Heaven Rules - He is faithful… (so be faithful!) | Elder Shirley Wong

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

will light up your day today. The title of my message is Heaven Rules.

Yeah, Heaven rus is our theme for this year. It is still

three, so yes, Heaven rules. He is faithful. God is faithful

as we are sung just now, so let us be faithful. Amen.

So you know, in just about a month ago, yes, about a

month ago, I was in uh United Kingdom UK and because me and my

husband we were sent there to minister to our churches in the UK. So

once a year, our churches in London, Bristol and Edinburgh normally together together

for Ex UK getaway. So this year me and my husband will sent there

because PARSI felt that they couldn't go because they have to be at ex Melbourne

and verse three, so maybe he can actually should go, you know,

So we we went. We went, and you know, we were there

just every every night. You know, we were there only for about eight

days, eight full days. So from the day we touched down in the

morning, very early in the morning, you know, we reached YOUKD about

five thirty m and we cleared the custom like within ten minutes. It was

miracle or like I was ready for to stand there for one hour because the

last time we went there we stood there for about one hour to clear no,

but this around just ten minutes we were out. You're in and out

and the officers that were happy friendly. You know sometimes they're not very friendly,

but that morning, you know they say, yeah, normally the first

flight that comes in that the officers are happy and chirpy and friendly, you

know. So yeah, Prince coll were cleared it within ten minutes and then

I have to call the taxis that were you know, and we're here.

So so from the day we touched down and then we spend time with pass

A Day, Puss Day and Cat. There are our coordinators for x London

and also x UK. Every night, you know, from Monday Tuesday,

every night we got to spend time with the different leaders in UK in London,

ex London. Some of most of them actually came from Malaysia there and

now they're working there. And then the Friday, Saturday Sunday is the x

UK getaway and we got to meet our partners and our leaders and our families

from Bristol at Edinburgh. Tell you what, it was such an amazing,

amazing amazing time. I was verver blessed to be there ex UK. I

think we started well twenty I think at least about how many years, maybe

eleven or twelve years ago, Yeah, because when we first started we were

there and me and again and Passes were there as well. The first homestad

we started with Passa Lazarus. I still remember. He played the guitar and

he tried to sing ronky Me and Basssandra trying really hard to start the song

for him, and I couldn't do. Us look at each other, No,

what is he playing? I know the lyrics, but the music is

not coming, you know, because Basalazi was just no, he just learned

the guitar at the time and he wanted to lead worship in the first homes

in when we first started ex London, and he played really with passion.

You know. He was singing a song come Come Come to the River that

so remember that song. Yeah, But when he's from and when he started

singing like what song is that? I couldn't. I look at the lyrics,

me and Bassa then finally to the cover years and try to catch our

own key. Okay, yes we come burried. I did today with the

laughing, you know. But yeah, but that's who we are. No,

we don't have it. We don't have it all before we start,

you know, we don't see God. We will start only when we have

all. No, we didn't, you know. And in fact, when

we started, we didn't even know who would come. He was just passed

Lasarius one person and that time he wasn't past it. Yeah, he was

Lazarus and he was there to to to to study and I got opened away

for him to study in the UK in London. And he's from Zimbabwe,

by the way. And today he leads Exportswana as Pretoria. Yes, and

soon they're gonna start ex Libera as well, notb Librarria someone. Yeah.

Anyway, so yeah, we didn't have it all, but we started from

then to now. Wow, seriously, I was there. I was so

blessed. I was. I was meeting so many people that I've never seen

before. That's a good sign. That means the church is growing. Can

you imagine if I go there after so many years and oh everybody I know?

That is sad. It's like that means I know everybody, and even

here I don't know all of you, which is good because that means the

church has grown. Yeah, I'm always excited to meet unfamiliar faces in ex

Church. I don't know whether it sounds weird, but yeah, I'm excited

because when there's unfamiliar faces, it means there are new people, new people

joining in a church, and I'm excited to meet them and meet you.

So so yeah, I was there and I kept telling the different ones.

The students, many of them are students, campus students, university students,

and also a number of them have graduated, and they are young working adults

staying there and slowly, yes, now they have to do pre much counseling.

