Strong in the grace of God | Pr Matthew Chang

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

Well, continue in the series on two, Timothy. Okay, So

I've covered what do you call it? Chapter one, probably

a while ago. What's that? Okay? So I'm going to

continue in chapter two, but just to give you guys

a very very quick introductions leading into it, okay, so

then you can you can sort of like have a

better context. Okay. So two, Timothy, Okay. From chapter one

is basically, you know, the whole epistle or a letter

is written by Paul okay, who is the disciple, this

discipler writing. He's writing it to Timothy, who he's toot time,

his disciple. Okay. And Timothy is young, probably in his twenties,

thirties like that, but he is now he is being

charged to pastor a church. Okay. And you know at

that time, the role of being a leader and a

pastor or that church is very, very challenging. First of all,

the very obvious challenge is that Paul himself is being

in prison. Christianity is in a very difficult predicament, is

actually being shunned, being persecuted because of a change in

government policies as well towards Christianity. Okay, Paul himself is

being the main what they call it, the main person,

the main what they call it leader, leading this you know,

gospel of Jesus Christ in the areas surrounding Rome and

in Greece as well. So he has been jail and

anyone associated with him will also be highly investigated. And

so Timothy, I'm sure he has a lot of concerns

and worries. And that is why in Teco Timothy, as

Paul writes from his prison to Timothy, he's trying to

address a lot of fear that Timothy might have, the

challenges that he might face, and also what he needs

to look out for for his church as well. There

are threats from outside and also from inside. Yes, there

are persecutions from outside the people especially you know, Rome

has been burned down, you know, by half of it,

and everybody's blaming the Christians. And at the same time

there are also threats from inside where there are new

teachings coming into the church. Also so teaching some people

say that Jesus either is not God, you know, maybe

there are three gods, and they will say that the

resurrection didn't happen or and then they will say, for example,

letter you will learn that you know, the resurrection for

the Saints have actually already happened. Okay, So if you

are talking about the resurrection, there are two types of resurrection.

There's a residation of Jesus Christ, and there's the resurrection

of ourselves. Okay, when we die, eventually, God promises that

he will raise our body as well, just the way

Jesus is the first preview. He's the first, and then

we also rise with him as well. So there are

also teachings that all of us, the rest of us

were supposed to rise with Christ had already happened. And

this teaching is very dangerous and very powerful because a

lot of people start to hit you mean I missed

out already. Oh no, I missed the train. So what

is Paul teaching? You mean that I'm not accepted, You

mean that I'm not good enough? You know, Then if

the resurrection has already happened, that means the judgment of

also already passed ready, So that means that we passed it.

So a lot of people are very affected by all

these teachings, and a lot of people are coming up

with new topics as well, trying to merge Christianity with

different teachings. And then people start to redefine words. You know,

what is great, what is law? What is you know?

Everybody start to redefine and then you don't have to

look very fat into our world right now, everybody is

trying to redefine everything as well. You get me, is

in't it? So what we experience in this world is

not that far off from what they experience at that time. Okay,

So just want to give you guys a bit of context.

Then that's from that what has happened and so, but

the plea from Paul to Timothy is basically, what don't

be afraid? Be strong? Okay, don't be strong, and so

this all entire book is about don't be afraid. I

know you are facing all this, don't be afraid. Okay.

So now let's look at chapter two. Okay, I'm gonna

go through by paragraphs so that you have better context.

If I read one shot, you might it might be

too much, Okay. At the same time, so let's read

from verse one to verse seven. Okay. Verse one he

says here you therefore, meaning Paul talking about Timothy, my son,

be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Okay,

Paul is saying to Timothy, now that you hurt everything,

what is all the challenging that is face, challenge is

facing to you. You must be strong. But the strength

that Paul directly ties Timothy to is not strong in speech.

It's not strong in boldness, strong in what strong in

the grace that is in Christ Jesus. If you want

to think about it, what doesn't mean strong in the grace.

It's not just an expression strong in the grace. It's

like you know, a grape. You know a lot of

times when you're plant grapes, or you plant you know,

or kids. Yeah, these are plants that don't grow shoot

up on their own, but they want they curve around.

