What's Your Story | Celina Tan

You're listening to a message to go from at church. We hope this message

will light up your day this morning. Before I go into the word,

I'm just gonna do a little surway here. Okay, So this morning I

just want to find out okay, uh, you know all of us has

a mobile phone or smartphone, right, okay, so maybe can I see

a show of hand? How many of you are iPhone user? Oh?

My words, so many of you. Hey, you forgot the saying and

Apple a day keeps the doctor away, right, So yeah, so all

of you maybe don't need to see a lot of doctor because you hold your

Apple every day. Okay, very bad joke. Okay, all right.

How many of you are Android user? Okay, not too bad? Okay,

okay, so we have iPhone user. We have Android user and iPhone

and Android user always fight on right, this one is better, that one

is better? Correct? So, but now is going to another? Okay,

show of hands? How many of you have social media app downloaded in

your smartphone? Okay, I'm pretty sure you know why social media app?

Right, Okay, so very good. How many of you have only one

social media app? Only one? Only one? Okay, very good?

How many of you have two social media apps three four? Yes, LinkedIn

is included. Okay, all right, now, very good. So most

of you have more than two? Okay me included? I okay, so

I have I think five? Okay, all right, now let me ask

how many of you are actively posting or browsing Facebook every day? Okay?

Actively missa? You you randomly browsed, you know, while you're waiting for

basser, randomly browsed, or waiting for clients, waiting for your lecturer,

or maybe in the toilet cer. Okay, all right, who of you?

How many of you are actively or posting or browsing in Instagram? Okay,

you got more? How about tik tok okay lessa see home? So

okay? Uh treads the other they? Yeah, the new one, the

other platform of ig okay uh Twitter now known and known as x okay LinkedIn.

Hey, I brows linking every day? One quite nice to read?

Okay? No I do. I do brow's link in every day. Not

only to search for job. I read. I read the articles there.

Okay. Okay, so you may think that you know you you browsling it

is to look for a job. No, okay, you know it's it's

different kinds of things you read in you know, Facebook, IG, you

know all all those that I have named. Okay, I'm pretty sure there

are more social media that some of you have that I'm not aware of,

Okay, that we are actively posting and browsing. Okay, so now let

me ask. Can someone tell me why? If I say you're actively posting,

why do you post in your social media? Why? Why no judgment

here? I just wanted to know why why do you post? You know,

uh, the things that you post in your social media, either daily

or weekly or hourly, you know it bess on your activeness? Why why

do you post it for attention? So no, it's okay, there's no

judgment here. For attention? Yeah? Correct? Why why why do you

pose there? There must be a reason. It can't be like you've got

nothing better to do, so I post, right or sometimes you may may

may forwards or post up certain means on your on your Instagram IG. There

must be a reason, right, huh, show off? Okay, someone

something important to share? Okay, very good, that is why you post?

Okay. For those of you who don't pose, you are only actively

browsing. Why huh don't you so next time you see Eddie, you know

have already read you're posting, right, you know why he's judging? Okay,

why why why do you actively browse? Because I do know god people

that they only browse and they never post anything on combining and selling? What

else? Why why do you browse your brows? You want how to give

it or give people attention or okay, all right, to be informed?

All right, huh compare? Okay, very good? All right? So

I think whatever things that all of you have shared, I can just summarize

it into one word. No, not an o, it's kay and ow.

Either you want people to know or you want to know, right.

So that is why we are always constantly on our social media either we are

posting, okay, So if let's say we are actively posting, it's because

we want people to know, right, But if you're actively browsing, it's

because we want to know. All right. So for me, for those

of you who follow me on my social media, you'll realize that I quite

do. I quite like to post random stuff on Okay. For me is

uh because I'm a very forgetful person, all right, and I work as

a teacher. I constantly take pictures. Okay, I can't stantly their pictures.

So my phone fifty percent of its other people's kids photo and the other

fifty percent no, and the other thirty percent is my own photo and the

other twenty percent are those photos that are downloaded, you know, from WhatsApp

telegram, okay, so that I can read forward to, you know,

just like those of you in unpunchad. I just forwarded the cam details,

right, So these are the photo sets in my phone. So if let's

say I go and have dinner with Crystal and John and then we were talking,

Hey, you know our last night I went for campign. This place

is very nice. Hey, you know, I saw this animal and I

wanted to show him and I'm like, oh, no, where is that

photo? I cannot find? So usually what I do, I will go

back to my social media because it will not drown my the other things,

and that's where I would take it out to show him. All right,

So that is why I constantly post things up on my social media. It's

not so much of getting attention, but the children. They little did I

realize my dad who is on my social media, and that is how he

keeps in tap of what is happening in my life because he doesn't stay with

me. Okay, he stays in Clang. I stays in Suban. My

schedule is crazy, and he stays in somewhere in clind that is quite deep

insight. So for me to go and find him it requires like half an

hour to forty minutes. Okay, So I hardly see him and I call

him, like you know, occasionally. So every time you see me,

he're like, hey, I saw your Facebook. You went to this place.

