I will not offer to God that which cost me nothing | Pr Alvin Keng

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

Today.

What we're gonna talk about today, we're going to talk

about sacrifice. You'll know the song, the Elton Johns song. Okay,

that's the short title. The long title is, I would

not offer to God that which cost me nothing. Okay,

I would not offer to God that should cost me nothing.

So choose whichever. You're on the right, You're lazy, write

sacrifice if you want more contact, You're right.

I will not offer to God that which cost me nothing. Okay. Wow,

my troit is going already.

But a name we will try turn to first Kurent

First Chronicles, chapter twenty one. We're gonna do a little

bit about the study of the King of David his life. Uh,

and we're gonna reference a little bit Saul or King Saul,

and we're gonna try to understand this thing called sacrifice.

Okay, So let's read.

First Chronicles chapter twenty one. I'm gonna read from verse

eighteen to verse thirty. Okay, but before that, let me

give you a bit of context or what we're reading about.

So the whole chapter twenty one talks about King David

doing a census. Okay, you're not a census is in

Malasia we call it banji. You know, you know you

con people, how many people here? You know, how many women?

How many men? So King David he was very free.

You know how many of you know that when you're free,

you tend to do foolish things because they're just do free.

A lot of people that are too free, right, you

know they say that an idle mind is that the

Devil's workshop, right, because you're too free there yet I've

in trouble right that say something.

Is not good to be too free? La? Okay, course do.

Free then you you know in in Cantonese, we say

what cow? Yeah, you know, going to see me go

and find things to do, you know, going Jerry Pasal,

don't do that, okay, don't be too free.

Make sure you're busy. Because he was too free, and

he just.

For fun one to find out how many people or

how many men he has. So he actually ordered the

commander of his army, his nephew, which name is Joe

Abb okay, not Joe but Joe app you know, to

to count.

Can you count how many people? Okay?

And of course Joe app right, and you kind of

need to study the contexts of uh it, and I

won't go too deep into it, so I will encourage

you go and do your own self study on why

it's wrong and stuff like that.

Joeb actually said, he.

King, we shouldn't do it, okay, because taking a census,

and you think taking.

Census on New York, what's so wrong about it? Right?

Taking a census is not the right thing to do, right,

But David said do it anyway, so he overruled his

commander of the Armila, okay. And then of course God

got angry because David went against God's word because apparently

in the Bible you cannot see me take sensus one.

There is a reason why they take us census of

the people, right, If not, then they won't count.

Okay, there's a reason why.

And of course David has his reasons as a king,

but him being king doesn't overrule god slawa you understand, no, No, okay,

you'll catch that right. Like how just because I'm the

pastor of XPJ and I'm in charge of the church here,

I kind of don't overrule my covering. You'll catch that, right.

Sometimes we don't understand that. We think, oh, I'm the

boss one, I can do whatever I want. Okay, but

there's still a covering. God still covered covered David, you know.

And of course he got in trouble. We've got and

we're gonna read what happened after that. Okay, I'll give

you guys a bit more context on all these other things,

but just to give you a context, okay. So oh okay,

so after that God got angry. I just give you

more context. And then God got angry so much. Sure

that God gave David three options. How many of you

are like that?

Parents?

You give your kids okay, you know you already made

a mistake. Now you need to be punished. They are

the three options you choose your unpunishment. That's what God did.

God gave David three options for punishment. He said something like,

you know how I would deliver you to the amatized.

You know when God said, deliver means it's not a

nice thing. You know, I deliver you, not like Lallah

move delivered. No, deliver means I'm gonna let them cauthing you.

You know, right?

That was what God said, or he had another one,

and then the last time. He said, I will send

a plate for three days. You know that means God's sought.

So God uses the plague right to punish. Okay, this

in the Bible, and now I don't know, okay, but

that was what we understand the Bible. And the Angel

of the Lord will come and you know, so that's

what happened, so David said.

And it's very interesting David's answer.

He said, God, if I'm going to be punished, I

better be punished by you. I don't want to be

punished by men. I don't use you men. I want

you to punish me.

Okay.

It's almost like your kid coming to you and say,

you know, most of the time, as humans, right, we

will choose the easier punishment on right, like huh right,

one hundred time? So on here or can wag you know,

then we will pick the easiest. But David kind of

picked the hardest one. He said, if I'm gonna conna,

I better conna from you all the way.

That's what he chose. This is why.

Also, God said David was a man after God's own heart,

seem giving you more contexter, right, not because David's perfect,

but because David understands or understood what was in God's heart. Okay,

a lot of context I'm giving you. Are you following

you in also far anybody confused, you confuse? Ask doctor Jason.

He has a PhD. So he definitely answer your more stuff.

Okay. Anyway, straight under the bus. Okay. So let's read

the word of God.

