JUST DO IT! | Dr. Daniel Kong

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

will light up your day. During the pre service briefing, I think someone

was just sharing what the kids were studying today in terms of the curriculum,

and today's message you see in line with that. So I don't know whether

it's a God thing. I know it's a God thing, but I've been

speaking to Jess about certain things because usually when I prepare my message, I

usually just bounce offy this off her. She didn't say a word or what

she's doing. And today only I found out what it is. And I'll

reveal in a bit because I don't want to just give it out yet.

But yeah, there's a bit of alignment. So I'm really pleased that,

Yeah, God is in this place. Okay, So straight to my sharing.

Allow me to just recompose myself because this morning I had a different message.

So now I'm in two places at the same time without caffeine, so

you know where I'm coming from. But yeah, let me just dive straight

into the word right now. This is a some they call it within church

circles, a bad four letter word, okay, And this four letter word

starts with all and ends. Why Okay, if you don't know what that

is, it's obey, Why do I say that, I'll explain the little

Okay, and that's why it is. Now when when Jess was just sharing

that they're going to do today ex kids about obedience and trust, I'm like,

hey, this is why can be talking about today? Right? If

they can do exkits, we can also do it here. Right. Yeah,

but at the same time it is simple, but sometimes it's also the

biggest challenge. And hopefully by the end of the day you understand, uh,

you know why we're saying that it is not so good four letter word

within the church context. Okay, now, let's start of some scripture before

that, let's pray. Let's pray. Now. The last time I came,

which is the first week of March, I also spoke about proclaiming God's

goodness and and we I use them a B l e able because God is

able, we are able to do what we're called to do. So today's

message is so somewhat in line with that lot because obviously obedience is a big

part about the execution portion of knowing that we're able but also doing something about

it. Okay, I'll start with some scripture Deuteronomy. For so it's says

He in Deuteronomy for verses one to two. Uh. Okay. And now

this is Moses urging Israel to obey. Okay, that's the title. And

now Israel, listen carefully to the decrease and regulations that I'm about to teach

you. Obey them so that you may live, so you so you may

enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors,

is giving you. Okay, do not add two or subtract, So don't

add last time I thought about ingredients, right, ad additional ingredients or subtract

from it. Don't dilute it, don't do anything to it. Just obey

is what it says. He obey the commands of the Lord, your God

that I am giving you. Just obey, right, So simple, right,

And this is the message today. So if you're the type that likes

the synopsis, this is all I'm gonna talk about. Just obey, right.

Taking from the prophet Nike, which famously used the term just do it,

this is pretty much it. Just do it, Just obey, right,

and I'm done. Thank you for coming to church. We'll see you

Okay, okay, so just obey and just obey. Like I said,

what does it mean by just obey? Right, it's just to say practically,

just forgive la or just apologize, right, Just give the amount that

God is putting your heart. Just apply for that job. Just go to

the stitution to talk to the person, Just pray for that person, Just

reach out. And really it is not about overanalyzing. Sometimes we overtend to

overanalyze certain things before we obey. Okay, but I'm trying to encourage you

guys to just do it before the full comprehension of things. Now again,

it's not about not seeking. Don't get me wrong, still seek, but

do it first before you seek some clarity. I mean to say, you

got to understand fully before you go for it. That's what I'm praying to

say here. Okay, that's the thing I'm gonna start off with. I

actually had this slide at the very end, Edison, but I'm going to

start off with that. I'm going to go into reverse order. Don't ask

me why. They'll lot lead me into this direction. So I'm just gonna

obediently to it. So I have here the anatomy of God's promise. Okay.

And and this is almost like a sequence. When God has a promise

for you, it comes in disorder. And I've used this for body parts

because in the leaders, whatever the training we did, body parts, So

the body parts come into perspective here as well. Okay, now let me

just exclaim one by one and it makes sense in a while. Okay.

So when God has a promise for you, it promises. Sorry, it

starts off by God seeing what that promise is for you, that unique promise

for you. Okay. So God sees first, and that's where the eye

comes in. Okay. The vision for you is true what he sees,

okay. And normally what comes after that, in one shape or form,

he would inform you or let you know what that purpose is, what that

vision is for you. And this is where the ears come in, because

you can hear MA, right. If you don't tell you, then how

you know. But of course we're not talking about audible boy. This can

come in many shapes and form. Some of you who can hear directly fantastic,

but not everybody has that a believe but we know that there is a

way that God would speak to you. Okay, so far, Yeah,

but sometimes when it reaches you, there are some conditions. Whenever conditions,

conditions are there before you know the promise is there right before the blessings can

come, you also be told what the conditions are, okay, and usually

it involves some action on your part. Okay. Now, of course,

then the feed is the one that involves walking, walking in what walking?

In? Fulfilling that condition? Is the part where we talk about obedience.

Because no matter you fully understand, you hear you hear it, but you

don't jalan, you don't move ahead, nothing gets done. And therefore your

promises that God sees in your life will not come to fruition at all.

And said that simple, right, So walking a bit so i'll skip this

part. I'll elaborate a bit more. But the lack of obedience or disobedience

were a big word, right, would actually prevent you from activating that promise,

and I elaborate a bit more. Now, lastly, is the hands.

This is God's hand. Okay, God's hands hand or hands releases the

blessing, all right, So as you start to walk in obedience, right,

the hand will reach out and then you receive that blessing. Okay,

So let me just break this down a little bit. So the first two

points is initiated by God's on his court. He sees, he somehow tells

you right, and then you hear. Of course, we're not talking about

how to hear. Of course, different ones are different journey in life.