People getting married and I'm gonna be one couple have children there, but

majority still university students from different nations. And then we have young woking adults

you know, from different nations as well. Of course, majority are from

Malaysia who are there from Singapore. I met some from Hong Kong as well,

China, a few uh Singapore, yes, Malaysia. But you know,

the church is growing. I was there, I remember I was.

I was telling some I was talking to one of the very new people who

joined EX London and this family. They are older couple who have been staying

in the UK for a long time Malaysian. Then they came back. Then

they went back to UK to to to to to to work and serve there

and then with their grown up children. So they have decided to join Ex

London uh quite recently. And then they went for the getaway as well.

Uh and uh and and I was so blessed. We'll be talking to this

sister, you know, and she was telling that. She said, she

was just telling me how blas she is in ex London. And I said,

you cannot imagine how blessed I am to hear this. I say,

when I meet all the leaders and the different partners and new people, I

say, I can only say that God is faithful. God has been so

faithful as it God have been so faithful to us, so faithful to ask

church to the different people. You know, I hear the stories. I

hear their how God has come true for the Oh God, we we baptized

six people in the camp in the x UK get Away from Edinburgh, London

and am Bristol. And to hear each of their testimony, Wow, I

tell you that was a It just reminded me of That's the reason why I

love attending water baptisms. You know, you get to hear how God is

so real in their lives, and then they wanted they want to decide to

follow Jesus and to get water baptized. So yeah, six people were water

baptized in the freezing cold water. It was outdoor. It was very cokay,

like about ten ten degrees ten celsius. It was cold and windy.

You know. We tried to pour some boils on water and put into the

to the pool. But again, the sharing testimony took some time, and

by the time they all came out, it was all cool. So you're

shivering united then were baptized them. Wow, seriously, even the baptizer's hands,

right, we went into the cold water, it was they were shivering

ass okay, imagine the person who were who were being baptized. Yeah,

they came out shivering, but it was all good. You know, it's

so good to hear the testimony seriously, and all I can say is God

is so faithful until today and all this time when we're saying the song,

God is so faithful. So the word that keep coming out is the word

faithful. Now, of course we recently had ex I will bloom right.

I'm sure you guys have bloomed. You guys know, you guys know,

not guys girls. You guys had bloom right, and you guys joined uh

at dvcc right. Yeah, yes, and again a think for this year

bloom is God is faithful. Amen. So so I want to share today,

yeah, about God is faithful. But the other part that let us

be faithful as well. Yeah, because you know what, none of our

behaviors can change God's character, which is faithful because from the Scripture we know.

Let's scripture secontimody, Chapter two, verse thirteen, Oh thank you activy.

He says that if we are faithless, he remains faithful. He cannot

deny himself. And that is one of the attributes of God. That that

is, to me, is the most important thing. Can you imagine God

is not faithful? Meeting today, he said I will love you tomorrow if

I not or today he said, I will, I will, I will

take care of you. Well, five minutes later, he might change his

time, He might he might change his mind, you know. Can you

imagine if God's not faithful? That's how it is, how flicker minded God

can be if he's not faithful. But see the Bible says that God is

faithful even if when we are faithless. So when I study this word a

little bit more, when I study descripture is a bit more. Let me

share with you some of my findings. Yeah, the word faithless, he

says, if we are faithless, faithless faithless in Greek. Well, I'm

not very sure to pronounce it. I will try at p STO maybe,

But the definition is disbelief, disobey believe, not meaning if when we disbelieve,

when we sometimes when we disobey, when we choose not to believe,

God is still faithful. You can't change him. You just can't. And

the word here, he says God, he remains faithful. So I also

did some study on the word remains. The word remains in Kay in King

James version, the word used for remains is actually abide earth, and he

means stay, abide, continue, do our endure, be present, remain,

Yeah, stand and arry, meaningwhen we disbelieve and we disobey, where

we don't believe anymore, and yet God remains God stay the same, God

continue and he endure, He endure, He do all continue in the state

and the present state faithful. So let's look at the word faithful. The

word faithful in Greek best us. The definition is trustworthy, trustful, believing,

faithful, sure true. So, friends, God remain faithful. I

pray and I hope that today, even as we have studied this word a

little bit more, you will bring more depth to our understanding. God remains

faithful. He endures. I don't know about you, but when you hear

the word endures, patient, what's the word that come to your mind?

