Delayed Obedience = Disobedience | Elder Rosalind

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

I want to just ask a quick question.

How many of you, when you woke up this morning,

just be honest with me that you had your alarm

set to a certain time and yet.

You snoozed all the time.

How many of you snooze? Okay, Cape, we have a

few honest people here. The rest of you don't snooze

on right. I know, I know you guys are like

really really good. I snooze like for a good twenty

minute confession confession okay, because it's like, oh yeah, you know,

it's such a nice day to rest in, you know,

and it's been a week of business, so we snoozeing okay. Now,

there's a reason for it. And I wanted to just

tackle this part of our human nature that is innate

in us.

Right.

We know that there is something we set an alarm

at a certain time so that we can get to

a certain place at a certain at the right time.

And yet there is this habit perpetual in us, right

that causes us to just a little bit longer, just

a little bit longer. Now, if XTV can help me

with the slide. Just five more minutes. Okay, Now let's

go on to the next picture. Can you tell me

what you can What do you know of this picture Titanic? Yeah,

it's not. Some say no, some say yes. How many

of you watched the movie Titanic?

Oh? Okay?

And Abel, you didn't watch? Is it it is Titanic?

She's like, oh no, no, don't recognize it is the

old picture, but is the actual photograph of Titanic? Now

you know what happened with Titanic? Right? You know its sang.

It was a great big ship and yet it sank. Okay,

So what we can learn from this, and after many

many investigations, what happened was when they realized that they

hit the iceberg, right, That's what happened.

Right, they hit the iceberg, it.

Was too cold, And what happened was waters had the

coming in and they called out emergency. Right, they shoot

up flares hoping to get help. Right now, surrounding Titanic

there were other ships, and so what we discovered later

on was there was a particular ship called the Californian. Okay,

So what happened was they actually saw the flare, but

because it was they were uncertain what it meant. But

you know, flare is emergency, right, So what is your

natural response when you see a flair?

What are you supposed to do? Go towards it or

what else would you do? Run away? Okay? You know I'm.

Getting with the message redealer, right, so you run away?

Typicult of us human And so what happened was they

saw the flare. The sailors didn't do anything about it,

of course because they thought that.

Maybe you know, it was a mistake.

But also to be honest, there were a lot of

it was iced over, remember that. So for them to

go and help men that they had to take the

risk of also themselves battling through the iceberg, right, I mean,

so there was a natural concert. And what was even

better was the captain turned off their combs, their communication

channels reached. Technically, you're supposed to leave it online, right,

So I pray none of us will turn off all

telecoms today, okay, because God wants to speak to us.

Okay, I saw the flats already.

And let's not turn off the signal that God wants

to speak to us about.

Okay.

Now, the thing is they didn't act upon it. And

of course if they had, how many more people could

they have saved? I don't know, you know, because they

said the total number of people that died on Titanic

was one thousand, five hundred.

That's a lot of people, a lot of lives lost.

So this small ship California and even if they had

said help, they could have saved maybe five eight more people.

But do you think that would have made a difference?

Definitely, right, even if it's one life, it was worth saving.

So something for you to think about at the backdrop

of what I'm going to be sharing today. All right,

So this idea, you know, we call it procrastination, procrastination,

you know, procrastination. How many professional procrastinators do we have?

Oh?

I see mean Joe, like lifting up a husband's hand voluntarily.

Professional procrastinators. All of us have it in us one

way or another. And what was interesting for me to

discover is that psychologically, right, it's not because we don't

know what to do. It's because we don't want to

do what we know what we're supposed to do, okay, And.

Why do we hesitate? Why do we put it off? Okay?

So some of you know that I am currently doing

my masters, which is crazy.

I don't know.

Okay, I'll tell you another story about that. But do

you know, because the I have assignments do right, I

would do everything except my assignment, no serious one every

day that I'd be like, I think I want to

make break today. I think I better go and make kombucha.

Now do the kids want to drink or I want

to drink? You know, you're busy yourself with everything.

Except what you're supposed to do.

Okay, So this what you're supposed to do think is

really okay, and it's not because of poor time management,

but we are trying to avoid the uncomfortable emotions that

comes along with that task, right, because you know that

if you sit down, it's always the hardest to take

the first that you realize that there's this huge barrier

for us to enter into that zone or into that moat.

But do you know that once you're in actually okay

or not?

Did you know it's called flow the science of flow,

meaning if you get into it, they're suddenly like okay,

I can I'm going on, and then when you lose

the flow, then it's so hard to get into the

floor again.

You know, it's so true.

And I can tell you this whether you're a student

or you're young working adult. You know, when you're trying

to get things done, you want to hit a spot

where you're in the flow. And that means no distractions.

That means no notifications popping up, no three hundred emails

that you're trying to check. And what we do is

we try to multitask. Okay, are we good multitaskers?

No, we are not.

What happens is we are tasks switches. Women are better

at this, yes, until you really say yeah, yeah, yeah.

Men are very you know straight, like do one thing,

I must do.

