Discipleship-Focused | Pastor Alvin Keng

You're listening to a message to go from AXT church.

We hope this message will light up your team.

I want to share a little bit about the core

value discipleship focus. Last year we had discipleship as our

team of the year d R E. A. M. K.

We are going through revival this year. Last year's discaber ship.

You know, I think Exampunk did some what what do

you guys do your your head like discabership me thing right?

Then you invited certain people, then of course give opportunity

people come. I don't know whether you'll still do that

or not. Technically we're supposed to still do that or

at least view the relationship organically, because it's not just

one off things. Right, But let's talk a little bit

about discipleship focus. Are you guys okay? That kenna? Okay?

I like response and now so I hope you all

respond to me. I didn't really think I know in

PJ they were quiet okay, because most of that I

score them one. So I'm joking. Just very strong because

own homeground now right meant twenty eight Verse nineteen to

twenty says go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of

the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe

all things that I've commanded you and low I'm with

you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. Okay,

we like to use the scripture for missions. One go

and make disciples. We like it. We like it. Okay um.

But if you're all believers, okay, let me, let me,

let me, can't challenge your talkt processes. If you're all

believers and we all follow Jesus, then doesn't this commandment

applies to everyone? Yes or no? Yes? Right? It does.

It applies to all of us. Okay. Uh. And when

you say go and make disciples, he didn't just say.

He didn't just say missionaries, go and make disciples. Apostles,

go and make disciples, pastor just needn't know, everybody, go

and make a disciple. You're like, huh, Mia, I can

make disciplement. Can The only challenge is work out disciple

you're making la corona? Same same with me as well. Right, So,

a few things we got we want to learn today

about discipleship focused the value that our church believes in

means if you say I'm extious and I don't believe

in it. Then I questioned whether your public churche or not. Okay,

so disciple shape focused. So the first thing we got

to understand. But discipleship is that is jesus last commandment.

Jesus said go. Everybody turned to your name and say go,

because you know why? Do you know why he said go?

Because if he didn't, we might not go. Do you

know what if he didn't say go, we might probably

won't go la Because we are creatures of comfort. We

all agree or disagree something. You're like, no, no, no, cannot

my friend. Now my wife will say I am not

the type of person because I will trry pass out,

find things to do. Okay, right, Uh, I'm beg to refer,

but it's okay right. Because you are creatures of comfort,

we'd rather stay than go. Because discipleship is commitment. It

is It is commitment. You know, coming to churches, commment,

wearing a certain price, commment right, saying and saying doing

a lot of things is commuman friends. Right. And the

thing about discipleship, go and make disciples is that it

takes time. You know that it takes time to make disciples.

It takes trust, trust or not. It takes building trust

over time. It also takes vision. How what do you

mean by that? Because Jesus had a vision for his disciples.

He went to the fishermen and said to them, come

and follow me. I will make you fishes of men

or Jesus into punts. And of course they dropped their

nests and they follow him. He had a vision for them.

He spent time with them, he taught them, He had

debriefing with them. After sharing something, they all confused. And

most of the time, actually not ninety percent of the time,

I would say they got it wrong. Now, these are

the people that hang out with jesuits three years together, eat, sleep,

do everything together now and still can't get him wrong.

I'm like thinking in my mind, thinking myself fail, really

every semester exam? Fail every year? So failed exam because

I always said to correct them, always said to do

the revision with them. Right. There's an instance in the

Bible I remember in the beginning of the Bible where

normally three of the disciples will follow Jesus when he

go and pray for safety la so in the early

chapters of the Bible, I remember. That's one I can't

remember Eddie. But that's why he say said, Jesus came

and say, hey, while you're sleeping, why can't you just

even wait for me for one hour as I pray?

Do you know the the day that Jesus was betrayed,

he said the same thing to them three years together.

Why do you never heard? Kind of tells me sometimes

about us as Christians? Right, so long ready say cannot learn?

And then of course after Jesus that went to heaven

only they learned la or after they were filled with

the Holy Spirit and they learned, then they were able

to the behavior followed what happened. So it takes time,

It takes a vision. Discipleship, friends, We're very big on

discipleship here in ex church, right, I'm discipled. I discipled

a few and I encourage my guys to disciple others.

And see, discipleship is not just like oh okay, I'm

the pastor of the church. I give you this example.

