CHARACTER OF GOD | Elder Rosalind Ang

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

You know, I'm thinking about God's heart, So that's what

we want to get at today. You know, when you

think about God himself, like how would you describe him?

I know some of us have been working with the

Lord for a while, some of us are new.

You know.

You're like, okay, so I'm curious about this God that

many of us here believe worship in. And so maybe

let me ask you that question. How would you describe

God to someone? You know, it could be a family,

it could be a friend. What woulds would you use

to describe God? Because this is what you're gonna be

doing after this, right right, Believers? Yeah, you're like, okay,

let's not just have a happy club on Sunday, but

then forget about God Mondays to Saturdays, because that's when

you really need to shine. You know. Actually, one of

the things like, as we were worshiping, I had this

vision right that it's very bright here. Whoa, it's very

bright in here. I mean, okay, I'm not just the lights, Okay.

As I was passing by, and then at one o'clock,

you know that your leaders come here to pray before

worship starts.

Worship didn't start at one point thirty.

Worship started way before at home and for all leaders,

they come together to pray at one o'cloud.

And so when I was passing by, of.

Course, I was like snickly hoping they don't see me yet,

and I could just feel the worship, the heart of

worship that you guys are serious about your worship, you know,

And I'm really pleased to know that, to hear that

this bunch. You know, you guys are really Yeah, you

follow Jesus lack. You know you're bright. But then when

the song came on, you know there's more to be

done in the city. Then I'm thinking, we cannot let

the brightness stop here. There's too much concentration of light here.

But there's there's too much darkness out there, right, and

so what needs to be done after we get brighter

after this?

Right after hearing the word of God?

You know what, your passion just increases, right, You're like, yes, God,

I want to do more of your will, your work,

And and then we need to go. You need to

go to the darkest place so that the light within

you will shine.

Do you know when is the brightest?

You know, you I can't see your light when everyone

else is so bright, you know, of course Joel is yeah, right, right, right, right, yeah,

But do you know that it is in the midst

of darkness.

It's where you might even think that all my light

is not very bright?

You know. I'm not as as gung hole or as

charismatic as Brandon, or I cannot play the drums like that,

you know, or jump like Joe Edwards, you know. But

but that even if that little bit of light is

within you, do you know that if you go to

a dark place, it's gonna be bright.

People are gonna see that, right.

And so so that's like a word of encouragement to

all of you that God wants you to shine, each

one of you.

God wants you.

To shine because you already carry that. If you are

a believer of God, you carry God's lights in you.

Amen.

And many times what we do is we hovery you Christiana.

Yeah, you know, so.

Come on right, it's time to shine. It's time to

shine for God. Wherever your place don't shine? Yes here, Lah,

you know when you shine and you're like, hey, okay,

everything's okay, right, but are you shining for God on

Mondays to your Saturdays.

That's when it really counts.

That's when it really counts, guys, right, And we don't

want just to be Sunday Christians, you know, just to

be happy here giving our beds, but then on Mondays

to Saturdays, we don't bring an impact to where God

has caused.

Us to be. Amen. Amen. So so I just want

to leave that with you.

So, okay, coming back to Monday now, okay, so pretend

it's Monday, right, and oh, by the way, before I

go into that, I just want to congratulate Victory Academy.

Do you know Victory Academy.

Yeah, it's a school that is by the church.

And yesterday we had a privilege of watching their very

first production. Right it's called Oh yes, thank you Zache.

So he's wasn't your first time acting on a stage, Zach?

Yeah?

Yeah, so shy actually, you know, but you did really well.

We were so proud of our students right now, you know,

just or how you see your son on stage being

signment so so so, but we were so proud of

our students, right and actually when when we started being

involved with the school, early this year, so a YA,

which is the organization you know that also part of

the church, and we say, okay, let's support.

VA in expanding what we can do with our students. Right.

And so we started saying, okay, what what are the

things that kids need?

Right?

They need not just good academics, so praise God for

the good academics, but they need things to develop themselves

as well. And so we got a bunch of the

AYA stuff to say, Okay, you guys, you're gonna do

music with the kids. You're gonna do dance, you're gonna

do video production. Right, And so we did missions. Man,

I tell you, we came into the school, which is

a different culture from us. Right. Sometimes you think about

your work, it's like, okay, some everything's similar to us, right,

young working adult, same you know, same lingo and all that.

And then now you have to talk to it different lingo. Okay,

you know teenagers these days called different language. One.

It's not English, I tell.

You, seriously, it's not English, but it's in Oxford. The

slang skibbiti or something like that. Oh okay, I don't

want to go into that. Okay, different language. I tell

you it's a different language, cross culture, but yet it

was huh yeah, but it was such a I think

it was so heartwarming to see that whatever little that

we could do with them right, just brought out the

best in them. And yesterday they shone the stage was

yes right. And then to just see all of that

come together, even though so many of them were so

shy to be on the stage, and for them to

act out and remember all their lines.

Whoa kudos to our kids. Right.

So it's it's saying it's possible we continuously step into

a different culture, different from what we are comfortable with

learning the cultures, right. How do you speak to the

younger ones. I don't know what it is that God

is calling you to, but God is calling you to something.

Amen.

So don't remain comfortable, guys. You're gonna shake you out

of your comfort zone. Make you uncomfortable a little bit.

Do you know what makes your faith grow? Discomfort growth

is not necessarily comfortable.

You might think that, oh God, I just want to

stay here being my zone, my friends and my homies.

You're not gonna grow that way.

How we really really grow is when we step out

of a comfort zone.

Amen. Amen.

