Do You Love GOD | Pr Daniel Chong

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

will light up your day. I want to ask you a question, and

then you can respond in your own way, in your own heart, and

do not look to your left or to your right. But before that,

before I ask that question, I'm going to ask you to turn your bibles

to ment you chapter twenty two, verse thirty seven to forty, and then

we're going to read from that first Okay, amen, all right? Anyone

there already do yeah, me too, still turning, so be hard to

turn in one hand. Okay, Book of Daniel. Okay, all right,

noted, that's me. Okay, twenty two, verse thirty seven to

forty. Are we there. If you're there, you can help me and

you can really start together. Okay, come the verses on the screen.

So if you need some help there right, thirty seven, let's go.

Jesus say to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your

heart, with all all your soul, with all your mind. This is

the first and great commandment. And the second is like this, you shall

love your neighbor as yourself verse forty. On these two commandments hang all the

law and the prophets alilja. Okay, God bless the ring of his word?

How many of you first time seeing this verse? Wow? With all

of you seeing you before, somewhere down the line, someone has reached before

in your own quiet time. Hello, and you have come across this verse

before, So it's no stranger to you, I believe. Right, So

I'm going to ask you a question which is actually the title of my message

today. My message title is do you love God? Way Generica? Do

you love God? I hope and I pray that after today you'll get a

little bit more confidence in order to answer this question. You may start off,

especially when I start sharing, you may start to doubt yourself. That's

what to me as well. So some backstory, I was preparing for this

Sunday and I had a word that I was preparing ready. So I believe

that it was a word that was by that was really I blunted into my

spirit by God. But somehow I don't know whether you can resonate with me.

There's a sometimes there's things that happen in your life right that you just

don't feel like, you know, just don't feel it. You can't feel

it. No, this is just not the car that I and reasion.

This is not just this just not a house. But the house may be

a bungalow, such a big, nice house, expensive you can afford it.

God has given you the finances of for it. But when you go

inside that there's just something that's off right there isn't quite serious. So that

I had a feeling feeling, not because the house is bad, not because

the word is bad. No, the word is good because God's Wood's good,

right, But just I just had that feeling. Like my prayer was

that, Okay, here's my prayer. I prayed that for God to give

me something that people really need to hear. And and and the whole week

it was just like quiet Island. I was praying, but you're silent,

you know. And on Friday morning I woke up with a thought in my

mind and the thought rang very loudly for the entire day. It was like

that do you love me? Wow? And initially when I when I heard

that the voice, I thought, my wife asked me, you know,

do you love me? And like, uh, of course of course I

do, right, But but they keep coming do you love me? Do

you love me? Daniel? And then sooner later I realized it is God.

God is asking me that question. So I want to ask that question

back to you today. Do you love God? That's my question to you.

Okay. If you have a book, you have a paper, I

want to encourage you right now. I know the earliest service. Some of

you are here, you have done that, but I want to encourage the

rest of you today. If you have a phone, if your I bet

physical paper, because the Bible or whatever it is, take out a pen,

a paper and write that question down, and write your answer down,

okay, as of right now, all right, as of right now okay,

And as I'm sharing, I give you the liberty to change it also,

so you can change yes to no, no to maybe maybe to arola.

It's your own expression, okay, but you need to do it.

If you don't do it, you won't be able to follow my message today.

Okay, So just just try, just try to or if the sound

you really cannot do it, do it in your heart, okay, do

your somewhere, somewhere in your mind as long as you can track answer.

Okay. Come, let's look at how many of you know who Peter is?

Peter? Okay. When I say the word Peter, the correct Peter.

What comes to mind? I'm gonna get three answers. What comes to

mind? Come shout out? What comes to mind when you hear the word

Peter? Fuckday, this isn't wrong? I mean, yeah, technically okay,

besides Peter Pucker Okay, besides besides the spider man. Okay, oh

my goodness, okay, Lord help me. Peter Simon, Peter of the

Bible. What comes to mind when you hear the word Peter? What is

his characteristics? Three of it? Come? What? Fisher man? Okay,

that's the one fisherman? What else? What? Croc rock? Okay

rock? Okay? What else? Chicken? Rooster? Rooster? You see

Peter, You see chicken. It's like a rooster house in the right or

one. Okay, So but are you're having lunch yasny? Okay? All

right? So Peter, Peter. When Peter comes to mind, some of

some of us here have a very good impression of it there, and we

should we should, right, we should, But somehow, you know,

not need the Minister of Maharta. Whenever I reach a Bible and when I

see Peter, right, two words come to mind. Life's a funny guy

like its a funny guy, and he's a man that is very impulsive.

Right. He likes to act. In fact, he likes to talk before

he thinks. He likes to move before he comprehends the situation. And Peter

is just an amazing character. Because Peter, I think one of you mentioned

that he is the rock. Right. The meaning of Peter is actually rock.

And this name was actually given to Peter Simon Peter by Jesus. Right,

Jesus gave Simon bar Jonas Jonah the name Peter because Peter is the rock

and on this rock I shall build my church. And that's where we get

Peter being the leader of the disciples, the first among equals, and the

one that's greatly respected. Okay, so Peter is a respected man. But

Peter is also known for a few things, right besides being walked on,

being walking on water? What else is he known for? Betrayal, cut

off, the year, deny it. He denied Jesus, Right, he

denied Jesus. He's the same like David. David. Sometimes when I ask

you what is David known for, I tell you the number one response is

bestsheba nobody remember the good things on people only remember the bad things. David

does so many things. You know, a lot of things happen to David

in his life, and he was blessed. He was the man after God's

own heart. But sometimes people look at they even think best sheep. But

ah, so I tell you what there's there's the nature of humankind. We

tend to direct the worst out of each other. When you look at me,

the only thing you remember about me is that time and Pasadena they shake

my hand. Ah, Sometimes it's like that. And that's that's that's the

nature. And where does the nature come from? Sin? The original sin

that is within us, that comes out of us. That when whenever,

whenever we are left alone to the own devices without God, we will literally

just go closer and closer, because there is a voice that is there,

that's always there to constantly try to steal, kill and destroy us. And

that's the devil, that's the enemy, and that the only that's the only

thing you can do. Make noise. He can't control you at the end

of the decisions as yours and yours alone, But noise is what he can

do. He can make a lot of noise. He doesn't even need to

distract you from Jesus. He doesn't even need to make sure that he just

has to make a lot of noise, so much so that you are unsure

what you want to do. So let's look at Peter's story, bear miner.

