Work Hard, Pray Much, Life Won't Be A Rush | Celina Tan

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

In line with the team of ex Church this year.

Disciple, First, I'm going to align this, this this sermon

to being a disciple.

Okay.

So all of us believe in Jesus and we are

called His disciple. So how are we going to live

our life as a disciple? You know, our work with God,

our conduct, everything should reflect God.

Okay.

So as I prepare this message, it is not so

much of just me preparing to deliver it to you,

but this message is actually hits straight right to my heart.

Like I mentioned right, I have a very very crazy man, okay,

So a lot of things I'm like trying to find excuses.

But as I prepare, this message is just to me,

you know, and and it tells me what is the

heartbeat of God? And it's a reminder to myself as well,

what am I worthy to be called the disciple of Christ?

Okay? So the first point here today it is called

work hard.

Okay, work hard religion in our purpose. So I do

not know how many of you has grown up in

a household where your parents constantly tells you that you know,

you need to work hard.

Okay.

Asian parents are like that. Okay, you go to study,

Remember you need to work hard. You go to work,

Remember you need to work hard. You know, everything that

you put your hands into, your parents will constantly remind

you work hard, work hard, work hard. You know, when

I was young, I never understood you know, study, study, la,

Why must work hard for it?

You know what it's?

Why must I work hard for it? But you know,

in an Asian culture, we know that our parents always

tell us us when you work hard, you will reap

you know, the good the good fruit of your hard work. Right,

when we work hard, we will be able to bear

good reasons. And that is the reason why our parents

constantly tell us work hard, work hard during your studies,

that you bear good results. Work hard in your work

so that you get promoted, get a fee increased, blood

your salary increase.

Okay.

Yeah, I'm in education industry, so we talk FeAs about

FeAs a lot. Yeah, so okay, so you will get

salary increase and all those whatnot.

Okay, But when we.

Talk about work hard, what is work? What do you

understand about work? When we talk about the word work,

So Basically, work involve a mental or physical effort done

to achieve a purpose.

Okay, that is work.

So it could be earning a living, it could be

your studies, it could be your work to provide for

your family, or even serving in ministry.

Okay.

So when we value a purpose or a goal, we

will invest time, energy and are focused in it.

Okay.

So remember a work is an effort done to achieve

a purpose. So the next question to us is this,

how do we will our work? How do you will

your work? If you're studying, how do you will your study?

If you're in the workforce, how do you will your work?

And the next question is who are we ultimately working for?

When we talk about work hard, right, who are we

working hard for? When we talk about do a good

job at work? Who are we doing the good job for?

Right?

So something to trickle your your thinking. How do you

will your work? And then who are you working for?

So that is a thing that we need to think about.

So in a general rule of time, there are too

view on how people perceive work to be all right,

some people will work as everything. So you put a

lot of priority in it, You spend a lot of

time in it until to the point that you can

give up every single thing just to achieve what you

wish to achieve in your workplace or in your study,

and that includes sidelining God.

Okay.

So we know that there are people who work so

hard they didn't neglect their friends, They neglect their families,

They neglect a lot of things. They even neglect God

because to them that work is everything. But there are

also another group of people will view that, you know,

work as a burden, okay, something that has to be endured.

Some will even think that we need to work because

that's a consequence of our sin.

That's how we have to work. Okay.

But when we look into the Bible, we realize that

what did not happen after the fall, it happens.

From the beginning. Okay.

So as you read in Genesis chapter two, verse fifteen,

it says that then the Lord God took the man

and put him in the garden of Eden to ten

and keep it right. So it is something that is

not happened after the fall is when God made the

man already, God immediately put him in the garden and

ask him to take care of the animal that is work.

Okay.

That is not like play. Okay, even you play right,

you still have to take care right. That is work right.

So in itself that work happened okay when God created

God worked right, what happened okay? But the work for

us as a mankind, it happened when God created the man.

So regardless what our will is, we need to know

that God designed all of us to work from the beginning.

And why do we need to work? We work because

God works. We are made in his image and then

we need to reflect his image. We need to reflect

his creativity, We need to reflect his order, We need

to reflect his excellence. Right, So we say that we

are made in his image, we have to reflect him.

So remember our work is not a punishment. Our work

is a gift, right, the ability that God has given

to us to do what we are doing now. Regardless

of whether you are an artist, you are a designer,

you are an IT programmer, or maybe you are a janitor,

that is a gift. You think everybody can be a janitor? No,

you think everybody can be a cook. No, you think

everybody can be a domestic worker. No, all these are gifts.

And never look down on any career that you are

in because every career, every work has a purpose to

serve and that is a gift that God has given

to us. Okay, to work. Okay, so that is a gift.

But work became a problem when we replace it. No,

we replace God. We use work to replace God in

our life. That is when work became a problem from

a gift that God has given to us. It became

a problem we start to work work and we replace it,

we replace God's position in our life. And then we

begin to chase after success and neglect the time with

the Lord.

