Church Of Sardis | Pr Matthew Chang

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

We hope this message will light up your tea.

Amen. Okay, So I'm gonna go. I think I've covered

three churches with you guys. I think the fourth one

I accidentally escaped with a start ram. But I'm gonna

cover the church and Statist, which is the one to

the fifth church first and then the next the next

time when I come back, I will cover it back. Okay,

that's fine. So turn with me to Revelations chapter three,

and then I'm gonna read from verse one to verse

six one one through and then I will uh, then

I will expand from there. Okay. Revelations chapter three. The

titles here reads the Dead Church. It's like it's a Solomon,

the loveless Church, the prosecutor Church, the compromising Church, the

corrupt Church, and not the dead Church. Oh headline grabber. Okay,

So by Scaler, it's all got love sas Okay. Revelations

chapter three, Verse one and to the Angel of the

Church in Sadi's right, these things says he who has

the seventh spirits of God and the seven stars. Okay,

I underline that I know your works that you have

a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain. They are

ready to die, for I have not found your works

perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard.

Hold fast and repent. Therefore, if you will not watch,

I will come up. God will come upon you as

a thief, and you will not know what hour I

will come upon you. You have a few names, even

in sadis, who have not defiled their garments, and they

shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy

underlying the word as well. He who has He who overcomes,

shall be clothed in white garments. And I will block

out his name. Okay, I will not blow out his

name from the book of Life, but I will confess

his name before my father and before his angels. He

who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit

says to the churches. Okay, now let's start from the beginning.

There he says, here and to the angel of the churches,

are this right? These things? Says he who has the

seventh spirits of God and the seventh stars. Okay, now

we are off to a good start again. Start with

very cosmic type of words. Okay, starts with the seventh

spirits of God and the seven stars. What does it

mean and what is that? What is the implication? What

is the message that God is trying to imply to us?

So again, if you've gone through the earlier series, you

know that I always emphasized that, you know, the introduction

of how let me backtrack. The way that Jesus introduces

himself to each of these churches are always unique and

they carry a lot of importance. The way you introduce

yourself highlights the message, the warning, and the hope that

you intend to send to the recipient. Okay, always very

very important in that. So we've seen in places where

Jesus introduces himself, as you know, there's one place in

the Church of Ephesus, he introduces himself as the one

who holds the seven stars in his right hand, and

the one who walks in the midst of the seven

golden lamp stands. Or in another case, you know, Jesus

introduces himself as the first and the last who was

there and came to life. And then another place he

introduces himself and the one who has the sharp two

edged sword. So many unique introductions. But to this one,

Jesus introduces himself with the Seventh Spirits on God on

one hand, and the other part is the seventh Stars.

Now what is the seventh Spirits of God? Let's talk

with that. I'm not going to go through into all

of it because it can be a whole teaching series

on his own, but just very briefly, while the Seventh

Spirits of God is based the not persons, okay, but

the different many form manifestations or the ministries or the

what you display of God's aspects, dimensions and power through

the Holy Spirit. And they are not individualists. They are unique,

but they are also one, and they are one, and

they are also full, unique one and full. Hey, they

are not they are not lacking. Okay. So it's like

a you know, I mean, I don't know what analogy

to use. But they are spirit of the Lord or

are the capital Let are all okay, the spirit of

wisdom okay, the spirit of understanding, spirit of counsel, spirit

of power, spirit of knowledge, and the spirit of the

fear of the Lord. Okay. If you want to know

where this comes from, it can go into Isaiah chapter eleven,

verse two. It's all in there, and there are other

verses and other places where that it has reference to

lesser known by many people. Many people just say it's

the Holy Spirit, okay, But when you go into detail

and realize that actually they are a lot of different

aspects to it as well. Okay. So if you so,

how do so? How what is the implication? How how

do we apply this understanding? What should we know about

the seventh spirits of God? Okay? First of all, the

seven spirits of God is actually, first of all, it's evident, okay,

and it lives and it is manifested and demonstrated through

the life of Jesus Christ. Okay. So that's the main

thing you need to know. Summarize it for you, Okay.

All this is live, manifested okay, through the person of

Jesus Christ. Okay. The Holy Spirit lives in him and

he displays all of it fully completely, okay. So Jesus

Christ is the standard okay of that as well. So

on one hand, we have the seven spirits of God. Okay,

someone comes to you and say the seven spirits of God.

And on the other hand it says, I have the

seven stars. What are the seven stars? Anybody? Are the

seven stars? Seven states? Of Malaysia. It's not okay. The

seven stars represent the seven churches. Okay, so now we

have the ingredient. But what is the meaning We have

the seven spirits of God and seven churches. What is

Why is Jesus introducing himself that way? Holding those two?

