Sermon
The Persecuted Church | Pr Matthew Chang
Publisher transcript
Transcript
-
You're listening to a message to go from acts church.
-
We hope this message will light up your day.
-
All right, So I'm continuing on this series. Uh, the
-
previously spoke here on the seven churches in the Book
-
of Revelations. Who knows what is the first the name
-
of the first church? Quick? Quick, quickly? What was the
-
name of the first church that was in the series?
-
Any want anyone? Anyone? Church? Off? Sorry? Someone saying no
-
not Antioch? Close? Good try church off Ehasus Ephasus. Okay,
-
good try? But what's good? Okay? I like the attempt. Okay.
-
So today we're gonna be going into the church in
-
small nas Wow. What an interesting name is the name?
-
So what I'm gonna do is say, I'm gonna read first,
-
and then after that I will maybe explain a few
-
things and along the way it's my hope that I mean,
-
of course, everybody has a difference style. But when I
-
when I preach and also teach at the same time,
-
it's not just about the message, you know, I hope
-
you when I when I started out as a new believer, right,
-
one of the advice I always got from people was
-
that you don't just hear the message. Always try to
-
learn how people starting the work how. It's not as
-
about what how, because always people say, oh, I don't
-
know how to read the Bible, or I don't know
-
where you get the information from. It's never about what
-
you know. It's always like how. If you are able
-
to have the right mindset and begin to ask the
-
right question and be curious enough and also be initiative enough,
-
you will find the Bible start to have a new
-
life to you. You get mean right, you got to
-
be It's like, you know, be curious enough like Sherlock Holmes,
-
like that, instill just settling for the facts. Ask why.
-
When you ask more questions and you ask the right questions,
-
you definitely be faithful to lead you to the right place. Okay,
-
So look at and I'm going to ask a lot
-
of different questions. So the question you might not even
-
bother asking. And sometimes when you ask the right questions,
-
you will realize that it unlocks certain things for you.
-
Chapter two, Okay, Revelations, Chapter two, verse eight, I'm going
-
to read to verse eleven. Now, the title says the
-
persecuted Church. Okay. Verse eight says, and to the Angel
-
of the Church in Smyrna. Each church got us angel
-
want to know, okay, And he says these things, says
-
the first and the last who was dead and came
-
to life. So underlying that the first and the last
-
who was dead and came to life. Most people they read,
-
they just passed through. But I tell you sometimes you've
-
got to focus and ask a question. Why would the
-
author write this? And it's their difference. And if you
-
go through all the different churches, seven churches in chapter
-
two and chapter three, you will realize that each letter
-
has a pattern, a greeting and the introduction of the author.
-
But yeah, in each of these letters, the way the
-
introduces now the same author introduces himself differently. It's like
-
I'm saying, Hi, my name is Matthew. I'm a pastor. Hi,
-
my name is Matthew. And to another person, I'm a father.
-
Another person, Hi, my name is Matthew. I like to
-
I'm a basketball player. So each person I introduce a
-
different title, and I do it seven times to seven
-
different people, purposely quite unique, right we are? Why why
-
don't you settle with one? I choose to have different
-
titles a different person because I want to then start
-
to sense a different message. If I'm a pastor to you,
-
and by speaking to you as a pastor, you treat
-
me differently as well. If I'm telling to you I'm sparing.
-
My name is a pastor, Matthew, I'm a food enthusiast. Oh,
-
let's talk about food already. You let your guard down.
-
But if I say my name is pastor Matthew, I'm
-
a doctor and I want to talk to you as
-
a doctor, then you start to oh, not just a friend.
-
You want to tell me something from your profession. Maybe
-
there's something wrong, maybe there's something right. You know what
-
I mean. Right. So the way that the author intentionally
-
reveals himself and introduces himself highlights the subject or dictates
-
the subject of the conversation. Okay, I under saying what
-
I'm saying. So the title what we see here is
-
quite unique. It's not just any other title. He says
-
that the title is the first and the last? And
-
who was dead and came to life? How many? If
-
you like to introduce yourself, my name is Olivia. I'm
-
not the first to come and I'm not the first
-
to leave as well. Quite an interesting way, you know.
-
But why I got to ask you so why the Jesus,
-
who is the actual author, introduced himself so differently to
-
all these different churches. Okay, The clue, okay, is actually
-
in the passage. Okay. The key to understanding this is
-
actually in the past. The mystery, and the key is
-
in the same passage. So we have the mystery and
-
the key is in verse nine, the nine. It says,
-
I know your works, your tribulations and poverty, and I
-
know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews
-
and are not but are singa god Satan, and so
-
in verse nine it reveals to us that Jesus actually
-
is aware of what they are doing, Okay, okay, and
-
they are. He's aware of that tribulation they're surrounding, and
-
it's aware of their poverty, their situation. Okay. But even
-
though they are doing a lot of work, they are
-
fully they are oppressed, and because of that they are poor.
-
They think that they are in poverty. Okay. But Jesus
-
comes into their life, into this church's situation, says that
-
I know your works, I know what you can't control
-
and what is happening to you, and you think that
-
you are poor. But I want to speak into you
-
and tell you that you are not poor. Turn you
-
neighbor and say that you are not poor. Okay. So
-
it's a very powerful thing already, the thing you Sometimes
-
we arrive at a lot of conclusion immediately based on
-
what we do, based on what we control. And when
-
we come into a conclusion very quickly, I mean, you
-
know what I'm talking about. You study so hard and
-
you can't control the exam, and they say I'm not smart.
-
Some of the students say, yeah, I know how you
-
feel it. I feel your pain someone you work so hard,
-
and then like, because out of control, I'm not a
-
good business person, I'm a horrible father and mother provider,
-
and stuff like that. You come with a lot. Sometimes
-
because I'm so busy, I come I'm a horrible Christian.
-
All these things come up as well. But please don't
-
let us be the Let ourselves or our environment be
-
the final dictator of who we are. Let Jesus be
-
the one to dictate, okay. Let Jesus be the one
-
who decide. Who speaks into your life, who speaks life.
-
And Jesus say, you are not poor, you are actually rich, okay.
