Love Your Enemies | Pr Alvin Keng

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

will light up your day. August is our missions emphasis man, and basically

we are focusing as a church, this man on what is our first priority.

So in our church we have this phrase where we say our first priority,

as believe us, was jesus last commandment. And jesus last commandment is

in Matthew twenty eight, verse eighteen to twenty. He asked us to go

therefore and make disciples in all the nations, baptized, baptizing them in the

name of the Father, the Son of Holy Spirit, right and teaching them

right to obey all that he has commanded us. Okay, and he also

promised us that he will be with us even to the end of age,

even as we do this, you know. And there's a commandment before he

was taken up, you know, to heaven. He asked the disciples to

do this, and we continuously do this. Right, So go into all

the nations. We've got to make disciples. And he talks about baptizing.

Why baptizing, Okay, you'll know why baptizing. We all know that excretions.

We need to go and baptize you know, you know, a baptize

in water. Uh, you know, full immersion baptism is a public declaration

of Earth's following Christ. You know, it's signified, isn't It's a symbol

because if we actually do the actor, then we will probably not be alive

because the symbol of being immersed in water burial to our own self. And

when we come up from the water, the water washes all everything else away.

We come up from the water, we come up as a new life.

Okay, how many we are happy? That is very metaphorical rather than

reality. You know, I've heard before in uh you know, of course,

in certain places where they don't have a lot of water. I mean,

we're blessed we got water, we got swimming pool and all these different

things, right because we are in the tropical country. Heard before stories of

how different pastors, especially in the Middle East, when they go to baptism

because water is scars, you know, they actually baptize by putting the person

in a coffin and saying that you know, yeah, yeah, I've heard

of this story. Of course. You know, I'm not going to be

too like detail on like you know, whether right or wrong at all,

but the significance of them in the coffin, and they really ask them one,

not as believers, because especially in those places and you know, it's

not safe for or believer us. They'll ask them one. If you want

to follow Christ, right, you're to be ready to die to yourself.

And it's both a symbol and also almost like a possibility for them, you

know, and when they come out of that, when we come out of

baptism, there's significance of baptism. Is are significant. When we come out

baptism, the all has died and the new has come, Meaning our all

behavior, what we used to say, what we used to complain about,

should change. You know, don't know what we believe in. You know,

we all believe in the same thing, right, but what we what

our attitude all should change when we go through the waters of baptism, right,

because when we are following Christ, it is a transformation that happens.

It is a transformation that happens when we go through baptism. Deside, Jesus

said, baptize them, right, And we're not just baptizing in any name.

We are baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, the

Holy Spirit, in baptizing in God. So God is involved in all these

processes. And of course he asked us to teach them to obey everything that

Jesus has commanded. You know, Jesus is a big deal to us.

Amen. The Bible is a big deal to us, and Jesus is a

big deal to us. Right. And and you know, we had homes

last week and we talked about and we were talking about missions as the homes

and I had a revelation as we were sharing about missions that you know,

Jesus asks us in the Bible to love one another, right, and he

said that people, so that people will know that you are my disciples when

you love one another. Do you know how people out there know whether we

are Christian or not when they see us love one another. That's how they

know. Do you know that Christians the word Christian was not created by us.

We didn't sell any one day. Wake up, you know what,

Let's call ourselves Christian? No, it was a it was a nickname given

by people who are not Christians. They were like, hey, who are

these people are? They meet every Sabbath. They are so nice, you

know, they are so loving to one and others so different and you know,

here's a dot world. But then now, somehow in this group,

everybody likes each other, but they're also different and power and they say,

you know what, we see Jesus in them. Don't Jesus teach about love?

Don't we see Jesus? You know what, Let's start calling them Christians.

So it wasn't even something we call, you know, now we call

ourselves or I'm a Christian. You know, I have a Christian name.

Is cool to be Christian? Just wear a cross, and you know it's

not about that, No, it's about the life you live. The only

way people know that we are believers is that when we love one another.

And the revelation I had was that, you know, my homies they open

their house, you know, and we thank God for the very nice house.

And I told her, I say, you know what, when you

open your house and you allow us to meet as homes here, you are

expressing God's love to us. Because it's not convenient. Nor the open house.

He's not convenient. It's really not convenient. Okay, I always open

my house to be built and now, but it is an expression of godstuf.

Do you know that I don't know what time you'll wake up today to

come here? Extreme? What time? Sixty? Why? How are you

come so earlier? Do you know? Sorry? Wake up? Wake up?

You woke at six forty five? Oh okay, six thirty six forty

five very earlier. Do you wake up like that on a normal weekday?

