12+1 Core Values: Unity Guarded | Joel Loi

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

We hope this message will light up your team.

So we're going through this series of twelve plus one

call values.

Yeah, okay, no one knows. Are we in a series? Yeah?

We are.

We are in a twelve plus one called value. You

all got this blue book, right?

Yeah? Everyone got the book? Waving at me. Yeah. If

you don't have, I think we still have copies. I think.

If not, just you know, like elbow your neighbor and say, hey,

shall All right, okay, so.

We're going through these whole series.

How many of you know what call value we touched

on last Sunday? Ownership promoting, ownership promoting Yeah, okay, all right,

all right, good job, well done you guys.

Okay, the week before that, prayer power huh really are.

Okay?

Pay everything? Ah? Then before that, pray your power.

Yeah okay, all right, okay, okay, No, this is not

an exam.

No one fails in this. All right.

So this morning we're gonna touch on another call value.

I don't know what these number? What area nin number nine?

Wow? Three more to go only so fast? Three?

Last one? I think you need to got it. That's

our topic for this morning. You need to guard it. Wow,

something happened to the funds. Okay, hopefully it's just the

first light you need.

To got it. Uh. I love the word you need tea.

I love the Wit United.

You know that's my favorite football team. It's the only

it's the only devil I will not cast I'm kidding again.

I'm joking and joking. Don't don't quote me, don't write

down in your notes. Joel said he will not cast

out this devil. There pass a kindeth. Oh yeah, my

son regards from I would see him and it's a

and I foundly seen and passenger saying that regards to you.

I don't know where they are. Where they oh yeah,

in Malaysia. There, Malaysia, Okay, there in Malaysia. They're speaking

in one of the church plans. All right, I think

they'll be coming here soon. I think so.

All right.

So last Sunday, right past the met preached on ownership, promoting, ownership,

promoting and the There was one question he asked that

really just stayed on with me the whole week. Okay,

And the question he asked was what's the difference between

the crowd and the community. Yeah, you heard that question. Yeah,

last Sunday asked and that's a that's a good question.

I would think about that a bit more. So I

wrote it down, you know, and thought about it a

bit more. Okay, so we're in this topic unity guarded.

Let's try and find out what the Holy Spirit want

to review to us, even this morning. So I just

want to let you know. If I'm holding the mic

and you get my handshaking, it's because this week right

earlier this week, I don't know how. I think I

slept wrongly. You know, when you're in your forties, anything

you do, it's okay, be wrong. When I baithel so

you can hurt yourself, you know. So I was sleeping right,

and then the next morning I woke up and there

was pain on my wrist all right. So I thought like, okay,

I think it's nothing. So the whole day I was

just like I don't even there to do it. I

was just like trying to like stretch it and shake it,

you know. Then over one more night then I was like, oh,

the pain got more intense.

So I was at at work.

The pain was so intense I started rubbing it, you know,

you know Chinese there's the Chinese side of me. You know,

like you say your bruce, you wrap the bruise. Yeah, Chinese. Okay,

so the Chinese in me arose. My ancestors spoke to

me and said rob it. So I robbed. I rob

it so hot, right, I caused my whole rest to

inflame and I couldn't bann my fingers. In fact, at

office the whole day, I was like that, you know,

like ready to serve tables, you know, hi, watch the order,

you know.

Yeah.

Then when I came home, Leona saw me. It was

always like we go to see the doctor. So when

and see the doctor and yeah, doctor give me some

pinkillers and stuff like that. That that that the next morning

I wanted to text Selena. It's like Selena, get ready

to preach this Sunday. You know really, you know, I'm like,

when am I I trust God?

You know? For americirl.

Yeah, so almost they're almost they're still shaking, like a

bit shacking, but it's okay. Yeah, John seventeen, that's part

of your book, John seventeen. H oh, and different ones

that pray for me. Thank you so much, appreciate it,

John seventeen. We read pretty much an entire chapter that

focuses on being one, being together, being united.

Oh I see that word again. I love it.

You know it verse twenty two. That they may be

one just as we are one. Being united is not

a preference. It is the very nature of who God is.

Oneness is the very nature of God. Yeah, that's from

your okay, all right, This is not some divine revelation.

So throughout history we we witnessed, you know, we witness

different men that recognized the power of being united. Throughout history,

we've seen different figures, different people. So let me let

me bring you through three figures. All right, I'm sure

you all have heard of it. So before this man

called Chin she Huang, all right, or shil Huang Tea

all right, China had seven separate kingdoms warring against each other.