They are vines that require a support, a main trunk

that is able to climb up as well. And this

you all the vines and everything of air power because

they produce very very beautiful and very sweet fruits for

us to enjoy. Or kids are very very beautiful as well.

But you know, my dad is to plant or kids,

but they need support system to be able to climb

and to have a system as well. And so Christians

are called to be strong. They are called to be

strong in the grace in Christ Jesus. That means that

as you grow older in life, that when you look

at yourself compared to last year, are you depending more

on Jesus? Yeah? I mean right, in a very practical way.

Are you depending more on Jesus than last week? Are

you depending more on Jesus when you come to church?

Are you depending more on Jesus when you go to work?

Are you depending more on Jesus where you get a promotion?

Are you depending more on Jesus? When now when you

have a kid? When you say depend more, it's not

just what you say, but that it's demonstrated in your life.

When you depend more on God, right, your prayer life increases,

your Bible reading increases, you get mean right, your faith

actually increases as well. You got mean right. So there

must be a tangible difference in your life. So the

question I would ask is that are you if God

has called you to be strong? But are you strong

in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. That is

what Timothy needs to and in verse two and it says,

there and the things Okay, Okay, Let's say you are

called to be strong to depend on God because from

now on, if they verse to that the things that

you have heard from me among many witnesses, Okay, commit

these to faithful men who will be able to teach

others also. Okay. So Paul is telling Timothy you need

this strength, and this strength you can only come from

clinging and depending on Jesus. And now that you found

your source of strength, you need to follow the calling.

Get me right. There's a calling for Timothy, and what

is his calling. His calling is to commit what he

has heard from Paul and to pass it on. Commit

what he has caught from Paul and pass it on. Okay,

there is the calling of Timothy to commit these two

faithful men who will be able to teach others. Because

why it's not so important, because what Paul has taught

Timothy is not just a personal discipleship. It's what we

call generational discipleship. Understand or not a lot of times

when you some of you, you have a benefit of

being in the discipleship or you, but you must understand

that sometimes the things that you hear, yes, it is

directly for yourself, but the bigger and broader picture. And

the mystery of God is that the things that God

has given you is meant to be generational. Turn to

your neighbor and say, I want to be generational. You

know what I'm saying now, the opposite of generational is

to think very present minded. You're just focusing on I

want the word of God, saw that I can solve

my job problem. I want to solve my heal prom No, no, no,

You've got to be bigger minded. You got mean, right,

what God has called us to do is to be generational.

And it's not different. And it's you say, is this bibigause, Yes,

Look at Abraham, look at Moses, look at David. God

does the work from generations. You got mean, like God

is living, It's going, is trying to leave you a heritage.

And a lot of times what you called is like wow,

it's so powerful. It's actually the power of a generational

heritage that you receive. You know what I'm saying now,

A lot of you are receiving a generational heritage. So

don't despise when your parents teach you. Don't despise when

someone elder or pastor who's teaching you something. It's like, oh,

because it's no, no, no. A lot of things things are

wisdom from the generational heritage that we that is being

passed down. And so Timothy has this important calling he

has to do with a lot of strength, okay, to

fight against persecution, to fight against the internal dispute. Who

is trying to drain all the teaching you gem night

what what? This heritage has a lot of friends. But

he must be bold and must be strong to find

faithful men. This is important, find faithful men. So if

you want to pass down something, you must know where

to sol as well. You cannot simply pass down to anyone.

Some people will just take it and then they will

just trample on it. They will just ignore. It would

just fall on very poor ground. So the responsibility of

us as believers, we must be discerning and be taught

to be wise as well to find good and faithful men,

not smart manner, faithful men, gay men, a faithful men

who hear this like, oh, it's just for me. I've

heard this. I must pass it down. I must come

to church, I must come to homes, and I see

the opportunity I want to make sure they have as well,

because This is generational. And if you are taking something

hold of something generational and you don't pass it down,

you may derive benefit from it, but you are also

accountable for it. Ah, and see what I'm saying, it's

very very important and all. Okay, it my benefited. Yoh,

my boss told me I got twenty days twenty days

extra leave. But you never go and tell your workers

or the people under you supposed to pass it down

one then they missed out, and then they don't get

to plan. Who gets to blame? You get to play

because you were not accountable. You were not good. You

are not good stewards. You heard it, but you never

pass it down to your children. Who is going going

to look to you as well? You know what I'm saying.

