the cross,

despising the shame, and has sat down at the right

hand of the throne of God. Now verse three, I

want us to pay attention for consider Jesus, who endured

such hostility from sinners us against himself. Lets you become

wary and discouraged in your souls. Verse one says, the

sin which so easily and snares poll it on answers

to say, the sin that's so easily and snares is

this where is wariness and discouragement. Wariness and discouragement you

see a work with God. It's never has never meant

to be easy. It's late with difficult paths. Narrow is

the way to life, the Word of God says, not

the broad roads. Narrow means it's going to be uncomfortable,

probably not working on proper pavement where you see. That

is what we're called to do. And the Bible tells

us to be careful of the sin that's so easily

and snares us. Weariness and discouragement. Discouragement could be very

well be the very thing that marks our downfall. Discouragement

can very well be the thing that causes us to

stop running and give up entirely. You see in this scripture,

you will realize that the Bible does not say those

who run the fastest will finish the race. It does

not say those who are the most gifted will finish

the race. It does not say those who are champion

runners will finish the race. It says those who enter,

those who endure, finish the race. I always love watching

those track competition videos, whether it's the Olympics or the

World Championships, where you see a runner that is marked

to be a champion. That person is like everybody's hopes

on that person. This person is a prodigy, this person

is definitely gonna it's like the crowd favorite. It's gonna win.

He or she's gonna win. But then the gun goes off,

they start running and the person springs. He saw her leg.

I've seen those videos before, I'm sure we have. And

then of course the champion goes to the second fastesta, right,

Aaron cheers, but that and that sharing suddenly there is

a hush because we saw we see that the person

who's sprained he saw her leg who have fallen, gets

back up and limbs. He's on her way to the

finishing line, even though they end up blast. And do

you know who remembers Who is being remembered the most

in that race? Not the person who won, the person

who persevered. Don't we love stories like this? Those stories

like this inspire us. That is our call as believers

not to just run very very fast, but to endure.

And I want to tell you this in such times

right now, turbulent, turbulent times and veneering end times, we're

actually in the end times now. People who will fall

away from the faith are not people who are not gifted,

people who are weaker than the restple that are not

as popular. People who will be falling out of faith,

you will realize, are people who cannot persevere. Tough times

comes crack under pressure. Following tough time comes because of

weak conviction. Following tough time comes, pressure comes. Society say so,

families say so, spouse says so, children say so, We follow,

We follow. You will see and it's already happening. Just

observe around you. Bible says wars and rumors of wars,

and many of these wars there are caused by you know,

leaders of nations. There was they're hearing, they're listening to people,

They're listening to advisors, to this, to that. I don't

know how many leaders of nations are actually listening to

the Lord. But you see, coming back to us, the

goal is not to run the fastest. The goal is

not to compare ourselves with others. The goal is to endure.

Can we build a generation of believers with endurance, not

just believer us. They are happy and hyph for a

while when good things happen, but during tough times believers

that greet their teeth and say, God is still good.

I will stick to the course and keep running. Galicians

six 's nine says this. So let's not get tired

of doing what it's good and just the right time.

We will reap the harvest of blessing if we don't

give up when business is not going to well, keep

your shot open. There's some of us here who go

through motions of religion but have given up following Jesus.

Let me repeat that again. Many of us here are

just going through the motions of religion but have given

up following Jesus. That means we have the form. We

have the outward appearance of everyone that is doing everything

right in the side of man, especially in a church setting,

but yet internally we have given up walking with Jesus.

Let me give you an example. Sometimes we saw we

do things, we sow and so and so into people,

so into ministry, and we get burned. And it's natural.

Can I tell you this? Getting burning is normal? We're

in the midst of human beings are we will step

on each other's toes on I just got recently, I

got ingrown toe nail I just removed. I managed to

remove the nail myself. And last night I got a

fellow teammate. Let's step on my toe again, and I

was on the ground at the seconds holding my toe bait.