And so yeah, coming back to that question, right, how

would you describe God to your friends? Come on, you know,

give me some words that you usually use or you

hear other people use.

Powerful? God is powerful? Right? But you want to share

with your friends like, oh, God is so powerful? Okay?

What else? God is loving?

Right?

God is loving?

Right?

What else? What else? God is real? Whoa Okay? God

is real? Whoa get? He's not?

He's my good friend, my buddy, buddy right, a young

child with him all the time, A jam with God?

Right? That is lingo?

Right?

What else? How else would you describe God?

You're okay, you're trying to reach out to your friend

who doesn't know God. So you say God is real,

he's powerful, he's a friend.

What else?

How else would you describe God? In indescribable? I'm containable?

And then you're break into a song. Have you done

that before? Have you done that before?

Yes? Try it right?

Right?

Shall we keep it uncomfortable that you're gonna share with

a friend and you're gonna break into a song and

then explain what it means. Uh, I'll get it the

whole church. Now here's what you're gonna do. Okay, there

was a peace peace. God is peace right, but the

thing is right when you describe all these things, I

would imagine the feedback that comes back.

So God is peace? How come there's so much war

right now? God is loving?

Why are so many family, young children, women tortured in

the world right now?

How would you respond? Oops? Indescribable? Then? How how to

move on from there? How do you move on from there?

You say in describerity, You're like, okay, Now you also

don't know how to describe your God? What my best friend?

But God is not here. I don't feel him. I

can't see him because you see the things right. The

more we think about it, and I think it's important

for us to know how we will God right, and

because that's how we will tell our friends about God.

But is that truly the whole picture of who God is?

I think that's something that we need to understand, right, Yes,

are we okay?

Now?

Okay?

So we have all these words that we think about God.

How would you think God would choose to describe himself?

So you know, sometimes you're getting no person right. Yeah,

you know you look good, You're handsome, energetic and all that.

But I think you're most welcome and and then.

But it's it's more interesting to hear how would you

describe yourself?

Right? Okay? You want to hear a nod? Okay, So

how would you describe yourself?

One? One adjective? I mean there's many, but just choose

one that pops out of your mind?

Right now? Ah? Everyone agree?

Okay, okay, we all confirm, confirm, Okay, in alignment not

enlmen consistent, consistent the wife let the wife lair?

How would you describe him? Ah? They discussed ready beforehand

the answer right now?

I think then it's good to go into the Word

of God and hear how God himself would describe himself.

Are we okay? Where do you think we're going to?

Which book of the Bible? Exodus? Oh?

Wow, well done, you're do humbolreadio? Are you watch my

sleighth ready? Now?

A little bit of a context of this is remember

when Moses went up to meet God on the on

the mountain, and he did, he received the two tablets, right,

it was inscribed. And then after that, after the forty days,

what happened was he heard sound off singing and dancing

like thirteen thirty just a hour right, loud man, right,

and then you know what happened? When are you looking

at me like this is your first time reading Exodus? Ah?

Okay, So the people were impatient.

So they were supposed to wait for Moses to come

down with God's commandments. But they couldn't wait, all right,

like us, we're impatient forty days, cannot wait. And so

what they said was they turned to Aaron, Moses's brother,

and they told him, hey, I don't know what happened

to Moses law he left sucking there with God too long.

We need something, you know, we want to worship something.

So Aaron said, oh, I didn't know what's that blingling

on your ears or your goal your rings? And I

why don't you bring it all to me. I will

melt it down and produce something for you to worship. Now,

what's the one thing that we can learn about this

is that men and women, you and I, we are

mede to worship. Yes, we're made to worship. The question

is what are you worshiping? Or more accurately, who are

you worshiping?

See?

The thing is right, we all have this image or

this desire, innate desire within all of us to worship

something that we want to look up to and you know,

relate with that. There's always that heart of wanting to

worship something. If it's not God, then it could be

your work. If it's not work, it could be money, finances.

If it's not finances, it could be health. Do you

know that you could worship your health? Anyone bodybuilding here?

Mm hmm Brendana Brandana. Oh, we could also worship our family,

our spouse, our children. Very easy to turn all this

into idols, you know, because why innately we are made

to worship.

So ask yourself, who am I worshiping? Really?

You can call yourself a Christian, but it is God

truly the one that you worship. And how you would

test this is you think about Mondays to Saturdays. How

you spend your time? Really very good test or what

or who you worship is how you spend your time,

how you spend your money, how you spend your focus. Right,

many of us worship ourselves. Actually, ooh, what do I mean?

My dad? I need my me time, I need to.

You know, chill and do things for myself. You know

a lot of us worship ourselves. WHOA is this piercing

enough for you?

WHOA? So?

So? Yeah, we are all made to worship. So the

question is like, are we worshiping the right thing? Are

we worshipping the right person or not? And God wants

to remind all of us again that there is only

one to worship, and he is Lord God Amen. Only

when you worship the right person with everything else makes

sense in your life. Okay, so you know that. Okay,

So that's a context of the story, or even you

haven't even gone through the worst yet. That's the context

where where Moses is saying, Okay, God, I'm hearing these people.

Oh my gosh, Lord, they turned away from you. They

made a golden calf and they're worshiping it.

Alahmah.

Moses was so mad, okay, he straight it brought the tablet.

Oh my gosh, there quick like wh Can you imagine

how God felt then? If that was Moses, how many

of us you know, when we go through live and

we do make decisions and all that we actually think

about God, God, how do you feel it? Well, just

break your heart or not. Many times we say, as

long as my heart is happy to kill, God, just

endorse on me. But God is saying, what about me?