You know how how is this place? And that is how he knows.

Sometimes I've forgotten that he is in my social media. I'm like,

how did you know what they said? You post the word in Facebook?

I was like, oh yeah. So that is where I realized that while

I may not be able to share my whole life to him every single day,

at least social media is a way for him to know what's happening to

me. But of course I will not post anything that will make him worry.

La Okay, neither will I post anything that will make anyone worry.

So while all this thing is happening, all of you who may be following

me on my social media will also know. Okay, we'll also know what

is happening. So we all know that social media is really a powerful platform

for information sharing. Okay, So sometimes you know what I'll do is I'm

also actively browsing, so I also will follow most a lot of people and

that is where sometimes I find out things about each other whom Sometimes people may

not know how to share it with you, but to them it's like,

yo, I have this issue, but I do not know who should I

share it to, So I share it on my social media. Like for

example, some of my friends where they are admitted to hospital, okay,

and they do not know who they can turn to, they just post a

picture of a dreap, you know, on their story, and that is

where I caught and I asked, what happened to you? How are you?

You know? So that is a way of me of getting information of

other people's lives so that I can reach out to them. All right,

So that is social media. Okay. We know that social media is powerful

and it's an information sharing platform, and we know that information is powerful,

correct because information gives us knowledge, and knowledge give us wisdom, and people

likes to in social media world, people like to circulate information, So like

when you find out about certain information, you realize that, oh, I

shouldn't keep this information to myself, I should reshare it. So the more

people reshare it, the more people will know. Right, that is information

sharing. But what I'm going to bring to us today is not just any

other information, okay. And the focus is about sharing our story okay,

all right, sharing all our story. So all of us have a story

to tell, and we desire to tell us story to someone okay, so

that they know what is happening. So my question to us here is that

what story are we sharing? Okay? What story are we sharing? And

what should we share so that others may know? And what is is it?

Okay? What is the thing that we want to want people to know?

Okay? Is it a story about what I have eaten this morning?

Is that important? Or the place that I go shopping this yesterday? Is

it important? So is something for us to think, okay, what we

want people to know? And hence the title what's your story? Okay?

So writing on the team of Extra this year that all may know Okay,

I'm gonna bring us back to the fundamentals of gospel sharing. Okay, why

is it important to share the Gospel. Okay. It's so that all may

know who our Lord is. Okay. So now if you have your Bible

with you, let's turn to Romans chapter ten. What's eight to fifteen.

I'm just gonna read from the NLT version, okay, So if activly can

help, you can show the mk JV version as well, all right.

So Romans chapter ten, verse eight to fifteen. Okay, So what's it?

Starting from Wor's it, it says, in fact, it says,

the message is very close at hand, and it is on your lips and

is in your heart. And that message is the very message about faith that

we preach. All right. So it says here the message is very close

at hand, and it's in our lips and in our heart. Okay.

So most, if not all, of us know the Word of God.

Correct. So some of us we know it by heart. We can quote

it scripture by scripture, even as we pray, as we speak to people,

we are able to pull out scripture everywhere as we preach. Okay,

all right. So and we know that this message is not any other message,

is the word of God. Okay. It is the very word of

God. God is safe that give us the salvation. Okay. And this

is the message that it says that we need to preach. Okay, we

need to preach so that people will come to know the saving knowledge of Christ.

Okay. So knowing the Word of God is one thing, but being

able to share it with another person is another thing. So that's why why

sometimes white people do not share. It's because they to them, it's like,

yes, I know the Bible, but I do not know how to

share it. Or maybe sometimes you will feel that if let's say I share

it with my non believerle friend, will they judge me? And one of

the fear that I have, right is that I know the Word of God,

but sometimes I find it very difficult to share it with my non Christian

friends. Is that what if they decided to debate with me with the word

of God. So for me, debating is not a very strong skills that

I have, especially when it comes to word of God. Any other thing

I can debate you very well, okay, but the word of God I

can't. You know, So sometimes I fear, you know, I fear

that you know, what if I share about this scripture and they retaliate back?