I think about the word love, becausins corinthients. It says right, love

is patient, love is kind, and it ends with love endures all things,

best, all things, believes, all things enhanced. The Bible also

says God is love. See it's consistent. The Bible is consistent. It

doesn't contradict with itself. See God is faithful. No matter what God so

loved us. God is still there. God is still here, and he

remains with us a man. When we fail, he fails not. There's

just no way that he can be unfaithful. That's how God is. But

see it shouldn't and he cannot stop there. Yes, God is faithful.

We call him faithful. But you see, if we stop there then then

it's not complete. There must be a response. And that's why today I'm

gonna talk about So let's be faithful, and I want to tell you today

that God is looking for good and faithful servants. Well, we probably can

guess where I'm gonna flip to the next scripture. Yes, Matthew, chapter

twenty five. Let's look at it. Matthew, Chapter twenty five, Verse

twenty twenty eight. So he who had received five talents came and brought five

other talents, saying, Lord, you delivered me. He delivered to me

five talents. Look, I have gained five more talents besides them. His

Lord said to him, well done, good and faithful servant. You were

faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things.

Now enter the joy of your lord. Okay, familiar with this with this

scripture? Right, So there's someone who had brought the five talents. Yeah,

now, let's look at verse twenty two. He also, he also

who had received two talents, came and said, Lord, you delivered to

me two talents. Look, I have gained two more talents besides them.

His Lord said to him, well done, good and faithful servant, you

have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many

things. Enter into the joy of our Lord. You know, when I

first believe birth, first became a Christian. Right. Sometimes when I read

the Bible, I thought to myself, how come the Bible looked like repeating

himself? But as I grow I realized that there is no coincidence. It

is intended that way for me. When I read this again, now I

see that God is very consistent. He doesn't say, oh, your five

talents are very good. I'll good and faithol. All two talents are okay

good oneila, No, No, he said the same thing. He said

the same thing. He said, well done, good and faithful servant to

the five, to the two. Now let's look at the next one verse

twenty four. Then he who had received the one talent came and said,

Lord, I knew you to be a hard man. Now you see he

respond is different from the other two. Lord, I knew you to be

a hard man, ripping where you have not sown, and gathering where you

have not scattered seed. And I was afraid and went and heed your talent

in the ground. Yeah, so look there you have what is yours.

Verse twenty six. But this Lord answered and said to him, well done,

my good and faithful servant. No, because difference response God, Oh

Lord, the Lord also responded differently. What did he say? He didn't

say, Well, then, might good and faithful servant, he said,

verse twenty six, You wicked and lazy servant. You knew that every where

I have not sown and gathered where I have not scared a seed. So

you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming

I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from

him and give it to him who has ten talents good and faithful. Today,

there are many things that we can draw from these scriptures. But today

I want you to just look at the word good and faithful. You know,

if God only wants us to be good? Right, well, who

is who is good? You know? Only God is good? Right?

So like God only? If God plan is for us to be like him

only yeah, we always in Jesus, I want to be like you are

like him? But like how you know, So let's let's look at that.

So if God only wants us to be good, then he would have

stopped there. But no, he said, my good and faithful servant.

Meaning, faithfulness is a very very very important element. And we're not surprised

why at the beginning I told all of us already God is faithful, and

that is one very important attribute of God. If without faithfulness, I can't

imagine anything else that will stand. He can choose to love you today.

If it's not faithful, he can change. So faithfulness is one thing that

ensures that it stays, it remains, it endures the same yesterday, today,

tomorrow. It's a sure thing, is a true thing, is a

trustworthy thing, is it's something that we can lean on. Amen. So

God wants us not just to be good, but be good and faithful.

Good is only half of the goal. My friends, faithful, we'll finish

and complete the goal. And I want to tell us that God is after

maturity. Maturity and maturity requires being good and faithful, being good and faithful

about you know. Sometimes and now now with a I G and uh a

social media and all that and every freedom of speech and people can say what

they want to say and and and can yeah, well well we we we

we we respect that. Yeah, we respect freedom of speech and all.

But many times when I when I see abe different things happen, and when

you look at the different commands online or whatever. You know, I always

ask myself this question, do I want to do that too? Like?

Do I want to give a peace of mind on my social media? Y'all?