See a funny example. But what I'm trying to say

is we will step on each other's toes. Yes, yes, yes, yes,

you're right in yen what is correct? Ha, even in church? Yes,

even more so. You know why? Because we're doing life together, Ma,

we are to sharpen each other iron chapens, iron right,

iron chains, iron the mist. You're getting cut constantly so

that you'll be molded to be more like Christ. You

won't be molded to be more like Christ. Outside, you'll

be molded to be more like Christ in very much so.

In the setting of believers in the church. Not saying

you shouldn't go out and reach out. I'm saying when

you're in the midst of believers, don't you realize being

cut and being hurt by fellow believers hurts the most.

There's the reason why, because we're all part of one body.

It's spiritual and there's spiritual truth to it. That's why.

That's why it hurts the most. We will step on

each other's toes. We will go through tough times. And

maybe you have gone through that and you got burned,

and you go like, what's the pointer? I just come

to church. I've done all that before, but still got hurt.

Still things happen to me. I've got not so good

news for you, but hopefully gives you a bit of

clarity of reality. This will keep happening. You think being

a church planter I'm immune to hurt. I think you

guys know the answer. Leaders who journey with me. Even

though we've been doing a half years almost three years,

we've seen different things happen. Our hearts are broken time

and time again. But do we give up. No, we shouldn't.

We shouldn't. We still continue, We still do what we do.

But you see, we have to be very careful with

some of us here where we have the form of

a believer. But we have given up working with Jesus

because sometimes we get so comfortable with the bare minimum.

I appreach about this before. Okay, coming to church. Okay,

what on good days, go to homsa on even better days,

go praise a vista. I say this is back by

truth because God stettn right, not saying that you must

that we are all about attendance. But you know your heart,

sometimes we are stuck with the bare minimum. We just

do can I God? Last time? I used to do more?

No point of redeala God. We get disappointed, discourage. Sometimes

we've grown so cold that when God challenges us, go like, hey,

would you do this for me? God? Coming to church? Redeala.

But you see, we can do all these things, but

we may not be walking with Jesus. You see, we

got to check our hearts. Are we following religion or

are we following Jesus? Are we following a set of

traditions set by an institution? Or are we following the

son of God. They appear the same, but internally it's

completely different. We have to be careful not to fall

trapped to that. And many times those things come out

of disappointment and discouragement. No for leaders, Yeah, I know.

Many times we sow and so and so. Sometimes we

go like, hey, why not you come and join this?

This is good for you, and the people join up

because they want to. They join because I'm doing you

a favor. Sometimes it happens right when I appreciate this

and I say this in XPJA. Wow, the leaders oo

very loud. They felt it. They felt it because it's true.

And sometimes it's leaders. I'm speaking to the leaders. Now

we sow and so and so. But then why much

I'm no fruits instead of fruits, it seems like the

branch is breaking some more. Oh, oh God, what am

I doing wrong? We sow and we saw and we sow.

But you see, I just to encourage your Galatians six

nine saysties, let's not get tired of doing what is

good at just the right time. And who determines the

right time, the Lord. We will reap the harvest of blessing.

But there's a condition. If we don't give up, we

persevere to the end. And man, fellow brothers and sisters

in Christ, don't you think it'll be such a beautiful

thing when we appear before Jesus at the end of

the day and Jesus says, my good and faithful servant,

you've stuck to the court. I am proud of you. Wow,

how sweet are those words if we get to hear

it from Jesus. But we can only do that, We

can only have that if we persevere. Let me give

you another example. I didn't prepare this, but example just

came out. We can't. Another example of us doing everything

right externally but not walking with Jesus is mentioned in

scripture because Jesus gave an example of girl of people

that did signs and wonders for the Lord in the

Lord's name when to heaven and the Lord says, who

are you? I don't even know you. That's the danger

of friends, you see. We can still do signs and

wonders if you are not exactly walking with Jesus, because

as long as you use the name of Jesus, things happen.

Because it's not you, you see, it's the power that lies

in the name of Jesus because there are people there

are a lot of false prophets out there. They are

using the name of Jesus and still seeing people getting killed.