Do you care how I feel? Do you think what

I'm thinking. And so God says, o, kayla, if that's

the game you want to play, I will play with you.

You wanna happily worship something else? Okay, fine? And God says,

my presence will not go with you. Right, So you

go ahead, go ahead, go and play if that's what

you want, right, And I will not go with you,

And most of saying.

No, God, if you do not go with us, I

will not move from here. Wow. If you do not

go with us, I will not move an inch.

How many of us are ready to say God, if

you don't ask me to, if you will not go

with me into this work, this career, or into this

relationship or into this place, then I will not move.

Because what's the worst thing then to be in a

place where there's so much blessing and abundance but there

is no God.

You think about it. So that's a God.

And God saw the sincerity of Moses' heart and he says, okay, okay,

I will go with you. Right, I'll go with you,

and I will show you and and and Moses are

very daring. You're like, God, show me your glory. I

want to see your glory. How many of you want

to see God's glory? Yeah, are you ready? And God says, no,

you cannot see me face to face because you'll die.

My glory is too bright for you to be whole.

But what I will do is I will put you

in a in a rock at the cleft of it,

and when I pass you by, I will close your.

Eyes with my hands.

Who God, he's so kind of you know, he will

actually do this for one man, Moses. And then he says,

when I walk past by, then you will see my

back and you will see the left behind glory, the

back of it.

Right.

So that's the context. So let's go to exoda study four.

So this is the context of where God is saying this. Okay, now,

so let's go to verse five. Okay, let's go to

verse five. He says, now the Lord descended in the

cloud and stood with him there. Remember now, now Moses

is up in the mountain. Second time we got Now

the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him

there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. Now this

is the Lord proclaiming his name. And he says, the

Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord the Lord

God merged. Okay, let's read this together since we have

it on the slide. No, no, let's go back to

the other one. Yes, okay, are we ready to read

God's weak together? Three two one? And the Lord pass

before him and proclaim the Lord, the Lord, God, merciful

and gracious, long suffering and abounding in goodness and truth,

keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin

by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of

the fathers upon the children and the children's children to

the third and the fourth generation. Amen, is this how

you would describe God? Hardly ever?

Right?

Like?

Whoa first thing?

Is?

So many words?

But there are sort of six characteristics of God that

you can see here. I was the very first word

that God used to describe himself, merciful. When you speak

with your friends, would you describe God as merciful?

Hardly ever? Right?

Like?

Then you're thinking, but why is God merciful?

Okay, So let me ask believers here, why do you

think God would use this word merciful as the very

first word to describe himself. To show this is before Jesus,

right Exodus, Jesus haven't come here?

A yeah, yeah, exactly, even though we don't deserve it,

he still showed us mercy.

And what is the foundation of needing to show us mercy? Why?

Why does someone needs mercy? Because we're saying yes, it's

as simple. Eg, guys, are you following me? Am I?

This is too deep?

No?

Right, this is foundational to our belief.

Before we can establish why we need a savior, we

need to establish that we are drowning.

Correct.

Do you know that if you don't recognize that you

are drowning and you're gonna die soon, you won't reach

out and say.

I need help. If you think everything.

Is okay, my life is okay, my work is okay,

I'm healthy, my family is well, then I don't need God. Actually,

why do I need God? My life has been working

perfectly until this time?

True? Not true?

Not so when you think about sharing God, there needs

to be a place where people come to a recognition

and awareness that actually, my life is broken. And why

we say that is because that there is sin in

this world.

Right.

So, if you read all the way from the Book

of Genesis, you will know that from the very beginning

in chapter three, we had fallen. We kind of lost

the game guys. Right, the blueprint was you can eat

anything in this garden.

One tree.

You cannot eat the fruit from one tree. Don't eat

guess what we like to do. Everything you can touch

except this one. What do you want to do straight away?

Touch that one? Lie true or not? Why cannot touch?

Why cannot touch? See? If you want to do?

Ask your kids to do something, tell them obviously. Okay,

this is called river psychology, right, don't do that. Okay,

I want to do don't make up your bait. Okay,

I'll make up my bait.

It doesn't work.

We have to try a different strategy with small smaller

than kenna.

Nowaday, you're right.

So when when we recognize that there is the essence

of seeing, it's It's not about how good of a

person you are. It's not about how much charity you've

done or you know, you know, I never had a

fly that kind of you know thing, and I always

do good.

It's not about that.

It's recognizing that as long as we are breathing, we

have hurt God. What is the greatest hurt in God's

eyes is that we do not know him. Do you

know what's the greatest sin? It's not murder, it's not rape.

The greatest sin that we have is not knowing God.

So basically, if you do not know the one truan

living God, we failed because all this time, right, what

God had in mind was to have a personal, intimate.

Relationship with each one of his creations. You know that.

And many many years have passed, two thousand and twenty

four years have passed, and we can see from history

and from mankind that many do not know God. In fact,

all of us did not know God at one point, true, right,

and that makes us all sinners. But he doesn't stop there.

The good news. That's why I want to bring to

you the good news. The good news is God is merciful.

He didn't just.

Leave us like oh okay, I told you so, right,

I mean, imagine right, like the heart of a parent God.

God always describes himself as a parent father right father

to his children. And so if let's say you know

you're your child is before you and you say, okay,

there is a glass of hot drink in front of you,

don't touch it.

Guess what should touch one?

Right?

Because we are so curious, we touch it, we break it,

we pour hot my lott over ourselves and we break

the glass and cut our finger.

Correct. And what is God is? You know, if you

are the parent, what would you do to this child? Ah?

I told you so, right, I told you it's hot.