That is when it became a problem. Okay.

So I know that sometimes this kind of work is

very hard to digest, especially for those of us who

work is constantly on the goal, too many dadlines to chase.

And then maybe some of you will say that, you know, Selena,

is very easy for you to say, you know, you

have no idea the kind of work that I'm in.

You know, you have no idea the kind of dadlines

I have to meet.

I know, Okay, I can tell you. I know.

Okay, sometimes it's really crazy, to the point that you

really cannot manage anymore.

Okay, but this is the word of God.

What did the Word of God says in Exodus chapter

twenty one, street, you shall have no other gods before me.

Don't turn your work into God. Regardless of how busy

you are, I'm pretty sure that you are able.

To make time for God.

Right, no matter how busy you are, you are able

to make time for God. And this is one of

the things that I always joke with people. I say that,

no matter how busy you are, you still need to shower. Right,

don't tell me during shower time you're still working with

your laptop. Then I need to ask you what laptop

brand you buy that is waterproof that you can continue

working when you shower. So if you have time to shower,

why not while you shower you pray. You still can

spend time put on the audio Bible, listen to it,

and you know you spend time right so that there

is an avenue. So there is truly no excuse why

we should neglect God when our works gets crazy, okay,

and even good things like that, right, like work, it

can become our idols and can take the place in

our heart. So we work hard, we work well, but

our work should not take over the time we need

to spend with God. So I can share with you

one one of the testimony. Not a very big testimony,

but it's a testimony that I uphold to a principle

that uphold to until today. When I say that I

truly understand when you say that you have a lot

of deadlines to chase, I do.

I do too.

And there are times, okay, I'm just like any of

the human beings that okay, I got too many deadlines

to chase. Maybe yea, I skip one prayer soerace. Nobody

will blame me. I skip one homes, Nobody will blame me,

because why you understand, God, I have deadlines to chase

and all those whatnot. But I told myself that while

I want to give such excuse, I should not. When

I feel tempted to give such excuse, I pray and

I told God that Lord, I know that everybody say

that they wish that one day is thirty six hours,

But Lord, I don't wish to have thirty six hours.

But I wish that you multiply my time reading the

twenty four hours. So I say that I do not

know how you're going to multiply it, but you do

it for me. And sometimes when when I face certain

dead lock in my appointments and my deadlines, and I

do not know how to juggle. I went to the Lord.

I say that Lord helped me. I say, I'm running

out of time. I do not know how to solve this.

But help me.

And how did the Lord help me? Low and behole.

He will give me ideas how to speed up my work.

Things that I do not know how to solve out

of nowhere. I can find solution out of nowhere. Somebody

will say that its Selena. Come, I help you to

finish this part so that you can finish other part faster.

And that is how God multiplied my time. When I

look at it, right, I will look at it and

I say that, Lord, I don't think I can finish.

And plus the fact that I love to sleep, I

will never give up my sleep to the work. Yeah,

so I say that, no, Lord, please help me help

me with time management. And he did it so many times.

And a lot of people have been asking me, Selena,

why is it that you've got so many things to

do and yet you still can come out and meet us.

I say that, yeah, I'm very busy actually, but never mind,

I still can make time on one one hour is nothing,

two hours is nothing.

One can one. I can make time one.

And that is how God multiplied my time again and

again and again. So when we don't put work as

our god, and we put God above our work, we

can see his power at work. We can see his

sovereignty at work. But that doesn't mean that I don't

work hard. So during the hours that I'm required to work,

I give my best. I work hard during the working hours,

and the rest I say that, oh Lord, I've done

what I needed to do. The rest is on you. Right,

So that is work. We don't put him above. We

don't put the work above God.

Okay.

And that work is also worshiped, Okay. It doesn't mean

that you're gonna worship the work. You don't go home

and say that, yeah, I work very hard because Lina said, well,

it's worship hard. Okay, So it's okay. I don't need

to go to church to worship. I just stay at

my work place and worship. No, that is not what

I meant, Okay. It means that your work is just

Your work is beyond just working for the food that

you need to buy, is beyond the clothing that you

need to spend money on is beyond working for the

shelter that you.

Need to provide for your family.

But it is an act of worship, not onto men,

but onto the Lord.

Okay.

So in Collisions chapter three, Words than the Tree, it

says that whatever you do, work at it with all

your heart as working for the Lord, not for human master.

So that is worship.

Okay.

So remember that when we work, as much as we

are helping our bosses, we are helping our company. We

are working not for the earthly recognition, not for the

earthly applause, but for the audience of one. So when

I say that, not for earthly applause, what does it

mean when your boss needed you to do something that

is against the principle of God?

So do you trust? Do you choose to trust in

the Lord?

