Setting High Spiritual Goals | Dr Daniel Kong

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

will light up your day. The title my message today, setting high spiritual

goals is probably what I'm going to be speaking about, uh, And it's

good to start off high. And I explained a little bit what it actually

means by setting high spiritual goals. Now. Last week Jason Martin came over

and spoke a little bit about the dangers of kill joys. Right, everybody

was here last week, most people were here, and today we are.

It's also to to to understand not just the dangers, but to always keep

the joy throughout the rest of the year. And how do we keep joy?

One of the ways is also to have fresh perspectives, right, because

sometimes you know, life may sure your lemons, but if your perspective of

lemons is positive, you make lemonade, but you will see life differently.

Right. So I think it's just a sort of a continuation of what he

said last week. Now, let me just start with scripture, because it's

church. Psalms one to one is the only, well the primary verses I'm

gonna be speaking about today. And in my notes I wrote here Psalms one

to one a higher perspective, And I explain to you in a bit.

But let's just put up the slide I put up to side by side to

try to fit everything in there. But let me just read you. If

you have a very fancy Bible, you might see the title a song of

a a sense okay, not accents a sense. Okay, So this comes

from the root ascending. But if your Bible is of a different version,

you might not have that. This is an NIV version. I'll read out

the verses. I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my

help come from. My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven

and earth. He will not let your foot slip. He will he who

catches over who's sorry. He who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed,

he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. He watches over

you. The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun will

not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will

keep you from all harm. He will watch over your life. The Lord

will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore. Okay,

that's his promise. So what does it mean by now and forevermore, forever.

Ah, it's infinity if you if you like numbers, okay, but

so that that is so, let me just explain a little bit about this

passage. Now, many scholars believe that this whole part about lifting up our

eyes up to the mounthterns simply represents the part where worshipers sung as they ascended

the road of Jerusalem, as they as they as centers, or the steps

towards the temple in Jerusalem. Okay, so as they stepped different steps,

they sung not just louder, but with more gusts. Okay. And why

do they do that is because the perspective change in every step that they take.

That's what the scholars believe. Okay, Now why do you think that

changes? If every step if you can imagine, it's actially fifteen steps a

right, I don't know how tall, but fifteen steps as they go up,

perspective changes, vision changes. You may see more things as you go

higher. I know, in today's context, fifteen steps, it's not a

lot, because we've got you know, P and B one, one,

eight and the likes of it are all skyscrapers. But I think we ought

to just understand the context here is that in their world it's very high.

Okay, their path as their path when higher, they are praises also when

higher. Okay, Now I'll stop a little bit with this passage. I'll

just can you just show the next slide. I'm just curious, what do

you see here? Shout out? You know it's meant to be two way

street both anybody else sees anything else? I know it's probably not the best

sunset Okay, the sea Okay, it's not Tessa, Okay, shadow reflection

Okay, it's actually a small little guy there as well. If you look

very closely. I know those that have binoculars for their glasses they will see

it. But yeah, there is okay. And sometimes when we look at

in that context, we see things, you know, in that small summer

thinking, oh, maybe that's a storm coming, maybe it's calm. So

different interpretations. Because your field of vision is only limited to whatever in this

case I choose to reveal to you. Got it? Okay, Now let's

put on the next line. What do you see now? Nice weather for

diving. Waiting just came here from diving, so that's yeah. So again

it gives a different context and it tells a different story, and perspective changes.

Same photograph, by the way, I just zoomed in a bit more,

but same photograph. Okay, so situation hasn't changed to the next tent.

It's just perspective has changed. Of I don't know the photography term of,

like, I don't know what's that aspect ratio or whatever. And I'm

not I'm not that good at all these technical terms, but you get the

idea. The last few weeks, the last few months, I had the

privilege to travel a little bit more and sow these travel involves taking their airplane,

Okay, so most everybody has flown before, right, Okay, Now,

if you just imagine the times that I fly solo without my kids,

I can get to sit next to the window seat. Hey, hi,

Zac, and didn't rest us in service, because why whenever the kids are

there, they normally, you know, regardless of whether I'm allocated to the

window seat, he gets the window seat anyway, right, Zach, Yeah,

or the other one. Okay, but yeah, when I travel alone,

I got the window seat. And if you remember flying, right,

your perspective changes as you ascend higher and higher. You see sometimes the tarmac,

sometimes you feel the tarmac if you had to walk on the those that

don't have that, what do they call it? That that bridge? Right,

And then later you see more and more and sometimes you fly over deserts,

you fly over seas, you fly over different urban landscapes. Recently also

flew to East Malaysia, so we've seen some of the rural parts of Malaysia

as well. But when you're on the ground you see things differently. But

you're up in the air you see things differently. And one thing I remember

as I saw, especially when it flew over seas, right, I saw

something similar to that, which is like what we call the it's a proper

temporate the horizon right, the seas. The seas are divided with the sky.