I thought you not to touch it. Correct, and then

we just leave it? Me?

Is that what your do? Parents?

No earthly parents? You know that you go beyond justice

because you know what justice is. Justice is if you

do right, you will be blessed. Right, you get the reward.

If you do wrong, what happens?

If you do wrong? You get punished fair enough? Fair enough?

Every want God to be just? Correct?

Mmm?

Do we want God to be just? Mmm? We always

pray for that. God.

You know you're justice. Let there be a just right government,

justice and righteousness. You know we be all one one that. Yes,

God is all that we Please don't think that God

is not h because if you read this, he will

by no means clear the guilty.

Yes. So God is saying I am a just God.

If there is transgression and iniquity, I will visit iniquity

upon you because that's what we deserve.

Right.

Justice is such and so we told the line of justice.

But God, in his goodness, he steps beyond justice. Now

we're going to mercy, and mercy is saying you will

not get what you deserve. Correct, Do you know what

mercy is. Mercy is saying that you because all of

us have seen, and the Bible says that the punishment

for siness. Okay, so guess what. Don't to your neighbor

and say you deserve that. Oh you don't want to

curse your neighbor.

Let that write. But that's a reality?

Is that?

Is that true? Am I preaching the Bible now?

Right?

The Bible says that all have seen and following short

of the glory of God and the penalty of sin.

Is that?

So let's establish that.

So all of us sitting here, we do not deserve

the here when you know, we do not deserve to

be in this really comfortable place, having health and having

children and having good relationships and great jobs.

We don't deserve this. God says, okay, you know, by

my mercy, And that's the very first thing that he

talks about. My mercy. I want. God is saying, children.

I want to show you my heart. My heart is

a mercyful heart. Many of us think that God is

a very judgmental God. You know we come and we say, okay, yes,

you know I need you to perform. I need you

to sing louder, I need you to I don't know,

do more as a homes leader. Sometimes we've go on

a very performance, very matrix kind of idea of who

God is. Right, But God didn't say, you know, I

am a just God. He didn't say that. He says,

I'm merciful first, because what mercy is is just the

compassion of God. Right.

Mercy is saying, Gosh, you guys are so helpless. I

want to help you.

Really, that is God's heart. He's like, I'm stepping out

of my comfort zone to help you because a just

God or a just judge, right, well, well, just by

the rules, okay, this one three penalties, this one three blessings,

Like nah, I would just meet out judgment like that, right,

But God is beyond that. He upholds the whole justice system.

But he intervenes in it. He intervenes and he says,

I know I have to uphold the whole justice system,

but I'm going to get involved, right, And you know,

the rest is history. The rest is Jesus coming to

be that very penalty of sin for us and that

is mercy, and that is grace. Actually, so mercy is

with the punishment. You don't deserve that, that's all You're

all life, praise God. And then grace is one step

Ford saying giving you what you don't deserve, life, health,

eternal life.

We don't deserve it.

But God says, I am merciful and gracious the first

two words. All right, so this is the great word.

I wouldn't go into that, but you I want you

to catch God's heart. Is that?

Okay?

Catch God's hat. He's merciful and he is gracious. Amen.

But you see the things right. Mercy is not just

a feeling.

Sometimes you feel like, oh, if you're like Christian, for you, right,

you see your childhoods so helpless and go like, oh,

I'm so I feel so sorry for you. Right, Mercy

is something that causes you to take action. It's no

point saying, are you okay, so you're hungry? Right, let

me pray for you? Okay, bye, okay, thanks by right

for you?

Ready?

A right, I feel sorry for you, and I church

leaders say, must pray, okay, prayer, and then you go away.

What will mercy compel you to do? If someone is

that studio and hungry.

Fila. Hey, mercy is very practical. And you know, hey,

don't think.

Mercy is like, whoa such a high philosophy kind of thing.

I need to get a degree in theology before I

can show mercy.

No, nah, it's very practical. It's like can I buy

you lunch? Can I get you a drink? You meet

that neat where the person is. That is what mercy is.

You know, our greatest need is forgiveness, and Jesus says,

God says, okay, I'm very practical God. I will give

you Jesus because he's the one that can solve the

unforgiveness issue.

Did you see that? Do you see how God is

very practical. He's not a philosophical thing that we cannot understand.

God is very practical.

Prayer, the go is feeding you lunch, paying for your

medical bill when it costs thousands. You know, God is

so practical that way. So you know that's God's character.

Now let's go a bit too, men's character. Nowha, are

you ready? God's character? Am I? It's a clock correcter? Okay,

the clock is dead because I'm thinking it's only two

o'clock on my watch. It's only two o'clock, so I

got one and a half hours more with you.

That's what I'm thinking. I a pretty very long aready,

are still two o'clock? I think it's a sign.

It's a sign that you need to stay here longer.

All right, it's two forty five about there. Okay, okay, okay,

just checking, just checking, Thank you, thank you. It can

be giving around class. Thank you for serving God?

All right? So okay, So that is God's character. Amen.

So now when you go out on a Monday, do

you know how to even begin talking about God? You

talk about his mercy. You talk about how we don't

deserve what you have, what you have right now? You

don't deserve on No, And you begin from that place

of destitute. You begin from that place of saying, actually,

all that I.

Have I don't deserve. But God is mercy shows kindness

to both you and me. Do you know God?

Well?

Do you know rain insuba? It's crazy now right? It

reigns on the good and the bad. Right did they say,

oh this one very good, no rain for you for

extra covering.

No?

Right, rainfalls on everyone, flets everywhere. Right, and so God

continues to be consistent, right, but what is not is

our response to him.

