I Give Up | Pr Daniel Chong

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

will light up your day. The topic for today is essentially, I give

up. Okay, back to you, Clarisa, you can take over the

I'm serious you want to take I give up. I give up on uh

dot dot Okay. I don't know how many of you resonate with this word

and heard this word before, I give up? Have you ever at this

word in your heart? Okay, there the lift of your hands. But

if you want to, if you want to, you can, you want

to, you want you want to resonate with me? Have you ever added

these three words? You know in your in your in your lives, whether

you are young or whether you're old, whether there's quite morbid to say,

I give up every day. But it's such a it's such a term that

sometimes we can use it so loose, but sometimes it's quite heavy. Right,

your business deal didn't go through. I gave up. I give up.

Man. Parents looking at your children to give them everything, and then

they give you back something that, yeah, you are not expecting, and

you go like, I give up, man. But you know, experients,

the most powerful thing is that you know, no matter how much you

want to say it out loud. A lot of parents that I know you

don't lie, you just say it. But there are times in life that

you just want to give up. You just want to give up, and

there's nothing else that you want to do other than crawl into a hole and

just say, God, take me home today. How much you feel that

way? Uh, take me home today? My mom reconally, I had

a conversation my mom, and my mom said, Jesus take me home now.

And of course knd OF was just preaching this word a few weeks ago.

Remember, he was just preaching the significance of the Kingdom of God.

And there's a real reason why the Lord's prayer. It's not just artered in

a way that he resembles or get me to Heaven right away. There's a

significant place on our reason on earth. Right. But but but I don't

discount that there are times in which you feel that way. I'm going to

share you a little story before it starts, uh, And this is a

real story. Especially in the past uh past two weeks alone, life has

hit me like a truck. Uh. And some of you may know that

my dad is going through cancer. He is Initially when it just started,

I didn't I didn't feel like comfortable to just, you know, tell everyone

and sometimes you know, you know, like how you're going through something and

then someone comes to you and say it helps your data. Now you explain

the story, and it helps your data even to explain again and again.

The problem is not with the explanation. No, I love keeping people updated,

especially when you show such can I appreciate it? The problem is that

when you repeat it every time, it does something to your soul. When

I'm repeating that story to you, I'm also repeating that story to myself.

And I have to leave that story again and again. And that was something

that I just realized it I drew that figure. Sorry, I got distrectory

easily. So it was such a uh. I wouldn't say it's one of

the worst season that anyone in this wook and ever experienced that, but can

I just say this, it was the worst that I had to experience.

It was one of the most difficult seasons of my life. Started with COVID

Right. I was hit with covid UH and I was not feeling well,

and then I had to I had to like decide whether I want to go

for camp. I think there was a campus camp that was around the corner

as well. And then I decided, okay, I wouldn't go because I

was speaking engagement on Friday to speak to my alumni, you know, my

school that I used to study in. And what happened was that on the

Thursday that I I was supposed to go for camp, I got the news

that my dad. My mom just called me and say, son, you

have to come home now. You know, when your mom sees that to

you, you know it's serious. You've got to come home now. I'm

home. I'm home. Come back home now because Dad is in a lot

of pain. There is a lot of pain. Evenly, when I heard

that, I dropped everything and I say, okay, I'm coming now.

By the way, that call is in two tea in the morning. I

went home and I saw my dad in a law of pain and a long

story cut short, I had to bring him to the hospital. Of course,

at the time, I should just call an ambulance, but he didn't

register that it needed to be an ambulance matter. She's just very painful.

I need to go to the clinic now. So I took him. Be

now now I understand why you need my soll you know, you need to

be strong to take care of your family. So guys over here, if

you if you're still thinking about whether you should exercise, including my self placed

thing again, because it's not easy. It's not easy to carry a grown

man weighing around seventy to eighty kg that just pure bones and no fats,

heavy bones, so it was it was a difficult moment. I to carry

him a few times, fall down, follow me, follow my mom,

put in the car, bring to the hospital, and then found out that

he actually had a complete fracture on his left hip. And man, it

was just one after the other. So I couldn't go to campus. Caam.

I was praying I could come. I didn't. I didn't manage you

because I couldn't write. And ever since that day, I can tell you

what it has been non stop, the things that my dad has been doing.

You know, I won't reveal details here, but it's things that I

don't agree with. You know, it's not pleasant to see these things happening.

And then at the same time you are understanding that okay, he's certain

age ready. My dad's signifive years old, and like maybe he's not so

sharp anymore. Mad, it's not so clear anymore. So all these thoughts,

all these emotions was just envelop enveloping me, uh, in in in

in this whole season, and then come the result. After that, the

doctor say this down and said, you either choose to fix your dad right

or he won't be able to walk until forever. Of course you look at

my dad and say you just sit down for life, like you know,

you don't don't know what, but I think the heart of a son,

the heart of a child, is that that is not even an option.

I look at him and say, get you fixed immediately, right now.

I don't care what it takes, get you fixed immediately. But of course

when you say it out and when the when, the what what it costs

comes back to you, it's really difficult. The financial cost number one was

very expensive. It was something that I wasn't comfortable, I think even bottom

line painful to. In fact, it messes up my entire cash flow.

I had to withdraw things that I was not supposed to be draw, you

know, things that are men for rainy days withdrawal, uh, and then

to be hit with right but your dead, you know mind it's one of

the scan shows that the cancer is sprought, sprought spread to the bone.