Peter is the leader of the disciples. Peter is a very respected man.

And we, not Peter, the church will be where we are today.

Okay, we are the obedience of Peter. But let's let's do a

study on Peter's live. Amen. So, Matthew twenty six thirty one to

thirty six is the story of Peter. And this was the prediction that Jesus

gave right because it's scriptural. So Jesus was reading to the disciples, all

of you will be made to stumble because of me this night. Right.

You imagine your your mom or your dad look at you in the eye and

say a sire today usually going to make noise when and then as the asire,

you say, ah if I make if I don't make noise, how

then your your your your mother will say, okay, there I read what

you We've been gunned. Ah, but I tell you what or phone?

Now? This is phone to play your phone? Right? Huh yeah,

play your phoner, behave well, then can get the play phone? Right?

Uh? Then your mother will come to you and say, okay,

fine, you behave well, then I let you play your phone. But

it's almost like a challenge because the mother, no, You're gonna feel,

you feel and then believe you or not. The very next woman, when

the food was on the table, you never say thank you, Gandla,

you didn't behave you know, polite right, It is the same thing Peter

felt that way. Peter felt, are you you challenging me? Okay,

fine, fine, let's go. Let's go see how But so I will

strike the shepherd and the sheep of the frog will be scattered. Firstly,

two says. But after I've been raised, I will go before you to

Galilee that the tree, says Peter answered, and say to him, even

if can you see the can you see the man in Peter here? Even

if all are made to stumble, law, all, every single dog get

family, uh snail were made to stumble because of you. I will never

you know, I always remind I always. It came from my mom and

my mama wiship, I mean never say never. This is not justin Bieber.

Okay, but never say never, because at the end of the day,

don't say never, because if you did it, once means it's not

concerned. Never ready. So whenever me and my wife thought she sometimes we

both will say we are never never. Look at sure I never never means

one's then she'll do the same to me. But never, never, never,

okay, never will be made to stumble. Then Jesus said to him,

surely, second time. Surely I say to you that this night,

before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. Can you imagine

the confidence that was building on him, For this was the man that were

just was just called the rock. You know, you just call me the

Rock, and you're telling me tonight I'm gonna feel even if gonna feel so

at least tomorrow or the next day tonight. Okay, see what Peters said.

So Peter's like some that I feel like you can just you just just

just keep your mouth to yourself, a wild thing. And and so no,

no, no, stray come, Peter say to him, even if

I have to die with you, I will not deny you. And so

say all the disciples. So don't just blame it on bitter Okay, all

the disciples all the conjob behind you. Oh yes, Yester, Yeah,

yeah, you're right, you're right. I go to die with you.

If you know the story, Peter went further and further whaler from Jesus,

right is his story's further and further away, right, So here's what we're

gonna learn. Okay, Peter really really thought that he had it all.

Okay, he really thought and maybe out the goodness of his heart. He

really loved Jesus, right, he really loves he said, he really looked

at Jesus as his messiah, and you can see it at at the different

times where he actually rebuild Jesus. She actually said, no, Jesus,

you you don't know, don't say this kind of thing. Okay, you

are here to save us all, how can you die? Then this when

Jesus actually replied to him and say, get behind me, right, you

remember remember that story, right, get behind me? Satan? My goodness,

I mentioned being called Satan by Jesus. Okay, come, let's go

to a story. This was right after So Peter then the story you all

know, de nied Jesus three times before the rooster crowd. Jesus then went

to the cross, right, he died on the cross. Here resurrected,

there was the empty grave. The story of Mary going to get the disciples,

Peter John running to the grave and then realizing that the grave was empty.

Peter had to You read the four different accounts. Now, this is

an interesting thing of the Bible. It's an account, eyewitness account, okay,

and it's also the word of God inspired word of God. You read

the four different accounts, you put it together, you will see an amazing

Gord drama. Or okay, trust me, put the four accounts together.

Sometimes you say, hey, how come this is a contradict. No,

really, put it together thing logically, and you will see a Korean drama

unfold. I'm kid. You not really got earthquake, goll then hiking,

got angel appearing, got tears, got running back, got running back to

the great to the tomb, running back to the house, running back to

the tomb. The whole thing, got the whole package. Okay. So

Peter Peters full of regret. Right at this time, he hasn't been renewed.

He hasn't been uh restored yet. Peter So John twenty one is the

story of Peter and the Disciples being in a state where they're very confused about

life. What's what's the next? Our Savior and King is dead right now,

you can't even find the body. Yeah, he's alive. We have

been told he's alive. He has came to us before. See here,

before this, Jesus already appeared to them, and all already see the holes

in his hands. Okay, including Thomas. This is the third time already

that you just appeared to them. But yet some of them are still confused.