So I have a few people that have come to

say say, hey, pass Alvin, I'm sure, Hey pass Alvin,

can you disciple me? I want to come under your

leadership and say sure. But I can tell you that

they are not although by by operational administrative relation. You

know by an they're in the on sept chat. But

can I truly say that they are my disciples? No?

And at the same time, there are some of my

guys that I know are my disciples. You're understand that, right.

Just because you write your name there doesn't mean that

you're it. No, you can I get it right, You

guys understand it right. What I'm trying to say, your

discipler would have a vision for you that is an

encouragement for us and also for those that are discipling others.

We actually have a vision one. We actually want you

to move forward. One. How many of you like to

join a gym and hire a PT, right, a personal trainer? Right?

They're got no vision for you one? Whatever? So what

shall I do? Do they coach anything like up to you?

I'm so sorry that I'm using all these gym examples

because it's this phase of my life right now. When

you want to get healthy, then you do all these things, right,

nobody wants to that. How many of you sign up

for okay, I don't know what they're taking license, sign

up for driving car license, to fail on or to

go and then don't learn anything. You go to the driver,

the carrier say up to you, Awaian, do you want

to go one hundred and fifty? You want to go?

You decign. I'll just sit here and press the break

when you get too much? Do you want that kind

of know you? You don't want You want to go

and study. You want to go and learn from someone.

You want to learn everything. You even want to know?

What is the tips and tricks? Right? Why you will

not share with anyone? Correct? And there is a vision? Right?

If the person teaching has no vision, then you better

not follow the person because there's no vision for you.

There's no reason. It's just relationship. Do you like that? Actually?

To be honest, A lot of us like that. One.

What do you do how a leader? Or I just

how the leader? Is the term using x okay to

classify relationship? Decipership? Okay, because we huddle together. So what

have you been doing with a hot leader for the

past three years? Oh? We just might kind of have

coffee and talk about life? Any growth? Nope? Is that

a vision? Jesus had a vision with disciples. Just to

give us a bit of context on deciber ship, right,

is that deciber ship? I don't know, I don't know.

I know a lot of people do that. Right. So

the question is, when you talk about theciper ship, is

why should you listen to the discipler? Why should you

listen to me? Friends? Even right now, why should you

listen to me? Oh? Of course he's the pastor and

he's standing here and we respect him, so we listen. Now,

I don't think everybody here has listen to me, to

me or so, probably some people. Once I say some things,

that's not your tune, nor really yell this again? You know,

want us to give to the church, law, want us

to do all these things, want us to sacrifice of

the church. Lam, I just want here to be blessed

to me? Okay, if that is you, it's not me

a police bay speaking Okay. But the real question is

why should you listen to me? You gotta trust, right,

very simple question. Why do you come to ext church?

You gotta trust? Right. There has to be a reason why, right,

There has to be a reason. You got to trust

that we have your best in mind? Correct? You know why?

What's the motivation? No? If we just want to be

able to suffer, don't know? Kame la? Since me can

I be honest. If I don't know, don't If you

think that we are here to make a life miserable,

then where dangers of cities are in another church. But ah,

you gotta trust that we want the better version of you.

See it's different now. The better version of the stage,

the better version of a of a worship experience, the

better version or the better version of you as a person.

We shore any things more important that you a better

or that you are better. Think about it. The cool

thing is that the naturally better you become, the better

you dress up. That's why I kind of notice love

people who don't really care about addressing right. And you

also got to trust, and the discipler will need to

commit to that. The disciple will spend time to do that.

It's not easy to be let me tell you about it.

It's not easy at all, guys. But what is the

goal of discipleship. The goal of discipleship is to make

everyone more like Jesus. That is the goal of discipleship,

more like Jesus. Why so that we can become sons

and daughters. I'm not sure how many people will preach

about this, about being sons and daughters of the House

suns and daughters of God. Let's read Relations chapter four,

verse six or seven. Because you are His sons, God

send the spirit of his son into our hearts, the

spirit who calls out abba Father. So you're no longer

a slave but God's child. And since you are his child,

God has made you also an heirror. See, the goal

is not merely saved people, but maturity because and you've

probably heard this before. If the goal was to save people,

once you become Christianity, just go to heaven. Why waste space? Right?

We just get people to the right team, get pure

heaven and suffers. I'm out here for what right? Just

go to heaven? Okay, but that's not the goal. That

is the entrance, That is the start. That is the

probational period. Actually, we're all in provisional period to go

to heaven. Do you know that that is the start?

You have to prove yourself in the proviational period or no,

you won't get the job right. But sometimes we kind

of forget because we're enjoying the benefits of the proviational period.