-
And he says, there not only know about you but
-
I also know about the people your enemy who is
-
afflicting you as well. And he says, say, and I
-
know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews,
-
the people who are so confident in who they are,
-
and they use who they are and they weaponize it
-
and they attack you. Okay, But in fact, when you
-
peel away the disguise their layers, they are actually not
-
who they are. They are not my people. They say
-
that they belong to me, they know me, they love me,
-
but they don't. In fact, I will tell you who
-
they really are. They are a synagogue of Satan, meaning
-
they are an assembly of people who worship Satan. Oh,
-
I tell you, if I put that out right now,
-
I'll be canceled. But Jesus will not means his word.
-
Jesus will not means his word. These people say that
-
you are Jews, the best from the highest of title
-
to the lowest of the title, from the highest or
-
the title from the lows of the title. Okay, so
-
now and in verse ten, and he says, yeah, then,
-
do not fear any of those things which you are
-
about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw
-
some of you into prison. That you may be tested
-
and you will have tribulation ten days. Okay, be faithful
-
until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
-
So when you read until here, then you start to
-
begin to understand. Oh, now I begin to understand why
-
Jesus introduced himself as the as the first and the
-
last who was there and came to life. Because these people,
-
the people, the believers is Hmanna, are not just poor.
-
They are being persecuted h and so much so that
-
they are and not some of them are actually being
-
thrown to jail and even killed. And Jesus even prophesied
-
to them and say that be faithful until death. Okay, sorry,
-
sorry earlier versus. Indeed, the devil's about to throw some
-
of you into prison, that you may be tested and
-
you will have tribulation ten days. The word ten days,
-
it's not just literally ten days. Some of you people
-
have speculated that ten days actually refer to ten emperors,
-
ten caesars. Ah, there's long ten changes or ten rulers.
-
Changes are all the way until Constantine, which is quite
-
accurate from that time as well. So Jesus is telling
-
them that you're going to be a lot of have
-
a lot of tribulations, but he says that despite all
-
these things, be faithful until death, and I will give
-
you the crown of life. So Jesus, now you see,
-
when you see all this is happening and what is
-
about to come, Jesus comes into this situation and gives
-
them hope and victory. The hope in victory is by
-
knowing who he is. He is the first and the last,
-
the one who was dead and came to life. So
-
what do we need in our lives when we go
-
through difficult tribulation knowing that we might mean an end
-
in this life? We need not just one version of Jesus.
-
We need the Jesus that the Bible has revealed to
-
be the first and the last, and the one who
-
has conquered death and beyond. You get I mean right,
-
that's what we need. Why do we say that because
-
to many Christians, okay, there's only one version of Jesus. Okay,
-
there's only Jesus, Lover of my soul. There's only one version.
-
I know, no other Jesus. I know Jesus Lover of
-
my soul. You know he would chase me, he will
-
love me, he will help me. He will put me
-
to slay. But I don't realize, Oh, this is another
-
version of Jesus. The first church, Jesus was a priest
-
who holds the seven stars in his right hand and
-
who examines the lamb stance. He's a priest who examines
-
my life. And in this party he is the first
-
and the last who was dead and came to life.
-
And in another verse there Jesus is the one whose
-
eyes are like a burning fire. You mean, there's more
-
version of Jesus than just one who is the lover
-
of my soul. Jesus who will actually refine things, who
-
will discipline me, who will correct me, who actually knows
-
and will reveal things in my life. I didn't know that.
-
And it's like, oh, yeah, they are in each of
-
these churches. Jesus reveals himself differently, and so for our
-
lives in ours. Christian you gotta understand as well, some
-
of you, you are stuck with one and you are
-
not discerning of the time, whether it's twenty twenty four,
-
whether it's twenty twenty five. What is God speaking into you?
-
Maybe Jesus himself revealing himself in a different aspect to you.
-
He said that Hey, you got to get your life correct.
-
But you still don't want to do that because it
-
requires a change, and you stick to that version that
-
Jesus is the love of my lover of my soul.
-
Yes he is, and he will forgive me, he will
-
do he would, he will love me, and I don't
-
have to change anything. And you missed out on this message. Okay,
-
that's the end of the sermon. Can call for a response. Readier,
-
God hing ready, you unders say what I'm saying. You
-
don't say what I'm saying. Now, there's a very important people, Okay,
-
that's why you got to read your Bible. You got
-
to read the Bible for what it's worth. And you
-
can be stuck to one version and you can just
-
walk away for the next fifty sixty seventy years of
-
your life. Just stick to one version of Jesus lover
-
of myself, and you will be resistant. You will never
-
want to hear another version, not the version of Jesus,
-
another aspect of revelation of Jesus. And you never grow up.
-
I'm saying, no, you never grow up. Some of you
-
just want your parents to be one kind Daddy, love me,
-
hold me, you know. But then as you grow older,
-
your father decides to discipline you, push you, challenge you,
-
or how many fathers like you know what I'm talking about. Yeah, yeah, father, daddy,
-
it's called daddy love. You know. The mother will no, no, scared.
-
But you still have a debate in my wife, I said,
-
mothers and fathers have kind of different you know. I said,
-
mothers tend to all their objective is to keep their
-
children safe. Father's objective is to keep their children strong.
-
True and her we see a different end result and
-
we aim for a different goal. So when you put
-
a child up right, the father said, yeah, they're not crying,
-
the mother will say too high, it's not safe. So
-
different goals. But you need both. You need both. I'm
-
not saying that right is right. Right, you need both.
-
Sometimes you're strong, you're not protect, but you need both.
-
You need to be pastoral, you need to coach as well.