Uh and uh. Doctor looked at us and said, bone cancer is not

it's no joke. You gotta he gotta sol it out. So it was

it was like one layer after another layer and the third layer and he was,

you know doctors, right, I I love doctors, but at the

same time, I just I just don't like talking to doctors because they tell

you the truth. You're just so upfront with you, and sometimes you don't

want to hear the truth right about life. Right, Sometimes when God speaks

to you and it's the truth, it hurts, and you know, God,

I don't to hear this, not now, but he has to.

So the doctor set me down and my my my mom down. And remember

it was a contantly room with the book of another religion over there. He

was in that room in hisself that they do certain things that you know in

Malaysia that they always try to do. But wow, it was right there

and then that me and my mom just look at each other and what is

going on? Because it's one of the other. This is the cost boom

number one. That cause is so expensive? How is that small of the

ball with the too sticks so expensive, How can that be right? You

know, if you're no heap, you should know. I'm talking about that

socket and that too long thing, right, and the cancer. And then

after cancer it's like, oh, then you need to bring him to um.

You know, you have to go in radio that thing off right,

And if that thing doesn't work, then there's also this thing where there's a

bigger I thought I just bought the hip. Oh now you have to buy

a bigger heap. Oh my goodness. It's one after the other. And

I tell you what, one thing that has been so consistent throughout this journey

is God's love. That has been so consistent because no matter what, and

you will see, as I said share today, you will see that along

the way of my journey, God's love has been just so evident in my

life, where I like it or not, whether I know it or not,

it was there right of course when I found out, when I when

I managed to put things together, then it became clear and clear. So

it was difficult. I just recently had to bring my dad back from the

hospital, and that also was another journey that was just last Tuesday, come

to prayer surviay. Some of you didn't see me there, right, And

that's why I wasn't there. It wasn't because I ponting, but because I

had to go and get my dad. It was also like that at work

five o'clock, receive a call come now. I just reached home. I

was resting for a bit. Then come now because we need to get mama's

like, we need to discharge that now. The doctors are saying they need

no bit. If you don't come now, we're going to put him to

the the General General of General's waiting area. Imagine a siventy five years old

guy that just just fresh from surgery three hours one day, I think one

day, a few maybe less than a day, and then now I'm gonna

transfer him into this general It's so heart ranging, but I understand the debates

needed for maybe more critical people critical illness, but it was immediate, come

now. So I had to like, okay, so can I come in

borrow your wheel chair? I come now? Can I get your wheelchair now?

Because I was always get the wheelchair at night, So I went and

get the wheelchair. Drive all the way there. I'll tell you what if

you don't know how to carry an old man. You have to learn how

to carry an old man, because I had no idea how to carry someone

else when you surgery, you know, So we brought him down. I

was carrying him. Then, thank god, there was a lady. Remember

how I said, God's love was just and well and we'll bring me the

entire journey. There's a lady, a lay lady there, and she helped

us. She's like, you're suppos to do that because when I when I

initially started to carry him up, he went, get on, get on,

I'm only put How am I going to get you home? Right?

Then? Of course she was there, Thank God for her. So I

had to carry him like a ba, rotate three sixty degrees, put his

butt in first, and then after that she had to pull him from the

other side, pull his len inside. I thought that was it. Okay,

bring you home, put you there and let you rest. That can

come to prayer service and I can pray. Guess what. It didn't end

there, Oh my goodness. That night ended at twelve. The night ended,

there was six. The night ended at twelve. I had to bring

him home, put the bit outside. Okay, I'm gonna save you all

the details, but it was so difficult. Just imagine someone that can walk.

You had to do the daily necessities dring water, eat food, go

to the toilet. Yeah, all of that I had to do. I

had to do all of that. And maybe some of you look at me

like I had this one simple I've done before, you know it, just

but it was difficult for me. It was difficult for me. I had

to go through that. And and the the most painful thing about the entire

journey was sensing how much he would have felt, the humility that he would

have felt like seeing a grown sun doing for me, all the pride goes

down the window. That was the first time my dad huged me, my

first time in my life. I embraced my dad fully and it was enforcent

because he had no choice. He had to clean onto me for their hope,

because I was clean on the hero. And if I dropped this man,

I don't know how many bones were gonna break. So it was like

that I twisted my hand twice because I do you know how to carry him?

My mom also is going to a horrendous few days because it's like he's

in this stage of like he's so uncomfortable. So everything he wants, he

just asked, do it for me now? Now? Now. Sometimes we

get so so like, can you say the word please, have a little

bit of manners, you know, I'm doing this for you. But just

goes out the window. He dropped on my mom. My mom hurt her

leg. There's just so many things, so much so that when I was

praying what am I going to share with you guys today, these three would

keep popping up. I want to give up, really, I want to

give up already. I cannot get it. I cannot get I cannot do

this anymore. Can I just give up for today? Can I try again

tomorrow? Okay? So, so these are some of the examples that I

can think of. You know, whenever you come to this, I want

to after these three words. Matter how mature you are, matter how great

you are. I think that that there's a there's definitely a season in your

life that you may be faced with this. So I hope it blesses you

today. Uh, family, job, studies. Maybe maybe I can hear

from the crowd one are things that would cost you to want to give up?

Can I just get some interaction today? Something discouragement, school people.

