Clear Out - Make Room for the New | Dr Daniel Kong

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

will light up your day. As I was praying through what to speak today,

I'm just trying to get inspired by God and what what? How do

I start the first service here in a new place? And God brought me

through subscriptures, very interesting scriptures actually, and and and again. This the

scripture that I'm going to share in a little while. It's just to frame

the general message. It's not just on one scripture, but just to share

what God has brought me through. First. Okay, so funnily enough,

I say, God showed me where to what what to share. So God

first brought me to Isaiah and it talks about bringing the blind by you know,

by way they did not know that those kinds of things. I'm like,

sure not God, this kind of this kind of scripture, I don't

think it's a good place to start. It's like leading people to the wilderness

and we're not again, we're not going a new season for us. And

then God led me to of all places, Leviticus can read the scripture and

a proably put it on screen as well. Leviticus twenty six. I put

out a few versions because I was just going through because when I read the

first one in the NKJV, it says you shall eat the old harvests and

clear out the old because of the new. And then I just froze there

a little bit because I'm like, God, what are you trying to say?

What do you mean by eating out last year's harvest? Clear out?

Uh? Clear out? And then also to to to you know, to

to because of the new. Okay, So I went through other versions,

as I always do lard just to find out. So say if you will,

and IV says you will still be eating lastius harvest when you will have

to move it out to make room for the new. Okay, this whole

make room thing, you know, it's a bit thematic now and we sung

about making room just now as well. And it's not just about physical space,

but it's also about maybe making h you know, room for God.

But the thing that really perplexed me or confused me a fair bit is the

first part, what does it mean by you still eat? You're still eating

of last year's harvest? So then I went on to the third variation,

the NLT, the New Living Transition, and it says here you will have

such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain

to make room for new harvests. So this is a bit more clear for

me. It doesn't mean you're still you know, eating the old, but

it's because of a surplus. So I've highlighted the wordy, highlight the word

there. But the surplus of crops. I think that's the only variation that

has that mean to say. When they say eating the last the last year's

harvest, it's really about the excess, okay. And then we have to

clear out make room for I guess more or for the new. Okay,

so far. Yeah, And the last time we were the peak before past,

the NDF came. I also spoke a little bit about you know,

God's presence and how it manifests talk about you know, presence in a in

a physical space room. So I thought, Kayla, space room, this

is you, like God. It has to be you. But again,

what does it mean? Okay? So the title of today's message is clear

out because God says clear out, not me, make room make room for

white for the new. Simple, right, very simple, but hopefully it

gets more interesting than that, La, and I purposally put in all these

details there, so to help myself remember to mark this date because this date

is again the new location. Uh same God, but new location, and

also put the date there so that I can remember this date myself. Okay,

So clear out and make room. I know we always think about making

room, but before we make room, we have to clear out. Okay,

clear out. And the reason why I go into this whole area is

because of all this unfamiliar unfamiliarity okay, the place of the unknown things that

I'm not used to. Just like today, I was just saying, we

came in, all of us were like Hitles's chickens, running around trying to

figure out things where things are, finding plug points, finding where equipment are

stored, or even storing away equipment. Probably at the end of service.

Is probably scrambing a little bit as well, but that's all normal when we

have moved into new ground and new territory. Okay, speaking of clear out

of the room, just to share, I'm a little bit of a hoarder

in the grand scheme of things, compared to my my, my, the

rest of my family, My wife, she can attest to that. So

I'm going to talk a little bit about my hoarding problem. And I'm also

reminded about my my room, my my my, my family home room.

Okay. And at the end of the day, I think we were catching

up with Kenny and Leanne and Charles Charles with Charles who Chiles say Charles.

They were talking about some some modern day music, you know, like MP

threes and streaming and Spotify and all that. I think it's just a random

conversation, that's and it got me thinking about it. So I'm reminded about

CDs. Compact this. For those of you who don't know Compact this is

sorry different era, right. I put it up there so that people will

know what Compact this. These are Compact this, okay. Uh. And

I used to I used to have a lot of these, and I even

had like cassettes. They call it cassettes, right, Ah, I have

more of that, by the way, if you if you go to a

family home, I still have a lot of it. I think just how

many are hundreds? I think a lot, okay. Don't want to throw

sentimental. And they also have to find I think that they're all collect this

item or antiques or whatever, and they call them la okay. But for

those of you Spotify generation people, This is how we used to listen to

music last time. One CD can have about maybe ten to twelve tracks maybe

sometimes if it's a single, it's only like, you know, one or

two tracks, that's it. And then to change songs you literally have to

physically take out the CD, swop it around, swap something out, and

then you put it in new see and then you go again. So it's

not so easy to go songs surfing or whatever you call it, right,

skip from one orthing other. So I came from the cassette generation as well,

or don't love their relationship with cassettes, those that know what spinning the

cassette is about. You know what I'm talking about, get tangled and all

that kind of thing. So I had a Walkman growing up, might still

have it, actually I don't know. Then I moved on to uh to

to to CDs and CDs. This actually this is actually what my first this

man look like. For those who don't know what that is. Sony created

this thing called walkman because you walk with the cassettes, and then they moved

on to CDs, so they call it a disman. See the compact this

man. Okay, and then of course there were other renditions, and then

the iPod came about, and then Spotify took over. Yeah, but but

back back to the story. Back to the story, Okay, I have

a lot of it. And there's something very when when they moved on to

digital media. I was a bit reluctant to move towards digital the MP three

era and the what do they call it, win M You know when we

used to have that's a that's this is a converted The conversation started, okay,

uh win M and and and they were always a debate about the quality.

