The 7 Churches (Part 1) - Ephesus | Pr Matthew Chang

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The seven and Letters to the Seven Churches. Okay, seven

Letters to the Seven Churches beginning from Revelations. Oh yeah,

can just pass me for ah. The made a lot difference,

Thank you so much. Okay, so turn with me to

Revelations chapter two. Revelations chapter two and okay, so Revelations

chapter two has about three combined has about seven letters.

It's quite popular and most of your some of you

will probably quite hurt or gone through it quite a

few times about the seven Churches. And I just want

to tie in why I know, I feel it's appropriate

to go through this series in line with the the

theme about all me know as well? Now, how many

view were at homes this week last week? Okay, let man,

if you're gone good, okay, I'm going to ask you

a question, quiz what is the role of the church.

If someone come and ask you what is the church?

Someone new? Is it a building? Is it music? Is

it the way? Is it the choir? What is the church?

The people? The body of Christ? What else? So you

must tell someone this time, why is the body of Christ?

It's someone new. What is the Where is the purpose

of the church. What is the purpose of the church?

Sing songs? Where's the role? That's why you must go

to homes you know, you study there you go. What

did you learn? Did you download anything? Oh no, I'm

going to RePOP back to the homesport. Don't worry. Okay,

what does it? Okay, to simplify it, because sometimes we

make it too abstract. We must learn to simplify things

as well. Okay. The role of the church is tree

for and three groups of hell in order. First is

to minister to God. That's the first thing. First one

is to glorify God, because God is the one who

saves us. God brought the church with his own precious blood. Hey,

God is gonna take the church to be his own

befroth as well. Okay, it's precious. So it's the allegiance

of the church is to God. Firstly, worship very important,

his word, more than his mission, more than anything else.

That's the first goal of the church. Second one to

minister too t believers first, okay, to God. Then to

believe us. Hey, this is doctrina. Okay, to God to

believe us. Okay, you are responsible the church, as are

responsible to your own household, to your own believers. That's

why Jesus told Peter, why you love me, feed mine

ships if you learn me, feed my ships. When you

study the book of Acting on the post missionary. There

are times when he's like stone to almost to death. Ready,

what did he do? He ran back to it and

I think I've done my time. Ready. After he got

almost done to death, what do you do? He went

back to all the cities that he preached. You know why,

because even in his suffering, in his death, he's still

thinking about them church. He was not thinking about what

he's thinking about the church, those he planted, those the faith.

He said, now you heard of my suffering. Are you shaken? Now?

I need to give you truth that you must enter

into heaven through many tribute relations. Except now you always

thinking about church? And what do you do the church?

He appointed elders, he appointed leaders why because of his

love for the church. So there's a duty from the

top leadership all the way down to the all of

us here at the grassroots level. We all need to

minister to one another. There is why there is corporate prayer,

corporate worship and and fellowship and all these things that

we do together as the believers. We must be continually

sow a minister to the believers. And thirdly, in order

the minister to the world makes sense or not? So

if you want to understand pics to people, who is

the church to minister to God, minister to believers, minister

to the world, and the extra to manifest it through

the five ws? Isn't it Okay? If you keep it,

keep it simpler and f W Some people who may

not know extra, they may not understand why the FBI is.

But if you explain the three for areas, then after

that the fire, oh, it makes perfect sense. Okay, It's like, oh,

world worship and witness works and all these things. Oh,

and that makes a lot of sense why we do

what we do. So it's not just about the exterior.

It's not about the form, but it's about the substance, okay.

And so when you understand that the church exists to

minister or at this all three levels, it is important

that we do it right, that we do it properly

in accordance to God's word, that finally the world can

see and know God through the church. Makes sense If

the world. If the church is not able to minister

to God and to the believer, maybe they just start

with it's not able to minister to God properly? How

can the church know? How can the world know? People

look at your worship, look at your words, say wrong,

say wrong one and no nonsense and on you're look

at you. You're not set apart, you have no holiness.

How can the world know? What do they see?

You?

Get mean? Right? So before you minister, do that? How

can the believers know if the word or not? If

you're the church is in terms of their order and

worship with God is not right? These are all the

things we need to do so that finally that the

world may know. And so when we go through these

seven letters, right, why what do we see? Why the

Book of Revelation begins with the seven letters to the

seven churches and not the seven letters to the world.

Sure enough, might as well go to the world, go

to the seven country stuff if you care? First, that

start with Rome. First, starts talking Malaysia. No judgment begins

in the house of God. That begins in the house

of God. God cares about you. God, you know, God

is ever God. It's going to release the world God,

not Oh I hear your prayer. We're going to pray

for Relaysia. Yes he will, But I'm I'm sure he

is probably more concerned about your life. You have myself.

I'm saying, your life before you start taking a finger, Hey,

why can't this person not you? Your life? How is

your worship for God? How is your how how is

your ministry to God? How is your ministry to believe

us as well? And so this whole entire series is

really a really good examination reflection, not just for the church,

but for us. We are the church now. And so

when you're say the church are all okay, I'm just

thinking about the elders, the SBO and everything. Oh this

is what. No, it's you, yourself, you know whatever, that

you're accountable, your own family, whether you have kids or

not kids. Have you really taken on this mental to

proper minister to God, minister to know the believers, minister

eventually to the world as well? You get mean right,

talking all the things that they actually the church go through.

It starts in the individual level, seeping into the corporate level. Okay,

so now so I have some slides. Now let's read

some verses here first that I don't have my notes.

I don't why he disappears, So I'm going to preach

on the from my head. Okay, apologize, Okay, I try,

I try. Chapter two, verse one, Okay, to the Angel

of the Church of Ephesus, right, these things, says he

who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who

walks in the midst of the seven golden lamp stands. Okay,

let's pause there for a while. Okay, very interesting, very

mystical phrase or words he says here. These things says

he who holds the seven stars in his right hand.

What a title? Instead of saying Jesus, we know that

is Jesus, but it's out saying Jesus. It says that

he addresses the person as he who holds the seven

stars in his right hands, and not only that he

is Chris, it as he who walks in the midst

of the seven golden lamp stands. Let's turn to the

previous chapter, chapter one, and you read verse thirteen. Okay,

Chapter one, verse thirteen, and you see a similar thing

as well. Verse twelve wards again, sorry, verse twelve overards. Okay.