-
You need both as well. You get me in right,
-
So you need both and so on. And there's times
-
when you need to be you and a lot of times,
-
actually actually a lot of times that's true. Is that
-
to be safe, you need to be strong because you
-
can't always be there. And there's maturity. There's nurturing and
-
there's maturity, and that's why I'm saying that. So there's
-
always a very important goal to be safe and strong
-
as well. Okay, I sorry, I always deviate into different things,
-
but okay, so now let's move on again. So this
-
is what Jesus reveal himself to the church, that it's
-
being persecuted, that is having you all that you know
-
coming to grasp that this may be. They are the
-
call of the church that they are gonna go through
-
a lot of tribulation. But Jesus reveals himself to give
-
them hope. He said that don't worry. You know you
-
may be tested, but be faithful, and I will give
-
you the crown or life. And in verse eleven, Jesus says,
-
he who has an ear, let him hear what the
-
spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not
-
be hurt by the second death. And that is the
-
call for all believers, not just this church, to be
-
eternally minded, Okay, to be eternally minded. Now okay, let
-
me have quickly, uh okay, now a bit of backdrop,
-
because I want to steer us into understanding what the
-
Bible says in the end how the end times would
-
look like and how it would be for believers. And
-
my goal to share that as how the Bible would
-
describe it is to prepare us and not to scare,
-
but to prepare us. Okay, to prepare us as Christ
-
prepares them, telling them what's ahead. We also need to
-
look to the Bible to know what's ahead for ourselves,
-
for our family, for our children, for all those around us.
-
So that you prepare what does twenty twenty twenty five
-
look like? What is happening as well? So from this
-
particular verse, we know that this particular group of people
-
in Christians in Smarna experience a lot of poverty. And
-
they were not poor because they were just I don't know,
-
like full time ministry, because full time ministry cannot high
-
earn high income. No, they were poor because they were
-
persecuted as well. Okay, So can I have for volunteers
-
to come up? For volunteers quickly? Quickly, quickly, four volunteers
-
come up? Straight, has come? The ladies come? Okay? Okay,
-
So I need one person to stand I'm in front
-
here and face towards Okay, you will be okay, Olivia.
-
So okay. So imagine this is these are the population
-
and the hierarchy in Smyrna. Okay. So uh in Smyrna.
-
Smyrna is like a Cyberjaya. Okay. It's a new city
-
planned by the government. And I mentioned this before. And
-
so they decide to institute the jump Ahead, a new
-
religion and a new worship called the Imperial worship, Imperial
-
meaning mensa to treat the leader Caesar or the Emperor
-
as God himself. So you don't just respect him, you
-
have to worship him, okay. So imagine Olivia is the
-
Emperor or Caesar. Okay, So imagine that, okay. And so
-
in Smyrna they started instituting that. So we have the
-
first group of people, okay. And so starting from the
-
right here, we're the first girl of people who are
-
the Romans and the Greeks. Hi say, hi, Romans and
-
the Greeks. Okay. And these people have no problem doing that, okay.
-
They already so many different gods Jupiter, Zeus, Diana and Fastus,
-
you know, whichever, So what's what's wrong adding another one
-
as well? No problem? Okay. Then with another girl of
-
people called the Jewish people, ah. The Jewish people have
-
a bit have a big problem with this thing being implemented.
-
Why because they believe there's only one God, okay, Jehovah Okay,
-
So how that? But then out of all coincidences they
-
got an exemption. They got an exemption. No need to
-
worship or pay tribute or what kind of respect to
-
this new emperor worship. Why. There are many clues or
-
many hypotheses some people say because of temple texts and
-
stuff like that, which I'm not going to go into it,
-
couset too much detail. But eventually, out of an agreement,
-
they're got exempted. Now and then we have a third group,
-
a splinter group you know alwa as a splinter group
-
by like a splinter cell, you know, a splinter cell,
-
meaning like you got a bunch of elite forces, right,
-
will work. After a while, they decided to come out
-
and it's splintered out for evil. It's called splinter cell.
-
But we have a splinter group, and this splinter group
-
is called the Christians. They are an offshoot from the
-
Jewish community and they believe for a moment, for a while,
-
they're on the same road, same belief, same God, same Father, Abraham.
-
But yet when they comes to Jesus, they have a
-
different interpretation. They believe that Jesus is a good teacher
-
the Jews. But he's a good teacher, good hitter, but
-
he is not the son of God. But Jesus didn't
-
give them a choice. I don't care what you believe.
-
I declare that I am the Son of God. I
-
am the Son of God, and my miracles and my
-
works demonstrate that I am. I don't have to have
-
to say. My works demonstrate. Are you offended? Are you offended?
-
Are you offended? Many Jews were so offended with anger
-
that they killed and crucify him. So offended, that's their conclusion.
-
He was worthy to be crucified. But the believers believe,
-
they come all the way so much. But this is
-
where we differ. When we see Jesus, we see him
-
as the fulfillment of everything that God has spoken about,
-
and they splinter off Jesus. Jesus is the son of God.
-
But there's a problem. These girl people will worship, these
-
growl of people are exempted from emperor worship. And yeah,
-
the Christians, they are neither the Romans or the Greeks,
-
and they are rejected by the Jews. Where do they
-
go to? You go to the fire left there? Okay,
-
completely ostracized, and not only ostracized, but they are also blamed.
-
And this will be in the in the in the communists,
-
we will be like that as well. They will look
-
at their practice and their belief and look at them
-
as the problem for the world. Some people believe they
-
are cannibals because they practice communion, you know, people's body
-
and drink their blood for forgiveness of sins. But this
-
is what is written in Roman history. People were like, oh,
-
because they were meeting secretly in caves and what were
-
they doing. They're practicing cannibalism every week. Oh my goodness,
-
you know. So that's why it's being spread around when
-
they are droughts and they are floods, and there's family,
-
and there's war, and they're not go to the They
-
don't believe as the Jews, or they don't believe as
-
much as the Greeks and the Pagans of practice in
-
their rituals. They blame. Everything is the result of these people.
-
Somebody has to take a former. They cannot just let
-
that ay. It just appear on nowhere isn't it? So
-
they became a escape god for a lot of problems.
-
How dare you say that Jesus is the only way,
-
the truth and the life, no other religion, is it?
-
So you are right and everybody is wrong? Is it?
-
You are soren? What they call it? Exclusive and non inclusive?
-
You know what I'm talking about here? All the arguments
-
they are said now they're against Christianity is nothing new,
-
you know. It's all has been around for centuries, you know.