One thing, finish verse, okay, and then they cannot understand

why their partners you know, it's like, oh, I do

ten things in a conversation. Also we can talk about

ten people at the same time, right, It's like they're

connecting all the thoughts. But what happens is we're actually

task switching. And what happens then is we use a

lot of energy, right, you do use that after we

come so tired, and then we school the husband, right,

what can you keep up with me?

Okay?

So so that's that's life. Okay, So welcome to married life,

and I'll just pray for Elaine.

Where is Elaine? Now? You can expect that. Lah. Okay,

never mind, never mind is good. It's good. Good to

get married, good to get married. Okay.

Now on the most serious note, Lae, Okay, why the

Lord gave me this message? Was about maybe two weeks

ago now, two weeks ago now. So I have this

neighbor living next to me, okay, and it's a family

of five. Their children, they've got three kids slightly older.

They're already the youngest daughters already in college.

So she's also currently doing.

Her master's, my neighbor, and so she knows, she knew

that I did my first master's in NBA. She's like, oh,

can you help me? I say, sure, of course. I've

been praying for her. My heart is to reach out

to her. They are non believers, all right. So the

many occasions that I've gone over to my neighbor's house,

and you know, these days is not so common right

to be invited to your neighbor's house. I don't know why,

but that's what it is living now in I don't know.

That's my experience anyway. And so then she's like it

come over. I'm like, sure, great, you know and after

every time, you know, sometimes three I was discussing her

her assignment. Then there's always that prompting to say, just

share with her, God's love, share with her. And do

you know we have many great excuses, right, there's always

the maybe tomorrow, maybe what if I create an uncomfortable

situation between me and her and it becomes awkward?

Right, but maybe next time, maybe.

There's Christmas that I can invite her a low okay,

maybe Christmas Christmas, I will invite her to my homes.

And so that thought came on it because you always

think that's tomorrow. And what happened was about three weeks ago.

Now we got news from a husband that she just

collapsed in office. So she's under a lot of stress

because the company is going through a listing exercise IPO,

so she's doing that for the company and on top

of that doing your master's. So she just collapsed and

rushed to the hospital and until now she's in a

semi commerce those state, meaning she's not able to speak.

The only communication and gesures she could do is to blink, right,

And so when I heard that, do you know, I

straightway repented before the lawy. I went on my knees

and said, God, the last time I met her could

have been the last time I could have shared the

Gospel with her, because that first week she was in ICU,

it was critical. They don't know whether she could ever

wake up again. Right, And so we continue praying, And

in that time, I was just going through this tumult

in my heart and my emotions and saying, God, why

did I not seize that opportunity when it was there?

Right?

And so do you know this delay obedience thing? I

realize it really is this obedience. If you're wanting to

take home anything from with you today, just recognize this.

Every time we delay what God has put in the hearts,

and you know what God has put in the hearts, right,

it is this obedience. And I'm going to bring us

through the world of God. And this is gonna be

taken from Numbers, chapter thirteen and fourteen. So I would

invite you to whip up your Bible. Now let's go

to the Word of God, and I'm going to give

you some context of numbers chapter thirteen and fourteen.

Are we okay? So far? Okay?

So do you know that our God is a god

who gives promises.

Amen.

What are some of God's promises that you've held onto

all this world being a believer in Christ? Tell me

some of God's promises that's been anchoring your life?

John Tree sixteen.

For God so loved the world that he gave his

only begden son that anyone who believes in him shall

not perish but have eternal life.

Okay, So that's that's a great promise. What else?

What the other promises of God that you've held on personally?

For you?

The Holy Spirit? He is a guarantee. Wow? Amazing? Right,

So that's good? What else? What else?

Come on, don't tell me you're you don't live on

God's promises. I am a bit worried.

Now. God will never forsake nor leave us. Okay? What else?

What else? Isaiah fifty three vers five. And that is

by his tribes we are heal. Amen. Amen. So, Church,

I want to encourage all.

Of us that we got to build our lives based

on God's promises.

Is that okay?

Because if you don't know the word of God and

what He has for you, then we will go through

our lives feeling like I don't know my God and

our entire life's purpose is to know Him and to

fear him. Yes, to know God and to fear God.

I don't know which one you lack. Either you don't

know him or you don't fear him.

Both are needed.

Okay, So I pray that you know there is now

this sense that's saying I need to know God.

What is his purpose for me?

I want to fear him so that I will keep

my life right. Do you know without the fear of

God you can do everything thinking that your life is right,

but it's probably messed up one with your mother.

Okay. So God always has his promise.

And let me ask you again, what is God's promise

to the children of Israel. Do you know that there

is fighting in the Middle East?

Now? What is the fight all about? Land?

Thank you very much. Someone's reading world news. Please do

not read social media. Please do not just spend your

time on things that don't tell you about what's happening

in God's time. Okay, and past I cannot always say this.

You look to Israel and you will see what God

is doing.

Yeah.

Hello, church, we are a Bible believing people of God.