This is very important so that we know how to

interpret scripture next time. Okay, when you read like that,

what does it mean? What a symbolism for? Like I said,

holding these too is not just to show you. The

object is to show you the message, the hope and

the warning that Jesus is trying to do. Said when

he holds these too, and if you look and I

will show you read little in the scripture. What's he

trying to do? He is telling us. He is revealing

to us that he is what he is, the examiner.

He's examining and weighing. Now, how do you weigh something?

Nowadays we have electronic way? Isn't it you weigh something

to come out number? You know all the times there

is a way, there's a standard, isn't it. There must

be a benchmark, there must be a counter one keylo

two kilo sometimes people so don't wait, Okay, it's standardized one.

So what is the standard? Is it? The world? How

do on one hand you have the churches being weighed.

It's like, you know, you bought something, and then the

churches were being bought by the precious blood of Christ.

True not the church is safe and readeem and brought

by the precious club of Christ. Now what does Christ

measure the church against the world you're feeling my feeling, no,

against the seventh spirits of God. Now it makes sense

right now. So God is coming to these churches, and

it's coming here. I'm coming to examine you, and I

mean to examine you. It's like I'm coming to audit you.

I'm coming to check your house. You know what you have,

and I'm bringing a measurement. And this measurement is according

to not anything else, but according to what I live.

I believe in what is demonstrated in my life. What

raised me up from the grave, from the grave to

the into the right hand of God is the Holy Spirit,

and to be more specific, the Holy Spirit, in the

fullness of the Holy Spirit, the seventh spirits of God.

You're saying, not. So God is coming to examine and

measure the church according to this standard makes sense. So

what does that mean for each and all of us? Here?

For all of us, the church is not building, you know,

the church is you and I, the believers. You know,

you and I, all our lives are being measured as well,

what we measure against the Holy Spirit, the expectation and

the fullness of the Holy Spirit as well. Now some

of us will say, hey, but I only have one

version of Jesus Christ, And how we say we only

have Jesus lever or so? I thought we were saved

by God and were live in grace and everything is

by grace. But then suddenly you talk about, hey, being measured,

being living up to a call. Doesn't sound very gracious,

you know, doesn't sound you know, sound very difficult. You know.

It's like it's like, hey, you know you, you know you,

you you know you, you you got you know, uh,

you got into a job, into a great company, great salary.

But then you realize they have such a high standard

of certain things, so hard. Hey, but Christians are supposed

to be abundant and blessing one and all. But I'm

going to tell you, if you read through the scripture here,

and you read through the scripture, probably the same Bible

that you and I have. I hope you all have

the same Bible. Okay, read the same Bible. You will

realize that there is this concept of leaving to a

standard that we need to uphold. To turn with me

to verse four again. Okay, verse four, and he says,

here you have a few names in the Sadists who

have not defiled their garments, and they shout, walk with

me in why all they are worthy? Well heard this

concept of worthiness before? What is worthiness? We talk about

a Christian is about grace? But did you know that

it's a calling? There we are called to be worthy

of our calling? You heard before? What's the difference between

worthiness and grace unconditional? Where does it come in? Okay? Uh?

If my son is here, Nathan, okay, let me give

you an example. Does my son need to do anything

to earn to be my son? Before he was bonded,

he filled up his name in the Google form, Nathan Chang,

I promise I would score a plus, not a, not

just a. I would score a plus. A is failure ready?

Okay to According to some people, according to some Asian culture,

it's not true. Okay, Not all Asians are like that. Okay,

I must score a plus, would behave I would play basketball,

I would do this and do that. Then I will

be your son. And I saw that, I have a

preview of that. I reviewed it. Then okay, my son

got born, my son, my son became my son. He

became like that. Did you anyone if you fill up

your application to becoming your parents' children? No, you were

just born. Then when your baby you know some of

you have children. You know baby open moum means I

want food. Ah, gonna live for life? So nice? You

know when I went a hungry cry and then got

food ready, so nice? Uh huh cry, I got for ready. Ah,

don't need to go toilet and just shake shap shape

then come out. Someone will clean up for you. Sorry.

You know all the parents like I know they like

a king or you don't do anything. You don't have

to do anything. Your parents signed up for this to

take care of you, unconditional. So your kids don't have

to do anything to become your child, isn't it okay?

So there's nothing my son can do for that. But

but when they grow older, it's isn't it true that

it is their responsibility to live a life that can

be either pleasing or not pleasing to me? Sure not.

Nathan will always be my son, but he decides to

go and destroy the neighbors car. I don't know what

he wants to do. Can do a lot of nonsense

that came in right, take drugs, I mean God for

a bit, But I can do a lot of things.