So similiar Jesus appear into God appeared in your life multiple times before the

same thing. God has never changed, The story is always the same,

But yet we get confused time and time again whether that is really God's voice

or not. Now I want to share with you that after today, maybe

you can recognize a little bit about how we can actually love God, how

we can actually recognize the voice of God. All right, so let's go

through the story of johnthany one. I intentionally do this because I did a

survey among the young people and also some of the older ones and not so

young in age anymore. But the survey was done to us. Is this

book called the Bible? Interesting? They asked me how to read this book

and laugh at it. And you know, joy, Joy that can let

me show you and demonstrate you how. Okay. So the book of John

to the twenty one is one of the funniest stories that I've read in my

life. Okay, really, let me just show you how. And and

this is a character of bitter. So after you hear this, you realize

that how important the word love is. Now, sorry I did not catch

I need to do this, but I need to do this very quickly.

But can you go to the slight before before that? The agape is like

I'm going to introduce a term to you. Yeah, okay. So in

the commandment that was given by God, the love over there represents the word

akape. Agape means unconditional. Agape means sacrificial, something that you do that

is not for yourself. Right, Agape is something that only God can give,

love that only God can give you. And in the story of John

twenty one, you will then learn how Jesus had to disciple Peter in order

to recognize this fact. Okay, because Peter was full of it. Peter

thought that he had it all. He loved Jesus, he loved God so

much. By his own strength. Sometimes I feel that way too. I

share you a story of my own journey. I I'm a devout Christian.

I believe that I'm a devout believer. I've seen God moving my life countless

times, miracles after miracles, still waiting for the facts to go away.

But faith with that works is dead. Right. I'm not working like I

mean like, Okay, I'm just not working like yo. I tell you,

Albert, don't love at me. I'm trying. I'm trying and try

one day that will happen, hopefully before Jesus come back. Okay. So,

so I consider itself a New York Christian, right, devout follower.

We God's word, I pray. Do I see from him from time to

time? Yes, I tell lies, I tell white lies, I tell

big lies. Whatever it is, it happens. You know, I'm not

perfect. My wife noted, full of full of these you know impurities that

you look at me and you got like this guy doesn't deserve to live.

But yeah, yeah, doesn't deserve leave. Okay, so yeah it's not

that so so so okay, so gave out Christian, you out believer there

follower. Then one day I receive a call of my dad. You'll know

this story. My dad had cancer. And the moment I heard of that

story or dead news, I did not even pray, not a single word,

not even like God help. No. Straight away the mind went the

clockwork. Okay, where ambulance, which hospital? Insurance? God or not?

Money, God or not? Everything was dead, nothing was God.

But God came true for me time and time again. But whenever the incident

happens in my life, immediately clockwork, God is out the picture. Brain

work first. I sound like Peter. Sometimes God is just trying to tell

you something. Even if there's something, is that, Hey, you are

going to deny me. Why are we allowing our ego to come ahead of

ourselves and say God, I will never deny you. I would never deny

you. Better say that even if I had to die and follow you to

die. I there's so much significance emphasis placed on the person, the individual.

So when God commanded each and everyone of us to love him, he

commanded us not just to love him unconditionally, but love your enemies unconditionally.

Can you think of a way to love your enemies unconditionally? Sometimes when the

enemy is just I pined to be one, Maybe easier. Loa, what

if he did something so bad to you, so horrible, so bad.

You know, I was a product of something very very bad. Something someone

did something very bad to me. I can't share, keep it PG here.

But something did someone did something very bad to me. Let's put it

that way. And I hate that person. Ask my wife, I hate

him so much, so much I can how can I cannot. Nothing in

my body can comprehend that. But God asked me to love Cristy. Yeah,

how I'm gonna love this person? I cannot. God, I cannot.

I don't have I will never, I will never deny you better.

Okay, So John twenty one, let's go to John twenty one, verse

one, and we're gonna read. Okay, open your Bibles. If you

have followed me in the story John twenty one, verse one, I hope

XTV is bringing us true Okay the verses. So imagine yourself that it port

yourself to the beach. A lot of us like to go to the beach.

Okay. So they were at the beach Sea of Galilee. Uh.

And after these things, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the sea

of the Sea of Tiberias, which is the sea of Galilee. And in

this way he showed himself, so he actually detailed what he actually did.

Okay, Jesus did this. Simon Peter Thomas called the twin Natanna or Kenna

in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee right there, sitated there and the

two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, Hi,

guys, I'm going fishing. I'm not gonna do anything. I'm going

to go fishing. Then the disciples then they say to him, we are

going with you. Also. There you are this disciples. They're just following

wherever this Simon goes. Okay, so Simon goes fishing. So they were

not immediately. These are fishermen, professional fishermen for all their lives, before

they met Jesus, before they take up the calling to follow Jesus. Right,

and that night they caught nothing. He must be that specific. That

night they caught nothing. That means maybe the previous night they had a lot

of huh. They were very used to catching a lot of fish. Just

that one night the fish decided to disappear. Okay, sounds familiar. It's

like, oh, okay, so or not. Here is that Simon Peter

right without Jesus physically by his side, because he was Jesus was always there

for him in the past three years, returned to what he was most comfortable

with. Some of us have read this before, right. It could also

be that maybe they were just obedient, because the Mary actually went and told

disciples, Jesus is going to meet you at Galilee. So maybe they're just

waiting. I think at the end of the day, you know, at

the at the very least, I feel that it's a moment of uncertainty that

they didn't know what to do, so they just couldn't do what they used

to do. La. They didn't know where to go. At the same

time, Jesus did. Jesus alive. This is a lie. I saw

him Jesus ray showed me his hands. He's alive. But see, you

know, sometimes we ask ourselves a lot of these questions. Where's God?

Where's God in my life? What am I going to do? Now?

Kela? Going fishler? Right? Agla? He said, off, seeking

him for the okay, So they went to fish. They caught nothing.

But when the morning came vers four, Jesus stood on the shore yet the

disciples did not know it was Jesus. Okay, you already remember the ghost

story. Of course, it's all familiar stories, you know that has happened.

