The Dead Church | Pr Matthew Chang

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

Okay. So today I'm gonna be continuing on this series, Okay,

coming to the finishing line eventually soon on the seven

Churches in the Book of Revelations. So turned with me

to Revelations chapter three. And yes, before I forget, I

just want to send the woman's regards from Pastor Kenneth

and pass Andra to you all as well. Okay, Revelations

chapter three, and then I will begin by praying. Okay,

let's start with a world prayer. Hello, Yeah, Father, we

thank you for this wonderful day that we can be here. Lord,

even as we go through this very important and powerful

scripture here about the church in Sadis, we pray that

you will open our hearts really to watch, to remember

and to Lord really attend, Father God, with any areas

in our lives. Father God, that you have called us

to Father, and so Lord today we pray that your word,

Father God, it will do its powerful work to minister

to us, to bring life, to bring guidance, Father God,

correction as well, Father God into our lives, so that

law that we will continue to prosper continue, Father God,

to living the life that you intend for us, Father God,

And so we commit this time onto your law. Holy Spirit,

be with us in Jesus my name. We pray. Amen.

All right. Revelations Chapter three, I'm gonna read. We'll do

maybe I will read line by line and I will

expound it, and then we will Yeah, we will go

a bit more. Okay. Chapter three, verse one, and he

says here the title says the dead Church. Okay, we

started with the loveless church, the persecuted church, the compromising church,

the corrupt church, and the dead church. How come I

all right? And also solemn? It gets worse and worse

and worse, like, oh my goodness, you just tell you

one thing. You know, sometimes you know, you think you

think we are like this, You know we are doing well.

But yet when it comes to God's measurement, I think

he doesn't means words. You know. God is not in

the business or a everybody gets a gift. Everybody gets

a consolation, and not of price. No, he measures it.

He measures and examines us very closely. He tells us

the condition that we ought to not like someone who

is angry. I don't think he's fully. Of course, he

is stern and are very straight in certain things. But

he tells us and corrects us like I will say,

like a father, and also like a doctor as well. Okay,

you don't want to see a doctor who just gives

you positivity. Yeah, it's okay, you no problem, Just continue

eating what you want. A doctor, the right doctor will

give you the right diagnosis and tell you better watch

what you eat. Your cholesterol is high. Yeah, your cholesterol

is not high, it's just on the higher standard. No, okay,

it's high. Okay, all right. So it says here the

dead church, and in verse one he says, and to

the Angel of the Church in sardis right these things,

says he who has the seven spirits of God and

the seven stars. I know your works you, that you

have a name, that you are alive, but you are dead.

Let me continue reading on. Be watchful and strengthen the

things which remain. They are ready to die, for I

have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore

how you have received and heard. Hold fast and repent. Therefore,

if you will not watch, I will come upon you

as a thief, and you will not know what hour

I will come upon you. You have a few names

even in Sardis, who have not dey found their garments.

And they shall walk with me in white, for they

are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments.

And I will not blot out his line name from

the book of Life, but I will confess his name

before my father and before his angels. He who has

an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to

the churches. Oh, very strong words from the Lord himself. Okay,

Now this is talking to the church in sidi is. Okay,

And I want to draw attention to the first verse

which says these things, says he who has the seventh

spirits of God and the seven Stars. Let's take that

clearer out of the way first, so that you guys

know what the Lord is speaking to. So if you

know the point past messages on this series, you know

not always in every letter to the churches that the

Lord always introduced himself again and again, I keep repeating this.

The Lord repeats himself as not in the first Church,

as the one who holds the seven stars in his

right hand, who was in the midst of the in

the midst of the seven lampstep. So is Jesus as

a priest. Okay, And you're seeing Jesus, who was the

first and the last, who was there and came to life,

the one who who was, who who overcame death as well,

who holds the keys to life. In every letter, Jesus

introduces himself differently. And why because he has he has

a specific message and a specific appearance that he wanted

to appear to these churches to give them both a

warning and to give them a hope. Okay, to give

them a warning and to give them a hope. Okay.