Okay.

God is always consistent, but men are not. Okay, So

let's go to one character which I really have been

enjoying learning, and this is from the Book of Jonah.

Do you know Jonah or only one person? The rest

of you don't know Jonah? Don't know? Please go and

sign out to be ex kids.

Okay, because I believe your children or the kids that

have learned about.

The story of Jonah. Right, all of you not convinced?

Lad?

So because of that, let's go to the Book of Jonah.

All right, okay, so turn your bibles to the Book

of Jonah. Do you know where Jonah is or Testament?

Correct? Which page is that?

On? My page? On my Bible is page one zero

six seven socisticated right?

Okay.

Anyways, by the way, we really encourage you to bring

your physical bibles, is that okay? Yeah, nothing like really

reading from the Word of God, because you know, devices

a bit distracting. Lah, there suddenly people instagram you lla

send you a reala ah.

Yeah.

So so let's let's not be distracted, okay, and go

to God's word.

Okay. So I'm gonna read to you a few verses.

We won't read the whole chapter, oh, the whole book,

although you can read it probably in fifteen minutes or

less if you're a speed leader like Zack. Okay, all right,

so let's go to the book and I know sometimes

okay maybe before you won't read it.

What do you know of the story of Jonah? Quick one? Hey, yo,

should notice big fish? What else? Swallowed hims? What else.

He tried to run away? Okay, and that's why in

the first place he got the fish right?

What else? What else? Ah? Okay, we'll get to that.

We'll get to that. Okay.

Spoiler spoiler alert, spoiler alert. All right, so let's read

from verse one, chapter one. Now, the word of the

Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amitai, saying, arise

and go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out

against it, for their wickedness has come up before me

but street. But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from

the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa

and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid

the fair and went down into it and go with

them to Tarshish. From the presence of the law okay,

got it? Okay, So what is the first thing that

God told Jonah?

Not just go?

What's the first word arise and go? Correct?

Did Jonah obey?

You suppose he arose and he went, oh, hey, Jonna

know better? Hey, God says, arise and go, and Donah

arise and went, okay, why what's wrong with that?

Wrong?

Side? Lah?

God says, go to Ninni Webb, which is northeast. Where

did he go? Southwest?

Right? He went directly opposite of where he went?

So first for many of us, right, you're like, but

I'm arising and going. God, you say, arise and go,

I am going. The question is are you in the

right direction? Are you going in the right direction where

God wants you to go?

Ouch? And so you know that the story when that

he didn't?

Right?

Now, what was Jonah fleeing away from?

Wow? Direct?

Right? There's no other answer to it, you know, ushually

when I ask that question, right, and if you think

about it, So what is Johnah running away from?

People say they are from trials, from.

Wickedness, because that's what he says, right, But even really

read scripture, he says that Jonah didn't run away from

the mission. He wasn't running away from trials or temptations,

or challenges, or dirty toilets or cockleages, whatever it is

that stops you from going for missions. He wasn't running

away from all that. He was running away from.

The presence of the thought. Do you see a theme

running around here?

Moses didn't want to go anywhere without God's presence, and

here was a man of God. Do you know Jonah

was a prophet? You know, a proper means a man

of God anoints it, and in fact, before that, if

you read some of the commentaries, he says that he

has actually been faithfully preaching God's word. Hey, not bad, no, Donna,

don't think of vis bad Lah. You're thinking like Donna

bad no bad kettle of fish unintended. But he went

away from God's presence. Many of us don't realize that

when we don't go where God wants us to be,

what we.

Are essentially running away from is God's presence.

God's presence the moment you turn away and you're still

arising and going. But if it's not where God wants

you to be, it means you're separated from God. Do

you know that? Do you know that you can be

separated from the presence of God. Now we can see

right that you can run away from God's president. You're like, no,

but God is omnipresent, you know, He's everywhere. You cannot

run away from him. Yes, there's a Bible scripture for

that as well. But in this very case, you can

see that Jonah was running away from God's presence. So

it's very possible, guys, it's very possible to be in church.

And not be in God's presence.

Because what God is trying to deal with us this afternoon,

I believe, is not your externals. It's your internal what's

going on for you in your heart. So some people

wright can look very okay on the outside, everything very okay.

On no, you could be a leader in church, everything

very okay, But where is your heart? Is it far

away from God? You can show everyone else how gung

hole you are, how passionate you are, but only God

knows what's in the depths of your heart. And that's

what God wants to tackle with us today. It's not

really about going for missions, you know. You know, sometimes

you can hear another mission, you know, rah rah, like

sign up for this, La go la guivlah.

But God before he you know, I learned this from Pasecanna.

He says, before you can cross the sea, right to

do missions, you have to see the cross, right, I'm

stealing it from him. Before you can cross the sea,

you need to see the cross. And before you can

understand what God had done for us. We will never

be able to cross the sea for someone else. It

won't be you won't be able to right, And so

you know that the story goes, Yeah, Jonah flew flee

from the flat, my English, my England at this hour,

fled from the presence of God. And to me, that's

even more alarming, and and it keeps me in check,

you know, like God, I don't want your presence to

be away from me. Do not let your presence be

taken away from me. That's what David prayed, right, although

I sin and everything, but just don't take your spirit

away from me, because you know that without God's presence

and without his spirit, we.

Are lost, completely lost.

And so yeah, and so Jonah, you know the story, right,

And then God said, okay, then there was a storm, right,

a storm that happened. Did you know that when he

was in a ship to Tarsish, who sent the storm.

They're not saying God, God can send stormwna can all

some of us not the storms in our lives? Is

God sent?