He will always be my son, But he is he

pleasing in my life? No? Is it my responsibility? No

is his responsibility to choose to live according to what

to the calling that he has been called? That's my son,

isn't it? So what is the calling of God? Then?

Do I need to go into his life? I say, Nathan, hey,

go and clean up your room? Is that how we

get the calling of God? I need? I need to

I don't know what's my calling? Pastor? You know, heathurn

up your room? Eythan remember to flush the toilet. You

don't listen like that doesn't work that way. You know?

The calling of God is when you're in the house.

Whatever that your father does that needs you to tend

do that is basically means that it means the son

of godd And when you are a son, you do

exactly as the father does. If your father is a carpenter,

you follow in his footsteps as a carpenter, he's efficient man.

You take on your cap your father's vocation in the work.

You know Adam when he was he planted as father.

As the father works, Adam works, you give me a

partaking in creation and in the labor of God. You

give me. And that's what truly a son. So even

though we are not saying biologically, but we are a

son of God when we do his works. Ah makes

sense or not? Makes sense or no? And so today

that's what it means to be the son. Do we

become like a children? So we have so when we

become so, we do nothing to be safe. But yeah,

when we are saying we are caught you there is

a responsibility of the Christian to live up to the

calling of a believer. There's a responsibility of a Christian

to live up to become worthy of the calling. Makes

sense or not, So it's like, oh, I didn't know that.

It means that every means that all of us. Yeah,

we have a standard there were called to live to

know why in that case, if it's not, why would

Jesus appear with the seven spirits of the Lord to

come examine churches. Oh, then you're like, oh my goodness,

because when you start to realize that we can't leave

our lives according to what we want just co mean,

it's what we do and every standard do you want?

You mean right? You say what I'm saying. No, God,

they don't just say I feel so that you you

live your lives, so that you live your lives so

that you have just have the punch ticket to go

to heaven on you. You know, there's a responsibility to

live up to the worthiness. So the question today is

turn to your neighbor and ask are you living up

worthy to your calling? Worthy to our worthiness is a

very important concept, people, very very important concept. Did you

know that in the Bible? Can't remember which is Book

of Revelations? Also, I think it's in Ah Revelations, chapter five,

chapter five, verse eighty. Just quickly, okay, this is random,

okay relations chapter fiverse eight. Now, when he had taken

the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty four

elders fell down before the lamb, each having a sharp

a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are

the prayers of the saints, and they sang a new

song saying, you are worthy to take the scroll and

to open its sales? Why was it? Why was the

lamb worthy? For you were slave and you have redeemed

us to God by your blood. Now stop there for

a while. You see before this John was weeping together

with the heavens because no one could open the scroll.

Because to open the scroll, it's not based on whether

your gender, your race, you know nothing history, you know,

it's not by entitlement. No, the prerequisite and the requirement

to open this scord is based on worthiness. Jesus had

to make himself worthy. You know. He didn't just like, hey,

I'm the son of God, let me open. No. It

very clearly says that he was worthy because he was slave.

Even Jesus himself walked the path of worthiness. If there's

a case, how about us, you know what I'm saying. No,

So there is the this is the this this illusionment

that I sometimes say, I don't I don't think some

of it is intentional, But there's this this illusion. Sometimes

they can come across from the teachings are that, hey,

you just live your life, you know, free, there's only

Jesus level of my soul. One version, you only have

one plaace in your life, Jesus, level of my soul. Yes, grace,

great grace, and I'll be saying yes, you are saying

by grace. But you are also called Remember God will

measure cannot live worthy of our calling. That means that

we need to be vigilant, We need to check, we

need to examine. Okay, so we have an example here.

It says that in verse one that I know your

works and that you have a name, that you are alive,

you have a name, that you are alive, but that

you are dead dead. Put that doesn't mean you know,

death means always. Death in the Bible always means one word.

What's that separation? Understand No, death always means separation. That's

that doesn't mean a car person. That means separation, separation.

Spiritual death means what your soul and your is separated

from the father. Spiritual death physical that means your soul

is separated from your body. Always separation. You get men right.

Relational death separated form one, You get me right. A

flower cut off from a tree is dead. Even though

it's beautiful, it's dead. You put it in the water.

You will still die because it's cut off. It's separated

from its sauce. So you have to change your mindset

to think about death is being separated. So Jesus say

that you have a name, you call yourself Christian. You

can have a church and stuff like that. You do

all these things, but you are dead cut off. So

in a way, there is a way that we can

be a church, we can be a Christian a group

professing everything, but we are completely cut off or purposely

detach ourselves from God. Makes sense or not. That is

why God is looking around that. Hey, why are these

bunch of people or this whole entire condo living without electricity?