Therefore, the Angel of the Lord commanded get is a prophet. Okay,

just give you more context to say to David that

David should go and erect and alter to the Lord

on the threshing floor of Ornan, the Jebu's side.

Okay.

If you read Samuel, his name is Arouna. Okay, basically

orn Aroana. It's just different dialectar.

Okay. So David went up.

To the word of God, which to the word sorry,

went up at the word of God, which he had

spoken in the name of the Lord. Now Ornan turned

and saw the angel, and his four sons, who were

with him hid themselves. But Ornan continued trashing with waw

so cool, right, this guy is so cool. He's trashing weed,

he's doing his work. He was there with his sons.

Suddenly an angel appeared. Okay, I don't know how to appear.

Maybe God we maybe you know, I don't know. I

just imagine sound spreadial effects were happening. The sun all

went and hid. The father still doing work as though

this is like any other day.

So interesting. Okay, he just he just he's super chill.

Maybe he knows the angel.

I don't know, right, Yeah, So David came to Oran,

and Ornan looked and saw David, and he went out

from the threshing floor and bowed before David with his

face to the ground. Then David said to ornand grant

me the place of this trashing floor, that I may

build an altar on it.

To the Lord.

You shall grant it to me at the full price,

that the plague may be withdrawn from the people. So

David chose the punishment, and they were having plagued for

three days ready and then get the prophet say, hey, King,

if you want to stop, do this right. You know,

God is so merciful that although he has punishment, he

gives us a way out of things. And again who

you might think, oh, but God's so cruel Why he

punished them as well? It's because people were NOUGHTI la

be's si. I will tell people, please don't be naughty,

because when you're naughty, you will get in trouble. Right,

there's consequences in life, Ma, you won't get away from

everything one right, And then David said, hey, I will

follow what the prophet gets said. I better do this

so that the plague will stop.

Right.

There was a way out right, And David went and said, hey,

I want to buy all of this and charge being

full price.

He didn't say, give me a discount.

Somehow, when you talk about Christians doing business us ask

for discount.

Please don't do that. He asked a full price, okay, right,

and or none being.

A subject of think thinking about the context being a

subject of king, David, say it to yourself and let

my lord the King do what is good in his eyes. Look,

I also give you the oxen for burnt offerings, and

the thrashing implements for wood, and the wheat for the

grain offering.

I give it all well, amazing h so he he he.

He went to he said, I will buy all of this.

I'll buy imagine this the threshing floor. Look look at

around you. This is the threshing floor.

Okay.

And then in the middle where doctor Jason is sitting

is where the author.

Is going to be. Yeah, that's decent jin Gin, not

not Jason. That Jason. We got many Jacents here.

And then there is the threshing floor, and King maybe

said I will buy everything. Okay, I'll buy everything, please

touch me in full price. But then, because Ornan was

a subject, we all can these the Chinese part coming

out really right? He say take everything, and not just that,

I won't give you the place. I'll give you the oxen,

the wood, everything you need. Because maybe he won favre

from the King. I don't know, maybe he's super rich.

I don't know how many of you at this point,

if you're a daby, say oh, thank you Lord for

the providence. Thank you jeezus for the providence. Thank you

for providing. You know, you asked me to do it,

and you provide it. Oh, thank you a lot for providing.

How many of you have done that?

Really? I think all of us. I would have like, yeah, God,

you asked me to do I in faith?

No I ain't in faith. I'm getting somewhere. What was

King David's response?

Friends?

This is why King David was called a man after

God's own heart. You know when I read it, I

don't understand, or because I'm like, go you call this

gander own heart? He went, He goes look at people's

wife bathing, and then he killed the husband.

So many mistakes he made.

Right, then he go in, sugar, sugar, go and have

a census of the people. Although your ways say no,

you know why he did it? He probably did because

you want to count how many of us like to

look at our bank account? So you don't like because

you're like, no, not money, by think some of you

here you have a lot. Then you're like always check

every five still there and still there? Or how many

people like to check your stocks? Check check your stocks?

Right?

I don't know why, Isaia, you know it's a pright thing.

Or how many people I have in my army? Maybe

there was the reason why, and as I got rebuilt him.

You know, by the way, it was a costly rebuilt

because seventy people died from the plague just because he

wanted a census. How senseless is that census?

Right? So what happened?

How did David respond after all these things that happened?

He's a nearly chary passal. He got himself in trouble.

He had to read.

You know, he had to deal with the consequences and

the thing is not him. You know, his people had

to deal with the consequences him also in a way.

But yet this is how he answered. Then King David

said to Ornan, no, huh, shouldn't he thank God for

the providence? Shouldn't he thank around Ornan for you know,

being his loyal subject by giving him the stuff?

Shouldn't he do that?

King David said no, but I will surely buy it

for the full price, for I will not take what

is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings with

that which cost me nothing.