Ouch? What's something that we want to hear?

Right? Huh, God, you send stormer? I thought you were

very loving God. I thought you just want the best

for me. Yeah, the stomach is gonna be the best

for you if you know how to respond, right, Because

when God sends the storm, what he's trying to do

is he's trying to get your attention. He's trying to say, hello,

I give you the word. Ready, you still run away?

Now? My I send the storm? Now my I sent

the fish. She still don't get it.

And you know that Jonah was in the belly of

the fish for three days, three nights. Right, I don't

know what would you do if you are confined three days,

three nights?

What would you do? Guys?

No Netflix, no IG, no no connection. It's like I

guess sorry, no, no no network coverage, no great food.

I'm sorry. What would you do three days, three nights?

Think about it?

Solitary confinement joels like, oh my gosh, this is this

is empty all all over again?

No wife, Right, oh got radia o kaila.

After the first it was not terrible, right, terrible solitary confinement.

No other human being in sight, no food. What would

you do?

Some of us are like that, you know, spirit spiritually,

we feel very alone. We feel like no one understands

where we're at, you know, we feel like everything is

done in a law.

Right.

But I thank God. After all that Jonah had done, right,

he came to his senses. La suddenly, you know, the

storm hit his head, maybe being in the belly of

a fish hit his head, and he repented.

Right.

Do you know if Jonah repented, he repented, and this

is what he said. Let's go to chapter two, verse seven,

and he says, my soul fainted within me. Alama, thanks Sonni.

I remember the Lord, and my prayer went up to

you into your holy temple. Those who regard worthless idols

forsake their own mercy. Interesting that he would describe God

as mercy here. But I will sacrifice to you with

the voice of thanksgiving. I will pay what I about.

Salvation is of the Lord.

Amen. Amen. This is his prayer, you know, And I

thank God.

What I took comfort from this verse is that no

matter how far you turn away from God, no matter

how miserable you are, no matter what kind of storms

have hit your life, or you bet in what kind

of belly of whatever fish, for not just three days,

maybe three years, you can still pray. You can still

turn to God and remember him, and God.

Answers his prayer.

How good God is right? He doesn't want to leave

you alone. No, someone of us are like, oh, leave

you alone. God, I don't want to leave you alone.

I want you to be in a right relationship with me.

And that's God's hot.

He's not here like I'm gonna give you all these

rules so that you know you obey me. Ha ha ha.

God is not power crazy. What he desires is the

right relationship with his child.

That's it.

If he can get that right. And so, of course,

then the Lord spoke to the fish and vomited Jonah.

I must give a bit. You're all sleeping ready, right,

I must learn a bit from the VA students, acting

a bit a bit now, Okay, So, so vomited Jonah

onto the sea and then and then the word of

God came again.

Right, did God changed his mind?

No?

You would think that, Hey, that's the end of storyline.

Now Jonah is a repentant man. He's gonna live a

good life and he won't tell a lie anymore.

That's it, right, that's it. End of story. Is that

all no far from ending.

And again see you see God Tarah, He's like again,

go arise, go to Nineveh and tell them how wicked

they are? Yo, many of us are like, hi, you

and me, tell my friend how wicked they are?

Is serious? God had whoa hard right, It's really hard.

So we need God's grace.

Amen, And we have the Holy Spirit, and it says, okay,

actually the actual of us. Please don't call me out

of context. I all read God's word in chapter three.

Now the word of the Lord came to Joonna the

second time, saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,

and preach to it the message that I tell you. Now.

Now Jonah arose.

Ah, Now he arose and went to Ninivate according to

the word of the Lord. Now Nineve was an exceedingly

great city, a three day journey and extent I like

this was for. And Jonah began to enter the city

on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, yet,

forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown full stop. Eight words.

That's all.

He had only a words to deliver to this great city.

All right now, okay, so you know the story, right?

What happened to the people? Do you know what happened

to the people? They repented? They they caught for a fast,

They turned from their wicked ways, right, and they repented

and asked God for his mercy.

All right now? Okay, so extra, let me let me

do a little bit social experiment with you.

If I tell you that there is one soul safe

in the House of God, what's your response?

Get gay? Extra style? Extra style?

If I tell you that there is one hundred souls

saved today, what's your response?

Getting there? Getting there? If I tell you that there

is one hundred.

And twenty thousand lives turning towards God, Hey no more?

Whoo?

Cannot brain right, Our brains can't take it because we

are so used to one to then we know what's

a normal response. But when there's one hundred and twenty thousand,

you're like, Okay, hang on a moment.

What happens? Friends?

If I tell you tomorrow that there's one hundred and

twenty new souls one hundred and twenty thousand new souls saved.

You're like, okay, God, I don't know if you're ready

for this, because guess what we have to build?

Ten new churches true not?

Our model in X right is every church plan one

hundred and one hundred and twenty people.

The moment you hear a hundred day multiplimer.

So now you got one hundred and twenty thousand if

you do your mats, there's ten new church plans?

You know?

Is it ten or more? One hundred?

See, my mets was so wrong. One hundred church plans?

Are you ready or not? Hello? Here one hundred people

are not? Because you'll call on next to lead this

new souls?

True or not? Are you ready? You're like, oh, my

life is still in a mess. How can I lead others?

But you know, when the harvest is plentiful, and when

God sends the harvest, he's like, hello, where's my people?

Where are my laborers? If we are called, if we.

Really call ourselves followers of God, right, then let's get

ready to work.

Are you ready to work?

And not?