What else when I was maybe all the young ones say they the older ones

sorry, the young heart, bad headed. They wants to make you to

give up something that CG wouldn't ever have to face. So if you don't

behead, they just shave ball eye. Okay, what one of things that

would cost you to want to give up? We give me one. My

example from responsibilities time DoD someone say time pressure drive. Ask my father in

law. He knows a thing or two about driving, and you know,

giving up about driving jet right there, I can see you. Yeah,

he's a very extremely good driver. To day, when I was in Pinang,

he was driving, and I tell you what, I'm like, this

guy knows how to drive. Man, he knows how to put I was

like, that spot is not possible. He just went soup. I was

in the front seat and he just went war. That wreck gonna brand the

guy run. But but he knows better than I do. Uh and uh

he's such a good driver, such a good driver, I think. Uh,

the wife would really yeah, she would shout all the time. And

okay, okay, this is where my wife gets her excitement from. Uh,

okay, passion. Okay, this so leaders I don't know whether the

following the last few ones have made you want to give up before ministry church,

Oh, getting requiet here? You wanna give out a church before?

You're gonna give on Pasadenian before. I'm sure some of you really, I'm

I'm not even kidding. Some of human may may be offended by me before.

Some of you may be offended by Pasca before right, because we're not

God for human we make mistakes, and we acknowledge that we make mistakes.

Some of you may be offended by leaders before Saints one another, look to

your neighbor and smile at them. But sometimes that may be the reason why

you want to give up as well. But other siblings, I don't know

whether Gabriel has made you want to give out on life before right. Okay,

So these are some of the things that that that that would cause us

to utter this tree, very very famous words I give up. I hope

that after today we will change our perspective of this word. Today, my

aim and my objective is to cause you to never look at these three words

the same again, to never every time you see these three words, every

time you feel like you want to say these three words, you'll remember what

I shared with you today because it really infected me. Okay, let's go

on the next light. Okay, So this one is a very famous picture

because it's inspired by my wife. My wife every time she's under stressed,

right, she said, I wanna be an ostrage. I have to dig

a hole and put my hair in the ground and never come up again.

Tell you what, how many times I hear this term, and I was

searching austration I got this image. So how do we keep pressing on?

Okay, so we're not further dude, Let's get to the first the next

light. Yeah, okay, So if you have your Bibles, game with

me to meet you. Chapter sixteen to twenty three. It's very good,

okay. From the time Jesus began to show its disciples that he must go

to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and describes,

and be killed and be raised on the third day, and Peter took

to him and took him aside and began to rebuke him, Well have you

ever rebuilt Jesus before, saying, far be it from you, Lord,

this shall never she shall not happen to you. But he Jesus turned to

Peter and said, get behind me, Satan. Imagine being Peter. I'm

just trying. I'm just saying, Jesus, You're not gonna die again.

Why you calling me? Seytan? All? Okay, get behind me,

Satan. Right, this is a very famous face as well. Right,

so that's when your face is li you say, get behind me, Okay,

get behind me. That's what that's that's what what's gonna right, Get

behind me and push me in. Uh, get behind me, Satan.

You are an offense to me, for you are not minded of the things

of God, but the things of men behind me. Get behind me?

And today, how we are going to keep pressing on? Or this is

something that I've learned in the past two weeks. I'm going to give you

three examples from the Bible, three characters from the Bible. And yes,

the first character will be starting with the letter G. Okay. So that's

my three points G E T. Right. So the first point is God,

Okay, God, let's go to the next light. God. I

think the next slight is Romans eight, verse thirty one to the three.

If your Bibles can turn to that as well. Romans eight thirty one and

the tree says, what then shall we say to these things? If God

is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare

his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he

not with him also freely give us all things to the three who shall be

a charge against God elects. It is God who justify. Turn your neighbor

and say, if God is for us, who shall be against us?

Who can be against us? The first point that I like to give all

of you today is that God is for us. I don't know whether in

your times of wanting to give up, you will remember this fact that God

is for us. There's the reason why I put this as the first point,

because it is the most important point of all. God is for you.

Friends. Today, if you feel like giving up, remember God is

for you. But I don't feel God. I don't feel him in my

situation. I don't feel him in my condition. I still have that cancer,

I still have that disease. I still have that mental health that is

in me that is bugging me all the time. I still have my child

who is giving me problems day in day out. Friends, God is for

you, whether you like it or not. God is for you. He

has been there since the beginning of time, and he won't go away now.

He is there. He is there, okay, And as we as

we go along today, we're going to find out how we're going to find

him a little bit more right. Sometimes when we don't feel him, what

can we do? Let's turn to Second Corinthians. Today's that's a lot of

learning. I'm going to encourage to turn your Bible a lot today, and

if you're taking notes, you can take down the scripture as well. Turn

to Second Corinthians eleven twenty two to twenty eight, and we're going to read

from the life of a very amazing man who did not start off as amazing.

You know, he did so many things. In fact, he was

one of the few that would persecute Christians to the maximum, to the extent

of wanting to kill each and every one of them. And we'll turn to

Second Corinthians ele eight. This is the life of Paul. Are they Hebrew?

So am I? Are they Israelite? So am I? Are they

the seed of Abraham? So am I? Are they ministers of Christ?

I speak as a fool. I am more in labors, more abundant in

stripes above measure in prisons, more frequently in deaths, often for the Jews.

Five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten

with rods, once I was stone, three times I was shipwrecked night and

day. I have been in the deep in journeys, often in perils of

water, in perils of robbersts, in Paris, of my own countrymen in

Paris, of the Gentiles, in Paris, in the city in Paris,

in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among fowls.

Brethren, I'm getting diet just reading. In weariness and toil, in slip

sliplessness, often in hunger, and in fasting, often in coal and nakedness.