Each state had its own currency, its own form of writing,

its own measurements system, its own law.

Everything is on their own.

Seven kingdoms, seven separate, keep fighting against each other, all right.

So Chang Shihuang united China by declaring himself the poet.

He declared himself the first emperor. I like the confidence

who died and made you emperor.

Yeah.

So he declared himself the first emperor, and China is

now one nation under one ruler.

He standardized the Chinese script.

Officials across thousands of kilometers now can read the same documents.

Don't need interpreters or translators. You know, all same script

can read. Then trade and economy flourish because the currency

was standardized. No more like seven different currencies, you know,

no more seven different writing styles standardize. Then instead of

each kingdom defending itself, Chin Chi Huang built one defense system,

which is the Great Wall of China. Yeah, so everyone

knows that story. Yeah, let me tell you about another guy. Everyone, Okay, yeah,

don't say you come to church nel ard anything. History.

In the Roman Empire, we had Augustus Wah who ended

a sanctuary of civil war.

Ha. You think your family had it better.

This is a centul, you know, one hundred years of

fighting each other. We all only maybe during Chinese each other.

This one is the whole empire fight with each other

for a hundred years. No more Romans fighting Romans. After

Augustus came in, he created laws, he created roads, he

created architecture, and he brought peace, order, prosperity, and security.

So Rome prospect, the Roman Empire prospect because of what

Augustus did. Yeah, see we learn new things again? All right,

wal more ready for one more? Only is Helena ready?

So in the more modern as we have Nelson Mandela.

How many of you known Welson Mandela?

Yeah? How many of you Nowsa Mandela know you? Okay?

So his achievement was much more remarkable because he united

the whole of South Africa without military conquests. He didn't

use military power, he didn't used intimidation, he didn't use

authoritarian control. South Africa was divided for decades under apartheid,

a system of racial segregation. Mandela spent twenty seven years

in prison, right, but he chose reconciliation. He chose to forgive.

When he came up from prison, he didn't seek revenge.

He chose to forgive, and he looked at the bigger purpose,

which was to reconcile the nation. And his message was

not black South America or white South America, but one

South America. So he united the people. So, Paola, these

three figures, one in China, one in Rome, and then

one in South Africa. Yeah, they united the people. Was

there anyone in the Bible that united people. Thank you

for asking. There was Moses. Moses, Yeah, there was this guy, Moses.

He united the Israelites, brought them out of slavery. Why

because they were all slaves in Egypt, you know, all

these united, all looking all looking after themselves.

So all right.

But Moses came and they say like, hey, guys, you

don't want freedom or not, let's go. The Lord will

lead me and us out of this nation, all right.

So Moses brought the people out of Egypt, established God's laws,

organized twelve tribes into one covenant nation, led the people

into worshiping one god. Because under the Egyptian rule war

there were so many different distructions, you know, but Moses

led them. After that there was only one God that

worship everyone.

Okay.

One more Bible figure David. When he became king, he

inherited a deeply divided nation that went through civil wars.

In Second Semuel, chapter five, verse one, you can write

down this verse. I didn't put it on the slides.

All tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and

spoke saying, indeed, we are your bone and flesh. All

tribes of Israel came to David. Before that, they were separated.

Before that, they were these disagreements. But because of David,

all of them came to Hebron. All of them met

David and say, we are your borne and your flesh.

We are one.

So then David, because he united the twelve tribes of Israel,

brought the art of the Covenant. You'll remember that story.

He brought the up of the Covenant back and to Jerusalem.

So then because he brought back out the Covenant symbolized

what the presence of God. Yeah, so he brought back

the presence of God to Jerusalem, so everyone was able

to worship one God. Yeah everyone, Okay, Yeah, we're getting

to the topic unity guarded. Then there was knie him Maya, who,

upon discovering Jerusalem was broken.

Yeah.

I think person talked about him Maya last Sunday. Yeah,

it was good. Please get the MPTG. Jerusalem was broken,

economically weak, divided, but nie him Maya returned back to

his people, cast the vision, created the system, We brought

responsibilities and had Jerusalem's walls rebuilt in fifty two days,

which was a record. So what is about unity that

is so important? What about unity that needs guard guarding

needs us to guard unity because in your notes you

will see two main points. Unity is powerful and when

we got unity, unity will guardess. We're trying to understand

it a bit more as we go. Everyone, Okay, History

shows us that if we don't God, unity and unity

is abused, used wrongly. We've seen in history how it's

used against us. You know there are people that like Hitler, Mussolini, Mao, Zatung,

Chairman Mao, all these people use unity but for the

wrong reasons. But this morning we want to see what

about unity so important and why might we must got

it and how it can help us in our daily

living as believers. Everyone, okay, okay, let's turn to X

Chapter two, verse forty two to forty seven. Acts, Chapter two,

verse forty two to forty seven. All right, it's on

the screen. Can we all ready together?