All right? Because I know of a lot of non Christians who knows

the Bible better than I do, and they were really all out and debate

with you. And sometimes I find it like a specialists do not know how

to fight it back. But of course we all also learned that we should

not take the word of God and debate. That is not what is supposed

to be. You know. One one revelation that the Lord reveals to me

recently when I was having a conversation, was this. The word of God

is used to feed us so that we can be filled, you know,

with his anointing, with his knowledge. The word of God is not for

us to learn so that we can hit another person. True debate. The

power comes when we preach. The power do not come when we debate.

So it is it's important for us to be equipped with the word of God,

not so that we can go out and fight, all right, So

that is something that we have to remember. So, like I say,

some people they are very good, you know, with the scripture, and

they can share it flawlessly. And every time I see these people, right,

I was like, oh, I wish I could be like this person,

but I cannot, Okay. But nonetheless, what I want to share

with us is that don't worry whether you know the whole Bible and you can

callte scripture from Genesis all the way to Revelation, or if you can only

know one scripture, there is power in it, use it and share it.

Like for me, because I have so many years of experience teaching.

In es case, right, I know the Gospel story true, know by

hate and by by heart. I can just share it with you in a

story form. It may not be in scripture form, but in story form

that is good enough. That is good enough to go out and say that

you know Jesus little seal that he sacrificed his life, that he died on

the cross so that his blood can wash away or sin. Right, It's

as simple as that. Or maybe you can only callt John Tracey's things for

God, soul of the world, that he gives his only begoden sign,

and then in your lament then you say that, yeah, you know,

Jesus is God's only son. Jesus went to the cross for you because Jesus

love you, so you need to believe in him. That's it. That

is the gospel story that we need to bring it out so all of us

have this message that is close to us. Are we sharing it? Okay?

So that is something that for us to reflect. Let's continue to words

nine. It says that if you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe

in your heart that God raised him from the day, you will be saved.

For it is by the believing in your heart that you are made right

with God. And it is by openly declaring your faith that you are safe.

As the scripture tells us, anyone who trusts in him will never be

disgraced. Jeue and gentle are the same in this respect. They have the

same Lord who gives generously to all who call on him. For everyone who

calls on the name of the Lord will be safe. So we want people

to call on the name of the Lord. We want people to know who

Jesus. That's why we need to bring it out. We need to bring

out the message, the gospel message. In verse forty, he says,

but how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him?

Okay? And how can they believe in him? They have never heard

about him. And how can they hear about him unless someone tell them?

And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent. That is why

the scripture says, how beautiful are the feit of messengers who brings the good

news? Okay? So how can people hear the good news? Someone has

to go okay? And who is the someone? You and me? Okay?

So we always say that, you know, I'm praying for my friend's

salvation, I'm praying for my family's salvation. But are you going to the

to share the gospel? So if you have not, are going to challenge

you, including myself, to start doing it today, all right. So

you may say that you know, I don't know how I just can't make

the scripture relevant to you know, to my friends, my family. But

there is something that the Lord has given to you that is in your hand

that you will know it by heart and you can share it and you can

get your friends and family saved. And what is that? And that is

testimony, your personal testimony. Okay. So what is testimony? All right?

So if you can look on the online dictionary, so the testimony it

says here it's a formal, written or spoken statement, okay, especially one

given in the court of law evidence of proof of something. So you when

you go to the court, there you give your testimony of what you're seen,

right, you're recounting a certain thing, Okay, So the other what

the definition says that a public recounting of a religious conversion or experience. So

when you look at the Bible Dictionary, it says that those whose life and

action testify to the worth and effect of faith, okay, and whose faith

received witness in scripture. So as like you read in Hebroes chapter eleven,

okay, it says that you know by faith, you know what Abraham did

by faith what Noah's did, Okay, as you read on Okay, So

a testimony is something that is being faith tested. Okay, all right,

it's a faith testing testimony that we can share with everyone. Okay. So

how many of us here can remember all your faith tested testimony after it is

done and dusted? So which means that you already receive your breakthrough? Okay,

the testimony is still deal, done, deal, how many of us

here can remember? I can guarantee you okay or maybe me like okay,

I got go fish memory. You probably can remember for the first month,

maybe the first year, or maybe the most the second year, the year

onwards. I can tell you you will definitely forget even my own testimony,

you know, and all my own personal testimony things that I struggle so hard

until I seen God delivered me. And when I share with my friends,

I realized that I cannot remember every single details. And I have to go

back to testified ties day to read back what I've wrote to in all the

social media team that they posted there, and hey, you go read yourself.

I cannot remember, but this is what the lot has done for me.

You know, you go read it yourself. Some of us, we

cannot remember every single thing, okay, or every single detail, okay,

so we will forget. So another question to all of us is that how

many of you actually recorded your testimony journey in your journal or anywhere else?