If not, then it's very hard to say that I

follow Jesus right, You know, following Jesus. It's not just

I believe in you. No, so I believe in you? Sorry,

what's your name?

Media?

It's not saying I believe in your Media is saying

I'm going to give all my bank account to you

because I trust you.

Whatever you say, I will do. I don't know how. No,

that's my first meeting. You're right.

When you believe in Jesus, would you say, God, all

my finances belong to you. You tell me how to

direct my finances, You tell me where my money should go. Right,

that's believing in that's following Jesus, not just believing in

that person. You know what, even the devil believes in

Jesus and shudders. Do me come before God's presence with

the kind of awe and fear before the Lord? Right?

And so you know that is our response?

Right? Okay, one hundred new churches need to be started

because so many souls we rejoice, We rejoice. Then we

got to come to reality because men, you and I

in our depots of hearts, right, we become one. And

I don't know how to translate book? How how do

we do this? Like? We are not not satisfier not

said not Google it doesn't encapsulate the book. Come one,

those of you know, please explain your name book, come wana?

Right? Because the thing is right.

We we love everything about God about what he can

do for us. Correct, We love everything about God's promise

for what it does for us.

And when the very same promise.

Is given to our neighbor whom we don't like, we say, God,

how come not fair?

Why not? Why you bless him and not me?

Right?

White? The blessing? White?

The car bigger than my car? White, the house bigger

than my house? Why the wife pre did?

Okay, let's not go there, right, we really booke some one.

No, we don't like it when other people get blessed,

but we don't, right, Actually, do you know? Okay, So

coming to the heart of it, do you know why

Jornah didn't want to go to Niniva? Actually, what is

the heart of it? What is the heart of it?

Exactly right? So they'll catch all of that. You can

ask him later. Okay, this brother knows his Bible. Okay.

So basically, there was a long history between the Jewish

people and then invites, and yeah they did invites. We're

wicked people, right, we'll just put them in the category

of bad people can yeah, undeserving, totally undeserving. And so

the Jonah in his righteous he's a Jew. Now you

know what the Jews are known for? Other than circumcision

and koshier food? What are the Jews known for? And

their money making abilities?

Okay? What else? What else do you know about the

Jewish people? Chosen? Chosen? Self righteous? Do you say that

self righteous? You know? Many times? Right?

I think what pains Good's heart is that He's chosen

people already chosen, right, the privileged one. They will always

stiff neck towards God. Do you know that word? We're

just stubborn towards God. Right, and yet God and his

mercy continued to provide for them all the way in

the forty years of the Wilderness Journey. Do you know, actually,

how long did it take for the journey from Egypt

to the Promised Land?

You know, what's the actual.

And not three days like you think God, God high

speed train is it?

It took them forty days, right and forty years? Right?

It's actually eleven days journey and they still didn't get

it at the end of the forty years. How many

people Okay, so Moses led two million people out of

Egypt into the Promise, and how many people entered the promise.

Land two Wow.

The ratio is, I don't know how to say, wow, preposterous.

The ratio of people who actually got it too. Out

of two million don't know how you want to do

your medsla zero one actually got it right. And so

that the Jewish people had always been stiff. And what's worse,

they think that they're very okay already so stubborn, right,

and they think that I am the cool guy. God

chose us the Jewish people, You guys don't deserve all this,

and that's why Jesus was constantly, you know, in battle

with the pride of the Jewish people, the Pharisees, the Saiducees, right,

it was always against their pride, their pride thinking that

they're better than everyone else. And so in this case,

jannahs thinking I'm a Jew, these are weaked people.

You deserve to die, right, And.

You know when we say that we are all so

wow that God would turn around a city, the whole

city repented, and this is in verse ten. Let's read

chapter three, verse and he says, then God saw their works,

so they actually showed fruit of their repentance. Right, You

know that when you can see one, it's not just

saying I'm sorry, God. Repentance can be seen through the

works that they turned away from their evil way. So

turning away is repentance. And God relented from the disaster

that he had said he would bring upon them, and

he did not do it. Amen, many of us will

be like, Wow, thank you God. But this is where

the hungry part comes in. What is Jonah's response? Chapter

four says, But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.

So he prayed to the Lord, and he said, Ah, Lord,

it's almost like I told you, right, God, I told

you so. Lord, was not this what I said when

I was still in my country?

Therefore I fled?

Wow, give excuse I fled previously to Tarshish, for I

know that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow

to anger, and abundant in loving kindness. One who relents

from doing harm? Is this familiar? Sounds familiar? Looks like

Jonah knows his Bible, you know right, you're read in Exodus.

Looks like Jonah can have a Bible degree, when actually

maybe PhD even proper right, he can quote all of

these things.

And yeah, we know we can know a lot of

things about God.

We can know that he's gracious, he's merciful, he's powerful.

And it stops there because it never translated into catching

God's heart for people. You can know a lot of

things about God. In fact, some of you probably know

a lot more than many of us. But the question is, is

this kind of attitude that we have towards others? So

what So what if you can quote the whole Bible?

So what if you know that God is merciful and gracious,

and yet the very thing that God asked you to

do is to bring a message of peace, not message

of peace. Li It was actually a message you want

to call it peace? Yeah, but it was also wrath

right repent and the people relented, and Jonnah just he

didn't get it. You know, do you know that we

can be in church and we don't get it. I

don't know how else to preach to you know, how

else to share from God? You know why Jonah is

in the Bible is to show us our hearts. Do

you know? The Bible is always a reflection of who

we are inside and all of us have a jonna

within us? Can I say that all of us have

a jinna within us? And we say, you know, God,

you know, you know you look at his response inverse three,

he says, therefore, now, oh Lord, please take my life

from me, for it is better for me to.