If you remember the era about nothing beats the compact this right back then,

right because Spotify, the bit rates that we get then is not as

high as today. So we always go back to that and and I still

sometimes go back to death. So I listened to the rock last time where

we're in Christian all this limb biscuit one, bring one Day too, and

Green Day and all that kind of stuff. Uh Za's pray one I'm talking

about But it's okay, I'll tell you later. But all stuff, all

stuff, okay, all stuff is good stuff, right, very sentimental,

and they're still good. And I used to remember when I came from a

Methodist background, I used to not like him hymns, but today I enjoy

hymns. Going back to the old school is probably when trying to say here,

I enjoyed the old stuff. And the reason why I started with this

is because sometimes we hang on to the all because it's familiar, like the

reluctancy to move on to newer mediums or media in this case was difficult,

and sometimes if you are stuck in the all, it's very hard to one

progress. And of course it's also rare to I guess, embrace because you

reluctantly have to move on. But we know that even in the simplistic sense

of technology, there needs to be progression, right, So what more in

a in a movement like what we're saying here movement, even though it's a

physical movement, we don't want to be always just fixated on the monuments that

we've built in the past. It's probably what I'm trying to stay here and

focus on where God is leading the church at large. Okay, it could

it could be for us, it could be for beyond the one point thirty

service, et cetera. But yeah, I'm still holder by the way it

doesn't change, but comfort in the familiarity. Okay. So I started off

with that because I wanted to bring us to uh Peter in the Book of

Acts, Okay, and I'm gonna flash up X eleven here it talks about

Peter defending God's grace, and if you know the story here, it's also

about fighting traditions. Here where Peter is uh talking to I guess, uh

some some some, I guess the company believers, Jews and all that,

and then also trying to convince them that the entire system has changed overnight in

terms of the way they do things. Okay, just like how like I

said, I reluctantly move from the cd era to something else. Okay,

And what is this even to the point of traditions, like how you're toned

for sin has drastically changed overnight when Jesus came. Okay, Uh, trusting

the blood of Jesus instead of sacrificing animals sacrifice is one of the traditions that

is shifting over from what they're used to. And not only that, the

very difficult thing, of course is they are talking about a very tangible,

a very tactile kind of tradition. To something that is more the unseen,

and that's why we're talking about faith and all that. Sometimes it's harder to

to to how do you address or understand faith if you're so used to many

years of tradition of the traditional sacrifices that we talked about. Okay, so

this is what he's going through. And not only that, there's also the

whole area but talking about grace of God, because all this world is all

about works, the means people do good things, people follow a set of

rules. How to give is study about how to give at homes recently,

or why they give accointed Old Testament, how to like I said, a

tone for sins. And then later on there's this whole new way of seeing

life. After Jesus came, grace came along. Of course, faith is

there, but faith is only one portion of it. Grace is actually more

important than faith because, as you know, faith is it's not consistent.

Right, some days your faith is all time high. Some days you'll be

like you know, down there. But if your if your salvation, for

example, is totally dependent on faith alone, I think we'll be going up

to heaven one day and then the five minutes later we're coming down to hell,

straight to hell, and then up again. I try depending on whether

I have my coffee in the morning or whether Zach and Ash is bickering at

the back of the car. It's where my favor go up and down.

And also my pleasure also followed the suit as well. Okay, so so

grace of God is what keeps us there. So again back to that historical

thing that we're just talking about. People are still used to the always it's

all about works, it's all about works, and now they're talking about faith.

Okay, so work that is based on grace and also faith and not

on works. So that was how there was almost like a major shift or

paradigm shift in the way things are done. It's about how much you trust

God, how much you trust him so that you can do greater things.

And people were it's not just it's not real easy to accept something, say

how come they cannot just accept it? You must understand when you're in the

situation or in the period, you will find that it is. There's a

lot of tension of friction about these things because you're living in it's always easy

to say, right, oh, how can how can two people of two

different backgrounds live together. How come they cannot accept each other? Very easy

to say, right, But if you're in that situation and there's a bit

of conflict, or there's a bit of background or some hurds in the past,

it's hard to be in the same room with those people. And we're

talking also about the whole thing about salvation is also for the non Jews as

well. That's also a cultural uh change or tradition that's changing because they are

saying that it's open to all, not just God's select few. It is

also for the gentiles. So all this is happening at the same time,

right uh and and and and and and so there's a lot of tension in

there in that in that scenario, a brand new way of thinking out,

stretching of people's minds. So their world as they know it I I just

put it in simplicis and their will is turned upside down all of a sudden,

what what they're familiar with is becoming unfamiliar. They have to embrace change

almost instantly, and sometimes in a bit like that, right, even as

we had the weeks to plan and even come here, all those like how

to do this right? Sure, not can we still operate? Sometimes the

term is can we operate the same way we operate it before? Right?