Chapter one, verse twelve, he says and then I turned,

which is John? John turned to see the voice that

spoke with him, And having turned, he saw seven golden

lamp stands, and in the midst of the golden lampstance

one like the son of Man, clothed with a gunment

down to the feet and gird about the chest with

a golden band, and so on and so forth. Okay,

now we know that this is that this person is

Jesus Christ, because Chapter one says this is the revelation

of Jesus Christ. It cannot be. It cannot get any

more blatant than that already it is the revelation of

Jesus Christ, or the person we know is Jesus Christ. Okay, now,

but why did it John? Because John would have walk

with him as a disciple for many years or three years? Okay,

why didn't John recognize Peter? Why didn't John recognize Jesus?

But calling the vision he looks like Jesus, walks like Jesus,

sounds like Jesus. But instead he uses a thirm, the

one who walks amongst the seven lenthcents, the one who

holds the seven stars, the one who has a golden

chess pease on his chest. Why did he say that?

It's like an example, like, uh, let me pick someone

like that, Timothy. They think like, say you're a doctor.

Let's say I know you like a housemith. I mean there,

I see you in the house, you dress down, you're

just normal, normal person, and I see you walking around

your shirts and you you're wares. But yeah, one day

I go to hospital and I see you and you're

full on with your doctor gear. What can I say

is that team look walks like him, looks like him,

sounds like him. Yeah, when you turn around, there can

I help you? Oh? Your team? But why is it

that I cannot recognize him? Initially, I'm not sure because

it's dressing is different. But you're dressing tell us a lot.

You're dressing at home. You're not doctor or a housemaid.

But when what you wear tells me something more about you,

what you do and what is your occupation? What is

your mission? You're a doctor, So you're dressed differently in

this part the same thing as well. John knows Jesus

from the Fellowship, from the Disciples and spend time with

Jesus as well. He knows Jesus. You've seen Jesus Jesus

was the teacher. Jesus was the shepherd. Jesus was the healer.

Jesus was the one who died on the cross as well.

But there it's called up vision, and I see Jesus

see here. I'm not sure, but I know the descriptions

of this are described that I described him. He wears

a white cloth, he has a name that he has

a statoscope. You know, he writes like a doctor and

writing and can understand one, you know, you know, you

know all these things, you know all the features. But yeah,

I'm not sure. So he sees Jesus with all these things, okay,

but then he finally, oh, I think it's Jesus. Well,

what was Jesus actually wearing that making unique and distinguished?

And it's very important enough because he must a very

clear transition between Jesus' role. Jesus was not no longer

no longer okay. He now transitions over from being the shepherd,

the teacher, the healer, okay, and now he ascended into

the right hand of the Father into the heavens now

as now still serving as the high priest. That's where

he was wearing them. It's like when you go to

court that you go to the judge. You don't wear

no moment, you wear whatever. I don't know that if

they still were okay, you know, looks different because there

is not your function. What does that mean? Because the

earthly ministry of Jesus has been completed. The earthly ministry,

if you want to think about it, is like our

state government's no government. Okay, Jesus has fulfilled his state

government role already. Now pass on to the disciples. The

disciples are the ones sent out to teach, to preach,

to heal, to share, to build, to solve the apostles

and all these things. And he gave gifts more department

than Jesus one person alone, that's not even one farther

now is given to everyone. Now Jesus had come from

state government to federal government. Oh oh, you mean there

is a higher level. Yes, there is, and there is

a higher level. That's a position that is vacant. You

see what I'm saying. But it has been hinted ready,

this role, not in the Old Testament really, but now

it's vacant because why what was it vacant? Because there

was no one worthy and the same what I'm saying,

there was no one worthy, no one, no one or

even though they're not worthy, you know, they hang they

hang a bell and they want to know. So it's

there was no one worthy, you know, it was a

worthy role. It's not by election one, Hey, we vote

who goes to become a high priest? A democratic? Don't care,

it's not. There's no one worthy to be taken out

to be a high priest. Jesus now a sense because

he was worthy, worthy to be the high priest, worthy

to intercede on us day and night. Your so, so when,

so when when? When? When? When? When? When John saw him?

He saw Jesus by Jesus is a different ancient taking

a different role right now, different glory as well. So

it's like a different you know when you state you

drive a different car, when your federated rift a different color,

you know, different level. Ready, Okay, so it's it's quite fascinating,

okay everybody, Okay, So that Halloween us too, and he

says it, I know your works, your labor, your patience,

and that you cannot bear those who are evil. So

what do we learn here that Jesus knows. Jesus examines

and he knows he examines and he knows. He's like

a priest. Priest examines. You take the lamb, you're examine

whether it's spotless or not, whether it's ready and prepared

for sacrificing. You know what I mean. There's a priestly duty.

You know. The priestly duty is to have due diligence,

you know, because why you're interceding for the world, for

the people, You're not due diligence. It's not just for

the people, but for the Lord High. Priests on behalf

of God as well, on behalf the people Forgod to

God as well. So I have to so, so Jesus

has to bring the church before and present to the Father,

ready or not. And Jesus examines the church and he

sees that I know your works, your labor, your patience,

and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And

that's what I'm saying. It makes sense in it. It's

like that government doing audio on the ministries. You're right,

It's like you're simply like that. So God examines and

God that means our lives as well, every one of

our lives at the corporate level, at the individual level.

God knows, okay, But I know your works, your labor,

your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil.

And you have tested those who say they are apostles

or not and have found them liars and then persevered

and their patience and labored for my name, say, have

not become wared. Sounds like a good resume man. It's

like a spotless resume man. Everywhere you would you know

you got you. You know, you've got really good record

and your recommendation from your employers. Jesus starts with that, okay,

and even says that, knowing that you have tested those

who have said there apostles are not, how many of

you are ready today to test apostles? We take it

for granted this saying, huh, I can't preach a customent.

I'm not saying that I cannot. I'm not I'm not

beyond approach approach he no, no, no, I'm saying that

how many you go there to do that? Hey, I

think you're teaching a bit of a comment when you

come to the corner ministreet time. You know, I teach

you your okay, I do, I do, okay, but it's

another artle really like, hey, test but why they do that?