Okay? So for those of you who are not a writer like me,

right, you may not jo know everything. You may think that, okay,

I may remember that, Okay, that that is what I always fool

myself. I will remember, but actually I can't, okay. And even

if you have recorded down, how many of you are brave enough to share

it out right? How many of us sometimes you may feel that this testimony

I share it ya people were sure? You know, we'll sure, come

and debate with me and say that, oh yeah, my you know,

my own God also can do this, Ma, my dad also can do

that, ma. Right, And then you realize that, oh yeah,

this magician also can do that. That magician so can do that. But

why is it that you can lose so confidence? Because probably when you go

through the whole journey, you have not recounted what the Lord has done for

you. So it's very important for us to remember to record down every single

step, every single journey. Okay, so today I'm gonna draw from the

Book of Josh chapter four on how people back then pass on your fifth that's

the uh deestimony from one generation to another generation, so that every single generations

were remembered and recount back what the Lord has done for them. Okay,

So we're gonna look at the Book of Josh chapter four, that is when

after they cross the Jordan the Jordan River. But I'm not gonna read the

whole passage first, Okay, So I'm gonna go into Joshua chapter three first.

Okay, so we'll know before Josh chapter four can happen. Josh chapter

three has to happen first, correct, all right, So what is Joshua

chapter three. Okay. Now I'm gonna quickly read to us this this whole

chapter. Okay, josh chapter three, Okay. It says early the next

morning, Joshua and all the Israelites left Akassia growth and arrive at the banks

of the Jordan River where they came before crossing. Three days later, the

Israelite officers went through the camp, giving these instructions to the people. When

you see the levertical priest carrying the Act of the Covenant of the Lord your

God, move up from your position and follow them. Since you have never

traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half mile

behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the art. Make sure

you don't come any closer. Then, Joshua told the people, purify yourself

for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you. In the morning,

Joshua said to the priest, lift up the Art of Covenant and lead the

people across the river. So they started out and went ahead off the people.

The Lord told Joshua, today I will begin to make you a great

leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I'm with

you, just as I was with Moses. Give this command to the priest

who carry the up of the Covenant. When you reach the banks of the

Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there. So

Joshua told the Israelites, come and listen to what the Lord your God says.

Today. You will know that the Living God is among you. He

will surely drive out the Canonites, Helites, he Wites, Parasites, Gurgashites,

Amorites, and Jerbocides ahead of you. All right, look, the

art of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole Earth,

will lead you across Jordan River. Now, choose twelve men from the tribes

of Israel, one from eat tribe. The priests will carry the out of

the Lord, the Lord of all the Earth. As soon as your feet

touched the water, the flow of water will cut off upstream, and the

river will stand up like a wall. Does it sound familiar. So the

people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying

the out of Covernant went ahead of them. It was the harvest season and

the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the

priests who were carrying the up touched the water at the river edge. The

water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called

Adam, which is near Xaratan, and the water below the point flowed onto

the dead sea until the river bit was dry. Then all the people crossed

over near the town of Jericho. Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying up

of the Lord's Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the river bit

as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel

has crossed the Jordan. Okay, Now, I said that all of us

have a testimony, right, But do you know that before you have your

testimony, there is few steps that we need to take. The first one

there will be a test, right, So in Joshua chapter three, there

is a test Okay. The first one is they saw it's a Jordan.

How am I going to cross right to them? It's like, okay,

even though I know that there are some pictures in the Internet, if you

look at Jordan, right, it's it's probably just like a huge pond like

that. Okay, it doesn't look like the Raad sea like's so great?

Right, do you it's like a yeah, not very big, Nima.

Maybe can use some fun or whatsoever to cross it, Okay, if you're

alone, maybe, right. And then another test that they have to face

was what it says that it was a harvest season. Okay, Jordan was

overflowing its bank, which means the river is flooding, the water is very

high. Okay. Were you there to swim across a river that the water

bank is flooding? No? Right, So the people of Israel, Israel

have arrived at the Jordan, okay, and they have to cross it because

why the promised land is on the other side. They have to cross it

nonetheless, okay, but because you know that so many of them, it's

a whole nation of Israel. And then the water bank is overflowing. Okay,

so maybe, like I say, if you are one person or two

persons, you can do the hearing at you can swim across or whatever you

can. But the whole nation, you have women, you have kids.

It's I mean, it cannot all right, it's impossible for them to do

that, okay. But what the tree is started off. It says that

when they reached the river, they came there for three days so let's take

it that the three days is a time for them to think of strategy on

how to cross over. Okay. It's a time where they have to think,

plan, pray, and see and prepare themselves to cross the river.