Sometimes you see land. Okay, Now, this is very good to

know because it gives you an advantage point. Remember last year we talked about

right. Last year, last year, last great two and three tree,

sorry, we talked about Heaven's perspective. Right, Kingdom rules story, Kingdom

rules, Heaven rules, Heaven's perspective, look things through God's lenses, and

this is no different. But the interesting thing about the horizon, right is

the the meeting or the mathematical terms, the intersection between the two parts,

not really, but you know sky and then land or earth, right,

but sometimes sky is tied to the heavenly realms. Okay, so they're not

separated. But when you're on the ground, you need to see the ground.

You see the earth in summit more if you go to the top,

you need to see that. You don't see further away. Right. But

it's important to know that the natural and the supernatural, or the heavenly or

the skies, you know, they all meet at the horizon line. Okay,

Now why is this important. It's because if you are at different positions,

just like the photograph demonstrated, you will see things evenly. But it

doesn't change the fact that the supernatural meets the natural. So sometimes when we

say, oh, why am I going through some of the things in the

natural, we don't understand that actually something happened in the supernatural, and we

covered a lot of that last year, right, But this, as I

flew, it just reminded me of the two things colliding or intersecting each other.

Okay, Now, as I mentioned to you, your feel of view

is shorter. Let's say, even if you're in the desert or an empty

feel like a like a green pasture kind of feel. How far do you

think and see unobstructed, no buildings, et cetera. Trow to me and

meters or kilometers fifty kilometers? Wow, you got a meters okay, meters

okay, fifty kilometers like wow, his glasses are like this really yeah,

I'd say maybe a couple of kilometers at most. Okay, even one is

a stretch, can sometimes be, but you get the idea, right.

But as same point you go vertically upwards, you see more. Can sometimes

be thousands of kilometers same point, same location, just different elevation or different

altitude or different heights. So this is exactly coming back to the to the

the Bible versy talk. As they ascended, they get louder, worship is

stronger because they see things in a different perspective. Okay, so this I'm

going to start this whole thing. And the scripture tells us to look up

for that reason. Okay, not just this time, a few times in

Genesis I tread to Addison last minute, But in Genesis fifteen it says Abraham,

look up, see the stars in the sky, which will be a

sign of your children, look up, look up? Okay. In Isaiah,

multiple times they say, look up, lift up your eyes and see

what God is doing. Okay, look at the heavens. Okay, he

who created everything, see what he's doing. Even when Jesus was speaking to

Pharaoh, so pharisee, sorry, uh. And and they always say he

he mentioned uh, you know, look up and see the sky will turn

rid. So it's always saying looking up, why because it gives you a

different perspective. But back to some they in the passage we're looking at when

we ascend, when we go higher, we will sing differently because of perspective

change. All right, but the situation, actually, the situation doesn't change,

just that your view changes. Okay, every okay, so far,

okay, now let me come back to someone to one next light. Okay,

so you can see here I've high lighted two things. Now looking up

is not bad. Like we've spent a whole year talking about looking up.

Okay, But this guy, David, by the way, King David,

he looked up and then straight away he looked up and say where does my

help come from? And then straight away he gives an answer almost immediately as

well. This like you ask a question, you answer yourself. Kind of

a situation, right you have anywhere? No people like that, they smart

elect kind of people you know, know the answer, ask a question,

share the answer. He's a bit like that, right. Where is God?

Actually he's there, all right. So what this passage is trying to

illustrate is that you know, you know David, he's like, you know,

a man after God's heart, close to God. And what he's trying

to say is that the priority isn't so much on just looking up. Don't

get me wrong, still look up, but it's not just about looking up

for long. Don't stare. God tell me how to do this, et

cetera, and this way. So it's not about the duration. It's another

way to put it. It's about look up, download, carry on,

take action. Okay, So but you look up why to recognize? Know

who our maker is? So look up, understand that God is in control,

move on and he tells you something you just jalan a in a plane

malay, okay. So it's not about duration. It's also not about you

can look up frequently, but don't spend too much time on it. Now.

Why is this important is because sometimes people wait on the Lord, keep

looking up and not proceed. Okay, And this is important why because as

I mentioned, greater heights give you a greater perspective. But what do you

do with the perspective? It is another way to put it. Okay,

Will you just same old, same o twenty twenty three, twenty twenty two,

twenty twenty one, same old, same ore, not do anything different?