Some will hear it differently. And also as you continue to develop, you

hear better. Right, We're not talking about that. But I was just

trying to say here is that no matter at any level or any age of

your discipleship with Christ, you would definitely hear from him. Right, even

if you just accept the Christ the day before or even before you accept Christ,

you definitely hear from him. That's a a week sometime. It's called

the spider senses, the nudging. Right, you'll hear and you know what

to do. So it's more the portion of the ball is on your court

now, whether you step forward obedience or not. Right, And last time

I came, I talked about emptying yourself in the positive sense, right,

so they can do more for him. Right, Sometimes we ask for more

blessings, but we haven't quite completed that taking that step forward or all that

obedience, then how can you It's a big greedy line in a sense,

because you're asking for other blessings where you haven't quite fulfilled that promise or that

blessing that God has in store for you before you move on to the next

thing. So I don't get stuck. I don't need to just be accumulating.

So this message today is really about a perspective shift that sometimes if you're

stuck in an institution, it's not because God hasn't done all the things,

still doesn't revealed to you, but maybe perhaps you haven't actually taken that step.

It works so far there is an introduction, so I thought initially was

will end do this, but I thought it's good to start with this to

set the premise and the context. But of course the last bit or so

the hand portion, you know, definitely God is able to In fact,

I will quickly rush and say that God wants to He's just waiting for it.

So it's like the I don't know what to call center class. I

don't tie God to center class, but he's really ready to give just that,

parents really to pour out hands that. But the condition has to be

met first before he can. So sometimes I feel he is he The urgency

is more on his court. I really want to do this, But why

aren't you sensing that same urgency in terms of releasing that blessing? Okay,

so perspective change, all right, balls on your court. Now, let

me come back to the very start of what we're going to talking about.

I haven't start there, you know this time. But just obey, Just

do it right now? Obey obey. Well, I say it's a very

negative word. Kids don't like it. Adults don't like it either, right,

But funnily enough, it is actually a good word. Right. Why

do I say a good word? It's because, uh, as kids,

right, they sometimes understand or other as adults now you look down as kids.

Right When you were kids, you understand why you need to obey certain

things so that you are slowly guided towards Uh. Like why I say what

God has planned for you? All right? Or what the parents have planned

for you in this case? Okay? Sometimes you hear parents saying things like

you better obey or else dot. But why do they say that? It's

not to punishal it's not to make them feel bad. But again, parents

know what's best at least at that age, right. How many of you

are the good kids? When you're growing up, you obey all the time.

No, I'm the rebellious kind. Oh wow, well done, I'm

the revellest kind. I grew up with whatever sugarcane, cain or whatever you

can find. I've tasted it all, okay, And I always till this

day, I always feel and just will always try to correct me and say,

like, maybe perhaps it's a bit abusive. Back then I'm gonna say,

my dad's abusive, but it's a bit overbought because now we totally that

you're luckier. Totally, No, no that punishment. Okay, But I

grew up used to thinking you usuld think right. I needed that kind to

guide me, and of because I'm talking about discipline, I'm talking more about

the motivation for obedience in that sense. Okay, But but you know how

many of us as kids will actually obey, and how many of you actually

believe the obedience actually a good thing? I think most of us would attest

that it's a good thing, right, depending on what you believe in that.

So some may say I disagree because I don't believe in the whatever that

we're trying to achieve. That So it depends on the who, And also

depends on the what you need to obey. Okay, So why am I

carrying this even though we're all adults. It's because actually obedience is a thing

that we struggle with, whether it is a one year old, all the

way till you're ninety nine, it's still a struggle. In fact, it's

actually a more of a struggle as adults. Right. Why because you have

come of age, you think that, oh, I have the liberty to

do whatever. Right as a kid, as a student, when Zach say

he doesn't want to go to school because of whatever reason, I would encourage

him to go to school, eat your veggies, Zach, you know,

like that, because we know that he needs to follow it because at that

time he's still under my rown, or still is still under my own hand

about the house yet. But what I'm trying to say is that the concept

is easy for the kids to grasp, but adults, when you turn eighteen,

when you turn twenty one, I don't know, at this age,

when you get your license to fly, obetings can sometimes become optional. Right,

But why why is that? So? Of course I'm not talking about

disobeying by breaking laws and those kinds of things. Is a different thing laws

of the lens that applies. If you go and speed and get yourself into

some trouble, you still get a you know, a ticket. You know

that there's a different thing all together. I'm talking about things that do not

have this kind of like consequences in the in the penalty kind of sense.

So, for example, some examples, right, as an a doubt,

when I feel like eating ice cream, I just go for it, even

though I know for a fact that I'm not supposed to or I shouldn't,

I should be eating healthy, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Right, but as a kid, you you cannot. So it's optional.

That's what I'm trying to say. It is optional, all right, Why

because nobody really imposes the rules on you. Nobody tells you that this has

to be done this way, or at least not in the earthly sense.

And funnily enough, sometimes this thing has crept into the way I do things

as well. If I don't, I'm not careful right the way, I

won't walk with God. I question just the how. Sometimes it gets a

question why the parents you explain what your question? It's also okay to question,

But I think we need to understand that actually obedience is good every okay,

so far, right, obedience is good, but it shouldn't. Sometimes

you say it is conditional, they may just say, oh God, I

obey you only if you negotiate. Right, We're going to negotiate. In

other words, it becomes optional. So today the title right again, I'm

rare put That does just help me a little bit, but still cannot uh.