It's not because the false prophets are powerful. It's the

name of Jesus as powerful. So don't be surprised in

ny times such as days that you have people who

don't really walk with Jesus. By using the name of Jesus,

miracles still happen. Don't be deceived, my friends. The name

of Jesus carries power, and whoever uses his name things

will happen. So that's why the Bible says, even though

these people did science and one that's in his name,

God can still say who are you? I don't know you.

This proves that we can have all the external form correct,

but if we don't walk with Jesus, he will all

be for nothing. I want to encourage us again. Are

you walking with Jesus again? Don't give up when you

don't see the fruits. Don't give up when business is

not going to well. Don't close the shutters so fast,

keep your shop open, keep going, keep going, persevere. The

second point is this, when you mess up, keep your

shop open. I'm going to talk about an example in

scripture Matthew twenty six. This is where Jesus was going

to go through a very long night in a very

long day. So Jesus was going to go to the cross,

and over here my tutor. In his six s thirty three,

Peter declared to Jesus in front of every disciple, he said,

even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you. Wow.

I tell you. If I'm sitter at that table and

be like you inspire me, Peter, I won't be like you.

Everyone else deserts you, I will not Wow. Peter, what

an inspiration. I want to be like Peter. Where Jesus

preparing a cold top of water, he said, I tell

you the truth, Peter, this very night before the rooster cross,

you will deny three times that you know me. Whosh

pork cold water on Peter's fire, and then Peter goes no.

Even if I have to die with you, I will

never deny you. Why if I was there again in

a sequel so inspired by Peter, I won't be like him.

And you know how inspiring he is. Look at the

following sentence and all the other disciples vowed the same.

Peter was motivational speaker, man said all the right things,

did all the right things. Believe that man, he would

never deny Jesus news flesh. After that, what happened? Peter

denied Jesus three times in the same night, Verse seventy

seventy five met two twenty six, Verse seventy five. Suddenly

Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind before the rooster crows,

you will deny three times that you even know me?

And he went away weeping, bitter lee. We always think

that when we read this right, we always have the

perspective that Peter when he denies Jesus right uh, and

he went away weeping. We always thought this is a

problem of faith. It's not sticking true to his word,

not not faith to follow Jesus. I will give you

another perspective. All of us are can on occasions be

like Peter. Why it's not because Peter is playing high

and mighty. When he said I will not desert you,

bitter really meant it. At that point, Peter really meant

every single word he said. When he says I would

die with you Jesus, he meant it. He believed that

he was not lying, But then how come he can

still deny Jesus three times? And this is where it

relates to us, because there are times in our life

that we thought we were doing well, everything that a

lot says we have done, we are doing, We're on fire,

on fire, on fire. But the next the next moment,

things happen and we did a big boo boo. We

denied Jesus, We disappointed God. It can happen to the

best of us that we can really believe in our hearts.

And next thing, we know, we did things that the

Lord is not pleased. And you know what happened, John

twenty one, I'm gonna share about this. So Jesus was

nailed to the cross, is that he was dead, and

then he was laid down in the tomb. Peter was

so I'm imagining in guilt street by guilt, that he

went back to fishing. He being called to be a

fisher of men, went back to become fishermen. Why he

went back to his own life. You know, friends, he

gave up almost on his calling to go back to

fishing fish. How do we know? John twenty one says

Peter and the disciples were out fishing. They went back

to their own life. And I believe it was because

Peter was in such guilt that he felt that he

can never measure up again, He can never face Jesus again.

How can I call myself a disciple of Jesus after

what I did? How can I ever redeem myself? How

can I ever be used by God again? After what

I did? And then in John twenty one there is

a famous scripture that we know Jesus can cook Jesus

after his resurrection, he prepared breakfast and the disciples saw Jesus,

and Peter ran on water, not under the water, design

in water. He didn't walk a water at this sign,

but as their boats or nearing the show, he jumped

out of the boat and ran to Jesus. And then

after breakfast, Jesus asked Simon, Peter, Simon's son of John,

do you love me more than this? I wonder what

Jesus was talking about when you say this. Let that

sink in a bit, imagine a little bit. Why did

Jesus say, Simon, son of John, do you love me

more than this? Was he speaking into his guilt? Was

he speaking into his own life? Peter replied, yes, Lord,

you know I love you. Then feed my lambs, Jesus

told him. Jesus repeated a second time, Simon, son of John,

do you love me? Yes, Lord, Peter said, you know

I love you. Take care of my sheep. A third time,

he asked him, Simon, son of John, do you love me?