So maybe they are coming up with different strategy and whatnot. Okay. So

it is also a time where they will have to get themselves prepared to face

the chair lene by faith. Right. So facing these obstacles, we know

that they have to start building up their faith okay, all right, And

during this preparation also, it's something that the people of issue need to learn.

They need to learn to hear the word of God. That's why when

you look at josh the tree was nine, he says that Joshah told the

people come and listen to what the Lord your God says. Okay, So

they have to come and hear the word of God. Okay. So we

know that where where will their faith come? Faith comes true hearing and hearing

the word of God. When they hear it, what they need to do.

They need to believe, okay. And when they believe what they need

to do, they need to be disciplined to obey what they heard. Okay.

So Joshua concluded the whole preparation with this confirmation. By this, you

shall know that the Living God is among you and that he will without fail.

Okay, what did he say without fail? He will deliver you from

all the size siens? Right? Correct? So it's the same thing when

you are facing with challenge in the midst of your preparation to face your battle.

You may be in the in the preparation stage where you're praying, you

are asking God, you are seeking God, and the Lord is speaking to

you. Right, the Lord is speaking to you, but are you ready

to hear his voice? Or maybe are you in the position where you are

praying? Right, it's only one way. You only talk to God.

No God, I wan day, it's God, I wonder God, God,

God. But God is speaking to you, but you hear him nothing.

Right, So this is something that we need to learn. We need

to go to God and hear the words of the Lord, our God,

just like what Joshah told the people of Israel. So here we learn that

we need to learn to be still and know that He is God. When

we go into the trone room of Grace, when we go into our prayer

chamber, don't just keep talking. No, God, you know my problem,

My God, God, God, God, God, God God.

And Jesus said amen. And then when God said, Selena go and you

go. You know you you didn't even give time for God to speak,

you know. But here it tells us very clearly, come and hear the

word of God. Okay. So I just want to encourage all of us

here and challenge all of us here as you are going through your tests,

learn to incline your ears towards the voice of God. Be still, don't

be busy, be still, okay, be still and listen. Okay.

So that is the first one test. All of us go through tests.

Oh don't cry, okay. So don't know that the test that usually we

will go to is beyond our capacity to overcome. It's not something that you

can settle it like that one. It's something that you try with your own

strength and you cannot. All of us will go through this season of tests,

okay. So after test, what is the second thing that we need

to do? We need to trust? Okay. So in Romans ten seventeen,

it reminded us right faith comes by hearing and hearing what hearing? What

are Yoh? Wake up? Way faith comes by hearing, by hearing the

word of God. So before the people of Israel cross the river, they

heard what Joshua told them, okay, the word that God has given to

Joshua, and Joshua told them, and they need to hear them, okay.

And after they hear, they are being assured that God is with them.

God is going before them. And I can tell you when you're going

through a situation, the Lord will never leave you, nor for sake you.

He is always dead ahead of you, paving the way for you.

That's why we always say that trust in the life God and walk in Lord's

way, God's way. Right, How can we work in God's way if

God did not pave the way for you, right, we can't. God

is there paving the way for us, and we just have to walk according

to His way and always remember that there is nothing that will be impossible to

God. Right. We read the scripture, it says that nothing will be

impossible. And if you read another translation, and this is something that I

hold onto because sometimes when we say that nothing is impossible to God, yeah,

we will say that, yeah, everything was impossible impossible to God.

So we try to test God descent that descend that. But when you read

another translation, it says this God's word never feel what is it that it's

impossible? You know, God can turn the impossible to possible. Right if

the situation is in accordance to God's word. Okay, it's not simplier if

you say that, yeah, I hate my enemy, I hope God will

certain lightning strike. Yeah, God will send the lightnings. Right. But

if is it I mean, is it according to God's word? No?

The Lord teaches what when we have an enemy, we need to forgive,

correct, So we always have to come back to the word of God.

And remember that God's word never were failed. So when we face a situation,

and when God says that I will deliver you, he will deliver you.

Okay. And in this scripture we know that this includes bringing all of

the people of Israelites across the river of Jordan safely. The Lord did it

back then in the rad Sea. The Lord did it again in the Jordan

river. Okay. So the people of Israel heard the word, and what

is the next thing that they need to do to receive the breakthrough? They

need to trust. They need to take the first step of faith Okay.

So you know when I read this right, when I saw that, okay,

the river was overflowing its bang. If let say I am the priest,

right, I'm carrying that out of Covernant, right, and I look

at the water, right, I think in my brain will be like you

sure, Joshua, you want me to step on the river back and walk?