Or do you choose to obey you know your bosses,

because why you need his recognition? Okay, So that is

something that we need to think about as well. Okay,

when we work, we work diligionally for the Lord. We

work it diligiently for the audience of one. And our effort,

our work, our attitude, our integrity, it should reflect God's

character regardless what we do, no matter how hard we work,

it should reflect God's character. So how do we worship

God through our work? It is by doing our work? Well, okay,

it's by giving our all during working hours. So it

doesn't it doesn't reflect God when during work hours you're

busy playing game and then you cannot finish your word

and a boss, I think I need to oe today

because why I cannot finish my work? So does that

shows your integrity? Does that reflect the character of God?

No?

But when we give our best in everything that we

do during work hours, that is what we are called

to do.

Okay.

And this includes even when your work is very difficult

or when your boss is not a good boss. Okay,

So a lot of times they say that why was

so hard? Why do I need to give my best

at work? My boss is you know, I don't like

my boss? Okay, because my boss this, this, this, this, this, this, Okay,

So I just choose to do half past six on

me because why why why should I also half for

my boss credit? But remember what the scripture says, we

work unto the Lord. And again all of you will

say that Selena, easy for you to say you have

no idea what my boss is. Well, I've been there,

done that, okay, And I am also tempted why should

I work so hard when my boss don't even value

the hard work that I do. But the Lord reminded

me that, Selena, who are you working for that? I'm like, okay,

I'm working for you Lord. So it's tough, you know,

especially when when you do not have good bosses, things

will be tough, you know, things.

Will really you know, challenge you.

You know, I have bosses who wanted me to do

things that is beyond my principle. And I straight away

to my boss that you know, I can't even if

you need to fire me, so be because it's against

my principle. But does that mean that I don't do

my other work? Well, I still have to. And from that,

uh principle that I uphold. My boss real that, yeah,

anything that is against her principle she will not do.

But everything that is accorded in accordance to the law

the rule, she does it well. And this is the

things that we need to stand firm. So when I

say against my principle, it's not something that I don't

like themma is things like bribery things like you know

that is against the law, like to put it simple. Okay,

So that is something that we have to remind ourselves.

We worship the Lord, okay, we work hard even when

our boss is unjust. We still need to do our

work well, okay. And always remember that you will not

labor in vain when you do well, because the scripture says,

and the scripture reminded us in First Corentane, chapter fifteen,

verse fifty eight, it says that always give yourself fully

to the work of the Lord, because you know that

your labor in the Lord is not in wain.

Okay.

The scripture here says that the work of the Lord,

even when you're at your workplace, you are working for

the Lord. That is the work of the Lord, and

your work is given by God, and he was the

one that led you to where you are at. Don't

think that you are now working in the company is

because of your degree, your master, your experience. No, when

the Lord decides not to open the door, he will

not open the door. But the fact that you are

in the company is because that is where the Lord

leads you to. And there is a purpose and there

is a plan why the Lord is leading you there,

and maybe the campus students will say that I am

Selena is talking about nothing to do with me. Who

says so the fact that you are in the university,

you are in the college. There is a reason. Yes,

you pay for your education. But out of so many

university why God place you there? Why God put that

university name in your heart for you to enroll into.

It's not so that you go there, finish study and

so be it and leave no testament in your college

in your workplace, right, So always remember your study. Your

work is a worship unto the Lord, and you need

to ask God, Lord, what is it that you want

me to achieve through this work that you asked me

to do?

Okay?

So while you are in your company, whether you are

having good bosses, bad bosses, good time, bad time, whatever

it is, continue to give your all because ultimately you

will read what you saw, okay, and your good work

will eventually be a testimony that draws people to God.

So don't think that when things get difficult, you know

and you feel like, yeah, I think I'm I'm in

a situation like a fiery ifness. Remember the story of

the fire Yfferinness. The Lord was with the tree friends,

and they came out victoriously. They came out with a testimony.

Do you want to come out from your situation with

a testimony or you? Or you to come out with

our of your situation where people will say that AHI

a bit of suffering? Its okay not and your no right.

We want to come out from a testimony. And this

is something I remind myself and I remind the people

that's around me when they are unhappy at the workplace.

Don't live when you are still unhappy. Live with a testimony,

because that is what will draw people to Christ. You know,

all of us here on earth, we are not made

to live for ourself. We are made to live for

His glory. So remember that every decision that we make,

every step that we take, it should reflect God in

our walk. So let's be a disciple who work hard

not just for men's approval, but will draw our friends,

our colleagues, our family, you know, to know Christ to God.

Amen.

All right, So that is on working hard, okay. So

I just want to encourage all of you that you

know in your work, in your study. Let's give your

best the hours that is set for you to work,

give your best. I don't know the fact that there

are times you need to have ot and whatnot, but

don't do it so frequent that it became a habit

that you would say that, yeah, it's okay, I can

miss homes, I can miss Okay, what else we have? Okay,

we need to have homes and prayer service at night. Okay,

that I can miss all this because why I need

to work. Or maybe you say that, yeah, maybe I

can mis church too because I have to work. I'm

pretty siously now, will understand that I have to work

on Sunday. Well, I understand, but what is your conviction.