Peter at this one was hurt that Jesus asked the question.

At the time, he said, Lord, you know everything. You

know that I love you. Jesus said, then feed my ship.

Let's go back to the original text in Greek. When

Jesus asked Peter the question do you love me? He

used the word agape love. We've heard this before. Agape

love is the highest form of love. It is unconditional love.

It's the word that is described you know. It is

the word that describes God's love to us human beings,

unconditional love. So, when Jesus asked Peter, Peter, do you

agape love me? Peter responded, Lord, I feel you, O

love you. Filio is a lower level of love where

there are conditions. We use the word felio when we

talk about our love ones, our friends. Conditional love. So

Jesus asks again, Peter, do you agape love me? Peter

in his guilt, Lord, he's probably thinking about the three

times he did that, Jesus, Lord, I feel your love you.

Then Jesus came in with the third question, slightly different, Peter,

do you feel your love me? At that point Peter broke.

We read this scripture thinking all this time that Peter

was probably frustrated and annoyed at Jesus. I believe Peter

was wrecked with guilt one more round because Peter knows

that he can never ever agape love Jesus. That's why Peter.

Jesus went down to his level, Peter, do you feel

your love me? And Peter say yes, Lord, I feel

your love you. And you know what was amazing? In

spite of Peter, We're not being able to ever measure

up to God's stand it, Jesus responded in the end,

then feed my sheep. That means Jesus knows our shortcomings.

He knows that we can never measure up. He knows

that we will keep messing up over and over again.

Don't you think when when Jesus told Peter upon this rock,

I will build my church, don't you think Jesus already

knew that Peter was going to deny him three times.

This happened right before, by the way. But yet Jesus

still say that, knowing for well that Peter was going

to deny him. We use this word deny Jesus. Peter

deny Jesus so much sometimes we are jaded by what

it really means. If you put your name there, do

you realize the wait now, I don't think any of

us will go like I will deny Jesus. Lad, So

you imagine the guilt that you will feel if you

experience a bitter experience. But you see when that happened,

Peter really was on the brink of giving up. You

see in his life decisions, it's going back to his

own life. He feels undeserving. Big boo boo, mess up

big time. I can never measure up. I'm not worthy

to be called the follower disciples of Jesus. Wow. Thank

god he didn't give up in the end, because you

know after that, when the Holy Spirit came, he didn't

give up. So he still did what Jesus commandered, just

continue together as believers and prayer and wait upon the

Holy Spirit. Waited, Holy spirit came upon him when I

preached his first sermon five thousand, came to know the Lord.

We come to know that today Peter has become worse

one of the pillars of faith in early Christianity because

he did not give up enter Judas contrasts. Both Peter

and Judas denied Jesus death. Yeah, it's a heavier word

for Judas, he sold Jesus off, But essentially what Peter

did is the same thing. Peter denied that he even

knew Jesus. Is disowning Jesus, you know. But yet how

come the outcome is so different? Both I would say

equal amount of sin and guilt. Judas chose to give up.

He didn't realize the extent of God's grace for him.

Peter recognize it. Peter recognized that even as a failure,

Jesus never gave up. His grace extends to Peter, even

in his lowest of times. Where am I getting at

with this? Many times we are like Peter. We were

at a place where we were well, but we made

a big mistake. Maybe we've heard someone in church and

we see it feel like we can never face that

person in church again. Therefore we withdraw, we withdraw from

our serving, we withdraw from the community. Maybe some of

us have backslided and we could never bring ourselves to

come back to the same place again because we are

racked with guilt. Lord, I did thinks that I shouldn't.

I don't feel deserve deserving of running back. Maybe some

of us here, you know, used to be leaders, but

we step down and for some reason that gave us guilt.