-
And they just said to him. And because of that,
-
they are not just alienating the Christians, they are actively
-
trying to remove them as well, the Emperor, the Greeks,
-
the Greeks, the Romans, and the Jews or in cohorts
-
wanting to root them out. And so you live in
-
fear because you are isolated, and you also have active
-
spies trying to root you out. And you can't go
-
to the marketplaces to anything because you know, it's just dangerous, okay,
-
And so how do you go about getting your daily
-
supplies and all these things for your family? And one
-
day you come to the market and you hurt, like, hey,
-
I heard this guy called Matthew might be a Christian.
-
Also and he's got money, so how can I trust
-
him or not? But you cannot look at me, and
-
I cannot look at you because people might associate us
-
and then you know, all these spies will try to
-
rule us out, you know. So you have to speak
-
to me in secret code or encryption how whatever sign
-
language or most cold symbol. So what you do is
-
that you will come up here and you will imagine
-
that's like a sand at the end of the ground,
-
and you will start to use your feet to draw
-
one arc. Okay, and then I won't look at you,
-
and then you move away okay. And I was, and
-
then I look at the ground. Ah. And then I
-
will draw another arc, and then I will move away
-
and then ask you to look at it. Then you
-
look at it, then look at this, look at you,
-
I said, okay, okay. Then I will start to help her.
-
You know why it is that ask you can see
-
the slight next one, next one, next next, Ah. This
-
lie seen this light before. It's called the fish. But
-
it's not about philos of two fish. It's not about
-
Jesus the fisher and man. This word is actually called it.
-
Thus it's actually a secret code to help the Christians
-
survive the Roman persecution. So when you see that symbol
-
on the floor and I complete it, it takes two
-
persons to complete this, not one person. Always take two persons,
-
one person to draw one and the other person to
-
draw it, so that we know that we show good
-
faith and will towards one another. Okay, So then because
-
of that, then I can extend help to her and
-
she will be not fearful to receive help from me.
-
It's not trapped. Okay, thank you so much, everybody, thank
-
you so much. So after church, everybody go out and
-
start playing Pepsi collar Okay, okay, perhaps e coller your turn,
-
my turn? One arc two asks? Okay, so interesting or not? Sure? Huh?
-
Here you realize there are so many history that we
-
received or inherited that has so much story to tell us.
-
You know, one days, I tell you it won't be
-
surprised that all the messaging platforms are will no longer
-
be safe anymore. If AI is so powerful? What's to hide,
-
isn't it? What's to hide? You know? How? The how? Can? What? What? Where?
-
Where are we gonna be able to communicate? You know
-
in private? Anyways? So the Christians were persecuted very heavily. Okay,
-
So how will the Christians be perceived in the coming
-
end days? And it's very important for us to understand
-
that what has happened in the earlier times is a
-
smaller mirror and the preview of how the future would
-
look like in the coming persecutions. Okay, it's a preview. Okay,
-
So I put a slight there. How we will be perceived,
-
Okay as we go to the second half, Okay, Christians
-
will be hated, okay. And these people who hate us
-
are not bad people, not just bad. They just don't
-
agree with us. They just don't see and they will
-
hate us for many reasons I mentioned to you before.
-
Because we feel like they will be hated, will be suspicious,
-
because they think that we are exclusive, we are not respectful.
-
A lot of people believe, you know, you know, you
-
only believe Jesus is the way. It's not that we
-
didn't create this religion. You know, it is Jesus who
-
said it, Jesus who declared it, and Jesus who demonstrated.
-
If Jesus said it's one thing. But when he died
-
and he rose again, now that's a problem. You know
-
what I mean right, you can say that you or
-
the only religion, You're the only way nobody will care.
-
But when you die and you rose again, then there's
-
a big problem because no one has ever done that,
-
and no one has the key to eternal life. You
-
get what I'm saying here, No, there's a big problem there.
-
Everybody can claim all these things, but when you die
-
and you rose again, that's a big, entire new problem,
-
another new dimension that really has to break. It doesn't
-
matter what you think anymore, doesn't matter what your preference
-
is anymore, what your preference like, Did you die and
-
rose again as anyone ever died and rose again? Who
-
else has the key to eternal life? Yeah, I'm saying
-
you know, so everything else loses its right and priority
-
in your life when Jesus conquers death. That is why
-
Christianity rests on one and one main thing. Christ died
-
and rose again again. Make no mistake any woman to
-
come and to see if you are. They can say,
-
they can say, oh, the good thing, but they say, Jesus,
-
he did not die, he did not rose again. Leave
-
the one thing that we cannot depart. Jesus died and
-
rose again, cannot non negotiable, non negotiable understanding of people.
-
Young people cannot negotiate one. Jesus died and rose again.
-
Cannot negotiate on this. This the backroad and the foundation
-
everything we live and based on. Nothing else matters. Your
-
eternity rests on that. Okay, oh wow, okay, everybody. Okay,
-
so solve them. That's how I teach my classes. Okay,
-
So we will be hated. We feel that we are exclusive.
-
We will they will say that we are judging. Why
-
you know, they will say we're judging our not because
-
we say. They will say we are judging by the
-
lifestyle we live. We will say we chose not to
-
do certain things. We abstain. We abstain and we don't
-
do anything active. But by our passiveness towards certain lifestyle,
-
they say that we are judging. They just hate being
-
with us because it looks poorly on them. Okay, they
-
will say that we are corrupt because they will pan
-
pick and nick pick a few people there are not
-
so nice fruits and say that you are all like that,
-
you are all sinners, you're all like that, all like that.
-
But they will never say that that No institution in
-
this world including friendships, family, community, and the nation can
-
live under the same consistent scrutiny. If you were to
-
pick out like that, then no family can be can
-
can survive. Just because that one father was abusive doesn't
-
mean all fathers are abusive. Does that mean that one
-
children it was disorbitient, that all children are disobedient? Do
-
you put all the same way in the same way?
-
Was one person treated you back in your life that
-
you no longer believe any person in your life? Do
-
you do that? Do you generalize everything and categorize everything?
-
Is that the world view that you want to settle
-
and conclude with and live the rest of your life
-
in fear? When you simplify everything, you pervert so many
-
things as well, isn't it That's how the world will
-
do to you, to categorize, to put you in the
-
same basket and in the same manner that pervert you
-
as well. That's what the world will do. Oh very
-
quiet here? True or not? So? Don't allow people to
-
simply conclude things in life by putting everything in the
-
same basket. Make your own decision, have your own convictions.