And and you and we see here to the Church

of Sadist Jesus introduces himself or appears to them as

the one who has the seventh spirits of God and

the seven Stars. Now these are two separate things. What

is the seventh spirits of God? I'm not gonna go

into too much into it, but just to briefly introduce

your you guys to what it is, or if you

go to my slide to the next line. Okay, So

the seventh spirits of God are here. You can go

to the Old Testaments. I'm not going to go into

it because it's very long. These are the Spirit of

the Lord, okay, okay, And the Spirit of knowledge, the

spirit of understanding, the Spirit of wisdom, the spirit of counsel,

the Spirit of Might, and the spirit of the fear

of the Lord. Does that mean there are seven persons

in there? No? Okay. The spirit is not talking about

the spirit of a person, but the manifold spirit, manifestation,

or you can call it the officers or the power

or the ministry that is reflected through the Holy Spirit. Okay.

And all of these are one and full in Jesus Christ. Okay.

There are one and there are. When I say there

are one means that they do not lack one another.

They are one. They all learn to one another. They

are all the same, part of the same being. Okay,

they do not. They are just like hey, they exists

only one without the other. There are one, and they

are full, and they are complete in Christ. Christ is

the full display of all of that. Okay. So now

imagine Jesus comes and say that I am the one

who has the seventh spirits of God. On one hand,

and on the other hand, it says, there and the

seven stars. So what do the seven stars actually represent?

If you read the earlier passages, you will know that

the seven stars represents the churches. Okay, So on one hand,

Jesus has the Seventh Spirits and on the other hand

the seven Stars. One is the manifestations of the ministries

and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with Jesus is

and the other hand the churches. So Jesus also died

for the church. The church is called to be the

bride for Christ. And both of these are needed hand.

But when you bring them together, what is Christ doing?

What is Christ's message by bringing these two together? And

to his audience? Okay, what does it mean? Anybody want

to guess? Why did Jesus bring this two together? The

Seventh Spirits and the seven Stars? My understanding, Okay, this

is my understanding. I'm not saying this God, this man understanding. Okay.

What it means is Jesus is weighing the church. And

that say what I'm saying, He examines and he weighs.

When you weigh something, there must be a scale. It

cannot weigh against nothing, you know what I mean, Not

against the world, nothing else. There's full measure there. We

are weigh against the fullness and the completeness is the

Holy Spirit fully reflected in Christ, the seventh spirits of

the Lord. And the Church, which is bought safe redeem

by Christ himself, is also way with the Holy Spirit

as well. You know what I'm saying or not. Jesus

is the fullness himself, and he saved the church, the

believers as a community. Okay, And there is a standard

that we are called to and which is way against

the seven spirits of God. And that's say why I'm saying, no,

this is what it means. And we know that I

believe this is true because we read the later verses.

It gives us a kid why this is very credible.

He say, it's what I know your works. Ah, Jesus

has done the work. Okay, Jesus has done the work.

He has the ministry, he has the completeness. But yet

he sees the church. They have names, but not only

just their names, because of what when he weighs them,

he sees their works as well. And that and then

he goes on to say that after examining you, that

you have a name, and you think you are alive,

but yet you are dead. And we know they are

there not because hey, you're going to put they are

dead because it's weighed against the seven spirits of the

h makes sense. And someone I was saying, so every time,

when a lot of times the key to understanding is

always within the scripture. Don't try to That's what we

mean that always interpret things within the scripture. Don't get outside.

You see what I'm saying. Now, if you go out,

you know it tends to be. I'm not saying it's

always wrong. It can, It's possible. The safest way is

always too beIN to interpret within the scripture. The keys

and the logs are always inside there, and you stay

within there. Okay. So we see that God is examining, okay,

and he found that the church is dead. Okay, so

I've come to examine, and I found that the church

is that even though you have a name, but you

are dead. And then from there on, after the conclusion,

he goes into what the doctors do. The doctor don't

just say that, hey, you have high cholesterol or you

have this, and that he tells you what you need

to do next. Okay, So now it's not just the diagnosis.

Now is the recommendation. Now it's the medication. Okay, what

is the recommendation? And medication. In verse two, it says,

be watchful and strengthen the things which remain. They are

ready to die for. I have not found your works perfect.

Before gone again, it says, I have not found Okay,

Jesus is like the auditor. It's like like the auditor

is checking everything here because he bought the seven Spirits

of God. Okay, he's lived through with it and he's

examining and he said, you are not perfect. But you

asked that. Hey, but Jesus, you know, I thought we

Christians are living by grace and we're not supposed to

be working for our salvage. Should supposed so difficult. You know.