How do we? How can I transplant? It's probably the simplest way to

put it, because again it's nothing wrong with that because it's traditions, but

we're used to how atonement is being done, et cetera. It's always very

natural, right, But just like for them, they have to have embraced

change. They have a fresh perspective, faith over fear because sometimes that are

known, it is always there's a big element of fear as well. Right,

it's not easy, it's either say, harder to do, and there's

a bit of balancing. So because we also have to understand experience is always

good. Traditions are good. Don't get me wrong. We're not saying don't

follow traditions, but there needs to be some capacity for you to embrace the

news. Well, so there's that fine balance between the two. And not

only that, the one thing that is really really different is that the whole

thing about blessing itself looks a little bit different. And they start to explain

a little bit more. Uh in the coming uh, in the coming slides.

Okay, so far, okay, so the transition between the old and

the new, and then there's a little bit of confusion, and then people

are also holding very tightly to their traditions, et cetera. And it's a

bit like I always use this analogy of our it's a bit like parenting,

all right. Uh, those of you who are parents will notice that there's

always a balance between how much you want to protect and how much you want

your kid to experience certain things so that they can also learn from it.

So it's almost like, yeah, if you can keep my keep Zack,

my son Zach, sorry using your name again, he always doesn't like it.

But if I can keep Zack until he's eighteen before I release him out,

he'll be going on to the big bad world and he will know a

clue how to survive out there. So there's that balance. By the same

time, I want to keep him safe, I want to keep him innocent,

et cetera, et cetera. So there's that that that battle between keeping

the traditions and also allowing new things to to to to come in the good

and the bad. So for us just to share recently, Zach was I

think we have entrusted him with a little bit of independent walking down to be

picked up. The next step is to get him to take his own public

transition back, and of course the parents are a little bit concerned. And

it's justly very funny because when I was growing up, I used to take

the bus home every day without mobile phones, by the way, and then

if you're late, we're late. You know, somehow we come by safe.

A lot of prayers involved in that, and we're still alive. I

used to study in downtown Battalion Street area, the rough neighborhood. You know,

they used to come down past druggist just remember that the place of drugs.

I see drug drug addicts as I come down h and catch the public

transmition home and I take about half an hour to get home. No no

mobile phones, et cetera. But you know, we're safe. And these

days I think it's a little bit different. We tend to chaff them so

blessed, chuffer you all the way to every place and all that. But

yeah, there is that balance about entrusting them as well so that they can

learn. So we are maybe gonna we got him recently touched and go cards,

et cetera, et cetera. So it's getting there. But through this

experience where again we're not say you don't to protect them the child, but

we're also equipping him so that he can or they can have a bit more

independence. Right. So it's a little bit of stretching, a libit of

tension, but they will be will navigate the world better. And something that's

God is like that He allows us to go through different things, different seasons,

new changes, so that we grow mature o wise. Sometimes they even

say that you've been a Christian for quite a long time. Uh, you

know, it's very cute, you know, very cute at the beginning,

baby baby, baby Christian. But if you're like forty like me and you're

still babing me, uh, it's not gonna work. Right. Somehow,

I have to also mature in that sense. Uh. And we don't want

that because you have to have a little bit of resistance, a little bit

of tolerance, or a little bit of attention so that we can experience growth.

And this speaks for even I think the season that we're in, it's

a bit of uncertainty, a little bit of uncomfortableness, but I think it's

forways to grow, to grow the bigger things, okay, work so far?

Yeah, Ray, I know recently Ray and Adahlia is in a little

bit of pitying physical training, right and uh sorry literally embarrass you. But

for those of you who know, uh you know, workouts and all that,

if your PT tells you no resistance is really needed or no tensions needed

for you to grow, I think you better ask your money back, correct

find him okay, recommended the PT. What I'm trying to say is that

even in that physical sense, you understand that there needs to be that uncomfortableness

shortness of time. If you can get even more intense in terms of tension

and shorter time, you grow more. Right, people know that. So

sometimes when God throws you with shut short notice into something that is a bit

more high magnature or intensity, it's okay. It's just like the PT doing

his job. Even we watch movies, right, we love that. Right,

have been to a movie that everything is very predictable. They be like,

not worth my money? How much is movies these is? I don't

know. I haven't wont the movies in a long time. Twenty bucks,

twenty five bucks, I don't know. Yeah, you often go to a

movie when there's a lot of drama, a lot of tension. You know

this, It's like he's doing all, he's the best he can and still

his life is like it's not fair, et cetera. You won't go and

watch a movie that you know is all rosy and all that, even even

if it's Netflix and all that. It wouldn't really go for those kind of

movies, right, You need to have a bit of drama in there.

But somehow when it comes to our Christian lives, we don't pray for that

kind of drama. You talk about it, Why don't we pray for that

ty excitement? Will they do a Netflix series on you and what we look

like? Boring? Right? But that's what we pray for a right,

God, Please don't put me through this. I can't take it. We

sometimes pray our problems away, right, don't come near me. I've gone

through train for new year less problems. Please. But sometimes again, if

you understand the concept of growth, it is, yeah, God allows it

just for us to grow. Okay, So a little bit of opposition in

life, a little of tension in life, it's just mainly God allowing opportunities

to really grow. That's what I'm trying to say here, okay, and

this is what I caught from just reading the scriptures from before, because if

you I'll go through it later. But there's a lot of resistance and then

there's a lot of things that he needed to do, and this is exactly

that kind of a tension that is going through. Okay, Can we go

to Leviticus twenty six to nine, So this is the one verse before the

verse I started off today. Okay, so talk about you know, eating

the old harvests clear out and then making sorry clear out the old for the

new. But one verse before that, right, it talks about the covenant.

