Follow Jesus | Rachel Ann

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

Today's Word. And as I was preparing, I knew it's

not going to be an easy message to share because

and again, you know, we like to ap preach messages

that make us feel good, and we like to hear

messages that make us feel good. But God's Word isn't

always about making us feel good. You all agree, because

God's word and he rules chapter the four Verst twelve,

it says, and I've been memorizing it this week. He

rules Chapter four Warst twelve says, for the word of God,

can I see your Bibles?

Word of God is living and powerful.

It is sharper than any two edged sort, piercing into

the division of the soul and spirit onto joints and marrow,

and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of

the heart. It says, it is sharper than any double

edged sort or two ages sort. And what this means

is simply is The Merriam Webster Dictionary says that it

means it's favorable and unfavorable.

So God's words honest when we read it.

It may be favorable, and there's some parts that couch

not so favorable. And it's the same for some people.

Maybe for believers, it is favorable. For unbelievers maybe not right.

God's word restores us, It also condemns when we're going

the wrong way. God's word encourages us. It also exhorts us,

meaning urges us. It comforts us, it also challenges us. Right,

So today this morning's word. As you can see the

title there, the costs and gains are following Jesus, and

I think we don't always think about the cost.

We think a lot about the gains. We like the gains.

You know, we have life, we have love, we have joy,

we have peace in Christ.

But what is that cost to pay?

Right?

So let's start with going to God's work? Can we

do that?

So let's turn to Luke chapter nine, verse twenty three

to twenty six. We're gonna start with that. We're gonna

read a few versus few passages. You know, I'm not

very good at like what come up with something super revelational.

These are things that we've read before, but maybe we

don't always meditate on it or what it means to us. Okay,

so let's take it verse twenty three. If you see

the title there, you already says, take up the cross

and follow him. Then he said to them all, if

anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself

and take up his cross daily and follow me. For

whoever desires to save his life will lose it. But

whoever loses his life for my sake, we'll save it.

For what profit is it to a man if he

gains the whole world and is himself destroyed or lost.

For whoever is ashamed of me and my words of him,

the son of man will be ashamed when he comes

in his own glory and in his father's and off

the holy angels. We move on to verse fifty seven

to sixty two. Okay, still look chapter nine, well down

sixty two. I said this to the first of Vice

as well. If your dare say, yeah, very good. Okay.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that

someone said to him, Lord, I will follow you wherever

you go. I think most of us have said that, Jesus,

I will follow you. We sing right, just now, take

it all very easy to sing, very easy to say.

And Jesus said to him foxes have holes, and birds

of the air have nests, but the son of Man

has nowhere to lay his head. Then he said to

another follow me, But he said, Lord, let me first

go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, let

the dead bury their own dead, but you go and

preach the Kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord,

I will follow you, but let me first go and

bid them farewell who are at my house? But Jesus

said to him, no one, having put his hand to

the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom

of God. This is the cost of discipleship. If you

see the title. Okay, we won't go very deep into

what it means by you know, let the date bury

the own day. You know, there's a whole you can

do a whole study on that, Okay, but I just

want to focus on what it is mean what does

it mean to follow Jesus?

And we're going to read one more.

Text still in Luke, you go to move ahead to

chapter fourteen. Chapter fourteen, verse twenty We read from twenty

seven again twenty seven to thirty three. When you're there,

say yet so fast, I yo, wow, Okay, reading from

verse twenty seven and whoever does not bear his cross

and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which

of you intending to build a tower does not sit

down first and counter cost whether he has enough to

finish it last, After he has laid the foundation and

is not able to finish, all who see it begin

to mock him, saying, this man began to build and

was not able to finish. It's so honest. We drive

around highway, we see right these unfinished buildings left there

for a long time. It is quite I saw its

anating like why if people start building this and then

not finish it, It's ridiculous.

That's what it means. You're okay.

First thirty one says, oh, what king going to or

what king going to make war against another? King does

not sit down first and consider whether he's able with

ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with

twenty thousand, or else while the other is still a

great way of his sensor delegation, and ask conditions of peace.

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that

he has cannot be my disciple. Heavy words that we read,

we know we've all read. I'm sure we've all read

this before, But do we really meditate on it and

ask what does it mean for my life? I mean

just not ever singing it really you see, take it all,

take it all? But what does that mean? It's so

easy to sing no, but do we really mean it?

Not take it all my whole life? Okay, give me

some answers. When we think about the cross, what words

come to mind?

Salvation? What else?

Sacrifice, m sin, love, hope, reconciliation, kind, kind is it

we think of the cross?

Death, faith or faith? Anything else?

Pain gave us his pain, separation.

Hope, God, this aways got long? What's very good? Thank you?

So I can see both. There's there's a lot of like, hope, faith,

love and all that. And then on the other side

you also see some say pain, sacrifice, suffering, death, And

that was Christ's journey, right. We all know jesus journey.

When he came. It was never for comfort or convenience.