I'm not here to convict you, but I will let

the world of God convict you as well. All right, Okay,

so that that is work, so work hard. What's next?

We need to pray. We have to pray much. We

need to be spiritually anchored.

Okay.

I think prayer is one of the points. I realized

right when I prepare the sermon. I realized that, oh

my sermon, I always emphasize on prayer. Okay, and prayer

is something that we should not neglect church. Really, prayer

is something that we should not neglect. Imagine, Okay, we

always teach the children, right, what is prayer?

Prayer is talking to God.

Imagine I tell Eddie, Eddie, I'm your best friend, but

I never talked to human. I never message him. I

never talked to him. When he said hello to me,

I walk away. When he wanted to talk to me,

I pretare I cannot hear. And I say that Eddie,

you are my best friend.

Does that make sense?

No?

Right?

Or maybe you know that you want to Okay. I

don't know who Team is and I want to become

his friend. So I told Mio Minjo, I want to

make friends with Tim and she said sure, sure, sure,

Come I introduce you to Tim. So I go to

Teiam that I just at him, and then I go

to his linkin profile and only his profile that are close.

Then I go to him again.

Then I just look at him. Have I built the friendship?

No?

Right, I only build linkin ship. Yeah.

I only know him true LinkedIn that's it, and I

don't know him. So it's the same thing. We read

the word of God, but we don't pray. It's as

good as we only have hate knowledge, but we don't

have relationship. So that's why it's very important for us

to spend time not only read the Word of God,

but to pray. That's why we always teach the young children,

read your Bible, pray every day. Hey, we didn't say

read your Bible every day, right, Read your Bible, pray

every day so.

You will grow grow, grow in the Lord. Right.

So that's why, if at all you forget everything that

I shared today, remember the things that we always teach

in Sunday School.

Okay, read your Bible, pray every day. Okay.

And prayer is the foundation of a disciples life.

Okay.

It is an act that Jesus plays a lot of

emphasis on.

Okay.

And prayer is not a scheduled meeting. It's not a

scheduled appointment.

Okay.

Is the foundation of our life. We need to spend

time with God to know his heartbeat. We need to

spend time with God to know who he really is.

We need to spend time with God to build relationship.

We need to spend time with God so that you

know our work with God will bear fruit. Spend time prayer.

Prayer is important, okay. And prayer will draw us closer

to God. It help us to cultivate the intimacy. The

friendship it helps us to cultivate the dependence. It helped

us to cultivate the spiritual discernment. So a lot of

times we say that I wish I have the wisdom

to make this decision. I hope I wish that I

have this. I'm smart enough to make this decision. But

do you know where the wisdom and the smartness smartness

come from. It comes from us spending time with God.

That's why I say that a lot of times I

do not know how to solve certain thing. Right, I

will just say that, Lord, I leave it up to you,

and I go in s liberty, and then low and

behold the Lord speaks, and it would prompt the idea

in my mind. And then when I go and try it, oh,

it works right. So it happens when we pray. God

made a way for us. God helped us to think

beyond our own ability. So prayer, like I mentioned, it's

something that Jesus plays a lot of emphasis on in

the scripture. We also know that, you know Jesus always pray.

He often withdrew himself to a secluded place to pray. Right,

if you read the New Testament, you will realize that Jesus.

Pray the Lord.

So if prayer is not important, why do Jesus pray

for fun because you got nothing better to do. No,

it is important because that is where he communed with

his with his father to hear what the father has

to say to tell him so that he can tell

us as well. Okay, and Paul also reminded us. He

also urged us to continue to pray, pray without.

Seizing in First Thessalonian five seventeen.

Because this is the will of God in Christ Jesus

for us. That's why there is a lot of emphasis

on prayer. And it is so important that even Jesus

teaches us.

How to pray.

If you say that, Selena, I don't know how to

pray from today onwards, go home. Just read Matthew chapter six,

verse nine to thirteen. Children in ex kids, they know, right,

they will they will tell you. I know how to

say the Lord's prayer.

Okay.

Saying the Lord's prayer is not just reciting a scripture,

but it's a prayer model that we need to model up.

It's a prayer that is very holistic, not just Lord

here me me, Lord me, fit me, fit me. No, Okay,

I sound like the cartoon, but fit me, fit me, okay.

No, but the Lord's.

Prayer taught us the holistic way of praying. We adore

the heavenly Father, we ask for forgiveness, we ask you know,

for for sanctification and purification, and then only our own

personal need.

That is the Lot's prayer.

So if you do not know how to pray, before

you start any of your personal prayer, recite the Lot's prayer.

Always remember that, because why we don't want to start

the prayer. We just talking about me, me, me and me.