We've got a mature friends, let me kind of challenge

your mindset a little bit about this concept of church,

because I think a lot of people have a lot

of concept about her church. Do you know that church

can be a lot of things and church itself can

be a lot of things that define what I went

to church meant? You'll get that what I meant to

went to So when you say I went to church,

what does that mean to you? Okay, I came, I

checked my list, I took a group selfie photo, I

went to church. Right? Is that is that? It? It's church?

Or I that's worship? That's word I went to church?

Do you know? And some people have that they don't

care about the fellowship want. They will disappear at first,

so you don't know that want. But when you talk

to them, they'll say I'm part of Exampanga and then

all the leaders are that but they don't see you anyway. Right,

So what is the definition or your definition of I

went to church? We have a lot of definition because

of our experience, right, and I'm not saying it's bad.

Let me ask us this question. What is important to

us in church? How do we choose what ches to

go to? Right? Get you're by, I can ask you

this question now, Okay, is it the worship or the

worship very good every time John worship or I'm damn man,

then John not worship. It's okay. I can take a miss.

The word? Is it? I know I'm doing a horrible job.

Next week. I don't know whether if they say next time,

if you're going to tet or passion coming, don't don't come,

don't come? Is it the word that's important? Because I

don't feel feeling. I don't feel like I received and

I don't feel happy. You know, last week I Canna

Mara by my boss. Now come here and Cannamara again.

I'm so sorry. Please don't give me right. Why is it?

Is it whether someone said hi to you or not? Well,

I tell you I've heard of this before. That's how

West stressed to be. Or no, I wouldn't even say

past it just course right. You must say hi to everybody.

You missaying hi to one percent one week. That's it.

That's it. They don't care for me, really, they don't

care for me. Really, they didn't say, they didn't come

up to me, shake my hand. I'm offended. Is that

it's important to you? I'm not saying it's wrong. I'm

just saying that it's that the most important thing to you?

Let's think about it other day. Is it a place

where you feel like you belong? This is where powerful?

Is right? Oh? I belong here? I belong there? Is

that the main reason I wrote here? Is it? The

projector screen? Is that the most important thing? Sig? I face?

Maybe to some people it's the most important thing, right

it is? You know why I say that because I've

been in meetings where we spend two hours talking about

the projector screen? Can we joke about it, but it's true?

Or four hours talking about why team cannot play the

cords properly and I know it very well? Is that?

And yes, you seem right? Uh? Or or never follow

the practice already send the guide track to follow exactly

like what we hear in the concert? Must follow you? John?

Why didn't? Why? God? No dance more? Is that the

most important thing? Do you know? We can argue about that.

It's the most important what goes on screen? Well? I

still remember when I was doing XTB the last time

and we did church video announcements. It was a highlight.

So he got no other chance. Not everybody's doing video announcements. Okay,

so we kind of stop because we're in the cool

kid anymore? Right? Right? But but is that the most

important means? No? Church? Announcements cannot ranch church? Is it activities?

Why will go activity or not? No? Activity cannot mean

people how how to get attached? But sound here proven

that you don't activity to be a test you know

who you are. But there's nothing for ABCD. I don't

know what is the most important thing. So, friends, I'm

not knocking all of these things and saying that all

these things the portant. We don't need to No, no, no no.

I would be the first to say no, we need it.

We need worship, we need the word, right, we need

someone to say hi to us. But if just so

happened that week Selena forgot those don't hurl please remember

all the ten other times she said hi to you.

You know, do you need to feel like you belong

in the place? Of course I do agree that you

need to at least feel like you are welcome and

you're at home. They're comfortable. It's the projectedy screen important.

Of course, I'm immediate person. I think it's important. Activity

is important. Of course, we're trying so hard to do

so many things. Uh. Thirty first of August Xbia is

trying to do some family day after so many years,

we are like doing exactly. You know, it's all important. However,

focused matters. That's why we said discipleship focus, focus matters,

because the church can always be distracted by good things

that it becomes the most important thing. You're your catch

how you can easily shift? Do you know how? We

can easily decide? Very easily. We can decide, make decisions,

make strong opinionated decisions because something is very important to us.