They bought all the appliances ready, but computer install this

and that, but no power one. You get me right,

have all the trappings but no life. Yeah. Man, you

call yourself you know, living, but you're not. Okay, So

Jesus says in verse to be watchful and strengthen the

things which remain. They are ready to die for I

have not found your works perfect before God. Okay. So

the city of Sadis is actually very known for its tower,

its high walls, and its defenses. Okay, they were so

proud of their city. That's never they say that nobody

will attack us. But in the history of the town,

it has been broke riched two times, and one of

the times is by the Persian army. And how they

did it. They send one guy to climb up there,

I think about a thousand feet up the wall and

found the crevice war and then infiltrated the city and

then opened the front door. Okay, opened the front door,

and the city was taken. Okay. It was one of

the prominent times. So when Jesus said this, says, okay,

be watchful and strengthened the things which remain. They are

about to die. He was not just giving them a warning,

a message that was very clear. He was giving them

a message that was close to them. You know what

I mean, right, a message that was close. Why was

it close Because they know the history of their city,

where they've been before, how much they went through they

have to rebuild, how exposed they are, why they do

the things because they suffered before because of neglect, lack

of diligence. They didn't watch and they were attacked as well.

So this message was clearly understood by the people of studies.

Clear and close makes sense. Now I can speak a message,

but if the message touches you in a certain way,

it's a close as a message that is close to

you gain There is a message that was very close

to them, and he says, there, watchful, be watchful, and

strengthen the things which remain. You say that, yes, you

have built these things, but you watch closer, watch closer,

not just watch. Walk to them and you start to walk.

And some things that you walk you watch are very nice.

But when you walk up to them, you realize that

not stable. Things are falling off. You can because you

just it just seems right. But when you start walking

on it, you realize everything is in disrepair, everything is rocky.

You look at it, you look at a Christian side,

you look at a cell group, you look at church.

You look at what attendance very high, must be very good.

You realize that none of them do that quiet time.

Oh ah, got thirty people inside the cell group must

be a happening church. La must be happening cell group. Lah.

You can have all the but completely cut off. You know,

you can to be honest that you don't need God

that to be really having a homer with thirty people,

just have a lot of barbecue. Just open up with

invite all the family with children that have fun. Why

all you people come player need to switch and Nintendo

and stuff like that. I tell you can. Forty fifty

people also can. And people will say that you have

a successful cell group, successful church, but no life, completely

cut off and then you see once more grow because

they not grow away. But yeah, I just praying for

God says send their leaders, send their leaders. You can't

mean right. They are willing to give even when they

don't have much. You can't mean right. What is more

important to have a whole house but no power, but

have all the power but just living? You know whatever

within your means that you have? What's more important? Which

one will survive the winter? You mean right? Why is

more important? So Jesus is coming here to examine them

and found them what they're strengthened the things which remain,

and they are ready to die. Say they are prime,

prime to fall. And I have not found your works

perfect before God. You can do your works. You can.

I don't want to jinx it that, but you know

it can do your Christmas year? But how many of

you actually pray? Or you're just putting here CSR. It's

not Christmas year is ESR. You can we not be

a church that does CSR. CSI is the world? You know,

Just do for so that you and I can feel

good about each other day we are doing good works.

Have you ever prayed? You literally think that God, I

want to do something. We want to we called to

do it and not beyond this? Maybe this is the

beginning of the end. Say oh Christmas, sure done, okay,

and I'm looking for for a Christmas dinner right now?

You can. I'm saying on that it's very important now

that we look beyond the surface. Okay, then let's move

on there. Verse three. Remember there for how you receive

and hurt and hold fast and repent. So the key

for us to do is to remember. So how many

of you are very good remembering things? Ends up? How

many of you are very bad remembering things? Hence now

all of us, Yeah, we all have selective remembrance, sure,

selective remembrance. But we remember things well when we hurt,

when we are in danger, and when we are at

a loss. I tell you when you hurt, when you've lost,

I tell you remember things in the past. You don't

if you weren't forgotten. I tell you true or not,

And not only remember it's see it in your mind.

Then sometimes you go into a face of denial. You

start to blame everything you know. Blame, blame, blame, blame, blame.

In the ninety ninety nine, all the things in the past,

I got here because of the path, my parents, my chicken,

my cow, my cat, everything you blame. Also under the sky,

you know, mister, it's the bedroom that is slept in.

And know that anything like that, you blame everything. You

remember everything you know, But when you're having good things,

you don't remember, isn't it so? God is telling them.

God is telling the church, first of all, what to remember.

Remember what? Remember therefore, how you have received and heard

how you have received means what. Remember that you received,

but not just that you freely received, but who you were.