Okay? Yes? Some say yes, you know, because they have to

wake up early to go. I see one or two that's saying no,

why do they do it? It is expressing God's love to all of you.

Because we got no extreme team coming here to lead us in worship,

we will be singing up a cappella. We should also work, but you'll

probably be half hard for song of us to sing. Do you know that

when XTV prepares the lyrics, it is the expression of God's love. You

know, It's not just convenience. You know, sometimes we treat it like

that. But do you know that when you serve one another, when we

serve one another, it is the expression of God's love to one another.

When we serve one another, that's I survey is such a big deal because

we are serving one another. The Bible teaches us that we serve one another

as do unto God. Right, you know, the significance of that.

When Jesus asked me to Peter, do you love me right? And he

said, God, I love you right. Don't you know? Then God

said, Jesus said, feed my lamps, care for my ship. The

way we operate as Christians is to love one another. Amen. And that

his mission is actually missions is not mission impossible or no. It is about

others. It is about the opportunity to express God's love to another person when

we serve. Do you see it that way? That's my question? Do

you realize that that's the truth? Because that's what God called And when people

look at us, do you know? And I'm sure some of you here

would have I hope, I hope all of you here would have this experience

that someone would come to you and ask this question, are you a Christian?

Why do they make such a connection. I've had someone asked me that

question a few times a day. Of course I didn't have a chance to

ask it. How you think? I you know, is it a cross?

And do you know that people see a cross? They wouldn't just ask

you. Why do they ask you the question? It is your behavior,

It is how they interacted with them. It is what you decided to do,

you know. That's that's how we're identified as believers. Amen. Right,

So expressing God sla. That's the revelation I had. When we serve

on another, we're expressing godsla. When we serve and when we fulfill our

mission, it is an expression of God sl right. That's what we do.

Why if not why it's not fun known to early and I read asleep,

you know, but we do it because we want to express God's love

to people around us. Amen. Why do we express God's love? Well?

John three sixteen says, for God's so love the world. He gave

his only begodden son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have

ever lasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to

condemn the world, but that the world true him might be saved. That

is why. That is why the church is here, friends. That is

white people need to experience God's love. That's why people need to experience what

is it like to be in a community of believers, to be loved by

one another. That is why us as Christians, we have a higher calling.

Do you know? It's a higher calling? Though we will go into

it. It is a higher calling to be a believer. Right, and

even as you prepare for missions this month, it's an emphasis man. Okay,

actually we should be doing missions every other day. But it's an emphasis

mon because we need focused sometimes we need to be reminded a lot of things.

The church DASA is not just for final one and all, guys,

is so that we can function as believer us. We practice things so that

we can function as believer us. We have Sunday and worship so that we

can function as believer us. It is not just for filling a duty.

If you think that it's fulfilling with you've really missed a point. That's why

you're dragging our feat. No, this is exercise, guys. This gym

time for all of you who will go to the gym, right, this

is the spiritual exercise we need to have. When you serve, you're exercising

in your faith. When you pray, you're exercising in your faith. When

we read the Word, we are learning from the Word of God and growing

in our faith. Amen. So I really believe that we need to prepare

our hearts to be used by God, to love others and to serve them.

How do we prepare. Let's learn what Jesus teach us to do.

And that's my introduction. And if you're writing notes, the title of the

word today is love your enemies, Love your enemies, and a pull us

a short note that preparing our hearts to be of heavenly use. You know,

we we we you know Jesus teaches this. Okay, I don't know

who else teaches this, but Jesus teach us this about loving enemies. And

I want to encourage you to return to chapter six. We're going to go

there and read a few chapters. I think it will be easier to do

missions and to love others when we can sort all these other things that I'll

be sharing in a bad in our hearts. But it's going to be hard

for us to love others and to do the things that God call us to

do, to love even one another, when we cannot love our enemies,

when we are ware a judgmental, when we don't realize whether we are bearing

good fruit or not, and when we are not building our foundation on the

rock which is Christ. But when all these things are align, I think

were king up at six qualified am. It's no problem for your because you

know the purpose that you do it. So, friends, if it has

been stagnant, all this will in your faith. Listen to God's word today.

It is time to break free. It is time to overcome. It

is time to be changed. Because God wants us to renew our minds.

That's what he wants us to do, the renewing of our minds for what

for Him, for us, for this faith that we're living. So love

your enemies. Let's go look chapter six. It says, yeah, but

I say to you who hear, love your enemies. Do good to those

who hate you. Are very hard, very have your heart very hard to

do. Okay, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who

spitefus you, Lord, I can pray for those who spitefal use Mela.

I will pray this prayer. Lord, Please call down fire from heaven and

burn them up and burn. Yeah, that's the prayer we will pray.