And do you know that the whole body is talking

about the Israelite If you don't agree with that, then okay,

let's have another discussion. Okay, that the whole Bible is

talking about God's redemption and his plan for the children

of Israel and the rest of the world. Can I

say that he started with the children Israel? And so yes,

what God had promised the children of Israel was the land. Okay,

So let's go to Genesis three quick one A, Genesis

twelve seven. I'm just gonna read to you what is

God's promise? Okay, God promised Abram to your descendance, I

will give this land.

Amen.

So when God says it, I will take it. I

don't know how many of you, when you read your

Bible say, huh, did God really say that? You have

a question mark? Or what God says? But God says,

I will give you this land. So what is our

response toit?

Okay? Thank you Lord?

Right?

Or like, are you sure God?

Do you know there's a lot of gangsters there in atland,

there's a lot of enemies that you know. I are

you sure you're giving it to me? But you know

we we didn't do anything to deserve it. You can

have all these thoughts. But God says, I will give

you a descendance this land to Abram. And it was

credited to abram S righteousness because he believed it that

time when God gave the promise to Abraham, did he

have children already?

Zilch elet zero, gosong nothing.

He was probably what eighty years old going on ninety,

and he became a hundred years old. Okay, Sarah, his

wife was ten years behind. So okay, remember that God's

promise is not given the cause of your current circumstance.

He gives it in spite of your current circumstance. Amen,

in spite of it. What you cannot see, but God knows,

and that's what He's God. Praise God that he is

got and we are not.

Okay.

So and again he promised Abrahm. And who was the

man that was supposed to bring the children.

Into the promised land? Who's the man? Moses?

Okay, okay, I'm giving you byble three of your questions, okay,

so that you don't fasting on me, all right? So

God promised Moses in Exodus three eight. He says, I

came down to deliver them out of the hand of

the Egyptians to bring them to a land that is

good and flowing with malek and honey. Any lectos intolerant people,

Oh God, there, you cannot enter promised land? Okay are you?

Oh?

How no, it's a lilah when you're going there, you

stray with okarity? Right, that's God's promise, right, he will

heal all your intolerances, amen, because Isaiah fifty three says that.

But he strives you're heal, so you can eat all

the cheese you want. I know you like cheese cake.

Amen. So the promise is given a land flowing with

milk and honey. Okay.

Now then they were supposed to just go and take possession, correct,

not when God gives you the promise? What is your response?

Do you used to say wait first Lord? But God says, okay, you're.

At the brink of it. Now what would you do? Okay?

And what did the children of Israel wanted to do?

Do you know what happened before they could actually before

they actually went into the Promised land?

What happened?

Let me show the next picture. Chop next picture, the

or the length island?

Ah, there you see this?

I try and pick really good looking ice. Okay, good

looking or not? After you are Middle Eastern good looking?

Okay?

Tell spies correct not? Do you know the story of

the tell spies? I won't go into it. Whose idea

was it to send the spies? Let's read number thirteen now, okay,

So let's go to the text numbers thirty. And the

Lord spoke to Moses saying, send men to spy out

the land of Canaan, which I'm giving to the children

of Israel from each tribe of their fathers. You shall

send the men, everyone a leader among them. So Moses

send them according to the wilderness of Paran, according to

the command of the Lord, all of them men who were.

Hits of the children of Israel.

Okay, So whose idea was it to send the tall spies?

Sorry? God, just from readings this text, it looks like it. Right.

So that's why friends, when you read.

The Bible, don't read in isolation, because from this you

would just say, yeah, it was God who told us

to send the spies. Do you know if God says

that I will give you a land flowing with milk

and honey, He's like, okay, now you test me, see

whether my word is true or not.

Is it true?

This God is God the kind that will say I

will give you. I have already promised you a land

flowing with milk and honey. So please come and test

me whether my word is true or not. Parents, if

you tell your children I'm gonna bring you to Disney Land,

a land flowing with milk and honey, what will.

Your children say?

Joe the facialists, don't tell them they're in X kids now, okay?

What do you think would be their natural response? Or

they will go like, are you sure daddy? Are you

sure he's good? Not?

Are you sure you bought the ticket?

Ready?

Are you sure you're got not money?

You know?

Ah? Right? Practical kids? Right?

And we will become very practical with God. Do you

know that we become very practical?

We're like, but are you sure? Right?

And if you read deter round on me now, I'm

gonna give you one. It says that actually, let me

prove to you futuron me chapter one, verse twenty one.

Okay, let's see what he says.

Yeah. Look, the Lord your God has set the land

before you agreed, agreed, go up and possess it. That's

the command of the Lord. Go up, and possess it.

As the Lord God of your father's has spoken to you,

do not fear or be discouraged verse twenty two. And

every one of you came near to me and said,

let us send men before us, and let them search

out the land for us, and bring back word to

us of the way by which we should go up,

and of the cities into which we shall come. And then,

of course, worse tenentually said the plan please me. Well,

so I took twelve of your men, one man from

each tripe. So come back again to the question, whose

idea was it to send the tell spies.

It was the people.

It was not God. But Moses relented, and God relented.