You know I will probably is like okay, I trust God, but

it's this wiser. But do you think that the priest will ignore his instructions

and do the humanly wisdom thing. No, they trusted anyway because the Lord

says, as you step on the water, I will part it. And

they took the step of faith and stepped on. Sometimes when the Lord speak

certain things to us, it may not seems, it may not make sense

to us, but we need to trust number one. We need to take

the step of faith and the rest will be history to us. Okay.

And the most important thing is that when the lords commanded us, we need

to obey. So this is something that we have to always hold on tight

in our life. Okays. Written in Problems the tree was five to six.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your

own understanding. I tell you, this is the most difficult thing for me.

You know, I like to do things a lot based on my own

Strengthen, so every time I read a scripture right, I was like,

God, why do you have to remind me of this thing? You know?

Trusting you? Yes, God, I trust you, but I want

to do it my own way or so, but what does this scripture says?

Trust in the lot with all your heart, and lean not on your

own understanding, and in all your ways acknowledge him okay, and he shall

direct your path. He didn't say that trust in the lot with all your

heart and you do the same thing and then I will direct your path.

No, it says that trust in him wholeheartedly. Okay. So this is

something that we have to continue to challenge ourselves not to lean on our own

understanding and continue to walk in his way. Okay. So now the whole

chapter three, we know that they have crossed the Jordan River on drag ground

successfully, and then we're like, yay and no story, we can go

for lunch. Now let's celebrate is that all? Okay? Did Joshua the

Book of Joshua and Josha Chapter three done right? God testimony. Really,

right, we can go, ma can a ready? Right? That is

what I think. Also, every time I read the Book of Joshua.

You know, if you ask me, Selena, what do you remember from

the Book of Joshrah two things across the Jordan River and the fall of Jericho,

anything immittin, I cannot remember? Okay, because why never not?

Exc I think as I remember. But this season, when when I was,

you know, God asked me to read the Book of Joshra again.

I was like, God, I know the story about you want me to

read again? The Lord revealed more things to me, you know. And

this time around, the Lord revealed in josh chapter four something that I have

not seen even though I read the Book of josh many many times, because

why I have to teach it, exc So I have to read many times,

okay, And this is something It caught my attention. Okay, So

we learn that in Joshua chapter three is a lot of faith, you know,

taking action in terms of faith, in terms of obedience and all.

But now let's dwell deeper in chapter four. Okay, I'm going to quickly

read to us, all right, from Joshry chapter four, when all the

people had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, Now choose twelve

men, one from each trip. Tell them take twelve stones from the very

place where the priests are standing in the middle of Jordan. Carry them out

and pile them up at the place where you will come tonight. So Joshua

called together the twelve men he had chosen, one from each of the trip

of Israel. He told them, go into the middle of the Jordan,

in front of the art of the Lord, your God. Each of you

must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder. Twelve stones

in all, one for each of the twelfth trips of Israel. Imagine they

already crossed the Jordan, and now Joshua asked them to go back in again

to take the stone. Okay, what is the stone fall verse six.

We will use these stones to build a memorial in the future. Your children

will ask you what do these stones mean. Then you can tell them they

remind us that the Jordan rivers stopped flowing when the up of the Lord's Covenant

went across. These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel

forever. So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took twelve

stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tripe, just

as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they

came for the night and constructed the memorial there. Joshua set up another pile

of twelve stones in the middle of Jordan, at the place where the priests

who carried out of the Cavernan were standing, and they are there to this

day. So the priests who were carrying the up stood in the middle of

the river until all of the Lord's commands that Moses has given to Joshua were

carried out. Meanwhile, the people hurried across the river bay, and when

everyone was safely on the other side, the prince crossed over with the arp

of the Lord. As the people watched, the armed warriors from the tribes

of Reuben, God and the half trip of Manasse let the Israelites across the

Jordan just as Moses has directed. The armed men, about forty thousand strong,

were ready for battle, and the Lord was with them as they crossed

over the plains of Jericho. That day, the Lord made Joshua a great

leader in the eyes of the Israelites, and for the rest of his life

they rivet him as much as they had revered Moses. The Lord had said

to Joshua, command the prince carried up of the covenant to come out out

of the river bay. So Joshua gave the command. As soon as the

priest carried up of the Lord's covenant, came up out of the river bay,

and their feet were on high ground. The water of the Jordan written

and overflowed its bank as before. The people crossed the Jordan on the ten

months of the ten days of the first month. Then they came at Gilgall,

just east of Jericho. It was there at Giggle that Joshua parted up

the twelve stones stick them from the Jordan. Then Joshua said to the Israelites.

In the future, your children will ask what do these stones mean.