Yes?

All right, seven of y'all, let's bead together. Here we go,

and they in the breaking of bread. Then fear came

upon every soul. Many wonders and signs were done through

the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and all

things in common, so their possessions and goods, and divided

them among all as anyone had need. So continuing daily

with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from

house to house, they ate their food with gladness and

simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all

the people.

And the Lord added.

To the church daily those who were beings a man.

God blessed the reading of his word. So three aspects

of unity that we need to guard, you know, daily

living Look to your neighbor and say, three types of unity.

All right, So I think we're gonna touch on the

first one, which is called vertical unity. There's a vertical unity.

There's a unity between us and God. There's a vertical

unity that we must guard. In Acts, chapter two, verse

forty two, it shows us that they continue stepfastly in

the apostles doctrine prayer and breaking of break.

What is the apostles doctrine? Anyone know?

It's the call teachings of Jesus that was passed down

to his disciples, and then his disciples later on pass

it down to many others. So the apostles doctrine, right,

is what the disciples and apostles witness firsthand, what Jesus did,

every teaching, every message, every foundational truth, all witness firsthand

by the disciples. They practice it and they pass it

down to the people. So it became known as the

apostles doctrine, the core teachings of Jesus, foundational Truth and

blueprint of So it is so important now that this

apostle's doctrine was followed, because we are doing it thanks

to them, because they continued doing it, and he passed on,

and he passed on and passed on all the way

until what we are practicing today. It's the message of

the Gospel, the life, death, burial, and resurrection. It's also

the identity of Jesus. All this is the Apostle's doctrine.

Who Jesus is, what made him God incarnate. He helps

guide believers towards spiritual maturity, holiness, understanding the Kingdom of God.

How is our unity with God? Hm that we must God.

The first one is the vertical unity, our unity with

the Lord. How's our unity with the Lord? Let's ask

ourselves that do we see eye to eye with all

of God's teachings? Do you see eye to eye with

all of his teachings? How about his doctrine? How about

the things that you read in the Bible. How about

when someone comes and share a message or share testimony,

do you fully agree with everything that you hear, everything

that you see, everything that you read in the Word,

you agree?

Or do you have like a and be maybe fifty

percent maybe God? You know?

Salt Land Vinegar added Chinese, saying, all right, because if

we can't, we can't have unity with God. If we

don't fully agree with everything that God is, his nature,

his character, his word. If we don't agree with that,

we can't have unity. So the vertical unity is very important.

Two key observations about guarding our unity we got it's

hinted in verse forty two. Continue stepfastly, and they continue

stepfastly in apostles doctrine. What's so important about the word

continued stepfastly? Two observations, Continue step fast it means what means.

That's a habit, that's a culture. They do it every day.

It's part of their being ready. You know, when you

look at that person, you know or that's that's his

usual practice. When you look at Ben, you know, like, wow,

this guy exercise very often. You know, really one because

you can see you know what I mean, it's in

their nature. The habit continue step fastly. The other observation

about continuous stepfastly in Apostles doctrine is that you can't

continue stepfastly in something that you don't fully believe in

very hard, you know, very challenging. So you continue step

fast is something that you can align, something that you

can agree. One thing that you can't align, and so

one thing is.

That you can't align.

But I just practice it somehow because people say it's

good for mema, I just do it like But if

you yourself are not convinced, right, how are you able

to share to others about it? Because you see, when

you look at the disciples right when they continue step

firstly in the Apostles doctrine, they believe it, they practice it,

and they are so convinced they share to others about it. Now,

the question to all of us is that do we

believe everything we're reading in God's Word? And if we

believe it, do we practice? And if we practice it,

do we tell others about it?

Correct or not?

Because continue step fastly is that you need to believe it,

practice it, and you should be able to share to

others about it as well because you believe it.

But if you don't believe, it's very hard to share.

If you don't believe it, it's very hard to continue stepfastly.

You know.