Sometimes it's funny because I feel Jesus specifically chose this situation to speak to

the disciples because it's familiar to them. God sometimes use certain things that are

familiar. God speaks to you with people that you're familiar with. So don't

go and look to that person and say you're not God. Sometimes God speaks

to you true your pasts. When your pasters or your leaders tell you to

stop doing that, maybe for a for a moment, maybe think about listening

right and checking whether it is aligned to the word of God. Your pass

going to say, please go and murder that there, fellow, They say,

oh, my Master, say go and murder. I can and murder

him. Hello. Is it consistent with the word of God. You have

to make sure it's consistently. How you're going to know if you're not reading

the word of God. Amen, Okay, let's continue. Ah, So

Jesus to the show. The disciples did not know who it was Jesus.

Then Jesus say the death from the show children, it's amazing. Say I'm

pausing every time because I want to show you reading God's words is really beautiful.

We can learn a lot just by the word children. Jesus referred to

his disciples as children. When was the last time Jesus spoke about children.

It was when the disciples actually shunned away the children that came coming up to

meet Jesus, and Jesus said to the disciples, let the little children come

to me. Jesus had to rebuild the disciples, and the disciples had to

learn the significance of being a child in the eyes of the Lord, because

only the child can end in the King of Heaven. Have the faith like

a child, having faith like must see you know all these stories that the

disciples were prone to, they were listening, they were absorbing from Jesus.

Jesus used the same word children. Imagine. Imagine it's the same Greek word.

It's the same Greek word that Jesus used to call the disciples. If

I were to be called dead, I would go like I am the little

children that Jesus loves. I don't know how many of you feel that way

that you are the child of God. Sometimes your identity if you do not

know who you are. You will not respond to your name. If your

name is Josh and I call you Simon, or you respond. So when

God calls you child, and you are God's child, but you do not

know that your God's child, will you respond? So, children, children,

see just one word. The next word that came after that was a

word that a lot of mothers he here and grandmothers here, well know they

stick right? Have you eaten? Every time I go back to my grandmother's

house, she always asks me, have I eaten? Have I eaten?

Have I eaten? Every single hour? Will have one meal? I tell

you what the meal. It's not a simple brain. It's a fool on

rice and chicken and curry and all. I tell you, it's so hard

to remain slim whenever I go back to my grandmother's house. You know,

so, young people here, you know you still have the privilege of women.

Your grandmother's cherishit, cherish shit. Don't drag your feet your grandma's house.

They really love you. Right. I don't have the privilege anymore,

right because grandfather is gone. And again, so praise the lot because he's

with Jesus. Okay, So, children, have you any food? This

is Jesus. Jesus, you just denied me three times. I'm asking you.

Now. God has a heart that is for his people, for his

children. They answered him no. Can you imagine the shame that they had.

Guys, we just finished the whole night and we don't have any fish.

So imagine John, just just fish this all. You're the dude one

Joe. No that Jesus. No, sorry, No, they had no

food. They had nothing to offer. Sometimes we have nothing to offer God,

and it's okay. Sometimes you offer your life, but at that time,

maybe you don't even have your life. You don't even know what's your

life. Lord, I offer myne what do I have? Again? I

have nothing? And it's okay. It's okay not to have anything because God

is there. And think God just wants your life. God just wants your

heart. Are you willing to offer your heart to God? Verse six?

And he said to them, this is so familiar. Cast your net on

the right side of the boat, and you will find some This is Jesus

world last summer. It's funny that here's a sense of humor. Okay.

Some so they castler right, and now they were not able to draw in

because of the malditay of fish. And there is Jesus definition of some Jesus

God's little to you, maybe a break through. You see that. You

see how few verses, few words can try slip to learning a lot about

God's character. So it's also interesting to note, if you don't know already,

this was actually the same miracle, the same occurrence when Jesus actually first

asked Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow him. This was actually

the first first incident and the first miracle that occurred. Let's read verse seven,

verse seven, or by the by the way, now Peter still don't

know is God? Okay, Peter still don't know? It's Jesus. Therefore

I tell you so you know, But Peter, I want to introduce to

your character called John John an okay. So therefore the disciples whom Jesus loved.

Wow, say to Peter, by the way, it is John writing

writing himself. I'm the one. I'm the one that Jesus loved. Say

to Peter, it is the Lord. Lie about this is the Lord.

Now if Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, okay, this one

I don't know if you will ever reading this the same ever again, or

if you ever paused really or in the way you really it goes to go

like now, it's sign Peter heard that he was a lord. You put

on on the government for your removie and plunging into the sea. But the

other disciples, Hello, take a pause and reflect. Put yourself in his

situation. Why in the world to take up his all the government? He's

check on the board. Why you go away? Check it again? Yeah.

So this was very interesting to me because it's something that I learned.

Peter walked on water before. I feel or it is my personal opinion interpretation

that Peter thought that he's going to war on water again. Oh is Jesus.

I'm gonna show this Jesus full of faith. Last time I took my

eyes away from him, I look at the sea. I fell like to

see. This time I straight ahead, Jesus on coming. We are pull

his jacket. Yeah, so he expected full of faith. Sometimes we live

like that. Also. Sometimes God has already come true without us one occurrence

before we expect God to do the same excepting for us, and then it

doesn't happen. We blame God, God lost time. I give offering you

came true for me. This time I give offering, You're gonna come true

again for me? Oh hello, it doesn't work that we are you God?

Or is Jesus God? Are you God? Or is the Lord the

Lord? Who is God in your life? So there's a funny story like

Peter, and you know, and if we do not obey him, if

we do not treat God like God, sometimes you're Peter a full on trench,

full on trench out, including his out the jacket, no nothing to

warm himself up. The place where gold. Okay, it's a sea.