I hope not. Okay, I hope not. So as we step

into new year, new heights, new season, new fresh beginnings, new

commitments, new gym membership, whatever it is, I hope you can carry

true and not just sailor. But the high you go definitely perspective changes.

Now one more thing ab a perspective. I'll show you a photograph, uh

of our trip in Penang. Uh not promoting Penang by the way, but

uh uh this this this photograph. If you don't know, they have changed

some of the streets. It's very nice to walk at night. Uh.

The photos are my kids smiling, but they will also it's like night by

the way, so it's as can imagine, it's a little bit cooler.

But they were before the photograph session. They'll be like, how are we

there? Those kind of questions that I know, can we go now?

It's so hot? Uh, where's the air condition room? Those kinds of

those things. Okay, all right, so that that is the perspective.

Okay, now next slight. Okay. We also had the opportunity to climb

Comta Tower again not promoting Pinang but ah or the pine even the house gate

woo. Anyway, Yeah, so they have this new three extra levels up

you can see the whole sky. We walked through the around and saw the

whole Penang. Zach was Yeah. Anyway, I'm not talk about za embarrassing,

but uh you you see a different perspective on you up there. And

I tell you we did this about noontime, scorching hot, but everybody was

smiling, funny, right, hotter than the night before when we walk the

streets. But somehow the reaction is different. It's more positive. Why because

I am a see more things. They they we were dead the other day,

you know the kind of thing you're complaining there. But again I had

some videos, but I don't think i'll show it. You know, it's

walking and but you get the idea, because it's illustration about perspective in different

new heights. Maybe get Phil to come and help me out as well.

Uh, to illustrate something else. I'll get him to stand in front of

me. Okay, face it's better the face there. Okay, face to

face, there is it because I'll get I'll get close. Now, can

you see me? No, becory because it's taller. I've I've gotten someone

shorter. But you know, sometimes we we we look at Uh, film

can be problems, challenges, obstacles or right right candidate right right candidate,

right candidate? No, not kidding, getting kidding, kidding, barriers whatever,

things that you you cannot go beyond because it's blocking a view. Does

it mean anything in front of him changes? No, again, it's just

that when you stand the problem, the problem cripples you. But actually,

if you take a step back, or if I can take a step up,

Yeah, I see things differently. Right Suddenly, my I don't know,

a few centimeters, perspective has changed to you know, a lot more

in terms of meters. Okay, thanks Phil, don't do Yeah, but

it's not a problem. It's not a problem. He's a good friend and

why I brought him up. But you get the idea, right, So

perspective changes. So I'm trying to say, is that this year, as

we start the new year, trying to look look at things from a higher

percul That's why I say it setting high standards literally high err okay, why

because when you do that, you see things beyond just the problems. You

can see the miraculous. You can see the impossible being possible. You can

see things or prophecy being fulfilled. Salvation and healings that were promised to you

can also happen. But do not stare at the back of fields head,

just to help you remember. But yeah, your problems become lesser as you

move up. Okay, things may become smaller as you go up or fly

up or whatever. And again it's just a matter of shifting perspective. Okay,

So things that are important or cripple you are no longer so important anymore.

And just like how you know, if you remember the Israelis where they're

running away from from the Army's right, you look at the rids, sea

or man the problems right in front of me, if they actually at God's

perspective, you know, it's like tomato soup, you know, like just

parting eleven. Right, it's a commercial, right, they use some cambull

sooop anyway, and then you know in the fiery fur the same thing as

well. You know God is in the picture. So I've found this quote

on Pinterest by Rhonda can't pronounce the last name. You have a have to

be do you to find a different approach to what is true, a different

vantage point? So what is vantage point? Definitely is not you know,

it's not a chair, it's not a short place. It's definitely a taller

place. Skyscrapers, mountains, you know, hot air balloon, they're kind

of a high point. So new vision for twenty twenty four, new perspective,

new vantage point as well as you look as you look at those challenges.

So I hope you catch the drift. Okay, why is it important?

It's because then your purpose, your calling will be clearer. It's not

that it's not there before, it's just a bit clearer than before and not

obstructed by Peel's hit. Okay, yeah, so revelation like so would allow

you to understand your purpose in your life as well. Everybody so far Okay,

So next light, this is going to be a very simple message.