The other reason these vertical unity is important because it's

where you download kingdom information, kingdom knowledge, some inspiration. You

just can't read from God's word. It needs to come

from the spirit. You know what I mean? Yes, because

right there will be times. I know, we talked about

about it casually over lunch and the last time they

wet en times. You know, we're gonna get micro chick

you know, and stuff like that. Hey, but really, you

know the times that are coming, right, maybe we may

not have access to the Word of God. So how

we gonna get information, knowledge, inspiration, leading of the Holy Spirit.

How we're gonna get that vertical unity. We're gonna have

this channel with God, with his kingdom so that we

can download. Can I tell you a story? Oh, thank you, Selena.

So there was this one time I heard this story

many many years ago pass Kenneth, you know, when he

was much younger, all right, not that he's much older,

remove this part. When he was a younger man. So

there was one time I think he was with his father,

So I heard this story and a group of men

were attending to this guy that was depressed and wanted

to you know, do some self harm. And when the

group of men went over to his place, they tried

and minister to him, pray for him, talk to him

for hours.

It didn't work hours.

And then they call up Pascana's dad and they say, hey,

can you come and just offer some support. And of

course Pasekenna, being a young man, he's like, all right,

I'll just follow my dad lack. So he followed the

dad and reached to the place. And then Pascal, you know,

being a young man, you know, he just observed and

saw this group of older men just praying, speaking and

you know, trying to get this man to snap out

of the situation.

You know, yeah, it wasn't working.

And then suddenly the Holy Spirit just dropped something in

past us heart.

Here comes this young man something dropping.

His spirit goes to the depressed man, which the older

men have been praying for hours and stuff like, because

sometimes when we're in those kind of similar situations, right,

we can't be like, you know, a friend who's depressed

or not doing well, not a Selene. It's always okay,

you know, I can't point to someone, you know, a

friend who is like not doing well. You can you

can see you know, the follow it's like maybe like

just not doing well. And then you can't go like,

hey you wait here, five minutes, I go get my notes.

You know what I mean.

We got to have such a strong relationship with the

Lord right that then then you're whispering in your heart,

Holy Spirit, tell me what I should say, tell me

what I should do. And that's what happened with Pastor.

The Holy Spirit dropped something in his heart. He went

to the man. All he said was, how's your relationship

with your father? And the man broke down. The man

broke down, They prayed for him and he was delivered. Sometimes, right,

these kind of situations, it's not about your experience. It's

not about your spiritual maturity. You know, I've been serving God,

I've been in church. How many years? How close your

relationship with God is. The closer you are and the

stronger you guard this unity between you and God, the

more you can download from the Lord, the more that

what men tried to do, God will tell you what

to do, and it's done faster, you know what I mean.

Vertical unity house, our vertical unity with the Lord? Is

it good? Is it strong? Do we agree with everything

we read? Do we agree with everything he says? It's

hard to be united when we don't fully agree. It's

hard to be united when we're not fully convinced. God

can heal people and maybe the old testamental huh, holy

spiritual work only for very spiritual people only. No, guys,

God can work for you as much as he can

work for me, as much as it can work for

pastor Kenneth. It's not the title, it's the relationship everyone, Okay.

Second unity, we must watch out for the horizontal unity.

So we got the vertical unity between us and God,

then we have the horizontal unity between us and people,

us and people. Have you ever heard the phrase what

on earth am I doing for Heaven's sake? What on

earth am I doing? What on earth are we doing

for Heaven's sake?

Yeah?

Because from the result of having a vertical union we've got,

it flows to the horizontal. Okay, the vertical flows to

the horizontal, and the horizontal unity among each other can

only happen because that's a union vertically, you know, because

right if you know, we know those people who are

always like serving, serving, serving, giving, giving, giving, pouring out,

pouring out, pouring out. You know, if you do that

without a vertical unity, you know what's gonna happen. You're

gonna dry out, You're gonna get tired, You're gonna get

burnt out, You're gonna start like why am I doing?

This?

Is what's sustaining me? I'm drying. I'm dying, you know.

But if we have the vertical unity, the flow from God,

flow from the spirit flowing to the horizontal. It's a

constant flow. The blessing will keep coming, the teachings will

keep coming, the encouragements will keep coming, the love will

keep coming, the peace will keep flowing. You know what

I mean? There must be a horry zontal flow. What

power flows through us this morning? What is what? What

if there's only vertical union without the horizontal? Have you

all thought about that? What if there's a vertical union?