You are in the church, you heard it, but did

you share it to people who are around you? You

all have to be accountable as well. We must find

faithful men and people are faithful and then then the

response based on us, we need to be able to

pass it down. Okay, Now let's continue on verse three.

You therefore, because of this this calling that that Timothy has,

you must therefore endure hardship. Okay, as a good soldier

of Jesus Christ. Okay, he must. Now we go into

the ensurance. Let let me read this whole part Okay.

Verse four say, no one engaged in warfare entangles himself

with the affairs of this life. Okay, that he may

please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also

or if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned

unless he competes according to the rules, the hard working

farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider

what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding

in all things. Okay. So Paul goes deeper into the

calling of Timothy, and also all of us as disciples

as well. Okay, so that we not just endure, but

we pick. We understand why we have to endure and

what we're about to enjoy as well. Okay. See he

gives a very good what they call it, perspective about this. Okay,

let's examine what it means here. Okay, So we must

endure and consider ourselves as soldiers. Let me ask you,

what is the opposite of a soldier a civilian? Correct?

The opposite of a soldier is a civilian. What's the

difference between a soldier and a civilian, both citizens, right,

what's the difference? Civilians? You wake up? We can make

your latte? Way to that I should go? Should I

have Lucking coffee or she has zoos coffee? Should have

taggi or tea? Life ts your life? Okay? She was Oh?

Should I be pickable? Or should I go for golf?

You know? Everything is all life when you are a

soldier seven six o'clock, you wake up, k no matter what,

I don't know that I've never been to, no matter what.

You make up your bad you feel like it, don't

feel like it. You're gonna make up your bead true

much your much or so sad to thin back? Do

you go to thing baks? Well, you eat the meal.

You eat the meal. I feel like kimchi, No kimchi

for you? You still eat you I'm saying, you know, so,

what is the difference? A soldier cannot be entangled with

the affairs of the civilian. What does it mean they

cannot be entangled? You cannot keep looking back, You cannot

keep looking to the side and side and wondering why

you are here. You get mean right in war? In

times of war, when things are crumbling. You see what

wars are. A civilian will be inside a rubber and

wondering why am I here? They are caught in the

in the in the in the crossfire. Why am I here?

They answer why? Who is going to say me? A

soldier in the world will not ask why am I here?

They will ask where am I going? What am I

supposed to do? You get mean right? It's a completely

different mindset. Now a civilian will know that they are

a victim, a soldier, they are a force. You get

I'm saying no, completely different mindset, you know. So when

the times of persecution, that's going to be a clear

device as well. There are people will be asking why

is this happening to Christianity? Why is this happening to

us asself? The second group of people will be asking

what must we do? What must we do to advance,

to teach and to protect? You get menag from mindset

one and not you got I mean right? Things. It's

so that love applying your life as well. When things

are happening in your life. There's a civilian and soldier

mindset one, not the civilians that why am I here? Why? Right?