Wow. Besides the other things, what comes upon me daily my deep

concern for all the churches. Who is weak and I am not weak,

who's made to stumble? And I do not burn with indignation. I don't

know how much of you shiver when you read this, because this is essentially

everything that I've just listed up the slight before family, church ministry, things

that would cause you to want to give up on life. Paul has went

through so many things in his life that would make him want to give up.

Paul, Okay, this is not someone that didn't go through things.

He went through something. But yet, but yet, this is the very

same person. I don't know how many of you noticed that most of Paul's

writings was written in prison. Right, he wrote most of his teachings in

prison and the next twenty three verse eleven. Yet through everything that he said

that he has went through, he mentioned this. But the following night,

the Lord stood by him and say and said, be of good cheer,

Paul, For as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must

also bear witness at Rome, the Lord stood by him. The Lord is

standing by you today. The Lord is telling you what to do. Some

of you, including myself, I often question what is it that the Lord

wants me to do? I have not heard from the Lord. Friends,

Let me reveal something to you today. The Lord has already spoken. The

Lord has already told you what to do. Why am I so certain about

that? Is because it is scripture. It is in the world of God.

Lord will always instruct you where you should be and where you shouldn't be.

It is our inability to open our ears and our hearts that will enable

us not to hear what God has in store for you. Do not for

one thing, that God has not spoken to you. Again, I say

that to myself. I'm not saying this with pride. I'm not saying this

that, hey, if you have not heard from God, you are not

falling after him. I'm not saying that. I'm saying that it is a

factual evidence that God is with us at all times. I pray that the

next time you want to give up, you will remember that the Lord is

by your side. Amen. Some of you may not feel like saying,

amend this, I understand, all right, Isaiah forty one, verse ten.

Give you a little bit more evidence that the Lord is with you.

If you believe in the Bible, if you believe in the inspirable of God,

these are evidence that He is with you today. Fear not, for

I am you. Be not this maayed, For I am your God.

I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold

you with my righteous right hand. Your rod and staff they comfort me.

I don't whether this resonates with you. You prepare a table before me,

You go before me in every situation. Lord, this is some tree.

Do I walk through the value of the shadow of death. I will fear

no evil, for you are with me. The Lord is with you.

I'm gonna repeat this again and again until he gets into your soul, until

he gets into your spirit. Today, because this is something that I had

to repeat over and over again every single time, I almost slip, every

single time I receive a bad report from the doctor. Every single time,

I have to keep encouraging my spirit that Lord, you are with me.

Did I feel like saying that, no, because I felt like I felt

like the worst being alive. I felt like, why is all of this

happening to me? Why now? Why me? Why? Why can't it

happen to that that that person who is not obeying you? Lord? Why

why is it happening to me? These questions kept coming into my mind again

and again and time and time again. I had to say, get behind

me, get behind me, thoughts, because the Lord will never put you

in a situation where you will be condemning yourself. The Lord is after your

salvation. The Lord is not here to condemn each and every one of you.

The Lord is interested in drawing you closer to him. Amen. So,

whether you feel like it or not, whether you like it or not.

This is effect number one. God is with you all right now,

then you may ask, then what sound then like the coming? Then like?

Or then? What? Then? Why? Why? Why? Why

am I in this situation? Why? Why always turn your bibles to tewod

Timothy Verse three, Chapter three, verse tuil second Timothy Tree verse child was

Paul writing to a very young pastor at time in the name of Timothy,

and he says this, yes, and all who desire to live godly in

Christ Jesus who suffer persecution? Did he say, Did it say for Bussa

Daniel, or for Daniel, or for Ganish or for Albert? For no,

it says all all of you who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus

will suffer persecution. So other people that will not suffer persecution based on this

verse, Yes, there will be people that won't suffer persecution if they choose

not to live godly in Christ Jesus. But if you desire a deeper connection,

a deeper relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, you will suffer persecution.

Persecution will come your way. Friends. Being a believer is not all cherry

and roses. Right if you're looking for something that will make you feel good

all the time. You're in for a ride, because the Lord is in

his to build you up, to strengthen you, to make you to this

place where in the beginning he made men, he made mankind according to his

own image. He's doing that so that he can bring you closer to him.

He loves ISSI and every one of us. So you will go through

persecution in ministry, in church, in leadership, in work. I don't

know how much of you find it easy to openly pray in your offices,

in your schools, because we know of people who do it all the time,

but they don't feel shame. But why do we feel shame? I'm

speaking to myself. Why don't we outright whoa Christ? Jesus is Lord?

Even in the aya office, we don't do that. Everyone's so busy on

a day or life. When's that breakout into praise? Where's the breakout into

worship? Where's that breaking out? I am in prison now I can spend

my entire life moping. Why am I here? Lord Paul? Why?

But what did he decided to do? He decided to praise God, he

decided to sit down, He decided to pan down his thoughts. He decided

to write his epistles. He didn't decide to move around. There's no time

to move around. There's no time. Sometimes you feel like giving up because

you surrender so much to your thoughts, and that's why you want to give

up again. This is not you. It's past two weeks alone. These

are my thoughts regurgitated out for all of you. Do here. Okay,

I'm really literally bearing everything. I'm gonna sun all my undergarments for you to

see because I'm going to I'm not gonna hide anything. I'm not gonna hold

anything back because this is who I am and I just want to share you

and I hope He blesses you. Really, every time you want to give

up, remember this next point still on God before that, so you know

what you know, as I was preparing for this message, second Timothy Tree

Trail came to mind right questioning God, why why all these things happened to

me? Why? Then? I was so like disturbed, you know,

on the day where I was coming back and I was like, God,

I really want to give up. Show me that you are with me.