My flesh would say that, Yeah, of course, no. I

think I can craft out some words that will just should be down. You

know, I can, you know, in a few languages I can do

that. I can do very well in Cantonese. Okay, seriously, when

I score people, Cantonese is the best way. Yeah, I recently discovered

that. I told my husband, I say, you know what, I

think Cantonese is the best way to scool somebody because it gives you that oomph

sai kong kong here, you know how to speak that language? Seriously,

there's no other language. I mean, Mandarin is my first language. Cantonese

is my third language actually, but I think it gives me the most satisfaction

to express myself in Cantonese when I need to make a point and to should

be down. Sorry, I told you. Really, I'm a very straight

forward speaker, right so, but you know, yeah, of course,

sometimes some days I feel like doing that too. Seriously, I'm a human.

I'm human. Please, I'm only human. You know. I have

my flaws, I have my weaknesses. I have my anger points. Yeah

I do, because people do get people do step on my tail sometimes yeah,

maybe not at fault, just maybe my heart is two weeks sometimes yeah,

I don't know. But yeah. But again when I when I see

sertle response or no no response reactions, I ask myself, do I feel

like doing that? Yes, I feel like doing that. But of course

the Holy Spirit always ask me in a question, do you think you should

do that? Oh? Or is that the best thing you can do?

Or is that a better way? I think there's always a better way,

and that requires maturity. I know, when I was much younger, I

didn't really like this this word, and I didn't really im understand this word

maturity as well, you know, and and maturity means growing right. And

then now in Chinese there's a word that says, no, growing is always

painful, not turned down those tongue. I remember when I was growing,

I don't and I didn't understand that. Now I understand because the hold back,

to hold back your tongue, to hope that what we're going to type.

It's so painful, it all it is it waiting is laughing there to

huh the whole bad? No, to hold back your tongue, to hold

back what we're going to type, to hold back from giving a piece of

your mind. Wow, it takes a lot of strength, and it takes

a lot of maturity. Yeah. So God is after maturity, It's not

after our you know. Yeah, you will if you ever well everybody has

a freedom of speech. Yes, yes, but I will, but I

won't because there is a better way to do things, you know. I

know some people might be offended, you know. I remember I talking to

someone about about this as well before you know, I say, hey,

you know, don't you think there's a better way to do this than to

take it to the net, maybe take it to the Lord first? And

she was a bit offended. Anyway, I still have to say what I

have to say. You know, I'm not judging, but I just say

that, have you considered there are batter way there are better ways to do

things, you know, because God is really after our maturity. That is

the anthem that God wants for all disciples, all follow us and being mature,

meaning we have to be good and faithful, faithful, faithful to what.

So today I'm going to share with us just consider these points faithful to

His calling upon our lives. And today I'm going to just touch briefly on

general calling and specific calling. General calling is that God has caught us out

of darkness into his marveless light. Yeah. First, Peer chapter two,

verse one to four says, therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit,

hypocrisy, envy, and all evil, speaking as newborn babes, desire

the pure milk of the world, that you may grow thereby. If indeed

you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, coming to him as to a

living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious You

also as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy

priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ Jesus verse nine.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,

his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who

called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, who once were not to

not a people, but are now the people of God who had not obtained

mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, my friends, I beg

you, as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the

soul, having your conduct honorable among the gentiles, that when they speak against

you as evil doers, they may buy your good works which they observe.

Glorify God in the day of Visitation. Here he says that God has saved

us out from darkness into the light, so they can live in His light.

Walk in His light. So don't go back to darkness. I don't

know who I'm talking to today, as I said many of you, I

don't really know very well. But today I want to tell you that as

you have become Christians, believers of God, God's children, you have said

the salvation prayer, you have started this journey of being His believers and then

being disciples. I want to tell you encourage you when things get hard,

where things get tough, don't go back to darkness because God has caught us

into his marthless light. Amen. God has drawn you far off from the

darkness into the marveless light. Walk in His life. What in Jesus's way.

Jesus is the light of this world. Walk in that light. So

don't go back, no matter how tempting it is, my friends, no

matter how tempting it is, don't go back. Don't go back. You

know, it's so heartbreaking sometimes as leaders. I've been in His church for

well, let me think twenty four next day, for well, twenty two

years, next year, next year's mark. Next year marks my twenty two

years in ex church. I was in a previous church for eight years.