Some of you say, hey, when I believe became a Christian,

I didn't buy for this. I didn't sign up for this,

you know, such a difficult holy life. And then oh

I have to live up to standard. It's like being

a child of a very difficult and high high standard parent.

You know, you know what I'm saying. You know, it's like, ah,

some people say Asian parent a not enough, No, A

say A plus plus one and not if not? You know,

some people will say already failure, you know, but it's

not a good thing. Okay, but wait, how can such

a thing? I thought, it's just a grace. But if

you read this entire versus, this entire scripture, and especially

in verse four, you will see this particular word. Okay,

verse four it says, you have a few names, even

in Saudis, who have not defiled their garments, and they

shall walk with me in white. Okay. He talks about

believers who have not defiled themselves. Okay, But the qual

that Jesus look for them, he didn't say, Oh, they

were loving, they were kind, they were gracious. What is

that one word that Jesus described them? Because for they

are worthy? The word worthy. So turn to your neighbor

now and ask yourself and ask them, are you worthy? Worthy? No?

I actually prepared this message, right, I prepared a serious message,

and this word didn't come up to me until I

came this morning. You know, are you worthy? Are you

worthy to become a Jedi? Are you a worthy Jedi?

Too old to become a Jedi? Or whatever it is? Okay, worthiness,

it's such a word that we hardly use nowadays because

now people tend to be entitled. Oh, the word opposite

of worthiness is entitled. Are you worthy? You don't apply.

You don't get a job because of a certain gender,

or a certain race, or a certain connection. You get

a job, you get a promotion because you are worthy.

But it's worthy even in the gospel. Are you safe

because you are worthy? I get safe because I was

a kinder person than so and so and so, I

was nicer. I gave this. No, none is worthy, trua.

We are all none. We're not all not worthy to

be said, we're not not worthy. Not. We only say,

by the grace of God true. Not think about it

another time? Where's my where's my daughter? For? I can't

see them? Do nowhere? Oh yeah, they're hiding there. She's like, bye.

Not does she have to do anything to become my daughter?

To be born? Before she was born, that she had

to fill up, perform look a certain high will score straight? Okay,

tell my wife you can, you can, you can? You

can get her to be born out ready qualified? Ready, there,

you become my daughter. You inherit my chunk name. You

are worthy to inherit the chunk name. Okay? Do they

do that? No? I had no idea how she would

look like, how she would behave, how naughty she would

be that she's not naughty, that she's an angel. I

do nothing to inherit to be my daughter. It is

purely what unconditional corent Now so many things. There are

things that can do it like they are conditional. But

there are things in life that require us to be worthy.

We are safe not based on our works, but when

we are safe already, we are called to live worthy

of our calling makes sense or not. So when you

are safe, Readia, there is a worthiness that you live

up to. That means when we are all say there,

it's a standard we are live, we are called to.

Why is this concept of wordiness so important? You know? No, no,

why is this concept of wordiness so important? You know

that in the Bible, in the Book of Revelations that

there is a scene where John was taken up okay,

and there was a seal that no one could open.

The elders and everyone else couldn't open. And he started

to weep. Hey, I can't remember if someone can look

for the scripture, he started to whip. Then someone said

that don't weep before, because the Lamb of God is here,

and the Lamb of God is worthy to open the scroll.

You know what I'm saying. Now, So Jesus was not

just the gracious one. He is worthy because he lived

the life of righteousness, fullness of it, and died for

us who were not worthy. So in every measure he

was worthy. And because of his worthiness he could open

the seal. You know what I'm saying now. Nobody can

just simply open the seit because I want to, because

I am this. No, No, you have to earn to

become worthy to open the seal. So all the earth

no one could open. But the lamb of God was

worthy as well, and so all of us were also

called to live to a world lifestyle of wordiness, to

a calling there is to be worthy before God as well.

And that is why you see. So I'm not teaching

contradicting things. No, yeah, me right. My daughter cannot be

worthy enough to be my daughter one. You know you

know what I'm saying. They say I am worthy they

did today, I'm your daughter, I'm your son today. No,

you always be my son. You will always be my daughter.