Okay, I'll read the scripture here. It says for I will look

on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you, and confirm my covenant

with you. In other words, trying to say here, I will keep

my covenant. And again, the reason why this is important is because the

people have gone through a lot of struggles. They've come out from Egypt and

then they constructed the Ark, they went through, they met God, and

then suddenly they're thrown back into this again. And sometimes you're a bit like

that God. You're brothers. Thus far two years have passed. We've survived

the migration. I always used to joke, you know, we survived the

migration from the from the Promised Land into the wilderness for two years and then

you know, another change, right, But it's it's a bit like them

as well. Right, They've gone through all that and suddenly, just when

you think things are settled, God throw something at them again. This whole

thing. But it's also a reminder, just like the old Covenant right promises

things true obedience and works. The new Covenant marks the end of the or

rather the new promise marks the end of the old Covenant or a new change.

And this new change, right, it is also very good because if

you think about it, if you stick to the old Covenant in today's I

guess in today's world, it's going to be very challenging for us to keep

the covenant. In short, but of course, during the time they are,

they're complaining, why why switch? Why switch from rule this rule that

I'm used to to something new. If you think about it, if God

gives you what you deserve, what do we look like today? That means

God rewards you in the Old Testament kind of a setting, what will you

look like if God wants to be fair in the sense, you know,

it's all about how much you've done this, how much you've maybe even prayed

on a daily basis, how long you've prayed, how much have you given,

how much good works have you done? Your lifestyle or your reward were

all based on your ministry merits. I think all of us will be in

a very difficult place today in general, the modern day Christians. Okay,

so the people back then didn't quite recognize the implication of this change. It's

actually a change for the better. It's a change that gave them a bit

more blessing than they actually deserve. That's why we talked about grace earlier.

Right, That's why today when we are talking about blessings, even though it

is a blessing, we don't see as a blessing and we complain about it.

Why because we don't don't We don't understand. And they didn't understand then,

and that's why they retaliated to the extent. Okay, And I wanted

to show you that because they were complaining about clearing out and moving to the

new and giving up all they understood. But they actually is they're in a

better place, they have a better what lawyers say, a better contract to

the next tent. A better deal is probably another way to put it all

right, And and and this is where I'm gonna jump back straight into X

eleven. Sorry making you jump ryver because my head is all the place,

So I'll go back to eleven. Yeah, thank you, thank you.

Okay, So here we go. Peter defends God's grace. Okay, Peter

defense god grace. It's says in worst One the Apostles. Now, the

apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the

Word of God, and that Peter came up to Jerusalem. Those are those

of sorry, those of the circumisition contented with him, saying you were in

too uncircumcised men and it with them, so basically hung around the people that

is not recognized. Remember the Corona times, right, It's like you hanging

out with people with coronavirus, and people were associally not accepting that. I

use that because it's easier to understand that. Why is it so unclean to

be hanging out with them? It's not just the people group, it's people

that are that doesn't belong in God's original plan at least. Okay, so

he was under a lot of fire to an extent just because he hung out

with the people that he's not supposed to hang out. This is if if

Twitter or x or whatever they call it these days, is available, then

this will go viral. And this guy is hanging out with this guy pay

a photograph? How can he? You know it's going to be the one

used to be crucified. But you know, you know what I mean,

He's going to be in a lot of trouble. Why because they see it

as a thread. They're trying to protect the oil as well, what they're

used to, what they understood, even though if you think about it,

is a blessing, but because what they're used to in their old original regime

or routine, they feel that it is a thread, even though it is

a blessing if you think about it. Even the church back then, they

always pray for more, you know, just the how today we pray for

more to know the Lord. It's the same thing they actually got it increased

by the way, if this new clause that was added to how the kingdom

can be expanded, if not right, you and I wouldn't be here today

because we are all in the gentiles category. Right, they are praying for

that, but they don't. They were rasising that. And sometimes we're like

this, Well, why why is God leading us in this place? Why

is the church pushing us to do this? Why is not just one church

but the general church? Why are we talking about reaching more? It's just

me. I'm happy, But this is exactly what I mean by breaking cultures,

right, breaking traditions. Okay, So where was I say? Okay,

let's move on reading from chapter four. But Peter explained it to them

in order from the beginning, saying, I was in the city of Dropper

praying, and in the trance I saw a vision an object descending like a

great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. So this is in reference

of I think one chapter before there was a vision that he received and all

all of it worked for word is just repeated from the chapter before. Okay,

but while on the highlight, hey is that it came to me?

Okay? Then of course he observed he saw a four footed animal of the

earth, wild bees, creeping things, birds of the air, et ceterastery.

And now after that it reads I've heard a voice saying to me,

rise, Peter kill and eat. I'll stop there for for a while.

But yeah, I want to stop here for because I on the highlight.

This thing about it came to me. And why I want to say stop

here is because sometimes God in his infinite wisdom, knows that he needs to

bring things down to us, sometimes because there may be some reluctancy one to

accept it. And sometimes he's like, Okay, if you don't want to,

I come to you. Make it easy for you. In another way

to put it, you know, the simplest thing to the simplest way to

put it is that you know, we are all sinnes. We cannot achieve

that level of uh, you know, sinlessness. So sometimes God has to

come down to us as well in the form of giving us his best son.