You were a wretched and poor person. You are nothing.

Just because you were placed there in a high, perching

building with high walls means you're safe, means you're better

than everyone, means that if your cell group, your church,

or anything like that, you know he thinks you're better. No,

always come back to where you are. It's more important

remembering where you were before the where you are now.

Get mean right, Remember you got this, You received what's

most important the Book of Life, our names in the

Book of Life. What the most important thing Jesus is

is that what Jesus will confess our name before the Father.

That's the most important thing. People know. Nothing else matters,

not not our cell group numbers, not anything you know,

even your good works enough you're important, but nothing compares

to that day when Jesus will confess your name before

the Father and your names are written in the Book

of Life. Nothing else matters. That's what Jesus says. The

disciples were casting on demons and performing miracles. Are they

were celebrating, whoah ministry exploding. What did you say, celebrate

not this, but that your names are written in the

Book of Life. This is what Jesus. And then keep

the priority in number one. Nothing else matters except that

we have eternity. Seriously, nothing else matters. Are one moment

we are here, one moment, the second moment we will

be in the hospital. Already, Oh dishevel, glory gone. Ready.

You won't remember a single thing one you know, you

only remember. Am I going to leave? One thing? That's

the only thing that remains people. Okay, So remember therefore,

how you have received and heard, and hold fast, hold

fast to what, hold fast to the things that got

you there, hold fast to the discipline, hold fast to traditions.

You know, traditions are there for a reason. Why, you know, why?

Why do why do all the generations establish traditions? Because

people forget that's why. But now people want to tear

down traditions. They want to define have they learned anything nothing?

I'm saying no. Instead of understanding why traditions, people just

felt the burden of tradition, You get me, right, They

look at it as a burden. That like, why it's

like something on my leg of the drag. But you

don't understand what meaning behind the certain traditions. That's why

I appreciate some of the churches actually do. Of course

that I'm not saying that everything's a golden car, but

you have to understand certain things. Why oh we're missing

some church? Just oh, were missing this three song? Were

missing this on this song? Oh? Why then? You sometimes

we are so new and both Hey, why can't you

be so more more inventive and introduced new songs. I'm

not saying it's right, but that particular church may have

gone through certain things because they realize that many people

can be singing along a lot of songs, but they

don't know what they're singing. So did you know that

hymns are written in a way. You know why hymns

are written not in like four stanzas one. You know

why because they were noticing that people were coming to

church don't know their Bible, but they respond to singing.

So the pastor and the reverence like John Wesley and

Jonathan all Uh Edwards, you know what they do. They

wrote hundreds of hymns, and when they wrote the hymns,

that wrote theology into the hymns, so that even if

you're gonna go Bible class, you will know that Jesus died,

rose again and he's gonna come back again because it

was written in the hymns. So when you're saying the

hero interesting, you are learning theology. Ah, that's what tradition

took you to. You know, traditions say for generation and

not people. Now everybody wants to go and listened to hims.

You under saying what I'm saying. You know, they was

like that sometimes we're very quick. You're seeing hims this

old fashion. It's like, oh, you forget, you misunderstand certain things.

So we gotta step back a bit and understand a bit,

you know, and then hold back why and appreciate certain

things instead of like criticizing, you know, and always finding

he I can only I only want an environment. It's fresh, fresh, fresh, fresh, fresh. Okay.

So there's the new generation. Okay, So okay, hold fast

and repent repent. Repentance is a continuous thing. You repent,

you continue repenting, you confess, you continue confessing, you believe,

you continue bird leaving. It's not one off, you know,

but a lot of Christians just do it once on me.

But all these are always continuous. Okay, So let me

draw to a closer Okay, as we come, let's draw

to an end here. Okay, all the explanations, I want

us to go through a checklist. Okay, checklist as we

come close to a year. I think it's a good way.

Now let's do this practice together or how we can

examine our lives, Okay, so that we are not just

having the decorations the appearance, but that when we look

at just this year alone beginning or twenty twenty four

and ten twenty twenty four? Have we grown? Have we changed?

Why haven't we changed? What is stopping us? It's the

same excuse in the beginning of the year. It's still

the same excuse. I mean right? And are your feelings

towards that excuse or that reason the same? Still helpless?

Or is there more courage in your life? Is there

more believe in your life? Okay, let's go through this

some of this together. Okay? Maybe first one relationship with God?

Do I love God more deeply and passionately in alladays?