It's a bitch. So the funny story is that the other disciples came into

the little world, for they were not of our rom land, but about

two hundred fowkay, a little fellow as simonsuming on the boat, what are

you doing? They appear on the boat, They appear the sea dragging the

net with fish. Then as soon as they had come to land, they

saw fire coals there and the fish laid on it and break? Why fish?

And why break? Have you ever thought about it? What else is

fish? And bread? Five flows and two fish? You see? Every

time I look at this, I get so amazed because Jesus asked you a

question, but already breakfast prepared for you. Really, he already knows your

answer. He knows the situation. His food is already ready for you.

He doesn't even need to know or hear what you have to say. But

something he still asks. He still asks you, even though he knows the

answer already. They appeared on the shore, and this is something that I

want you to catch. I just caught it. Okay, this is something

amazing, saying my gospel, you catch something. But every day, see

yah, here we go. You just say to them, bring some of

the fish you have just caught. Even though the breakfast is already God steals

want to use what you have, the food ready, why not just come

and dine with him? Now everything late, now it will prepared ready,

But Jesus still asks you to bring the fish that you caught. Jesus wants

to use the work of your hands. God wants to do that. And

he was just demonstrating this to Peter and the disciples. So then what did

Peter do. Imagine Peter still wet, okay, full on, drench,

full on wet. Peter straight up when and drag the net to land full

of large fish one hundred and fifty three. Now people asking you what the

one in fifty three stands for, I don't know. Okay, go in

the way research west, say seven seven food, the floor of the spirit

plus the ten commandment, then time seven, and then you get hundred forty

three. Okay, I don't want all seriously, it doesn't matter. Okay,

at the end of the day and then the day if you six to

fixing you okay. So one day got medi you a revelation one hundred ft

three, Please come and share, okay, So one hundred of the three.

Although there were so many, the net was not broken. I want

you to point it to you that the net was not broken when this miracle

happened. The first time. What happened the net was it was so big

until the net broken. You remember the story Peter was dragging the same guy.

Can you see this. It's the same guy dragging the net and the

net broke so much fish until the net broke. This time around, what

happened. The net did not break, did not break. I want to

point you back to when Peter was first asked by Jesus to follow him.

What did Jesus say? She just said, follow me and I'll make you

fishes of mad. Follow me, and from this day on words you are

going to catch man. Can you see that? Can you see the beautiful

story? Even before Jesus restores Peter, he's already showing him signs that if

you are going to follow me, the fish that you're catch in your net

will not go away. Your net won't even break this time around, even

though it's one hundred and fifty three, even though in the natural it's going

to break, even though in the natural, doing revel in your schools is

not is a no. No. People are going to judge you. People

are going to persecute you. People are going to say you holy, holy

Christians. But no, your net's not going to break. The only thing

that's going to happen is second dimity tree twelve that if you desire to live

a godly life, you are going to undergo persecution. That's the only thing

that's going to happen. God's word, it's going to happen. The net

did not break because Jesus promise to Peter, was I am going to make

you fishes of man. Something interesting. The word of God is so interesting.

Every word has a meaning I want to encourage you. All right,

so John continued, twelve, today I'm calling my lawd Lord. Okay.

So twelve Jesus said to him, come and eat breakfast. Yet none of

the disciples are there to ask him, who are you knowing that it was

a lord. So at this time they already knew. All of them knew

it was the Lord. Jesus then came, took the bread and gave it

to them, like once, it's the fish. Jesus serf. You know

you're don't talk about serving Jesus. Surf. Was your feedler, surf your

breakfast? Law Hello, your room servisa. But he does that for you.

Jesus serve his disciples. And this is now the third time Jesus showed

himself the disciples after he was raised for the day. Amen. So this

was some context about how different things that happened in Peter's life leading up to

this moment in which Jesus was just not interested in making him comfortable, but

Jesus had to restore him. So this is the main point of the sich

John twenty one, fifteen to nineteen. Here we go, Uh, it's

basically a story. And he starts off this. I'm going to read the

first verse. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus make sure they were

full, Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon, son of Jonah. Okay,

remember John was the one that wrote this book. Okay, so Jesus's words

worse Simon's son of Jonah. Do you love me more than this? Okay?

So there were three questions that were asked by Jesus to Peter. Here

we go. The first question is do you love me more than this?

The love in that question is this? In that question is the same love

in the commandment? Okay, agape? So you can you can change it

to do you aga pay me more than this? I it's my prayer one

day that I can I can do great and Hebrew fluently. It really sounds

good. I'm trying and trying. But when I when I try, I

sound like a Cantonese broken language. Okay, So do you aka pay me

more than is? Peter replied, yes, Lord, you know I love

you. Now. Why is it important to read the language the Bible in

its original language? Because if you read this, you're you're not some of

you will be blur confused. Oh yeah, you ask me three times?

Right, And of course when I was a Camber student, this was the

revelation that came to me when I was a Camber student, when I almost

graduated. I didn't know until I think it was one of the pastest that

appreciate it, and I went, oh, yeah, it's actually different.

So now whenever I read God, I need to check, you know,

what does this word actually mean in his original language, because another word for

love is actually what's the word I use? Sister? Are you charity?

Yeah, that's another word for love, charity? So do you accompany me

more than this? Peter replied, yes, Lord, you know that I

feel you? You Hello. Peter can obviously hear what he's saying like his

original language, right, so he decides like ask your mother asking you you

eat really not? Then you say I want to fly kite. It's like

that sometimes we treat our parents that, right. Parents ask you a question,

you answer, zach you people ask you as okay, So Peter answer,

yes, Lord, you know that I feel you Philio means brotherly love.