But but there are things that you do in school,

in church, or anywhere else that I can be very

unpleased with. So you cannot be doing anything to become

my daughter. But it's your job and responsibility to leave

a life that will please me. Ah, you know what

I'm saying. Not everyone understand now? You are all all

of us, Yeah, are someone's sons and daughters trouna some

of you who do not have sons and daughters in it. There's

nothing your children can do to earn your love more

or anything else. But of course there are things that

they can do. They can please you. This please you

as well. That is entirely there responsibility. So we are safe, yes,

But are we called to live life pleasing to God? Yes?

So daily every day you ask yourself, are you pleasing

your heavenly father? Are you living a life that is worthy? Okay?

Turn your neighbor, are you living a life there is worthy?

Makes sense? Or no? Am I am? I am? I

talking sense here? I'm not confusing you are. So if

someone comes to your to your life and gives you

a brand of theology or Christianity, say you are saying

you don't have to have anything else to do. He

says like, you just need to be have a chuk

name and you can do whatever you want. You don't care,

do whatever you want? No, no such thing one Okay

we are, we have, we have, we bear the name

of Christ in our lives. We are called to live

up to that standard. Makes sense, So that will set

the rules. I can set a bit of standard for

everyone here. Okay, so he says, yeah, let me come

back again the verse two. Be watchful and strengthen the

things which remain. They are ready to die. Now, why

did Jesus say that? You know? Continue to watch. Don't worry.

I'm halfway downe ready, almost done. Ready, okay, be ready

and watchful, be watchful and strengthen the things. The city

of sadists. I'm not going to geek out too much. Okay. Uh,

it's not past having world will say that I'm too

gieky already he labeled me. He labeled me giky. Know

how there he knows he labeled me giky. You know

it's like geeky. Okay, I am a gig Okay. The

city of sardis Okay, I'm not gonna go too much

into it, okay. Uh. It's it's actually a very powerful city,

very powerful, and what is most known for is that

it's very high up on the cliff elevator and it

has strong walls. Very good, very good walls. Okay, I

don't know. I have a picture bies okay, low wolves,

and because of their walls, they live very confidently that

nobody will be able to breach their defenses. Okay. But

because of this, history actually reveals that the city of

Sardia has had actually been invaded and fully infiltrated twice before,

and one prominently and once prominently by the Persians. And

how did they do it. They actually manage to find

a crevice on one of the walls, and they climb

and they send one guy okay to climb up. I

think it's about one thousand feet something like that, Okay,

to climb all the way and open the front door. Okay.

And so it's like a lot of times are the

city is. Especially here, the names actually quite linked into

the analogy or the message that Jesus is always referring to.

Ever you talk about, all the different cities always have

a link as well. So when Jesus talks about be

watchful and strengthen the things which remain to the people

in Sadis, they actually know what Jesus is talking about

up because it's related to their their their heritage, their history,

their culture, culture, their history, of where they come from, okay,

and they knew that this. Despite how majestic and strong

this city is, they have fallen before, and they fell

because they were not watchful. Okay, they were not watchful.

So this message became very not just clear clear, it

became very close to them. Instead. I'm saying, message can

be clear, but their messages they are close to you.

It was very close to the people's side. It's because

they knew what it meant. Okay, So Jesus went for

a message that was clear and close to them and

said that be watchful and strengthen the things which remain.

But they are ready to die. He's says this. It's

not just you have a cravice. You watch, they still remain.

They are still there, and you think you are safe,

but watch closely. They are actually dead and they are

dying you. Because you watch this balcony or this area

this you know this for this tower, they look safe

you so you never go and manage them. And because

of that, your eyes betray you, and eventually the foundation

will betray you as well. And because of that, your

whole entire city becomes compromised. And the same way it

is to be said about the church and also to

the life and the devotion of every believer. That you

look at it, you think of it as alive, as healthy.

But yet when God weighs not according to the eyes

of man, but according to the seven spirits of the Lord,

it is dead. Makes sense? It is dead? Okay? And

so you know, the question is, you know what know?

How do we continue to have this awareness, this vigilance

to make sure that things are not dead? Okay? In

adverse three, it says, remember therefore, how you have received

and heard, hold fast and repent. Okay. Therefore, if you

will not watch our come upon you as a thief,

and you will not know what our will come upon you, Okay, Okay.