Has it changed? Okay? Do I live with a greater

reverence and all of God? It's God the same size

all God has been bigger. You know that God is

bigger when the situations in your life, whether it's in

your inside your family, in business, in challenges and difficulty,

these temptations are God has become bigger than your other

things that take your attention. You got mean right, It's

always been bigger. It doesn't even be small, but now

it's speaker. You see God everywhere, and what matters is

whether it fits into God's plan rather than God fitting

into their plan. And you see what I'm saying no,

it's a very big difference right now in the beginning

of your life, like you're maybe like, uh, yeah, I hope,

I hope God it's Okayla. But then when God is

really big in your life, I said, this is what

God's plan wants. It has to fit into God's plan.

It has to fit into so that it doesn't sacrifice

my routine with God, my time with God. It's like,

if someone is big in your life, it's not like

heys just a casual friend, you know, a big person

in your life. I'm not saying big big, okay. I'm

saying big person is like your wife, your husband, and

not if I have to meet my friend to play golf,

to play basketball, he has to fit into the schedule

of me and my wife's schedule, and not my wife

feet into my basketball schedule. You see why I'm saying no,

it's a completely opposity. No. When you have a child,

it's a big thing, isn't it. Certainly like oh, I

want to Mama until three four o'clock. Then I won't

be able to get into the into the house of

the day, you get I mean, I can't do that

anymore because there's a big person in my life. God

is bigger then in my life that he was before.

You have a stronger longing for a prayer, Bible reading

and worship. Do you long for prayer? One thing to pray?

By the way, there's no shortage of prayer, Nisa, there's

no excuse. No, there's no shortage of prayers. There are

always so many things to pray for one truly no shorta.

But the question is do you want to pray? Do

you long to pray? When was the last time you

really decide to pray. I can tell you who longs

to pray when they had nightmares? True or not? How

many if you had night mass and you walk up

and you prayer like crazy? Hands up now, No, no

night messter. I had nightmares that are so real and

so vivid. I tell you, I woke up. I've seen

people in my life. I said, Oh, I thought, what

is happening is sometimes spirituals you have to wake up

and prayer, really really repray. Some pastor tell me, hey,

I saw this person day. I just church. This guy

was falling off the building. Just keep praying, praying. Here

to tell me the prayer, Oh tell you the sensitivilty

to prayer is so important. You know you want to pray, okay,

your Bible reading and your worship. When was the last

time you want to pray? Want to read the Bible?

You want to listen to no song, no lipa, no

ariana grande, whatever, late grande you want to listen to?

You just one worship of God, same old song, same

old lyrics. Are just a different person in my life,

you know what I mean? Right? Am I more consistent

in small acts of obedience and faithfulness. It's not about

war today, Just one thing today, in these two hours

have I done to be faithful for today, for one week,

for one month. I don't have to compare about everything else.

But with that small thing that I did, was I faithful?

You do it to the best of your ability, you see,

And there's nothing that that recks a marriagere When then

with all these small acts of defiance and disobedience with

your spouse one you know, isn't it. It's like, oh,

I forgot to flush the toilet. Your spouse like to

fight in your face. I know it's it's apparently it's

a spousal thing. You know, that's a step. It's like

shot already? Am I you know? And faithfulness? Being faithful

with the things? Am I more thankful to God in

all circumstances? Are you always complaining more compared to the

beginning of the year? And now? Have you been more thankful?

Being kinder? Am I more satisfied with God rather than

seeking fulfillment and worldly things? Are you now satisfied compared

to the beginning of the year or less? Something robbed you,

taken from you? You're more apathetic? It's like, ah, whatever

I think God is, Maybe it's like trying to punish

me or something like that. Do I see God's will

in my decisions more consistently? Next one? And my body

in sharing my faith or standing up? Why it's right?

Have I stopped justifying my lack of spiritual growth or service? Oh,

that's a good one. Have you been giving more excuses

and justifying more because of this? No? When you have

children now it's not easy. You know, it's not easy

when your children now you have you have to adjust

to You're eating pattern, there, sleeping pattern, all sorts of

patterns as well. When I had children, now I have

to adjust all this. And also, and I tell you,

everyone becomes the as everyone wants to be their special

appointed advisor. In my parenting life, you know, everybody seems

to have a very strong opinion on how should I

raise my kids? Everybody okay, And it's true. Sometimes as

a pattern, you can feel like you really have no

support if you like being judged and stuff like yeah, yeah,

I get that. Yeah. But yet at the same time,

parents like you're not we tend to hide behind out children.

I can say that because I've been true with I

can't say that it's true tiring, you know what I mean.

Homes eight o'clock, but my kids sleep at eight o'clock.

When I have my kid ten o'clock, you want to stay,

go to that do room, step though. That's how it

will make it work. You get me right, No excuses,

no excuses. You know why, because you cannot leave your

Christian life and the calling of God according to your

child's pattern. You know why, because God sent his son.