We want to adore our Father, We want to give

praisers to him, we want to worship him, and.

That is prayer. Okay.

So that is how much God, I mean, Jesus prioritize prayer.

And we need to prioritize two so apart from personal

prayer time, this is something that I want to emphasize

on corporate prayer. Corporate prayer is also important and we

also have to prioritize it.

Okay.

So when I talk about corporate prayer is where all

of us gather together to pray. Okay, pre worship prayer

is corporate prayer. Prayer service is prayer okay. And it's

important because why in the scriptures in Matthew chapter eighteen,

verse nineteen to twenty, it says again, I say to

you that if two of you agree on earth concerning

anything that they ask, it will be done for them

by my Father in Heaven. For where two or three

are gathered together in my name, I am there in

the midst of them. That is power in corporate prayer.

So don't don't look down on like a never mind

on the leaders can pray my never mind l Okay.

The scripture said too.

Right, Selena and Eddie enoughlow, or Selena and John enough flow,

or Selena and Tim enough flow? Do all three okay, Selena,

Tim and Bnjoe one to three? Okay, No, all of us,

all of us should come together and pray.

Right.

So a lot of times, okay, when we are busy again,

that prayer is always first out of the window.

Okay.

And then we will say that like like you know,

in the leadership group, we say that I I think

I skip prayer service tonight and I'll go home and pray.

Right.

I think it's a statement that a lot of us

have said before. If I cannot make it for prayer service, tonight, now, Mina,

I go home and prayer. Okay, Honestly, when you say

you will go home and pray, how many of you

really go home and pray? Well, every time I say

I go home and pray, most all the time I

go home and I've forgotten everything about it.

That's very human nature.

Right.

Or maybe you ask yourself that every time you miss

church you'll say that, yeah, later I would listen to

the podcast list, have you, Or every time you miss

Holmes you say that later I will look at the

homesnots that my home leader said.

Will you Okay, you don't need to answer me.

You answer yourself because when I write this, right, I

was laughing to myself, I will not because why I

would forget everything about it? Because that is very human nature.

Or sometimes maybe you really will. But when you go

into your prayer chamber to pray, it's like thank you

Jesus for today, thank you for blessing me and Jesus Amen.

You've forgotten about the prayer points that you have received.

You've forgotten the prayer needs that was being sent out

the prayer link.

You forgotten to pray and intercede for artists again.

I want to remind ourselves our life here on earth

is not only for ourself. We work as a team,

we work as a family with young children. We say

that it takes a village to raise a child. To

build God's kingdom, it takes all of us to build

ex umbound. It's not only Selina's responsibility. It's not Eddie's

responsibility only, it's not John's responsibility only. But it's our

responsibility because why God put us here? Remember the story

of nihim Aya when he built the temple. Is it

only Nihima's job? No, it's everybody. Everybody put their hand

into to build rebuild the temple, and it's the same

thing all of us have to put our hands into

it to build. So how can we build God's a house,

a great house, unless we come together as one church

to pray and intercede.

You know. In x chapter two it tells us that when.

The believers believers, they gathered together to pray and to

break bread, what happened next? They are fool? Did the

scripture say that they are fool? Or did they say that, oh,

they come together, pray, break bread, and then they go home. No,

the scripture continue on and says that the Lord added

to their number daily, and that is importance of coming

together to pray, to praise, to break bread. So if

let's say we want to see growth in our life,

we want to see growth in our church. We want

to see our friends come to church and be safe.

We want to see our family receive their salvation. All

of us here play apart right. The scripture says, everybody

does a share. Every part of the body has a

part to play, and that is how we build the

whole kingdom. So if we desire to see life change,

we desire to see souls being safe and the church grow,

let us return to the altar of prayer, whether personally

or corporately. So let us become a praying church. Because

praying people birth spiritual movement. You know, I desire to

see a spiritual movement happen here. The desire is not

that so that passa cannot say that, oh well done, Lena.

No, the desire is to.

See more souls being safe. You know we are living

at the end times. Ready, you read the news, You

look at your everyday situation around you, A lot disaster happen.

Do you wish to see your friends, your family go

into christless eternity.

We just celebrated.

It's the right resurretion Sunday, right, we say that Jesus

has conquered the grave. He conquered for who. Is it

only for you or is it only for me? No,

it's for our friends and family as well, and we

need to go out. We need to go out and invite,

We need to pray and intercede for them. So if

we don't do our part, God will never be able

to do his part.

Right.

He will still do his work, but maybe we will

just miss the mark. Maybe we will just not be

his partner in the Kingdom of God. So do we

want to miss the mark?

Well? I don't. That's why you know. This is something

that is very big on my heart that while I.

Am here doing the earthly work, Okay, I'm not a

full time church worker. I do have my work as well,

but that should not stop me from doing the work

that the Lord has caught me to and that should

not stop me from spending time praying and interceding. Right,

and when we work hard, we pray much, then you

will realize that your life will not be a rush.