Loaded loaded statement. So David gave Ornand six hundred shekels

of gold. It's very significant.

If you read first Samuel, it will say that King

David gave him fifty shekels of silver fifty sheffles six

hundred Bible don't account, is it. There's a reason why,

because the threshing floor, which is just where you're sitting.

The threshing floor was fifty shekels, but six hundred shekels

was the whole theater. And just to let you give

you a bit more context, it was the mountain they

were on yeah, I'll give you a bit more reason why.

All this is very significant, right, So he bought.

He gave him six hundred shekels of gold, right, and

he bought the whole place. Yeah, uh, wait for the place,

not the treashing flowing, but place everywhere. And David built

there an altar to the Lord and offered burned offerings

and peace offerings, and called on the Lord. And he

God answered him from heaven by fire on the altar

of the burn offering. When was the last time we

heard something that answered by fire? Elijah, hebe an altar,

fire came down for heaven. This is the second time.

I mean, there might be other slav but so five

read this the second time God answered by bringing fire. Okay,

So the Lord commanded the angel and he returned.

He sought to his sheep. The plague was the sword

of the Lord. Okay.

At that time, when David saw that the Lord had

answered him on the threashing floor of Ornan the jebiside.

He sacrificed there.

So he started using the altar significant place, right, He

started using the altar in this place that or none

you know.

Own that?

Now David bought okay, and just to give you a

bit more spoiler.

That place was called Mount Moriah. Mount Moriah.

This is not the Lord of the Rings Moriah for

those of you who know that, it's Mount Moriah m

or ri H. It's also called, and this is another spoiler,

the Temple Mount.

Let's let's follow the story. Yeah, I'll give you a

bit more context.

Very interesting, right, for the Tabernacle of the Lord and

the Altar of the bird off Rings, which Moses had

made in the wilderness, were at that time at the

high place in Gibbon.

Think about it.

King David right decided to sacrifice.

At the altar and not at the tabernacle. After this

event why why do you all know? Yeah, it's incided

actually because it says but.

David did not go before it to inquire of God.

So he for he was afraid of the sword of

the Angel.

Of the Lord.

Whoa This guy, David is very interesting. He is so interesting.

He is so interesting that even though God provided the

land and all and he got it free, he still said,

I won't do it. It costs me nothing if I

have to give it to God. This is why God

called David a man after his own heart, because I

think by now, a lot of us here, even myself,

we will have justified different things, ready, but David never

justified anything. He could he had the right to, but

he didn't, right, he didn't. Okay, So let me go

into some notes and I'll give you some more context.

Are you guys following me so far?

I know it's a bit complicated, Okay, but try to

follow me because I will end at a point.

So what happened?

So God was displeased with King David's decision to number

the people of Israel to do the bungeee okay, because

it was done without necessity. You know, in life, right,

there are certain things we do out of necessity, and

there are certain things we do there's no necessity to

do it. And of course this is before Jesus timeline.

Everything they do one thing wrong, so you know it's definite.

Thank God. Now we're living in grace.

But sometimes when we're living in grace, right, I think,

as believers, right, there is this almost like trump cut

that we user to do things out of necessity. If

I have to be rare honest right in our faith, right,

because there's no consequences to or actions you're following enough

is there no consequence? We have to think about it,

you know, right, And he did it out of curiosity.

I wonder how many people I have okay, and demonstrated

a misplaced trust in human strength rather than a divine power.

How many of us have been there before? David did

not follow the procedures outlining. See, there was actually a procedure,

you know, there's actually there was actually a way that

he had to do. Not to say, God say don't

do census, but there was a reason and a procedure.

Do you know that in today's day and age, not

just according to the Bible, but according to certain practices

as a church, there are procedures that need to be followed.

There are, you know, and the world is waxed now

because they are not following any procedure. They're challenging every

single procedure, they're challenging every single foundation. And if we

really study the true heart of it, it is just

that people want to do what they want to do.

It balls sound to that, right, But there is a procedure, okay,

outline in the law Moses for census, and the census

was ultimately used to incite a period of judgment on

Israel or even more serious. So he said that you

only start counting when we want to incite judgment. In

the end, there was judgment. No, okay, so think about it.

You already know the law. Why you go ChEI passal?

If you say, oh, David didn't.

Know, he knew, you know, he knew. Everybody knew the law.

Why did he still have the census? Because he was

too free?

True? Not every time we're too free we get in trouble.

God gave David three options for punishment, and David chose

God sought the play. So even though he was going

to get punished, he chose God. So he said, if

I want anyone punished, I want you to punish me God.

It's like it's like when Moses said God, you know,

God said go go to the promise Lenla, I might

not follow you. That's what God said. No, and say no, no, God,

we will not go unless you follow. I want to

make sure that I'm with you. I don't want I

don't want just the blessing. I want you on board.