Otherwise we will not reach that level that was intended. So he came

down to us. But we need to position ourselves so that God can bring

it to you. And what does it mean by British positioning yourself. It's

really saying that as long as you do what God has caught you to do,

you don't go chasing after things we've Sometimes you will preach this, the

go chasing after promotion, the god chasing after validation. As long as you're

doing, you know, in accordance, God will that's peace. You're fine,

okay. And this is exactly what it is, because God will bring

it to you, just like how in this dream you don't violate any moralities,

your ethics, your stance. Just operate in His peace, operate in

His purpose. You will be fine. Okay. Heaven will come down to

you. It's another way to put it. Okay, you talked about heaven

rules quite a fair bit last year, right, and this is exactly what

it is. Heaven is going to come to your house. Heaven is going

to come into your relationship, your family, your marriage. God is bringing

it to you in the meantime. But what do we do? Last week

past I kind of talked about, you know, offering, you know,

thanksgiving, always coming into His courts with thanksgiving. Now hearts right, and

that's important, that's very important. We just have to ensure it's intentional that

we lift out our hands every every time, because praises will bring us deeper

and higher and further. Because God already, like I said earlier, intended

to come down to you. We also have to do our part to reach

out to him at the same time. All right, how much time to

have her? Sorry, sometimes I remember I forget where I'm Okay, this

so so Peter when he sees this this vision, uh uh, and it

talks about this town, Joppa. I'll take a pause for a while to

talk about jo I did a bit of research because I this is the thing

sometimes when I read it's just the way I'm wired. Uh, you know,

Jopa, right, is actually a city that still exists today, right.

It is a place I was telling yessterday. I feel I want to

visit. It's a place now now modern days, Jeffa. It's in Tel

Aviv. It is in Israel, Okay, and it looks like that in

the modern day. Beautiful right, beautiful right? This is a port city

back then. How many years there? A couple thousand years, law,

I need to look math today is still a pot city. In fact,

this was the very same part if you read in the Bible about Solomon bringing

in materials and the constructed, you know, this is the part that most

of the things came in, right, and it's still there today. Okay,

I digressed. What was I saying yep, okay, okay, I

under saying sorry, can we go to X ten? Sorry? Nine?

Sorry nine the next one. I want to pause you for all because this

story is about him going to drop her, and like I mentioned, it

is, uh it is. He was actually not in Joppa to begin with.

He was being called to Joppa and he was in this other town called

Leader okay l y d d a Okay. And then he went there because

there was a scene where there was a woman who's very known, well known

in the city of Joppa. And the woman has actually passed on, very

influential, very well aspected, has a lot of done a lot of charity

in her life, good deeds, et cetera. And the name of that

woman is Tabtha. Okay. In Greek, the Tabitha's name is actually Dorcas.

And funnily enough, I'm cautious my my mother last name is Doucas.

The sister Jessica's alister's name is also Tabitha. And it's because of this,

Okay. But anyway back to this a digress again. Uh So he was

brought to to to this town because of this woman death, and then he

prayed over her and then a miracle happened, she was raised from it.

Okay, So that's a short summary of it, okay. But one thing

I wanted to highlight to you about what has happened is that Peter, when

there, they were showing her all the things that she has done, so

he almost got a tour of what what she was done has has been doing.

And then later Peter got all the people out, okay, and then

did just that by saying, Talita, arise, just how you do would

say in the Star Wars kind of voice, no kidding, all right.

But one thing I also wanted to highlight to you is that, aside from

the miracle of this resurrection itself, Peter was very bold. Peter was bold

enough to do this. Now, how where or how did he learn this?

It's actually similar to you know, the story of the woman with the

bleeding and then there's another girl in the same chapter that talks about you know,

Jesus going there and then doing the same thing, casts all those unbelievers

out next verse please Okay, he had to pull them outside, and then

she would then say Talita another is a different name. By the way,

Tabitha and Talita are two different people. The only separated by one alphabet funnily

enough, okay, coincidence, I don't know. It's all of those life

mysteries. And the ex kids would notice they say talita coom right, this

variation I have there is choo me or coomi okay, but it simply means

the same thing, arise okay. So what was Peter doing here? Is

Peter just imitating his master? Okay, doing exactly the same because if you

look at this scripture, right, Jesus got everybody outside, but Peter was

issually in the mix, so it was actually had front row seats about how

to do this, and he also saw the reservation of this lady. Okay,

and I will always remember this past the Kenneth has always said this,

you know, every time he goes to the funeral, you know that the

session where you walk around and then you say last or you just see see

the the person that has passed on for the last time. He will always

do this, That's what he said, because you never know. One day,

I don't know he's still still doing it, like that's why he's telling

me. But he's got a lot of faith. He'll whisper arise name,

arise Okay. Anyway, but but but but I digress again. The more

important thing is that before a miracle can happen, right before you even make

room for anything, you have to do this first. Put everything aside,

those that is not relevant or distractions, et cetera. You move it aside

before you can make room for God to move in your life. And this

they recognize it. Then it's something that we need to do. That's why

again back to my title, it is about also not just making what you

call is making room, but also clearing out. We need to clear out

again before this can happen. Okay for time ye ever, okay, all

right, good good good I I ah, okay, make room now make

room for what, make room for what. You know, there are things

sometimes in our lives. Maybe it is promises of God that we may have

forgotten, or things that may even seem already did, or situations that may

seem dead. You need to make room to allow God to move and you'll

see that situation turn around. But if you stop doing that at making room,

it will never come to fruition for sure. Uh And and just like

how Peter just did literally just follow his master right and he saw that miracle