But you want to know what's cool. Discipleship keeps us

that if you don't know what that means, chain connected

to the most important thing, which is transformation. Jesus didn't

come so that we can have a show. Jesus came

so that you and I will be transformed. Don't catch

that not We get distracted, We get starry eyed. We

look for things. We look for the biggest stage, actually

your stage, very big, my stage higher some just by

no stage right. We look for that, we get, we

get we get caught up with it, and we miss

the point. Friends, we don't want to miss the point

in our church. That's why the value we hold the

discipleship focus. All these things I mentioned important. Yes, it's important,

but it will not be more important than discipleship. Let

me give you one example. I remember my worship coordinator

told me Alvin not enough worship team in XPJ to

serve because different people are, you know, just going through

different things. Okay, And I have told him many times before,

and he's worried. I said, bro, oh, we need to worship.

Is our voices. So if that Sunday nobody plays or so,

I will play right and not to say they don't

want to know, it's just so happened, and said we

can worship. Don't you think a disciple of Christ will

be able to worship God in any situation? Think about it?

Oh no, no, cannot, cannot, No econ cannot. Let me

tell you right. One of the most powerful worship sessions

I've had now was in India in the Heart made

of how Done and still can smell it one. It

was hot, smelly, right. I was there for Mission trip.

I remember it so clearly because it changed my perspective

about worship. Right. There was no gear, it was just voices.

They were singing in Tamil. I'm from Klan, but I

don't understand fully Tamil. I only can say nada, that's

it and match up and support. They can sing Noandre,

yesus and all that thing right. It was the best

worship session I've had my life. That's why if you

come to me and say I need ABCD, I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry. Don't need guitar, voice, Kennedy, presence of

copy there. But all this is important and can help.

Can if you have it, go for it. So we're

not saying I cannot know if you hear it, go

for it. But is it the most important thing? No,

Only a true disciple will understand that. Only a true

disciple will be able to accept that. Don't have to

go to India to worship been a heart made of

crowdown to experience God's presence. Seriously, no, egkorn smelly? You

know how to worship God with smell? Can God moved

because the people there? See eye was affected by the

people there. They were worshiping God with all their hearts.

When I look at it, I'm like, these are disciples, man,

These are disciples man. No excuse us, what do you

want to become? Discipleship keeps usted to the most important thing, transformation. Friends,

So in your life. Can I just encourage you on

one thing? On your focus? Can you focus on transformation?

Can you focus on transformation in your own life? Maybe

you know I was encouraging some people when we're talking

about word focused. I said, you don't talk about let's

talk about the Bible. Okay, it's July. Now, it's July, right,

July twelfth. Okay, say another, well less than six months

are can can X and bunk have a Goala? Okay?

This just thought. I don't read your office nor official.

Can you have a goal at least any of you

have a goal to read as much of the Bible

as you can before you die, not even by any

of that. Before you die, you at least read the

Bible once. It doesn't matter whether you understand it not right,

can or not think about it? Right? Yes, we try to.

Sometime we set ourselves off a failure because we set

a goal that's so high. Right, cannot do maybe doing

so stressed? Read just one verse a day? Don't have

to understand it? Then at least you know before you

die you read the Bible cover the cover. Can I confident?

They say I've done it before? No, I have not.

I've read the Gospels. Laugh, right, I've read equally says this,

but I've not touched Revelation because I don't understand it.

I've not touched Leviticus. Cause a lot to goest there.

I'm just joking, Okay, So I don't know, can you?

Why not? Right? Transformation? Can that need the transformation? Just

I just want to challenge you guys to think a

little bit about it. Don't say cannot. God wants to

do something in your life, and sometimes we only look

for the big transformation. God is interested in the small,

incremental transformation. I will share. I've shared this before. I'm

a i man, still dealing with it. But I'm a

very emotional person. Grew up in the Kinment family. Unfortunately

its lean out with a king right and emotion is

one thing. Anger is another thing. And I always thought

that God has dealt with it. But I'm still dealing

with it. Right, Once in a while it will come out.

But can I tell you that it's way less ready,

way way less than last time. Because there is a

transformation that's happening in my life. I'm not so affected

by a lot of things anymore, right, Not because I

don't care, Because I you know, God has transformded my

life and that is the benefit of what I received,

you know. But it took time. Time, It took It

took discipleship as well. It took God molding me right,

It took me learning from people. There's different ways to

do things right. It took it took the maturity and

the weakness of someone else to tell me, el me

is okay. I still remember clearly there was an instance

in work, you know, right where can I be real?

You can? I? Can I be real? Okay? I don't

let anybody shaid this. I remember the instance in the work.