I stepped down, can never measure up again, can never

get back to that place again. I want to encourage you.

That's God's grace extends to you wherever you're at. Jess.

Like how Peter was on his way to give up,

but yet he went on to fulfill his life purpose

while in constant convenion with God, you can do the same.

I don't think any of us have denied Jesus yet,

I hope never for Peter close, one of the closest

the inner circle of Jesus, denying Jesus, yet still able

to bounce back and do and did what he did.

Don't you think you can? Also? Maybe you have done

things that you felt that you have disappointed God. But again,

my friends, his grace is never out of reach. Don't

give up, don't close shop. Keep your shutters open. Some

of you may even have your shutters halfway closed, just

waiting for the right time. And there's no such thing

as the right time to close your shutter. You're never

meant to keep your doors open. Keep your shop open.

Don't give up. I talk about when your business is

not doing well, keep your shop open. I talk about

when you mess up. Keep your shop open. And I'm

going to close with this point. When a storm hits,

keep your shop open. I want to share a story.

There's this town that received a hurricane warning, so the

horns blair, there's a hurricane coming. Everyone run back to

your home, get sheltered, all right, because a hurricane is coming.

So everyone there's one street, the main street, the busiest

street in town, where all the most of the businesses

are running busy, quickly closing shop, closing their shutters. But

there's one guy that refuses to close his shop. All

the other shop owners store this. This man is a cycle.

A hurricane is sitting and he's still one thing in

shop to be open. He loves money so much. Man

who is gonna come into his shop during a h Again?

Everyone thought he was stubborn. He did not respond to anything.

He just kept quiet, kept me sharpened, sat on his

usual chair waiting. Everyone ran back. The hurricane came, so

all the lights imagine if me the row of shops,

every shutter closed, every lights off. But this shop, all

the lights are on and the shutters open. Hurricane came.

Then suddenly you hear the ring of the bell from

the door opening one time, two times, three times, four times,

ten times, fifteen times, still got customer. At this time.

They were homeless people that had no shelter to go to.

And that's when the villagers after the hurricane realized what

the men did. His shop open even though he was

at risk, so that he can provide shelter for those

that don't have a shelter. He kept his lights on

the brightest so that in the midst of every shop

that has their lights closed, people can see there's one light,

one shop that is open that I can run to

for shelter. This man did not just make a living

with his business. He made the difference in life. Storms

will always hit us as a believer and a Christian,

even more so if we have not experienced tough times

in a while. It's good to ask God the question

why not that we are looking for it? But sometimes

comfort can be something that enemy goes Okay, that guy's comfortable.

I don't need to do anything, but it's a good

heart check. But anyways, that's besides the point. When a

storm hits, I pray when we go through difficult times,

we'll keep our shop open. It is often the most

difficult and darkest of times that our light will shine

the brightest. That's what happened with the shop owner. I

want to share a story, and this happened fairly recently now,

three months ago. I signed up for gym membership. It

was because I had to learn it the hard way

that I injured myself a few times. I don't know,

don't help me massage before it was really painful. I

had to go to physio as well for her NATed

disk and I just felt like, man, I'm just turning thirty.

Why am I having all this wake up call? I

need to start taking care of my body. So I started.

I signed up for a gym near my place and

started working out a lot more so. That was three

months ago. I started in February and then fast forward,

so I've been doing that for a few months. Fast

forward to April. Last month, I want to be very

vulnerable and honest with you. It was a really discouraging

season in my life. I was at a point where

just now I mentioned in the first point, right, like,

sometimes we just so and so and so, and it

feels like not bearing food. I felt that way right

weather is actually so. I'm gonna put that aside. But

for me, I felt like, what am I doing? Am

I not doing enough? Am I doing something wrong? Should

I change the way I'm doing? Am I listening to

God correctly? Or is it my own wisdom or is

it the Lord's wisdom? Am I making the right choices ministry?

Am I doing it properly? Am I meeting people enough?

Am I doing enough for people? I went on that

rabbit hole and I just felt down in the ditch.

I felt like, oh man, I'm so tired and so discouraged.

