12+1 Core Values: Discipleship Focused | Pr Gloria Paul

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

We hope this message will light up your day.

So today, if you have you know, your your booklet,

or if you're just you know, you know, you can

also get a copy if you don't have one. Right,

it's discipleship focused, Okay, discipleship focus. If you're not able

to catch up with the rest of it, you can

join us for homes because you'll be talking about it

as well. Yes, you can catch up with that as well.

And so discipleship focus is something that we're going to

be talking about, and I believe it's not something very

new to most of us. If you've been with us

for a while now, we've been talking about discipleship. In fact,

we had a whole series of it last year. Yeah,

and so it is part of our value because you

want to just remind our church and build our church

to have you know, someone who can journey with you. Right,

And why is it not just a nice, good idea

that extra came up with, But it's an idea that

Jesus himself told us to do. Right. In fact, his

instructions were very clear in the scriptures. Yeah, and so

you know, one of the things that Pastor Kennet reminded

us about discipleship is that it is a relationship, okay,

where we walk with someone, where we commit, we invest time,

and we do life with them. Right, And the thing

that we want to draw out of discipleship is transformation.

Everyone say transformation right when we look when we hear

the word transformation meaning there's something that changes, okay, And

the change may not just happen overnight. It may not

happen just after a year of working with someone, but

it's something that goes on as a process. It goes

as you know, you've been joining with the person, for example,

as a student, and then you know they get married

one day and then you start to see them serving

the Lord. You know, you see them doing great exploits

or whatever it could mean. Right, But transformation happens because

of the journey that you have with that person. Yeah, so,

Disciple Chap doesn't. It's not just like a feel good thing,

you know, because we can march them together and spend time, wealth,

all those things are good. We do have fun together.

But at the same time, there has to be a goal.

There has to be a certain desire to see the

other person to transform, to be transformed, right, to be

able to experience the fullness of what God has for

him or her.

Yeah.

So when we speak about transformation, it just means a

mindset change. Right. I'm sure you know that before we

become a believer and after we become a believer, there's

a change of mindset. Right. The things that we look at,

or how we make decisions, or how we even look

at the world what matters to us is different. Right.

We know that working hard and studying heart is good

is important, but at the same time we also know

that that's not everything.

Right.

We also need to please the lot. We have to

do his work, so that mindset tends to change, and

that is what we mean by transformation. Yeah. So the

core of this is why is discipleship important? Because Jesus

himself commanded us. Right, what does he say in Matthew

twenty eight nineteen. It says, go therefore and make disciples

of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

So you can see he starts off the sentence with go,

meaning it's an action. Okay, you don't have to try

guessing what does go actually mean? It just means you

need to go, right, It's an active word. Yeah, you

have to go and talk to someone, You've got to

share the good news, you know, you've got to show

acts of kindness. You got to go miss for missions,

go and make disciples. So it's very clear about it.

In fact, I think Jesus was very in about doing

it because as humans, we are creatures of comfort, don't

you think So until we are given a push or

until we are said to go, we might just want

to remain where we are, right, And so Jesus was

very intentional to tell that we've got to go. Yeah,

we've got to get up and get out of our

comfort zone and just do it.

Yeah.

So the thing about going and making disciples, it is

a commitment. Right for those of you who are in

a discipleship relationship, we have someone who is journeying with you,

or you are journeying with someone, you do know that

it's a commitment, and it's not just a commitment from

a leader, but it's a commitment that comes from both ways.

The person you're discipling has to also work along with you, right,

sharing of what they are going through or asking of

questions or you know, wanting someone to pray along with them.

So it's a commitment that goes together. Yeah, and it

also definitely takes a lot of time. Right, It takes time,

and in fact time I always believe it's the best

investment that you can give to someone, right, walking with them.

It takes trust, do you think so? Right, for you

to walk with someone, you need to have a relationship,

You need to have the trust.

Yeah.