That was where I accepted Christ and uh, and then after that I came

to AXK because I got married to my husband. And as a leader serving

ministry, I've seen, you know, I've seen so many well not to

see so many people, thank God, but I've seen some. I've seen

a few who you know, who have been saved by God, growing in

Christ, no knowing God and and all that. And then and then suddenly

at one point, maybe turn back, turn back on God. Not decided

not to come to church anymore, you know, maybe offender, you know,

yeah, most of the time it's befriended offender, not yeah, or

boyfriend breakup with a person and what her girlfriend break up with a person didn't

get a dream job, or you know, busy with life, busy with

It's so heartbreaking to see someone who have stepped into the marvelous light following Jesus

and at one point where things get tough, decided to say I give up.

It's so heartbreaking. I cannot imagine how God will feel, because if

I, as a human being, would feel that my heart is aching,

I can't imagine how God would feel. Don't go back to darkness, no

matter how tempting it looks, no matter how comfortable, because sometimes it is

so comfortable because it is a comfort zone. Because you have been there before.

You know how it feels like to be in darkness, even though you

know that it was wrong, even though you know that that's not gonna be

bringing joy and that's not gonna be obeying God's voice. But but you felt

weak, and that is a comfortable, familiar place that you've been, and

sometimes you felt so beaten up that you felt like you wanted to go back

there again. I do not know who I'm talking to. Bad don't go

back there. Be faithful to the calling that God has given you. He

has caught us out of darkness into the marvelous light. So keep walking the

light. Keep walking. Jesus said, He is the light of the world.

So live in him, live by his way, live out his truth,

live out his abundant life. Verse twelve, he says, having your

conduct honorable among the gentiles, that when they speak against you as evil doers,

they may buy your good works, which they observe. Glorify God in

the day of visitation. You know. The other part of this calling that

God has called us out from darkness into the marvelous light, is that God

God also called us to be the sort and light of this world. That

there are people who will be watching us. Not to say that we have

to put out a front. No, not to say that we have to

put out a mask or a manner and be and not be as no no,

no, no no no. We can be as honest as we are.

You know, when when I feel discouraged sometimes or you might not elder,

you feel discouraged now you're always molly, Yeah, I do. I

do feel discouraged. You know. My husband sees that quite often from me

because it's the closest right and some of my closer friends or comrades in the

ministry, they will know this too, because I'm very honest. I say,

there are days I feel like giving up too, but it's okay to

acknowledge that. And then you ask for prayer and they say please, now

with all them, please I need prayer. Please pray for me. Seriously,

I want to something. They say, please pray for me. I

feel down today, there's this burden in my heart and all, and I

don't know what to do. Pray with me, or I will go to

my discipler, Passsandra, and I'll tell her. I'll cry in front of

her and I'll say how, and then we'll pray, we'll pray. We

can be as honest as it is, because as human beings we will go

through apps and we will go too. Down there. Let me proclaim to

you and let me prophesy to you. You will face trials and tribulations.

You will. Yeah, if you haven't, it will come. You're like,

oh, no, what are you talking about? Why are you give

me bad news? Well, the good news is you are not alone,

not just my good Jackson will say that, yeah, yeah, you are

not alone. Really, I know it's not very cliche, but you are

not alone. You're not even though you feel like alone, and that's what

the enemy you wants you to feel. You are not alone as long as

you not isolating yourself. Sometimes we can feel very alone because you chose to

isolate yourself. You know, I once minister to someone before. One of

the girls that I was ministering too, she was going to a very tough

patch. Yeah, just very tough patch. You know, things playing in

in her own mind. She was offended, she was discouraged. You know,

people that she was discipling wanted to leave her huddle. You know things

like that. Yeah, leaders we go to that. We can never get

used to that. So she was going through that, and she was also

dealing with some depression as well. And she was at a time where yeah,

she you know, she was at a time where when I when I

asked how you are, she will feel like, why are you asking me?

What a questioning me? When I don't ask her? She was like,

where elder? Don't call me? It's like left right center? Whatever

I do is wrong? Okay, imagine that. Like let's say I asked,

we need how you today? Why elder? She asked me how I

am? This is because I look bad? Don't I look like? Do

I need hell, you know, or if something like Okayla, let's not

bother waiting, like okay do they let's stand fa away? Then she said,

why did she asked me? Like she don't care for me anymore?