I was in that pit for a while, but thank God,

I didn't give out on working out. So I still

went to the gym. But Jim's be come like my

alone time. I'll put on my earphones, pull on my playlist,

and I'll start working out. And I've come to realize

that nowadays, when I work out, I don't like talking

to people. I find that a waste of time because

I'm in the middle of my set. I gotta read them.

I tie my rest. I did all that so so

I just happily in my soul. I I go to

the gym a few times a week, and every time

I will see the same girl people. But I'll never

look at them. They'll not look at me. They will

they will check on the mounts themselves, never talk to me.

I'll never talk to them. I never engage them in conversations.

I'll just do my own things. Seeing the same girl

people coming in in in for months, it's every one day.

This is April, sorry, end of March. Sorry April April. Yes,

So one day God just told me, Stephen, why are

you close your life? What do you mean God? Talk

to people? Lie the gym, my God. I'm here to

work out, not to talk. I got a short time.

I go one and a half hours to work out.

Then after that I got another meeting to go through.

I'm very short. I cannot afford to talk to people. Say, Steven,

are you Christian or not? Okaya, God, you say like that. Really,

I'll keep my shot open, keep my lights on. I

cannot be just Christian in church, right, so Christian in

my daily life. Ma right, God is real when I'm

in church and also real when I'm outside. So I said, goy,

go on, I'll do that, and almost on cure one

person walking and for some reason, all of the different

people in the gym, I noticed that person now and

then there's where and I felt like, okay, after this,

after workout, I'm going to go and talk to this person,

introduce myself. I continue on my set working out. Yes,

I really. One person came tack on my shoulder after

I finished my set and look up is HEMO came

to talk to me. And the first thing it says,

can I correct your form? This is a person I'm

supposed to talk to be nice to. First thing he says,

can I correct your form? But I'll say yes, please do,

please do, Because usually I woke out alonde my I

wouldn't really know whether I'm doing right or rock or

wrong on certain things. So he corrected O. Great. After that,

Great introduced myself of names. That was it. I didn't

see him for a few weeks. Maybe I'll work up

timing not a liner. And then two weeks ago I

believe it was it two weeks ago. I think so

two weeks ago, wh Jim working out again, and then

he came in and then we saw just my each other,

and then he came over, can I correct your form

again again? Like, yes, please do teach me. So he

taught me, and then I started, I have a comment.

I remembered, I remembered what God said, so I did again.

I was still in a bit of discouragement. Guys, really discouraged,

really feel like I'm not doing a good job with

whatever I'm doing. I felt so discouraged. But then the

conversation happened. We talked about what I just asked him

a question. He actually, what do you do? Oh, I'm

a business development in this line of industry. And then

he asked me what do you do? Oh, I'm actually

working in church full time. Oh yeah, I'm a pastor.

Oh past I started feeling a bit like the person

is like susting me out or something. So started and

then he started going, I got some questions for you. Whoa,

and then you start to you correct my form? My

correct is theology?

Right?

Yeah? No, no, no, I did not do that. I

did not do that. I did not do that. But

we started talking and he asked me which church you

go to? Go to? Ex church? The plan I go

to is in Banda. Oh I stay in soon, maybe

I can come. So I thought, okay, but I take

it a binge of sala. I mean just met, right.

A lot of people tell me that but never come on.

So anyways, but maybe maybe maybe I can come visit

one day. I work on weekends, but I'll try when

I can, I'll come visit. And as I said, okay, great, great, great,

And then after that he said, they say, actually, Steve,

I want to tell you this. You remember the first

time we met. I'm like, yeah, yeah, you corrected my phone?

Yeah yeah, yeah yeah. And when I walked in, didn't

notice you at first, but then suddenly I don't know why.

I saw a bride light coming from you. Guys, this

is said the gamer. I'm sweating buckets, I'm greamer, seeing

my face crunched up, probably the ugliest face you ever see.

And there it goes. He says, when you're working out,

I saw a really bright light coming from you. I

was baffled. I was like, what do you mean, you say,

and say, actually, I know more work out redaily like

you want to go my mom next door? We go

drink data. I haven't finished my set yet, but I said, okay, okay, okay,

let's go. Kept kept the weights, kept myself, Let's go.