Are you guarding you all? My relationship? We got so strong.

Every day I'm receiving blessings upon blessings. I feel feel

to the overflow. Yeah, we pray those kind of prayer

every day, but there's no horizontal flow.

You know what happens or not. You know what happens.

Picture our lives this morning, right, Like we are like

this reservoir, all right, like this tone what do you

call a tongue in English? Suddenly a bucket, a container,

a container, and we pour water in it. Know, we

pour water, We pour water water, and then there's no

outflow if we leave it right, Guess what's gonna happen.

Guess what's gonna happen. This is signs like you know

what's gonna happen, LG L gay depends on what kind

of dangy mosquito. Yeah, honestly, mosquito will breed. Yeah, mosquito

will breed, yeah, L gay will bloom. Bacteria will build up,

and then if you leave the water long enough, right,

you can start smelling it. You know, you can start

smelling it because there's no outflow. You know, have you

walked to like housing areas where there's a drain, right

and the drain is clogged, there's no outflow.

You can smell it a mile away. You know.

Drains were not meant to contain water. Drains will make

two channel water away. Our lives were not made to

just contain everything God pours up in our lives. Our

lives are made to channeling to the people around us,

to our family, to our friends. We're not made to

contain all this because if it's stack Nates right, it's

start to smell. You know, mosquitoes will start breeding, our

lives will start looking like, hey, what you got l

gagory on you?

You know what I mean?

It's not men to look like that. It's not men

to look like that. It's men to have a flow.

So you have to think about every blessing you receive

from the Lord. Yeah, I mean, God bless you with

a good job. Maybe that's your prayer. When God blesses

you with a good job, what are you supposed to

do with it?

Bless others? How? How are you? How do I bless

others with my good job?

My good job? They're not doing my good job? Man,

God bless me with mine? Yeah, but you can give

you can inspire others with your testimony. How do I

get a good job? What's saying my effort? No, it's

because the lot bless me? Like hey, uh like, oh,

I I actually are feel a very scaredy cat one.

You know, I got no courage, non boldness, But now

the lot make me bold. So God gives you bondness

for what so you can show off your boldness. I'm

not scared of anything. I'm not scared of ghosts. Ghost

is bluff wheer fake one. No, God give you boness

so that you can help shoulder someone else and say, hey,

don't be scared. We can do this together. True story.

In my office. Right, whenever it's like Hungry Ghost Festival

and people start talking about ghosts, right, they'll ask me, hey, Joe,

you're not scared of ghost Let's say no, I'm not

scared of ghosts. Why because last time I'm scaled ghost

but God helped me, so I'm no longer scared of ghost.

And I always end with hey, be a Christian land,

then your won't be scare of goes.

So so on.

Really, when you ask my colleagues, they'll say the same

I mean they say that I say that. No, they

won't say the same thing. You know what I mean.

We were made to be channels of God's outpouring. Whatever

you can think of boldness, encouragement, Geese love blessings. It's

men to outflow, it's men to bless someone. Look to

your neighbor and say, don't stag nate. So some of

us this morning, we need an outflow from heaven to

men and women. Every blessing you receive has a purpose.

Every testimony is not just for yourself to enjoy. Every

breakthrough once you receive it, help someone so that they

can have a breakthrough as well, not just for yourself. No, hey, guys,

look I got a breakthrough, sorry for you, No, help

them get a breakthrough as well.

Hey, how do you get a breakthrough? Do you just prayer?

Do you just faster? No?

No, no, no, you got to do this as well. You

gotta trust the Lord. But you're still so worry after

you trust the Lord. Huh you trust a lot, means

you trust the don't need to worry.

Oh yeah yeah yeah, I will get my breakthrough to

that everyon.

Okay, yeah, So if you if you ask me, hey, Joel,

how to have an outflow?

Yeah?

I believe that. Yeah, outflow is important. Yeah, we should

have an outflow in our lives. So how do we

have an outflow? The clue is in verse forty three.

Where's verse forty three? The clue is in verse for

the three, So verse forty two starts with I remove

the numbers, sorry, guys, and they continue to step fastly

in the apostles, doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread,

and in press. Then fear came upon every soul, and

many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. That's

verse forty three. What's the keyword there? What do you

think the keyword is there? What's the clue to have

an outflow?

Fair? The word is? Then?

Then this is an English thinger, it's an English thing.