No, no, no, it's not the Camnt prayer. Pray for those

bless them. That's what you said to him who strikes you on one cheek,

offered the other, or so from him who takes away your cloak,

do not withhold your tunic. Huh you took my thing away, you stole

it. Now he'll have another thing. How crazy is that? It's crazy,

right is Jesus? No? Do you know that he thought these are

right? After the battitudes? It must be important. It's one of his

first sermons. No, well, he immediately established a counterculturality. You're like

Jesus, you're crazy, La right, you're crazy. Give to everyone who

asks of you, and from him who takes away your goods, do not

stand back. How many of you are like that? Some of us here

we are very good with accounts. We probably remember the person that borrowed our

book when we are five years old and has not returned it back. We

probably remember. We probably remember who took our CD right and have not given

it back. We are keeping accounts right, and one day we will.

You know, don't asktand back all, don't ansertand back. And just as

you want men to do to you, also do to them likewise. But

if you love those who love you, what credit is said to you?

For even sinners love those who love them. Guys, it sounds like a

higher calling, man, Christians, it sounds like a higher calling. And

if you do good to those who do good to you what credit is said

to you, for even sinners, do the same. And if you learn

to those whom you hope to receive back what credit is said to you,

for even sinners, learn to sinners to receive as much back. But love

your enemies, do good and learn, hoping for nothing in return, and

your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the most high

fault. He is kind to that thankful, and eviil therefore be merciful,

just as your father in heaven also is merciful. So a few things are

He says, Yeah, do good to those who hate you. How many

of you can do that easily? There is right, It's tough. Right,

it's tough. It's tough. Bless those who curse you? Are You're

just to give you in simple terms, if your curlaque is complaining about your

work performance, and your boss asks you what you think about the curllague blessing

me saying good things about them, now you know how that is. It's

very hard. Quite fire with fire, right, we should do five fire

fire friends, That's what we should do. But that's not what Jesus teaching.

That's not what Jesus teaching here, pray for those suspectfully use You are

very hard, very hard, guys, very hard. How to pray for

someone who is like your boy? How have you? How many here?

Okay, don't lift that your hand. You've got bosses that really exploit you,

aana exploit. Can you pray for them? Can you bless them?

In your business? They say? What the benefit of work more? What

good work is more? All right? That's how they say. Give to

everyone who asks us? Friends? Can I give you a revelation? Two

thoughts? Okay? Well two things? Hopefully catch this. You know,

when we do this, as in what Jesus Commandedna, Remember I just spoke,

I just shad in, Matthew. See it's not you know, it's

the Bible say on No, okay, right, when we do this,

we are different from the norm, immediately different the moment we do this,

immediately different. Do all this and expect nothing in return? Expect nothing you

return from your fellow human beings. Do you know why? Because we are

sons and daughters of the Most High God, and God sees what you do.

He does If you think that you are good and no one sees,

please, friends, God sees when we understand our birth right as children of

God, he won't be so hard to do this. Correct, you'll catch

it a phrase if you actually understand that you are child of God and no

matter how people maystreat you, that God will take care of you. He

won't be hard to do all this. Unfortunately, not all of us catch

that yet. I say yet, hopefully you'll catch it. We are actually

children God of God and not hilings. We're not employees, so you're not

employees in the King of God. You are God's children. So actually God

does see what you do and how you treat the other people. We just

only said John three sixteen. For God's soul of the world, He gave

his only begoden son to the people around them. That's how God sees your

boss that exploits you. That's how God sees that brother or sister that's krussing

you. That's how God sees them as his children. Do we see the

same thing or do we is someone that has wrong this? Do we understand

our birth right? Or are we hirelings? If you're hirelings air, then

yeah, if you're just employees, yeah it is unfair and justified. But

you're not just employees. We are not just employees. We are called for

a higher calling different from the norm. During after this, I got storied

to share if you're okay, personal story okay, Luke, Chapter six,

verse thirty two two. He says, yere judge not, and you should

not be judged, condemned not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive

and you will be forgiven. I think I've shared about this before. Give

and you'll be given to you good measure pressed down chicken together running over will

be put into a bosom, for will be the same measure that you use.

He will be measured back to you. And he spoke ap parable to

them. Can the blind lead he lead the blind? Will? Then will

they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher,

but everyone who's perfect trained will be like his teacher. And why do

you look at the spect in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the

plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother brother,

let me remove that spect that is in your eye, when you yourself

do not see the plank that is in your own eye, hypocrite, First

remove the plank from your own eye, and you will see clearly to remove

the spect that is in your brother's eye. What does it mean don't judge

others? No, I can tell you this on behalf of me because I'm

read judgmental. Sorry, where judge sometimes can be lah right, it's hard.