And then you look at the left and you learn

into your life people are doing better and this like that,

you get entangled and it's like, why are you still

coming to church? Why am I still serving? Why am

I still giving my time, energy and resources? Because you are,

because you're a soldier. Sometimes the things and yours or

haypship may not be like what pointuring, but you start

to build an understanding and an identity of why who

you are and why you serve God who you serve

as well. So this is the first thing. Okay, we

can't keep as soldiers. We can't keep looking back. You

can't keep wondering why things are happening and keep desiring

the things of the civilian. And the second thing, it

says there that we are like athletics, he said. In

verse five, he said, and also if anyone competes in athletics,

he is not crowned unless he competes according to the room,

what is the opposite of athletics? Of athletes? Sorry, this

class needs more participation my right side, anyone you need

to the right. What's the opposite of athletes? Come on,

come on, come on, Squez, Squez, Squez. Squeez squeeze, squeeze brain. Sorry,

couch potato. Oh, that's that's way more in debt than

I expected, man couch potato. I was, I was, I

was thinking of the word spectator. Okay, she went couch

fordeto already is? She went straight for it? Two. I

like that, man Shore. It may not be very loud,

but very sharp like it. Okay. So the opposite of

athletes are spectators. Okay. So it's like last year we

had the Olympics. There are people who are competing, but

the opposite is spectator. Okay, So what's the difference between

athletes and spectators. Spectating you can come anytime just to watch,

isn't it. But athletes you actually are in there. But

a lot of times we don't understand that. You know,

being an athlete is very demanding. You train every day,

you train differently, you eat differently, and most importantly, you

don't get to make your own rules. Ah, that's the key,

you know. You don't get to make your own rules,

isn't it. How many of you like have competed at

a high level before. You don't get to make your

own rules? Why not? It's very difficult. You know. I

know I play basketball quite fabit and I know some

owners of clubs as well. And I know, like and

some time they play basketball, they pay them a salary

and sometimes the people get let off. You know, they

can differentiate those people who are performing and performing who

have a potential non potential. And these are older adults. Ready,

you're talking about twenties, thirties and stuff like that, and

they can tell the difference. Okay. It's like when you're

asking to show up two times three times a week

to practice and they pay you for it. Some people

make a lot of excuse. They coming late half an hour,

they're showing out of shape. They don't do what they're

supposed to do. You can mean right, they don't communicate things.

These are the basic things are you don't get me right,

and then within two weeks two remind us of the

team cut off. Ready, no pay. Okay, you don't get

to make the rules. You're saying now an athlete competing

at the highest level. You say that, why will people

do that? But yet everybody watched them? You said, why

will people want to leave? In another kind of rule

that you get to make, but every one for every

four years, everyone gets to watch them. You are sitting there,

but they are competing at the highest level Simon Bioles

and jumping out, Oh triple some you think that she

was she is able to do a triple somersault because

she followed her own rules. No, everything, I'm sure she is.

She trained, she didn't want to do any of it,

but she did it anyway, you get I'm saying now,

So that is what Paul is saying. You don't get

to make your own rules. You really really don't get

to make your own rules. And the day that you

realize that you don't get to make your own rules

for a reason is the day that you become liberated. Ah,

it's funnier. A lot of people think that it is.

When you make your own rules, you feel liberator. That's

what TikTok and Facebook and Instagram telling you make your

own rule. But the funny thing is when you don't

get to make your own rules, when you trust discipline,

discipline will never betray you. Oh, you'ren say what I'm saying. No,

discipline will never betray you. You don't get to make

your own rules. No, But I will say those whom

the father loves, he disciplines. I'm saying no. So this

is very, very important. That's what Paul is trying to

teach them. Okay. And then the next one is say,

the hard working farmer must be first to partake off

the crops. Why it is the opposite of a farmer

maybe in the middle. What's the opposite of a farmer?

What?

No butcher? Okay? What consumer? A I like that? Okay,

I wrote here bystander. But consumer is a good word. Okay.

Opposite of a farmer is a consumer? What's the difference

between a consumer and a farmer? A farmer? You need

to sew a consumer? Just buy on the touch and go,

touch and go, touch, touch, go go. Okay, grab and

then you get ready, grab and you get ready. Okay.

Farmers you need to sew. You need to be diligion.

How many of you had done farming before, a planting before?

H or serious? Oh? So many? You're farming at a

higher scale. Did you sell your chicken? Ah? They do

not sell the chicken. I'm not talking about their plant

in your living room. Okay, they're just not qualified. Okay,

I'm talking about like you do tomatoes a bit more

and then you plan to sell and stuff like that.