Because it was a major problem, huge problem, huge problem.

Posts comes with a power, with a lot of power,

and and if you're writings are the sacred, you know,

the writings of God, are you saying that you're in

the month piles of God? Or they then do certain

things to direct lifestyles and stuff like that. Huge not

to speak on behalf of the church to represent the

church to the government at that time, who are totally

against the church. Yeah, you're right, it's a huge, huge thing.

But I'm not going to go into that. Okay. So

there was a huge problem with that. Okay. But then

worse than before, after all these highlights, okay, he says, nevertheless,

I have this against you that you have left your

first love. Wow, after all these things, Jesus says, I

have these against you. Now, this is a very strong word.

He didn't say that. All you would lack this. You know,

you heard Jesus be said before you like this. Jesus

didn't say such a strong word even to the rich.

I'm learn now, Ah, these are he against you because

your heart was stolen by your riches. It was never

so harsh. No, I'm not saying harsh strong words that

the words he used that I have this against you,

this against you. When you have someone something against someone,

that means that you've been holding you for a long time.

Whatever did you say that person, Whatever you say, you

could be talking in front of that person doing spending

years and months with the person that the person keep

reminding us like, oh this thing is keep grinding me

and grinding me, grinding you know you're holding this again

and you're waiting for that time. We can address it

straight in the person's face. This is the strong word

that Jesus said. What can be so strong, so not

offensive or so disturbing, and to Jesus that it will

surpass and overcome all the accomplishments, all the the good

qualities that the church has previously done. And we learned

that what it is because that they have left their

first love. Okay, left their first love. Now I'm going

to go through I'm going to use my slight here

to go through some things like what does it mean?

Or what are some of the signs I'm gonna spend

more time on here, what are some of the science there?

You probably have left your first love. Okay, now let

me explain a bit like what is first coast coast

Lenacy Letacy can you can you do the animation? Can?

It's okay, I get that, and then she caught down here.

You know, the first life is you know a lot

when when I was young, I used to think of

first life. You know, what's the thing that comes into

my mind? Tells and she shows you know tall, you

know so bad are the things that associate with in

my young life because I watched a lot Jackie China.

Just think she shows that. I think my parents are

you know, we grow with them and so all that

first stuff is that lady you like so much hard

they can never forget. It's like the first spring, first summer.

I don't know what they call it so so much

you call the girls spring. Justin she called what's your

name name? You may have what they make donice repair

what they thank you? Summer. I was like, oh summer.

Then then you started to dream, the driving or thinking

all the things in the summer summer. Okay, sorry, so

don't base up if you might not. I don't identify

is a okay. The first love is more like the

point that that really that that process, okay, that journey

that made you discover for the first time and understood, okay,

the love of God, where your whole world became enveloped

and surrounded and fully aware that this love is true

and this love is for you. And I say, what

I'm saying is that the realization. Okay, And I want

to let you know. These are the people of the Ephesians.

If you followed my favorite series about the Devisions. I'm

not going to go through much, okay, but these people

don't have it easy that Ephesians have a lot of

pagan worship the Temple of Diana. They have a lot

of sexual practices among the people. Ah, the emperor worship

is very strong the emperiod of time. The thing is domician,

very particular. He didn't just want people to worship, if

he wanted everyone in particular, so he would do things

like that. Example, there's a marketplace called the Agora. So

if you want to enter the marketplace to do your.

Trading, to buy your daily goods, right at the front

there they will have.

Uh incense table. Okay, so to be soldiers, So to

enter you have to enter in good terms. To enter

the good terms is to take the incense pick out

and then sprinkle on the other one to show that

you acknowledge Caesar is Lord. So the Christians have a

lot of big problem with them. Hey, that's what I do.

There are many other things, like if you want to

go into the Temple of Diana, why you need to

go to the temple of Diana. We don't worship that

because the temple that happens to be the only bank.

It's a temple and a bank. Yeah, oh oh, that's

a big problem, isn't it. It's not really just a temple.

It's a temple and a bank. You want to borrow

money to buy a house, to buy a farm, get

credit anything. Insince had a temple because the Temple of

Dinner is huge. You know how big is a Temple

of Diana? Artemist? The Temple of Artemists is biager than

a football field. Then you have that, you have no idea.

It's it's so huge because it's one of the seven

wonders of the ancient world. Hey, it's huge. You can

read it. It's huge. So they have so to do that.

So you want to get into the good graces, there

are things you gotta participate in which I'm not gonna

talk about as well. So uh, and not only that

they also they are like a hot pot, you know,

with many influencers religious and also philosophical as well, many

people who have different thinkings, uh values. And it says

here in verse six, Chapter two, verse six that you know,

I'm jumping a bit. I apologize here, but it says

it by these you have that you hate the deeds

of the nico Lings, which I also hate. Jesus Mixed

mentioned that he observes the church. They also resisted the

influence of a particular group called the Niics. Now the

nico Latans they actually are basically they belong in the church,

but they are very powerful growth. The Nicolatans called is named.

The name actually means those who lord over others or

those who have influence and control over others. Okay, so

that's the truth of the church dynamic. Sometimes there are

groups that tend to.

Control other people within the church as well, and officially

quite a powerful one.

Okay. Now this group of people, they have a certain

belief Okay, they believe in gnosticism. If you have heart before,

gnasticism Okay, Nasticism believes that the physical world and the

body is and everything is inferior. They are evil they're corrupt,

they are temporary, okay ah, And the more important thing

is how so and they merge Gnosticism, okay, with Christianity.

Now you will say that that sounds not too wrong man,

because God said that you know no place your faith

in your and your eyes on things that are above,

not from here, isn't it? But then you know what happens?

What's the teaching? They say that because what we do

in this world has no consequence, has no value, which

you just take this life and enjoy all those things

that we want to go to Temple and Diana, do

all we want, participate in all kinds of nonsense, cheap

people lie still, you know, don't have to take care

of the poor, and you get me right? They do

really because his life is irrelevant, and because of this

it extends to whatever I do. I'm not going to

get judged because it's irrelevant anymore. What matters is my heart.