Wow, I don't know whether you have came to that point before where you

really ask God, God, show up now, come out now, God,

just show me a sign, just let me know. Sometimes we're so

immatured, so childish that we know that God is there, but yeah,

we say God, come out now. This happened. Look at us,

Look at the picture. It was so long enough for me to take up

my phone and take a picture of it. Can you imagine the oughts of

this happening to any tree? Chelth second Timothy chapter three versus twelf. It's

crazy? And you know another more significant thing? And why this is so

significant to me. It may be just random numbers to you, but it's

so significant to me because I'm born. On the twenty third of December,

I was standing on the lift. This is my this is my apartment lift.

I was in such despair. I was in such like mental disturbance.

I don't know what to say, I don't know what to feel what.

I just emptied a big chunk of my pocket out. In fact, the

very morning I was speaking to Victory Academy the chapel, and I told all

of them, I said, guys, I don't feel like being here.

I wanted to give up. Whether you want to listen or not is your

problem. You don't Normally I was say, guys, open my ball,

Taney doing now what are you doing? Jokes? That day, I was

just standing there. I was just like, very downtrodden. I know,

I know it's not a good example. I know you have as a believer,

your countenance have to be up, but at that time I just didn't

feel like it. I just told them, guys, you know, listen,

you listen like you don't listen up to you. I'm just telling them

that. And that was the night after came back and I don't say much

really right, this was a big sign. It was right in front of

me. God is with you, Daniel, Daniel, I am here.

Look to the altar, and finish and and and finish off your faith look

to me whenever your downtrodden looked to me, and I as I was staring

at this, it was enough time to take this picture. And one second

after I took this picture, the live decided to move. Look the picture,

there's a line in between the twenty three and twelve. That's what happens

when the lumbos aout to change. So so happened on the day someone had

to came on the floor. Someone had to come on the child floor.

I tell you what, Ever, since the day I've been trying to recreate

this image, I have not even able to recreate this image. I even

spent five minutes waiting there are three? Are you twenty four? I It's

just it's amazing how God can speak to you, even in the small little

details, if you just open your eyes. Imagine if that day my hate

was down. Imagine if that day when I was I was feeling despair,

all I did was Twitter, Instagram? What also? What on bang?

People? Can you imagine? So a lot? Right? Nowadays we use

our phone, But that day my phone was in my pocket and my head

was up because I was in despair. God is with you, friends,

God is in itach and every every one of you. You just have to

look up. You just have to rely on him. Which leads me to

my next point. How do we keep keeping on? How do we not

give up? Friends? You got to rely on God's strength. And that's

my next point, God's strength. If you want to take a picture of

these verses, you can, but I want to focus on a few verses

today, and it's Philippines forwards. The thing says I can do all things

true Christ, who strengthens me. You know the word of God edifies your

spirit. You know every time you pray, it edifies your spirit. Every

time you minister, every time you invite the Holy Spirit to come into your

heart, it edifies your spirit. Every time you feel weak, it edifies

your spirit. To the next time you feel like giving up, remember this

verse. Declare it over your life. The doctor is saying, there's no

hope. There's only three months left to live, There's only two months left

to walk. I can do all things true Christ, who strengthens me.

I can do all things true Christ, not by my own power, not

by my own mind, but true Christ. Every time you feel like giving

up, declare this verse over your life, because it's the living world of

God. How many times have you declared God's word over your situation? How

many times in the past week alone, when you are faced with a trial,

you have declared God's word over the situation. How many times have you

turned to Google before you turn to God. I'm not even talking about the

difficult times. I'm talking about how to fix how to fix a plumbing.

Google and YouTube seems to be greater than God. And when things get really

tough. How many times? How equipped are we that we can remember key

versus key words to declare away your situation? Daniel, Maybe that's why you

feel like giving, Daniel. If you have just declared my word at the

beginning, maybe you will have enough strength to carry on because it is in

your weakness. It is in my weakness that God uses me. But perhaps

he sees me and he goes like, yeah, he has Google. He

doesn't want me. He's not relying on me, so why should I help.

He's not taking the first step. I want a relationship with you.

All you have to do is ask. All you have to do is ask,

ask, sick and knock. Do you know that? Do you think

that God doesn't know what you need in your life? But why does he

still ask you to ask? Why did Jesus still teach his disciples about the

parable of the friend and the other friend and the friend that had to go

to the other friend to ask for three rows of bread? And then Jesus

then after that said and teach is very important a concept of asking, of

seeking, and of knocking Amen Emphesion six, verse ten. This is the

passions of Scripture. Where you are where where we put on the spiritual armor

of Christ, the spiritual armor of God, the helmet of salvation, the

breastplait of righteousness, the bell of truth, the senters of Gospel of peace,

the shield of faith, and the soul of the Spirit. Right that

you are protected from all angles. But what did Paul start with when he

was writing to the efficients Devision six, verse ten? How did it start?

It starts off by be strong in the Lord and in the power of

his mind. He did not say be strong in your own strength. He

says to be strong in the Lord. There is there is an amazing thing

of this Bible that it is consistent from Genesis all the way up to Revelation.

It's consistent. Be strong in the Lord. And you know the sort

of the spirit? How many of you know what the sort of the spirit

signifies? What does the sort of the spirit significe? The Word of God?

The thord that you have in your hand is the word of God.