So the first thing that we have to do is

to remember, okay, how many of you are very good

and remembering things? How many of you are very bad

and remembering things? Hands down? That's okay. I know we're

too many honest people here already, We're all ready to

raise raise their hands already, most of us, I think,

I mean, I know a few people who are good

remembering things, but many of us are not very good

and remembering things. It's not that we're not good remembering,

and we just have selective remembrance. We have selective memory.

The things you know, we know when are things that

we remember, the things we ought to remember when we

are in pain, when we are in danger, when we

are at loss. So now and these three things are

will make you remember even you forgot. You don't need

your spouse to remind you. Oh I should remember. I

remember things I tell you when something bad happens. You

can remember things are five, ten, twenty, thirty years ago,

one and all into the detail you know you got

I mean right, so it's not locked away. It's just

a lot of times you never look into it, and

all you're like, oh so pain, loss and all these

things have a really powerful way of reminding us. That's

why sometimes I get irritated when I tell my children

and say, hey, do you remember. No, it's not that

you don't remember. It's not important to you. That's why

you don't remember. That's my daughter not here. But we're

all the same. We've been there before, isn't it. We

don't remember. It's not because we know. It's not that

we have bad Maria. I think yes, but there's like

zero point zero one percent. It's just that it hasn't

hurt you yet, isn't it He hasn't hurt you yet.

That's why I we say, the older fox I have

Sometimes they have very good memory on certain things. You

know why, because they've been true a lot before. You

know what I mean? Right, It's not they had better memory.

It's just that because of the soul and the pain

they went through, it was stilled in their mind. They

keep telling us, remember do this, remember, remember, remember, remember

the tone of the fire. Because you're not your house

will burned down the scale. You've seen things before, it

hurts before. That's why they remember. But and Jesus caused

them to remember. Remember what Therefore, how you have received?

And heard say Remember how you not when, and not

how you have received? Remember who you were when you

received the grace of God? Who you really are before this,

before you were made worthy by God, before you were

called by God? Who were you? You were lost? You

were nothing. You didn't get anything, You didn't earn anything,

you freely received it. So now don't be so proud

about things and saying not you think that you got

saved because you did a law of devotion and Bible study. No,

you're saved by the grace of God. But because you

have been given such a great privilege, you need to

do your devotion. You need to do your Bible study,

you need to take time to reflect, You need to

keep I would say this are keep traditions. Okay, turn

to your neighbor and say, do you keep traditions? The

power of traditions are so important, you know, so important

that Jesus even tells the church to keep traditions. You know,

you know what the two traditions that every church are

called to keep to. While the two keep traditions, communion

and baptism must always never depart. It must never depart.

Some people call it tradition. Some people call it what's

the word? Uh, it's not the world anyway. So these

are things that we must remember and keep again. Remember therefore,

how you have received and how you have heard, hold

fast and repent. Okay, So we are called to remember

the things. Okay, we are called to hold fast. Holding

fast means what to keep, to care, it's not just

the whole time. To keep and to care, to not

let go and hold on something else. You know what

I'm saying. What I'm saying, No, to not let go.

A lot of times are we you know, we we

think it's important. But yet a lot of times we

make decisions we don't realize it that we start to

we take one hand off us, tell you one hand

of us. Then you feel like, hey, steady, ready, Then

you leg go the other hand. You start to move

on already you think that this is the will of God. Ready. Oh,

then you move on ready, But you don't realize it's

a different trail, it's a different house, it's a different

it's a different path that it's leading you to as well.

But God is saying, keep to the things that you

have received and hurt, and you have to continue to repent. Nowadays,

a lot of other places don't like to teach the

word repentance. Do you know that every day you repent.

When you repent, you continue repenting. When you confess, you

continue confessing. You're you don't do it once you know,

you continually do it. You repent, you continually repent. You

know what I'm saying. Now, it doesn't mean you do

want you turn, you go back to the straight path again.