I love you. But it's a brokay brozone, you know friend friends

on friends one like all the relationship no no, no, no, just

Bradley, the filial you. Here's where you get interesting. Jesus actually gave

a lot of hints, a lot like how we say Tipsley leading up to

that, what he's going to do right? And count fishing la fish la,

And then Jesus replied, feed my lamps. Okay, feed my lambs.

Second question, Second question, Jesus ask again do you pay me?

But this time the more than this disappeared. He realized, seems like there

was a period here where they that that that the focus was no longer about

people around him, The for was just about him and the Lord. Okay,

forget about comparing other people, just you and me. Men, do

men you love me? Peter said, yes, Lord, you know that

I feelar you still the same thing. Then Jesus then responded, ten to

my sheep. Now there's a difference thereaday. First it was feed my lambs.

Second is ten to my sheep. Okay. And if you know lamb

and sheep, lamb is the baby ship okay. Third question, sometimes this

one I find it very interesting. I question myself why three times? What's

the significance of three times? And another question I questioned myself is if Jesus

were to continuously ask Peter the same question over and over again. I don't

know whether Peter would change his answer, because if you recognize and if you

know where we are going, Peter didn't change his answer. Peter changed his

approach, the way he say what he said. But she's changed his answer

at the third time, some question at the time. So sometimes I feel

that it was because Peter. It was predicted, it was prophesied that Peter

was going to deny him three times. So it's so much so it's like

this is a third time. There you will remember what just happened. You

just denied me three times, and at the third time, then suddenly the

rooster crew crow. It's almost like a wake up colinl and friends. In

life, sometimes there will be a wake up call moment in your life.

There's God is a God full of grace, full of second chances, but

there will be moments where it's a wake up call and you know it.

You say no to God. Yes, God is full of grace and his

mercy will sustain you. It's crazy to sustain you, but you are going

to suffer the consequences. Okay, there's a consequence. So friends, I

want to employ you and encourage you. Be on the lookout because they are

consequent. Even though God is a loving god, there are good you want

to suffer because of your own actions. People are going to hate you,

but God will still love you. Go is to accept you. So Jesus

almost I felt in my own interpretation, I felt like the third time it

was almost like a wake up call. And what did Jesus do? This

is a beautiful picture. Instead of continuing in his agape love that he has,

he came to us. He changed his question. He recognized that there

was a change, perhaps there was a change or attitude in Peter, because

you can see the way Peter responded after that. And Peter actually responded the

third time by saying, Lord, you know all things. So he acknowledged

that God is God. He acknowledged that Jesus knew everything and he's not all

this wild. He did not say, Jesus, you knew all things.

But Peter's respond to this was Jesus, you know all things. Lord.

I love you. I can't love you with I can't give you that love

that you require if it's by my own strength. Remember that this is the

same Peter that said, no matter what, I'm not going to deny you,

even if I have to die. Jesus had to fix that part of

Peter's life. Some of us here feel that we can be caught. Some

of us here feel that we have to strength the mind to love unconditionally.

And that's still that's why you cannot love your enemy by your own natural self.

Your enemy punch you, You're gonna punch him back, your enemy.

Take your daughter, canap her someone daughter. You are not going to be

oh tak no, You're going to go up to human, give you a

paw nicely and grab your daughter back. Right, it's common sense. How

am I gonna love that? But it's the commandment. It's not just a

second, third, fourth, fifth, it's the greatest commandment. You love

God. You gotta love a lot of people. Well, that's why it

gets interesting. Peter had to admit I can't do that. Lord, I

feel on you. Because Jesus was asking him personally, Peter, do you

love me no longer more than Islam, more than that me and you mental

men? Do you love me? Peter answered yes, Lord, I love

you okay, and Jesus' final response was feed my sheep. There was a

progression over there, from taking care of the young ones to caring for the

older ones, and then to finally discipling the old ones, because that is

the great commission, go and make disciples of all nations. So Jesus is

consistent. The word of God is consistent. Wherever you go, wherever you

turn, it's consistent. Now what happened after that is up to you to

read yourself. Okay, it's a very interesting story. I don't have the

time to go into that. By go and really and really he started to

become Peter again. Okay, go ahead, It's very funny. Okay,

But today the focus is I want to give you four keys to loving God.

Four keys, four main points to loving God, and the first key

comes from the verse in John fourteen twenty three to twenty four. It goes

like this, Jesus, unswertain, say to him, if anyone loves me,

he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and

we will come to him and make our home with him. Twenty four.

He who does not love me does not keep my word. If you do

not keep the word of God, you do not love him. You can

only love him by keeping the word of God. So, friends, have

you kept the word of God. I'm not saying keep the Bible in your

house. The great word for keep is obey, obey acknowledge English annoyage.

This is what. Yeah, he's there. Hello. Acknowledge means that your

life. Really, I acknowledge that you are God, You control my destiny.

That kind of keep. Okay, keep the word our home okay,

whish I'll get to that later. In Greek is actually mourner mourner okay.

It also means our abode, and our abode is actually the indwelling of the

Holy Spirit. Okay. So sometimes when we read God's like, hey,

Jesus said, Jesus Father, where is the Holy Spirit? I mean,

gonna read the Greek. The Holy Spirit is there even before the introduction of

the Holy Spirit. He's there already, okay. So Holy Spirit existed even

before yesterday, today, and forever more. Okay. That's the try and

God trinity. So what are the teachings? What can you keep the word

of God? The beattitudes? You know, when Jesus came to this earth,

he came to shake up everything that we ever knew. You know,

love your Enemila people, step you on one hand, going and give you

one chigle offer the other chick la. Be a sortain lightler, you know,

to be at to some a blessed at the point in spirit, blessed

at the me. These are things that by our own strength, but all

mind, we will never come across from you know. That's why Jesus actually

came to fulfill the commandment not to replace and not to give something new.