He came because he the cost of reconciliating, reconciling us

to God was him dying on the cross, right, And

that is the price that Jesus paid. And so we

all know John three sixteen right, for God so loved

the world, he gave his only begotten son that whoever

believes in him should have, should not perish, but have

eternal life. And we all, we all love that, we

all said yes to Jesus and to want to follow

him because of their verse. But it doesn't end there. Right,

that's just the start. It's just a start. And now

I want us to as a church. I hope we

go deeper and be mature. And so this today's word

is yeah about a cost? Right, counting the cost? Now,

I was saying most times in our conversations, in our

prayers to God, Right, what are the kinds of things

that we pray for?

We ask God?

You know, bless me, make me wise, give me wisdom,

Help me be successful so that I can, you know,

be a testimony. Help me do well my studies so

that I can glorify you Lord. Help me do well

my workplace, you know, make make wealth so that I

can take care of my family, take care of my children.

Help me be an influence at my marketplace. And all

these things are good. It's great. Please don't stop asking God,

because he will give you all this. But how many

of us actually spend time just not based on all

those verses, do we actually ask God? What else can

I give up for you?

Yeah? Exactly, We don't dare to ask?

What else do I need to leave behind so that

I can follow you wholeheartedly? What is my cross? Not

all of us are cross my God's what says take

up your cross? It doesn't say take up his cross

or Jesus' cross is your cross? It's very personal. All

of us have a different cross that we're carrying.

What is there? Do we ask?

Lord? What is my cross? What else do I need

to sacrifice? What else do I need to put to death?

Because before I can live for you? And like we

shold say, we don't there. Actually it is scary. Most

times we don't dare to ask because if Jesus really

gave the answer, we're like, get too hard, too painful,

too difficult, and I don't know, disobey Right, there's even word,

so you like, rather not ask, just ignore that part. Hopefully,

God don't say anything. I think I've given enough for days.

It's good enough. Now, don't ask me for anything more.

But if we look at our lives, right, all of

us actually paid a price for something. Right, all of

us are paying already. If you look at life. So

let's look, I put it down like in age groups.

That so it's easier for us to relate students.

Tell me, what do you what price do you pay

for good results? Sleepless?

Nice? If you say, huh what.

Give up road Stars? It? Give up row Star sacrifice

broad Star time?

Okay?

What else? Social media? Give up your social media withdrawal symptoms?

Really? What else?

What? What? What price do you pay to get good results?

Give up Netflix? Yeah? And we do all this right?

We burn the midnight oil.

U.

We skip meals?

I don't know your skip meals? Or you binge more?

Eat more stress eating, and after I feel bad like,

oh no, eating too much? Okay, but we pay that

price because why we believe in I need to do well? Right?

We maybe don't.

We don't even go for a movie because we need

to finish the assignment. So yeah, okay, but we do it.

Ye're working? Get outs? What do you do to get

a good job and get good income? Why do you

will get outs? Got a few days?

What do you do?

Work? Work, work, work, work, long, long hours and not?

Yeah this is a I was still young. Haven't start working?

What long hours? And the sacrifice family time?

You know, I see some my colleagues, right, they work really,

I mean those are workerholleagues and are like cannot cannot leave.

The work, not finish.

They work and they lose on family time, the health

gets affected, mental health gets affected. And because my industry

is you know twenty four by seven running managed services,

you know, service desk, so things always happening, right, we're

supporting the UK and then sometimes in the USS customers

as well. So there are people that if they're in

higher positions, they'refoever on call.

They don't work on shifts.

You know, seven pm someone's calling them, nine pm, got escalation,

ten pm, someone else calling them, midnight, one am, two am.

Sometimes you know, there's still situations they need to resolve.

So sacrifice Why because at least the.

Job is paying them, keeping them being able to provide

for their family.

Right, So we do that as working adults.

Parents, All the parents in the house say yeah, say

yay parents, we paid the price of having kids. Right.

How many to get to church this morning or so

is a challenge? Rely, yeah, right, when you want to

leave the house, that's when now one will pull one

will one days, one will have a meltdown.

They didn't want to wear that bad wrong shoe. I

don't know.

All kinds of things will happen just when you're about

to leave the house, and especially so for those serving.

When you're serving at that will be the worst morning,

the most meltdowns, and the most things that will go wrong.

But you pay the okay, paying the price for at

least coming to church. But the other things right, we

the moment we have kids are a couple of times

less right, at least for a few years, still learning

to balance your time. Moms, normal long, warm showers.

How many with me? Lock the door? But then you're.

Either here still hear a baby crying. I don't know

how many of you moms a way from here when

you first had your first born, okay, second bone, you

don't care. You just let them cry. But the first

born cry. You're going to shower your honer. Then you

go out right, put back to sleep or whatever. Go

in shall pull your hand. So you're going out halfway

and as soon as you go in, right you think

you hear crying, you go actually the baby sleeping? How

many moms, yeah, all of us have that, right, I

don't know what they call it. Worse in like, huh,

so you hear a baby crying, but she don't cry.