You see this, This is character God. He's like, ah yo,

you ask me so many questions, but you still say, okay,

la go HeLa, let's go.

Don't go with it, No need to go straight right.

If I'm I'm God, I'll say, don't need to go anyways, anyways,

let's move on.

Okay.

So the promise was given. They were just supposed to

remember what was the commandment, go and take possession. That's it, right,

God just says, go and take possession of it now,

let's look at the response. Not every time there is

a promise of God. I want to ask us what

is our response?

Right? What think about it? What is our response to

God's promise? Okay?

There are two types I call type A and type B.

You choose which one you want to be all right?

Or maybe you can recognize really.

Okay, So do you know that the land was so good?

Right that they had to carry the bunch of grapes

that was so heavy? How me with you like grapes? Okay,

let's see the picture. Oh yeah, can you.

See those grapes.

Because it says that they had to carry it, you know,

in between two men because it was dead heavy. Okay,

maybe there's an exaggeration. Now maybe you know what one

like this like watermelon?

Right? You o grapes? So you have to cut.

Into like one watermelon, cut into half each one?

One tripe? Okay, never mine mine.

So two types of receivers. And so the first type

I want us to go to. So you know that

they went up right, they went up to the promised land.

They spied out, and they said the land was exceedingly good. Okay,

So let's listen to their conversation okay. Verse twenty seven,

all right, they came back already. How long were they there? Okay,

let me share with you. How long were they there?

Okay?

Verse twenty five, Verse twenty five, chapter thirteen. Now they

depart and they returned from spying out the land after

after forty days. So can you imagine they were out

spying for how many days? You go holiday? Only two weeks?

Tell you when you got God's mission? Long long holiday?

Forty days? Okay, okay.

Anyway, they came back, right, So they came back and

verse twenty seven, okay, follow with me. Then they told

him and said, we went to the land where you

sent that.

It truly flows.

It's like you wow, really you know, it truly flows

with milk and honey.

And this is its fruit grapes for you.

Okay, Now look at what is their next response. Okay,

I call this the nevertheless people. Of course, just you know,

it's ironic that we sang the song nevertheless. Just now

that's a different the other side or nevertheless. Okay, this

is the other side of nevertheless.

Okay. So this is their response.

In verse twenty they says, nevertheless, the people who dwell

in the land are strong, the cities are fortified and

very large.

Moreover, we saw.

The descendants of Anna there, and the Amelekites dwell there,

and all the type type type type type read through that, and.

This is their response.

Now you see what is the excuses given by this type?

I call this type a all right, the nevertheless kind

of people. All right, So they had do you think

they were making excuses?

They agree? You know, they agreed at least I have

given them that.

Lah. They agreed that the land truly was flowing with

milk and honey. This is the fruit evidence of it.

But yet they had all these excuses, they say, what

the people were there too strong, the cities are fortified,

and we even saw giants there. Okay, we even saw giants.

There's so funny. You know, I was doing my assignment right,

and then somehow got to do it giants, and I

dream about giants this morning.

Anyway, So got giants. Okay, these are.

Real giants and they dwell in the land. Okay, now

you see the thing is right? What do you think

gave them the excuses that they made. I really believe

that every excuse that we say comes from our perspective,

meaning what we think of a situation. You see, all

toul Spies saw the land. They were together for forty days,

and this is the majority. And you know this, it

was ten of them, the majority group that they came.

And then they say, oh, but they were two big.

Their perspective and what we can pick up from this

is what form their perspective is. They were looking at

the circumstance and they're comparing it to themselves. And how

I know this is if you go to verse thirty three,

this is again their response.

This is the majority. This is what they say.

There we saw the giants, the descendants of the anart

came from the giants, and we.

Were like.

Grasshoppers, grasshoppers in our own site, so we were in

their site.

Do you know this perspective thing is.

So important because if we always compare our circumstances, our

situations with ourselves, guess what.

We will be the grasshoppers. We will always be grasshoppers.

That is what is forming their perspective, which led them

to their excusers and their behavior.

Let's look again, what was the behavior?

Then?

You see, it.

Always starts off with what we say, comes from what

we are thinking about, and then it manifests through our action.

See what they did, See what these people did that? Nevertheless,

people did. Okay, so after they say we were like grasshoppers,

but numbers chapter fourteen. Now it says so all the

congregations lifted up their voices and cried, and the people

wet that night.

Hello was the promise given to the people.

They knew that they were supposed to just go and

take this good land. Now, majority of us can be

the ones that will cause the whole congregations, who was

supposed to be rejoicing, who was supposed to be encouraged,

supposed to have.

Boldness, wet that night.

The whole congregation, you know, the whole church cried when

they were supposed to be rejoicing.

So do you see how powerful our words can be? Friends?

What we think other people might? You know, say, it

just goes on.

Just spread around.

I think this is like at least six hundred thousand people,

six hundred thou that time, know what sapt Okay, there

was no social media, but the word got around fast.

Bad news always gets around really fast. Okay, So all

of them wept that night, And let's look again, what

else did they did?

And all the children of Israel, complain, complain against Moses

and Aaron and the whole hungry.