So again, friends, I don't will remind you and even myself, equip

yourself with the word of God. If you do not have the Word of

God, how are you going to strike down the enemy? How are you

going to tell the enemy to get behind you. If you don't have the

word of God, you're just going to go into a battle with no sword,

no sword, no word of God, no sword and you and sometimes

we wonder why, why you're going to give up? Paul is a good

example I explained earlier of spending time with God, the importance of spending time

with God and putting God first. You know when Paul was converted and he

was that story, you know, we always tell the children that he was

blinded and then he opened his eyes and nothing, everything was different. Paul

was on fire. How many of you here are in a stage of your

life where you remember there was a time when you were so on fire for

the word of God. You love the word of God so much, and

you tell God, God, send me, send me to Damascus, Now,

send me to this nation. Now send me informations. Now I want

to go now, I want to serve you now, and then God says

wait Galatians one seventeen. Soon after Paul became a believer, Paul hated to

Arabia to be by himself, to hear from God, to download from God.

Paul was obedient and he was patient. When you feel like giving up,

be patient, be opedion to the word of God. Listen to his

voice. Time, take a step back and listen to his voice. The

very next point I want to give you about God is the assurance of His

will in your life. It will help you, it will guide you not

to give up. What is the assurance of His will in your life?

Turn with me to Acts Chapter thirteen, Verse forty seven says I'm not sure

that you can follow me xtly if you can put the verses out on screen,

but I'll go ahead verse forty seven. For so the Lord has commanded

us. I've set you as a light to the gentles that you should be

for the salvation to the ends of the earth. Paul knew exactly what he

needed to do. He knew God's will on his life, which is to

really literally bring the Gospel around him. That there was a focus, there

was an assurance of his will. And if you're assured by the will of

God, you won't want to give up. So, friends, ask yourself

this question. Are you assured of God's will in your life? And what

is God's will for each and every one of you? Now, each and

over you may have a specific calling from the Lord, but the commission remains

the same, which is to make disciples. The commandment is the same,

which is to love God. Are you upholding the commandment and are you practicing

the commission? Because if you're not upholding or practicing the commission, maybe that's

why you want to give up. You're not sure. But if you are

sure that this is the word of God, then you wouldn't want to give

up. Some study to it says that I will instruct you and teach you

in the way that you should go. I will guide you with my eye.

And hence why this gives us a little bit more context to the life

of Paul, everything that he had to go through. You know the message

that I was reading earlier, that sometimes I read also I read until I

cannot finish it because it's so long. Imagine you read it so you get

tired. What more to go through? Each and everyone of it? It's

crazy. Someone us fall down, get a scrape on ther knee, and

then we feel like dying already. Wow, I was just picturing earlier.

How did Paul? How would how would have Paul went home? How?

Of course, the very common one was that he was beheted right under the

instruction of Nero uh and in in the in the again, I'm not sure

that in that time and age how was be hating done. But as the

act was about to happen and I was about the role, how would have

Paul feiled? Do you think he would have went with a smile on his

face? I think yes, because he knew exactly what God has in stalled

on him. If he did not know, he would have been shivering,

he would have been crying. Paul is a very good example Philippin's one verse

that the teen says, but I want you to know, Breton, that

the things which happened to me have already turned out for the furtherance of the

Gospel. He knew, he knew that everything that has happened to him had

a reason. It wasn't about himself. It was all about God. Are

we living our lives that way? Are we living our lives to glorify God?

At every corner? Am I living my life to glorify God? Every

time I had to listen to a bad report from the doctor, the doctor

should be encourag wish by me and not and not encouraging me. I should

be looking to hear and say I will pray because I have a God that's

alive. But yet sometimes when you receive bad news, it is the doctor

that says to you, you have a God. Right, Praila, Why

are you? Why are you allowing an unbeliever to tell you to pray?

Why? Questions I'm asking myself? So I so, friends, I really

want to encouragea aroon for you today to really really take the word of God

seriously, take God seriously. Now you may just you may say, Okay,

that's God. Let's see another character in the Bible. So g second

point e Enoch. How many have you heard of Enoch before? Enoch one

of the one of the two men that did not that did not die of

physical death, right, Enoch. But the amazing thing about Enoch is that

nothing much is said about him. In total, about fifty four words in

the Old Testament was said about Enoch, and the ninety plus words was said

about him in the New Testament. In fact, Enoch is an Old Testament

character that is said more in the New Testament. We know more about Enoch

from the New Testament rather than the Old Testament. What does this tell us

about and how can we draw from the life of you know, there must

be something that he did that was right. There was something that he did

that must be really that really pleased God so much so that he did not

die. He he and Elijah was the two people that did not die,

that did not fulfill the curse that got placed upon mankind, that we surely

would have died if we partink of the fruit. Right now, let's study

the character ennot a little bit. Turns with me to Genesis chapter five,

verse eighteen to twenty four, and were xtva, I need your help with

this, and we're gonna read a little bit of Enoch. And what did

he do? All right? XTV? Are you there? Five? Verse

eighteen. Now, this is basically the family three La from Adam onwards.

Okay, the family of Adam verse eighteen. Jared live one hundred and sixty

two years and be got Enoch nineteen. After he begot Enoch, Jared lived

eight hundred years, and his sons and daughters twenty So the days of Jared

it was nine hundred and sixty two. Next, Enoch lived sixty five years,

and we got Metacella. And after he begot Metecella knock walked. We've

got three hundred years and his sons and daughters. So all the days of

Enoch were three hundred and sixty five days years, and and Henot walk with

God, and he was not and God, for God took him. Wow.

Wow, do you see what I'm saying over here? Let me just

ask you a question. Did he not walk with God his entire life?