Then to live. Oh really serious?

You know this guy he would rather die than to

see one hundred and twenty thousand people saved. Wow, he

himself would rather die than to see one hundred and

twenty thousand people turning towards God. I don't know what

to say. And many of us when we stay where

we are, when we don't go when God causes us

to go, that's exactly what we are saying. You're saying, God,

I am not ready to die to myself so that

others will be safe. That's what missions is. By the way,

missions is about dying to yourself. It's about dying to

your own perception of what other people, what you think

other people deserve or not deserve. You know, I was

sharing at the Mandarine service this morning, right, I know,

when we talk about forgiveness, you know, and like, yeah,

it's you know Christians, Yeah we forgo even all that.

But when I asked you to go and do prison ministry,

You're like, okay, yeah, I can do it. Right.

Would you do prison ministry? Anyone? Would you there to

step out? Yeah? Some of you would.

But if I say go and minister to the very

person who hurt your mom, abused a sister, maybe does

it make it that test harder. It's easy to minister

to people you don't know, but once it hits very

close to your heart and you're like, God, does this

person even deserve forgiveness? Does this person even forget deserve

your mercy? And if you check our hearts, right, it's

usually a Nolah. I mean, I'm just being honest. If

someone hurts my child, I'm like, I'm gonna hurt you back,

real bad.

It's it's a very.

Natural human response, right. And but God is saying, and

you know what Jesus is saying. He says, I desire mercy,

not sacrifice. Many times we do things for God. We feel,

oh God, I'm already sacrificing so much for you. Right,

But God, Jesus is saying in Matthew nine, he says,

go and learn what this means.

I desire mercy, not sacrifice, because mercy is created and sacrifice.

Don't think that whatever you're doing is like a sacrifice,

you know, but God is one thing you to catch,

this heart of mercy.

Can you see that?

Because God himself his heart is one of mercy, meaning

everything that you do is based on the mercy of God.

But you can only express mercy as you have received mercy.

Is that true?

If you've never experienced forgiveness from someone else before, you

will never be able to show others. True, if you've

never experienced God's love for yourself, You'll never be able

to show another person God's love. It's as simple as that, right.

And so as we draw to a close, I just

want to really God's word really pierces alla, right And

this is not a message to condemn you, right, but

I just want us to really remember to keep the

main thing the main thing.

Okay?

You know, so when you hear the call to go

to give, to be involved in righte, ask yourself as

am I just doing it for my leaders? Am I

just doing it to show other people that I'm there?

Or are you catching God's heart to say, God, I

see the need? Would you ask God for the heart

of compassion, just as Jesus said. You know, when Jesus

saw the people, what he saw was sheep without shepherd. Right.

He didn't say that, oh, this one hurt me, that

one ro money, never give back, that one didn't.

Say hi to me.

God, Jesus didn't see them like that. When he just

saw them, his heart was moved to compassion, saying, these

are sheep without shepherd, and God wants to come and

be your shepherd, to lead them to life because you know,

sheep's bread dumb?

Do you know that? Go and do some Facebook. I

don't know.

There's tons of research that shows you how dumb sheep are.

We always don't learn.

We do the same mistakes over and over and over again,

and we still don't get it. And Jesus is likeness

to sheep, but better sheep than go correct right on? Okay,

I don't know all these Bible references. You'll understand why

I'm saying or not, but it's okay. But would you

I think today God just wants to say, would you

catch his heart? His heart not just for yourself, but

He's heart for others, just as you long for God's

blessing upon your life, right just as you long for

God's mercy upon.

Your own life? Would you go.

One step further and say, God, not just me, but others,

Would you help me to be that channel that others.

Can experience your mercy as well.

That's what missions is, stepping out of your comfort zone,

going to someone else, uncomfortable as it is, and saying.

Hey, do you know God's mercy?

Do you know that there is a God who's constantly

thinking about you, watching over you, sending people your way

to bring this gospel of good news, that you're not alone,

That life has meaning and purpose, and the greatest purpose

is to know God and to glorify and worship for me. Man,

I'm gonna invite the worship band on stage. Thank you

for your patience, thank you for your heart for listening,

and I pray that God has been speaking to you

a man. Shall we stand? I think we've been sitting

a while. Shall we just stand before God and just

do a quick heart check. Let's do a heart check,

and maybe I ask yourself, actually, who do I really

think God is? What is my mindset? You know, when

we come to God and pray, what do I think of?

Do I think of God who is angry with me?

Or God who's always, you know, watching over every wrong

thing and one thing to catch me doing wrong.

Is that our mindset of God?

Or it's God someone who's just you know, he's just

up there doing his own thing.

I'm doing my own thing.

What is our perception of who God is? What is

his character? Wanting to just meditate and come before God?

Really?

Really, I don't know when was the last time you

really stood before and God said, Hey, God, here am I.

This is me.

Whether quiet or loud, boisterous, whatever it is, it doesn't matter.

God is not interested in your external He wants to

go right deep into your heart. This afternoon, the Holy

Spirit is speaking to you, saying, what are you thinking

about me? Is it a right perception? I want to

show you the right way to think about me. That

my deepest heart is not that I am an angry God,

but I am a merciful God, merciful and gracious, abounding

in love and kindness and goodness. This is the God

that we serve. When you know you're facing with a

God like that, I think it's only natural to want

to step closer, not step away, when you know this

is God. I think the natural and the right response

is to step closer to God away from Him. Amen.

Hallelujah.

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

information on our church, please visit aschurch do org. We

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this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you. God bless