How many of you said this morning, we actually don't

even got one. We just want the blessing. Once we

get a blessing, we don't e got anymore very strong statement, right,

But I'm saying these things for us to check our hearts, right,

And I can tell you honestly, God's presence is better

than a blessing because He's always had something better. But

as human beings, we always want what's good. But sometimes

what's good is not God, what is shying, what glitters

is not gold.

You know, we've got to be really careful with that. Right.

Despite all these things, the one thing we can learn

from King David is that his relationship with God is clear?

Isn't it clear? His relationship God?

Don't you think this is a man that fears God,

that has relationship with him that even though there were

many many reasons why he could just justify his actions,

he didn't. Instead, he said, no, I won't see me

do things. That's why God called David a man after

his own heart. Because although David did a few mistakes,

he's been sex quite banner. None of us. I don't

think any of us have done the mistake to me,

the biggest size Bethsheba, the baiting mistake, Bethsheba, kill you

off your Riah than Mary Bethsheba. Oh my goodness, some

Korean drama happening. Man, you want Korean drama, great, the Bible,

don't you go watch Korean drama is drama enough for you.

And because of his action, right, he still honored God

no matter what, different from how King Saul approached God. Now,

let me give you another character in the Bible. We're

gonna flow into this now, Okay, a man that was

king before David and King Saul. If I remember correctly,

he was the first king. I think right, he was

the first king. Why because the people listener, some famillion

the people wanted what everyone else wanted, and they asked God,

and God said, I am your king.

You don't need another king.

But they are not happy. They say, wow, this was

was all God there are. I will also want how

many have you heard of that before?

So much?

Sure that GOSSI I have whatever you take last since

you won, but remember the moment you're king, you're going

to get in trouble. He also want them because men

are follible, but they want to trust in men more.

Thank God, And he said, okay, I let you do it.

You can go read the whole Chronicles is a story

about how men fail. And after that it got more dramatic, right,

But let's study Saul. So what did Saul did well?

Saul one instance a similar situation about mistakes, and maybe

you can.

Learn from Saul. So basically learn not what to do,

what not to do?

La, Okay, It's not about a mistake, because in life

we all make mistakes. True, we might not know better.

We make a mistake, there's a moment of weakness, is that?

But I think we can learn about the response when

the mistake happens. Because King David responded this way, Saul

responded very differently.

Okay.

And you can turn to first Semar, chapter fifteen, book market,

go and read the story.

Okay, but I'll just give you a summary.

So God said, and they were fighting against this guy

called King agheg okay, right, and God said, wipe out everybody,

but Saul, due to his wisdom, things no better. He

sped the king, and he spared different things.

I'm sure there was a reason why.

I don't go too deep into study, but I'm sure's

the reason why God said that.

Lah. Okay. But King Saul, since he knew better, he

sped the king.

He did all this right, and not just that he

did a few things that were not good right in

the whole thing, and let's see what God. How God

responded first Samuel fifteen three. Samuel said, Samuel was the

prophet at that time, and Samuel said, has the Lord

as great the light in burn off things and sacrificers?

You mean God just won your burn of rings and sacrifices.

That's what he said, as in obeying the voice of

the Lord, wish some more important? Is it obeying God's

voice or offering him gifts?

Behold? To obey it's better than sacrifice. This is the

scripture that we understand.

Obey its better than sacrifice, and to heed than the

fat of the rams. For rebellion is the sin of witchcraft,

or we're powerful. Rebellion right, Rebellion and stubbornness is an

iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of

the Lord. He also has rejected you from being king.

Ouch. Everybody say, ouch, I'll try for Saul.

Do you know that Saul before that, before he said that,

before even Simon come to that place where he said that.

Now Saul constantly justified his actions.

There was no remorse, there was no I'm sorry, God,

I did anything wrong, I will make up nothing. He's like,

make sense for isn't it better that I kept all

the lambs? Isn't it better that I did all these?

Isn't it better?

Lord? Look? Look, look, look, there is just one mistake. Lord.

But I've served you all this while I've given you

every thing. Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice. Friends, today,

I don't know, Maybe the word is hard, but I

want to challenge you guys because I want us to

grow in our faith and not take things for granted. Right,

our relationship with God? How is it our King Saul

on this side? Look, I surve you a ready. I

really woke up at six and I really did all

the things that I need to do. You know, I

followed what the worship leader said and everything, and that's great.

But what's inside? What's in our hearts? Do we do

our devotion or not? Is it just action?

Look at all my action, Look at all my gifts,

slot look at how much I give for offering God.

But then the lifetime never changed, right, I mean I

don't know. I'm just giving examples. Now.

I don't know what you guys are doing. I think

you guys are also okay, someone else.

Okay, But Saul, do we have that attitude or King

Daviy's attitude no excuses?