You can only enjoy what happens after the word. Then,

after you've done what's before the word, Then your cat

should I say, you can eat. You can only enjoy

the wonders and signs done through the apostles after you've

done the continued stepfastly in the apostles, doctrine, fellowship and

breaking a bread and empreyers. Then what's your then?

Huh?

You can only enjoy what happens after the word. Then,

after you've done what was before the word, Then let

me give you an example. I exercise every day, then

I can look good, shiritless at the beach.

Yeah, pray not. I give.

Your internal jokes so that I give my best at word.

Then I know I will be rewarded with bonus in creement,

so on and so on. Yeah, I respond during Joel's sharing,

then maybe he will wrap up faster.

We get terrible. We can only enjoy what's after the word.

Then, after we've done what was before the word, then

everyone caught that. So how do we have an outflow?

You have an outflow in your life to the people,

to your family, to your friends, to your colleagues if

you continue stepfastly in Apostles doctrine, fellowship, breaking a bread

and impress. It's not that complicated. It's simple, but it's

also very hard. Can we do it?

We can? We can.

So we need to apply what's before then to enjoy

what's after. Then you want to see signs and wonders

take place in your life, at your work, in your home,

with your family and friends. Continues stepfastly in the Apostles

doctrine and earlier on when I share what's the Apostles

doctrine is all the basics of our Christian faith. What

we're practicing today is the basics science and wonders is

to bless our family and our friends and when the

lives around us are impacted. When the outflow goes out

and blesses the people, encourages the people, feeds the soul

and the spirit of the people. Then there's unity because

everyone starts believing in the same thing.

Everyone starts belieing.

Wow, actually, yeah, I feel peace after the prayer, Thank

you so much. Then a's believe. Then that's faith. Then

everyone comes together. That's how unity happens. That's how the

union comes together. So there's a vertical unity, and then

there's a horrizontal unity.

Everyone caught something. Yeah.

Third, and last, you respond and Joe and ah, unity goted.

Unity is powerful. Unity needs to be protected.

There's a third unity, and perhaps it's one of the

more challenging ones, and it's the unity within. Is the

unity within is the unity between your heart and your mind.

So first, that's a vertical unity. It's a unity, a

union between us and God, us and his kingdom. Then

there's a unity between us and the people around us,

our friends, our family. And then third is that we

have a unity within us our heart and our mind

Verse forty four. Now all who believe were together and

had all things in common, sold their possessions and goods

and divided them among all as anyone had need. Here

we see a picture where people believe in your hearts.

How we know they believe. The Bible says that now

all who believe, all who believe, came together. Right, So

some of us are sitting this morning, I believe that

even as we're seated here, right, we've probably been believing

for many years. We probably have been believing for a

long time. Now you're probably believing longer than me. But

there's a disconnect somewhere. You read your Bibles, you sing

the worship songs, you serve even but then there's a gap.

Something is disconnected, something is not aligne, something's not fully right.

If the heart is full of belief, then the disconnect

is happening in the head. The unity of the heart

and the mind. Put yourself in the shoes of someone

in verse forty four. All right, let's do a bit

of imagination, Kenna, everyon. Okay, let's put ourselves in the

shoe of someone that's there. We believe, we come together. Yeah,

heart is full of belief, you know. Yeah, You're like,

whoa God, It's so good man, Jesus is so real. Wow, amazing,

Holy Spirit man, you saw everyone speaking in different languages. Amazing,

you know, like everyone is like sharing one another, full

of belief, full of faith. Yeah, we've come out from

camps like that. We've come out of conferences and everyone's

like yeah, yeah, fool full of faith, full of belief.

Yeah.

Then someone right in your group yeah says hey, I

got a suggestion.

Let's go sell all our possessions. What sell all our

possessions and goods? What? Wait?

Wait, I got another suggestion. Then we divide all equally.

Everyone gets equal. Yeah, no one will have more than

the other.

Huh.

You just come out from a conference and a camp

with the holy spirit, full of belief, full of faith,

like yeah, I love Jesus, Jesus loves I'm ready to

go fuck and take the world, you know, shat a

gospel readly, you know. And then it's like it's not

everything you have. Wait, wait we're talking. You know, I

picture it, you know, because someone has to suggest that,

someone has to.

Suggest, hey, let's go sell all the possessions.

I feel that. It's like, you know, all of us

have been through schooler. It's like we're all see things

in class, right, and then like we're like, oh, the

time is gonna energy, the time is gonna end, and

I'm one of our wonderful friends. Were like, teacher, you

forgot to give us homework, Yo, what are you doing?