Then you can tell them this is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry

ground. For the Lord, your God, dried up the river right before

your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just

as he did at the Raid Sea, when he dried it up until he

had all crossed over. He did this so all the nations of the earth

might know that the Lord's hand is powerful, and so you might fear the

Lord your god forever. All right, So you can see in chapter four,

Okay, it's something that most of us may not pay attention on.

Okay, So I found that this interesting part that all of them has crossed

the river? Right, does something? You say it cross? And Joshow

asked them to go back in again. Why to take the stone to build

the memorial? Okay, So to build the memorials in remembrance of what the

Lord has done, and to continue to share it with their children what the

Lord has done, so that it can pass from one generation to another generation

to another generation, the story of the Lord's miracle. Okay. So that

is back then, how they do they build memorial Okay, So it's to

me when I read that, right, memorial remembrance. Okay, it's something

that most of us do not do this day. Right, we go through

our test Once it is done and dusted, we forget what the Lord has

done. So to put it into our context today, I'm not asking you

that after you receive your testimony you build a power of stone in your house

as a memorial. I'm not asking you to do that, okay, But

if you can put it into today's context, is that when you have received

your breakthrough, when you have overcome your test, you need to come into

a position of reflecting of what the Lord has done for you and record it

down. You know, when we go through the motion right. A lot

of times when we go in through the test right, we may miss out

a lot of details because why we are like, Lord, why why am

I in this situation? Why am I in this situation? It's just like

you know, when when I go hiking right, I only focus on the

no God, I want to reach there first, and then I forget about

my surrounding. Right. But when we take the time to when I reached

it already, when I wind down and I realized that, oh, just

now, when I passed by this tree, very nice, Yeah, I

actually stop and take a picture, you know, I passed by this place.

Actually stop and take a picture. It's the same thing when you being

delivered from a test, when you reflect, you realize that, wow,

when I was struggling here, I saw what the Lord did to me,

you know. And when I passed through this second path, I saw how

the Lord delivered me. And you write it down. Okay. So it's

very important that you know when when we receive your bag truth, that you

start journaling down. Even while you're going through you can start journaling, okay,

you may. You may write in your journal like Lord, why have

you not delivered me yet? You know, you can just write down.

But when the Lord has delivered, you come back again and reflect. Okay.

So one thing that I realized that when we are doing our reflection of

our journey, right, it puts us in the position of humility and trust.

It help us to know that, yeah, God, when I'm going

through this, it is not me. You know that has helped myself get

out from this situation. It is you. It has never been me.

It puts us in the position of humidity and to tell us that you know,

it is not our mind, is not our power, it is him.

Right. So it's the same thing like when when when Joshua asked people

to go back into the river again, it's a position of humility and trust.

They can by on me say that you crazy, a Joshua, I

just don't cross it. Then you ask me go in again? What if

the water fall down? You know, they probably think that that's why they

hurry in and hurry it out. Right, It's written in the scripture.

They hurry out, you know, they fast to take the stone and they

hurry it out. Okay, it's the same thing to us. It's that,

No, God, I do not want to reflect back on my pain

again. But it is not about reflecting our pain. But it brings us

to the position in total surrendered unto Him. And when we journal down it

also helps us to be able to have something when we need to share with

someone. A short pencil is better than a long memory. Keep writing,

even though we don't use pencer now days. Tip it in your laptop.

Okay. So when we reflect and record our journey, okay, Number one,

it helps us to remember of His goodness. Right. Number two,

when we go through a greater challenge, we can always look back and say

that Lord, if you can do it, then you can do it now.

Okay. It gave us the courage to continue to face a greater giants.

That is a head office. Amen, all right, So that is

taking action. So I just want to encourage all of you if you're going

through a season of testing, don't just go through the testing not doing anything.

Have faith, have trust and record as you go through the journey.

Now you probably is at the tail end. Ready, you already got your

testimony, you receive your breakthrough. What's next? Go and share it?

Okay? So we often shared about you know, when I look at some

of our my friends social media. Right, you know a lot of times

we share about good food you know sale? Uh you know where I got

the latest coffee? You know in Jalao. Now they have a pinging my

coffee bazaar for coffee lover. You can go to pa Pavilion. Okay,

so we can share. Oh, I've watched a good movie. Hey,

you should watch this. Okay, I don't know what's the latest movie that

is very interesting? Okay, komu you can go watch okay. Oh,

there is seals you know in this place fifty percent sale okay. Ah know

for those of you who love h you know the monthygo bottle. Okay,

they're having sale. Okay. What am I doing? Now? I'm giving

you plumbing ideas in your after tursuare you should go? Right? So what

am I doing? I am helping all these eteries, cinemas motius to populate

their seal to populate you know, people there by me sharing it across leather.