You know she you see, that's her own decision. Do you know that

one day I actually have to tell this girl, this leader? I said

yeah, because she was pouring her hard out and then she said that's how

she felt, and then I have to tell her. I said, do

you realize that the people that you mentioned, you know, if they ask

you and come and approach you, you feel uncomfortable, and then if they

don't ask you, you also feel like you are not loft. I pointed

out straight to her, I said, do you realize? I point out

with a smileer so that she won't be so offended that she looked at me.

She said, yeah, you're right. She said, yeah, you're

right. So the issue is not them, The issue is me. I

say, yeah, the issue is your heart. You are hurt now,

so whatever the other person do, it is not going to be right.

There's no right thing that nobody can do anything right for you anytime, like

right now, I say, nobody can do anything right for you. So

that means you your heart needs to be healed by God. You need to

heal, You need to let go, let go us, You need to

forgive, you need to take the breather. And don't be too sensitive.

I don't. I know it's hard. I say even I can be offending

you right now as it. But let's pray. There will be times like

that because we choose to isolate ourselves. That's why I have to say,

as long as you choose not to isolate yourself, as long as you choose

to humble yourself, you're not alone. You're not because they are friends around

you. You have a community in church, know even your homes. If

you are willing to open up and ask for help to the right people,

don't. You don't need to tell the whole world. We just need to

open up to that few leaders that you trust, and they will walk with

you. They will at least pray with you. That's one thing I know,

because I know our leaders really love the people. Yeah, so remember

when we are weak in God, we can trust and our conduct you know

what we do. Really others are looking. There are many people out there

who do not know Jesus, and you and I are the Jesus that they

can see, really really, and you can be as honest as it can

be. He can say, well, I was down to bad, but

there's always a bad. But I pray I haven't seen the brad yet,

but I trust God, you know. Be faithful, friends, Be faithful

to the calling of God upon our lives of darkness into the light. Don't

give up so fast. Don't ever give up. Number two specific calling.

Be faithful to a specific calling. The word specific speaks to me as a

very specific thing, meaning you have the truth. God has called us to

be chosen, to be chosen. So the word chosen speaks of something specific.

I want to ask us, all, what is God asking you to

do? This is something specific that God has already spoken to you already already

you know, And in the scripture because of time, I won't go to

but you can join it down in Matthew chapter twenty two, verse one to

fourteen. That there it says, you know, God is the parable is

that you know. A king was arranging a marriage for his son and called

up put out a huge feast and banquet, and he told his servants to

go out and look out and invite people. And the first round the people

that they invited nobody want to come, because they say, ah, they

were busy, you know, went their own ways. Uh. And then

we went to his own farm, another to his own business, money,

his own business, or so basically, nobody wanted to come. So they

said, okay, fine. And then the king said, all right,

since the first round guests didn't want to come, I want you now to

go out and to invite anyone. No, go out to the highways and

the by by ways. The wedding is ready, the face is ready.

Go out to invite anyone gathered together all of the people that we have found,

both good and bad, you know the bar she said, both good

and bad. Whoever people, any young a may and the whole any anyone

go go good and bad, just bring them in. And then the wedding

hall was fullL guests. But then there's one party, says when the king

came to see the guests, he saw, okay, this verse eleven.

He saw a man who was there who did not have have a wedding garment

on. So the King said to this man who didn't wear properly to the

wedding he said, friend, the friend, how did you come in here

without a wedding garment? And then the guy was speechless. He says,

and then the king said to the servants buying his hand and food, you

know, take him away and cast him into the outer darkness that will be

weeping and national teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.

You know. Here you might be wondering why, my God, why,

because he says that Jesus started the word by saying, this is the kingdom,

like the parable, like the kingdom of God. You know, So

you might be thinking, why is this king soul so focusing on the wedding

garment? Why? Why? Because in the wedding we need to put on

the proper garment. Right. It's like you don't wear you don't want swimsuit

to come to church. Try don't imagine that, please, Yeah, don't.

I know you might be imagining, Yeah, you don't, you don't.