Yes? Or no? Heno walked with God after he begot Metterilla sixty five,

three hundred. There must be a reason why, you know, scriptures

always has a reason for why it is written that way. I believe is

that something drastic happened to Enoch in the form of his son, that he

realized that, Hey, I gotta make a decision. Now, what am

I going to do with my life? Am I going to give up?

You may say, so, you may say, Henot live in a very

peaceful time, no thing. Again. It was so crule, so cunning,

so much so that God decided to wipe the entire earth to start again.

Now with that in mind, Enoch myself lived in such a horrible time,

so much trials, so much tribulations, persecutions. And when Mentalsella came

out, he decided he made a choice, and mental sella means that the

name mentalcella means that you know if once the person dies, the end will

come, the judgment will come. He knew. Did he know how long

Mendesella will live? No? All he knew is that I got to make

my decision now, and that decision stays until the day I go. Some

of us, some some theologists, like to say that Enough is still walking

now. He hasn't stopped walking. He's still with God walking. How many

of you would like to be enough today? I would love to be enough.

But every juncture that I come into a decision whether to give up or

not to give up, I have a choice. Nothing much was saying about

Enough, But yet so much to learn about Enoch. Because he was consistent,

there was nothing much of the Bible need to say about him. Besides,

he walked with God. That means every step of the way when there

was a choice to make, he chose to walk with God all the way

three hundred years, about saying one year, two three hundred years, walk

with God. Walk with God. And in Hebrews chapter eleven we hear a

little bit about a little bit more about Enoch, about how he was a

man of faith and he says in verse five, by faith not was taken

away. So he did not see death and was not found because God had

taken him. That we was taken away. In the original language, it

basically means it just disappeared. Surprise, now you see me. Now you

don't. He was gone. We've got so much so and you God decided

to take him home. That was the faith that Enoch had. And right

after the story of Enot, in verse six, it says this, but

without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to

God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those

who religionly seek him. Do you see the contrast here? Do you see

the contrast here earlier with Second Timothy three, verse twelve. For all who

decide to live godly in Christ, you will suffer persecution. But here he

says that for those who didn't diligent seek him, God will reward you.

Will suffer persecution, but God will reward you. You treat your son well,

he will reward you. You treat your parents with respect, he will

reward you. You diligently seek God, he will reward you. And what

is that reward? God cares He loves each and every one of you.

He will take you through that trial. That time, man, you feel

like giving up, He will take you through that trial. You just have

to diligently seek him and walk with him. And as you walk with him,

you please him as well. Question that we have to ask ourselves today

that we can learn from the story of Enoch is are you pleasing God?

Is everything that you do pleasing to him? That whenever he smells takes a

whiff of that aroma is something that is significant to him? Or is it

something that repels him? Every time you're on the road, something happened on

the road and then you just, you know, scold a person. I

did it. I just did it yesterday. Are we pleasing God in everything

that we do? In our conduct? Are we pleasing him? Friends?

Henot, please God? Here not walked with God. There was a consistent

work we've got and there was a consistent pleasing of God. Wow. And

if you can consistently please God. I tell you what, you won't give

up because you know that He will reward you even though you will be persecuted.

Amen. Verse The third point symathy Wow, So he says for God.

So we have e for Enoch. And then we have Timothy. What

can we learn from Timothy? Let's look to tewod Timothy verse chapter four,

verse one two eight Paul's letter to Timothy XTV. Can we have it up

or that's my slide? Right? I charge you Therefore, before God and

the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead, and

his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word be ready in season and not

of season. That's where it came from. So you will always pray be

ready in and our season. That's where it came from. Convinced, rebuild,

exhort with all long suffering and teaching, for the time will come when

they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because

they have eaching years, they will heap up for themself teachers. They will

look outdoors, they will look out of the church. They will look everywhere

except you. Right, they look everywhere except Jesus. And they will turn

their years away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. But you

be watchful in all things and your affliction, do the work of an evangelist.

Fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink

offering. And my time of my departure is at hand. I fought the

good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Finally they're laid up for me. Is the crown of righteousness, which the

Lord, the Righteous Judge will give to me on that day, and not

to me only, but also to all who have loved his appearing. There's

a reward that's awaiting you. There's a reward that's awaiting you. And that

should be the goal of all Christians, believers like you know not. That

should be your goal Verse seven. That should be your goal that at the

end of the day you can utter that with chess. You get after that

with confidence. You get utter that knowing that you have pleased God and you

have worked with Him all the days of your life. And you know the

thing with Christ, Jesus, you fall down, He's gonna pick you up

again. He decided for all, I pray that you'll be able to take

this home today. And as Paul was encouraging Timothy, he was also warning

Timothy, you know you're calling people are going to turn from your friend,

But you got to keep on keeping on. You gotta know that you must

not give up. You have to press on till the end, because if

you decide to give up, and you know the thing about giving up,

sometimes the thing of giving up, is that your breakthrough is around the corner,

and you decide to just give up. Imagine, if you just endy

up a few more years or a few more days, you will experience your

breakthrough. But because you've decided to give up, you will never experience your

breakthrough. Now, I'm not talking about things like give up on sexual immorality

or sin. I'm not talking about giving that up. I'm talking about giving

God up. Friends, believers in Christ, fellow Christians, do not give

up, Do not give up. Keep on keeping on all right? Man?

Getting a bit quiet today. I don't know whether I'm talking to myself

or is this something that you are? Are you getting something from this?

So? Back to was it Matthew? Back to Matthew? What was it

again? Get behind me? This thing is a bit chat there. It's

the black one again. It's the black one. Use the right one because

the blood of Christ, no one to laugh. Okay, get behind me.