Don't condemn others. How do we look at the people around us?

But why see? If if we are in this world alone, and before

this we are like this, he will be hard to do all these things.

But we are not in this world alone. God is here. If

you understand, if we understand our role as children of God, then the

first part easy. If we understand that we are doing this not unto people,

but to God, then we will understand that. Actually, I wouldn't

say easy. Lie, it's still not easy, but we understand the significance

and the purpose of what I say. Don't judge others because God forgave us

first. He even gave the example of the I won't go to deep into

it, but he gave the example of the You know, the Kingdom of

God is like this. When the king was counting his affairs and he has

this servant that came that owed him a lot of money, friends, a

lot of money. The servant came and begged the king, have mercy upon

me. Oh, King, have mercy upon me. And then the king

said, you know what, I forgive your debts, go and be free.

And then this overjoyed went out, saw a friend that all him,

then ring it. You know what he did. He took the friend through

him in jail, through the whole family in jail, and then the friends

same thing. Oh, have mercy upon me, have mercy. No I

will not. I'm going to sell your family and too when the king found

out. Now you know how angry was the king. Do you know that

we are like that? Weaker servants sometimes they were can easily point finger and

say, oh you know you're like that. Now this fuster to that,

either like that, this person like that, my family member like that,

not realizing that God has forgiven us God No is in the picture. No,

he is in the picture. You know. If he's not in the

picture, then yes easy. If you don't realize that God's in the picture,

then yes, we won't realize. But if you realize that God is

actually in the picture, he is around and he'll be your indicator. That's

why you say, settle your own affairs don't so fast to as someone's else's

say. Hey, Westley, your eye are a bit dunkler. And then

my eye got all this black patch. But because I don't look in the

mirror, I cannot see. But I'm just busy your eye something els wapping

your eye Anyways, He's like, Bro, you've got a bigger passion than

me. Why are you so concern about my expect Why are you so concerned?

Sometimes we've got to take a long, hard look at our own selves

in the mirror. That's what God is saying, look at ourselves first.

Don't sell first when you fing at someone else. Nobody's perfect. I'm not

perfect, you know. But we're gonna look at ourselves. Don't judge others.

Don't you think that if we can forgive people, and if we cannot

so quick be so quick to judge others, it will be easier to love

people. Don't you think that it will be It will be so easy to

love people when we can sort these two things out in our hearts. We

can realize that, you know what, nobody's perfect, and see how you're

not doing it alone. No, God, he's in the picture. That's

the wonderful thing about having God. Sometimes we forget. We look at this

in seca say, oh Lord, how to do it now? But in

context of the relationship we have with him, well a lot. I think

I better do it because it is in context with the relationship we have with

God. It is not in contact with us only you know, you get

I mean, it's a higher calling. Amen. This is not a promise

from God, you know. It says for the same measure that we use,

it will be measure back to you. It talks about stewardship, right,

It talks about stewardship. It is not a promise that men made to

men. It is a promise that God made to us. It's not something

we can claim to this world. So if we are living by the laws

of this world, I can tell you these are not good advice. They

are better advice out there if you are just living on your own and living

in this world. But because we are not living according to the loss of

this world, we are living with the relationship that God has with us.

Then we've got to remember that we cannot claim from this world. Friends,

all these things that we see are is not claimable from this world. Instead,

it's God a shows us that When we do this, He's the one

that will reward us. It is claiming bubble to him, not the world.

So if you're expecting things from the world by doing this, I can

tell you you'll be disappointed. Don't expect things from the world, expectings from

God. God. I'm following your word. I'm going through a tough time

my office by form, Can you please do something? Don't God it I

thought you're gonna bless me. God, I thought you're gonna bless me.

Why I do this? Nothing happened? Now you know something? We think

that way. He's so small minded. No, what is the relationship we're

having Christ? Do we realize they were his children? Do we realize that

he is our father in heaven. He's a different kind of relationship, you

know, it's a different kind of relationship. Right. He is the one

that has redeemed us. He's ready given it all. So when we do

this, we are not doing it until men see when we look at men,

then yes, we will be disappointed. When we look at men only

then yes, all this things will come, all these emotions that come.

But look, we are doing it. Unto the Lord God. I'm serving

you. I'm expressing this love on to you. That is the mindset we

need to have. That is the understanding we need to have. It talks

about humility and submission. It talks about that. Right, we as humans

have a tendency to see others thoughts, but unfortunately we're blind to our own

swear normal, it's human nature, okay, So before we look at others

we need to take a long, hard look at ourselves first, That's true.