By the way, performance review, What what comes to your mind when you

see those words. Most of us are like working, right, I think

except for Zach young working adults, adults, et cetera. So it depends

on the perspective as well. Which side of the table you are on can

be a very negative kind of emotion, you know. But you know,

performance review and goal setting sometimes comes to hand in hand. You you recap

what happened in the year in terms of your job, and then you also

project or goal set for the rest of the year. And it's a very

common thing in marketplaces or workplaces. Why because they want to set the expectations

so that you know what to do as an employee effectively for the rest of

the year. Correct, So acceptable, right, it's a norm. Okay,

But what about goals in terms of the spiritual sense? Oh, why

are we setting goals for the rest of the year for in spiritual sense?

It's different, right somehow? Why are they so nosy? Why are they

challenging me to pray more? Why are they changing me to read my Bible

bit more? Those kind of things. But just like in the natural,

I mean, I've got the opportunity to also sit with on the other side.

Where as a line manager, I do the whole performance review thing and

also go setting from a manager perspective, and usually the most frequently asked question

in that process. Right, it's not just about the goals. It's usually

very big picture, every very kind of a thing. There's always specific targets.

And normally, I mean different companies have got different spectrum of like you

know, meeting requirements, not meeting requirements or exceeding your your expectation. Okay,

But in terms of employees, they always ask us to define what those

targets are, and they're very very explicit. They're very very Okay, what

are the numbers? What is my how is my target? Is it a

percentage thing? What do you mean by improvement? You know, it's very

specific. Why because they want to know because effect the bonus is one thing,

But of course they also want to know how they can ensure that they

hit them up in the next review. Right. So again some one two

one is also in some sense look up, right, is to do the

performance reviewer. But not with me, not with the look persective. It's

just between you and the lord. So the reason why I'm putting this up

is so that you know, as you start training intry, you just don't

look at the physical stuff that you need to uh, you know, to

to to to to go, set you know body, those kind of things,

good stuff, you know, you know, be healthier, eat healthier,

run more, grow taller, fit. I don't know what else,

personal development. Those are good things, but spiritual development is also important.

Otherwise remain stagnant. H And again this is just something that the church often

encourages you to consider as well. Okay. And what are spiritual commitments?

Something as simple as to spend time God is the simplest way. How the

expression your targets can be different. So Waning's target is different from Phil's target,

from Daniel's target, from everybody else target. Why because all we want

just like how in a natural sense, we want to improve what we have

before hopefully la and not regress. Are okay? Okay? Okay? So

are we buying in a okay? So how do we do this? Okay?

So three points? Firstly, recognize a source of help, share the

lotler. So that's the someone to Okay, because the summist did declare,

I lift up my eyes to the mountains where my help comes from. Ask

the helper, the creator to help you define those targets like it's a person

target. You don't share anybody else, but it's yours to work out.

And if you come with challenges, also remember he's there to bail you out,

to help you out. It's not all doing gloom. Just before this

weekend, as as a preprentice message, I had something happened at work,

long story shot. Somebody that is good that I'm caring for is resign and

I first day I told you, I said, oh man, this is

what I start of the year again. I'm just looking at the back of

a philst four hitler at that point in time, I'm like, oh man,

how am I going to manage this? And uh? And sometimes we

look at the year like this, We just look at it by in the

perspective of fighting fires, right, shouldn't shouldn't remember the help comes from the

Lord. Recognizing there's a deeper understanding of why things happen the way it happened,

and recognize that their creator is there as promised in someone to want to

help you. Okay, I purposely put up that particular image there because it's

actually an image of a sunrise. I know it's AI generated a lot,

but you know sunrise and at the suddain parts of the mountains actually in darkness.

Okay, as the sunrises, things are reviewed, so things like the

doom and glom or how am I going to do? This perspective changes as

even as the sunrises, and as we always pray, the promise of a

new day every morning is exactly how we need to get up on a daily

basis in twenty twenty four to know that, hey, God is still in

control. We've covered the entire year of saying and declaring heaven rules, right,

so let's put it to practice new promises every day. Point number two.

Now I have this. Initially I wrote the word dependence on your church

community. Then when just just help me out with some of the visuals,

I get to check through as well. You say, actually, dependence,

someone's can be very negative kind of thing. It's not dependence. It's actually

support, which is more positive. Okay. But just like how sometimes you

rely or you know, go through different things as a group an organization,

in your teams, et cetera. You have the support of your team and

your line manager and team will always say this story, we will pull through

this. We cannot see the lightly in a tunnel yet, but we will

go through this and pull through this. This is exactly what we're saying as

well as a church. You're not alone in this, and that's why we

often do things journey together, do relationships together, because we believe in growth,

both the natural and the spiritual together. Accountability is not a bad thing,

you know, it's not a bad word. Some of its accountabilities.