I did something that someone else didn't like, okay, and

just to let you know that I worked full time. Okay, anyway,

this person not around the la Okay, let's not get

into that. But I did something that person don't like

and the person was so upset with me and was

trying to address me. And the person was let's just say,

higher ranking than me, right, and it was difficult because

it was an honest mistake. But this person also maybe

very emotional. Why couldn't mara no? And I can you

know I was crying there and the person still went

for it. It's just mean I mean, I, okay, me

and the person let me not give too much information,

and it was so tough, and I didn't know how

to handle the situation and also upset. I was upset.

I was angry at the person. I was angry that,

you know, how could you not understand? And then I

talked to my heart leader and my hard lady, my

handed leader. He's an awesome guy. He's right now in

Chang nine. He actually gave me some good tastes. He said,

tell me next time when this happens, just tell this

person that you have to do something else. Don't deal

with it because it got personnel. Just tell this person

that you can't deal with this now. You have to

do it later because we have to work together, right

and everybody wants the best. Okay, So I remember, I'm like, okay, okay, okay.

You know, after I recovered, and I remember, true enough,

six months down the line, something similar happened again, okay,

and I was able to handle it maturely because when

the person started getting worked up. You look at person,

I said, I said, I didn't you see. Okay. The

worst thing about telling a person that's upset and now

you say you are so upset. I cannot talk to

you now they're getting more upset. So I didn't do that.

I said, hey, I understand that this urgent. Understand that

is what I will talk to you later, knowing full

well that I need to give this person time to chill,

to talk to me objectively before I do anything, right,

it took me ten minutes to say, hey, I know

you rushes, I know you need, but it's okay. I'll

talk to you later, you know. And of course I

didn't say when you're ready, because obviously the person is

like becoming mom up. I said, really, really, I know,

but I can't and I walked off a person stay upset.

Later on, we did talk to the person and we

did sort it out okay objectively, right, And I remember

going to my heartland. I said, hey, I didn't break.

I'm so happy I didn't break. I can manage this.

And of course after that, I've had many other difficult

concoctions with difficult people, but I'm super chill, like, oh, okay, cool.

Not to handle a ready isn't that transformation? But it

was incremental transformation. It didn't happen overnight. Right. There was

trust with my heart leader you know, I didn't fully

understand the advice given, but I just followed exactly right,

and I saw the fruit of it, and there was submission. Friends,

Do you know one of the hardest thing about the

Zampionship is submission. It is, but I can tell you

clearly the fruit of the submission is said, we grow.

He said, we grow Romans trialve too, says, 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.

Do you know that the renewing of our minds take time?

It does. It takes time renewing our minds. It takes

the word, it takes teaching. And the renewing of our

mind takes a different perspective, right, It takes someone showing

us a different perspective on things and how to live.

I really like looking to put Can and asking questions

because he really has a different perspective right about life

and about God, and he's really he really just want

to please God. How you talk to him as well,

he would just steered through that way And some things

might seem crazy then like now I'm not so crazy?

Because it come the bus. Right. If you are here

and you're discipling people, right, disciple them in the ways

of the Lord, but show them a different perspective. Let

me highlight show them, show them means you have to

walk the path on You can't disciple someone or no,

not can't. It's difficult to disciple someone and to talk

the talk without walking the talk. But the cool thing

about our church is that a lot of the disciplers

we walk the talk. We walk first, we bang well first,

we experience first, then we tell. So it comes from

where it doesn't come from for fun onne. You know,

it takes someone showing us a different perspective on things

and how they live. You know, we can be very

fixed with our perspective. It's something I've learned because I'm

also doing coaching now with people, and I realized that

not not jim coaching, Okay, career coaching, gim coaching, cannot.

I don't have to. Yeah, elberlingk does that. And I

realized something very important. A lot of times people feel

they cannot because their perspective is start. It's just that

it's not even about resources or what they can do

or the ability. No it's just the way they think.

That's it. The moment you can unlock the way you

think we can move forward, ready, because we are stuck.

The moment we can unlock the way we think about

God in our lives, we can move forward. Really, you know,

but we are always stuck because we have a certain

perspective about how God works, a certain perspective about how

things are, a certain perspective about life. And here we

are reading in Roman Child Child that we should not

be conformed to this world. Do you know that the

world also gives you a certain perspective that we subscribe to.

Do you know you can unsubscribe to it. You can

unsubscribe to the ideologies of the world. You can do

you want to? Are you or not? Why is there?