And you say to that, if only we die, if

only we die sailor Chinese people like to say, okay,

if only we had died in the land of Egypt,

if only we had died in this wilderness.

Why? Then we always ask the question why? Right? Why? Why?

Why like this? Why we have to move?

Why why Soubunjaya, you know, Mandarin have to move out?

Why? I thought they were very comfortable there. Why?

Why has the lot brought us to this land to

fall by the sword, that our wives and our children

to become victed. Would it not be better for us

to return to Egypt? So they say to one another,

let us select a leader and.

Return to Egypt. What does that look like to you?

Right now? Sorry?

Democracy, that's an interesting thought. I have to interview with

my brother now democracy. So do you think democracy works?

Not always?

In what circumstance will it work?

Ah? Okay, I see that's the main fundamental problem with democracy.

Right If everyone is righteous? How many righteous people do

we have here? Oh? There's one? Two brave ladies they.

Like, okay, okay, that's because they know of their standing

in God. But honestly, without God's grace, none of us

are righteous.

No one.

Jesus says, no one is righteous, not even one. All

are sinners. Say by grace, we are all sinners, you know.

Sometimes right, it's very funny, you know, we would say, God,

if only you wipe away all the bad people in

this world, right, then we will.

Have a peaceful and harmonious world. Thank God is saying.

If I acted upon that thought, none of us would

be sitting here right now. There's always that I think

I'm better, right, I think I'm better than that leader.

I think I can be a better prime minister. I

think I can do a better job than Selena. You know.

Oh, okay Selena happily we'll tell you now, you take

over now, Okay, she also don't want a job, okay, right,

But it's an interesting thought.

Democracy.

But do you know, in Christ there's no room for democracy.

It's too Christy.

There's only one God, one king, right, Because the thing

why we moved on too democracy is because we have

tasted lousy leaders.

We have tasted leaders who are corrupt with power. They

all started all well.

Do you know in all the Book of Kings, and

all that they all started not all are. Some of

them started well, but they all ended up bad because

power corrupts, and the only person who can handle that

much power without being corrupted is God, so he can

be the only righteous leader. And so democracy doesn't what

we try that. You know, there's this whole debate about democracy,

you know, but you know, China's doing really well without democracy.

Of course, you can argue about their leadership style, but

I think there's an argument for it.

They have progressed so much.

There was one report that says, you know, in terms

of technological advancement, China is ten years ahead of America. Really,

you know, because they rule, they obey, right, Okay, depends

on what you think about it. All of us rebellions that, no,

we don't want one leader. Okay, so this is the

type eight and you know, I hate to say it,

but this is the majority of us.

I hate to say it.

I hope we will be different now, x MPU, we

will be different. We will be the minority. Because let's

move on to the type two. Type two is very

special kind of people. They are few and far in between.

We have to find on You're like, oh, less than

twenty percent. Right, technically two out of twelve. I don't

know what's the meds.

Any mess teacher in their mind less than twenty percent?

One is their language, right, I call them though, we

are well able people.

Just now, what's the nevertheless? Right?

Full of excuses, full of we cannot because their perspective

was us against enemy, us against enemy.

We are like grasshoppers. Do you know when I was

growing up, I was very mean. I will catch glasshopper

and I will peel up their legs.

Because I was the Giantaha, don't do that, Peace, don't

tell your children to do that. Okay, I repair, and

I repair a lot for all the grasshoppers that I named. Okay, anyways,

let's move on. So we are well able people. Now

let's go on to read. Okay, now this is numbers

now chapter okay, so back to numbers, chapter thirteen. Okay,

verse thirty thirteen, Verse thirty. Okay, let's read that this

is the minority. Then Caleb quiet at the people before

Moses and said, let us go up at once and

take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.

Can we say that together we are well able?

One two tree, we are well able we are well able.

This is the kind of people that God is looking for.

We are well able. You see, all of them saw

the same land, they were together for forty days. They

saw the same fruit, They saw the same people. Okay,

because what gave them the difference?

Okay?

Now you know that in numbers chapter fourteen, they all complain, right,

they said, let us go back to Egypt, let us

select another leader. And just a quick point here, please

do not complain about your leaders. You might think that

you can do a better job, but do you know

that the very person that you complain against you actually

complaining against the.

God.

Because who puts up authorities, who puts leaders into their place?

You think you you think democracy, you think passor Kenneth.

It was God. So let us just be very careful.

I'm just talking.

Whether you agree disagree, that's a separate matter. But I

think our heart just needs to be right and say,

if I believe that God has put this man as

a leader or this woman as a leader over my life,

then God is the one who put him there or

her there right, and I will never speak against my leader.

This is something we really believe in. In acts, you know,

that's how I've been raised in acts. I will never

speak ill of my leader or any leader for the fact,

can I tell you that?

Do you know?

Pass Kenneth's principle is he will never talk down on

any other person, whether you're from this church or another church.