It's just like how recently an organization we started to do this instead of a

one year and we'll check up kind of a thing or an we'll review.

They are trying to propose a quarterly. Quarterly doesn't mean it's final. It's

just to see where you are. So that from a HR perspective as well,

then at least we give them handles to get to achieve their goals.

Again, it's not to penalize them, but try to help them achieve those

goals. Now, So accountabilities like this, when you have somebody to watch

over you, either your cell group leader, your homes leader, someone that

you can call a discipler, or you know, your huddle. Here,

we have this huddle system where we have different ones to look over you or

even your friend who brought to church. That's the person you can talk to

right, And it's really just to ensure that it's a team effort to ensure

they go through those spiritual struggles, including of those physical challenges that you see

throughout your year. Okay, I'm not respect question. I think your adults.

You know. What I'm talking about. Lastly is to focus on the

ultimate goal. Pastor Kenneth will be talking a bit more about this in this

year's team. But it's the eye in the finish line. Okay, what's

the finish line? What is finish line? Again, to ensure that everyone

understands this perspective of having rules and at the end of the day, his

will has to be done right. So I urged the church at large,

where there's one thirty or the rest of us, ensure that we understand collectively

we're building towards something right. It's not just about I mean, sometimes it's

about you, how am I going to get through this? But there's a

bigger perspective. You know, Daniel, let me covered the entire year.

He remains step fast throughout all seasons, throughout at least three administrations, and

it still remains that fast. Okay, And this is exactly why, because

it's focused on its ultimate goal, and we are to do that as well.

Okay, I'm done with the formal part of you know, as a

formal no, as in like the things that we have to do. Let's

talk about the practical steps. Okay, the call to action as I labeled

here. Okay. So as we am back on a new journey of twenty

twenty four, okay, we need to somewhat adopt this performance review mentality to

try to help us ensure that we still get to achieve what we sell out

to achieve. And again, those achievements and targets are your own. If

you want to share somebody to help, to help them or to get them

to help you achieve those targets, that's fine, okay, but they are

of your own. But let me first start to share, because you know,

I'm I'm the church plant coordinator here, so I think it's good for

me to start off get the ball rolling. You know, I've never seen

myself okay, if anybody knows me, I'm not the natural leader kind of

a leader. Okay, me to say, from young growing up, I've

always been a support person. I'm very comfortable being very reliable in the back

end. I've never let like how like the past, the cannefs and those

kind of leaders kind of leading. Okay, but God put me in this

position, so yella, you'll provide a way long. But my role at

least because of that, I'm committed to say, Okay, I'll do that.

I can be a pastor Kenneth, but I can probably look at Jesus

and try to model Jesus. What do Jesus do? Jesus just did just

love people. He did the practically fed people. Literally, I can feed

people, so that's fine. And then there's also the feeling of the spiritual.

So this is why I'm doing Ozola. My gig here is because of

that. La So just had two tasks. My aim is to up those

two levels. I mean, to two of those portfolio. The rest of

the things I can't. I can't prophesy, I can't cast vision or not

not. In the past connekind sense that that's his role. I'm just wired

this way and build this way. So I try my best, and this

is why exactly what I'm doing. Okay, I'm trying my best to in

the context. You know, you've probably heard of the shepherd leading the sheep.

This my role as leading the sheep lah and I'm sharing with you this

is because it's not easy for me, because it's not natural for me.

By trying my best and the ability that I can, and it's just to

guide sheep to steal waters and also to green pastures. Feed them. Now

what I can do. I think most of you would have the cross paths

we have at least come to my house. It's not a big house,

by the way, but we have managed to in the physical sense, feed

people. And that's what we enjoy to do as well. Again, if

you know the natural I'm not a people person. I'm a surely an introvert.

Yesterday I was just sitting with the introverts at the end of my thing

of like, yeah, but I will do it because that is my commitment.

So I'm talking about expectations next night. Sorry, expectations and commitments.

This is the expectations and commitments from your CPC here to say that I can

do this. I will continue to do this. It's an ongoing gig for

me, but I'll continue to do this. And so feeding the physical sorry,

feeding physically is what I can do and I'll try to practice because why

Jesus fed the hungry the five thousands. I can't do miracles yet, it's

still very physical. I can prepare you know, rose and all that kind

of thing. But yeah, and this comes from the in Mattho, it

says he a man shall not live on bread alone. So that moves to

the next part where I'm also too fee spiritually. And this is what I'm

trying to do here. Okay, Now for some of you, the leaders

especially, will notice, sometimes I tremble up here because I feel that I

don't know how people do a lot of the messages. Sometimes that can be

a bit too specific, can be a bit too general, and then sometimes

we are like to cover a white audience kind of a thing, right,

but me to say, can my son understand or get something from this?