No more peace on your throne. No, so you want

to sit in peace on your throne no longer the

quick correct, right, I'll have the kids banging on the door. Mammy, this, mommy, Dad,

I mean, baby is all crying when they can talk,

and then they're banging the door down. Some moms, just

I just leave the door open. No, no more privacy,

privacy out the door. Keys will be coming in and

out when you're on your throne, right, you sacrifice all

these things? How many of you mustard design both moms

and dad's mustard? Uh? Single handedly eating right while either

carrying an infant, get a hand with tree one carrying

baby one, feeding this sun or that one, or catching

a falling cup or the kung fu come already? Right?

But and then your own food, I don't know, you

have to just douse it. You can't even enjoy your

food anymore? Right, you give up your own hobbies? Parents?

Whence the last time you did your own hobby? Or

you take your kids for their hobby right there?

I don't know what do kids do these days?

Those the ones that go for like bouldering rock climb

being you go movie, So you watch my movie Minions Netflix,

also on Nephix or TV or whatever they can't by

Coco Melan Ready. You know you don't watch your own

your own shows, but you sacrifice all these you're paying

at price because you have your kids.

This morning I.

Mentioned so bodybuilders, who a bodybuilders here? You know here

I got there Elburs and you got own gym. Some

more bodybuilders. No pain, no gain, Right, that's what you're saying.

Suffer is okay because I want the results. I uh,

I shed this morning or so that I recently stumbled

across something on Instagram. This this preacher was preaching and

he he's he's quite built, well built. And then he

had another guy, also a gym guy even more built.

And so you're sharing the church. You know, I go

to the same gym with this guy, same gym, same weights,

same music. But why do we look different? So obviously

the guy is like much more. Butffly, you know, the

preacher is like a little bit. Why do we do different?

Is it the gym's fault or the way it's for

or the music.

It's no, it's the same. So he said when this

guy leaves the gym, he takes the.

Gym with him. That's time you've got gyms at home.

But when he leaves the gym, he because of because

he's been to the gym, he won't eat that, or

he won't eat that, or he won't do that. The

preacher said, when I leave the gym, I use the

gym to justify the rest of my week.

So because I went to gym, I can eat that.

I can eat that, I can eat that. That's why

we look different. And isn't it the same in church?

He has the church, and how many of us go

to the same church? Why is our faith different? Right?

Is the church's fault? That? Obviously it's the worship leaders fault.

It's the worship teams. For I cannot choose all the songs,

too many words, I cannot sing. I cannot enter into

God's presence. You see this morning no drum or so

will should be there to play drum play a horn,

sit down? Voice cannot come out right, cannot project this morning,

cracking the world, cannot how do worship go? It is

the worship worship teams, for that.

Is the preacher's fault.

Are you so boring the word, not deep enough, not

revelation enough. It's the preacher's fault. But how many of

us go to church. We use it to justify the

rest of the week. Right, I've already been to church.

I've done really, so the rest of the week, I

can do this, do that, do this, do that, or

don't do this and don't do that. It's the sam

comparing gym and church. But do we take church with

us for the rest of the week. And are we

still building those muscles throughout the week? Because it cannot

just be on Sunday? Right, And so we we you know,

we look when we look at our lives, there are

a lot of things that we're already paying a price,

whether we realize it or not. But then when it

comes to the creator of the universe, the true and

Living God, why is it that it takes us sometimes

so much to say yes to him, to give up

something or to pay the price? Right, let's reflect this morning.

He's the maker of the heavens and the Earth's Alpha

and Omega. You know, we can't even comprehend his love.

I mean, it's honest.

When I think about it, I'm like.

God, why would you even come to earth for us,

You know when you think, like recently Eli has been

learning all these songs about the planets and all that.

But you know, and we remember when we see the

planets and the universe and it's so vast, it's so big,

and our creator made all that, and then he comes

to earth to suffer and die for us, Like why

cannot comprehend? But I think if we think about that

more than we maybe do more for him as well. Right,

some of us find it a chore. I think maybe

to come to church every week, or even was to

come early tougher. I know parents, I struggle with it

every week. It's harder. It's even harder to come to

church earlier when you have young kids. It's almost maybe

don't even see the need to serve God's house? Uh,

I don't know this morning? Can I rena around? So

I spoke about them, But we have people who have

seen I know they're counting the costs right the first time, Okay, Arena,

I was like, should we start serving?

It's like, but.

Kids very hard, right, how We're going to work things out?

But you counter the cost and you said you still

say yes, Jesus, You're worthy you'll work it out for us, right,

I really's ready on the keyboards. And then a couple

of weeks ago when Olivia was playing the bass guitar

and backup singing, and then kenn I was like, okay,

I have to do it. I have to play the

bass now. Yes, it's okay, someone new on the extreme,

but I know, I know it's not easy. And some

of you already paying paying the price, you know, to

serve him and keep that out.

Just want to shout out, thank you, thank.

You Community outreach. How many of you have been to

a community I reached to carry island?

Wave your heads?

Yeah, okay some of us have been. Why not all

of us? Because it's hard to give up. Saturday Saturday

morning is my only downtime right whole week Monday to

Friday day at work, Saturday Sunday at the being church.

Saturday is my rest data. I don't touch my Saturday.