You know?

Or we had assignment and then that's as like didn't

hand in, and then it's like teacher.

You forgot to ask us for assignment? Like why what

you're doing? Bro?

I feel like it's one of those situations. We're full

of faith, full of belief, you know, we're like, yeah,

God so good. You know, someone says he let's go

sell out possessions, divide them all so that no one

has lack and everyone is equal.

Uh.

I put myself in those situations and not in those

In that situation, you know, the first thing that crossed

my mind, I'm so carnal, Right, pray for me, and

I'm standing there, I'm.

Like, sell my possession.

But the guy doesn't work as hard as me, being real,

don't judge.

Me, la all right?

And then and and and then some some are probably

standing there like, yeah, but shouldn't there be some marrit system?

Yeah?

Me, if you work longer, you should be awarded. Mahma, right,

everyone get equal to hey and then the fuller yesterday

when he just joined the known he get equal you know. Wow,

we're thinking all that. I am thinking all that, you know,

and then someone probably coming out and say, let's start.

And excel sheet so that everyone gets the same thing.

Like hello, Uh, I don't know about you, but me,

I think there's this internal wrestling match.

Full of faith, full of belief. But then now when

the rubber meets the road, right, sell your possessions? Huh?

Go full time industry? What go into missions?

How about my work? How about my children? But you

dedicate your children to me? Redema means I will take

care of them? What are you so worried?

Yeah? But where's milk powder that come from? God? Where's

diaper gonna come from? You know what I mean? We

have all these very natural thoughts, not wheela me.

I have all these natural thoughts like yeah, I can

be full of faith. But then there's no unity between

the heart and the mind. The mind starts calculating, The

mind starts thinking, are you sure do you think you

can do this?

Yeah?

I know you're full of faith, But are you gonna

quit your job? Who's gonna sustain you? How are you

gonna put food on the table? And that's the part

that holds us back from receiving more and doing more.

Me not weela, that's the part that holds me back

because that's the that's the world, you know, and that's

the disconnect, that's the gap. And because there's there's no

unity between the heart and the mind, right, that's why

we don't have that. We don't have everything in in common.

So when the Bible says that all the disciples are

everything in common and all the people everything means they

really had everything common, you know, sold everything and everyone

was happy. And we're gonna read about that. Okay. Someone

once said that the longest journey a person has to

take is from the hate to the heart. It's from

the hate to the heart because we think too much,

you know. Sometimes in X two forty four says that

everyone had everything in common and that the chapter ends.

That's the best part of this chapter. The chapter ends

with the chapter ends with everyone ate with gladness, praising God,

and the church growing.

Oh wait, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.

So earlier we read that, so your possessions and divide

them equally. Then you have people like me who be thinking, like,

wouldn't that bankrupt you, you know, like, wouldn't it be unfair?

Wouldn't that be bad?

Wouldn't people be miserable and upset that things are not equal? No,

because he ends with everyone ate with gladness, praising God,

and the church grew.

Ah.

He didn't say people grumble. He didn't say that people

left the church. He didn't say that people were miserable.

Something to think about, friends, something to think about. Because

he spoke to me as well, there's a unity that

we need to guard internally. Yes, there's the unity that's

between us and God, within us and people. But there's

a unity inside us that constantly divides us, constantly takes

us back instead of moving us forward. The heart and

the mind is very powerful. Can we look another portion

of scripture? Matthew, chapter nineteen, verse sixteen to twenty two. Matthew,

chapter nineteen. This story is very, very familiar to all

of us. Is where Jesus counsel the rich young ruler.

How many have you heard that story before? Wave your hands?

So what happened was that uh one came to him,

the rich young ruler, and say, good teacher, what good

things shall I do that I may have eternal life?

Jesus said to him, why do you call me good?

No one is good, but one that is God. If

you want to enter life into life, keep commandments? Which ones?

He asked.

Jesus said, you shall not murder. Blah blah blah bla

blah blah blah blah. The young man said to him

to say to Jesus, all these things I have kept

from my youth, All these things I have kept from

my youth, What do I still like? Jesus said to him,

if you want to be, if you want to be,

if you want to be perfect, go sell what Oh

sound so familiar. I wonder where they came from. What

you have, and give to the poor, Oh, and you

will have treasure in heaven.

Come follow me.

But but when the young man heard that saying, he

went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

M hm.