And what's important is that you have a vision for

the person you're walking with, right, You have a vision,

and this vision is just means that you want that

person to be more like Jesus. Yeah, to be more

like Jesus in the way they you know, the way

they think, their decisions that they make. Because we're all

at the end of the day, that's our goal, right,

we all have one shed vision, which is to be

more like Jesus as we grow, right, And so that's

the vision that we need for someone that we are discipling.

Yeah.

So the focus here as we speak about discipleship is transformation, right,

and how does transformation happen? Is true the renewing of

our minds. Now we look at Romans twelve two. What

does it say here? It says, and do not be

conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing

of your mind, that you may prove what is it

that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. So

the Word of God remind tells us very clearly here

on what does transformation mean? Here? It just means by

the renewing of our minds, right, renewing of our minds. So,

if you want to see whether a person is truly

being transformed, is to see how they think, right, the

way they decide, the way we perceive things. That is

how you can see whether a person is transformed. It's

not the matter of how much they have changed their

fashion style or how they speak or how they dress. Well,

those things sometimes change with the way you perceive life,

but at the end of the day, it goes back

to your mind, It goes back to your heart. Right,

And it's a good time. I think you just have

a heart check of all of ourselves as well this morning. Right,

how many of us are actually renewed in our mind?

Yeah?

How many of us are actually transform Yeah? It is

a journey, right, But if you've been walking with the

lot for some time now, can you actually tell the

there's a difference between the old person and the new person? Yeah,

because there has to be a difference, because if there's

no difference, then am I a Christian? What's the difference

of me, you know, referring myself as a Christian and

a non Christian? Right, So there must be a difference

in the way I perceive the decisions that I make

on a daily basis. And there's the thing about our

Christian walk. It's not only about the big decisions that

we make, but in fact, it is also the everyday

micro things that you do. When you wake up in

the who do you think about? Right? When you make

a decision? Is God in the picture? Right, when you

speak to someone you know, or when you go through

something where you'll be quick to forgive or would you

keep it in your heart? Right? So it's all these

things that brings a transformation. You can't just expect a

transformation overnight. It doesn't happen that way, right, But it

happens on a daily basis. It happens with you reading

the Word of God. It happens when you speak with him, right,

and that is when you will see that Hey, actually

I find myself being different. I'm renewed. I don't think

the old way any longer. Yeah, So it is a journey.

And so that is why in XS we believe in

the importance of walking with someone because the thing about

transformation and change and renewed, right, it's not something that

we can just do all by ourselves.

Yeah.

I mean we can try as much as you say, yes,

maybe I'm an independent person, I'm capable. Well, good on you, right,

But that's the thing. Sometimes we may not see certain

things right because we are caught up in certain situations, right,

or when we are caught up in a certain conflict,

or when we are caught up in a certain you know, challenge, right,

And that is when you need someone to be able

to partner with you, right, to be able to walk

with you and say, hey, can I pray along with you?

Yeah?

Or a leader could be someone who actually challenges you

and say why don't you do this? Right? And so

that is why we believe in discipleship. To see a

change or to see a transformation is when you have

someone who can do it with you.

Yeah.

And so that is why sometimes finding someone that you

can journey with is not as simple as okay, just

because I like you, Can you be my leader?

Right?

Or can you be the one who disciples me? But

it takes time to pray about it. That is why

we always say pray okay. And if you feel that,

yes there's someone you can build relationships with, someone you

can connect with, then we start the relationship. Yeah. So

it is not just a feel good friendship, but it's

a very spiritual thing as well. Yeah, because you're speaking

into someone else's life. Yeah, so it's very important. Yeah.