You turn, really change your direction, you keep to the

correct direction. You get me in right, just because there's

a behind. You turn your changing direction again. Okay, you continue,

doesn't mean there's a start, but you turn. No, you repent,

you change, you continue this path ready, And that's what

I'm saying. No, So every day we have to continue

repenting because we are all at a walk. We all

have this problem that we have we live with, which

is called the flesh that is always tempting us. Okay,

this is always tempting us. Okay, so we have to remember,

we have to keep and we have to repent. Now.

I want to draw to a close here, Okay, but

I want to make this more practical. Okay, I keep

this very simple and practical. Okay. I want us to

really take time to really consider what God has taught

us today, to really ask ourselves to examine ourselves, especially

as we come to the end of twenty twenty four.

Are we living our lives to the standard and to

the calling according to Jesus Christ to why it is

called us to not just according to what to your neighbor,

or I'm better than him, or I'm better than no,

so and so. Oh, this is the Christian lives. I

think it's blessed. No, it's according the true measurement of

any Christian life is always Christima self. May no mistake.

You never live your comparison, your benchmark of your life

right now. It's not the other person is not YouTube,

it's not tick dot. The comparison has always been Christ.

If you lived according to another person's standard, to the

world standard of Christianity, you will get lost. I have

a whole entireement about it before. I told you guys before,

remember about abortion, remember about wokeness. Before you live your

life according to that, you will get confused. You will

think abortion it's okay. You will think wakeness is okay.

You will think everything is okay. No, the true standard

and measure of our lives is Christ. And you're saying now,

the true measure is Christ. So when you when you

live to Christ, you can totally see what it is. Now.

I'll go through a check list here. Okay, there's a

checklist for myself and checklist for all of us here

as we take time to ask ourselves, how have we

lived up to the calling of God part of the world.

I put it into a three three to four slightlyah,

but I'm just gonna go through some of it quickly.

Examining our relationship with God. First one, do I love

God more? Deeply and passionately? Ask yourself? You know, if

you've been married? Do I love my wife more? And

my husband more? Do I actually love my children a

bit more? When I say love, it's not like just feelings,

you know, you get me right, It's not just feelings,

you know, it's like, hey, do I think about them more?

And my kinder and my gentler? Do I desire more good?

Then you say do I love God more? It's like

do I really treasure Him more? Is He more important

in my life? Next? One? Do I live with greater

reverence and all of God? Is He bigger right now?

In my life? You know? See what I'm saying? Is

He bigger? The simple word? Is God bigger in my life?

Or is he smaller? When you say God is bigger

means you're surrounded by Him when you turn left and right,

you see Him first before you see anything else. When

someone tempts you with something, when someone gives you an

opportunity with something that it's not a God is always bigger,

you know what I'm saying. Now, you look at things

that you don't look at the object versus the temptation.

You see God everywhere us No, not in alignment, not

in the right perspective, and scale wrong. It's got really

that big? Do I have a strong longing to pray?

From beginning of this year till now? You gotta ask?

Have you decided to pray a bit more? And if

it's not? Why? Why? It means? This is something I'm

going to ask myself. Have you decided to pray a

bit more? Why? Yes? And why not? Why not? Is

it because they're not enough? Prayer needs? Is it? I

tell you there's no sure prayer needs to have people.

The only difference is urgency. You know, the only difference

is urgency here? So why have I not? Do I

even bother? Do you see yourself on your knees praying

or waking up praying? Or is it only when there's

pain and laws that we begin to pray? Do I?

Do I long to read the Bible? Do I lean

long to worship? Am I more consistent in small acts

of obedience? Consistent every time there is I obey small

acts of obedience and faithfulness? Or am I losing faith

in a lot of things? You got mean? Right? Just

losing a lot of faith in relationships? Are these are

things that kills a relationship? Want to know when you

start to a I just don't want to follow what

my wife says. That my wife says, do this and

do that, remember to close the toothpaste tube, or I

don't want to. I don't want to disclose my my

sticky life. Okay, before you now, But these other things

are that erode away your marriage? One isn't it ask

you to remember your foret purposely forget one? Okay, don't

want to obey? Okay? And faithfulness I trust you, but

you cannot be trusted God as well. Hey, I'm not

asking you to serve the whole. Just do this thing

for this week, for this month, for these people, just

a bit. I know it takes up some time of you.