otherwise again, that miracle wouldn't happen. But back to this place, Dropper,

this place was very insignificant. It's just a place. Sometimes a place

can really wrap up some play. How can we, you know, go

to this place or do this at this place. But even in the insignificant

place, right, some miracle can happen. If you only do what you're

called to do and you're walking, like I said, in God's peace,

and you're operating within his will, miracles can happen. Okay, And again,

this dropper can be interchangeable. It can be a place. It can

be a season that you're in. It can be something that you're holding on

too for quite some time, maybe even the grudge that is preventing it from

from seeing that miracle come to pass. It may even be a job that

you know it's not, you know, not not really off God, and

you're doing things funny in the workplace. That could be you know, something

that you need to work on. So and when I was looking to dropper

as well, this dropper came in again in another story in the Bible the

same way. Know where this dropper is seen again? Just curious, I'll

give you a hint involves some fish, a big fish that swallowed somebody ah

okay put a scripture. So the very first chapter in verse three says Jonah

ran away from the Lord and headed to Carrish. He went to Dropper,

where he found a ship bound for that port. So the story goes is

that he was running away, right, running away from or resist going to

where you're supposed to go ninive or ninevah okay, because why I think it's

because he thought that the place where God has sent him is not really He's

not meant to be there. That's what he thought because the people that he's

supposed to witness to or you know, talk to is not part of what

he's used to in terms of his culture. So resisting God, maybe he

also did not understand his mission. He cannot see things through God's lenses,

or maybe it could be there's no form of reference, and that's why he

resisted what God intended to do. And of course we know the story right

of of of Jonah uh and and you can either be a Jonah or a

Peter in the same location. That means we can be both the same room,

but can have very two different outcomes or even decisions. Right, one

would get you to see a miracle, and one would just be was occupying

the same space. And again, the space is just an analogy. It

could be a season that you're in, where you are spirituality, spiritual,

where you are in terms of your mental, your your physical being, et

cetera. But it is not necessarily just a physical space. Okay, So

how would you choose? And and that's the question here, So back to

this making room again. Let's go back to X ten. Okay, let's

go back to X ten. So he went there, and you know,

he was praying and then he saw something amazing that he didn't expect in terms

of the vision that he was given. He came down to him and this

whole making room thing, right, I equated to something as what we sung

earlier, breaking down of traditions. So I asked, I was asking that

we can sing that song every lyrics are very bad lyrics. It says,

shake up the ground of all my traditions. It's one of the verses that

is in that song, break down the walls of all my religion. Your

way is better, your way is better. Okay, Now it says shake

up the ground of all my traditions. Not just removing the tradition is shaking

up the ground. I'm a structural engineer, so when it says shaking up

the ground, right, it's always to do in my mind earthquakes and earthquakes

are usually not very comfortable. Nobody likes to be there. Like he's smiling

when it comes to that kind of a shaking is to shake to that intensity,

to break up the tradition. Okay, it's what they were going through.

Okay, breaking traditions. So when we talk about making room right,

it's about breaking the barriers and traditions before you can make room. It's not

like a Markondo is that there's the lady who used to do all this spring

cleaning, Maricondo. I got a name correct, right. It's not about

just cleaning out your wardrobe so that you can have a new line of clothing

in there. It's not about that. It's not about a volumetric reduction so

that you can make room for more volume to go into a fixed space.

It's really about renewing one's mind. So it's again not you clear half your

brain or half your heart and replace it with half of brain or heart.

No, it's really renewing everything a transformation in your mind. That is only

when God can do something in and truers. And this is what God is

showing Peter right, you have no point of reference before. But you need

to renew your mind and allow this to happen. Now of course easiest and

done. Why do we sometimes resist the new or renew of one's mind?

Why do they resist that? What do you think? It's new ground,

unfamiliar as one? But what else? Sometimes it's the fear of maybe simplicit

way of putting it, the fear of losing something that you are used to

or familiar with. It's not so much about removing it, sorry, changing

it, But it's the fear of losing it. Just how something sometimes or

someone came into my place. My wife came to my room, to my

things. I can't find it. It's so funny. Sorry, I don't.

I don't talk about anymore anyway. Yeah, she often moves my things

and where is it? And I'll forget and then I'll start screaming at her.

Yeah, but losing it is not really a big things. It's because

why you must understand the moving also, it's not really you moving, you

know, it's God moving things out so not really losing something. God is

just moving it for you. And this moving thing can be all habits,

all things that you hold too dear too, that doesn't allow you to again

stretch and grow, Like what we said earlier, things that you have held

on for too long. Right, the worse talks about last year's harvest,

things that is overflowed. Really surplus is the word that they use. We

need to, you know, to be able to receive more miracles, you

need to have new mindsets, and not all mindsets. So I put down

this thing here next line. You can't receive new miracles with all mindsets.