So now going back to renewing. Yeah, renewing here, if

you look at the Greek word okay, it's called matter

no noia Okay, it means repentance. And what it means

here is a change of thinking or mindset, not just

an emotional experience, like I said, just a feel good thing, yeah,

but that change in our minds that we will no

longer leave the same way. Okay. So when we talk

about change, or when we talk about a renewed mind,

it usually comes with repentance. Repentance in the sense, yes,

maybe I've forgiven you know, my someone who has been

so bad to me or not good to me, and

it's holding me back. And because I've forgiven, I'm able

to move forward, right, to enjoy the abundance of life

that God has given to me, you know, because sometimes

if we get ourselves caught up with unforgiveness, it's hard

to love again, right, It's hard to move forward. And

it's only when you have let go of something you

can move forward. You feel much more free. Yeah, Or

it also could be just sometimes the way you include

the Lord into your life, right, how we see in

the center of everything that you're doing, and that brings

transformation to the way you look at things around you

as well.

Yeah.

So in the discipleship an x is you know, where

we call it relational discipleship. Yeah, we call it relational discipleship.

Where it is sharing of life, it is commitment, and

so we use the word very frequently doing life together right,

being real. You know. I remember Puss Can Shed when

it talked about this value. It talks about also watching

your dirty linien in friend, right, And that's what sometimes

you see sometimes when people are when our speakers are preaching,

we are not afraid to share about our struggles or

our challenges because that is the reality of life. Right.

When you're doing life with someone I don't just share

with you my good stories and my good days, but

I'm okay to share about things that are not going

too good for me and how God brings that transformation

in my life. And I'm believing the same for you

as well. Right, And so that is what we call

as relational discipleship. We are very real with the way

we do life commitment of time, finances, commitment to make

strong men and women of God.

Yeah.

So most of you, if we have been following even

past the candid's updates and social media, right, one of

the things that he has committed to do for this

year is to actually fly to Singapore every month to

sow and to disciple to the man over there in

next Singapore. Yeah. I mean we have leaders over there,

but they still need encouragement. Right, And so he felt

a lot telling him, Okay, you know, can it go

over you know and and just spend time because he

said he can, I can do it online, right, But

then you've just felt the conviction to actually step out

and actually spend time with the men there for just

this short period of time so that they can actually

build the church. Yeah. So that is his commitment, right,

that's his commitment that God has called him to do,

and the same thing. Each one of us may have

different ways or different abilities that God has given to

us to disciple, right to care and do life with others.

And so just looking around the church right in front

of us, I'm sure most of us here are in discipleship,

you know, so you kind of understand what it takes

that it takes two ways, right, and also I think

seeing the fruits of it as well, yeah, you know,

and you know I was just I mean, some of

you would have remembered I shared this during when we

celebrated our trust birthday as well. Right. I think discipleship

is actually a big part of how church runs as well,

you know. And when I think about how I started

serving and how I started going into ministry or not

just even talking about serving, you know, just talking about

being a child of God, discipleship has been a very

big part of my life. People who have journeyed with me,

you know. And you know, from the time I was

a campus student till now, there's always people who have

spoken into my life, right, And you know, I think

if I didn't have people who believed in me, who

challenged me when needed to as well. You know who

prayed with me. I think it'll be sometimes I wouldn't

be where I am today. Yeah, because God uses people.

We've got to believe that, you know, God uses people

in our life, you know. So I remember having a

leader back then when I was you know, just a

young student at that time. You know she was you

used to drive up to UPM. I was studying in

UPM and then she used to drive up to UPM

have meals with me. I couldn't quite understand at that time, right,

because discipleship was also new, but she would just intentionally

spend time, you know, just share a meal, talk about life,

She'll share stories, she'll bring us over to a home. Right. Uh,

that is how it started. And then when she moved

on to Australia, then I had another leader who was

elder role some of you would know she was training

with me, right And then now it's Passissandra who has

also walked with me, has been working with me, you know.