If I can populate all these places, right, why should I stop

sharing my testimony to populate heaven. Heaven is the only place that deserves our

hard work to populate. So if we have been actively sharing all the goodness

of this world, why are we stopping in sharing the goodness of God in

our life? You know, the next time you take out your phone and

you want to share something, ask yourself what should I share? I'm not

asking you to stop sharing about your life. You know, the nice places

that you go can go ahead and share, all right, because sometimes it

also helps another person who needs a break. You know, Yeah, I

think I should go career for a break. Okay, I got the money.

Okay, so I look at other people's ig and then oh yes,

I already met the career. Okay, you can share. But another thing

is that your life story. The Lord has you know, has given you

a life story that will imtact another life. Why are you holding it back?

Don't hold back because when you pull something, maybe all you need to

do is you maybe have gotten a good result from your medical checkup. You

can just post uh, you know the hospital logo example, and then people

will text you are you okay, and you say that, oh, I

have a story to share, and what's your story? The Lord has healed

me from so and so, and that's a testimony, you know, or

maybe you have been selected, you know for certain things that you find it

very hard, you know, to read, and you decided to share a

picture of it, and people will say, oh, what is this about?

Then you say, I have a story to share, you know,

just like in Joshua chapter chapter four, it says, when you're chilling us,

what are these things for? They have something to share with the children.

So what's your story? Right? So all of us have a story,

and we have the testimony, and I just want to encourage all of

us to be bold, encourages to share. And if you feel that you

do not have the bonus, the boness, or the courage to share,

remember what X one it says, But you shall receive the power when the

Holy Spirit come upon you, and you shall be my witness in Jerusalem and

in all Judea and Sumaria and to the ends of the earth. If you

are a believer of Christ, the Holy Spirit is in you. He has

given you the power, He will give you the bonus. He will give

you the courage. So church, you know our theme for this year is

that all may know know what to know about Jesus. All right, we

are entering into the fifth month of twenty twenty four. You know we have

only how many months left for this year? You know some of us Okay,

you may be still at the testing stages. Don't worry, will deliver

you. You still can have a testimony to share. You know, some

of you may be struggling to trust. It's okay. You may have failed

one time. Trust again, you know, have faith again. Have someone

to work with you, have someone to you know, to support you.

Maybe you have difficulty in recording down or reflecting. Have someone you know that

you can speak to. I don't write very well. I share my testimony

to the social media team. They help me be defy what is the testimony

and then they put it in umbund social media. I reshare and I reshare

it and I reshare. It works that way too, Okay. But regardless

how you are able to reflect and record, do it your way. Voice

recording, you know, draw right, any way that can help you to

remember that is something that you can use to share it with others. So

Church, you know, as I draw towards a close, I'm going to

issue a challenge to everyone in ex Umbunk today. Myself included, let's start

today by sharing our testimony to someone. Can you see all the ntcs here?

We have a lot of mpdcs. Right this morning, as I was

praying, the Lord showed me a vision. And I was praying. I

was telling God, God, it could be my imagination, but I choose

not to believe that it's my imagination. I choose to believe that it's a

vision that the Lord has given to me and given to all of us.

And what is the vision? That every seat is filled with souls that are

hungry to know the word of God? How will these seats be feeled?

It's through you and me. We need to take the step of faith to

step out and in why that one person to come and feel the seed?

Are you willing to take up the church? This is not just in fulfilling

the vision of ex church. This is in fulfilling the world of God.

What did Matthew twenty eighth was eighteen to twenty six? Okay, all authority

has been given to me, go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

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

Spirit. So we have to go therefore and make disciples of all nations.

Before we can turn the non believer into a disciple, we can invite them

to church first. So Church, let's take on this challenge. Let's go

out and start sharing and invite. Your friend may say no to you.

It's okay, okay, the node will not kill us. One no this

one, never mind law. We go to the second one law, second

one. Say no again, go to the third one. Law. Okay,

we are not finding life partners where the rejection will kill our hearts.

You know, we are doing it because the Lord love these people. If

we don't go out and reach out to these people, God's heart will be

broken. You know. Our prayer is, Lord, break our heart for

what breaks yours? You know, will they break your heart? If you

see your friend or your family go into Christ lost eternity, you should your

heart should be broken. If you know that your friends are going into christless

eternity. We do not want that. We want everyone to come to know

the saving knowledge of Christ. Amen. We hope you've been blessed by this

message. For more information on our church, please visit as Church RG.

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

going to be a good week ahead for you. God bless