I got a story to tell you, okay. So my first year

Unia, I won't go through detail less people can guess who I'm talking about

it all. But so I went to university, okay, and my first

year we say in a hostel, and then second year we're supposed to shift

out. Because I was so full of faith, right, and I didn't

really look for a place to stay. I ended up having to stay with

a bunch of friends in Sri Kamanan thirteen minutes away from my UNI in Sabajaya.

So smart, right, and I didn't choose my house waves and I

basically was put in this situation where I I give you a background law,

I think I'm a pretty okay temperament person, okay, meaning that I'm okay,

generally with everybody one, Okay, I don't have anybody that I hate.

You know, I had a pretty difficult childhood, you know, and

thank god I was in church, so I learned about forgiveness all these things

when I was young. So I had challenges, but I was able to

solve, like over Kamla. So I don't really have anybody I really don't

like one. I mean, I think there are more people don't like me

that I don't like them. I think generally, I think it's like that,

you know, my wife thinks it's my eyebrows. I don't know.

Maybe it's the way I thought, you know, on this, I don't

know. Okay, I don't know why, but I think it's true.

Okay, I don't know. It's very funny. I had like it's kind

of lia. But when I catch people, I got no problem to them,

right and then before that, I thought you were best friends and his

sunny they were kind of tell me, you know, I'll last an I

don't like your face. They're like, really, you know, I've had

I've had a lot of these card conversations. So so generally on my side,

it's kind of like on my side I'm okay, what right, But

I don't know why. I don't know why. I had this housemate in

my second year of UNI. When I say it's a man for two three

months, I keep you're not I hated this person with all my being.

Right, Okay, different things happen now, okay, And I've never experienced

that before. I've never experienced because you know, you're a Christian, you

learn about your forgiveness. So I'm like, I don't understand. I don't

understand why I don't like this person so much. I hated this person for

two three months. I'm constantly complaining about this person every single conversation. Everybody

knew I detested this person. I've never used to word hate me four,

but I can confidently use the word hate on this person. You know,

I don't understand, right, Okay, I give you one story, can

give you one story happen you might think that different thing type of like,

yeah, I won't go to detail, but basically, there was one day

when I went home to the to the house and I went to the toilet

and there was a huge rosa sign on the toilet, huge Rosa sign,

and I'm like, hey, not working and then I try and flash.

Okay, of course got present. They're try and flash, cannot flash.

It feels loose. Okay. I'm a little bit of a handy person,

Okay, not supercomplicate handy. So I opened the toilet thing. I opened

it so the hook that was hooking on that lever thing is unhooked. So

I hooked it back and can flash. I'm thinking myself, you got the

time to write a loss sign and put it on the thing, and you

that's just one. There were many many things that kind of got me like,

oh man, this person and anyway. So what happened was I had

unforgiven all these things, right and last time in Uni, we have a

CF and the time you pass passa jack, okay, passa jack was my

CG leader. We have this thing called CG in the CF, and we

had a CG in Strikaman in the place, and I remember it was okay

And again now we all share, ma, you know, read the Bible,

share discuss. So what are the challenges you face? And low and

behold, I will be complaining about my house right law right, you know,

like oh I don't want to stand no, no, no, you

know it's so much angst, so much angst, and and and and if

you know, passa jack. Personally, he's a good guy. It's an

awesome guy. So as usually I was like, oh, no, pray

for me, I'm going to this right. And then he said this I'm

trying to paraphrase. He actually said, he's like, you know, Elvin,

I've been complaining all this. What right did he ever occur to you

that you could be the problem? Okay? He can come from him.

Want okay, okay, just to let you know I'm not the problem.

Okay, I don't know. Really really, I'm not a problem. Anybody

I talked to will tell me that I'm not a problem, and and and

no, seriously, I'm a nice person. I'm not the problem. But

but but it got me thinking, and of course I offended, like how

can you say that you're my care group leader? You should be carrying right,

But it can come from passage, it can come from him. And

he's a good guy. He's awesome guy. I think God was using him,

you know. So I'm like, oh, no, happy, you

know, and all and go back and then and then you know what happened.

I thought about it. I've reflected on it. And you know what

happened. I prayed about it some more. Oh my goodness, and you

know, I got revealed to me. So he revealed to me that I

have been hovering unforgiveness in my heart over this individual for three months. It

has consumed me that I couldn't say, you know, and it really convicted

my heart to say, Lord, how can I live this way? I

was valid. I was justified to be honest. I was super justified because

all my other husband's who don't like this person, I was super justified.