Okay, this is what it means by making room for more. So what

would you do back to the question in the place where God places you the

dropper, will you resist or even run? Or will you stay and do

what you're called to do? Again? Protecting the old is nothing wrong with

that, but you must also understand that you need to balance that protecting of

the old customs and traditions and how much embrace the new. If it hinders

you from embracing what God or where God is placing you, it becomes a

problem because you're static, You're not moving, You're focused again on the monument

and not the movement of God. Our God is never static. Okay,

all right, okayverybody already. Okay. I was gonna end here with just

some key points that we've learned thrue here. So what is making room for

the new? Firstly, I think I mentioned that before you need to break

down the walls? What type of walls human created? Wolves? I call

it, or preconceived notion of things. Okay, let me explain, Okay,

let me explain. You see here in at eleven, right, Peter

had a vision that challenged his beliefs thus far, and his people of course

as well. He was accustomed to very strict observation of different traditions thus far.

Okay, and you know this whole, Like I said, the gospel

of it being open to all and not just the Jews, it's mind blowing

to them at that point in time. So they limit what God can do

or what God wants to do on the preconceived notion of what certain people are

entitled to or what certain people group are entitled to. It's the simplest way

to put it. So in short, he's categorizing or they are categorizing people.

Back then even and you may say, how can this be? Sometimes

we also like this, Right, we already predetermine that so and so is

like this, or that group is like that. Sometimes we will say no

hope for you anymore. Right. We joke about it, but sometimes we

actually mean it. Why border and here Jesus is always talking about, you

know, going out for the one and leaving in ninety nine. Right,

So I want to read that part where it talks about when God told Peter

to rise, Peter kill and eat, and then Peter resist and saying not

so, Lord or other in other words, surely not Lord, for I

have never eaten anything common or unclean, okay. And then God replied,

what God has cleansed, you must not call common or in other words,

impure. That means God is correcting this notion of categorizing a certain people group

that is impure or or common to say that, actually they are clean.

If I say, if God says they are clean, they're clean. Okay.

So back to the original title. The hither here is really breaking down

the walls of preconceived notion. You limit yourself, you limit the potential artists

as well in the process, and of course to an extent you limit what

God can do. And God said, rise, Peter, kill and eat.

And I first read that, I thought, you know, Peter,

go, here's a license, go hunting, you know, the kind of

thing. But it's atually not that. Right. He wanted to adjust the

perspective to understand that God is inclusive, not just exclusive to a group,

at least from that that that point onwards. That's why I mentioned earlier it's

breaking down of human barriers because it's something that we created. So I think,

uh, you know, sometimes we are like this. Right, As

as a parent, we often say, you listen to advice from people that,

uh that that you know that maybe we have some relationship with. Don't

go to that this certain person to receive some advice because we don't know what

the person will tell you. Right, Or sometimes I say, if you

seen sometimes in movies or right, if there's some hurts between the two the

two older people, you don't go and see the uncle. Don't anti even

though that person may be speaking life into your children's life because of that hurt

or that preconceived notion or the bitterness between the two adults, then you discourage

that that person speaking to your your son's like I'm usually a simple example here,

right, you're denying God to move in that person. And if you

think about it, right, this whole thing about I think you know,

Romans eight twenty says all things work together for good. It says all things.

So it's not just for people that you approve, even to the next

tent. So again, if God thinks that this person can speak into I'm

example, your son's life, it's forgot to determine. It's not for you

to determine. But we cannot put a certain people or a certain people group

in that category and say that, you know, God can't move through them

or they are not qualified too. And this is what God is showing Peter

here as well. He's correcting him. So do not limit or box people

up, or categorize people and limit or even label them. It's another way

to put it. Okay, leave the labeling to God, all right.

I recently during homes right on Friday last Friday, we had this joke about

the Pinangites are very gung ho about certain things, certain matters, especial when

it comes to food in the geographical sense, even right down to like if

you're from the mainland of Pinang or whether from the island of Pinang. There's

differences in variation all that. Again, it's a joke that we say.

But there's also labeling La is still the next ten. Right, your group

of people already based on their background. I mean, he'sing a simple an

energy here. But your parents say, of course, there's all jokes are

by the way, love you guys. You love the Johoe people here as

well. There's such a good time talking about Joho food and all that.

But but yeah, we shouldn't have any prejudices. What I'm trying to say

here and God is saying, don't prejudge. Don't prejudge. See the God

in people. Also, don't put yourself in the box as well, see

the God in yourself as well. Me to say, if someone tells you

you can't do this because you are broken, sorry it's broken. Just correct

me said she used the word hurt. If you're hurt, I can't do

this. Broken is a very bad word to use, right I I come

from a you know, a broken family or whatever. Therefore I can't do

this. No, you should always tell yourself I'm safe, I'm God's child,

I'm sanctified. Then I'm hurt or whatever, but I can still operate

all that because that's how God sees me. Don't box yourself in. Don't

box yourself in, so refuse to be confined with not just your own judgment

on yourself. Also, don't put others in that category as well. Okay,

look for the God in them all right, So back to the first

point. Where was I first point? Break down the walls of precontinuation.

Don't limit yourself. See the God in people is how I put it.