And you know there's one time, I know someone who

has a farming uh there, you know, they go there

and then they want to try out leaving off the grid,

and then they actually rare chickens. You know, I think

they're up to one point. They have about fifty to

sixty chicks. You know, one night, just one night, okay,

they place a fence around it. Okay, one night, a

pack of dogs that under the fence and all the

chicks die. And that was the family live on that

one and all. Okay, the chicks just kill all of them. Okay.

When you have a farmer, you don't get to make

your own rules as well. You don't get to decide

when the dogs will come. Okay, you don't get to

decide when these theses will come. Or this is a comer.

You know last time my dad used to work in

a chili farmer. Once you see one patcher gets it,

nobody gets to sleep. Everybody needs to start to prove

and do whatever it is, and to cut off everything.

You don't get to decide when you know, maybe tomorrow. No,

these things happened so quickly. I used to work. I

used to work all day in a plantation in Palms.

The same thing as well. The day when they start

to see one tree have an infestation of what we

call the beetle. Okay, everybody puts on hold and immediately

attends to immediately, nobody gets to sleep. Immediately got to

do it, because these beats within a wiga can wipe

out the hundreds of acres, hundreds of acres, they spread

so much. Okay, So in a farmer, you must understand

that you need to be diligion. You don't get to

choose the seasons, You don't get to choose the threats

start come into your way, but you so to overcome it.

A farmer must always be diligent, season in and seasoned

out to do whatever that is necessary as well. Okay,

So that is why, Okay, that's why Paul said, consider

what I say in verse seven, and may the Lord

give you an understanding in all this. So when you

start to ponder all these examples that Paul talks about,

you start to realize that, wow, I don't really get

to choose a lot of things that I'm actually don't

get to have in control for a lot of things

as well. And so how should I plan my life?

How should I view my life? What do I start

to look at other people, or do I start to

look at the life that I wanted and start to

lament again. No, So when you start to understand these things,

you start to grow immaturity. If you open up your heart,

God will give you understanding. You become wiser because now

you are a more diligent worker. You know what I'm saying.

Now you are wiser. And I was like, oh, this

kind no matter what in an hour, he's always diligion,

always disappeared, even such a bad thing happened to him,

still diligious. No, what is what it means that to

be a person who is full of maturity? Okay, everybody, Okay,

So I hope you're taking notes looking at my time. Okay,

now continue from verse eight. Remember that Christ, Jesus, Christ

of the Seed of David was raised from the there

accord into my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as

an evil doer, even to the point of change. But

the word of God is not chain. Okay, So what

is Paul saying here. Paul is saying is that now

the reason why I'm in the in the prison is

because of one thing, and one thing, the message of

the Gospel, and the message of the Gospel is offensive

and is foolish to the people outside, mainly because I

believe in the resurrection. Okay, this is what Paul is saying.

I'm in change because of the Gospel, and the gospel

is offensive and foolish because we believe in the resurrection.

And he says that I will have it no other way.

It is foolish to everyone. But it is the foundation

of the gospel. Okay. And because of this I suffer.

That I suffer because the world he suffered, and the

world views him as an evil doer. Why the world

but say say he the evil doer? Because there is

nothing more powerful when you than to preach resurrection. You

get I'm saying. You know that's they nothing more powerful

than to preach resurrection. It's even more powerful than to

preach prosperity. You know, you get what I'm saying. You know,

a religion that promises after life and resurrection and a

hope greater than the than the misery. Sometimes the injustice

of the life is more powerful than anything. No government,

no society, no formciety can can can overcome that. You know,

you get I'm saying. Now, that is why we have

extremes levels of certain things as well. People who say, oh,

they do something, they're thinking they will be rewarded in

the afterlife as well. You get what I mean. Once

you get people to not to think that this world

and this life is temporary and there's something greater than that,

you have you have changed them, seriously, you have changed them.

You know. It's very very powerful now. So it's very

careful how what kind of afterlife they are really looking into,

you know, because if the person realizes that when someone

has nothing to lose in this LIFEI they can do

anything one and all. You know what I'm saying. No,

it's really really really really really powerful. Okay, it's very

very powerful, but also kind of dangerous. But this is

why when they look at poor this guy is teaching resurrection.