You don't wear well in a In Chinese culture, it is for funerals

and all that we don't wear red color. Red color is reserved for celebration

like Chinese New Year. Yeah, so you don't wear a red color to

a Chinese a Chinese funeral, you'll be offending a lot of people. So

what we put on is very important. And here it speaks of you know,

this guy, he could have chosen to wear something else, but he

put on not a wedding gum and he put on something he was wearing something

that is not not It doesn't match what he's called for. So what is

God calling us to do? What is God calling us to do? And

as as christ as Christ followers, we are called to put on the rope

of righteousness. Friends, That's why it's so significant, the rope of righteousness

that we're supposed to put on. Like this person who was supposed to put

on the wedding garment when he went to the wedding, but he did not.

That means why he put on does not match his calling. Friends,

partners, leaders, what is God calling you to do? We need to

make sure that whatever that we put on matches what He's calling us to do

in our conduct, yeah, in how we live our lives. Amen.

As I say, you know, sometimes as leaders we can get this courage

as well that you know, sometimes we feel like, oh my God,

why do I need to do this again? You know, why do I

need to invest into people's life. Again, they leave you, they leave

us, they live all of us. Sometimes seriously, you know, sometimes

it happens. I thank god it doesn't happen that often seriously, but it

still happen. You know. I when I lead people, and I lead

Mandarin worship services, and I lead the man just speaking people, and I

lead different girls. And yeah, as leaders we go through there and this

part, I really want to just minister and speak to the leaders, homes

leaders, assistant homes leader, and one leader. You know who you are.

Don't give up, continue to live according to the calling that God has

given you in or to feed his sheep. It's so it's such a high

calling. In John chapter twenty one, you know, Jesus asked Peter Simon

Peter three times do you love me? Do you love me? Do you

love me? And then finally you know people then and when Peter answered,

Lord, you know I love you. And what did Jesus told him?

What did Jesus tell him? Jesus told him, even love me, you

feed my lambs. If you love me, you tend my sheep. If

you love me, you feed my sheep. That means what ever, leaders,

whatever they were doing feeding, tending the sheep, feeding the lambs,

feeding the sheep. We need to do it out of love, love,

because that's the only way to protect our hearts from being broken. That's the

only way that we can continue to be faithful to the specific calling that God

has given us. Otherwise it is so easy to give up because you will

be disappointed. Leaders, Can I tell you al ready you will experience disappointment.

Okay, if you haven't, I want to say, praise Lord.

No, no, no, if you haven't, just embrace yourself. Yes,

those of you who have been leadership for some time, you know what

I'm talking about. You will be disappointed, But that's the only way to

help us to remain faithful to the calling that God has given us. That's

the only way, my friends, Love and then worship, love, worship

and then only serve Him. Amen. Worship and serving go hand in hand.

That's how you know. We can make sure that we will still keep

ongoing though many might not go with us. We will keep going though things

get tough. We will keep going when it's not popular. We will keep

going even though there is a high price to pay. And never never,

never give up, Never give up, Never give up. I know sometimes

we are at tempted to be faithless because of the different things that are happening,

or of circumstances that you see. You know all, but God is

really faithful. But I think the other challenge is that we need to remain

faithful to God. Really. I mean, as I share very honestly with

you, leaders go through different things, right, we'll go through disappointments and

all that. And just recently I went to one episode as well, I

don't really don't look the left right, she is not here, okay,

But it's just that, you know, someone that we were close to and

then we really loved this person and only wanted the best for this person.

But this person got into U recently going to romantic relationship, and we were

just yeah, giving some cautious cautions and all that, and just yeah,

just looking for guidance the rest of we told him. But the thing,

oh now I know it's him, sorry, so, but the thing is,

I guess this person had a set of his own mind or what he

wants to do, So what we told him did not match what he wanted

to do. And uh, he was he was just gonna be honest,

he was so blinded that even a thing that uh, we didn't want his

relationship to work, do you know as as leaders know as me and my

husband with her dad was I mean, honestly, I I was. I

was not offend. I was just sad to hear that, because I told

myself, Wow, this is someone that we allow, we open up our

hearts and our lives for this person come so close to us and to interact

with us and to see how we live our lives and how we trust God

and and how we love God and love him. And yet he could he

could be so blinded to question our intention. I was sad for the whole

day, to be honest, yeah, hole day. Yeah, I was

really sad and disturbed for a whole day. I was even angry. At

one point. I even told my husband she would just give up. I

told my husband, I said she would just give up, give up on

not not give out on trusting God, but give out on investing the paper's

life. Don't worry, I'm a very emotional person, so I will cry,

I get as normal. Yeah, yeah, God has minister to me.