And then we talked and he shed. He opened up.

He says, Stephen, I've not never shed this to strangers.

Apologies for calling you a stranger, but we just met twice.

Even only my closest of closest of friends have heard

this story. He grew up in without a dad. He

grew up with a mom that's a drug dack, that

means parents never present. He was in orphanage for some time,

got into a lot of trouble with the authorities, went

to jail before all of that. But he said, he

knows there's a God, but to him, God is a lot.

He has a lot of fear for God, but he

has never experienced a love of God. So the lot

led me to minister to him, and I prayed for

him and I told him and shed and share and shed,

and then he ended up just saying this cannot be

a coincidence. Oh, I'm still praying that he'll come to church.

He'll be okay, you know, he'll come and come to

God's love. But what I'm trying to get at with

this story is that, guys, when this happened, I was

in a pit of discouragement. And if I trace back

the timer, I really believe that the moment I told

God at the gym, okay God, I opened up myself,

opened the shop bla, that was a moment I believe

the light came true and he saw it. I really

believe so, guys, because at first he didn't see. And

this brings to the truth that the light inside of

first is always on on. That's why the Bible says.

They didn't say extinguish the light. The Bible says, you

keep the light in the basket to hide it, and

as believers, we do that all the time. So the

moment I told God, okay, God, you want me to

do so, I'll I opened chop, the moment that happened,

the light came true and the people observe. You see,

when we're in the midst of believers, we take this

light for granted, we can't see any difference on it

because we are in the light. But for someone in darkness.

They can see light when there is a light. There

was what happened to that friend? He saw light? And

my friends, there are people around you waiting for you

to just turn on your light. Sorry, I should not

say turned on. Your lives already on. There are people

around here waiting for you to bring out your light

so that they can see there is a light. But

many times we hide the light because we are tired.

It's my alone time, Jim time is my meantime. A

hol day work work. I already have to deal with

these colleagues on work problems. Now you want me to

shine my light for them? Oh? God, this and that

and this and that. We find a lot of reasons

not to shine our light, but we are called to

be like and you see. The thing is God understands.

It's difficult in that pid of discouragement. Don't you think

it's hard also for me? Do I still have to

engage in conversation? Okayla, it was difficult. I was tired,

I was discouraged. I just want to do my own thing.

God knows, And you know, here's another crazy thing right

to share with you again. God knows so much that

the moment I opened my heart. I didn't have to

go and talk to him. He came to talk to me. See,

God is at work. Also, God knows where you're at.

God won't ask you to do things he knows that

you cannot, really cannot do. And at that point it

may have taken me a little bit more to go

up to actually go and talk. So God knew. God

helped as long as I was faithful and I obey.

God sent him my way. Friends, in the toughest of times,

that's when our light shines the brightest. Don't hide your light.

And I end by saying this, Disciples of Jesus, we've

been talking about discipleship, discipleship, discipleship. I hope you guys

already understand that you are disciples of Jesus, if you're

following Jesus. So I'm going to address you as such.

My dear disciples of Jesus, my fellow disciples of Jesus.

Keep your shops open, don't deem your lights just yet,

don't close the shutters just yet. Don't we all love

twenty four seven convenience stores. I'm still praying for one

day ninety nine, Speep, I will be twenty four seven

my favorite convenience store. But the extended time Realy, I

think is a day last time I enteath ten. I'm

a fan. I'm a fan of ninety nine monument. But yes,

let's be twenty four seven. Christians, let our shops be

open twenty four to seven. If you are tired, God knows,

just be faithful, keep your shops open. Just now, when

I finished preaching an XPJ, while the hosts came up

to me as I was leaving to come here and say,

per se if, I just want to tell you this,

Thank you for sharing that because I feel so tired.

But God encouraged me that all I had to do

was keep my shop open. That's all I have to do,

keep my shop open, and the Lord will help me.

I pray that you guys will also have the same encouragement.

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

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

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this week is going to be a good week, a

hit for you. God bless