I was just sharing this. Why sometimes do you feel

like there's a struggle between church and the things we do,

or between church or the things repecting in church, or

between your faith and stuff outside. There is a struggle

because we are still subscribing to the ideologies of the

world and trying to fit it into God cannot That's

why I struggle. The only way we can deal with

it is to unsubscribe from the world. And to subscribe

from God's plans. That's the only way. And you read

in the Bible time and time again, God is reminding

us now we are no longer a slave to sin,

very strong words, but we are a slave to Christ.

It's a slave, but to something better. Right, So we

gotta we gotta catch that. Decide. You feel like there's

a struggle. Why is there a struggle. There's a struggle

because of this mainly an internal struggle. Oh, I think

it supposed even the way we think God works on

I realize on that's a struggle, and God works a

certain way. You want to know how God works, just

read the Bible. Right, The more you read the Bible,

the more you understand God's works. God works. Don't figure

out how God works by listening to a man. Don't

read for yourself. Even if you listen to the man,

make sure the references the men news is correct. Right, Okay,

So perspective First Corinthians eleven to one. Paul encourages people.

And you see Paul was graf to say this, imitate

me as an imitate Christ. Imitate me as an imitate Christ.

You know, was he fully christy? Not really? Or so?

Because there was once where he didn't want to forgive someone.

You know, although Barnabas want to. They got some drama story.

And I'm telling you this because if you want to

know more, go and read the Baby yourself. Past imitate

me as an imitate Christ. Let's talk a little bit

about repentance repentance. Who preached about repentance? Do you remember

who preached repentance? First person I preach about repentance was Jesus,

No joined the Baptist. He preached our rependance first. Then

it was Jesus, what do you say, repent for the

Kingdom of God is at hand? Right? Repent because the

Kingdom of God is at hand. And then after that

the first evangelistic message Peter preached about repentance And what

is repentance? The word repentance in Greek means a change

of thinking. Okay, The Greek word means meta noah. It

literally translates to changing of one's mind or a transported

transformative change of heart meta noah meta metamorphosis change. It's

not metamorphosis, it's metam noah, changing of mind or a

transformation of your heart. A mind change means a behavior change.

This one I know very well because I mean special

needs ministry, and it's all about behavior change. A mindset

change is a behavior change, right, It's not just a

change of feelings. And this is a way important for

me to highlight we rely a lot on feelings. Actually,

I would argue with overrelied feelings, right, Can I be honest?

I don't feel like coming here to appreciate you this morning?

I was red tired. Maybe I shall call Selene Selina

and said, I'm Sigla. You don't feel like it? Right,

We see there's an overreliance of feelings. Sometimes something you

don't feel like saying hello to people. Right. I can

tell you many many times where I don't feel like

doing a lot of things, but I just do it anyway,

and then I realize not so bad, you know, for herself?

Do then bat Right. It's not just a change of feeling, friends,

but it is a change of thinking, and it's a

renewal of mine. And when that happens, you know what

happens after that transformation? Well, I tell you it's so

amazing when you see someone transform in their life. I

AH used to be very negative, but now suddenly not negative.

I use to you know, be very angry, but not

not angry. I I used to complain about but now

don't complain. It is the mind change and then the

transformation of the life. Amazing, right do you want that?

Do you look forward to stuff like that? Or or

you know, I don't change. It's not just an emotional change.

Now A lot of times it's emotional change. You know.

The thing about emotional change, right, is that it'sactly thing one. Oh,

I feel great, I feel God, God, I want to

give you everything. Then tomorrow feel horrible and then don't

do it. But a mindset change is different. A mindset changes.

Once the mind changes, you follow true, So repentance is

about that. It is a mindset change. Too many people

take discipleship as just Bible study or let's pray together,

but actually it's a change of mindset which leads to transformation.

That's true disciper ship. You know who understands as well.