See the God in people and also myself, and you will be amazed where

God would take you. Second point, and now and with one more point,

and then we'll we'll we'll go home. Embrace God's new Right, we're

already moving here. You're right, We're moving into a new space, new

season. So let's embrace the new. Yes, sometimes there might be some

feelings, some sense timans. I carefully use the word discern the feelings,

because you're not saying do not feel anything. But you need to not let

feelings govern your actions. He cannot dictate you. That's why I say with

wisdom, of course, not your earthly wisdom, of God's wisdom in the

mix as well. And that's very powerful, right, because when you sometimes

do changes right again, nobody likes change in general. When you go towards

a change, go towards a step of obedience, you will face a lot

of challenges, a lot of resistance. In fact, even even Peter in

this story, if you read on and I don't have time to go through

the passages, he had a challenging time that he has to face a certain

group of counsel. And then there was always a protest first before. But

the good thing about that they ended praise at the end of the story,

right, So if they stopped at the protest, yes, and didn't end

up with praise, then yeah, they again may not see the bigger picture.

And sometimes we're like that because we do not see the bigger picture.

We are reacting to based on the feelings at the now and then limiting again

what God has intended for you. So again, player out, make room

for the new. And here's the kicker. It involves you alone. It's

really your battle. We can come together and cheer you on to say make

room, but no, at the end of the day, you have to

make room to clear out, and making room is it's really not just about

the circumstances because sometimes, you know, we've probably heard this before as well.

Sometimes you carry the problem with you to an extent. You move to

different places, and then you're wondering, why is this repeating itself over and

over again. Maybe it's not social environment, or maybe sometimes it's also about

you renewing yourself. Right. I'm not gonna say too much about this,

but embrace the new discern feelings and really sometimes it is not just about the

environment. Feelings are powerful, and sometimes I think they could also lead us

astray. We need to always depend on God's leading and wisdom to ensure that

we are guided right by scripture, guided by spiritual leaders, pastors, elders,

even your homes leaders, your your small group leaders. You know,

the trust must be there. But again a lot of times you're also tightly

to all things, things that are familiar, and let feeling and sentiment creep

in, and then we we fight, We raise our energy even and we

shouldn't. You shouldn't do that. So again I end with this game.

You can either praise or protests when you move into the new, when you

in joper, you can either praise that what academ said last week you praise

and praise God's new vision for you, or for the church, or for

the season, or for anything that God has put in your life. Or

you can protest and resist and be like the Jonah that we just talked about.

The decision is really the balls in your cart. Really again, like

I said before, same space, two different outcomes, two different decision and

two different outcomes. Lastly, don't delay. I used the word go with

them. I explain why first I would just do it. It's too much

Nike prophet Nike involved here. But can you flash up the next Scripture Acts

eleven twelve sayst Then the spirit told me go with them, doubting nothing,

go with them back to the previous one. Go with them. That's where

it came from. So there needs to be You cannot hesitate for too long,

right because you know God is moving. If you're gonna stay stegnant,

you may miss it. You may even miss today's miracle because you're just holding

on so tightly to yesterday's blessing that it hinders you. Again. Don't get

me wrong, I'm still a CD guy. I love them that love the

CDs. I still, you know, love it. But there needs to

be a balance. We're not talking. We're not saying, do not do

not look at do not value tradition, do not value continuity on all that.

No, that's not the point. The point is when God says move,

you must move. And if things are weighing you down, then something

is wrong and I think you need to check with God again. Back to

the scripture Livingest twenty six, you will still be eating last year's harvest.

That's the old stuff, by the way, just in case you did not

realize, you need to move it out and make room for the new again.

It's not because the oil is bad, but the oil is already overflowed.

You need to move the new things new promise, a new day,

a new season. Right. You know it's never ever convenient on by the

way, God's timing. If you've been a Christian long enough, you'll know

this. He doesn't check your schedule when movement is introduced in your life or

in your space. In fact, like I said earlier, they were already

going through all the Jews are going through all this already and God says move,

and then they just had to move. They were just starting to climatize

and God literally kicked them out again to something new. So need to ask

yourself, can I keep trusting? Or should I keep trusting? You need

to keep believing. I know it's a bit of a juggle. Sometimes you

balance, you know you how am I gonna do this? You balance miracles

even But you got to do this because otherwise you just missed the opportunity that

God is placed in front of you, because simply you're too attached to yesterday's

blessing. And when anyones sorry, they want new season, new way,

new mindset, new harvests. I possily put this thing here, transition,

transformations in progress, and it has to happen. I wonder who is you

know struggling this? It gave me sometimes understand that God wants to move,

but it's the mind that is our feet. Sometimes it's like they said,

they want to go away, but our minds you're holding us back because of

what we're familiar with. I want you to know that God will enable you

if there's barriers that we created that prevent us from breaking through in our life,

God wants to help you as well. He said, you will still

be eating of lasses, harvest the surplus and excess, but you need to

move it out. If you move it out, you will make room to

transform up here, and really you can move forward even when it comes to

repentance salvation. You know, it's all about a change in mindset. You

give away the old, you make way for the new. So even a

new believer can understand that. Right, So you cannot just keep on operating

in where you are. If God wants you to move, you will feel

tired. Trust me, I have thought we've got before quite a few times

myself. I think some of us know what I'm talking about. It gets

very tiring. So why not just, you know, allow God to turn

it upside down, allow God to move. I think it's gonna be amazing.

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

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I hit for you. God bless