I started off with the first light to say to be or not to

be, but I thought, okay, that's very cheesy, the effort to

obey or not to obey, but really I scraped the whole thing. Doesn't

matter. It's just literally proper Nike. Just do it, okay, just

obey? Uh okay. So this is my introduction. I hope you understand

where I'm coming from. And today we're gonna study some scripture story. Uh.

Anybody heard a namen before? Right now? Amen? And men?

Yeah, nah man if you if you're from a different uh, okay,

So namen now this is from second Kings five. Okay, if you want

to go to the scripture, it's from sin Kings five. There's a lot

of scripture, but our first probably read a few scripture if you give you

a bit short synopsis, otherwise we'll be here till whenever. Uh So,

let's just go to second King's verset five. Okay, let's just read from

verse one to begin. Now, Nayman was a commander of the army of

King Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and

highly regarded because true him the Lord has given victory over Aram. He was

a valin soldier, but he had leprosy. Everyone knows leprosy is, okay,

it is a disease that is very highly contagious. People usually shun people

with leprosy because of that reason. So, but he is a mighty warrior,

a captain of the Syrian army at that time. But he has this

condition, all right, and he was also winning battles for the Lord.

Fun fact, he's also a non believer. It means he's a pagan captain

of a Syrian army. Can I explained a little bit more later second verse.

Now, bands of raiders from Aram has gone out and taken captive of

a young girl from Israel because they conquered that land. So there's this slave

girl that's in the picture. So he served nyman's wife. So this is

the wife's servant girl. She said to the to her mistress, if only

my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him

of this leprosy. So, uh, the context is there is this servant

girl who is part of the capture of the the the when armies came and

captured her, and then she was taken as a slave. And this slave

gou say, hey, I have a solution for you. I know of

this ability for you to heal. But he come and come and see what

this thing is. So let's just jump to our verse nine. Uh okay,

so name and when with his horses and sorry, horses and charts and

stopped the door. Eli Elisha is the prophet that this seven girl is talking

about, right, remember non believer. So he came in grandeur or grand

style. He traveled in today's term, it's maybe an entourage, a lot

of flashy police cars, traveled quite far. We visit this. I wouldn't

call a witch doctor, but a prophet, uh, that is able to

heal him. So naman when uh if his horses and chairs and stopped at

the door and Elic's house and elis just send the message to say to him,

go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be

restored and will be cleansed. But Naman was went angry. He went ballistic.

Right. I thought that he would surely come out and speak to me.

So he came. He traveled quite far. Imagine I coming from maybe

Pinaan all the day down to Joho to meet the fellow in style. He's

already coming, a band, army and all that. And then this guy

did will come and see him, send some lowly servant to come and say,

hey, you go and do this this thing, because again his position,

he is an established captain. All right? So name where was I

eleven? So he went angry, and I thought he would surely come out

and stand and call on the name of the Lord, wave his hand over

me and on spot and kill me of this leprosy. Okay, let me

jump uh to thirteen? Name is seven. Then went to him and said,

my father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing

some would you not have done it? How much more then when I tell

you wash and be cleansed fourteen? So he went down dipped himself in the

Jordans seven times. Jordan rivers not cleaner by the way, as the Man

of God had told him, and his flesh was restored. He became clean

like a young boy. Fifteen. Then Naman and his attendance and his attendants

went back to the Man of God. He stood before him and said,

now I know that there is no God in all the world except Israel.

So please accept a gift from your servant, as in accept this luck.

So, in a nutshell, what has happened is that he went there,

he was told to do this ritual. He think that this is too beneath

him because I'm a mighty warrior. I'm a general. I've got my whole

Entouragha. That bathing Klang river kind of a scenario. Uh. And then

surely there's another way, right, Maybe I don't know, in some five

star hotel in the in the top or whatever, or the pool, you

know, I can still receive that cleansing. But then the servants say,

no, no, no, you have to do this. Eventually he did.

He was healed. Okay, So that's the bottom bottom, the gist

of it, the short story, go home and read it. But what

we want to focus on here is, of course the importance of obedience,

because, like I said, this guy's an adult, he couldn't obey.

And then look at we already established that obedience sometimes can be a challenge for

all ages, right, not just kids. They want to take notes today,

an do your notes? Obey? No? No, no? Whereas

I also trying to talk. Yeah, but yeah, I think we're gonna

unpack a little bit about how then we are to try to improve our walk

with God by practician obedience, or maybe even look at some of the barriers

of obeying and why are we not obeying as adults? Okay, so far,

okay, cool, cool, cool? Now, first point, obedience

is rarely comfortable. Now what I mean, my dad is that I don't

know. I don't know. I mean when I say, it can happen

as well, but I don't know. How often do we? Like?

Yeah, you know, I can go and say Gary, I forgive you.

People are excited about that, or Paul, I forgive you. I

love your brother, so sorry in my fault or oh, oh man,

yes I'm giving ten percent rearadly, but the whys ten percent? I want

to give fifteen, I give twenty. I'm excited about it right, I'm

really excited. I want to do this, or I cannot wait to go

home and tell my wife or my parents what I did last summer, you

know, all the wash, my tilling, this kind of thing. I

don't think anybody is like this, or I want to serve my third service

for today. It's always uncomfortable. Sometimes the word can be inconvenient to want

to do this. So he's rare to have that level of obedience and excitement

when it comes to obeying. All right, it can happen, don't get

me wrong, but it's rare now. But why do we still do it?