And I thought I'm the Oh no, I'm high and my degreestion didn't know

and got convicted my heart to say, Elvin, you got unforgiveness. You've

got to deal with it. You know what happened that day itself. It's

so funny, right, exchange, extreme exchange of like, you know,

I think some of us are probably And the more I think about, like,

hey, why he said that, I probably be angry. He didn't

even do it. He's like maybe your problem. Can't think you know,

No, He's said it in such a way like you know, you keep

saying that this person is a trouble to you. Maybe you are the trouble

to the person, something that affect on him, Like, how can you

say that? It doesn't make sense and not truly really, I'm not I'm

not a problem, okay, but I have a problem now, Okay.

So I actually went through the housemaid that day itself, and I asked for

forgiveness. This person is not believer, okay. And of course the person

confused at like, okay, because think about it now, I've been fixing

everything in the houser and I'm asking you for forgiveness. For what right I

ask for forgiveness? Do you know what happened after that? This unforgiveness covering?

He was released? Friends, I stayed in the house for another year.

Nothing changed. The rosa sign came out a few more times. Right,

do you know what change I change? I had no issue with the

roster sign. I fixed it constantly, rosa sign kama the thing fixed.

Are never even asked who fixed it? No, just continue using one.

I had no problem at all with the person. I never complain about the

person at all. Nothing there was forgiveness, there was freedom, there was

peace. Right, I've never used the word hit. I really hate their

person with all my being, but there was ten. My mom gave me

this as I say, you know, Elvin, when you go out and

work, you'll meet people ten times worse than that. And she was right.

I met many, many people worse than that. But because of the

experience of forgiveness, and I think God at to teach me something. He

really taught me about what does it mean to truly forgive someone you know?

And where they happened? Now, I tell you what, any other difficult

person I deal with, I'm okay. On really, I'm really okay.

In fact, I think I can look at people with the eyes of love,

no matter how difficult they are, because I know how to forgive,

because I know how to say I hardly don't know what they're doing. It's

Okayla, They just don't know. Even if they don't like me. And

I know good people don't like me, very obvious. You know, the

older you grow, the most sensitive you become. Your spiders and is thinning.

But I can still talk to them and smile at them and invite them

to my house and love them. Know it's okay. Go ask me to

forgive my Go ask me to look at my spect my plank ma, do

I point finger? I say, why do you so not unforgiving? You

know I'm the pastor here for what Lord? I will take care of myself.

Lord, I will be. I will follow your work, and I

know you will take care of them. You know, it's so powerful to

follow Christ, true peace, true peace. Friends, I've never hitted anybody

like that anymore. How bad life gets are, it's not as bad as

that those days laugh, you know, and we love. I love about

it now. But it was the best person I learned about forgiveness. Look

chapter six, verse forty three to forty five. For a good tree does

not bad bad fruit, Nor does a bad tree bad good fruit. For

every tree is known by his fruit. For men do not get a fixed

from towns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good

man out of good treasures of his heart bring forth good, and an evil

man out of evil treasures of his heart, brings forth evil. For out

of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks. So friends, a

tree is known by his fruit. You are known by your fruit. You

are known by your track record and actions and decisions that you've made and continue

to make. That's what you are known by. Okay, And the Bible

says a good man out of good treasure in his heart. So out of

what is in your heart, the good will come out, and out of

what is in your heart, the bad will come out. For two months,

all the bad stuff came out. I was spewing bad stuff because so

much angsent. Problem. After that, you change, that was good.

Nothing changed, still saying the same author. All the things that irked me

still happening. But I change then instead of bad, it was good.

So friends, the question I have is do you have good treasure in your

heart? If you don't have very hard good things where I had to come

out on. So you've got to keep things that are good insight your heart,

because it will come out. It will come out. Is it stinky

trash? Deal with the trash. Let God deal with the trash, take

it away. You know, I had trash that I had to deal with

in a very unconventional way. You know, it's a nice we expect like,

oh, you know, it's young, you know, and you know,

okay, no, it was maybe you are the problem. I'm like,

okay, of course I After thinking about it, I'm like man Herat,

he have given better advice. That vice. Okayla, you know I

know him quite well, so you don't remember this, you know, but

it really impacted me that that really impacted me. What do we value?

No, we talkt about treasure. It's value. What do we value?

Do you know that one man's trash is another man's treasure? Are we valuing

the right things? Do we value God sword or do we value advice that

we get outside? Do we value our relationship with Christ? Or do we

value what our friends say more? What do we value? Do we have

good treasure? It's something for us to reflect on. It's not something to

point finger and you know, no, reflect on ourselves. Hey, what

is in my heart when I come to church? When I interact with the

homes? When I when I'm here? Am I skeptical? Am I?

Or? Am I open? Do I allow people to come into my life?