But just that when I when I say no, I go with the

emotions and I will I will steal for your the emotions. I don't worry.

I'm okay. So I told I remember I told my answer, and

I say, she would just give up honor investing the paper's life. She

would just stop doing that because it just happened too many times. That Yeah,

I felt like I begged my heart out and yet it was trempled.

That's how I felt. I said, should is it time to give up?

Not on God but on God's people? Well, I was sad for

a whole day, and I was praying. I just keep praying my mind,

just thinking, I don't understand why this person would think that way.

You know why this person would take our words differently? You know why?

God? Why you know? And I said, I can't understand. Of

course, after that, God gave me a scripture. He said that you

know, like sometimes how the gods of this world will blind our hearts.

And the word heard right when I studied one day, and I was when

I was preparing a message. He actually says the eyes of our heart Manngie

says singing, meaning when when someone is being blinded, when someone is being

blinded by the gods of this world, he or she can be you know

blinded, and the eyes of our heart will be blinded, that he cannot

see the glory of God. So I felt that God was telling me,

well, this person is thinking this way because he his eye, his eye

of his heart, is blinded, and that's why I could not see.

He was just blinded. I remember God asked me the same question. How

Jesus asked Peter, surely, do you love me? I say yes,

God, I love you, and I hear his words says, feed my

lambs, feed my lambs. Do you love me, Yes, Lord,

I love you. Feed my sheep those who are older. Do you love

me? I said God, yeah, every time you ask me, God,

I love you, and he said, tend my sheep. That is

the calling that God has given me at this season, at this time,

I've been serving a lot for I mean since the day I became a Christian.

Actually I'm not serving I remember the when I started believing Jesus. The

following week I was asked to serve already. So I've been serving God since

the day I became a Christian. And I've been in leadership for some years.

No, not as long as some of the older pastors, but I

guess I could understand that more. And that is the calling that God has

given me and my husband for now. We're so into couples who are going

to get married. We're saw in the couples who marriages are on the rocks.

We're so into campus students, young ghetters, families, whoever we're so

in, whoever God brought into our church. That is the calling that God

has given me for now, at least now, always tell the x men

gin I said, I'm not sure how long I'll be here. No,

because I said, none of us, even myself, even you should not

assume that I'll be leading x mening forever. Nobody's forever. Who knows?

Who knows how long I have? Right? And I said, whenever I

say that, I know they have Like Obiti, I said, yeah,

because who knows? Who got my tell me somewhere else? Got my coming

to plant somewhere? Else? You know, got my calling to planting?

I don't know somewhere. I speak a few languages super prior, a few

languages that place that God can use me. Who knows, you know?

So I said, let's be ready. But at least now, this is

what God has called me to do. So I'm not sure what God has

called you to do. Faithful good and faithful and faithful is where sometimes even

when the word he remains faithful. Right, So we need to learn from

God. Right. So what's the word that we saw from the very beginning?

Faithful? We endure, we endeal And I know we don't like this

word, but endure is part of love, is part of faithful. We

and your means are you endar like now? I'm enduring, I'm enduring.

I endure to the end. And if you see closely the word endure,

there is the word end in endure. We endure to the end. Amen,

Amen, we endure. And the Bible also says that by he who

endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the Kingdom will

be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and

then the end will come. You know what, but what say that those

who those who love to the end shall be saved. No, no,

he says, those who endure to the end. So, friends, it

is a raise, a challenge of endurance. We need to endure. Don't

give up, don't give up easily, and don't give up. Don't give

up I don't know what God is calling you to do. There's specific calling.

Don't give up or maybe you know you attempted to go back to the

darkness where God has called you out already. Don't give up and dure,

hold on, hold on to God, hold on to God, and dure

and dure. We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more information

on our church, please visit X Church RG. We are also active on

Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that this week is going to be a good

week. I hit for you. God bless