Or why does God encourage these kind of things? Right? Because there

is an aspect of growth that we talked about earlier, just like how I

will continue to encourage now he's in a secondary school. If I just let

him do what he wants, right, he'll probably be a I don't know,

school dropout, those funny things. But yeah, there is the element

of growth that is uh, you know, I guess what's the term amount

to use? An output of the obedience. Okay, it may be uncomfortable,

but it's part of growth and God wants you to grow, and that's

why you're doing this, okay. Yeah, So so don't give up.

I mean, for us, I went through school, I went to SPM.

Tell I tell you a hundred times I wanted to just give up my

SPM. Thank god, my parents pushed me to do it. Some of

you, my d STPM, who God bless you. My wife did that.

I don't know why she did it. She did signstream and she's not

in sign stream after. I don't know why what possessed because I standing is

another level kind of thing. Of course, we finish, I mean I

finished university also Gwen and did further studies. But a lot of times,

right, I wanted to give up, and a lot of times my parents

were just like, I just do it a lot obey right. So sometimes

I yes, you can reason, but that obedience actually helps you grow.

That submission to that obedience also helps you grow. Right, So the authority

quote unquote parent or in this case, God will push it out of your

comfort zone so that you can grow. And that's why I always say that.

I mean, I said started by saying obedience is rarely comfortable because it

is part and parcel of that growth. You will grow outside your comfort zone,

but you have to go through the uncomfortable portions of it to grow everybody

to get exams of for I know, for me it's quite long shows my

age. But you know, doing an example liked this let me pass a

lot happier. You know, I will give my life to you those kind

of words and thoughts. Right, But then then also there's that real thing

about I want to give up why because it's uncomfortable, it's hard. But

as I mentioned to you, as you grow up, you have the choice.

You will say, God, this may be uncomfortable, but I'm not

really forced to do it anymore, not like the I mean using progression of

studies as a simplistic kind of thing. But in life you do not have

to make the stresses. No one's going to force you to step into it,

step out of it. God would encourage you, show you the purpose

and like I said, share with the vision. But sometimes we say,

okay, I don't want to do that because it's uncomfortable. Right, Because

why God doesn't force you. God gives you free will. Wow, it's

the thing that sometimes I still can't understand. Just make us a robots,

you easy, right, But he gives you free will. God invites you

to step in unknown for those reasons of growth. But how will we respond

or how have you responded so far? Have you obeyed thus far? Or

have you still continually? Okay, let's just push it aside. I don't

mind, or you know, I'm stuck, but I don't mind. I

want to say Stegning. Okay, now let's look true nayman, Uh that

thin's that thin name. And servants went to him and said, my father,

if the prophet had told you to do something, so to do some

great things, would you not have done it? How much more when he

tells you wash and be cleansed, so you see name? And they didn't

want to do what he's called to do. Why because there is that aspect

of uncomfortableness if that's such a word. It's not comfortable. It's not convenient

for somebody like him his status to bathe in a long dun. I mean

I'm paraphrasing here, but yeah, I'm trying to say it's not the cleanest.

Uh, you know, body of water. Discomfort can sometimes not just

be the challenge, but it challenges you because your maybe integrity or your your

what's the word, uh, your your reputation is a stake, right,

and this guy has to this rope go into the waters. Not do it

once seven times? Hey, imagineer you go there, Hey, still got

leprosy, still got leprosy to reach that point. So before he even did

it, it's seven times, you know, in that condition, because we

know in the end there was breakthrough when he actually did it in spite of

his unwillingness at the beginning. I'm glad he was willing in the end because

this is the only reason why his name is in the Bible. Otherwise he

will not make the Kutler on all these Bible grades, even though he was

a non believer. Now everyone knows the Abraham story, right, the one

that Abraham took his side up to the as a sacrifice. Okay, you

don't know where it is. It's found in Genesis twenty two. Uh,

maybe I'll just read a few verses. Do not lay a hand on my

boy, do not do anything to him. Now now I know that you

fear God. This is when he was actually doing it, right, because

you have not withheld from me your son, your only son, it may

see, actually gone already, is gonna execute or rather sacrifice the son already

or tied up, ready to go, and he said, stop, don't

harm the boy. And of course you read fifteen. The Angel of the

Lord called to Abraham from the heaven a second time and said, I swear

by myself, declares the Lord that because you have done this, you're not

with your son, your only son. Surely I'll bless you and make a

descendance of the and make you, you know, father of all nations.

I'm just shotting a thing. Okay. So he went and obeyed this,

Abraham okay, definitely out of his comfort zone. Can I can I?

Can you understand or attest to this? Imagine if I had to tie up

Zach, right, I mean I don't do it loud, but you imagine

tying out like a like a lamb calf, and I would carry him.

And this is no his son is I think about your age, you know

all that time eleven twelve ish a teen, So definitely, uh, he

would be aware of what's happening. You know, it's not like a baby

boy kind of a thing. Right, And then probably Zach will look at

the deck like, what are you doing? Right? I'm reconfused? Do

you love me? Daddy? Why are you doing this? But Abraham,

you know the struggle is there. Abraham probably a bit feel full, a

bit confused, still doing it, still doing it, still obeying, still

obeying. Okay, you can see here he says, I know that you

fear God. So the key element here of for being actually do we our

Lord God right? Because if you do, you will obey just like how

he did it right. The fear of God sometimes trumps comfort, right,

and our comfort or sometimes aka convenience, is it more important than God?