Am I engaging people? You know? Do I love people? What's

in our heart? Know? When we do? When we do this bearing

good fruit, we're expressing God's love to others. No, I share that

in the beginning. When we love others the way God loves us, we

are reaching out to them. No, God loves us so much. That's

why That's why that's that relationship. We've got to remember that always has We

always have that relationship. We can only do it because God loves us first.

If you don't realize that God love you first's very hard for you to

trust me. He's very hard to be a nice person. But when you

realize that you love so much by God that he's been, he has so

much for you, it is not very hard to love others. That has

to come first. Do we even realize that? Right? We can plead

for their souls, we can pray for them, we can ask the Holy

Spirit to touch them, we can save them. Friends, don't worry.

I'm not gonna leave you here hanging, okay, because we got to remember

before all these things, we got to build on the rock. Man.

So look chapter six, verse forty six. But why do you call me

lord lord? And do not do the things which I say? Whoever comes

to me and here's my sayings and does them, I will show you whom

he's like. Wow, he's like a man building a house who dunk deep

and laid the foundation on the rock, And when the flood arose, the

stream beat vehemently against house and could not shake it. For it was founded

on the rock. But he who hurt and did nothing. It's like a

man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the

stream beef vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of the house

was great. Why do we call Jesus Lord? But we don't know what?

He says? Our faith and identity as little Christ just for shore or

face value? So many things about friends, he says, those who follow

Jesus works and not just listens, but does then builds his foundation on a

rock and not sand. And when the flood comes, it stands. Do

you know that floods will come into your life? Do you know that,

however strong you build a foundation, however strong you try to keep things,

however blessed you think you are, do you know that flood will come?

Anyway? None of us predicted COVID the flood came. But because there are

a number of us who build our foundation on the rock of Christ, we

can stand. We have not lost our faith. But do you know that

many have lost our faith? Many have gone this illusion? What was their

foundation? Was it just relationships? Was it just oh no homes? No,

oh no? Worship cannot if your foundation was not built on Jesus,

it was not build on God's word, and it was built on all these

things that are external. Then yes, when the flood comes, you will

follow away. Build on the rock, friends, build on the rock.

When we follow Jesus, not just listen, but follow. We are building

on the rock. When we build on the rock, whatever happens in our

life, we will not be shaken. That is my promise to your friends.

Are you feeling a shaking right now in your life? Do you feel

like a very shaky little bit. I don't know. I don't know,

don't know where the God is God or not, don't know whether you know

he promises his real from friends, Watch what you're building, where you're building

it, because I am confident that if you build on Christ, whatever they

may come your way, you will say, Hey, you know what,

God's not like that. Hey, you know what. I may be stuck

in this situation, but I know that God has promises from me. Hey

you know what, I know. You know, things happen. You know,

maybe my home leaders say the wrong thing, you all, but or

you know, I mean whatever, he didn't go my way, but God,

it's still good. He didn't go my way, but I still stands

strong because the floods can come and go. But if your foundation is strong

in Christ, you won't fall, you will stay. You will stay.

Amen. So have we built on the rock of our salvation? Jesus Christ?

Got to ask yourself that question? Friends? You know, have you

build on it? Have we been shaken recently? You know how you know?

You know when there's chicking in your life, then you're not. Oh

man, bad things are happening on you go chess on Sunday. It's not

about going chess, but you get what I mean. Just using it as

an example, you know what is our foundation on this morning? When we're

shaking? Are we shaking? Friends? Hold on to Jesus. You know

if you're not ready in this, it'll be hard to love others. You'll

be hard if you're it comes. The foundation has to be right first,

Jesus. From foundation, and then we got to check what's on our housband

I value and from whatever value it comes out, then things like loving your

enemies and not judging others is subs right? Don't you think it? Subs

up is easy? And that's how people say, Wow, these guys are

different. They must be Christians. There's that relationship. But if we try

to do it the other way around our then you'll be very hard for you.

Then you're like, oh Lord, why are I told you love people?

But they heard me? You know our foundation correct enough? The foundation

has to be right. It will be hard to love others. Let the

loane go and fulfill our mission. We need to get ready and allow the

Holy spiritual in our lives. I'll give you a cheat coote. Okay,

I'm sharing a lot of this, but I'll give you a cheat quote.

And it comes in this four versus. Okay, Roman's child one who says,

I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,

that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly and acceptable to God, which

is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but

be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is

that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. You know this thing about

renewing of mine is rare, powerful, right? I shay this just now

in a PJ. Everyone here you are living in your own reality of life.

What do I mean by that? All we are all in the same

space. But your experiences, what you are used to, what you like

don't like, what problems you had in the past with certain things will determine

how you live your life will determine what's real to you, right Simpi.

Example is my family. We all eat in its you know, so we

like it. But to someone else, they'll be like you, what's dead?