That's just a principle that we can draw from God's

word because you know, right, if you're pulling down someone else,

you're actually pulling down God's name, because God is the

one who anointed them. All right, So let us just

be very careful in our language the way we are

saying talking about things.

Just if you don't know the food details, just say

I don't know. That's it. You don't have to add

on the story, you know. Actually ya la ya la yealla.

Actually yeah, And that's how rumors start and spread and

then everyone will weep and the whole congregation gets depressed.

Did you see how powerful words are? Anyway, let's move on.

Let's move on to the more encouraging part.

Hallelujah.

So then you know, okay, let's read from Numbers, chapter fourteen,

verse six. Now, but Joshua, the son of Nan, so

that this with the two majority Caleb quieted the people.

And then now Joshua, the son of Nune, who are

among those who had spied out the lens tore their clothes. Okay,

Please don't tear your clothes anywhere in church.

Okay. Sometimes leaders feel like tearing their hair. I know

when they deal with their wayward sheep.

I understand. But in the olden days they tear the close. Here,

we want to tear our hair.

Okay.

Now my teed clothes better are you don't lose your hair? Okay,

it's a sign of repentance. Verse seven is this, and

they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying,

the land we pass through to spy out is an

exceedingly good like it's not just a good land, exceedingly good,

exceedingly good. Now verse eight, listen to his speech. Eve,

the Lord the lights in us. Then he will bring

us into this land and give it to us, a

land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not

rebel against the Lord. Not fear the people of the land,

for they are our.

Brain.

Their protection has departed from them, And the Lord is

with us.

Let's say that again. The Lord is.

The Lord is with us, exambun, the Lord is with you. Amen,

do not fear them, Do not fear them. You see

what's different about this two gentlemen, Caleb and Joshua.

Again, let's come back to.

Speech of faith versus speech of excuses. Is all from

our perspective, right, what was their perspective? The majority will

always look at their enemy, look at their circumstances, their challenges,

their trials, and look at themselves, and they say, we

are like grasshoppers.

But who was.

Caleb and Joshua comparing the circumstances with He looked at

the circumstance, the challenge, the trials, and.

Then he didn't look to himself. Yes, why he looked

to his God. That is the difference.

Friends, you can look at yourself and you will always

be the weaker one.

Can I tell you that you will always.

Be less, fast, less, mind less, pretty, less, beautiful, whatever

it is, you will be lesser in your own eyes.

But you see, our confidence doesn't come in who we are.

Our confidence comes from the Lord. Because you see, he says,

the Lord delights in us. He will bring us who

is it? Because we are able, because of our strength,

because of our military mind, because of you know, my connection,

because of all my degrees behind my name. I'm able

to do this. No, he says, God will bring us

into that land. That is his confidence, because the promise

was given. He says, do not rebel against the Lord.

You see any rebellion. You think you can rebel against people,

but ultimately you're rebelling against the Lord.

Think about it.

Any spirit of rebellion is rebelling against the Lord. See

the other people saw giants, and we are like grosshoppers. Now,

Joshua say, they are like our braid, piece of cake. Easy, gotcha?

Pute It was not because of who they are, It's

because of their God.

Amen.

Can you see the difference in the perspective Now? I

want to challenge you to apply this right now. Think

of the most challenging situation in your life right now,

just think about it. I'll give you a moment to

think about it. What is the most impossible situation.

In your life? Right now? You got that?

What is your thoughts around it? Are you thinking about

how helpless you feel? Are you thinking about how impossible

that situation is? Or are you thinking about God? I

know you will help me fight this battle. Do you

know it's a switch that you have to do in

your mind? Not easy because we always fall on the

majority way, the way we've been brought up in fear,

in rebellion. That's our natural stuff, that's our sin self. Okay,

so today we want to say spirit, you win, right,

And a bell said, just now, the promise that she

holds onto is the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is gonna

help us win this battle. Because it's always the battle

of the mind. Friends, Can I tell you that it

is fought and it is either lost or won in

your minds. That's it, not even your current circumstance. Right,

You either already win it here or you lose it here.

That's it.

Once you lose it in your mind, you've lost. It's gone,

really and it becomes like a self fulfilling prophecy. Right,

everything then is like it would just go down here

from there. Okay, So they know this, and they says.

People do not rebel against the lot, But.

What is human behavior. Let's look at verse ten, after

they say do not fear them? All the congregations said

to stone them, mistones. How typical of us, right, people,

the small voice minority saying we can do this, we

can do this, we can plan more homes, we can

you know, expand this. We can multiply whatever it is

that God has asked us to do. Right, we can

take over the whole of jealant umpun. Can you imagine

churches all across ampunk all praising the Lord.

But is that in our mind?

Like, oh I cannot no, no, so not in a

musicians We had to import Joe Edwards from thirteen thirty

by the way, he's from another church.

Plan and keep serving right.

I mean, we always think of our limitations because it's

the natural resources that we don't have versus the problem.

We forget that we.

Have a all re source God that we need to

tap into.

Friends, come on, don't forget that.

Don't forget that perspective and all knowing God and all

powerful God. Do you forget who's on your side? I

pray today you remember God is on my side. God

is on my side.