It's probably one way to put it. Do you fear God if you look

at this scripture? Right? Abraham did it right even when there's no promise

involved in all. So the reason I talk about promise, there's no promise,

no just to do so. Like I said, sometimes for us,

right, we try to over analyze, overthink things over like, negotiate over

debate. We've got why he just did it just because God said so?

It was not contractual. It was unconventional, conventional, unconditional, unconventional,

yes, unconventional conditional, Okay, but sometimes we are like this, God

is all contractual. I will do this if because of whatever. Okay,

So again I talked about emptying yourself. Just obey last week, two weeks

ago. Obey obedience. Yes, it's challenging when you're comfortable, but I

can assure you that it gets easier when the heart and the motive is aligned

and correct. Now, what I mean by that is that, yes,

it's uncomfortable, all right. If you do it because it's duty, then

of course it's challenging. Right If you do it just because you want to

receive the blessing, I'm just saying that you shouldn't, but it shouldn't be

the main motivation of why just that Abraham, he didn't step up in obedience

just because of a blessing. We know the blessing only came after. So

this is the one time that God didn't reveal to Abraham before the blessing or

shared. Okay, but he did it because simply because I believe his love

for God, his fear for God, and also his love for God.

He just wants to please him, and that's what loving God is. And

I spoke about God's love the last time around. So if you want to

catch up, because you go ahead and find it all right, now,

let me just go to John fourteen. It says here, anyone who loves

me is Jesus saying, anyone loves me, will obey my teaching. Very

quick cut. If you love God, you obey obey my teaching. My

Father will love them, and we will come to them make our home with

them. Anyone who does not love me this opposite, who do not obey

my teaching, These words here are not my own. They belong to the

Father who sent me. So Jesus is really saying here, when you love

God, that will be your motive to simply obey. In other words,

obedience then becomes a response rather than just a duty. Are you okay?

So far okay? So sometimes somebody wonder, Oh, I've been a Christian

for quite some time. You know, I've done this gig. You know,

I was born in a Christian family. You know I struggle to still

struggle to obey. It's never ending battle, you know, between trying to

live by the quote unquote rules that were set don't do this, don't do

that, don't drain, don't smoke, and whatever. Surely I'm attempting to

live righteously, you know, But why is it so hard to do the

right thing? And sometimes we are face with that right so hard? To

just be that Christian that we're called to be. So the question is not

so much again the barriers or challenges and the tall orders, but really it

is back to the question is do you love God enough that you're willing to

you sometimes forego or this because sometimes we try to legalistic or actually sola,

you know, but if you love God, right, all this is like

I said a response, right, So who are you know you're coming from?

All right? So back to the first point. Obedience isn't comfortable.

It's not easy, but it gets easier if you rekindle your first love with

God, and God's love is present in your life. So if you always

find it a struggle, maybe it's a hard share of whether you still love

God. You know, last time I guess why I came. I was

talking about how when we're in love you do silly things for our spouses or

girlfriends or whatever. Right, maybe that fire has diminished a little bit between

you and God, and that's why you struggle to just do the simple obedience.

Okay, all right, let's do the next point. See how much

I have? Okay, cool, all right, So next one is I

put up this sign over here warning you goo pride goes before destruction. Okay,

Sometimes as adults, when we are a little bit more experienced, we've

done through it all. You know. Let's say in a workplace you work

for like twenty four years, you know, I've seen it all, I've

done this, I know how to tackle certain things, handle people a certain

way, because in a positive way, you have to diffuse. You need

to know to to to fix things. Or in other words, you think

we know better and therefore we apply some of the earthly wisdom to to do

it. Okay, So back to Naman. Remember the first we read in

the verse one. Naman was a commander, right, he conquered lands.

You know, this fell, He went all over. He's done great things.

You know, people respect him. People say, okay, I honor

you. He comes in a big fleet. But why do you think he

didn't want to proceed with that. It's because it talks about where his standing

is about himself. There is that or lack of humidity, humility that is

there. He probably thinks himself at that point in time that he's I'm highly

regarded in the status of society. How can you expect me to do such

a thing. So it's not so much the act itself, but more of

some of the things that is tied to that act, because it's yella,

Like I said, Klan River kind of an example shouldn't shouldn't be I don't

know the best fight star hotel in the town to do just that? Or

couldn't he do that? And and not only that if you think about it.

In this passage, the slave girl is the one who tells him what

he should be doing. Hey, this Gucci red no ranking for the haven't

done any want any battles. She's my slave, my wife's servant girl.

How can she teach me? What does? Who does? She thinks she

is right? There's probably that portion of it. There's nothing I can actually

learn from this servant girl is in a way to put it right, and

that's the barrier of obedience. Sometimes it's like this, I know better,

Lord, Yes, you're telling me this. By no better. I've got

years experiences. As I say, as kids, it's easier because got some

experience, child like favor. Nothing to go by, can let's go Proverbs

sixteen Pride goes before destruction. They says, yeah, a hoty spirit before

a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit, along with three or pressed

than to share plunder with the prop whoever gives heat to instructions prospers, miss

Obea and blessed is the one who trusts the Lord. So again, obedience

and trust go in hand in hand. There's no place for pride, because

pride is actually a pit for or a downfall if you're not careful with it.