You can be but my heart, my heart is sincere,

my heart is pure. God knows my heart. God knows

my deeds, He knows, he knows, he knows, He understands

God to happen. And because of that they live a

very immoral and I'm godly life. So this is basically

how what happens when you try to merge a lot

of what do you call it? What do they call it?

A lot of circular beliefs. Initially there's a form of that,

and nowadays you see it as well, you see me.

That's what I'm saying, is because we want so much

to justify the flesh, a lot of the comfort permissible

in you know what, the in in in the in

the Bible as well. But a lot of times we

compromise and and we we go on the path long enough.

God knows, Okay, God knows, and he detested and he

you know, he calls it evil, you know. Okay, Now

let me come back to it again. Now. First, yeah, first, well,

nevertheless that I have this against you, that you have

left your first love. Now, what are some of the

signs that you have left your first love? Let's look

at that. I forget that's like number one. Yeah, that's that.

Oh yes, Oh you are able to do the animation

very quick, turn around, well done done, excellence, excellence. They

they're trouble, their troubleshoot on the spot. Very good. So

it can be done. So it can be done very good.

So the first one is a diminished passion for God's presence.

What does that mean? Okay? Passion means like worship, just

a song, just a word, my new song again, I

sing this song again, old song, pray I can connect.

Man preaching must be scolding me again, Holms. We think

that we've done this mission lesson now for like ten times. Ready,

you know over the part ten years? Ready now every

year August Exceptember show missions vangelism, ha, no passion one.

How many of you like? I know you're in your family?

You know one of the most difficult things times of

family is to this way, to go for a dinner.

It's like eat the same thing again. You're lost all

your heart? D you why it's so torturous? Pizza again?

Oh mama again? Why the diminished passion? Church again? Everything

that's there's no taste to you anymore, there's no presence

to you. There is no glory, there's no wonder. And

I tell you, most of the things I go through here,

I'm going to draw a lot of parallel to family

and to marriage as well. The same thing. Hey, you know,

driving to work with her wife, same thing her? Are

you okay? Okay, let's it still be the same. Let's

say it's the same food that's all through everything again

and again, find the same thing over again, over again.

No wonder when anybody to really high? Okay, make sure

a breefelo was guy to her. Let's see I done

my part? Ready? Yeah, my successful husband? Ready? You know

what I'm saying. Why not? There's no spark, there's no wonder,

there's no joy. But I tell you, and this is

exactly I tell you can happen to anyone twenty years,

thirty years down the road, when you're fifty, when you're sixty,

you could be headed for divorce. You watch it. You

know why, Because you're no spark. Right, Someone comes along,

treats you a bit better, gives you a bit more attention.

Sit beside you on the plane or the train, or

in the office. Someone younger, someone reminds you of something

and steals your heart. And you go back and you

wonder why my wife or my husband is like that?

You set yourself up. Also, that person comes along at

the right time when you are at your lost. Oh

that's true, isn't there? It's true. You think everybody wants

to commit adultery from a marriage. Nobody wants to do that.

Nobody plan to commit to divorce. When I tell you,

I'm sure they went on the stage and the author day.

I believe, truly believe that love. I really believe that

and don't for it. But things happened. You see that

as celebrities. For me, celebrities get more because they are

they got more attention. But if you look around at

so many, it's not just this generation and past generation

is also like that as well, isn't it? Because that

is why Jesus hold these against them? Who do you

think I am? What do you treat me like? You

know what I'm saying now, There's nothing more infuriating and

tending not to be nobody in somebody's life, you know,

But you still cannot let me go? You know what

I'm saying. No, it's horrible. Want to know you know

what I'm saying.

No?

And yet why why is his soul against God? Because

Jesus gave everything for you, there's no greater love you

will experience, and yet we treat him the same? You

know what I'm saying now? That is why it's worthy

of repentance. It's evil it's true. It's evil. You don't

say how I'm saying now with this, why is this love?

It is evil? It's three that's why. That's that's why

you're like, oh, now, God, it's not examining. You know

that I'm not trying to put the wrong feeling. I'm

trying to expose us to a good and godly fear

of what we should understand, what God requires of us

as believers, as the church as well. You get me, know,

that is how we understand that that our ministry to

God is right now before we go minister to the world.

Now they're all men. Know when people come to the church,

do you just see a bunch of people just singing songs?

Or how are we in love with God? And when

they come and say, hey, I need some marriage advice,

And when they look for you, I just sing a

husband and a wife of someone who's really in love

with one another that I want to be. You know

what I'm saying. You know when your children they look

at you, said it's mammy, and they just tolert reading

one another, just like a divided kingdom, and that you know,

one day I got this one day across this border,

one day across this over. I cannot get the recordities over.

But there's a clear border, you know, I don't know

like China and Taiwan. You know, every day they cross

the broader. The son and daughter huge shoe, you know,

running in of refuge, you know, seating for war. Okay, okay,

next one the Chris desided to serve God. Why is

it God? I can get better our ow i okay

for my black time and everything by doing other thing

else I was. You know, I used to work in

the tourism industry and we built golf courses, and I

was working in the Star and Jeho area and we

were targeting and our target market were the Singaporeans. You

got high income, the so and and we were so

surprised by their lifestyle case you see, because before we

did it, we have due religions. When we realized I did,

there are just so many golf courses in Jeha, so

many of them, okay, and they were very cheap. You're

so cheap because Singaporeans will wake up early four or

five o'clock on Sundays to cross the border to go

to playoff and then come back by ten o'clock. That's

devoted isn't it. Let me ask you, how many of

you are willing to brave the Singapore border traffic to

come to church? H how many of you? Oh, you're surprised,

right two. People love their golf. I tell you I can.

I tell you people spend their money on go They

really love that. God. Sometimes they don't go for one day.

Sometimes they do every day. I will be surprised, semple,

who will be every day? I will do it. Okay.

I'm not knocking against Singaporeans. It's not against Singaporeans, Okay,

I'm just explaining my experiences. That's what happens to be that. Okay.

I tell you. I know people said, hey, Sunday morning,

I got playoff. I can get three business accounts, three

deals that can meet some of that and stuff like that,

because I was told to do that last time when

I was I was working, I was told to that,

go ahead, payoff. Actually the first job that I went

winning that my first duty in my first job in

the working world, was to carry a golf club to

the golf course. When a friend in the KPMG Okay, okay,

I review my company said, you know the talla you know,

it's like, oh, He's like, yeah, yo, come here, he said, okay, yeah,

your first job, but you don't have a dank care.