And can a very mature Christian of like forty years still receive something from it?

And that's been my battle. I think I sh very honestly with some

of the leaders here. And God has actually assured me that whether it's a

seasoned saint or a baby Christian, my job is still to speak what He's

put in my heart, and I just go for Itler And I was just

reminded again from Luke twenty four forty five. He says, here then he

opened their minds, the people's minds, so that they could understand scriptures.

So my job or my promise to you is just to give you input,

okay, And I think I can do that. Of course, I'll prepare,

I'll study, highlight, you know, pray for you know, and

then find and just deliver. Jesus is Jesus' job to open your mind,

your mind, your mind, your mind an individual level. And that has

enabled me to be a bit more bolder to I have to share sometimes.

I some days I was telling Waining. Some days I feel like, is

it two doom and gloom kind of a message? Because like you know,

you've done those like revelation kind of messages, right, And I'm like,

man, if I was sitting, there will go my head. And then

that was the week that we had the most newcomers non believers kind of a

thing. That kind of a thing. And then and this is the personal

flesh kind of a thing. Right. You fear that I should have just

gone for a happy, cheery kind of a message, But I will remain

obedient because it's God's responsibility for the output. Okay, And that is how

I'm going to be feeding spiritually moving forward. My commitment. Now, one

thing I al said to say is that I will also lead with integrity.

Mean to say, what this actually means, right, is that I will

not have a personal life, and actually I have not have a personal life

for quite some time. Like in the sense you know, any leader,

right, politicians, any form of leader, whatever they do right will be

scrutinized or you know, in some context, lot if I start smoking after

this service, it'll be different kind of you know thing than if somebody else

does it right after service. Eyes, it's okay, So of course it's

jokes, is sidla. I will live my life with integrity because I do

not want to or even as a parent, you know, you want to

live right right, you want to set you're gonna be transparent, And so

far I think I've done it. Okay, I've not done anything funny,

thankfully God has and I will continue to do this. And that's my comingment

to the church, to this community at large. Now that's my part.

It's a two way street. What about you, guys, I'm gole send

one's you no, but seriously, what is your part? And then again

I'm talking about personal growth, spiritual growth. It is your it's for your

own good, just like how sometimes they said line mentioned set the target bit

higher. It's not to torture you, but to help you reach higher or

in other words, in Christian jargon, to help you enlarge your territory and

large your capacity, et cetera, et cetera, because they know that you

can do it. And if they set the same goals as the previous year,

no improvement. Okay, So your commitment and I purposely put the next

light please, ah, you know this this photograph is we have a lot

of young family. Say when I say young family, is a lot newly

merit newly minted marriages in our service in the last year or so. Okay,

and remember when you sit those vowels women, was not just to your

beautiful wives and husbands, but unto the Lord. It's a reminder of that.

Okay, you are to grow spiritually and what it is really is a

commitment, just like in marriage. Okay, So back to you and how

MA wants to grow spiritually. By the way, okay, only half the

group. The other half is like a bit sassa. Oh for those are

ah, this are I left with my son, and Sas is like,

you know, suspect Yeah, suspicious, yeah, suspicious. I don't know

what he's trying to do to me. He's trying to get me to commit

to something that I shouldn't be committing to. But no, yeah, you

need to be committed, Okay, you need to be committed, just like

how going to gym. By the way, I started, I want your

gym membership, not not knowing in January, but last year January, Kosong.

I haven't met the gym since I got back, But the commitment,

the membership fee still goes on and then you'll have to go life to go.

But yeah, how they expect expect right, And I'm gonna say I'm

not even expect by the way, but how they expect to be fit?

If you don't even for classes? No one gives you a degree in whatever

degree Eleaene is going to study. Right, If you don't go for a

classes, right, how you're gonna actually get your degrees and your and your

and stuff? Right? You cut ponting class and all that, most likely

you will not do too well. Right. You need to commit to it

all right. Coming to church is just the bad minimal. By the way,

some peous say, oh, come to church, She's like, yeah,

done it. Man, that's maybe meat expectation kind of level. Maybe

some will come whenever they are I don't know, either have some commitments,

meeting some friend, or they come to church. I think we should set

the bar higher, okay, because if you're the goal based on schedule convenience,

it's not gonna happen. Okay. How can you expect transformation in your

life if your commitment is just that? Okay, full for thought okay.