Why all this reird stuff? That's their reality? This is my reality.

Don't judge me, right, But you know what God wants us to

do. He wants us to be transforming for our mind, for his reality,

which is all here. That's the common reality we have as believe us.

Then when we allow God to transform us and to grow, then we

are living in God's reality. That's why when we pray or the sake,

we believe that it will heal because that's God's reality. It's not our reality,

but that's God's reality that he teaches us and that we practice and we

experience, it becomes our reality. That's why there are people here. Your

faith. You're strong because you are experiencing God's reality in your life. Amen.

And He's real. So allow God to renew our minds. Don't reject

him. Lord, what am I learning from this situation? Lord, I'm

going to afflict right now. Can you help me involve him in your life?

Second Corinthians three eighteen says, but we all with unveiled face beholding as

a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image,

from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. The Holy

Spirit is someone that you always should embrace in your life, because I say,

we are all transformed into the reality that God wants us to experience,

but only through the Holy Spirit. So you're not alone, friends, You're

not alone, right, and I know some Holy Spirit how to see And

no, don't worry about it. You've got many brothers and sisters here to

support. That's why Holmes is important. That's why church is important. That's

why the community is important. You know. I hear people sometimes say,

you know, oh, no, me and Jesus enough. Really, Jesus

might be ff. That's it. Yeah, But you're not going to grow

because only when you come here and you wrap wrongly with each other and iron

Scherman's iron, and when you actually have to practice for giving people, then

you will grow. Then you'll be perfected. Then you're mature, then you

will understand what is it like. But when you're alone in your room and

everything's perfect, you won't experience all these things. Right John fourteen twenty six.

Is but the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send

in my name. He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance

all things that I said to you, So Francis, other things I said,

do not reject the Holy Spirit. You know everyone here you're on your

different on your different journey, and embrace your journey, and embrace your journey

with Christ. Follow him. Yeah, you might not have the confidence to

plan at church yet, It's okay, But slowly get to the point where

you discover what God wants to do in your life. Amen, So engage

the Holy Spirit. He will talk to you and don't always have to rely

passes to your verses you and can you give me the Word of the lot

today? No need, you're asking yourself, do your quiet time, read

the Word her reveal things to you specifically on your own life. And when

he revealed, don't reject Laon cannot be law, must be the devil because

it's uncomfortable. God wants me to be comfortable all the time. Not necessary,

I guess not necessarily. God wants you to grow. And finally Romans

eight twenty six. If you're like, oh no, I don't know that

it's so hard, so much difficulty, it says it likewise is spirit also

helps in our weaknesses, for we do not know what we should pray for

as we ought, but the Spirit himself make intercession for us sweet groanings which

cannot be uttered. I'm sharing with the story about my story about forgiving someone.

It's so benal. The person didn't do anything major to me, is

how I think it. So I'm like, how can I get so angry

at this person who just put rosa side on the toilet when I've experienced worst

see people or not. But God had to teach me how to forgive.

It's so funny, right I hear some I'm like, oh man, I've

gone through worse things and I can't forgive them. But design I cannot forgive.

I don't understand. O, God teach me how to forgive. You

never cannot until so bad before right now? You canna then now? But

then how your response so damn like, oh okay, Lord, I forgive

woy peace. If you have experienced pizza, you don't want to come to

a place where you don't have peace anymore. And pizza doesn't happen here,

No, it's here. True peace comes from the Lord. That's amazing.

Friends, I hope we are catching something. Prepare our hearts and friends,

when you prepare, o heartner, Once your heart is prepared, once you're

ready, once you equip, once your foundation is right. I would say

God will send you. He will send you out to people that need to

experience His love. He will send you out and bring you to people and

bring you to different situations that you will never imagine yourself being into. But

you have to come and start here first, and once you're ready, the

Holy Spirit will send you out. God will send always our one. He

will use alvers one. You don't have to have a title to be used

by God. You just need to be ready and see. It's not just

to be used by God, you know, no, it's for your own

benefit because when you experience God in that way, well, I tell you

it's very exciting. It's very exciting when you start seeing things the way God

sees things, when you start seeing people the way God sees people, a

lot of things will be different. You will have peace. Really, they'll

be fire. You know. It's like that doctor, the whole house burning

down, but the dogs like it's fine. No, it's really fine.

Friends, it's really fine because the whole house can be burning down. But

when you have God's pizza, you'll be okay because your foundations on the rock.

Amen. Just because the fire's heart doesn't mean that you'll get consumed.

Jesus will be there as the fourth man in the flame. The people that

are true in the fire died, but you're still alive because Christ is with

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

information on our church, please visit acts Church to RG. We are also

active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that this week is going to be

a good week ahead for you. God bless