It's okay, do this what Then they printed out a

picture of this man. You take this god part and

find this man in the gold course and give it

to him. Who is this guy? So my partner? Okay, okay,

So I went to the gold Corse Holding and you're

looking for this man with the people and who's fellows.

Apparently he was like the fiercest man in my office.

That's my first job anyway. But anyway, side story, okay,

so increased the ad. So people serving has a lot

to do with what you perceive as value. Is it

valuable to you? I said, married to God. People don't

serve because they don't see value. It's beneath them, or

it doesn't reformitate hosting people share here. What's the point.

I think I can do more? I think I play

it that it's a make me look a bit like, no,

I don't know who you know? What is that for you?

It's like waste the time. You know, you cannot see,

you cannot understand, you cannot comprehend it. Okay, next one

going tolerance for sin Oh you start to tolerate more

sin in yourself and in around people as well. Why why, why,

there's there's something, there's something in your life. And then

you start to you stop being very more. You call

it more stubborn, or more clear and strong and bold

in dividing truth versus falsehood and dividing good versus evil.

You're not so strong anymore. You're not so clear. It's

not so firm in dividing that you start to compromise.

You start to don't think of it as scene anymore,

Like you know, the temptation of to compromise. It's always

because the fruit is pleasant to the eye, good for

the body. One to make one noise as well. Always

then you diminishing, isn't it diminishing? I was like that

one because there's so much good. I'm so wiser then

you need but it's not so wrong. Ah. Then after

you get to a point, I don't think it's going

to punish me that he understands that. Yeah, I mean right,

you know we're very quiet because you know, I think

you probably know that that conversation has appeared in your

mind before, isn't it The devil is very good to

put these thoughts. You know, I think punish me I

think is wrong. I tell you those thoughts I didn't

appear on no where. When the devil knows exactly when

to plant his exactly when when the ground is fertile

and wet and open. Okay, growing tolerance for a sin.

Next one, when you start to blame others and the

church for your spiritual condition, maybe bring mothers you start with,

you may start blaming yourself after a while. Your self

deprecation only holds so much. Bitty party, but nobody come

to my bitty party. You hold this party, yeah, inte,

but nobody come. Then you blame everybody else all no Christians,

all don't understand how much I You all don't understand

how much is sacrifice, hypocrites. I'll never trust church again.

See the church in you as no relevance or as

they hurt you, they hurt people. Why should I trust

the church? And you use the same thing all the

eighties use, and you go as far as going to

the crusades. Seriously though they will blame everything, bab I

would say this, I'll say it's true, that's why we

need Jesus, and not all the b people have tried

to hijack the church many times. Many times people have

tried to hijack the church, hijacking. This is what the

devil does, hijacking, hijack everything and blame the church, blame God.

That's why it does every finger. And now suddenly you

realize that, Hey, you know, we see people, our loved

ones are people when they fail a business, they fail,

fail a relationship, failing the investment, they get rejected and

then you know, they they shrink like they go into

one corner and for years sometimes or year, two years

and three years, they don't even find a job, they

don't even go out. And the only reason is that

I don't believe in trusting this world. You don't have

faith in humanity, You don't have any faith in the

world at all, have faith in God's work. You blame,

you blame, you blame, your blame. See the worst instead

of the best, isn't it? See it? Pastor Or how

many times he could have hurt me? Oh, you're speaking

one to meet me one on one. You're just trying

to control me. And you watch all the movies and

you build up this complex or thinking that every power

is all about corrupting you, yes, the world will do that.

But yet at the same time, when you made mention

of that, you also despise the sovereign of God. You

got what I'm saying. Not in that same breath, when

you say that all are corrupt, you also despise the

sovereignty of God in that same breath. Look at Israel.

What did they went throughblon example, Egypt, Persian Rome, someone

of the most brutal things. You know, it's God not

still sovereign. Do they stop enduring? Do they do they

leave the faith? Yet in all these things God still

came from. Don't blame you, don't say what I'm saying.

You cannot blame. God is still sovereign. En all you

hang on. You still believe, no matter because not that perfect.

You see flaws and you pray, you pray, you get

mean right like the disciples. You don't you say, you pray,

you submit, your prosecute it. Why because God's glory will

come through that. There's always how He is being tended.

But it takes maturity to do that. And all you

under see what I'm saying. It takes really strong maturity

to be able to submit like that. Very strong maturity

you know, to understand that it's not the present Golden Master,

is that God. I need to do this. I need

to submit because it is right by you. I fear

you more than anything else. Gamin it is maturity. Okay. Five,

Increase focus on self and personal comfort. Oh this on

hit hard. You see it's a pattern in now you

stop enjoying the church. What a worship and word? Yeah,

I don't really want yourself seeing black and white, you know,

greater bit you tend to like, hey, blame a lot

of people, but yeah, at the same time in your life,

you are just lasting for good and comfortable things. More money,

better car, most time, more space. You know, I think

with time on people. One time I say why can't

you do this and do that help or something like that.

I'm busy, Really, look look at them busy? I said,

I really don't really busy, you know, but I really

don't want to commit. Why you see it? This is

why I realized that people are scared to commit. You know,

why not because we just commitment because we have gone

so comfortable, okay, that we only can move within a

white space. Okay, I said this again. We're going so

comfortable that we only can move within a white space.

What does that mean? It seems that we only feel comfortable,

We only feel in control when our day is clear

and there's nothing to bring us down. No children, no work,

no commitments. Three three three three three three three. So

much so I don't even really believe in having children.

It's time I'll talk about the Tower of Babel. Why

this is about and God's land. It's not about you

having a white space. You know, God's planet is for

you to learn to scatter and to sew the Bible.

Not there's a there's a there's a problem. They cannot remember.

There's a there says, why is the problem by ship

about solving on the diligence? Ah, you cannot remember. There's

a problem. Let's says I'm paraphrasing here. I'm paraphrasing here.