-
Sometimes things are not perfect, but you gotta stand by
-
your conviction. Family may not be perfect, children may not
-
be perfect, ministry may not be perfect. But I stand
-
by holding on to what is true, pure and hopeful
-
and have courage. You know what I'm saying. What I'm
-
saying that that is what we need. We gotta have
-
courage to hope. You're not courage to persevere for your
-
own self or your own family, for the church, for
-
the nation. Always looking at somewhere else and pointing what's back?
-
Where's the hope and the courage? You can't mean like, yes,
-
you can be wrong again, someone may disappoint you, but
-
you gotta hope and courage again. You got I'm saying
-
not and not blame every institution and everything for the problem.
-
For it where it's the faith and hope and courage.
-
Think don't you think Jesus knows and sees everything, But
-
yet she still prays and intercedes for the church. We
-
got to do so for every family as well, for
-
every marriage as well. You know what I'm saying. No,
-
if we give up on things for our family, we
-
will give out on everything else as well. But we've
-
got to keep the fire burning. One mistake with him
-
is like continue praying. That's why I Pray for your pastors,
-
Pray for your leaders, Pray for your parents, pray for
-
your children. All this institution, these fabrics that hold us together,
-
needs to have courage and hope to survive. Turn to
-
your neighbor and say that let's have hope and courage.
-
Everybody's all so lovely, Okay. They will say that we
-
are unloving, and they claim to be very loving themselves.
-
Else they will say that we are unaccepting of other
-
religion and faith. It's not that we don't want to
-
do that, but Jesus declares it. Okay, so we hope
-
that you can see. I don't know what's happening to
-
the every other people in other religion. I don't know.
-
I don't know everything. The Bible is not a science
-
book to tell me how. It just tells me what
-
it is. It can mean. It doesn't everything how you want.
-
How ask God? One day everything will be revealed. But
-
are you gonna let one thing that you cannot understand
-
stop you from progressing in your life and your faith
-
and you settle for a second class? Why? Why? Then?
-
They will say that we are cursed, We are the
-
problems for everything in this world as well. They will
-
never pointed themselves, but they will always point at other people.
-
And these things are not I'm not just me saying.
-
And these things are in the scripture. John chapter sixteen,
-
verse one to verse four says, okay, John chapter sixteen,
-
verse one, the verse four, these things are spoken to
-
you that you should not be made to stumble. They
-
will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time
-
is coming there. Whoever kills you will think that he
-
offers God's service. They are actually think that they are
-
doing God a service. And these things they will do
-
to you because they have not known the Father nor me.
-
But these things I've told you that when the time comes,
-
you may remember that I told you of them. Crisis
-
warn us about these things that it's about to happen
-
as well. You see, if you study no academics and
-
stuff like that, you will hold this muster Low's hierarchy.
-
How many of you know, okay, the master's hierarchy or
-
I like the students, man, Yeah, academics, who who what
-
does master hierarchy say? There's a pyramid and a structure
-
to the things that we need. Isn't it importance at
-
the top that we need shelter? We need food, we
-
need air, water. I can tell you these are all
-
the physicals. Master, it's a physicist or a biologist or whatever. OK.
-
But what about the spiritual side. Why is the hierarchy
-
in our spirit? On top of food, air, and water shelter?
-
What we need? The one thing that we really need
-
that you all don't realize that the world leaves on
-
as well breathes on, is righteousness. Everybody wants to be right.
-
Do you agree with me? Everybody wants to be right.
-
Even when you're wrong, you will say you're right. Look
-
at all the problems in our families or society, in
-
the church. Why you fight if you don't think you're right? Not?
-
Why fight if you don't think you're right? It just
-
came out with that. Why I fight? I fight because
-
I'm wrong? Such things God? Such thing I fight because
-
I'm wrong? No, I fight because I think I'm right.
-
And even if you're partially wrong, I think you're more
-
wrong than me. That makes me more righteous, true or not.
-
That's why people fight. White people divorce, Why see being squabbled?
-
Why nations fight? You? You spend so much energy, resources
-
time to be right, to defend it your right. Some
-
people will go and become an Internet warrior just because
-
they think they're right. Some people will invade a nation
-
because they are right. Even in Russian and Ukraine, these
-
fellas right. They're fella right because they think they're right.
-
Everybody lives on righteousness, okay, But the problem is where
-
is your righteousness coming from? From the world, from your job,
-
from your career, from your achievement, from your good living
-
and your good works, your holy living. Nothing of it
-
will actually make will be of any value. That's why
-
the Bible says, what sick e firs there Kingdom of
-
God and his righteousness. Bible knows you need. They say,
-
not looking for food, shelter or clothing, and not why
-
do you seek this thing, but seek for the Kingdom
-
of God and his righteousness. What you really need to
-
Breathe is not in the water, But come out of
-
the water, experience the Kingdom of God, and then you
-
will feel his righteousness. The righteousness is not of the world,
-
but the righteouses of God. Not what I did, not
-
what the world did, but the righteous or Christ did.
-
And then when I, when I experience his righteousness, I
-
no longer want to fight. I surrender true or not.
-
With the righteousness that we all have. We want, we
-
want to fight. But when God's righteousness come into us,
-
his righteousness not debited into our lives because of His
-
forgiveness and his love freely onto us. When we believe,
-
we surrender and we don't want to go fight with people
-
because not about me. Right on your right. I just
-
want to extend to you to love you as Christ
-
as love me. You come mean right, there's the root.
-
There is the key to world peace is to for
-
the whole entire world to come out of the water,
-
to breathe and to draw righteousness from God. So everybody
-
stop fighting in the water for air, makes sense or not.
-
That is the righteousness. That's what we need in the world.
-
So as I draw to the last few laps legs,
-
I want to draw our laps of my summer today.
-
I want to open our eyes to see the deceptions
-
that is happening as well in this world. And I'm
-
going to draw two key topics of how we look
-
at things and argue with things, and so that especially
-
for the young people. Okay, because why the young people,
-
Because you are not my target. You are the world's target.