Even when different opportunities presented himself, he said, no way,

no way, am I going to do things that will

make it easy for me, because I knew I messed

up and I need to pay for it. I knew

I messed up. He didn't even justify his actions. In fact,

he was like, oh, why did I do it? Why

do I have the moment of weakness? And so many

people died? My men died pointlessly, died pointlessly. Friends, You

know how some mistakes we do and things happen, and

it's just pointless, so pointless, the experience so pointless.

No, there's nothing we can learn from me. It's so sad,

you know, to have such experiences. At least learn from

the experience, at least learned from the mistake. So pointless.

Let's talk a little bit about how King David changed

God's heart or at least made amends through the author.

I think that's quite significant. So King David purchased the

land for six hundred sheecos of gold. Remember I mentioned

that just now.

Later on.

Solomon built the Temple of God on that same mountain.

If you do the study, which is called Mount Moriah

or the Temple mount it's very significant.

Now.

So if you go through Jerusalem today, the mountain that

the temple is supposed to be was the same mountain

that we're talking about today.

It's a historic company. It's not just a story, okay.

And it's very interesting because King David, although he was

a man after God's own heart, God's very clear one

with the role he gave different people.

King David was a man of war. You know that

he went and conquered.

He had blurred on his hands, and a person that

has blurret on his hands cannot build a temple as holy.

So as much as King David was a man of

the God's own heart, as much as King David was

aligned to him, God's procedure is clear, and he said,

I will build my temple with your son. So still

in a way, your power of it, because your son's

not going to be a man of war. Your Son's

going to be a man of wisdom. But unfortunately he

was not wise to marry so many. But he has

another story for another day. But King Solomon built the

temple he built the Temple of the Lord. It was

also the same mountain if you rewind or you think so.

I love to share this because I'll give you the

context of why I'm sharing this. This mountain now in

the mountall right, Temple mount was also the same mountain

right where Abraham was instructed by God to sacrifice his

son Isaac.

And it was the first time in the Bible that

we hear about the word worship.

See when God has a plan in the lines one know,

we just need to be sensitive enough to see if

you can live long enough. Second Chronicles Tree once says,

now Solomon began to build the House of the Lord

at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared

to his father David, at the place that David had

prepared on the threshing floor of Oran the jebuside. You

know we preach about God can make a test into

a testimony. This is a very clear example of that that.

It was a challenging time. Yes, he messed up, but

God changed it, got changed it to become a testimony.

Genesis two twenty two says, then he said, take now

your son, your only son, whom you love, and go

to the land of mo riyahen there right and offer

him there as a burn offering on one of the

mountains of which I shall tell.

You, Wow, worship worship fast? Why is it so significant? No?

You share about King David, King Saul, and now you're

tarring about worship. Let me give you a bit of

a context of how I came to this message today.

During our recent homes we were learning about worship is sacrifice.

How many of you have done that? Really? Is rice right?

Can't done it? Rereactly? What is rice right?

And one of my homies somehow, and I'm not saying

this to boss on anything us, I think because I

say and krang and I don't know crank people. We

are very used to traveling farther and also going to

k drive one hour is very normal, so I don't

really feel it. But one of my homies, maybe because

not familiar with traveling far distances, was actually quite amazed

that me and my wife will travel for maybe forty

five minutes from our home to come for homes in

PJ on a Friday night, right, and of course jam

and all that kind of stuff. Flower and my homie

is very amazed. Right to me, It's like Okay, you

know we do this for ten years. It is normal land, right,

But my Homi is very amassed.

Right.

And we were talking about sacrifice in their homes, and

of course the person said that is sacrifice to us,

it's like, don't refeelate.

I mean we feel it a bit, but it's not

that bad. But to that person, you'll sacrifice, guess like

I will never do it. I'm like okay.

And then and then you know, we were talking about

sacrifice and we all understood, then when we worship God truly,

we will sacrifice.

Is that true?

When we worship God truly, you will sacrifice. Oh but

past Alvin, isn't obedience better than sacrifice?

Yes it is, But after obedience is sacrifice.

You'll catch that meaning if you just sacrificecrif secretion and

you're secretary without being gonna that you're wronger you obey us,

don't sec orbey first, but after you obey, you will

come to a time where you will sacrifice if you

really love God.

For a big if.

Right, It's true because as human beings, we sacrifice or

things we care about. We sacrifice our sleep, we sacrifice

our money, we sacrifice our brain cells for things that

are truly important to us. We get into unnecessary stress

for things that we think is important. If it's not important,

you don't care about it, true or not. If it's

it's not important, you won't border, you don't care, don't

even talk about obedience.

But it is really important. You will sacrifice, like how

guys will sacrifice. You know.

I remember when I was dating my wife and she's

stay in oak Lang road and I say in Klang

although it's clang, but it's one hour apart, you know.