It says that there's a hunter who goes out hunting, okay,

but when they comes back, he forgot, forgets to put

the meat on the table. What does that mean? It

means that you wake up early to go and hunt,

but yet at the end of the day you are

not able to put the food on the table for

your family. What does that mean? It means that you

start strong, but you still miss out because you forget

what is most important. There's a problem that said, I remember,

you can remember. I've been doing the Problem series anyway,

I'm talking about this. Okay, So people want a lot

of white space, Okay, be able to move. It's nothing more.

Feels more powerful for our generation when you have a

free and empty Sunday and then Suday true or not

true or not. I think it's feels more liberating and

powerful in that to wake up not knowing the Russia anyway,

true or not so much? We wander and all empty space.

And now Taylors, we've got this song called blank spaces.

Is it that I don't know what I was like

blank spaces? Is it I don't know? I don't know

that blank spaces with blank spaces nowadays? Okay, next one,

let's join fellowship. Call there people are makin lages. Doesn't

say ampeptizing to you because because you've been out, you see,

it's not convince because you've been disconnected from so much

and you're so focused on yourself. Right, it is a challenger,

even if you've been in church for so long, to

just talk to people and it's not a coincidence. It's

not a coincidence. You might say that, oh, because I'm

built introvert. I tell you it's not a concident. I'm

any intropt yourself. I can tell you it's not a coincidence.

It is a pattern of all all this what we

call Scottish shoes building up in your spiritual life. It's true,

one and all I can tell you. I can find

out seasoned Christians are struggling to enjoy a fellowship, struggling

to be going to homes, struggling to find purpose and meaning,

and any one in a fellowship it's like, nothing wrong,

but we do it. You as a homestay holds them

and do everything everything you can. But they're just like

it's okay. I'm not saying they're bad people, but these

are the Scottish shoes st Okay. I'm not talking about unbeliever.

I'm talking about real genuine believers that okay. Next one,

decline and gratitude and thankfulness, like I said, slowly adding

up one by one. Tell me someone who's backslider, who's

always very thankful. One, do tell me i'ven't been coming

to church for that five years. Well, I'm so thankful.

Maybe I got there, but very rarely you see a pattern. One. No,

it's not because they're bad people. It's because there's a

lack of reality of God in that line. You get

me right, there's a lack of reality. You've got so

focused on yourself and all this things in blaming and tolerance,

all these things all a doubt already. Okay, so you decline,

you know, just no, I just found out that I

got two stip this and I'm not telling my wife.

When I went. I was in last week. First day, okay,

second day, I can barely wake up on my bed.

I feel like my whole room is like sitting. And

I was like, and they go and find a cairo

in the middle of Vietnam dre some French chiropractor house

is shop doesn't look like a shop. The shop is

besides mechanical workshop, and then the besides is like a

butcher shop shop and then cooking. You know, I'm going

to get fixed and I'm gonna get butchered. You know

the irony. He was one of the best chiros I've

ever met. You were so good. I didn't m a

right this week, and I just found out that I

have to sip but sleep this alarm. It's actually a

very broad terms. Doesn't mean like, oh, okay, you broke

your back. No, it doesn't mean that it's a very

problem there on many levels. Okay, I have quite quite

strong impinchment on my neck and my little back. So

even if I pushed low after a while, sometimes you

see me here, I struggle to stand up for water.

To join you, guys, I will have to sit down.

That's why why I was talking to you. Guys. Are sorry,

I can, I have to say, because my left he

will start to solve very badly. Anyway, So sometimes you

get this and it's like, oh, tell my why why God?

Why so God?

I do all?

This is why this is a yeh know, I travel

travel turn turn. I realized that the only place that

I ought to go just to give thanks God, thank

you for telling me at least you get me right.

Thank you for telling me at least so they can

do something about it. Really, really, that's why I have

And I choose. I said, I'm choosing. It's hard. I'm

choosing to be thankful. Yet me right, choosing to be thankful,

that's when you learn to have your first love. We

get me right when you're in a relationship with someone

as well. We can see all the flows with someone

true or not. I had that person. I don't know,

like to dig, no, like to scratch balm? You know,

weigh only one pen on me. You know the whole

day you refuse to buy underwear. I don't know that one.

But yeah, is that at least I have someone, at

least it comes to fetch me. At least you know, sase,

go back to me. And this is always preparing you

get me right. You're choosing to always give things. There's

amount of strong and healthy marriage. Next one, I think

the last one okay, loss of spiritual discerment. Okay, this

is quite similar when I mentioned you know you are

not able because for all these things alo together, you're

not able to divide truth versus falsehood and then bad

versus evil. Okay, now let me draw this to a close. Okay.

Next one, saw okay, the next night Okay. What are

some of the causes? Okay, And now I want to

help you guys. I want to suggest some ideas. Okay.

The first one, some of the cause of how we

step away from our first love. First one, The most

important one and the one that I'm most believing is true,

is unforgiveness and disappointment. It's like, you know, imagine like

you you had a great Korean barbecue. Oh so nice,

I have to say Korean barbecue. Then you eat, and

then it came back, and then you rested. There's something

you stuck and you try to work at it. It

doesn't come out okay, And sometimes you try so everything,

it doesn't come out. And the funniest thing is the

next day you forget it. Is there? True? You think

that you move on already and move on, but after

a while you start to be a pain or gun proper,

and after a while starts to stinking, it starts to

cause cavity. You see why I'm talking about this. A

lot of people when they think about disappointment and think

about offense, right, they think that the brain true, it

all comes in a single point when I'm forgiven, I'm done.

That's it. It's like you go and play basketball. You

think you score one basket, you win the game. Really, yah,

it's everything game over already, but no of fans, are

you win ready? Yes? It's true. We do not diminish

that at that moment you truly experience a breakthrough and

a freedom. I can tell you those of you who

know what I'm talking about, sometimes the second day and

the third day it comes twice as strong, three times

as fierce. You know what I'm saying. I'm saying, come

stronger and fiercer. So what is the lesson that we

learn about how to deal with unforgiveness and disappointment and

everything else in life? The discipline? Life is a continuing process.

You overcome, you continue overcoming. You love, you continue loving,

You forgive, you continue forgiving, You score, you continue scoring.