Because we think we know better than God. Sometimes that breakthrough will never

come to fruition because you will not take that step because I don't think it's

the right way. A lot during the recent ALC this is the ACTU Leader's

Conference, Pastor Kenneth actually mentioned this. He shad a word. He said,

faith comes before wisdom. I thought it was a very powerful message and

it hit me really hard because sometimes we often you know, negotiate right,

I need to understand why the wisdom is more important than that. But this

is really is what it is. Right faith comes before wisdom, obedience first,

wisdom can come later. Don't get me wrong. It's important. It's

good to have, but it's not the prerequisite. As I mentioned, So

in a simplistic sense, right pride can sometimes blindness and your experience or your

expertise can be your undoing all your barrier to obey. That is okay,

So don't don't all rely on earthly experience. In fact, sometimes it's a

hard chat for me as well as a I mean, I've been given the

privilege to to to lead some time ago and I'm still doing that. But

sometimes there are days, right I have? Am I doing this out of

my own wisdom? Am I still dependent on the Lord? Do I still

challenge or fight the Lord? This is not the way to do it.

Lot, I've done this before, right next Melbourne, I've done this Saturday

service. I've done this before. I'm okay. So it's it's a challenge

because it's humidity. Right again. Wisdom has his place, but the bigger

questions are you walking where God wants you to walk? Shared with the feet

earlier? Right in obedience? And we know this right Sometimes all this good

worthy wisdom is very marketable, and it's always very good to say things that

the quotes are bang on one. You can publish it even but is it

what God wants you to do? It's probably the question here because sometimes it

may be unpopular, but it's still where God wants you to go. Next

one is handling disappointments plural that I did and I corrected it put disappointment as

you know, there's more this disappointments. So it is disappointments, really,

anybody disappointing Before maybe as a young child you don't have. As you do,

you get the I can't eat this, can't eat that. As as

you grow older it is more, you know, prominent and really it is

when your expectation is not quite fully met or unmet expectations in that way to

put it, William Shakespeare next light says his expectation is the headache. It's

sorry, expectation is the root of all heartache, right, William Shakespeare,

Bright, guy, I go and add I go, add something the data

next light actually disappointment. It is the root of all headaches. Because why

this is the unmatched It's not just expectations, but it's unmet expectations, all

right. So in simple terms, sometimes when you do not get what you

want, just like how name and he didn't get what he want or he

didn't see it being done this way, unmet expectation, and therefore there is

that disappointment. Right. Oftentimes you do not obey or stop obeying is because

we just didn't get what we want, or we are doing the wrong way,

or the results after the doing is not what we perceive it to be,

and therefore it discrises the next time again. Now let's go to Naman

eleven, verse eleven, but Namean when away angry. Oh, this is

another thing of feelings. I know, angry man. I thought that he

would surely come out to meet me. I've traveled so far in my fancy

car, right, but I didn't you see if you look very closer at

this right, it says here, uh, where is it so? He

expected to be He expected to be clean. Couldn't I wash in them and

became? So I think he's expecting another place to wash himself. But the

bigger picture here, right, it's not so much how it's done, but

more that God actually intended to heal him, if you read the scripture,

actually did heal him. So the intention and the vision is there, But

sometimes we question the approaches the or we try to dictate the approach, and

sometimes it's very scary. Right when we go to God, when God shows

you the promise, we dictate the way the promise should come, just like

how we shop on shoppy. Now, why do I say that it's because

you put an order in there, or you receive the promise. I expect

Lord that I get an email right after right, and then I get a

tracking number. It's going to come down from heaven to a local distribution center

in kl promise distribution center. He's going to deliver to my house at a

particular time and a particular manner of particular mode of transport. And that is

the scary thing because it shouldn't be like this. God can do it however

he wants. He's got not you. But sometimes it's our expectations of how

to delivered. Makes you come to my school are not my oh my workplace

are not my house? Or because I will't be of thing. We always

wrestle with the the small details and we forget what the promise is, just

like how name is here. He's forgetting that God has promised him healing,

but he's more focused on I got to dip seven times right, but thankfully,

thankfully did so. Listen, you do have to fully understand sometimes the

process to obey, and so I say, just obey first, la,

just do it right, just do it, and I cover a little bit.

I don't have time to cover too much. But sometimes even when there's

delay, it doesn't mean denial. The outcome is sometimes just prolonged a little

bit. But this disappointment and all this is usually attached to some feeling,

some unhappiness. You see, he was angry, rightfully, he was angry,

but he shouldn't be. You need to control that, you know,

control that level expectation, because if it actually creeps in, it moves from

disappointment. This one is okay, you know, by the way. But

when the outcome of disappointment is some extra level bitterness worse, some resentment in

the picture, then yella, you wouldn't obey anymore. Again, it can

be disappointed, but how you behave after disappointment is also crucially as important.

So he say it's not easy for him. He's successful, his big high

rank captain the Syrian Army, going dip seven times. I recually read about

this. Sultan JoJo's another king. His son had died of I think cancer

a year or two ago. You know, he had all the best treatments

expected of a prince. This is probably something similar. He expected to go

to the best hospital, not the Glen River Hospital. To get healed.

But that is to do back to the say first point. Second point rather

is back to pride as well. Right, that pride becomes because of that

pride there is a midsmatched expectation, and because of that it leads to disappointments,

and further to that, there is uh that burialer to obey. Let's

look to Isaiah fifty five says for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither

are your waste. My ways the Lord, as the heavens are higher than

the earth. So are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts

than your thoughts. So key thing here is really God's thoughts. God's approaches

are higher than your ways. So sometimes we may not fully understand. We

may not have the bandwidth to tackle this. Know you always say God reviewed

to me, but are you ready to hear it? All right? You

may never accept it because you know God of infinite wisdom dumping on you.