He sent his son, sending him moving out the comfort

zone your child adopts to. The child adapts to the

calling of the Father. You know different, know the Father

sends you know that's why you cannot look Apparently, according

to the world and your flesh standard one no more.

You know what I'm saying. You know you cannot. You

always look at Christ. Christ is always a standard. Always

the sun willingly do it. And so we have to

begin to emulate as well, the same one. When I

did it as well, when I did, I tell you

I honest, when I having, when I still continue to

have my homes are someone close to me. I won't

say who my family want will tell me why you

do that. Your son is going to grow, I'm not

gonna be taught, your daughter is gonna be are going

to stuffer in their study and stoff. Oh. They try

to tell you how to eat, how to sleep, whatever eat,

don't down to nutrition, tell you and that As a parent,

you have a fear. You have a fear that if

you do this, you're gonna traumatize your kid and they'll

forever be like this and that day. Okay, now you

have seen my children, right. I'm not saying like they

are the angels or I'm happy with them. They are

raised by the grace of God. Really, by the grace

of God. Pity your children turn out like this. It's

really by the grace of God. People. One thing you

cannot hide behind your children. Your children follow the calling

of the father. As God sends his son, the son follows.

My will is to do the work. My food is

to do the will of the father. And the young

age as well. You carry them something. It's not easy,

it's it's hard. There are times when I'm like, I

tell you, but you know why. It's that there is worship.

Worship requires faith and belief. That's worship. That's more. That's

the best worship you can give to God more than

anything else. People, parents tell you, that's the best words

you can give. When you are ah in the pain,

that's worship. It's not the if you go so close,

nor when you're carrying that you're doing here you feel

like you're not being longing. That's worship. That's worship. As

Abraham brought Isaac to that was worship. That was always

the worship. People change your mindset. Don't look at your

convenience and your children. Look at the scripture. Scripture. Don't

look at me. I'm not perfect, but look at the scripture.

You're not saying why I'm saying not always the scripture.

And that will challenge some of you, and some of

you will be the first some of many people will

not follow your footstep. Your in laws, your parents might

not follow you, agree with you. But then eventually it's

you do God honor your children. You know what I'm saying.

What I'm saying, no God, no honor you. I don't

know why I feel like you're saying that. I had

to say it now. I went through it before everybody

was criticizing me, and for one moment, and I tell you,

I really felt one moment, I hope my Natalie, Nathan

and I don't grow about hating churchmen. I really thought that,

you know, I really thought that. Man, I'm scared of

hearing all this news. You know, all this history, all

the pastor's children, I all became my rebels one And

I was like, God, peace, don't grace. Don't you know?

I keep telling you, I said, God, why it is

my God's grace. I just I can only do what's

right and what God has deemed righteous, and everything will

follow according to God's grace. That's important. If you don't

do that, what how will you choose?

What?

What? What right do you have to tell your children?

You get me? When you don't do that, I'm giving

you early parenting lessons. It's very very very very important

to do that. Okay, So have I stopped justifying my

leg of spiritual growth or service? You get me right?

I'm very blessed when you see wy not the parents

not have all the Christs crying, the kids problematic, only

eat certain things? I understand. But then the husband and

white tipton. That's where the husband and white dynamic tap

turn come in. You know, the husband covers for the wife.

The wife. That's why your team, your team not to

stay in the bench, you know, so that one can

go on and then want it comings up again. That's

where the dynamic comes into play. Now one fights and

the other one covers. The other one covers and fights again.

That's where the dynamic comes in. Okay, Next one, do

you desire to live more righteously? Is there a hunger

for holiness and separate from sin? Do I forgive others

more easily and without bitterness? Have I grown resisting temptations?

Grown in resisting time and practicing discipline? Are my words

more uplifting and encouraging and God honoring? You know, there's one.

I think it probably goes with this one. Now my

words more uplifting encouraging and God honoring. You know. I

every year I will pray with my wife, you know,

towards the end of the year for a word from

God for our family. You know, I feel that there's

the responsibility of the father. Some years I hear very clearly,

some years I don't. This year, it came early, Christmas

came early, and I felt the word that got downloaded,

and what I've been impressing on my heart, I felt

quite you know, and I had the courage to tell me,

I think this is the word. You know, what's the

word kindness? Be kind be kinder, you know. And it

struck that struck me when when I saw an interview

with someone who interviewed John MacArthur, no paster John maccarthur

from the US, and he know, he's a great teacher,

great preacher, stuff like that, and they're asking, what's that

one thing that you would do when you look back differently?