I know it's a bit inconvenience, but not just being faithful,

but to have a bit of faith in you. You

get me right, There's a difference now doing You can

do things faithfully, but without faith it's another thing. You know.

It's like I want to visit I know, I think

my marriage is not good. I ought to visit and

see my wife a bit more. But you go and

see your wife with no faith or with no expectation

of what's the pointer. I'm just seeing you because I

want to see you, and hopefully by coming here it

will work out. What's the point? You could have say, Hey,

I'm showing up here, but I'm expecting something. I want

to sew into my marriage. I want to sew into

my children, Okay, And because of that, I want to

I want to expect. I want to have a bit

of courage and a bill of guts to believe something

will come out from me. You can't mean right. Because

of that, then you will take risk and because of

that then you will step out a bit Okay? And

am I more thankful to God in all circumstances? Has

something robbed you this year? Someone cut you in the

in the in the car. Someone maybe didn't pay back

your money you lend to them. Are you still smiling?

How many are you? How many of you have people

borrowing money from you? Have never paid Bayer required? Right now?

I have a though, maybe will borrow money from me

close ones, friends? What's a family members? Oh, that's the

hardest one to borrow money? Have the pay back every

day you pray for them? Pay my trick is for

this my my general guidance for people. Okay, say, when

you learn, you got to be prepared to give as

if you're not going to get back. You really have to.

I'm not saying that you are. You label yourself as

a free lender, okay, but you've got to be ready.

You really have to be ready to lend, not expecting

that you know why, because if not, the devil is

going to find an opportunity to really sol something into

your heart because you're holes so tight. You get mean, right,

You got to be able to let go. Whether the

person gives you back to you, it's up to the

Lord already gift like that. Some people, you know, actually

I know sometimes I deviate that someone was having a

problem with how the church, you know, not using the

money using for this and for something else. And it's

not because that the misappropriating money. It's just using for

this maybe like say, for this particular area of ministry,

and then they're using it for this as well, and

then because of that make huge complains. Okay, I'm not

going to go into specificity or extremes. Okay, I understand

what I'm saying here. I feel that generally people should

just give, generally give, and we really pray for God's

wisdom and guidance for the church. But I be into

one church and when I saw that, I was very surprised.

I'm not saying that it's right and wrong. And then

you know in the gift offering, right, and then they

head offering boxes right this church that I went to,

you know how many offering boxes they have? Five, six

or seven, one for tyson communion, one for staff salary,

one for building renovation, one for missions, one for children ministry,

one for this, one for their one for the oh later.

And then every morning you can come up to church, Oh,

I feel like we want to buy. And if you

cannot touch the one for this one, now, how do

you feel that she should to do that for the family? Huh?

How should do that for the family? Don't touch? When I,

like I said, I'm not one to go into legalities,

I don't want to talk about governors. I'm an auditor.

By the way. If you can't talk the governance, I

am the guy. Okay. I know I know governors more

than anything I know separation or thing I know. But

when I look at it and I'm saying I'm not

looking at it, I'm like, where's the spirit of giving

and then learning to let God take control? You come

saying or not when you start to have so many boxes.

Certain things that I can tell you, not many institutions

are in our lives that will survive her. Not the

marriage institution, not the friendship institution, not the fact. Also,

not anything that you build if you're gonna segregate like that,

and you can cut borders into every single thing with

your friends elping, this is the part where I draw

the liner. This is where you draw the liner. Don't touch,

I don't cross. How the work? You know why marriage?

You saw hard? Because every day they are crossing borders.

You know, you do understand what I'm saying. Every day

they're testing your boundaries. Everything, everything is crossing boundaries. Your children,

every day they're crossing boundaries. So they ah, But no,

my children cut when we have dinner, when I have

my happy meal, you take one fry. That's the line.

That's the line, man, my spouse, you take a sip

on my drink. I will take your whole meal. God

like that. Wanna I buy it for my family? Oh?

You cannot take my prices. You Sometimes I do that like, Okay,

maybe when I'm really hungry on it, you can like that.

I wanna. It's like sometimes I'm not hungry, but they

are extra hungry. I give mine even though I get

to be hungry. You don't see what I'm saying. You

know why, there's a time for that one and all.