But this community outreaches missions or even how many been

through missions? Yeah good, it's so good to see a

lot of the youth.

Putting up their hands.

And even Missions conference, we don't get everyone coming. Why

we don't get all the believers coming?

Why? Because it's not really for me.

And as for the missionar Resa, those call for missions,

but hey, God's words say the great commissions for all believers. Know,

every single one in this room. You are called to

preach to the nations. Right but sometimes we yeah, we

we I think we didn't dwell enough or maditate enough

on what what is Jesus really asking us to do?

You know, what is that cross? I'm gonna turn us back.

So this has all been a new Testament, even if

we look back at the life of King David.

I mean, if you know King David, yeah.

He's the He's what the Bible says, He's the man

after God's own heart. And if you remember the stories

in Second Samuel, chapter twenty four, verse twenty four, okay,

the background is that he wanted to build an altar

and offer sacrifice to God. And he was gonna go

to this guy Aarana a Rauna. Okay, he had a

threshing floor. You want to buy it from him? And

Arana said, no, King, just take take take this land.

Don't need to pay me here. I give you ox

on a soo. I give you all the wood a

soo to build the author and burn. And you know, sacrifice.

But what the king David say? Okay? So verse twenty four,

he says, Then the king said to Aaruna, No, but

I will surely buy it from you for a price.

Nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my

God with that which costs me nothing. He you know

it was convenient. He could have just taken a great

good lah. Oh, God, you provided for me. I already

have the place, I have the things to offer.

Just take it, right. But no, he was.

Insistent, No, Ana, I will pay you for it. I

will buy it from you, and I will not offer

anything to the Lord my God that which costs me nothing.

So David bought the threshing floor and oxen for fifty

shekels or silver. How many of us we sometimes, you know,

if we think better and honest with ourselves, sometimes the

way we worship got is it cost us nothing.

So can we talk about wash team?

Right?

Wash team is wasshipping here.

We can't even lift our hands to heavy, painful hand

painful work out yesterday or when someone's preaching, we we

can't even respond. Right was saying, let's respond. But we're

sitting there because I think this doesn't it doesn't cost me.

Just let the people on stage do it. What is

it do we need to do that when we offer

to the Lord, right, it has to cost us something.

I remember when we were coming out of the pandemic,

so many of you weren't here yet. I think only

a fraction would have been with X before the pandemic,

during the pandemic, after the pandemic. And I remember right

when we when you first came out, Past Kenneth made

a decision very quickly to okay, we need to start

restart physical service. Okay, and uh, and most of just

that time was still online, were still online, and a

lot of leaders as well, I don't even say partners

are leaders, so including myself at the times like huh,

we start already, but COVID is still around, it's still risky.

And then there was so many spware to go through,

you know, how to RSVP, how to you know, limit

the numbers? We set up the chance so much we

want me the part. Yeah, wear masks have to be

masked up all the time. Had to sanitize the church

after reservice. So much work, so much work, so inconvenient,

so uncomfortable, and so there's a lot of pushback, right,

like why why don't we just invest in our online services,

make it, make it excellent online services? And I mean

some to just do that really well, their online service

is really great and at the time, right, you can

go for any online service. You can go for tens

of vices the Google I got more. Why don't we

just invest in the online service? But no, past Canno

is very clear. You heard from God restart physical service.

And now when I look back, right in hindsight look back,

I'm like pastor was right, because for all of us,

if you're very honest when you attend an online service.

How is it?

Are you even dressed up.

Boxers?

Yeah?

Right?

As leaders, though, we're like, okay, we try to dress

our best. We quote everything selfie sent to the group.

We did it after that, okay, the rest of the

partners probably sting bed in pajamas. Nothing didn't cause us anything.

When we are watching it on TV, are we involved?

We try to. I think the leaders at least try

to amen. But it's quite strange, so right to like amen,

do nobody do the TV cheered the football club?

Yeah? But can the one release among that?

Right? Those who cheer football clubs are you're like shouting

at the screen. Really, but honest service, I can be honest.

I am like half way through the service, a twelve

o'clocky okay, time to make lunch for the kids, cook hafway.

Still I'm still listening to it.

Not really.

There no reverence worship time as all. You know, there's

so much distraction. I mean, especially those with kids or

kids around. You're seeing through their different things. When I

look back and I'm like, I see why Pussa Kenneth

was very sure and Edmond at that time got said

we start physical service. And it was difficult and low

was maybe at the time complaining understand it, but now

you know, looking back, I understand it.

Yeah.

And when we look at people from other religions, they

are also paying the price. I mean they pierce themselves,

they sacrifice animals, they fast, they do all these things

and they don't even know the true and living God.

And we do and we know the price that he paid,

but we can's not sticky for granted, I think it's

believers because we know he's done it all right, He's

done it really, So I don't do anything now. I

just relax until Jesus come back and go to heaven.

Cannot be that's not our journey. Okay, when we say

yes to Jesus, what do we actually say yes to? Yeah,

so we're not gonna do nothing here on earth because

I think I think it's Pascno said before, right, if that,

if that was, if that was the plan, then the

woman we say yes to Jesus, you're in heaven.