Amen.

And so but then the people forget and they wanted

to throw him. And then, of course you know that

there is consequence to disobedience. Now, I want to say,

this line delayed obedience, and so.

They were supposed to just go ahead and take it

right full of excuse.

That stops them from obeying. I call that delayed obedience,

that's actual disobedience. And I like this quote that I

got from someone on the internet. He says, delayed obedience

isn't waiting on God, it's making God wait on us.

Read this right?

It was a really ouch thing for me in light

of what happened with my neighbor.

Say, God, you.

Know, gos, I'm saying, how long more you want me

to wait for you to take that step of obedience?

And I really had to repent before the Lord? But

can I give you some encouragement in the midst of this?

Okay?

I know you're probably feeling like, oh, there's tons of

things that the Lord has told me to do, and

I was supposed to do it like last year, and

right now I'm still sitting on it.

But can I tell you this, okay? Of course, you

know that every action or inaction, there are consequences. Do

you agree with that? There are? Right?

And the consequences are they you know, they lost the

land in that moment when they were supposed to go.

They lost your chance to be able to enter it.

And God says, I will vest Trava Chapter fourteen, vers.

Twelve. I will strike them with the pestilence and this

inherit them.

Are you you mean God you can disinherit your people?

Oh yeah, oh yes, this is in the world of God.

And then God told Moses, I will make you a

nation greted and mighted, and I thank God for leaders

like Moses. Do you know what Moses could have done?

He's like, okaylae bye, I'm gonna go into the land.

You guys just have your pity party here, right.

What did Moses do? What does a good leader do?

What is it he interceded on behalf thank you for

that exactly?

Do you know he says that straightway? Moses fell on

his face and say, God, don't do this to them.

If you kill them, all other people will speak ill

of your name. But you see it, even as he's

interceding for the people, he was.

More jealous to guard God's name.

Do you see that? That's why God chose Moses a

because he was a man and that new God face

to face, and he was so jealous about God's name.

I want that to be jealous of God's name like that,

to guard it's so jealous to say I won't stand

against this, but for your sake, I will do what

is needed, even loving this rebellious, stubborn people. Okay, And

he says this, no, and this is his prayer. In

verse seventeen, he says, and now I pray, are you

guys okay, right?

Just checking out? Don't for say on me? Okay?

And now I pray let the power of my lot

be great, just as you have spoken, saying, the Lord

is long suffering and abundant in mercy. Okay, let's read

this together. I feel this is such a great promise.

Let's read this together.

Three two one.

The Lord is long suffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving

iniquity and transgression, but he by no means clears the guilty,

visiting the iniquity of the on the children to the

third and fourth generation. I love how it starts while

describing God's mercy.

Do you see that?

Because that is foremost most important about God. But let's

not forget that he also punishes the guilty.

Right. You got to hold this view of God imbalance. Friends.

You know, sometimes we can say it, but how can

God be living when he punishes the bad people?

As a parent?

You know, right, you punish because you love them. You

don't punish because you're mean. You punish because you love

and you want them the God the right way. And

that's God. That's how God is, and I love this.

In verse nineteen, he says, pardon the iniquity of this people.

I pray according to the greatness of your mercy, just

as you've forgiven this people from Egypt until now? How

many times have they rebelled against God?

Too many times?

And then the Lord says, and this is what the

Lord encouraged me with as I was going through my

struggles of this obedience, God says, I have pardoned according

to your word. But as truly as I live, or

the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.

Amen. God wants to pardon us.

It doesn't matter what since you've committed what this obedience

has been there right now, as of today, God is saying,

I have pardoned, because once he pardons us and he

cleanses us, he wants us to move forward.

Amen.

He wants us to move forward, and I want to

move On to verse twenty four, it says, but my

servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him

and has followed me fully, I will bring into the

land where he went, and his descendants shall inherited.

Amen.

Do you want the spirit of Caleb a different spirit?

Do you know that all of them were Israelies. I

can just say the many Christians in the church, but

there's always two spirits. One can be the type A,

the majority in the church, and then there is the minority,

the Joshuas and the Caleb who says, my God can

do it. Nothing is impossible for the Lord.

Amen. So how do we move on from here? Okay,

let me.

Just give you five thoughts on how we want to

break through in this area of obedience in all our lives,

all of us. Yeah, do you want to be obedient

to the Lord? I pray that's your prayer.

I don't know.

I cannot pray for you. You only can pray on

your own.

Okay.

I don't know what is it that you want with

the Lord from the Lord, but I pray that you

will want to be obedient to him.

Amen. Number one, I.

Think we got to start shifting our focus from our feelings.

Do you know I spoke about the emotional uncomfortable feeling

that's why we stop doing what we're supposed to do,

the awkwardness that feeling, the shame all these things going

through our minds. Is we're always guided by your feelings,

and God says, yes, your feelings are there for you.

But do you live by your feelings or do you

live by faith? Come on, people of God, do you

live by your feelings or do you live by faith?