-
You are the world's target. It's not my target. You
-
are the world. That's why you are important. You are
-
the world's target. And they are aggressive to preach what
-
they think they are right about to you. And if
-
you just look at it with one eye, with your
-
own mindset, with your own perspective, you will think that
-
the world is right. But as a Christian, you must
-
know how to divide light from darkness, good versus evil,
-
as God has equipped us, and God is equipped us
-
with the word of God. And I'm going to use
-
two examples so that when you start to look at
-
one eye, you will think that the world is right.
-
But when I put another, when you open our eyes
-
on another one, then you realize that what the world
-
sells to us, it's full of nonsense. It's full of nonsense. Okay.
-
And I'm gonna tackle the issue of abortion. Oh, I
-
tell you, I appreciate it. I make get canceled on
-
the line. It's so easy. People are sort offended. Such
-
is the thing is. It's so clear cutter, But it
-
can divide a nation. You know. I don't want to
-
say who's right and know who you vote for. Some
-
people say they are not perfect candidates, But I want
-
you to vote. I want you to think about the
-
values and what each of them are saying, and not
-
about aligning to your own preference. What does it align
-
with the Bible? Okay? People who say that they are
-
pro abortioned, they will say that when they pitched to you,
-
they will say that are you pro life or not
-
pro life? Are you for abortion or not for abortion?
-
They say that if you are not, then you say
-
you don't respect women and their rights and their bodies.
-
They'll packaging all there. Okay, you say, they will say that,
-
don't you know? Right, so many people who actually have
-
a friend who argue this with me, no's do you know, like,
-
oh the way she came up and argue with this
-
with me, and she's a Christian as well. That most
-
of the people who went for abortion are actually because
-
they were raped and are also victims of this. But
-
if you go to the statistics, which they will never
-
reveal until recently only after the US election, they review
-
the timing of things they review. According to CDC, right, Okay,
-
the same institution that talks about COVID, actually ninety five
-
or ninety six percent of the cases of abortion is
-
due to economic and lifestyle choices economic and lifestyle choice
-
ninety six percent. Only zero point one percent do to rape,
-
and also medical risk zero point one percent, ninety six
-
percent of it. There are some other styles, but ninety
-
six thing. It's due to economic and lifestyle preferences. Okay,
-
they will always take the zero point one percent or
-
the minority to be the writing agenda. They'll always do
-
that again. They will use that one little thing and
-
to hijack everything. Why because I tell you, even if
-
they are against you, they want to feel right as well.
-
Here they need air, they need righteousness, even when they win.
-
They need to feel like they are morally superior than you.
-
This is what the world will do when people argue
-
if you. They want to feel they are superior and
-
more powerful. And when they have no more righteousness and
-
normal ego, that's where violence will take over anymore. I
-
don't care about being right anymore. I just want you dead.
-
Oh that's where violence comes in. Okay, that's unfortunate. Um So,
-
now let me ask you a question bibically, ladies and gentlemen, students,
-
maybe ask the students, Yeah, what do you think is
-
the opposite of abortion? Such a weird question? And all right,
-
But what do you think based on not just abortion
-
in terms of the medical term, but what it stands
-
for and the movement of abortion women's right, protecting the
-
women's right, giving them the choices, so powerful and not
-
How can you say no to a movement, okay, or
-
a party that tells you that you're for women and
-
giving them choices and protecting their health. How can you
-
say no to that? But what is the opposite of
-
abortion in the Bible? Don't or scared to answer it?
-
You know what's the opposite? You'll say life, But I'll
-
show you not a thing. The opposite of abortion is communion. Communion. Surprise, right,
-
let me show you why. Let's open the slide up
-
now left and right. The left is the abortion and
-
the right is the communion. Abortion says, it's my body,
-
I decide for myself. But when you look at one
-
eye what the world says, wow, defending human rights? You
-
open your eye. You're not looking at yourself, You're not
-
looking at your left, or you're not looking human, but
-
you look at Christ. That's the only proper way to
-
read it. Interpret abortion not with the world, but with
-
the Bible, and not what Christ says. What did Christ do.
-
Christ says, this is my body given to you, not me.
-
Christ himself give body to other people. But the world
-
is this is my day for me. Christ said, this
-
is my body for you. And every week, some of
-
every week, but every month we partake of their comedion.
-
We give things, We say that thank you for your body.
-
But yet if we believe into abortion and we betraying
-
the things that we partake, makes sense or her okay?
-
Ownership of body says that my body is mine and
-
I have the right to control it. I decide for myself,
-
my body, my right. Everything sounds right, medically fight for you.
-
Oh but what Christ do? Christ? Rist gave his body
-
selflessly for others, even to see us. We say that,
-
why should I give my body to a child not
-
even born? Christ said, I would give my body even
-
to those who have not yet believed. Not you're even borner, sinners?
-
Are you nailed me? You're all your burdens for me.
-
I give to you to those who are unworthy. Not
-
I'm born unworthy? Gives to you use a body. You
-
see it when you have abortion. And the problem is
-
what it's not just about having a baby. You know,
-
when you're young and you're not prepared. It's about when
-
you have a child, there goes your future. The future
-
is gone because now you take care of somebody. It's life,
-
it's not your own. Your career, choices, the opportunities, your economy, flexibility,
-
all has changed. You have someone depending on you now
-
you used to depend on other people, but now someone
-
looking at you. Your world completely change, you know, just
-
like that? Can you take it? Can you absorb it?
-
But because of what the war is promoting, casual sex
-
and everything. But they don't tell you the consequences of
-
how to adopt into life, and they tell you there's
-
another way. Why then don't let, don't let, don't let
-
your consequences and affect you. They teach you not to live,
-
live without consequences, but then never tell you how to
-
deal with consequences. Okay, to avoid the burden and inconvenience,
-
that will tell you avoid by terminating, avoid, just remove, avoid,
-
just remove what the Christ do? Christ bore the burdens
-
and the sufferings for humanity instead of avoiding, Christ bore
-
and took on. You start to see it right now,
-
if you look at your own eyes are everything The
-
world cooks. They use the same ingredients, by they cook
-
a different dish, love forgiveness, rights and stuff like that.