You'll be like you bring the chad straight away? All right. You have

to band me to handle it because his thoughts are hiring you. He's God.

So we just have to come to the point right to accept that God.

You are God and I am not I will accept it, I will

obey. Okay, let's move on next life trust As I say, ex

kids are sport on man obedience and trust. It's a trust issue as well.

I put a word, do you still trust me? Because surely you've

trusted him before? Do you still trust him? If we really trust him?

And not let's talk about it trusting the process and all that, but

do you try that he's a good God? Do you trust that he is

on your side? He wants you to go, Like I said, back

to the first slider, your promises already shared with you. So sometimes the

burial of obinions that we have lost the trust along the way. You look

at Versa ten nayman servants went to him, said, my father, if

the prophet told you to do some great things, would you not have done

it? How much more than when he tells you wash and be cleansed.

So he went there and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, and the

man told him as the man told him, and his flesh was restored.

So you see there was that period. Right of course, thankfully he still

did it, but there was a period where he lost trust. He otherwords,

doubted doubted God. A little bit, and you need to remind ourselves

not so much on the wise and the house and all that, but really

who God is, right, who are you trusting? If you have lost

that trust over time again, I encourage you to spend more time with Him

and and understand that you are actually obeying the God of not just having earth,

but God of all heavens. We've covered that last year, right,

Heaven rules and sometimes in a way to put it is that who are we

listening to? Are we listening to the earthly peers, earthly bosses? On

listening? And it's not the right way. I mean, I shed a

little bit about the last time when we came back from abroad as well as

insane. It's not really but it's God's voice. OBAELA don't really understand fully

just obey? Why because obeying is actually not really optional. I mean you

can, but it's not really fulfilling what God has intended for you. Okay.

So just like how sometimes when we fear the law, and that's why

I started with fearing God, right, we don't do certain things because if

we get caught them in trouble. But let's have this, I guess the

willingness to want to do this, not because of just the consequences. I

want to do it because I still believe I love you, and I believe

you are still able, and I believe that this is what you want for

me because of who you are, rather than the whites and the wise.

Okay, because God is able, God is good, plain and simple.

God's plans, his promises are always good. And therefore I will take that

leap of faith to obey. Proverbs three five to six says here, trusting

the Lord with all your heart, how much one hundred and ten? If

there's such a thing right, everything, lean on understanding in all your ways,

submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Again,

very popular scripture that you will see in you know, screen savers and all

that kind of thing in the wall. But this is exactly the recipe that

is required to battle the the discomforts that we talked about earlier. That is

the barrier. Your pride can also be resolved if you trust him right,

your disappointments, your expectations, all that will be okay, if we put

all our heart in there. Getting back to the whole loving God thing.

Okay, Now, just got some additional points I'm talking about this, I

won't also tackle the whole issue of fear because sometimes fear is also the negative

contributor to this. We cannotok about doubt and trust without actually talking about fear,

the problem of fear, because sometimes obedience or disobedience is also because of

fear for something. Right, let me start by saying this the enemy,

Right, We've covered this last whole year. The enemy is always out there

to get us. It's no secret, right, And the obedience, every

time you obey, it will cost the enemy something. His currency drop a

little bit when you obey. Every time you obey, right, But every

time you disobey God, you will lose something and he will, as in

the enemy will gain something. How would that makes sense? Obedience will cost

the enemy, but this obedience will cost us something. So actually, this

obedience actually a negative contribute to us. Right. What I mean by that

is like, oh, you know, God, I can't give my finances

to you because I may not have enough. That's the fear, right,

even though I'm challenged or got deposited amount to me. But I shouldn't because

this year, the month has been very challenging. You know, we are

living in this condition. So the fear of your child not having a meal

is hindering you from obeying. Right, So fear is also something and this

again a trust issue as well. Right, I can't say this Lord to

this friend because I look foolish, right right. Also, fear lot,

fear that people look at you differently. Right, I can't speak life into

this place anymore? No, hope ready, Fear, Fear that you don't

know what's going to happen. Right, I can't pray for the person,

right because I may have heard God wrongly? Have you ever heard that before?

Fear because again it's very uncomfortable after that. So let's just say that

fear can sometimes lead you or drive you away from the from from obeying and

then therefore drive you away from achieving God's will for your life. So you

just got to, like I said, add little bit of the trust portion.

You also got to watch fear because we are not meant to live by

fear. It's not a God thing. It's an enemy's tool in his world

chest, it's not God. So uh, this is it and done.

But yes, just be mindful of fear and coming back to this, right,

it's so trusting and the fear thing the most important that I mentioned earlier.

Who are you listening to? Who are you hearing? Who is guiding

you, who's determining a direction? All right? Uh, let's look at

namen verse nine. So name and when with his horses and charrits and stopped

at the door with lectious house. Okay, And then Lea said a messenger

I mentioned to you, and they say, go and do this, and

then his servants say, uh, this is how you do it. And

she did it. But if you look at versus nine, you can I

have verse nine? Yeah, so he did that, and then can I

have thirteen as well? Oh sorry, let's tie this nine as so nine.