He is winning the people who are poor, who are sick,

and everybody else. The rest of the people are trying

to give money. They give money for you for one season.

You think they're gonna give they're gonna feed you for

the rest of your life. You think politicians are going

to do that. All their promises and everything, they're not

gonna do that. Nobody can promise you. Sometimes your family

members can't do that as well as much as they can.

But he is preaching resurrection and all something. So so

he to the to the politicians, to the to the

to the nation. He is a threat and not he

is a friend. This guy is to changing. Everybody is

following him. Not only he's preaching resurrection, he says, he's

seeing the resurrector. You got even more powerful and all

I've seen the resurrector and I believe it wholeheartedly. Okay.

And so Paul is being labeled as any evil doer.

And now because of his message, he is now in change.

But Paul says something very powerful, say the gospel. I

believe because of the gospel play, I've been changed. But

you must understand something. The Gospel is greater than Paul.

And you can change Paul, but you cannot change the

power of the Gospel. That is why it says that.

But the world of God is not change. It is

greater than Paul. Makes sense or not. That is why.

Because the world of God is greater than Paul, that

is why it must be passed on to faithful man.

The key, the link that makes the gospel work is

the passing down makes sense now making sense, it makes it.

Now that's the key and not both of mine. The

Gospel and the passing down to favor must happen. It

cannot be. There is why you and Jesus rose from

the dead. Resurrection is real. Ready. You must go and

make disciples. The link that makes this work. I'm saying that.

And so we must remind ourselves what we have is generation. Ah,

turn your neighbor again and say, do you know the

power of generational something something something? Okay, and saying what

I'm saying, Ah, the power of the Gospel cannot be contained. Okay. Therefore,

in verse ten, it says there because of all this

is because this revelation of truth okay, has come and

really transformed Paul's mind. He has transformed he how he

sees what he is being responsible for, and it also

transformed how he sees the world as well. He's saying

that because of this understanding, this life is passing by,

and because this world is passing by, the pain and

the suffering and the persecution will also pass by. I

get it. I get it, but I worry if Timothy

gets it. I worry if the church gets it. You

get what I'm saying no, there is what a parentdoce

that is what a parent does. So the same thing.

I worry, I know when I for you guys as well,

if you ever think about the day when persecution will come?

Are we all going to be soldiers or civilians? Are

we going to be spectators? We're going to be athletes?

Or church? Is there? Okay, there's a prayer. Then I say, hey,

we have a secret prayer meeting. Would you come and join? No? No, no, no,

no no no, don't don't don't know. I just do

my quiet time here enough already, okay, okay, that's okay, okay.

How about oh okay, are you a farmer or are

you a consumer? Do you want to go and sow?

Plan more cell groups in China? How to plant it

a tough ground and all? Huh. They cannot mean a

lot of times that they cannot be in one place

more than one time when you know you get mean right,

They cannot mean why not? I got one friend who

was in a what's that country? On the power It

was in the power serving there for I feel, I

mean a decade of plus ready, maybe ten plus years,

got married there. I think he's got six kids I don't.

I can't imagine how people six kids, man, he's got

six kids. Very and it's a very funny guy, very strong,

very powerful guy. And he told me that, you know

that when when they share the gospel, they are always hunted,

hunted by certain group people. Okay. And he one day

he someone you see for dream, you know, and a

warning in the spirit, and he go in and told

my friend. He said that, hey, they are onto you.

Your name has been identified. They know what you're doing

because he was doing it like something like a childcare

or something like a restaurant, but it's actually self like

a front for cell groups and stuff as well. And

then they found it. Ready they found there. Oh yeah,

you're not cell groups, right, he was selling Oh there

was a pop Okay, that's not your knee right, it's okay.

Then the knee pop there would be very long. Okay. Yeah,

what was I saying? So a front or a restaurant front. Yes, yeah,

he was not a restaurant. He was selling equipment, sports

equipment and stuff like that. So they discovered him. So

when he warn him, he managed to buy a ticket

reading three days, you know, the fourth day they left.

On the fifth day, they came to his house arrest.