And then nowadays I know got zoom call. Last time

we got no zoom call. I want to see face,

have to drive all the way, and then I drive

my proton isuara. I think if I can't remember correctly,

and then I you know, it's like eleven and then

whole day work ready VERD hired, and then I would

drive back. I won't say how fast I was driving,

but I was just switching on initial D music so

that I won't fall asleep and i'll reash back. When

the journey took one hour, I will reach back in

half an hour and so far, thank god, I didn't

get stop by any police.

And I did it for while you sacrifice, Coray, not parents.

You sacrifice.

You know when you're you're your child is hungry and

it's end of the mind and maybe you don't have

a lot and right, you were buying what they want

to eat, and then you were just eat Nazila, right,

Nazi's rice.

I just eat rice.

You know you gotta watch those videos or not those

like Chinese drama where you know the kid will go

there and say, Mammy, I'm hungry, and you'll give and

it Mami.

How about you, Diddy? How about you? Oh? I ate really.

Right?

Well, they're always like, oh, you were sacrificed. Right. If

you think about it, a.

Lot of things took sacrifice to bad food. It took

sacrifice to bad food. It took someone giving up something.

If not it would not it wouldn't have been created

or the way it is now. Right, Let's let's start

from the big picture stuff from our faith. If God

didn't give Christ to us, we wouldn't be here.

Right.

God's sacrifice, his son, that was the cause. That's the

core of faith. Sacrifice to our parents, sacrificing to care

for us. I am very I mean my parents, you

know they're not perfect, but I'm very thankful for the

things they've done for me so much. Sure that now,

because I'm older and things are still not perfect, I try.

I try my best to take care of my parents.

You know, parents, you're here.

You understand. I just gave the example of you sacrificing

for our children. You'll understand that. Do you know that

even the planning and running of church and home stake

sacrifice he does.

He takes sacrifice. Extreme team, come up. I know they're

enjoying themselves, but they have to wake up early. You know,

if you give them a choice, and if you know

it's not so strict, I'm sure they will just come

and just plug in and just jam right, because they're

all very talented. Coronel on the spot, you know, come

at nine o'clock and then just straight away, can right.

I'm just I'm pulling their licks. No need preparation, preparation on. No.

Everything requires sacrifice. Do you know they're running your homes

require sacrifice? A lot of things require sacrifice. No, friends

realize I think sometimes we don't realize. It's easier to

look at things that are not working and complain. Right,

It's easier because we don't see it. We don't see

the sacrifice. We don't feel the sacrifice. That's why, right,

let me give.

You a tip. Right, and this is just me my

internal evaluation. Right.

I will take comments more from people that have put

their hands to the plow rather than someone who comes

and just sit down here.

And start pointing thing at everything. People that have put

their hands on the plow here care more.

Wait, because if you really want to stop complaining, you

will start doing something about it. But if we just complain, complain, complain, complain, complain,

and we never do anything, then we are just well,

I think Pastor Matt Chad, you're just a participant.

You're not a partner. Right.

It's easy to sit at the sidelines as a fan

and dictate what everybody should be doing. Why not we

go to the field and practice with the players. Then

you will keep quiet because you know how hard it takes.

Sacrifice.

Friends, if we think about it, we enjoy a lot

of things because of other people's sacrifices as well. It

takes sacrifice to build something, It takes sacrifice to establish things.

It does, and do you know that it takes maturity

to sacrifice. You're talking about discipleship here. It takes maturity

or sacrifice.

It takes it.

So the question I had friends, and let me post

this as a question for you to consider, right, because

I think a lot of us here understand sacrifice, right,

especially we work, especially, we've been there, Especially, we have

to commit. Why don't people sacrifice to the Lord? If

we can credit God for all that he's done for us,

why is it so hard for us to sacrifice for him?

That was the question I asked, Ah, and I love

for my homie said, you know, when people don't understand

the relevance of what they do, there's a high chance

of abuse. Love this samement. I first didn't understand what

the same one means. I'm like, what do you mean

by high churms of abuse? Huh, Well, let's rephrase it

a little bit. When people don't understand or know the

why of what they do, there's a high chance of

taking things for granted.

Isn't the abuse.

When you don't understand or you don't realize that it

takes sacrifice where you don't see When we don't realize

the sacrifice and the wit of sacrifice of chrisis, then

our faith is very flippant. We have a flippant faith faith.

But when we fully understand the magnitude of what Christ

did for us, we won't take it. We won't take

things slightly anymo already. So it's about understanding, it's about knowing.

I think some of you here you understand what I mean.

You know, maybe when you come in here, and I

mean just use just an example, right, because we're here

in relevance and maybe you are new and and of.

Course we can compare.