This guy I really respected that utmost and okay, and

he said one thing I wish I would be kinder

and the truth face and I'm just speculating. I can't

imagine now that along what you do in life, whether

it's family, ministry or things. You will encounter. People and

people you might like, you might not like. People who's

on top of you, below you, beside you, who will

take you one way or another one. Yeah, I'm saying

there will be one. That's why the cross is up down.

Lesson is every direction you are. You might not agree,

you might It will be differential, you mean right, But

what we can do is to be kinder, and we

all way to ourselves to give and to full on

be the kindest possible that we can at every moment,

so that we redeem the time. We can't go back anymore.

What we do today can redeem some of it. You

have been, you hurt with someone before, someone disagreed with you.

Today you see him or her choose to be kind,

be kind, be kind kind of with your words, kind

of with your parents, kind of with your children, kind of.

You're still looking at the worst. Say something kinder. When

you reply text, reply a bit faster. That's kindness. You know,

there's nothing more cruel than delaying the reply. And when

some person needs, you know, just reply a bit faster.

I have to tell them myself or so sometimes I

look at it or that, then I tell myself I

forget I give you know, I don't know. I had

to be kind of kind of means replying now, I

mean right kind Sanders. Sometimes how many are you I

borrow people borrow money from you before m people morerow

my money from you. Sometimes you think seeing the worst

thing like we're not going to get the money back.

Let me give you a hina. When you give you

the give in a way and not to expect your

money back. People, that's the truth you have to give.

As if you say you're not going to get the

money back, I'm not saying that you're going to be

become an institution for a free risk, free lending. Okay,

I'm not asking from them, and all what I'm asking

is to protect you, not protect them. You know why

because money has been money because when we borrow, we

earn a right to ask back what we have man,

but the enemy will always use that right to hurt you,

to demand what you deserve. And when making you demanded

and get you two sin in anger. Don't do that.

Give freely give. I've been to one church and I'm

not saying commenting about churches, but I just stirs my

heart runting as a come to a close. You know,

when become a gift and now they've got one bag

and an we give what we do with the money.

Sometimes we dig different things we want to give to Christmas. Share,

we use everything. If the light we use the money

to fix the light. Lah. If someone is poor, we

need the money. Yeah, I mean right. We pray for

the church, for wisdom, for accountability, for honesty, and right

chesters to do it all we can. But nowadays people

are so particular about how we use the money, and

some days they will sue. Hey, I'm an auditor. I

know governance. I know when it's right and right it's

wrong as well. I know accountability. I'm an auditor before.

I'm not an expert, but I know a bit of it.

But it comes to nexttent. Sometimes people will sue one

another and sue churches or leaders whatever, not because they

misappropriated money illegally and fraudulently, but just because they have

a different choice of use. And I saw one one

one church. And you know when they give for bring

you know what I saw. I saw almost like six

or seven boxes, one for salary, one for general offering,

one for refair, one for children ministry, one for lunch,

one for books, one for they all separate category. And

when now when you come up, when you come, when

you come, we decide which one. But there, I feel

like this, So there, I feel like this. To there,

I feel like this. If I take that same model

of giving and apply it to your family, when I

buy my make happy meals, you take this, you take this.

You take this the moment my children reach out for

my French fried people, you take yours. The moment my

wife want to take my cocolla and drink. No, how

do any institutions survive you? I'm saying, you know we

have taken things and perverted things. You know, you know

it all stems of what you abuse. You allow mistrust

to twist you into someone unrecognizable by Christ. You got

mean right, there is accountability. But when you only live

in fear and mistrust, nothing can survive you. I'm saying,

you know the tree must be must grow in this straight. No,

you come in right. You see they can have the

appearance of godliness, appearance of righteousness, and the world are

not life in it the same way I do not

wish there for your own family as well. Freely give

because you've been freely being given by God. You're not

saying what I'm saying. You know what the person does

or not commit to the law. You pray, you want

to max person, you better pray. You give, but you

don't pray for the person. You don't pray for the wisdom.

And you argue about praying for that person. That doesn't

sound right. He came in right, Give and pray prayers.

Get on your knees to pray even if the person

is wrong. You pray that that person will repent, that

God will teach as well for the heaven, for your

and your own life as well. You know I'm saying,

not so important that we all do that. Amen. So

I hope that anyone borrow money from you, Please don't

let it be a snare and a trap that you all.

I must get it. I tell you people, my close

friendly mass who borrow a lot of money from me

before I have to let go, I cannot let it

because in life, I tell you, I'll be preaching a

difference someone. Nowadays, they tell you it's you up, it

eats you up. It can be your brother, it can

be your sister, it can be your mother, it can

be your dad, and your your and your parents. You

know who does it to. You freely give and you

freely received. Amen.

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

information on our church, please visit axchurch dot org. We

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this week is going to be a good week.

I hit for you. God bless