-
They will take all the ingredients and cook make yourself
-
very morally righteous. But it's it's a perverted dish. I
-
said what I'm saying. No, what the world will sell
-
to us will always be feel like it's morally right
-
and loving one. But you have to open your eyes. People.
-
Christ is the standard. Make no mistake. Christ is the standard.
-
Christ is always the standard. Say but it is so difficult.
-
I'm not ready for this. I don't care what, but
-
the question you should be asking himself, what did Jesus do?
-
That's my goal. I'm scared. I don't know how, but
-
Christ can. Whether I'm right, whether I may a mistake
-
or not. I want to move forward with Christ. Christ
-
will bar I need to follow because He is the
-
key of my eternity, and I cannot change anything about
-
that anymore, whether I choose to believe, whether I feel
-
like it or not. He died, and he rose again,
-
and he loved me. Nothing he will Nothing anyone can
-
say in the world will make him love mean less.
-
You got me right, people will say, he People will say,
-
but he died, he demonstrated. It's finished. It's completed or not.
-
So whether you have a child or not, whether you're
-
rich or poor or not, loves you okay. And the
-
last one, life and sacrifice prioritizes personal autonomy over the
-
life of the unborn. You terminate one or you try
-
to disqualify another for yourself because you want to have freedom.
-
But Christ sacrifices himself is life, and he bound himself
-
to the limits of being a human being so that
-
he gave up his freedom so that you can enjoy
-
your freedom. And you get to choose. Even some of
-
us might not choose him. He still died. See the
-
world will see. Like I said, one eye, the world
-
looks right. The world doesn't know chriss But we as believers,
-
we have tasted him, his goodness and his love, reality
-
of God in our life. We have to oway to
-
ourselves to open our own eyes, open the eyes of
-
our love for ones, our family and those around us,
-
to really see the world as it is. It's corrupted,
-
it's perverted. Christ is the measure. That's why the world
-
has a problem with us. Why everything must be Jesus,
-
he is, It's all about him. Gry On, Why is
-
everything about Jesus. It is about him. They're frustrated with us.
-
Why is everything about Jesus? He is the way we
-
look at everything, my family and everything. He is everything.
-
I'm not right, I'm not perfect. He is everything. He
-
is the standard. You unner, say what I'm saying. No,
-
young people, when you go to university, don't let them
-
push you. Don't let them persuade you just because they
-
will getting up on you and try to get here.
-
You're not respecting women's right, you're not respecting pro life,
-
all these things. Never let them push you around. Stand
-
your ground. Worst thing is the easiest thing. You just
-
move way. Don't mingle they want to ostracize you. Tell
-
you it's already prophesied in the Bible. Don't short change
-
what Christ has died for you just because they gang
-
up on you. They don't. Never let them short change you.
-
I tell you the governments are even doing that anymore,
-
are doing that in many nations. Ready, okay, got time
-
for one more example and learning something? Yeah, how many
-
of you like to talk about warkeners wokeness being a
-
worker who likes who here is work here? Who is
-
work here? Awager in coffee I'm not talking about being
-
having CAF work is a belief that I can be
-
anything I identify to be. One day I am a man,
-
one day I'm a bicycle, one day I'm a cat.
-
One day my son wants to be a cat, he
-
can be a cat as well. Okay, but not just identifying,
-
if anything, not just their belief in anything. But they
-
also believe therefore worldview that the problem with the world
-
is everything external. It's not them. They everything is. The
-
problem is the world. It's the government, it's the history,
-
it's the rich people, it's the poor people. It's this
-
race and that race. All is institutions, all these other problems.
-
That's why we are suffering. And they will become activists
-
and they will join with anybody who believes them. That
-
is why they are LGBTQ plus plus plus. You'll continuing
-
party ding ding ding. They are assembling together. They don't
-
know who they are, but they just blame everything is
-
a problem. So they're always looking for a cause, environmental cause,
-
cause for animal cause. For this group of people, everything
-
is a cause for them. They know young people are
-
hungry for a cause. So you're hungry for a course.
-
Join us when you join them. You're not just believing
-
in one cause you're believe in the whole course as well.
-
A manga mating like you know, like play tho, just
-
amalga mating. Every single thing here that they blame everything
-
is the problem, not them. Okay. So what is the
-
opposite of warkeness? Anybody want to try again? So the
-
first one abortion was communion. Warkness is what huh sleepiness?
-
I wish there is. We always got room for comedy. Okay,
-
room for comedian there as you know. Okay, let me
-
because of time, let me okay, let me time. Okay,
-
I gotta draw this called. The opposite of warkness is baptism.
-
Ay it is okay, the opposite of warkness is baptism. Okay,
-
let's do quickly. Three Okay, why warkness on the right side? Okay,
-
switcher apologize. Warkners says, I identify with my flesh in
-
the world. By the way, there's a mother. He has
-
a three year old son, and the son says that
-
I'm a cat. So the mother have a parental dilemma,
-
and a dilemma said that I don't want to be
-
a rejecting parent because I'm scared that if I say
-
no to him. My son will be traumatized. Now everything
-
is trauma and everything is trauma. They treat our children nowadays.
-
Every children are like strawberries. You know, you know what's
-
a strawberry? Once you bruise it, canno, I'm bruice ready
-
your touch also, Bruce ready? Please do not press you know,
-
like NBF like that, you know, through the spade. Don't
-
press once Bruce already. We call it, you know, strawberry parenting. Okay,
-
I just came out. I just came out with something new. Okay,
-
cannot touch a Bruce done already? Check? Make that ready
-
your parenting check? Make that ready done ready finished, fair already.
-
So because of that, she's so so scared of traumatizing
-
and she wants to affirm. The Sun said, okay, you
-
are a cat. So one day the son got sick,
-
high fever. So instead of taking the sound to a hospital,
-
she took him to a vet. You laugh, took into
-
a vet and if any want a vat here anymore?