Jesus is just saying that if you keep this commandment, you don't have to

remember the ten commandments. Ready, because you love me, you won't do

that. Let me give you an example. You love me, You're not

going to steal. You love God, You're not going to have adultery.

It's that way. But how how can we love God? Okay, keep

his commandments? No, his word. You can't keep what you don't know.

If you don't know what the Word of God says, you won't be

able to keep it. So I just want to encourage you. The Word

of God is alive, keep it close to you, journey it every day

if you can. All right, second key that I want to give you

is the Word examined. You got to check your heart. Friends, you

gotta be honest with yourself, because if you're not honest with yourself, who's

going to be honest? Who's gonna who's gonna answer truthfully? You're gonna check

your heart. Don't be like Peter. Don't be like Peter. When when

when Jesus say, you're gonna deny me? No, Lord like, You're

never gonna do it, never, ever, ever, ever, ever,

I'm gonna deny you. No, You're to check your heart. Who are

you kidding? Who are you trying to bluff? Is the Lord? Just

be honest with him. Check your heart, Examine your heart, open it

so much junk? Admitute, Lord, there's so much young in my heart.

Lord, I offer you all up to you. Come on, examine

your heart. Because the abundance of the heart the man will speak. Sometimes

we often ask a self question, how come I go and do this thing?

How come I get involved in such a horrible actor? Are you?

I don't know why. I can't explain why. Because your heart is not

filled with God's love. You're gotta draw nearer to God. He will drawn

nearer to you. Amen, So examine your heart. Probabs three five to

six says trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on

your own understanding in all your ways, acknowledge him. He shall direct your

paths. I have a renewed not interest loud, yeah, I thank you.

I have a renew renewed faith to to really try my best to memorize

God's word in building into my heart. I try my best. My wife

is very good. She can remember sums after sums, and I admire her

for that. But I have a renewed and I pray that same fire over

you, because friends, one day the word of God is going to be

so scarce. And he's in the Bible, by the way, it's in

scripture that these things won't be no longer easily accessible. You know what happens?

Then, how you're gonna encourage yourself? So that's the Daniel, what

you're going to do when you're going to jail. You experience jail before,

right, not fun? Right? What are you gonna do if you're in

jail? How are you gonna prasc got you prais got halleluja, hallelu hallelujah.

Is it You're to declare God's word? Ma? Right? So this

is something that I want to encourage you examine your heart and not just let

me feel it with God's words. Imen, Okay, I'm gonna go to

the next point. Next point is basically this, yes, okay, yes

Jesus. You gotta say yes to God daily. It's not a I say

today and I graduate tomorrow. It's not I say yes today and good stuff

happened today, then tomorrow I forget about him. No, it has to

be a daily decision. In Luke nine three, he says you to take

up your cross and to follow him. He doesn't say take up across today

and then tomorrow. On the verse, actually says tick up your cross daily.

Every single day, every single day, you have to make a choice

to take up the cross of Jesus Christ all your life. Not because the

cross, not because it's it's your burdens. But Jesus has died for your

sins. That's the reminder of the cross. Every time you carry the cross,

will remember Jesus has already died for everything, or the burdens or the

pain. But you have to carry your cross. You carry your own cross

daily, all right, and follow Jesus. Not just take up your cross

and then fly to the moon. No, follow Jesus. Someone us take

out across. Yes, we take a while, but then then we come

to our past it and say, oh, so many woden so much insecurity.

My life is so bad, my life is so horrible. I can't

leave anymore. I don't know what to do anymore. They're sticking out across

lived. But you're not following Jesus. You're You're just fooling your your own

emotions and your own feelings, right, So you got to say yes to

Jesus daily. It is easy to say yes to Jesus when things are going

well and you can see his goodness. It's easy. It's a different thing

to say yes to Jesus when things does not seem to be going well and

you cannot see a future the hope. You know, the Bible says the

Lord is going to give you a future hope, but you cannot see it.

It's another thing to say yes to Jesus. And at the time,

so I pray that you relate to the story of Peter. I love this

story a lot because he went from a place of arrogance to a place of

being very humble, to a phase of regret, to a place of being

restored back to the rock that he was. You can imagine when Jesus actually

addressed Peter, he said, Simon, barge owner, I did give you

the name Peter. Why why not call you Peter? Here? You ever

thought about it? Sometimes God comes to us that way. Rachel, that

is your name is Rachel, and she calls you, and you haven't been

a Rachel lately. So God calls you, and it's like a wake up

calling on you call me Peter. La no, Simon sing d get the

hinn, Get the hinn. All right, So here here we go.

Here we see the transformation of Peter. Okay, so first John twenty not

first John John twenty verse only this is the story of Jesus appearing to the

disciples the second time, all right. And then Thomas Thomas the tween said

this ready by nighting okay, uh, we have seen the Lord that is

disciples. To Thomas, Thomas said, unless I see the hands the prince

and the nails and put my finger into the princes of nails and put my

hand by his side, I will not believe. That's why. That's where

Thomas get the thing name dubting Thomas. Okay, so verse thirty nine and

Jesus said to him, Thomas, because he has seen me. So Jesus

already appeared to Thomas. You have believed. But blessed are those who've seen,

and not blessed are those who have not seen. Yet belief, and

you will see the Peter that we all love and all ador and we all

know the transformation that happened in his life. Peter wrote a book. Do

you know that Peter wrote a book in the Bible? You know what?

Right? What did he write? What would you write? It's actually it's

actually two Partsla, It's actually the first ball. Okay, first and second

Peter Land, Okay, okay. So here here's what happened in first and

second be the verse six to eight, verse chapter one. In this you

greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you

have been grieved by raious trials ver sevender in the genesis of your faith,

being much more precious than go, the pracious tested by fire may found the

praise, honor, gloriate the revers of Jesus Christ. Was it home?