It's simple, true or not. You've never seen like once

go on you as good as a score you might

have done, you score from a full court. You still

need to continue scoring. You can see what I'm saying. No,

it's like that, you know. It's sometimes when we forget.

And these are the things I can tell you a

lot of times on a lot of people they think

they overcome, dy I tell you offans, they're still struggling.

They don't know. And the things that you don't know,

you don't know. It's lingering at the back and you

and we can see hints of it based on how

you respond. That is why when Jesus says in verse four,

verse five, remember therefore, from where you have fallen, he

identifies exactly the rule, and it tells the church where

to go. It is where you have fallen. You stumble.

There was a point. And so it's not for you

to do more. It's not for you to sing more.

It's for you to go back. You need to find

where you felt. You see sometimes you you you I

have a bad problem. Actually, I'll tell this it's a

good analogy. I just realized when I when I did

the chiropractic check right, I had a neck problem. But

then he started to ask me to open my mouth,

which no other correct did. When I opened my mouth,

he touched my left jaw and it was so sharp

a pan I never knew. It was oh so painful.

I thought I got punchlau or something. That Then he's

asked me, did you have an old injury? And I said, oh, yeah,

I did. There was like twenty twenty three years ago, okay,

And I said, oh, because I used to have a

basketball injury. When I when I landed down, the guy

was jumping up, so we collided my chin against his neck,

so he was the guy. When I hit I completely

blacked out. I completely blacked out. It was in fifteen.

I completely blacked out. And then the moment when I

woke up, I saw we say, the guy bending down

and he's drippling from his feet and he had to

have three stitches. And then my whole face was like

like you know, saving private writing. And then yeah tom

mm hmm okay, and then I could feel like something

was in my mouth now, and then that the crush teeth.

I missed my tongue, and then I tried to reach

out to talk to him, and all I could say

was rather I have no speech. You know, no speech.

You know why my whole job was dislocated. So I

was like, I'm trying to collect my Joe. And I

never thought I put this word and collect my job

was like collecting my Joe. I went back. I was

like eighteen years old that time when I met Joelle. Okay,

we do we do this powerful things you know when

you're young here, Yeah, no collecting my joy. But I

tell you, at that time I went out. I think

I don't know where that I went to church, but

I don't think the church. Okay, the things I hide, okay,

I was staying opposite s JMC and being young and

foolish and fearful, I dare not go into the hospital.

I did not have friends who tell me you should

go and see hopital. I was just going into my

road home then and then it's oh no, that's like, oh,

I never prayed. I never prayed before. Man just massage, massage,

and I put then praise the Lord. And I praised

a lord until now, until now when they start pressing

the pace.

Yeah.

Hold, and that has led to some net problem. That

contributing to my net problem, you know, m because I

never treated it. You never knew yet this problem. Oh,

and you start to compensate muscle by muscle by muscle,

you email when you start, your net gets weight. You're

composite with the first muscle and you cannot it goes

down and goes down, goes down, So everything comes around

then when she comes down to your back, so sometimes

that it wh my back is my bad. Probably know

if something come all the way down up or from

your ankle, you know, so when you stumble your anchor

is weak. You compensate and it comes comes up to

your waist, which is your main muscle because all they

cannot support earlier. You start to use your ways and

everything to compensate, and when you compose it the wrong way,

you start to ache and stuff like that. Is there

a good analogy? So I tell you that a lot

of things in your life you really don't remember. One

really really don't remember. It's like really because we have

in our mindset and medically, we have two memories. We

have the shorter memory and with a long memory. It's

like comparing your RAM and your heart disc Okay, we

have a had this, but hard this we never use

and we always use the RAM one. Okay, we try

to use the RAM to remember our spiritual life, but

actually our heart the ones that you store an archive

a no longer and one or two things like that

have touched you in your life that you forgot, really forgotten.

You think you dealt, but you've never there before. Okay,

let's move on. Uh the had time okay, that's let

me say, i know, I'm okay forgiveness. The second one

you have your hearts stolen. Okay. The reason you have

is that because you had your heart stolen, you know,

like the reach and ruler. Then you think you love God.

You think you have money in your bank account, you

go and open up your Maybank apps or your cimb apps. Crash.

See yah, You can only truly know what you have

when you get tested by God. That's the true test,

truth tester on what you have the reach and mentor

he had he loved God. What must I do to

inherit eternal life? He was ready to place to investiad you,

you know, to put out whatever that he had. You know,

what must I do? Tell me? Why I do? You

don't hear everything? Ready? You know, said sell everything. He

went back to his vote and opened He looked at

his heart and he realized that that he's rock. You

couldn't give Jesus what Jesus ask on him. His heart

has been stored. All of us don't realize that we've

been heart's been robbed and being stolen. So that's when

tough times come, to give, to serve, when your heart

oh given to something else. Ready, there is why, there's why.

It's very spiritual things that when you accept a new job,

when you're buying a new car, taken more debt and

commitment by a new house, all these things seems good

and right, right, but you don't know what you sinking to.

You know everything you must do and be measured carefully.

I'm not saying this is bad. I think be very careful.

Not everything that is right before you. It's a will

of God. Enough. Everybody says, oh, I've been praying for

a job, that this job ready must be God answering

my prayer. I tell you not, because of everything right

in front of you is the will of God. You

go to the garden, even there Eve, I just want

and saw a tree, and then the must be the

will of God. The apple looks so nice as well.

Go for your eye, go for your body, want to

make one wise must be the will of God. See,

you know there is a place where you right in

front of you are the water. God still prevails. It's

not you know what I'm saying. No, this is way

you get tested one and all. But that's why you've

got to be very careful what you where you commit

yourself to. You know the people that you meet with

the type of the type of job.

You know.

Last time, I know, I used to get recruited by

tobacco company before you know, near my company. Then at

that time, before I was a pastor. I got a

young pastor, good pay. Will you know I look at it. Oh,

this is exact a double trip of my pain, you know,

corporate finance work, I got good tighter VP of analyst.

You no bad way, you know, chump, you know, go

go perks, medical, everything going on nearby man house someone. Oh.

And I think they think about it, you know, just

saying it's not maybe not maybe not a good idea.