-
A doctor here to game took the Sun there to
-
the vat and the fact, can you help him? The
-
VAT was was done. If I operate him, I will
-
get my license removed because I'm not trained in that biology,
-
not just profession biology. You know, how can you as
-
a graduate cannot identify differentip between a cat and a
-
human being? So but if you don't, you might get
-
canceled by the mother because you are not tolerant and
-
accepting off another person's identity anyway, So this is the problem.
-
And by the way, if you're a cat, you need
-
to be sneaped on and the vaccinated one, you know,
-
did you know that? Especially a boy? You know, so
-
immediately put you into quarantine, polt to stick cac you know,
-
you know, see see the TikTok videos that the what
-
happened to me? So you really think you're a cat?
-
You do that lot, but you think you think, but
-
you never really think about it. Okay, okay, So identifying
-
my flesh in the world, so you're identify with what
-
you think it's attractive, fuels good, feels powerful with a cause.
-
But Christ says, you identify with me in my death,
-
in my burial, in my resurrection, nothing about you because
-
what you do or what you feel powerful can never
-
take you to eternity. Nobody has died and rose again.
-
You see what I'm saying, you know they will take you.
-
They will say that you believe in this, identify something,
-
you will take you to places. But trust me, they
-
can never take you to where Jesus crisis. And That's
-
what I'm saying. No, they can never take you there.
-
I see a lot of parents nodding their head. Okay,
-
view of self? What's my life about? Live according to
-
my flesh and desire, gratifying my flesh and decide what
-
I like? Why I cannot have? What I cannot do?
-
If I walk out here and I walk on this street,
-
if I see a nice lady, why can't I have
-
a relationship with her even though I'm married? Ready? Can
-
I have a religi with someone like sixty years old,
-
younger than me, even though you know I'm past my age? Ready?
-
Just feel goal with your fumor what fuse? Right? Love
-
is love? Or isn't it? There's nothing and all love
-
is sacred? But Christ Baptisms says, what my flesh is
-
not the decider. Instead, when you go you realize that
-
your bapt pision, you need to go under the water.
-
Want to know what does the water mean? Means air?
-
Your flesh needs to die, you know, opposite of warkness
-
and all. No, your flesh you still celebrate, but that
-
doesn't you die to your flesh. So even when I
-
came out, I tell my my whatever my simple desires,
-
even though I think about it, it's wrong, and I
-
will not be guided by my flesh. I'll be guided
-
by what's right and what's wrong according to the revelation
-
of Jesus Christ. You know what I'm saying. That truth
-
it takes my life, death to my flesh, my body,
-
my past, and even my simple desires completely opposite. You know, identity.
-
My idity is fluid based on perception, experienced feelings. My
-
identity is fixed on the truth of Christ. Okay, the
-
next one, Werners will look at the world. The world
-
view is society and religion are the problem they need
-
to change. According to to me, my cause is more important.
-
That's why sometimes you go to museums that you see
-
it in Europe they throw pain to one and all
-
you notice or not people like that on the street
-
there because they were they find their cause is more
-
important than everything else. And they will say that you working,
-
you are rich, you these good people, you are the problems.
-
But crisis that don't look at the world. Look at
-
yourself first. Your own scene is the problem. Just change that.
-
You know what we are, We our scene, it's our problem. Okay. See,
-
And the transformation doesn't start with the world. I don't
-
immediately after the war, reading a pose and someone telling
-
me something, giving me a lecture. I start going out
-
and transform the world. No, I begin by cleaning up
-
my room. I begin by waking up early. I begin
-
by obeying my by honoring my parents, ah, by doing
-
what it's right. I need to change, not the world.
-
I changed my world. The world begins to change. Sounds
-
like Michael Jackson, the bit already. Okay, transformation, you say,
-
the world. Everybody wants to transform because you sell to
-
the young people. Transform, make a difference and do everything.
-
So transformation it's it's actually linked to circumcision. And you
-
know what, because it is because circumcision means the all
-
has gone and the new has come. Get me right,
-
always means the all has gone and the new has come.
-
It's always what immense mine. It's for the Israelite, for Abraham,
-
the all has gone and the new has come. Don't
-
live in youre already and so that when they're circumcised.
-
So now Abraham lost and has put away, and now
-
he is with as the father of many nations and
-
not a friend of God. The New has come, and
-
so all the Israelite circumcised because that all that's gone
-
and the New hast come. Then there's a transformation. But
-
it's not just about outward transformation. It's not about what
-
you do. You know, the Jews were circumcised on the
-
our flesh. The world will circumcised and change the world
-
based on what they do, based on the cause. But
-
God's true agent of transformation, and true circumcisision is by
-
what Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is the true agent of change.
-
That is why weirds believe it. How me, if you
-
want to go circumcision, no, but we are all. If
-
you are truly believe that you are circumcised, you are circumcised,
-
not because somebody cut something off. You are circumcised because
-
the Holy Spirit has dwell in your life. Yeah sounds painful, right,
-
I know, that's a certainly there's a twitch there, okay,
-
Because the agent is not a knife anymore. The agent
-
is the Holy Spirit. So if you really want to
-
make a real impact and make a real change in
-
your life. The key is not to live for any
-
worldly cause. The key is to invite the Holy Spirit.
-
There's well, when you go through baptism, as I went under,
-
a rise or it rise? How you rise because you
-
started to sing like they are No. The only way
-
you can rise is forll of Christ. But Christ rose
-
up because of the Holy Spirit. The same spirit that
-
was in Christ will also live in us. The change
-
comes from the Holy Spirit. So in baptism, when you
-
do baptists, you don't realize that whoa, I didn't realize
-
that there's so much happening there, completely going in submergine,
-
dying to myself and allowing a change to happen in
-
me because I invited the Holy Spirit. But yet somehow
-
everything that I follow the world goes in the opposite.
-
Opposite is what we call the anti Christ agenda? Makes sense?
-
Is it a coincidence? Everything that the God introduces the
-
enemy does the counter always? So we as believer, us,
-
as family, parents, young people, we open our eyes no
-
longer one eye buying to everything they sell and pedal
-
while will open open our eyes. I see Christ is
-
always there. Standard Okay, we hope.
-
You've been blessed by this message. For more information on
-
our church, please visit as church org. We are also
-
active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that this week
-
is going to be a good week, a hit for you.
-
God bless