The rich young ruler's heart was full of belief. How

do we know he was full of belief because he

followed every commandment. You don't believe in the commandment, your follower,

cory not. He believed, he followed, But then he asked Jesus,

what do I still like?

Hmmm?

And Jesus said, go sell what you have, give it

to the poor. You have treasure, and he him follow me.

He didn't, he couldn't, and he went away sorrowful. Why

because for the rich young ruler. The difference between the

rich young ruler and the Aparcels and the disciples and

the people in xt. Chapter two was that the rich

young ruler had to disconnect with the heart and the mind.

His heart was full of belief.

But his mind started thinking about his possessions, started thinking

about this is my heart work, God, give to the offering.

This is my time, Lord, go for missions. Sunday is

my only rest day. God, serve the church. Friday night,

homes is far away. Go to homes. I rather go

home and sleep. That's a disconnect. That's a disconnect. Jesus

didn't have a disconnect. You know, he knew he had

to hate to the cross. What do you think he

was thinking, Hey, the cross is painful. You know, That's

why he prayed at the garden of Gatsemane. God Father, God,

he take this cup away from me. Because Jesus in

his mind new but in his heart he was full

of faith and believe. He knew this was something he

was caught and that he needed to do. But for Jesus,

between the difference between Jesus and us is that Jesus

had no disconnect between the heart and the mind. That's

why he went to the cross, That's why he still

did what he did. Amen, sitting here this morning, maybe

some of us that's a disconnect. We believe, but actions

find it hard to follow through. We believe, but.

Nothing else comes after that. That's the heart, but the

hate stops it. The danger is that we have this

constant wrestling match internally constant, you know, and it's hard

to progress, hard to move forward in the Lord.

Everyone.

Okay, So Pastor met started, not started. He spoke last

Sunday and he asked a question, what's the difference between

the crowd and the community. So this morning, even as

we touch on the topic of unity guarded, we need

to guard the unity between us and God. We need

to guard the unity between us and people because there

are so many things that will try and take the

people away.

We must guard that.

Then there's also a unity between our heart and our

mind that we need to guard as well. So what's

the difference between a crowd and a community? I like

the word community because He has two words in there,

which is common and unity. You can't be a community, right,

there was nothing common about it. The real question today

for you and I is that is there anything common

between you and God? Is there anything common between me

and God? We've got to ask ourselves this morning, because

if there's nothing common between you and God that can

be unity, It's gonna be very hard. No commonness? How

to how to have community? Nothing in common? How to

be united? Think of the relationships you know, like me

and Leona. Yeah, we may be different people, we may

have different likes and dislikes, preferences, but there must be

something common between us. Yeah, the love for each other. Yeah,

that's why we stay together. That's why we thrive together.

In a relationship. There must be something. If there's no

common nothing common, how a relationship can sustain? You don't

get what I mean. If there's nothing common, and how

can the relationship grow? How about your commitments? Whatever commonment

you can think of, whether it's work, whether it's ministry,

if there's If there's nothing common, how will it how

will it flourish?

How will it grow? Mm? Hm?

There will be constant misalignment, constant strife. If we think

about the church that you're in today, whether it's Exampan

or you know, the plants. Is there anything common between

you and the church that God has placed you in,

Because just like a relationship with there's nothing common between

you and the church that you're planted in. It is

very hard to grow, very hard to flourish. Amen. Amen,

can we have the extreme team to come up. We're

gonna close, but we're gonna close with some thoughts as

we talk about unity gathered everyone, Okay, ah, yeah, eeryon, Okay,

smile at me.

Please smile at me. Smile at me. It's real. It's real.

It's real for me, all right. Nothing in common for

some of us. Maybe that's why we are unhappy. Maybe

we're unhappy. Maybe we're not satisfied, feeling unfulfilled. You know,

we have a great job, not satisfied, have money in

the bank, yet we still feel poor, have friends and

family around us, but feel alone. Maybe you're thinking to

yourself and oh, maybe I need a better job. Then

you get a better job, that's it off. Oh maybe

I need more money in my bag.

What the help?

Maybe for a while, maybe I need different friends. I

don't know that that's your choice. Maybe I need to migrate,

you know, a new environment, new country. Yeah, maybe the

air fresher that will be a better me.

You know.

Maybe maybe maybe maybe maybe we need to have unity

with God. Maybe we need to have unity with His people.

Maybe we need to have unity within. Maybe that's the

solution for you and I this morning.

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

information on our church, please visit at church. We are

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week is going to be a good week, a hit

for you.

God bless