Having not seen yet you love? This was drawing from a principle that Jesus

was teaching to Thomas and Peter was around, mind you. But here's the

here's the wonderful thing. When he said love, he did not say felio

anymore. He said a copy. Peter was at a place where he was

able to now say Lord, I love you. Why because he kept the

word of God. He examined his own heart. He said yes, told

Jesus daily. And the final key is this spirit. The Holy Spirit is

what will enable you to say, Lord, I love you, I love

you, I aabay you. The Holy Spirit enabled it. How will the

Holy Spirit enable that? Since you've been proified in your souls First Peter twenty

second three, provide your souls in obeying the truth to the Spirit, in

his obeying the truth true the Spirit, in sincere love for the brethren,

love one another faminally a pure heart. Can you see that You've got to

obey the truth true the Spirit. Then you can love one another firmally with

a pure heart. And that love over there is agape. Can you see

it? Second Peter one five to seven. But for this very reason,

giving all diligience, add to your faith, virtue to virtue, knowledge to

knowledge, self controul to self control, perseverance to perseverance, godliness, to

Godliness, Bradley kindness, and to Bradley kindness love. Guess what, guys,

the love of what there is is? What is it feel? Or

is it a gupe? It's a p It's unconditional love. Can you see

that Peter went from a place that he kin't of even say the word agape

to a place where he wrote his book is full of fuck upy? Can

you see the restoration that happened. Can you see the way that he was

able to say it wasn't because it was no longer about him anymore? You

know, I don't think he will ever write Peter and say I will never

do that lot. I will never do that a lot. It's because of

the spirit or being the truth, true, the spirit that enabled Peter to

say this. Galatians five twenty three. Peter's friend Paul Okay two twenty three,

another amazing character which we will studying for another day, says this,

But the fruit or the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, genderness, self control. I tell you

what, friends, if you have not memorized the first spirit, please go

and memorize all nine of them. Okay, even the kids can memorize it.

I'm so ashamed. I'm so ashamed because even the kids can memorize it

and I cannot memorize it. But the fruit of the Spirit, I point

something out to you. It's not the fruits of the spirit, the fruit

of the spirit. So don't come to me and tell me I love,

no joy, love, no peace. I got no self control. Hello.

The fruit of the Spirit in dwells in you. You have it at

the tip of your heart, no of your hand. You just have to

excess it. The question is are you keeping the truth through the spirit enough

to access the fruit of the spirit. Because of His grace and his mercy,

Sometimes some of these traits come to you. But it's actually a package.

Like it not. It's a package the Holy Spirit doesn't just like,

okay, I give you one part of my nine fruits. No, it's

a fruit about It is singular, the Greek is singular. I'm one fruit.

It's even more so exemplified in the verses before when they talk about the

last of Men that one is plural. So many different traits of men,

that of the flesh, that can be identified two different different things. But

the fruit of spirit is one in man. So it's men for every believer,

as long as you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. Conclusion, Halleluiah,

praise a lot. I'm gonna write, the band will come up,

and then we're gonna read from John fourteen, verse twenty three to twenty four,

which is the verse that I started with. All right, and we're

gonna identify some key things over there. Okay. So Jesus answered and said

to him, if anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and

my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our

home with him. Here we go. Keep first point, so we're there,

Keep my word. Second point, what is the second point? Examine?

Go back to the verse. I just want to show them something.

Thank you, actually me all right, you're not examine your heart if you

love him, that's the word love, or that you're examining your heart.

The meal there refers to Jesus. The point you say yes to follow Jesus

every single day. And finally, the fourth point is the word home.

I told you just now right. In Greek, our home is actually our

abode. The Greek word is mourner. Mourna is actually the indwelling of the

Holy Spirit. All four points are in this one verse. And that's how

you can love those that persecute you. That's how you can love those that

hate you. That's how you can offer the other cheek. That's how your

seabling really mess you up. Your seabling gets you all fired up and pumped

up. You cannot love her. The Spirit will enable you to love her.

The Spirit will enable you to love him. The Spirit will enable you

to love your enemy like none of that, because you know what happens when

it's the Spirit loving. The important thing is no longer you, It is

no longer I, but Christ, who lives in me. This place is

the temple of the Holy Spirit. The question that you have to ask yourself

today is that is it really the temple of the Holy Spirit? And that's

why it Maybe your heart is full of bitterness, your heart is full of

the opposite of joy. Your heart is full of sadness, your heart is

full of hate, Your heart is full of reasons to say, yeah,

that person doesn't deserve my love because it is still you and not Christ to

live. The moment you allow Christ to live in your heart is when you

can really look to your Father in Heaven and say, Lord, I love

you. I want to give you something very important here, because sometimes when

we hear this, it feels that we cannot reach it. We cannot reach

it. Remember the story earlier about Jesus. He went to them, he

served them James chapter fourth verse. It says, draw near to God,

and I will draw near to you. He does not say, come completely

to me. Arrive at my destination, and I will come to you.

We'll give you some more consistency. When Peter was falling out, Jesus was

the one that outstretched his arm to catch Peter. God will come to you,

so as long as you offer what you have. The question here is,

have you offered the fish that you have caught to Jesus? Offer what

you have on your end, no matter how far, no matter how near

the verse is drawn near to God, you come one step to me.

It's all considered near already. You come one step to me, or so

the Father will run to you already. But have you made that step?

Because if you have not made that step, maybe that's why you can't love

one another. You can't do to the least of me. We hope you've

been blessed by this message for more information on our church, please visit as

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this week is going to be a good week. I hit for you. God bless