Oh, you know the other place, the other chest nicer,

they got bigger lives whatever. Okay, when I come here

like eighties, people are like very huh, very funny, you know,

maybe the warmth. But then once you join, and once

you participate, and once you say I'm part of the family,

and once you your perspective changed.

Oh I didn't know.

Wow, they actually sacrifice a lot. Actually, why you mean

we don't even not people to do certain things. And

then when they start doing themselves, then the complaints stop

because now you are the one doing it. Doesn't take

take maturity. Think about it, doesn't that take maturity. You

won't complain about the things that you're doing. That's why

we use the word partner here because you don't believe

in membership because you're.

Part of the church. You sow right, you saw.

I mentioned the difference between what happened between King Saul

and King David. King David had a close relationship with God,

while King Saul unfortunately abused his position and disobeyed God.

Makes sense, not.

Friends, I have a caution for us today. Let us

not abuse our position? Am I abusing? Maybe I also

have to remind myself now I cannot abuse or now bastardy?

Uh so I can ask one of the leaders to

do it, you know. Let me let me give you

two things before end.

Right. So recently we were LSPO.

We were talking about church, you know, and we were

and can I can I be honest with you guys here?

I mean I've been very honesty. Let me be more honest.

My concern for you guys, it's not that every seat

we feel so that.

Can good pictures for Instagram. That's not my concern.

My concern for the people of the Lord, which is

all you hear, is that you experience God, that you

have breakthrough in your life, that you fully understand your

faith in Him, that all of us here are disciples.

Because I believe in discipleship. That's what Jesus did. And

as the past and the shape of the church, I

deserve people. I don't judge.

I just observe.

And it's very clear one because I can use an example,

but use your work as an example.

Then let me draw a parallel.

If someone in your office starts coming later and later

and later and got very verily reason runner, don't you

think after a while, if nobody says anything and it

is given, it's work. No, even worse, No, I'm sure hah.

I will give them a warning letter a day. But

here we don't give people a warning letter because there's

nothing to want. But you have to want on the

station because the repercussions of people not being engaged in

worship and not understanding the significance of worship in our

church is very dangerous because you know who will benefit,

not mere friends, the devil benefit. That's where discouragement come.

That's why we lose focus of our life. That's why

we start getting when we don't understand that sacrific I

seeing our sleep and coming here early to connect and

worship with God is so important. I just give you

that picture, not just the word no friends, the worship

because we offer worship unto the Lord. And again we

are not judging people if you're late and not fine,

but can you make it a point to be here

for worship for your sake because it is a different

perspective when we connect to our maker. Actually, even before

you come in here, you can be worshiping at home

day in the morning, I will when I wake up,

I'll just wanner some worship music and I'll just allow

God to minister to me. You know, am I connecting

with him enough? Am I building that relationship with him enough? Right?

It's very important, friends, because if not discourasionment will come

and someone else will come, and you know, things will

happen when we don't have certain disciplines in our life

that keeps us on the straight and narrow road.

It's very very difficult, ready, can I Can I tell

you that?

So that is my concern. So then I found out

that there is also the leadership's concern. All our LSBO

have feeled the same because we started observing and like, yeah,

I think even leaders are so. And now, of course,

can I be honest with you? There were like thoughts

of like maybe given a warning letter not letter just

a very friendly smiley warning. Maybe I start, you know, checking,

you know, you know, like start to get a tennis

do you know that?

Can I be honest? You know all these things don't

work on It doesn't work on friends. Can I can

be honest? I do meanie so long and you you

know what's gonna happen.

You guys are gonna feel judged and then you go

find our place that will acknowledge your behavior.

It's okay to be laid forwardship. That's not my intention.

So then let me tell you what I was convicted to.

This church was built on prayer. EX Church in general,

it is beyond prayer.

Before they started ex Church in twenty two thousand, they

met together and prayed and trusted God to lead XPJ.

We did the same thing.

We follow what we disciple right, follow what our pastort

leaders did. We prayed for six months before we started

the church, very powerful prayer. Me Joe, my wife, and

they were a few more. We met to pray, and

that's how we landed here in this place. I think

I've shared that the same mooney before and then we

of course when we started the church, then we had

intersearchship prayer.

And we started doing that. You know, we were early,

and I don't know last time. I don't know why.

Maybe younger, more energy. I had a new born baby,

and I can still be here seventer you to pray.

So I really felt the conviction. I said, we can

do all that, but maybe one of the things we

need to do is intercede for people. But lah, because

I pray that when we do that, then the Lord

will speak to them. Because I tell you, we use

the rod doesn't respond, People don't respond. One I did

that audience respond wrongly. Never very difficult really so honestly

three month, three weeks before this prailer, you know, and

of course we were trying to make it sustainable. Then

we're like, oh maybe once in two weeks we pray.

I really just felt that, like, no, I cannot la.

If you want to sow and invest, we had to sow.