Psychologists understand as well. Teachers understand as well because you

just spend time teaching teaching about changing perspective. Right, you're

changing first perspective. That's what trainers do it. If you're

a trainer here, if you run a business, you deal

with people. You understand about this as well. Decipership is

not just the program. It is true transformation. It's a

change of a mindset. In our church, we call it

relational decipership, not just by the study decipership. Do you

know what you can claim that? I remember talking to

a lot of people before and I would say, hey,

you know we're big of a discipenship and a lot

of times right other church partners, pasts and leaders whill

ask me this question, which book you use, which discipleship

program you have? Which? Which is it? Right? And I

have to tell the present uh no program it's a

spending them together, macm together, chill together, talk together. Huh yes,

it's how far you how far you fly? So there's

still that relationship. Recently, one of my one of my disciplers, Mike,

is planning to my grid to Finland. No, and then

we didn't MENTU catch up? You know some you might

know him. Then you when you didn't men shou to

catch up? And I remember and Manashoe finally call out

it got time in my friend and as we talked

I did ask him, I say, hey, bro, just want

to check because I don't take for granted because he

he uh, because he he is my disciple, disciple, sorry,

And I did have to ask him, hey, are you

still keen on this relationship. If not, I'm okay to

just be friends. And he said, passard uh, I'm still

keen to build this relationship together. Although I'm so far away.

I'm saying, great, you know, good guy. He tells me

that he's going to church. I'm like, great, go ahead

and serve right, But I did say if he doesn't

look out there, come back major, and he's like, yeah,

I'm open to it, you know. So the hypership it's

not all fun and games are no deciber ship. Sometimes

you disciple someone and you see them doing things they

shouldn't do. You can stop them. But if they're already

how and if they still I don't want to do how,

then you just got to pray for them now and

pray that they do not destroy themselves and later they

come back. Then you also have to hold your tongue

when they say I'm so sorry, maybe should listen to you.

Don't say I told you so, you know right. We

call it relational discipleship friends, because it's a working with

it's a doing life with and I know maybe Asian

culture or whatever, we all they're not don't like, you know,

very uncomfortable. A lot of them are not for it.

And it's not just a discipleship that celebrate wins by

social sharing witnesses because we want someone else to move forward?

Where else can you find I want? I won't go

so hard about where else can you find that? The

preachers and the pastors on this stage we are we

feel about a weaknesses, even though you're like, you cannot

see that, but these are weaknesses we share to tell

you that we're not perfect, but we all have Jesus

and Christ leads us. Right. It's also to be confident

in our weaknesses because, like Paul says in Corinthians, that's

why I take pleasure my weakness and in the insults, hardships,

persecutions and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when

I'm weak, I'm strong because Christ makes me strong. And that,

my friends, is a promise that all of us here

should keep, because we're all not strong, but because we

have Christ in us, we are made strong in our situation.

So you don't have to rely on yourself. You don't

have to rely on your your talent and your capability.

All you need to do is rely on Jesus. Amen.

I'll leave you with one last talk before I end.

I hope I'm okay with time. Right, So I talk

a lot about discipleship, and uh, you know, like like

I said, I'm I'm also talking to you guys as

our partners, as our family members. That is, if you

have not come to this place where you say, hey,

maybe let let me just try and experience and try

this thing called disciple ship that the church is talking about. No,

and then crice you to not just consider, but take action.

Try it out. You know, ask questions, got some questions.

People ask that, Oh, if I disciple for you forever.

I know I have passed on people that I disciple

to other people. When I feel like I think maybe

someone else will do better, you know, then let's find

a way to you know, we've done I've done that before. Right. Uh.

It has to make sense because sometimes naturally organically it works.

Sometimes it's just a metter of growth. Right, that's discipleship

because at the end of the day, it's not about

your mind and he all of us belonged to Jesus. Okay,

so we have to. We're careful not to clar claim

on people's life, you know, right, But there is a

purse and the power in desciper shape, and there's a

reason why Christ said it your catch there. So I

hope at least you'll be open to try it out,

because at the end of the day, disciper ship is

a two way street. It is a two way street.

Let me give you two examples in the Bible that

talks about theciper ship Mentel four nineteen says Jesus called

out to them, come follow me, and I will show

you how to fish for people. Then they left their

nets at once and followed him all the way until

he was cratified, all the way, until they build the church,

all the way, until all of them died gruesome depths.

And they were joyful because they said, even I remember,

I think it's bitter that said I cannot be hung

the same way that my savor is hung hung me

upside down. I'm not worthy, or I tell you this

is like next level. Right, They followed Christ. And then

you also have the rich young ruler in Mark ten

one looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him,

you know, Jesus feels that for everyone of you here,

looking at you and your life, he feels genuine love

for you. Right, and he gave the instruction there is

still one thing you haven't done. He told him, go

and sell all your possessions and give the money to

the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then

come follow me. Isn't that an invitation from Christ? But

you look at the responsor at this, At this, the

man's face fell, not felt like fall off loved, but

Frona said, lad he felt, and he went away, didn't

even say bye bye. Jesus fell and ran away. Ask

that's how you gotta be wa careful? The question asked

Jesus' excit, ask question, what else can I do? Give answer,

you don't do? Set and then way, For he had

many possessions. There were a lot of things he's still

holding back, right, his possessions good or bad. Well, I

won't go through doctrinally, but all I understand is based

on these exchanges. He didn't own the possessions. The possessions

owned him. That's why Jesus said, there's only one thing

you need to do, because to follow Christ, you cannot

have anything else. Owning you do you know that there

are many people that were also doing quite well following Christ.