That then I think maybe this pastor not for me,

like he doesn't understand my knees. Lie. Then other things

they think about. I couldn't do it. I really couldn't

do it. It's like it's like your short change, your

short changing godlam you really really you really you get

into a place. You bargain, You negotiate your compromise with

God just to get what you want. Okay, really you know?

And God will asked saying, have I not done enough?

You never bargain, You never beg, you never compromise. Yeah,

I spill my blood for you. True? Not Why do

we have to beg and bargain with him? Okay? Third

one becoming self righteous along the way. You started to

ring that it's about earning and let me think. Let

me say this about marriage. Okay, Sometimes I your marriage

is about surviving, and to survive you try to out

earn your spouse. You know, hey, I've been doing so

much for it is your turn? Ready? I said that

A sorry, sorry, okah, you earn? What do you mean

you asked me? Do I love you? What do you

think is picking you up? What do you think is

buying you this? What do you think is helping me

the kids? Doesn't that say that I love you? What

do you mean that whether you ask me whether I

love you? What an insulting question? When you answer that,

you're saying that you should have asked because I've already

earned it. True not husbands and wife, you know, like

me and you over a good husbands and wife. I

need to repent the day that here I'm the one

who is I got problems, man, I got problems. I

do admit that I got problems. Okay, but it's true

you see that we don't. When you look at all

the folks in Aline sometimes you around us, they like that.

I mean, I hate to say, but I see it

in my my my own family as well. My parents

see that lot of self justification because you're defense of

your heart before you use these things. And with God

as well. God, don't you think I've done enough? I

certain enough? Ready now why it's it's it's heartbreaking not

to say that fourth one, but I need a rush

and real time. Neglecting your discipline. You have deviated from

your discipline. And there's a lot of reasons and cause.

Which is the faith on which is you can put up?

So it's your business and overcommitment. Be careful or what

you you know? Really I understand it? Not then I

mentioned it? Or we all love freedom with love? Blank spaces,

isn't it? Isn't it? But yet at the same time,

you'd be very careful what you put in as well,

because you must understand there must be priority and order

in your life first. It's not about just empty spaces.

If you on the field understand the principle what matters first,

put first things first, you can't say unerstand Then you

will have order. It's not just feeling everything Suddenly you

bat a can you take up a job? There will

take up your weekends. All the things become king. You know,

it really messes up everything.

You know.

It's why telling young people are you're very careful of

the jobs you choose, very very very careful. Okay, it

really affects you think that it's not much, but no, no, no,

your mind, your mathematics will betray you because they can't

see the future. They can solve the problem, but they

can't see the future. Okay, be very very careful and

you're discipline. You think you know the Bible too much? Really,

you stop doing quiet time, same same message, preaching, same thing,

ah it devotion high so simple every August and September

short preach about missions when a high same thing again.

All go through with this high your foundation again. And

you know what, after a while you think like that

you stop hearing from God, not because he doesn't spay,

because you put personal put the blindness. And not only that,

because you stop pulling the blindness. You stop doing your

own quiet time. You stop expecting God to speak. Really,

you really stop expecting God to speak. You know you'll

have problem. You stop going to God because you stop,

you don't really expect him to speak. The minister to you,

so but you still want something that comes from God.

So instead of going to God, you go to your

pastor you go to your leader, someone else except for God.

See all the people coming out to prayer. I'm not

asking if you can't come from prayer. This coming up

to prayer is after you have prayed to God all,

not before. This is not a short time at all.

You know I'm saying what I'm saying. You know you

cannot go straight to the pharmacy and without going to

the doctor. Now makes sense, makes a lot of sense.

Now you still diagnose that I go to pharmacy, I

get all the pills at one Ready you don't even

know the doors that, you don't even know what's a problem.

I want to immediately pray for give me the pills,

Give me the pills. It's true. No, it's true, isn't it?

But I know, I know it sounds very sarcastic and

everything maybe I have and I seem to break down

and I seem to dissect our spirituality. But it's true.

You know why, because we are very deceptive. Highlight to myself.

A lot of things I speak comes from my own failure,

A lot of things it comes from my own honesty.

Where where God's lie and you think you are there,

you're not there, man, really are not there. So it's

the honesty that we need to become aware and I

close this. Okay. I must give hope. Okay, I must

give a solution. I must give to do. I cannot.

I cannot bring you down like that. Okay. I'm that

least of a bit of a pastors. Okay, Okay. If

there's one thing, okay, I don't need to give you that.

I not give you a lot of this the problems.

I give you a lot of this. A solution, I

give you one. Okay, if you're just one thing, one

thing that you need to take home to really bring

yourself back to the first. Okay, one thing, you know

what is that? Listen? You want to restore relationship the

first live with God and even with your marriage with

your children. That's the most important thing. Yet you have

to go and do against every fiber that says no

the otherwise or resist. The other way is to open

up yourself to lessen. That's listen, when it was the

last time you have a marriage, When was the last

time you really lessen? Put away your phones, don't talk

about work, forget about the past for a while and

really listen talking about like go fifteen twenty minutes, half

an hour. You see the Efficians, and they begin with

a lot of first love, you know, you know how

they have a lot of first love. I told you

I preached before in the last time the Epicians, when

Paul was preaching there, he was given a special time

from eleven to four, remember the hottest when the sun

was the hottest. He was preaching there, he was given.

He preached, preached for years, you know there, you know,

and the Ephesians heard it every single day, almost every

single day. They heard it, and then they saw the miracles.

It is from here, the listening and observing. It's not

about them, it's about their comfort, it's about their offense, everything,

it's all about Christ that transformed. They gave them the

wonder that everything else doesn't matter anymore. It's like the Bible. No, no,

it's something, and everything becomes strangely de him, you know,

everything becomes strangely to him, and Christ becomes magnified. That's

where your first comes. There's where it's the first of that.

They were able to even take all their books and

to be burnt. You know, you get I'm saying, No,

that was their first love, and so you and I

our first priority as individuals and member it is the

first thing is not to say not to do all

things to what listen in your own time today. You

can do this today and when you go back tomorrow,

set yourself and not really do the things that you

really don't like. You know, this is something that one

thing you always have is a choice. Say I would

be like Jesus, find myself a superdo place and listen,

really listen. YEA mean right? It sounds easier. How many

will do and you will do this every day. Just listen. Amen.

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

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this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you.

God bless