The has the sacrifice. It's okay, no, leader, come, I'll

be here, so I try out today. Can I admit

I was late?

You know, we were a bit late, but we pray anyway,

and then we had one or two they join us,

and you can ask the leaders. I never made it

a requirement or an obligation. I just informed, Hey, we're

doing this, I'll be there. You want to come on,

come after you and I know different ones maybe probably

will never make it because you're serving eight o'clock.

Friends.

The first time we had the incessive pray was really good,

and I think we saw a change. Maybe the time

we also sort of like reminded people are like, hey,

please come earlier. Also, he starts a ninth adya, not

ten o'clock, so we don't start with the weather.

Because we need to meet God. You will take sacrifice.

Friends, I'm just using myself for an example, but I'm

not trying to make anybody feel bad. I want to

let you know that I understand personally what it takes

forgot to move and if we really want to see

God money your life. Yes, we obey, correct, but I

see if you don't even obey, no point in sacrificing.

But after you obey, maybe it's time to start saying, Okay, God,

what can I offer to you? Let me end me

this point, and I think it's very powerful. You know,

you will obey the person you have relationship with, true

or not. If you don't have relationship, you won't obey

or at least the person whom you have a relationship with,

the word carries small way. So please get that settled first,

because if God's word don't carry anyway, then I think

that's a bigger problem. But if we really say that God,

I love you, I care for you, You're important to me.

I hate your word, then we need to understand that

something's require I'm not saying everything, you know, but something's

requires sacrifice. Sacrifice is constantly spoken about in the Bible

as an offering. This way, it's important to understand worship

sacrifice offering. Okay, And the word offering particularly talks about

burn offering.

And I went and did a little bit of simple study.

You read Level Takers chapter one.

Okay, Let one talks about burn offering, teaches people how

to do burn offering right. Burn offering, And the Hebrew

word for burnt offering is let me pronounce, and might

might sound familiar, is pronounced kurban offering burn offering kurban,

and the meaning is something brought near the altar to God,

something brought.

Near the altar to God. You know, I think the

world today looks at worship as something for us.

I don't disagree with that, But I think that secondary

primarily worship is God. You don't you're gonna worship yourself.

But sometimes we worship the experience. But are we worship

being the maker?

Right?

Something brought near the altar, kurban burnt offering brought near

the altar, a sacrificial present, something that is offered as

we think about that, friends, I don't know what else

you're catching up. Is a lot of things that shad.

I just have one question, what are we offering up

to the lot today? It's good to think about what

am I offering up to the lot?

You know? Interesting?

Our relationship with God is even as just now, I

was during prayer, I was talking about the declaration. You know,

the thing about relationship with God is very unique. The

devil constantly challenges you to do things your own way. Hey,

do yourself a God not gonna help you, lia right,

The practical way to do it is like that, don't

worry about it. Don't trust in this God that you know,

too busy for you. Hah, you got some I discussed

you wait too, Okaya, God forgot your promise. You're going

to be like that forever, all this fear. But then

when you read about God. You constantly look at engagement.

King David constantly engaged God. Didn't make sense that by

solving the problem he offered worship. No, it didn't make

sense in the practical, but it was a supernatural situation.

It was a spiritual situation.

When we come up to the Lord and we offer

things to him, we got to remember that he's a

spiritual God, and we've got to be very careful that

we're aligned to the natural. Only how I feel, how

I all about me? No spiritual God, spiritual God.

You're following on? It's okay, we love kids.

Here can let him run around. You know what the

Bible says about children. The disciples said, hey, don't dis

of jesus Ah. And then jes said, hello, letter, you

don't come to me. If any of you have faith

like them, you can enter the Kingdom of Heaven or ouch.

So honestly, let the kids run. I'm okay, right, he

gets out of hand, then get out. I trust that

the brands will know. But let's not be distracted. Friends,

what are we offering up to the lot today. You know,

when I was preparing this message, I also repented God,

forgive me for being too comfortable. Forgive me for coming

to a place where I think I don't need to

sacrifice anymore because I'm the past of the church.

I just bring the word No. I can get there,

Lso you don't.

No, Lord, I want to offer you something. That's why

the commitment to the intercess Way is personal for me.

People might not come, I might be alone. It's okay.

I'll still do it. I might be late, I'll still

do it.

It's okay. It's my own conviction. I will do it

until God say for now.

That's my commitment. If you're to join me, join us,

you can, It's okay. But more importantly is what are

you offering to him? You know, we want so much

from God. No, but what are we offering to him?

It's not like he demands it, But how is our

relationship with Him this morning? That's my encouragement to you know,

the moment we engage Him right then things.

Will start happening in your life. That is my promise

to you. The moment you engage God.

But the moment we disengage from God, the moment we

rely on this and natural, then I really feel foolishness

on our side.

Amen.

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