They found the river left ready one day, this difference

just by the neck of it, and they couldn't they

couldn't go back ready. But they caught some of the

some of the other what they called it, members for

other churches. But they may should escape from it as well.

But you see, this is the challenge, you know, when

you are being persecuted, understand that this world will pass by,

pushy cushions will come, but yet they will move on

as well. And so the problem, the biggest threat to

our church in this modern generation is that we are consumers,

we are spectators, and we are civilians. Yeah we are

let me repeat it in the same we are civilians,

we are consumers and we are spectators. The three mindsets

that has destroyed the church. And we have power of

the gospel, but no roots to pass down. Power of

the gospel staying inside the church, but no roots to

go outside. You know what I'm saying now, what God

has always intended for the church and the gospel, it's

not I mean, it's there, but has been failing his challenge. See,

the devil is always trying to do that, isn't it.

It's either too in a distract to this. If the

don't want to drain, you know, to drain you. And

the fourth one, I can't find a d yet, you know.

But it's to make you complacent, to make you really, really,

really complacent. It's nothing more said that I tend to

see an ethnic become a spectator. You know. You know

what I'm saying now. You see it. Every year there

are always good prospects. Wanting good prospect some people will say, oh,

the next Messy, the next Ronaldo, the next Michael Jordan,

the next Kobe Bryant, you know, the next or whatever

they come. But yet you see them for a potential.

But yet in the YEARLD and tour, they're out of

the league. You know, they're out of the spots. Nor

team hire them. And you know why, because they start

to let go. They start when the moment they get recognized,

they let go. They think they're earning. They signed the

deal already, that's it. Really, they don't continue some some

some in sports call it they didn't continue on the

path of greatness, or they didn't continue on the path

of greatness. They didn't do what was necessary day in

and day out to become great. They were just an athlete,

and then he became a spectator. The great became an athlete,

and they became great. I mean I they became great.

And how many of you know Steph career, Stephan career.

A lot of people like to see his jump shot

shoe shoe, you know, and then they they're the supposed

night night, you know, good night. You know, n night

mean means I caught you sleeping. Ah, it means I know. Well.

Of course, Steph Curry's greatest super power is not just

jump short. I mean, jump shot is one of it. Okay,

his greatest superpower, if you watch basketball, is that he

never stops running. Ah, Steph Curry's greatest ability is that

he never stops running. You see, to God, to defend

a shooter, you just raise your hand on it. But

to guard someone who is always running around behind side

away from you, you know, he's using the whole entire

court using He's using nine people on the court to

run around, and all you're chasing him around nine people.

You know, basically there is what basketball to him. He

changed the game. You know, he really changed the game,

because I asked he changed again. He was running around,

He used nine fella to run around. You were catching

the fellow the moment he catched the ball. He can

shoot so fast it's better than a free throw and all.

So he really changed the games. Like whoa Steph Cury?

People don't understand he just think he's a shooter. No,

his greatest PopOut is that he uses nine people and

runs around like crazy. So because he uses nine people

to run around all the other rest he when people

got him, he's not one fellow that in five people

had to get him five vella because everybody is to

move where he is. He's so deadly and when people move,

all his teammates are open. But he does that because

he puts so much training into his regime, so much

training into his regime. Say that for every shot that

Steph Currey makes, right, he makes three hundred practices yet

me right, So it means that in his own time,

where he shoots three hundred three three pointers, it is

to earn one three point in the real game. So

my question is, if you want to score, are you

willing to pay that price? You get me right, three

hundred for one, three hundred for one, three hundred for one.

You're like, oh my goodness, but when he once happens,

people see it everywhere who greatness, but you don't see

the pain behind it. You know, It's like, isn't it.

So sometimes when you want to get the way you are,

you don't get to make the rules. You really don't care.

In fact, the key is there. You do more than anyone.

You do more than what the rule demands. The rule.

The rule says that if everyone the standard says, you

wake up at a certain time and you practice the man,

he the great ones will do, wake up and do

greater than that. You go, I mean right, you do

greater than that as well. Okay. So the so what

I'm saying is that is that you know, we as

a church, we have to understand the times that we

are living in. We must get ready before the season come.