Because a lot of times when we when we have

too many things to juggle. We are constantly rushing here

and there, and that listens to the third point, walk

in God's reedom. A lot of times we walk in

our own reedom. And when we walk in our own reedom,

that is where stress kicks in. That is where anxiety

kicks in. And that's where depression kicks in, because why

we put too much personal effort into it. We think

way too much. We rush, you know a lot of

things that we do. We always think that you know

what's next, what next, what's next?

Okay? Who can help me? Who can help me?

And we keep on thinking, keep on thinking, keep on thinking,

and we don't have time to wind down. We don't

have time to receive from God. And that is where

anxiety kicks in. You know a lot of times when

when I walk away from from God's redom, or I

walk away from the path that God tell me to walk,

I can sense that, you know, the anxiety builds up

and I will feel that I'm.

Not really coffee today? But why is my hypericy thing

so fast?

And that is when I know that, Selena, you have

walked off the tangent, and I will put aside and

then I'll come back to God and I will say that, no,

it doesn't need to be a lengthy prayer. I would

just say that Lord help me. You know, this reminds

me of men Joe's testimony. It's as simple as Lord help,

and the Lord will show up and show off. So

when I was preparing this, and this is also something

that I I I always share with my friend get

people who knows me well, right, they know that my

life is always on a fast lane one. Okay, I'm

constantly rushing to complete this complete that.

You know.

I make sure everybody that send messages I will reply

on time, and make sure that everybody send email to me,

I'll reply on time.

You know.

I'm constantly on a fast lead.

That's why I always love at people that will tell

me that you I got three thousand old emails and

reply that I will show them my inbox see you.

Not not because nobody sent me emails. Because I want

to be fast to complete my work. Okay, that is me,

not that is me.

Okay.

So I'm constantly living on a fast lane, including driving

a Okay, so if you're come into my car, you

better make sure that you pray very hard and that

you buy insurance.

Okay. Uh, it is sometimes so fast that I find

it very, very very hard to breathe.

Now I'm like Clena, just wait loud the email reply,

treat this little wonder, but cannot I can.

It's my OCID, my OCD.

I cannot stand to see there's notification that I need

to make sure that it's zero all the time, including

my phone, no the notification or even so I make

sure I read through every single thing, even though sometimes

I REPLI slowly, uh, slightly later, but I also replied within.

The suitable timeframe. Okay.

So people who knows me, they will know me as

that you know, Selena is very efficient, okay, but for me,

it's like I'm constantly rushing. So when I was reading

this scripture taken from Luke chapter ten, verse thirty eight

to forty two, Okay, so I will read to us

from NLT because I like this NLT version here. Okay

Luke chapter ten, verse thirty eight. Okay, And he says,

and Jesus and the disciples continue on their way to Jerusalem.

They came to a certain village where a woman named

Martha welcome him into her home. Her sister Mary said

at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But

Marta was distracted by the big dinner like me, I'm

distracted by auto notification okay, all right?

Uh?

And she was that what she was preparing, and she

came to Jesus and said, Lord, doesn't it seem unfair

to you that my sister just sit here while I

do all the work?

Tell her to come and help me. So there are

times I'm like that too.

I'm like, why is it I'm the only one that

is doing everything and everybody just sit down and do nothing.

Okay, right?

But the Lord said to her, my dear, my dear, Martha,

you are worried and upset over all those details. There

is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has

discovered and it will not be taken.

Away from her. Okay. So what did Mary did?

She sat at the Lord's fit, listening to what he taught.

So I often.

Relate to Martha when I reflect my own life, instantly

on the goal, constantly doing doing, doing, doing, doing, doing doing,

until to the point where the people that's around me

always ask me, Selena, you got time for yourself or not?

They're like, go go goggle, I got time for myself.

Tell me any drama that is from China, I can

tell you the whole story, like kidding, kidding, okay. That

is how I unwind when I stress. Okay, all right,

So yeah, so I am constantly serving, doing, doing, but

forgetting the importance of sitting at jesus feed.

So that is something that we have to remember.

Don't constantly do do do do do do do that

you forget to sit at Jesus' feed. That's why why

just now I can emphasize that when you work hard,

work hard, we dean you're working hours, because anything that

is after working hours is the time that you need

to relocate to sit at Jesus' feed, listening to him,

drawing in what he has to do help us. And

that leads to just now the second point, which is

to pray. When we sit at Jesus' feet, that is

our personal walk with him, our personal time with him.

Okay.

So that is what a disciple needs to do, not

just doing, but being with Jesus.

Okay.

So sitting at the feet of Jesus, okay, will help

you to walk in line with the way that he

wants us to walk. And it will and we will

be able to walk in the reedom that He wants

us to walk. Okay, So this is something that I

constantly remind myself. It's also something that I want to

remind all of us, is that sometimes when work can

be overwhelming, your study can be overwhelming. Just do your

best and then be still, Okay, be still and.