And again it's you between you and God. So my encouragement is for you

to try this for the next year. Give God your best whatever there is

is. Again, different ones have given at different levels. You just have

to up one notch. Okay, up one notch. Mean to say every

Sunday show up is just the bad minimum. If you know, like if

we say right, not meeting requirements, meeting requirements and exceed expectations, right,

what do they expectations will be? Can well come early? Simple,

come earlier, come for prayer service, you know the kind of thing.

Again, it's up to you to decide. But if you're overachiever, then

you can aim higher. Okay, up your prayer life, take those bow

steps to trust God more. Okay. And it takes commitment. And again

it's not really for God. It's not really for even the church ax church,

or not even for this service. Wanted the service. It's really for

yourself. Back to the performance. Real thing. They are doing it so

that you upskill as well, and larger capacity and larger ability. Second thing

is I'm going to talk about discipleship. So we're all called to be disciples,

right, so this will be transformation. I got my notes here,

transformation, true discipleship. So as I mentioned, give God one year,

try them out. Worship in spirit and in truth. Okay, surrender yourself

to Him this whole year. Not my will but your will. Lord.

Let your will be done. Actually not easy to pray. No, let

you will be done, because when He reviews to you, right, are

you ready for it? So it's true discipletion. Give God a year and

see how your life can transform. Okay, if you look at the Bible,

right, the Israelites, remember they were wondering for quite some time,

right, for forty years they were just aimlessly moving around. If they were

to circle moundhre instead of wondering the wilderness, right, they will probably reach

the promised land that they're supposed to inherit. So again you need to not

just be committed. You need to understand the importance of discipleship to ensure that

it is the as for you. It is not. My suggestion is actually

Jesus suggestion. He discipled people as well. So you need to chant this

like your mantra, I am a disciple and not a disciple of ex Church

or a disciple of Philip Ghann or Daniel Kong or whoever, your disciple of

Jesus Christ. Okay, you need to understand that because it means that you

have to be just like a student has to be under a master. And

then when that happens begins, you submit and are ready to your teachable.

In other words, Okay, Jesus are ultimate master, so you need to

be serious about it in this. Yeah. So we've got multiple forms to

help you, encourage you and help you grow in this disciple shipping. That's

homes as well. It's a safe community here. There's multiple homes represented here.

There are different equipping classes to help you understand what that actually means.

The journey on how to what is discipleship et cetera. You can go through

I think I'm not I'm not giving a plot here, but Xich has those

resources as well. But ultimately is your spiritual journey. We are just giving

handles. Just that. How if you want upskill, you will go for

some of these things to upskill. Right. Why again, he's a master,

all right, So we can't just study him. We need we need

to know him, and we have to also apply because discipleship. One of

the end games of discipleship is actually application. Otherwise just hit knowledge. Okay.

So what we're trying to do here is I encourage you to learn how

to feed yourself as well or fish yourself. Fish yourself, yeah, fish

on your own. Okay. So I'm going to give you this analogy.

You some of you may frequent a CopM or I don't know a cafe who

who has to do a cafe? Who coffee? Okay? Maybe not cop

like cop I think most Malaysians wire like mama or whatever it is. Now,

if you notice, right, you'll sometimes frequent the same eatery. Why

why do you go to say interury? By the way, So okay,

that's one thing. What else familiar? Consistent cheap huh nearby? Okay,

yeah, so is the church like that for you? All those things they

just mentioned convenience nearby cheap hey, but yeah, people will travel the distance,

go to distance, right for some of these instagram wor cafes and eateies

that they come out a k foody and if you really we enjoined some supab

group, a lot of new places to explore. But again you go back

to there because of those reasons consistent you're receiving. Now in the natural sense,

we go there also to to to feed ourselves. Law, right,

how often do you go there once a week? Maybe? But if you

if you just go there once a week and don't go to any other eateries

or at home, right, can you survive in the physical sense? Probably

not. But sometimes people treat church like that. In the sensor they go

to church once, so we get fed once a week. I'm spiritually fed

again, go on, but you know it's not you can't. You will

go hungry again. You can't last seven days, okay, So we are

preparing you or teaching you how to make your own meals at home as well

to the next time. So spiritual discipline is why I'm trying to illust here.