Feelings means today Sunday, it's so beautiful, What a perfect

day to sleep in that your feelings are And Faith says, no,

today I go and worship the King of Kings and

the Lord of lords. Do you know that you by

you being here, this is a step of faith and

you don't have to prove it to me all the leaders.

This is your walk with the Lord. It's a discipline.

It's a daily thing. Do you wake up to praise

the Lord? Worship him Monday to Saturday. No, I'm not

talking about Sunday alone.

No, do you really?

Because in the quiet place, in the secret place, I

cannot see, our Leader cannot.

See, but God can see. So only you can answer

to the Lord.

I you know, I'm just lovingly giving you awarding friends

that if you want to get our lives.

Right, it starts from today. Why wait until tomorrow? Right?

Second, Courentins five to seven says we walk by faith,

not by side. Humen, don't think about what you see again,

if your perspective is wrong, change.

It to God versus my enemy. Magnify God, make God

who he is. Don't put God in a small box. Amen.

Second one is this.

I think we got to start replacing our excuses with

an eternal perspective.

Amen. Ephicians say this.

Look carefully, then, how you walk not as unwise, but

as wise making the best use of the time. Because

the days are good? Are the days good? The days

are evil? Friends, wake up, the days are evil. So

whatever evil things that you see, don't be surprised.

Why are you surprised?

God already say the days are evil, full of strive

and sin and unrighteousness is happening everywhere.

So what is our role? He says?

Walk wisely, do not be foolish, but understand the will

of the Lord.

Amen. Number three, Account it for.

Account whatever it is that God has caught you to

and shared with others. Let us consider how we may

spur one another on to love and good deeds, encouraging

one another. Do you know I shared this message at

XBU last Sunday and Right after that, I was talking

to some of them and I said, Okay, I'm gonna

go back home to my hometown in Malacca, and I

need to share the gospel with my dead. I'm accounting

to you. It's just random one of the leaders. I'm like, okay,

I think God has told me to do this. And

so I went back home. Ah, I tell you, do

you know that sharing the gospel with your family is

the hardest thing, especially your dad.

Hardest thing. So arrive Sunday night. Then Monday.

You know, the whole day I was just like bring,

like how do I even start this conversation because you

know my limited conversation.

My dad is like hyper you much and ready or mac.

And ready everything. Okay, Okay, that's it. That's the limit

of our conversation. Please, fathers, do not make your children

go through this, okay.

Have you know? It was so awkward to go on further.

So then the whole morning I was just thinking, like

stepping around, like where's my dad. He's in the garden.

Where should I go approach him? You know, I tell

you and I say no, no, no matter what. Before

I leave next day, I need to just tell him

whatever it is, you know. And so then I noticed

him in the room, you know, just he likes to

watch all this YouTube thing. I don't know, a political

and order.

I'm like, okay. Then slowly I said, now are you

watching her? You know? And then then the kids came in.

I'm like, ala, all the young my nieces and nephew

came in and made the he out in the playroom

because he was in the playroom. I say, it's okay,

it's okay. So then we just started the conversation. And

then I think we had a really go one hour conversation,

you know, just understanding where he is.

And of course he had his philosophy.

But I said, God, you just wanted me to obey,

to share what the truth is, whether he accepts it

or not.

Lot, I have to leave that with you.

I cannot I cannot convert, I cannot convict someone else.

My role is to just share, right. And do you

know that right after I did that, right, this whole

weight lifted up. Because I told my dad that if

I died and I did not share this with you,

I would regret this for the rest of my life.

And I did, and I used my neighbor's case. I say, God,

God told me that I have no time to waste. No, really,

I don't know. I don't know when what limited time

we have with one another. We can always say next

year you, next week, tomorrow, But honestly, when the Lord

moves you, would you act on it. The fourth thing

is this just rely on the Holy Spirit, not your

willpower Philippians two days. For it is God who works

in you to will and to act according to His

good purpose.

Amen.

So what prompted me was not because I was great

or because I'm a whatever learner's call it, not at all.

It was God who's as sister nagging me like go

and cheer.

I'm like, okay, Lord, I don't know what word, don't

even know how to start conversation, you know.

And that's reality, right.

And finally it's this act immediately on God's prompting Hebrews

three fifteen.

I'm gonna end with this today. If you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts. Church. God speaks to us.

And he says, now, if God is if you hear

his voice, do you know the thing about it is right?

God is constantly speaking to us. The problem is whether

we are hearing it or not. He says, if you

hear his voice, meaning we need to position ourselves in

a way that we are able to hear God's voice.

What is that posture, then, what is that posture of saying, God,

you will speak. I know you are speaking. But many

of us we let everything else overwhelm us our senses, right,

We let business, we let our kids, our jobs, we

let our finances overwhelm us until we cannot hear that

still small voice to act. But God is constantly speaking

to his children, and he.

Says, if you hear his voice. So I'm gonna ask you,

are you able to hear God's voice? Don't harden your hearts. Amen.

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

information on our church, please visit exchurch do org. We

are also active on Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that

this week is going to be a good week.

I hit for you.

God bless