You know the guy that brought Jesus the tomb, he's

not poor. Jesus ask him to leave his possessions. He didn't,

but he was a secret disciple. So let's not just

do it. Oh, you must be poor and you follow Jesus.

Don't think that we are. But the possessions had the

rich young ruler. So he kind of tells me that

if you don't follow Christ, you cannot have everything else.

You just got to focus on him. So I have

a question for us this morning. Not the easiest message

to share, but it's a way ful feeling one if

you can at least come to this place. Which should

we decide? We've got to think about it. I pray

you are big a decision. I pray you a final way.

I pray that you are not just happy playing church. Well,

we're strong. Other words, let's not play church. I remember

the earliest of ex church passus, and I always say

I'm not here to pay church. I didn't leave my

pictures for you know. She will say things like that,

and I still remember until today, you know, but it's true.

Having the opportunity to lead church, having the opportunity to

do this. It's true. We don't want to just pay

church because there are so much more important things that

we can do, so much more people out there than

it cries, so much more people out there. They need

to experience His love. And if we're just playing church,

nothing's going to happen. The way that the Lord uses us, friends,

is through our commitment and devotion to him. That's how

he uses us. If we are disciples, then we will

disciple others. But if we are not disciples, how can

we disciple? Who are we discipling other? Spirit? If you

feel with the spirit, then there's an outpouring of spirit.

If you're following the values, then you can practice and

share the values. It works that way. And I really

just sense that God wants a break through in your life,

but you got to walk. Receiving Christ was one decision.

Do you know that following Jesus every day is decision

every day they have to make because there were many

that left it in the Bible when it was inconvenient,

when it didn't make sense. When he left him, we

all believe us here. I can be straight with you guys,

does Christ love you? Yes? Let us? Does God have

a plan for yes, let us. Do you have a

purpose be in this church? Yes, you do. You know

why you're here. I always believe in this that whoever

that comes to the church, whether you're new or whether

you've been here for a long time, God has a

purpose for you. The question always it is not whether

God or not. The question always is are we going

to do anything about it? Because that's hon us right.

Are we going to grow? Are we going to be pray?

Are we going to have a different perspective? Are we

going to allow the scriptures to perme in our lives?

And bad food? That is a thing that we have

to decide. And the faster we decide, the faster we

move forward, the further, the faster we experience Him, the

more we will experience God in our lives. That is

my encouragement for us today. You don't even need to

start being, you know, like, oh, I create my job,

I do food. No, no need, just do something. Next level?

Read one scripture, Bible? What's the other? Next level? Go

to homes regularly be involved with that's another level. What's

our level? Serf? You know, serf, just serve guys when

you surfer, I see remembers there. This is a church.

Partners are money, A lot of things to say about

things until the person's underserving. Then stop complaining. You know

why because he's a person's who work. So how to

compare about your own work? Cannot man, that's the best way,

you know. Don't be selfish, be path of the church.

You see your family right, family work together sign X.

We use the word partners, we don't use the word

members member pay fee and then go back around you

do what your pay fee. Want to partner different people here,

we have different capacity. Manderstand that why not do everything?

Understand that there might be challenges that you do bas

to understand. I don't understand that. Don't don't say I

don't care, no, no, no, I understand that. But God

would make a way when there seems to be no way.

But things can happen. You just need to say yes.

Let me try, give up so fast, allow God to move.

Say yes first and then see everything else. Harley descipership focused.

I hope we call something today. It's value that we

believe in our church. No, I really believe that if

you really understand every value chop us one value. You

will really set yourself up to be blessed by them.

You really set yourself up to experience sleep in another way.

That's why I pray you embrace it. I pray you

at least challenge yourself to move forward. Then, don't just

take care of another message someone no learn, grow, go deeper,

experience talk.

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

information on our church, please visit aschurch dot org. We

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this week is going to be a good week.

I hit for you.

God bless