Don't you stay on earth?

Really? Right?

But there's still things for us to do here.

So what is our cross and what are the costs

that we, you know, could be needing to pay. So

let's go through that. Okay, some examples. Let's look at

Mark chapter eight, verse thirty four. You okay, I know

it's heavy, heavy, but this is God's word. Yeah, I

did make it up. I hope he speaks to our

hearts today. I thought the first services. So soon I'll

get the kids setting to sing the Books of the

Bible song just so he'll show you that. They memorize

all of the books of the Bible, and we adults

can too.

Okay, you're there. March at the eight.

Verse thirty four over there, say yeah, it says when

he had called the people to himself with his disciples. Also,

he said to them, whoever desires to come after me,

let him deny himself, deny who himself, and take up

his cross and follow me. So the first thing I

have to look at is denying ourselves and what that means.

You know, it could just be our self desires, things

that we want. I shed the first service when I

was a campus student. I was twenty one at time.

I had a boyfriend. He was so called believer, a

so called his family's believer. He's also sort off.

And.

So I was with him, and that's when I first

started coming to X as well. But the relationship wasn't

honoring God, Okay, it was he was. His group was

the party party gang. So every Saturday night I'll be

out clubbing with him and his friends, drinking, dancing, and

see how the enemy tries to use or take away

your gift. Now I'm leading the dance team right in X.

I remember some prophets in my life. Not the enemy

is trying to steal that away from you. Dance at

the club LA, and the enemy does that. But anyway,

there's another story for another day.

But so Saturday night clubbing.

Day morning in ex church and the altar, crying during

autocol gose need to repent every week, repent, same thing

we eating out, repent, repent, repent. But one day God

spoke very clearly to me, and I couldn't ignore the

voiceer the Holy Spirit. Do you choose him or me?

I was twenty one or twenty two maybe by then

twenty two? Do I choose my boyfriend, who mean I

love very much and he's the cool, good looking, taller

and handsome guy that a lot of girls also like.

For God, say you choose him or choose me?

How very difficult? And I remember on a Sunday that

you know, I knew I had to make the decision.

Then from the first song.

I pray sorry, I was happy, pickupping hands, jumping up

and down. I'm there crying like bawling my eyes out

because I knew what I had to choose and what

it was going to cost me with my heart heartbreak,

right long heartbreak that took very long to.

Get over it and all that.

But anyway, see, God bless me with a godly man

who still owns, who still owns the national record for

his age and wait category was he was following yesterday?

To see the person that because he couldn't. Yeah, so

he he paid the price. He was supposed to compete

yesterday in Jeh joe, all right, but he paid the

price of not going because we are the leaders. Stay out,

we see the cast division for next year. And he

gave it up because you're to submit to our pastor

and also to God. So he gave it up. But

see the record wasn't broken. So in January when he goes,

your pray for him so you can set.

A new record.

Yeah, where was I? Oh, give out the boyfriend? Yeah,

then God gave me a but yeah. And then when

we got together we were young okie adults. Then we

went out for about one and a half years and

then he proposed and then another one and a half

years they were about to get married. So my my birthday,

our wedding date, and church namsiialized all that say weekend

run so every year when we celebrate our church aniverstry,

you also know that it's my birthday and it's our wedding.

And when we were preparing for our wedding, because we

met through dance, so of course we had to dance

right for our wedding so we overs among that prepare

dance opening dance, so me, my girlfriends, he and his

guy friends opening dance, and then want to do a

couple of dance about So i'm's going to learn Whereese warts?

I can't remember anything man learned when hise warts. And

at the same time, so that that whole month, we're

also preparing for X Animals real dance because we had

the dance leader, so we had to prepare X and redance.

I mean, actually we can say we could have said no,

you know, thinking back, we could have we have a

waiting to prepare for someone else lead the dance team.

But why do we still do it? We still did it.

I mean we had waiting whole day right morning morning waiting,

then take photos and then I don't know ta cermony

and then wading dinner, and then next morning early morning

we're in not in church. We used Tailor's time. Twenty

ten tenth anniversary Taylor's College. We are there early in

the morning six something huh seven are Uni? Okay, Taylor's

UNILCK site campus. Who's on Tailor's excite So you're they're

using the hall early in the morning after the whole

day waiting. We're there, we are dancing before the Lord.

Would we have done it any other way?

No?

Probably were given up the wedding dancer.

Too many things to prepare if I turn backtime, crazy crazy,

But yeah, was it sacrifice? Yes?

Was it worth it?

Yes? Because really better is one day and got housed

then one thousands elsewhere?

Amen?

Hey, yeah, amen, Amen, let's look at out of us

Matthew chapter four. Spending a lot of time in the Gospels.

Matthew Chapter four, verse eighteen to twenty two. Matthew four,

eighteen to twenty two. When your there, say yeah, all right,

this is the calling of Jesus, disciples and Jesus.

Walking by the.

Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and Andrew,

his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they

were fishermen. Then he said to them, follow me, and

I will make you fishes of men. They immediately left

their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he

saw two brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and John,

his brother, in the boat with Zebedee, their father, mending

their nets. He called them. They left the boat and

their father and followed him. So what were these four

men all their careers. They were fishermen, and they left it.

Let's look at another man. It's in Matthew chapter nine,

Matthew nine, verse nine. That's right, that's right, merrily, okay.

Matthew nine, verse nine. It says as Jesus passed on

from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at

the text office, and he said to him, follow me.

So he arose and followed him. How dramatic is that

he's working there? I mean, the Roman soldiers and all

be there, and it just says, Matthew, follow me, okay.

I mean you wouldn't say. He probably had a whole.

Already experienced, like seeing what Jesus was doing, hearing what

Jesus was doing, you know, he wouldn't just leave his post.

And I mean think about it.

The disciples, they don't know Jesus as we know him today,

Like we have so much resources. We know everything, right,

we know the whole story of the whole Bible. Now

back then they didn't. They only had the Torah. The Torah.

They were waiting for the Messiah and then this guy

comes along. But they are smitten by him. I mean

they're taken up by what he's doing and they just left,

They just left their careers. So not all of us,

I'm not saying all you're going to be call out

of your careers as you quit your jobs and follow Jesus. No,

not all of us are there, because some of us

are called in the marketplace.

Some like Paceadaniel, right, he's doing well in.

The marketplace by Jesus says, follow me to the church office.

And he followed Jesus to the church office. But for

some of us in the marketplace, what does it mean then?

What does it mean to give up our careers. Maybe

it's just that we're not in the red race and

we're not constantly just trying to climb the corporate leader.

I mean, for myself, I started off as a I

shed the last time, right, I started off as a

support engineer. And and you know, God has always put

a burden on my heart for the loss, and that

is the there is the burden I carry.

This is my cross, a burden for the loss.

And so instead of you know, trying to just climb up,

I'm always thinking about the people and how to reach

the loss. But God's world says seek versus kingdom, and

all these things should be added. And really throughout the

past eighteen years, that's what's been happening. And God's just

been keep keep promoting me, keep promoting me. Even though

I never try and never ask. They always say you

never asked enough for what salary you want to get?

Like what increase?

Most people will ask, right, I've never in my eighteen

years needed to ask. I just let God go you

and give me what you give, you know, But he, yeah,

he keeps just promoting me. And it's I think it's

because of that paying the costs. Just it's not about

my career, not it plays me here. I'm a steward

of this job that you've given me. But Jesus call

us to be what he asked for. Fishermen to be

fishers of men, and all of us are called to

be ficials of men. So wherever you are encouraged, you know,

marketplace people, marketplace leaders, you are called to be officials

on men. And you know it's not about chasing the money,

but it's about seeking and saving the loss. And I

think if you do that, you know God's heart will

just be so blessed and he will bless you. All right, family,

let's look at another verse. Matthew, Chapter ten. This it's

quite difficult to read as long as when you read,

we don't really understand. It probably can be its own

study as well. My Tea Chapter ten, verse thirty four

to thirty nine. Did they say, yeah? Okay? Reading verse

thirty four, do not think that I came to bring

peace on earth. I do not come to bring peace

but a sword. And you're like, huh, I thought you

just came to bring peace. What he's the prince of peace? Hey?

Hang on, read on first, For I have come to

set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,

and a daughter in law against her mother in law.

And you might be thinking, yeah, we're reading the same Bible.

Why did you talk, ladies? In Verse thirty six stays

and a man's enemies will be those of his own household.

Hey, but last week? No, last week?

Yeah, last whole month we've been learning the cage eyes

were the water first. Cage is family, family first. Why

is Jesus saying we're going to be enemies of our

own household? Okay? The next part explains it a little bit.

Verse thirty seven. He who loves father or mother more

than me is not worthy of me. And he will

love son or daughter more than me, it's not worthy

of me. It's not in here. But he who loves

your spouse more than me, it's not worthy of me.

And he who does not take his cross and follow

after me, it's not worthy of me. He who finds

his life will lose it, And he who loses his

life for my sake, we'll find it. Very heavy words,

right and commands. I think I was reading these. We

are like, okay, not I'm not worthy, not worthy of you.

Yet he will give us the Strengthen. I believe that

we just need the desire and then we need to

try to take you know, the first step, take that

next step. So he's just talking about you know, he's

not saying, not saying give up your family. These only

your parents. No, he's saying, if you love anyone in

your family more than you love Jesus, they we're not

worthy of him. Okay, that's the comparison. Ain't can be

anyone boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse.

You know.

Okay, there's one more verse. I just quickly read it.

Luke Chapter fourteen. Luke Luke fourteen, Verse twenty six and

twenty seven. You dare say, yeah, okay, look fourteen earlier

we read some other verses, but just read twenty six

twenty seven. If anyone comes to me and does not

hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes,

and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

And whoever does not bear his cross and come after

me cannot be my disciple.

And all these verses just refers to.