Know that He is God.

And this is scriptural from Suns forty six ers tent

be still and know that He is God. So being

still is my weakness, but that scripture is also something

that God has to constantly remind me.

Be still and know that I am God.

Right, do your best, okay, and then leave God to

the rest, and then you be still. Don't need to rush,

don't need to rush for an answer, okay. Just continue

your daily work, continue to do your best. But some

say that, okay, maybe stillness is a laziness. No, stillness

is not a laziness. But stillness is an act of

trusting God enough to slow down, okay, trusting his timing

and finding peace in him.

So we don't need to rush in every part of

our life.

We just need to pray, We need to trust, We

need to wait on him, and sometimes his answer may

not come immediately, but it will come eventually. Right, So

delay is not denial. Doesn't mean that God doesn't answer

your prayer now. He will not answer it tomorrow. Our

timing is not his timing. So we just need to

wait on him. We just need to be still and

wait on him. And sometimes situation can be so difficult

that you know, you even lose your strength to continue

to fight anymore.

But he's saying what those who wait on the Lord

shall renew their strength.

That's why I say that it's important to see at

Jesus feed to draw in the strength that is from him.

And when you sit at Jesus feed, you will know

his heartbeat. You will start to seek what pleases him.

You will start to seek the Kingdom of God, because

the word says sick first, the Kingdom of God, and

all these things shall be added to you. So when

we protest God, he will take care of the rest.

We don't need to live our life on the first lane.

So my question to all of us is what's the rush?

The question to myself is what's the rush? Just like

I say, right, I replied my email two this later. Also,

it doesn't cost anyone's life. It doesn't cost the company millions. Okay,

all right, so what's the rush? So let's walk in

step with the Spirit and allow him to guide us

in every step that he wants us to take. So

let's continue to walk whatalk in line with His way,

what in line with His will? So work hard by

giving our best to God. And when we submit the

work of our hands to God in prayer, we can

take a breeder and then let God do the rest.

So while we retreat and rest in His presence. So

as I close, let's reflect back what I've said. Just now,

work hard, pray much. Life won't be a rush. When

you go back to your workplace tomorrow, start to ask yourself, Okay, Lord,

I'm starting my day today at work. I want to

work for your glory, not man's approval, because when you

meet what the Lord wants, the men's approval will come.

That's why we always say that promotion comes from the Lord.

In creement, comes from the Lord. It's not from us,

It's not from men. Right, So when we work, work

it for God's glory. Pray, So prayer should be the

first thing we put as priority, especially when your schedule

is crazy.

So if you say that.

I don't think I can find a specific time to pray.

The moment you open your eyes, start to pray, because

you still need to wake up and walk to the

toilet and r st.

Right.

You can't be wake up holding your laptop and let

that go shower right, impossible, wake up, open your eyes.

First thing. First, Pray when you're in your shower room.

Pray while you are driving. I don't think you're working

while you're driving, right, If you are, better not it's

against the law.

I okay. When you're driving, pray or when you are.

You know, when you know that you cannot work the

hours that you cannot work, pray before you go to sleep.

Pray that is important. And when you submit your whole

life to the Lord, true prayer.

Trust me, the Lord will multiply your twenty four hours

within the twenty four hours, and then you.

Will realize that before this I can't do so much.

How come suddenly I can?

Before this, I keep on have to clock in ota,

But now I don't need to because Lot made away

for me. You know, recently I went through and audited.

I do not know what to expect, and I was

telling my my team mates. I told them that you know,

let's let's do our best.

Okay.

My teammates, they are a group of Malays, And so happened.

It was the Poasa month.

So I was strugglingly telling them that, hey, is Pasaman right,

we're having audited you possa and da, I will ballet.

I also will passa and I also I will be

telling them because they already have to first Okay, I say,

go home and prayer. I say, I also, go home

and pray. Then they say, settled, we fast and pray together.

Then I say, we fast and pray together and see

how the Lord will move right. And I told them

that I still worry because a lot of documentations I

do not know whether I do it correctly or not.

But I went home and I told God that Lord,

I have done everything accordance to the knowledge that I

know what the auditor will ask for. But Lord, I'm

going to trust in you. Thinks that the auditor don't

need to see your blind eyes, and everything that I

prepared will be the very thing that the auditors will

look for.

Lord.

And behold, that is what the Lord did for me.

And really, I was expecting the auditor to pick and

pull up things to start to question us. Okay, in

case you're mondering account auditors, not the accounting auditor. This

is the education the minished Malaysian Qualification Agency auditor.

And we can never expect what they will pull.

Out because different auditors will pull out different things, and

it's always very nurse wracking going through discount audit. But

I told you that, Lord, this is beyond my control.

I'm gonna trust in you. I pray, Okay, I do

not know my mecailitiy ill prayer or not, but I pray.