Jesus is the one that say this word right, Get behind me.

So that mean was Jesus. The fourth point I have for you today is

to always keep the cross the focus of your life. To always keep the

cross the focus, because the moment you lose sight of the cross, you'll

lose sight of your focus. The moment you forget what Jesus done for you

on the cross, you will lose your focus. Remind yourself theily. There's

a reason why we partake of communion every time something is not going well.

Whenever you are suffering with something, you partake of communion as a family because

you want to remember what Jesus has done for you on the cross. And

when Jesus fulfilled the prophecy that was prophecy in Isaiah. The prophecy was fulfilled

by every single strike there was on his body, every single health diseases is

made whole again remember the cross Galatians six fourteen. If anything at all that

you want to boast in both on the cross a man six fourteen, God

forbid that I should both except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whom the world had been crucified to me and I to the world.

The love of God the Father was expressed through God the Son, which is

the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross, and true that we receive the power

of the Holy Spirit that now lives in us. As long as we believe

that Jesus Christ is Lord. Amen. To live is Christ, and to

die is Gain. Until the day that we can after that out loud,

we will know our purpose to live. When you are alive today, there's

a reason why you're here on earth. Do not give up. To live

is Christ. But when you die, there's again that's coming your way.

There's a reward that's coming your way. So when that happens, it happens.

But as long as you are in this earth and as long as you're

living, live for Christ. Friends, Amen, Live for Christ. Now,

before I started, I wanted to I told you that I wanted you

to not look at the word I give up the same again? Right,

So can I have the next light and I will illustrate it on this paper.

My wife say that I have the neck of doing this. I'm so

sorry. If this is something that you it's not your cup of tea,

but it's I don't know, it's just my thing. You know. God

speaks to me in a very peculiar way, and it works for me.

So if it helps you, it helps you, Okay. So the next

time you see the word I give up, I hope that you remember this.

Okay, I gave up all right when I when I was looking at

this way, I give up, you know, again and again and again

again literally literally, because I wrote it down on my iPad, because I

was I want to give up already. I wrote this down and the first

thing that came to my mind was the two words in the middle, the

I in the V. Okay, the I n the V. And what

happened was this that I was led to a particular verse in the Bible James

chapter four, verse eight, and he says, draw near to God,

and he will draw near to you. It's consistent with the parable of the

the the prodigal son. It was consistent the portigal son had to take the

first step right, and the father was running to him. Draw near to

him, and he would draw it to you. So the word G obviously

says for God. So next time you want to give up, I pray

that you can say this prayer I put in your name right God, I

want to draw nearer to you. I want to draw nearer to you.

James chapter four verse eight. And God will draw nearer to you. God

will draw nearer to you, and he will give you the strength to endure

everything that will be coming your way. He will give you the strength to

end you. He won't fix that problem right away. That problem will still

be there. My dad is still sick until this very day today, after

church, I'm gonna go and see him. He still can't walk. Okay,

he's limping around very very slowly, and very fun because he goes,

he does one leg and he goes. I'm dying canna do this anymore.

It just breaks my heart there than I seem, especially when I see him

shitless will, the bones sticking out and all the fleshes hanging. Wow,

I tell you, I'm sorry. I'm just painting an image. Sorry if

you're uncomfortable. But He will give you the strength to endure. And he

won't fix your problem right there, right there. His will will be done

in your life. Only he knows when your break shoe is coming. You

just have to endure. You just have to walk. You just have to

keep pressing on. You just have to make a choice every time you're faced

with a heart decision. You just have to keep going on. Next night.

Sorry that Hebrews one to two is where endurance is. All right,

So you can take a picture, Sorr. I'm running out of time,

so I'm going to rush through this. And as he gives you the strength

to end your God will give you peace. God will give you peace,

all right. I'm not sure if you're getting it or it makes sense.

God will give you peace. Now, let me give you a little bit

more, a little bit less complicated version. The next time you want to

give up, don't say I give up. Say I give you praise next

like peace. I give you praise. I give you my position. I

give you my pain. I lay down at your feet, Lord, I

can't do anything anymore. Here's my pain, Lord, here's my situation,

Lord, here's my pride. Lord, here's my pain. Lord. I

give you praise. I'm not I'm not gonna give up. I'm gonna give

you praise. The next time you see this word, you are not gonna

see the same ever again. I give you praise. Not I give up.

It still stands I give up. But it does not stand for giving

up. It stands for I give you praise. I give you my position.

Who I am. I'm a child of God. Where I am,

I give it to you, any single ounce of pride that is left in

my being, my soul, Lord, I give it all to you.

So, friends, every time you want to give up, remember this.

Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up. Don't give up.

Friends, you feel like life is not worth living anymore, come on,

don't give up on life. Don't give up on the breath that God

has give each and every one of you. Some of you may have friends

that are going through this problem now, some of you may have friends that

are going through a mental trauma. You be that person, You be that,

you be that pastor, and you bring this statement to them. Don't

give up. Keep pressing on, keep pressing on in life all the way.

Make a choice to walk with him all the days of your life.

Amen. Amen, Friends, the Lord bless you and keep each and every

one of you. The Lord make his face shine upon you, and be

gracious to you. The Lord lived up his coldness upon you, and give

you peace, each and every one of you. I pray the peace of

the Lord upon each and every one of your lives. No matter what you're

going through, Lord, no matter which position that you are in no matter

how hayvy, our prior is Lord, they get away, speak to this

heart of mine. We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

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week. I hit for you. God bless