We can't put anything above Christler, He's number one. And family,

you know, that is the closest to us. Uh, that

sometimes the hardest part. Two to give up, you know,

to maybe sacrifice some things in our family because God

has asked us to do something. And if I can

share a little bit of our parenthood journey. And so

the first five years I think of parenting is probably

the toughest years of my life. Yeah, that bad of

my life. Our daughter was born and she she basically

cried a lot, and we didn't know what was wrong,

always crying. And then when I look at other parents,

like why baby can just sleep, you know, peacefully in church.

But you know, my daughters always overwhelmed. And then she

too started having messing meltdowns from two to five, messing meltdowns.

When she has a meltdown, it's two hours, and it's

multiple times a day. And he reached a point where

she was hurting herself as well, so she would scratch herself,

there'll be wounds, she would dig her feet in the

ground till the skin test. Is that bad kind of

meltdowns like anxiety attacks kind of meltdowns. And so it

was tough, and some part of us is like, you know, God,

we need to give up some things in church when

you see to our daughter. But God always still convicted

us to keep going, keep going. You know, doesn't mean

that we totally ignore her, no, but we didn't sort

of shift everything or give up everything just to you know,

in our logical brains rite how to avoid those meltdowns. Okay,

later on another story for another day. But testimonies that

you know, God let us do the right doctor to

find out what was it that she had, and she's

they see highly sensitive, highly sensitive person HSP. You get

read it up. But they explained everything you know of

her behavior and we just learned to manage after that.

And then we took her on her first mission trip

when she was two and a half years old. Okay,

she's two and a half. I think that was quite easy,

like okay, but there was one one day she was

She also didn't stop crying. The how they remember and

we didn't know what was wrong. They said two and

a half. The following years, every year we went December.

We're going again in December. And by the way, another

cost we're paying, so we're going this December. It clashes

with Elia's graduation from Little Legends. They care, so he's

gonna miss his graduation. We haven't told him yet, and

it aches my heart also because he's like coming home

and showing us all days learned the dance and everything,

and like he's not gonna be there, but we're still

going to Thailand the chan my costs. Yes, it is

a price to pay. I was I talking about, Okay.

So the first I think when she was one our

second trip there, we were in the lift. I was

carrying her in the lift. Before I knew it, the

lift door was opening. I was gonna walk out. She

put her hand there, her hand went into the lift door, trapped.

She starts screaming. I started screaming, Albert is somewhere downstairs.

No one is around, but the door closes closes back

live because it didn't press anything. Okay, bleeding, yeah, like

a whole line across the hand. Thankfully her hand was

small enough so we didn't break any bones or whatever.

But but traumatic, yes, traumatic, first time parents again, a

good reason to like, God, we're doing your you know,

why let this happened to us? Why not protecting our family?

We should like stop going formation trip, you know, take

care of our family. But no, we still keep going

every year and you know we're not exempted from MISSTEPSLA,

but we still continue doing it because we love Jesus

and it's still worth it to pay the price because

we know how much she sacrificed for us. I mean,

if we really think about what he went through on

the cross for us, you know, nothing nothing can be

there right, nothing can be dead. And I think that

my parents are so the sacrifices they made. I mean

I enjoyed the fruit also of the labor. So parents,

don't worry. You give up some saturdays play time to

bring your kids to community service. They will reap the

fruit later. They may not appreciate it now. I know

my daughter doesn't hot. I don't know what else bars

Oh my goodness, she's terrified of the bugs. ELI would

be chasing the turkey around now. But shall be like, Ah,

take them to a mission trip. I'll give up family

holiday for mission trip, but they will reap the later.

I read the fruit of my parents' sacrifice, and you know,

them dragging me along through their mission troops and their

community outreaches. But you know, I see how God has

still provided for my family, provided for us. Never dreamt

will have a house, but we have a house. I mean,

God just takes care of us that. But how far

are we willing to go with him? How much time

do you have? I need to check time again? Still

got some time? Okay, let's look at one more passage.

Not one more? Actually I have a few more. Okay.

Mark chapter ten, Mark ten, verse seventeen.

To twenty two.

And you're quite You should be quite familiar with the.

Story of the rich young Ruler. If you're there, say yeah.

Mark ten, verse seventeen says, now, as he was going

out on the road, one came running, knelt before him

and ask him, good teacher, what shall I do that

I may inherit eternal life? So Jesus said to him,

why do you call me good. No one is good,

but one that is God. Okay, so this young ruler

does recognize that Jesus is God verse nineteen. You know

the commandments, do not comment a loud to you, do

not murder, do not still, do not bear false witness,

do not defraud, honor your father and your mother. And

he answered and said to him, teacher, all these things

I have kept from my youth, and sometimes always we've kept,

we actually follow. We're very good, good Christians. We follow

all the rules. We don't break, you know, God's law.

But verse twenty one goes on to say, then Jesus,

looking at him, loved him and said to him, one

thing you lack, go your way, Sell whatever you have

and give to the poor, and you will have treasure

in heaven. And come and take up the cross and

follow me. And what happened. But he was sad at

this word and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

And it's such a sad story because you know, he

did everything right, and he recognized that God is God,

and Jesus loved him, but he couldn't he couldn't carry

his cross, he couldn't pay the price. Why because he

had great possessions, and when I reflect on that, it's

sometimes our luxuries. Right. I think most of us, most

of us in church, a lot of us well in

acts at least, are quite comfortable. You know.