You know what I mean, right? You don't like measure

every single ding, But that's just Mela. So when I

see this ty thing. When people learn to give, that's

it's very important. Not when you give. You got to

learn to learn gift freely. He's like, oh you give,

Remember you never paid me. Oh my goodness. Don't live

a life like that. People. It's very toxic one and

not its It's going to be very painful for you

to do that. You know, like I said, if you

people borrow money from you before, I know, of course,

if you are you were wanting to payler, But don't

go and ask and bag and not and demand them

and not let the Bible say diregnant before the judge.

I don't do that. Don't do that. God has not

ever required it from you. God It's never required from you,

So don't do that. Okay, very important Okay, no cheer

if you if you think this is good life advice, okay, okay, okay,

let me, I'm flective, finish. Let me just quickly finish

my Okay. Am I more satisfied with God? Okay? Contentment?

Satisfaction and contentment with God rather than seeking for seeking

fulfillment and worthy things. What is the highlight of this

year that you were really so satisfied and full this

year when you were most full? Okay? Was it because

you get caught, something, you achieved, something you flew, you

got went somewhere, or is it really like, hey, I

am full from day one, in the middle of the

year until now, I'm full. I'm contented. I lack nothing.

You truly can say that you lack nothing. See do

I see God's will in my decisions more consistently? You

are more scared that this is not God's will than

missing out on something. You know what I'm saying. I'm

saying that some of you are more scared of missing out.

I don't know what. Oh God, why if I miss out?

No?

No, no, no, We're not chasing waves. Okay. Next one,

am I boulder in sharing my faith or standing up

for what is right. Have I stopped justifying my lack

of spiritual growth or service? Oh? Or there's a good one. Huh.

Have I stopped justifying my lack of spiritual growth and serving?

Have you had less excuses? Or have your excuses given grown? Huh?

You see the same thing? Or because this one will

take up a certain time of these, or because I

had a bad experience before. I tell you we all

go to the same thing. People, We all have these

mad memories before. But just because of one memory and

one experience, it shouldn't hold you back from having courage.

You know, love and grow continually requires courage and faith.

Let me continue finishing. Do I desire to live more

righteously from sin and separate from sin? Do I forgive

others more easy and without bitterness? Have I grown in

resisting temptation and having more discipline? Quiet? Very quiet? Are

my words more uplifting, encouraging and God honoring? Or have

I been just like if I have the opportunity just

to pull people down, or like, hey, you miss a spot,

always trying to point at someone's lack rather than their

best it Sometimes we do it very softly, you know. Haha,

you forgot this Haha. You did this very subtle, But

it's always we have this mindset just always looking for

the crevices. Okay, do I trust God more when facing

challenges and certainties? Came last line? Have I increased in

my extra service to God and others? I always when

you look at people, know this something I'm learning along

the way. Sometimes I feel like, because I'm an introverted

I always think about, oh, what can I connect with

this guy with? What can I say? Sometimes it's not

about that, you know, I have to continue change my minds,

like what about this guy that I'm so impressed with?

Why I say about this guy that I really admire

and I'm very encouraged by. You know, I just want

to know nowadays. You know, me and my wife were

every year we will pray for a word for the

Lord for the year, for ourselves, for a family. And

I told my wife that I felt like the Lord

the word for for me our household was this one

word kindness. Kindness. You know, It's funnier why I thought

that that. I think there was something led to it.

You know that there's this pastor who was named John MacArthur.

You know, you know who John maccarthur, is you know

what I'm trying. They was giving a doing a talk

with him, and they were asking him this question and say, hey,

if you have to down back the years, it was

one thing that you would have done or change if

you go back. You know why. He's one thing he said,

It's not build more schools, preach more sermons. You know,

he said one thing I wish I would be more kind? Yeah,

I mean right see yeah, And I realized this. You know,

the kindness that you do now has a very powerful

effect of redeeming the time. Okay, the kindness you do

right now has a powerful effect of redeeming the time.

Whatever that was wrong, whatever that was negative, they shouldn't have.

But today you choose to be kind just for this moment.

You don't think about tomorrow, don't think about what's possible.

You choose to be kind that these people, they are

so kind to me, telling me the time is up ready,

What a perfect seguey. I was thinking how to linker India.

They're so kind of me. You know, can we be

kind to one another? I say kind to me. Come,

let's stand together, let's do it.

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