And I tell you the end time is coming very

very very soon. Okay, there's going to be a lot

of funny things that's going to be talking preach about Christianity.

It's happening in in the world. A ready, you think

that it's just happening in certain parts of the country.

I think the more civilized parts of the country is

in the world is also happening already people are gearing

out to find Christianity very offensive, very hard to digest,

very foolish to preach about a person who raised from

the dead, Very foolish to talk about a God who

might not accept certain kind of lifestyff in the world

as well, when the world is going into universal acceptance already,

isn't it universal acceptance already? Okay, so now let's close

this part. He says, yeah, verse ten. Therefore, I endure

all things for the sake of the elect. Okay, for

the sake of idiot. Like what you do, you do

it for the sake of the elect, because what you

have is generational that they may also obtain the salvation

which is in Christ Genus Jesus with eternal glory. The

main teaching that the problem what they have was that

people were denying the resurrection. Ready, But I tell you,

no matter how you think about it, no matter what

people may say that it's foolish, you can never let

go of the resurrection. May no mistake are you can

never separate Christianity from red if you just remove that

in just a Christianity is just where I like to

go because to feel good. If you think that Christianity

is just where you like to do a nice worship.

If you think that Christianity is just where I like

to get my to be prayed for, there is no

Christianity I understand now. Christianity is about a hope of

resurrection in Jesus Christ. Okay, true? Not you agree on?

Agree on? No Ah, no agree. You cannot separate it all.

It cannot, no matter how foolish you think it is,

how incredible you think it is the truth. Next time

I will take it. I will teach you, guys. I'll

tell you. I tell you more about about how you

know that the resurrection is real. There's a way you

know that Jesus is real. Not because you know you

believe in Jesus. Not not because you see the resurrection.

Now you see the resurrection after you believe in Jesus. Oh,

it's so weird. What kind of teaching is this one? Oh?

That is true? Know why I say that? Because Jesus said, man,

you know you have Thomas. You have seen it and believe.

Blessed are those who have not seen it, but you

have believe. How is it possible? Next time I will

teach you guys. Okay, it's in the road. Two may yus. Okay,

it's very important. Okay, let's that's that's culture. In verse eleven,

it says, this is a faithful saying. For if we

died with him, we also live with him. Okay, we

have seen the cross. You must complete it by believing

in the resurrection. You cannot see the cross without the resurrection.

So if we die with him, we shall also live

with him. For if we endure, we shall also reign

with him. Okay, there is something greater than this what

you and you're Eventually you will overcome and you will

rule with Christ as well. If we deny him in

this moment where it matters the most, he will also

deny us. Jesus White, it is true. He was like, whoa,

so harsh. I thought we're talking about the love and

the grace of God. But Jesus says in Matthew ten,

if anyone denies me before before men, I will deny him. Also,

if anyone confessed me before men, I will confessing Mosaul.

There is a price to be paid. May not me say, ah,

it's not it's not. It may not be comfortable, but

it's the truth. It may not be comfortable, but it's

the truth. And I will tell you this. Some people

might not like it, but it's a truth. You have

to consider the price you pay. You have to consider, okay.

That's why some of us we have to pay with

you know, because people might not like us sometimes even

because of our family members or so know, but may

may say it's truth, it is irreplaceable. And lastly, if

we are faithless, he remains faithful. So it's both a

warning and also a comfort as well. Yeah, mean right,

It's a warning and it's also a comfort. He said

that if we are faithless, okay, he remains faithful. Why

because God is greater than us. God cannot deny himself yet,

mean right. We cannot think like God. We cannot imagine

God like how we imagine ourselves, our parents, our families,

or how the world disappoints us. You know, God is

greater than all of this. His faithfulness is supreme. Okay.

His faithfulness is supreme, greater than my past, greater than

my failures. And I look to you. That's why it

goes back to the same thing, you know, it goes

back today to be strong in the grace of Jesus Christ.

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

information on our church, please visit as church org. We

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this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you. God bless