We don't. We don't.

We're not we're not really struggling to make ends meet.

Quite comfortable. But I pray it we'll never get too

comfortable with what we have, because if there comes a

day that Jesus asked us to give up something and

it involves our possessions or you know, just our wealth

and we can't say yes to him, that's going to

be very set like this story. So let's not get

too comfortable. I always trying to set my heart right,

you know, even though I'm earning well now, you know,

I think I still try not to use use it

till I'm comfortable with certain things, like you know, get

a for me, like this is me personality.

But you know, I still don't buy.

The tesla, even though clicks are like get that's lalla.

You know, don't do those things because I don't want

to reach a point where if God asked me to

leave my job, I can't because it's too hot, because

I've so too many things to pay for, and I'm used.

I'm used to the luxury. So that's how I check myself.

Quickly before I move to draw to the closing is

we don't need to turn there. But you know the

story of Joseph and Mary. Right when Mary had Jesus

the Holy Spirit and pregnant to her, they weren't married yet, right,

Joseph and Mary weren't married, and Joseph actually wanted to say,

you know, I'll just leave her because why if you're

not married yet and the person you're going to get married,

is it really pregnant? What does it do? Shame? Right?

Your reputation is out the door, and those days even worse.

I think it's really it's worse. But the angel spoke

to him and say, no, take Mary as your wife,

and he did. But reputation again, And so I was here.

Maybe it cost us our reputation? Right, young people, I

think pure pressure is real, right, So what does it

cost us to sometimes stand.

For what God says?

You know? Are your friends laughing at you because you

don't swear, saying I just say it say it today?

Teas you because you don't have a boyfriend, don't have

a girlfriend never he's a girl before, and then we

kids a boy before. All these things come up when

you're when you're young, your youth, when you're that other things, okay,

but it's about checking our hearts. It's Jesus really, number one,

are we really willing to pay the costs? And you know,

I think, but if we don't start now with the

smaller things, little things like when it's coming to church early,

it's giving up a Saturday to go for communities, So

it's all these are considered small things, will we be

able to really answer and really pay the price when

it comes to it is life or death when persecution hits,

when we're living in end times and people are going

to ask you to renounce your faith or else. If

we don't exercise our muscles now and we reach there right,

how we're gonna cannot immediately melt under pressure. So we

need to build okay, brothers and sisters, friends, family, We

need to build our spiritual muscles. But even as we

talk about all this, know Jesus say you don't worthy

of me if you don't carry across. But he also

says in Matthew eleven, verse twenty eight to thirty is

my last verse eleven twenty eight to thirty. I'll just

read that for you come to me, all you who

labor and are heavy laden. And I think paceden. I

actually mentioned it as well this morning. And I will

give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn

from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Right. And and Jesus promises us this, you know, we

even know we carry that yoke with him. Yok is

usually for doing heavy work, right, you see the oxen

they're plowing the soil. But Jesus says his yoke is light,

it's easy. Why because he's gentle. He doesn't force us

to do anything, and he gives us rest. Right. And

when I speak to people, I always with my colleagues

and all that. Those who don't know Christ, there's so

much fear in their lives, there's so much hopelessness.

I mean, their days.

I'm like cut you just see, you know, if you

only knew Jesus and you won't have all these But

it's fear for the hell, fear for their lives, fear

for their children feel for their parents, fear for their careers, everything,

every decision revolves around fear. But for us, believer us,

we have faith. We have that assurance. I mean for me,

I don't even fear men at work, even when many

times there's been opposition, people want to get me out

or whatever. But there's no fear because I know God,

you got my back, and if you want me here,

you'll keep me here. If you don't want me here,

you have something else better for me. That's the kind

of assurance we have right in Christ. And in a while, Yeah,

for the rest of my message, actually, I'm gonna let

it be presented to your not in my words, but

in a dance. But I read this as the kids

and teens are getting ready, I can help me.

Clear the stage. I read this text.

A teacher read to a class the text my yoke

is easy, right, the one that I just read from

Matthew chap to eleven. Who can tell me what a

yoke is?

She asked.

A boy said, a yok is something they put on

the neck of animals. Then the teacher asks, what is

the yok God puts on us? A little girl said,

it is God putting his arms around our necks. Heymen,

I pray he puts his arm around your neck this

morning as we present this.

It is it's also a cost.

It's been a cost for us to practice this with

the kids and the teens, and they all paid the

price by you know, coming to practice and you know,

rushing from tuition, ETCeteras or busy, busy life. So we're

not we didn't do this because we're not metal to do.

And the Holy Spirit actually gave me this inspiration like

earlier in the year, and I kept putting it off

because too busy, there's very too much going on. But

in the recent months he's just you know, different ways

he's prompted me to like just do it, Just do it, Okay.

So we hope you've been blessed by this message. For

more information on our church, please visit as church dot org.

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that this week is going to be a good week.

I hit for you.

God bless