You need to have that mean to say, you need to read the

Word on your own. What does it mean by improvement If you used to

read the Bible five minutes a day up into ten minutes or cannt of mind

six minutes okay, then in February seven minutes fine time okay, and you

understand the context. Okay. If you already doing ten hours, kudos on

you. Uh you know, make it eleven ex kidding. Yeah, But

in the practical sides, reading the Word is important, right, You have

to be disciplined enough, and that's what discipleships are about. Prayer and fasting

is a given. Of course. Prayer is first. If you get up

the level to fasting, fantastic. If you can't, we also have a

program for you in the form of U turn coming up. We're talking about

prayer and fasting. Okay, but yeah, you will see life different when

you do that. The third point I have for you is connections. You

are not to do life a lot. Like I said, it's a community,

right. You are not to just do things alone because in the Biblical

sense, we are called to do all this together, not just with fellow

believers. But also are those that are outside the faith. So connections are

always important, but start to connect believers and that's why sometimes we say,

let's build the church together. Okay, try it out. A fourth point

service serving right now? Every week, this restaurant or this Corpitia runs with

somewhat bare, minimal skeleton crew kind of a thing. No, no,

I'm not saying that, but you know, there's certain areas and sometimes you

need a bit more. Some areas we are a bit more bloated, but

some areas that we are a bit short. Again, it's just part of

discipleship. We are called to serve. So if you've always gone to the

Corpitiam for meal, maybe in the future we can look at a different perspective.

Can we start serving now? Why is this important is because we are

It's not just resting on the shoulders of the ones that have already are serving.

I'll change this thing around a little bit. Think about it now.

If you are owner of the Corpitiam, if this is your shop, if

somebody comes in, we can week out just to dine because they enjoy the

Ambians, they enjoy the worship, they enjoy the drinks at corn et cetera.

And then maybe perhaps they finish up, they leave, they don't pay.

I'm not saying that you should, but they leave the dishes there and

somebody's to clean up. Again. Those are part of the service, but

wouldn't be good as an operator. You'd be like were that somebody else can

step into help. And this is what the call is for serving is just

that it's a different perspective. Like I said, if you look at a

different perspective, if you start to take ownership of your coffee shop, you

may contribute. Just like how last time I was trained as a kid,

my dad will say, hey, you think your father's house. It is

my father's house. But if we are to contribute at home, right,

yes, mom and dad will prepare et cetera. But you know, the

least that we can do is just clean the dishes the service against the simple

illustration again, up your game. So if you have fantastic, If you

haven't, hey, why not consider serving? And there's plenty of places to

serve in the house or in the church. Don't just dine and shalla okay,

but yeah, give it a go, encourage you to try it.

And then, last but not least, I think we are to always change

our perspective of how we prioritize things. So a lot of things I cover,

it's very practical, but there's a lot of other things in general,

like your time, money, effort and all that. You are to see

it from fresh perspective, and then you decide how you and up your game.

Okay, and I hope that we see ourselves again. Not asking you

to call people the church, that's one aspect. Please be the church where

you are, all right, see the potential, don't miss the opportunity.

Sometimes God places you in as particularly only you can reach. And let's also

up that game a little bit. Okay. You can invite them to church

also, okay, no problem, But let's build the church collecting. And

the church is not the building, it's the entire all the disciples of God

collectively put together. Let's build together because why this is our home. This

is how we are to improve. Okay, every okay, and almost to

the end. Now it's a very simple message, and I hope we cast

something from it. But this is the hour where the call is for you

to build together. Yes, we can talk about lack preferences or you know

this this icon, sorry, this this this corpitia. I'm used to have

a very good service and then suddenly the service has gone down. Yeah we

can do that, but why not see whether you can actually help a little

bit. And and of course I'm just using this example. Sometimes you talk

about preferences or lack of a particular church that we go to, but why

not put the hands put your hands down to plow as well? Again,

ownership. If you don't like the dishes being left there, you can take

and arrange it either way you like it as well, because why it's your

church. You have every right to Okay, it's not just responsibily off.

I don't. I'm not dictator, by the way. I'm not, but

sometimes I try to guide my son at home as well. Yeah you didn't

the option giving a choice, right za? Yeah, so yeah that's all

we have. Look, our house is not big anyway, right, it's

a small house, small corpitim but what are you doing training twenty four?

Uh? And our physical home if you ever come to my house, right,

it's actually a very small space. But there was a year we packed

one hundred of people in my house. In the physical sense, it's impossible,

and crickets included. As I cheated a little bit la that's when before

the finisure came in. But we knew that there was a need to do

that and then we just did it for that season. So again just fresh

perspective can be done. One just make a will and make it make a

way. It will happen. Uh and if I get the idea level up.

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

church, please visit exchurch org. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram.

We're believing that this week is going to be a good week ahead for

you. God bless