I told God that I need. And when the whole

audio over and the auditors say that, yeah, everything that

you're prepared is very good, very well done. I don't

think there will be an issue. Your should pass through

this approval and all those whatnot. And I just went

back to my cuber girl and I just told my dad,

thank you Jesus, and all of them laugh. They say yeah,

because all of us pray very hard.

Right now.

I say yeah, when you boss, you got pray right?

They say yeah, yeah, yeah, got pray now. I say yeah, yeah.

So we we have there's two two groups of us

are so my Malay colleagues and me and another colleagues

were Christian, so we say that you pray to your God.

I pray to my God and then let's see how

how the Lord works.

And to me, it's like, my God can My God

is able?

You know my God.

I don't care what has happened. Okay, we'll pray what

But when I hear the news, I just say that.

Thank you Jesus.

You know my bosses they are not believers, but I

just I don't care. I just say thank you Jesus,

you know, allowing this to go through smoothly, no question asked.

Everything was just perfect. And my boss they were laughing that, yeah,

thank you for praying. I say, it's important to pray.

So it's the same thing, the same challenge. I'm going

to tell all of you it's important to pray and

prayer move mountain. And because of my prayer prior to

me coming to this company, I always hear from the

previous colleague every time that's audited, all of them walk

until ten eleven pm. But because I have Jesus right,

I trusted him right during this audit, I told them

six o'clock go home. You know they say that you

should all the documentations done, I say it's okay, on

go home.

Six o'clock a day time to go home. Go home.

Don't need to stay back. You know, we didn't have

to rush through every single thing. We trust in the Lord.

I trust in him.

I walk in his freedom. So that is something that

I encourage all of us that you know, don't need

to worry, walk in his freedom, walk in his stillness,

and know that he will help us to overcome every

challenge that we have. So, as a disciple of Christ,

our work, our prayer, life, our.

Pace should reflects Jesus.

So let's be diligent in our work life attitude because

that will drop men to God. So let's be spiritually

anchored as well by not neglecting the time to pray.

And finally, rather than sister, slow down in your path,

why is it important to slow down?

Not so much, not.

Just to draw in from what the Lord got to

tell us. When we slow down in our pace, the

Lord will lift our eyes to look at our surroundings.

And that is when the Lord will lead you to

the people that he wants.

You to reach out to. So let's slow down and

let's listen.

Okay, and let's stop you know, doing things that displease God.

So as we as I close this whole sermon, you know,

as I was preparing this, I just felt convicted that

you know, we worked so hard for our earthly losses.

You know, we we do so much for our earthly work.

How about the House of God?

And today, you know, as a church pland coordinator here,

I just want to issue a challenge to all of

us here, okay. And this is a work that I

pray that all of you will partner together, you know,

with the leadership team of ex Ambam and X Church, okay,

to see our church plan grow again. Like I say,

this church plan does not belong to Selina and the

leadership team. It belongs to every one of us, okay.

And this challenge is called adopt an empty chair. Look

around you today, very empty, right, very empty? And all

these empty chairs represent one souls that are very.

Very precious to Jesus.

The question that I'm going to challenge all of us

here today is have we really been opening our eyes.

To see the people that's around us?

Have we really going out to invite people to come

to church? Have we really been praying and interceding for

God's House We are not here just to be pure

warmer or chair warmer or banquet chairwarmer. Okay, our chair

doesn't need to be warm. The weather is hot enough ready.

But all this chair represents life that are prescious to God.

I'm pretty sure that around us, whether your colleague, your family,

your friends, I'm pretty sure you have one that you

know you need to invite to church. So today I'm

just going to issue this challenge to all of us here,

including myself. Okay, adopt an empty chair, okay, and take

it as your KPI. Okay, those of you who works,

you'll know what is KPI's a goal that you have

to achieve.

Okay.

Pray for someone to fill that seat number one. Then

open up your eyes to invite someone to church. Keep

praying until this someone receive their salvation, and then make

sure that they are disciple.

Okay. Why we have to make sure that they.

Are disciple, because what the World of the Lord says,

go therefore and make the disciple of all nations, baptizing

them in the name of the Father, the Son, and

the Holy Spirit. Okay, we are here to make disciple.

So why I share this is because it's a work

that needs to be done. If we don't align our

life right, we will not be able.

To do the work that God called us to do.

So if you are ready to take up this challenge,

and if you're willing to partner with us to do

this challenge, I want to invite all of you to

stand go to an emptc beside you, lay hand on

the mptic, think of a name that you can invite,

and start praying for it. Okay, we're gonna spend some

time here. Okay, you can go to an empty chair.

Okay.

As the Extreme team leaders in a worship song, I

want you to begin praying and thinking who can you invite?

Who can you pray for? Okay, and let's start right.

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

information on our church, please visit Asks Church the RG.

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that this week is going to be a good week,

a hit for you. God bless