Here you can see that there's a little bit of trust issues. There's

a doubt that this is the way it's supposed, so he dismissed it straight

away. This verse nine is if you go to thirteen, right, he's

told that this is the way to handle it. Now, imagine right for

him name and right at that point in time, he also had a band

of our brothers or band of soldiers armies next to him. What do you

think the people would think when he hears this? And then he's like all

other they're suggesting that he does this, but he'll be like, hey,

maybe I should do because like these people think I'm alone for doing it.

So pure pressure or you know, his his subordinates or his superiors or whatever

is there. And sometimes if we listen to the people around us, sometimes

also can be a hindrance and a barrier too obey. But I'm glad that

he obeyed at the end, because I'm not. It'll be a different story

altogether. It will be hearing from him. But I hope you catch from

trying to say here, okay, don't let fear or what man thinks also

hinder you. I'm already coming to a close. Just bear me Galatians five

seven. It says here you were running a good race. Who cut in

on you to keep you from obeying the truth. So bear in mind.

There will be people that if you listen to the wrong crowd, you will

be steered away from the truth of God's promises. As I mentioned earlier,

remember Heaven rules right one whole year. Heaven rules, not Earth rules.

Heaven rules. So tune into the right frequency, listen to the right voice.

If you do not know which one I'm talking about, you got to

join verse ten twenty seven. My sheep listens to my voice. I know

them and they follow me. So hopefully you're a tune accustomed the channel is

already correct to God's voice. Otherwise it can a little bit of a detrimental

effects law. I think at homes recently on Friday, we talked a bit

a little a little bit about how Jesus after the resurrection, he came back

and then people that were close to him didn't recognize him go and rupture this

for so long. They didn't until he broke bread. So again, you

need to always constantly be in commune with the Lord. And hopefully in this

twenty one days of U turn helps you estep shore because you really recognize God's

voice and not the others. Okay, so can you show the anatomy sight

again? Thanks? Okay, So remember God sees what his promise for you

this spatch and here, but they used this fun full circle. You hear

the conditions. Hopefully take that step of faith. And then he released his

hands of our blessings. And one of the things I alsot of quickly mention

is that God is very eager to give if we actually we keep on obeying

right, as urgent as God wants to give, right, I think we

will keep up with how much you wants, how much messing on the poor

on you? Have you ever thought about that? Sometimes the stop forgiving is

actually very high. Now it's here, you know. But just because we

slow in obeying, there's a backlock of blessings that will come your way.

And that's why I say, even as adults, we need to practice obedience

because it's actually tougher for us because actually a backlock of blessings they're supposed to

pour out to you, but we have always just stopped and obeying. Okay,

so far, don't overanalyze things, don't overthink it. I may be

a called to be believers, yes you can understand. We're not totally to

be understanders, but we are caught first to be believers rather than understand theirs

in Christ. All right, so just go for it. I'm just gonna

wrap up with one more point. But yeah, God doesn't have to explain

every promise, even when we're talking about promises. He's gotten ma right and

his methods right out come right. You look at God right, unless it's

just healing. As an example, one moment he spits to somebody's eye.

Another moment he puts mud on the fither. You know, the next moment

you just speak, and then healing happens. There's no pattern on if you

try to keep up with the approaches, right, I think you'll be chasing

a tale for quite some time. But bear in mind God wants to heal

it. That's the promise he has for you. So don't be too caught

up about what you trust or how you how you are to meet to the

condition how you trust. Remember who you're trusting. Okay, so stop negotiating

that he's the God who's in couture the supernatural. You focus on the natural,

just obeying the natural. Okay, I'm going to land here verse fifteen.

Right now, I know that there is no God in all the world

except in Israel, because we know that the healing did happen, and then

he declared that I believe I'm healed. I would like to let everybody know

that this is a God who is the real God. If you think about

it, write this story. Right, we talked about this guy is not

even a Christian, you know, he's a pagan captain, no relationship to

the extent, but he's still obeyed or is actually very big, you know,

mind blowing right For us believers, it's hard to obey. You know,

this pagan guy is obeying because of that he tasted and experienced God's supernatural

healing of course, and goodness his grace. So if an unbeliever can obey

God and unleash blessings, right, what more us? Like I said,

as you grow older, sometimes they are more barriersed. But it's as simple

as this. Just obey I shed earlier. Right. Sometimes when we do

this, do church, I sometimes tend to catch myself. Am I doing

this from a presume my own strength? Or am I really dependent on God

even in trusting him in doing the small baby steps of obedience. We always

ask for big things. I want to do this for you God. But

if you can't do a small things, right, let's just say come to

prayer service. I'm not knocking, just saying I kind of do this.

How can you reach nations and ask God for nations if you cannot just do

the simple obedience. So back to the story again. Yes, sometimes our

expectations are not met. Are we looking at just what we see? This

is the part where there is maybe a little bit lack of that faith because

we need to see before we do. It's conditional, shouldn't be. Let's

walk by faith and not just by side. Now I just don't know.

Quickly, just end with one verse. I forgot about this verse. Let's

just go to Deuteronomy four ten. There's a promise here that obedience is always

blessed. You read this scripture over here. I highlighted the important bits.

If you obey all the decrease and commands I'm giving you today, all will

be well with you. So this is his promise. I know it's not

easy. As you do it, it gets easier, but the silver lining

is all will be well. So sold you on, go for the seven

dips. If that's what you're called to do. Miracle is about to happen,

Your bridge is about to happen. You just have to sold you on.

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

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good week. I hit for you. God bless