And so as you grow, you will see that discipleship

grows with maturity as well. You no longer need to

lead meet every other week, you know, every other time

having a message, but you will know that you have

someone to reach out to, to send a message and

say this is what I'm going tough. Can you pray

along with me? Or can we meet up? Right, So

it grows with marturity as well. Yeah, and I've had

the privileged to also walk with different girls over the

years as well. You know, some have moved on to

different countries, some have gotten married, you know, in the

different seasons of their lives. Right, But then again the

relationship continues, you know. So I think I was sharing

with you. We had Gen's use in Germany now right,

and she was one of a China student who was

here with us for a while, you know. So again

it's never just about personality. I mean, yeah, I'm an

Indian girl, you know, discipling a China student who hardly

could speak English when she actually came. You know, then

later on she picked up. But then again it's the spirit,

right because we know discipleship, Like I said, it's not

just a feel good relationship, you know, where I'm just

you know, having a good meal together. It's not just that,

but it's very spiritual as well, because it is intentional

and you want the best for the other person. Yeah,

and so till today we still stay connected. She shares

the updates, she shares what's going on in her life

and how she's connected in her church in Germany as well. Right,

and I can just go on sharing so many stories,

you know, and the other I think just last night

I was speaking to one of our you know, our

Pakistani family went to Canada, right, and so a few

weeks ago was the elder girl because I've been discipling

the two of them as well. Yesterday was the second girl, Ripka,

you know. So I was just checking in with her,

and then she said, Pastor, you messaged me at the

right time. I just needed someone to pray along with me.

And she shared a couple of things, you know, of

what she's going through and and you know the support

that she needs. So again we are so miles away, right.

I did tell her to also, you know, start committing

to a church and all that, but then the relationship continues. Right.

So discipleship is more than just, like I said, a

feel good feeling, but it's very intentional, something that you desire,

and that is what I always spoke to our two

girls and the moment when they were living to Canada,

I said, you know, whatever you've been doing here, You're

going to be bringing it back to the people over there,

you know, because these girls truly have a desire. I mean,

I mean they're refugees and they've gone through a lot

of hardships in life. And I told them, don't allow

whatever you've gone through to pull you back. But because

you know the heartships and what it means to live

such a life, you will use those stories to impact

someone in the future. And that's exactly what they have

been doing now, you know, sowing into the communities that

they are in. Yeah, and I'm just so glad for

that short period of time. When you do life, it's someone,

But if you're just intentional, it goes somewhere, right, it

takes root in someone's heart and people catch it and

they start doing something about it as well.

Yeah.

So again, I can go on sharing different stories, but

I just want to encourage all of us today that

we as a church ex church, we are very we

take discipleship very seriously. Yeah, we believe in it because

we have seen the fruits that it bears, and we

also see how it has the potential to build strong

men and women of God. Yeah, because in the times

that we are living in. What keeps us going is

truly our faith. Yeah. Life can hit you life right center,

whatever direction, hardships can come your way, struggles, whatever it

could be. But the one constant thing that keeps you

firm is your faith. And what more it is when

you can have someone who can hold your hand and say,

let's do this faith together, let's journey together. Yeah, and

that is why we believe in discipleship. Yeah, So I

hope we catch the heart of it. And so and

now as we try, as we understand, right, certain things

about discipleship and why is it a value? I like

to draw us to the scriptures and to also remind

us that, you know what, where does discipleship actually come from? Yes,

part of it is Jesus giving us the command. But

why did Jesus even tell that? Right? Why did he

even emphasize on discipleship? Why was he why? Why was

it the first thing the moment he came on earth? Right,

the first thing he did was even to choose his disciples. Right?

Why was he so intentional about it? Because Jesus himself

knew the importance of discipleship. He always went back to

his father in heaven. Right, he abided in his Father

in heaven. Yeah. And so if we can understand the

importance of abiding in Christ, then we have caught the

heart of discipleship as well. Okay, And let's draw from

the scriptures today. From John fifteen, okay, Versus one to eight.

Some of us may know the scripture. It talks about

the vine. Right. I am the vine, and you are

the branches. Let's read God's word together, Hey, John fifteen

Versus one to eight. Are you all there, right? Okay,

let's read this. It says I am the true vine,

and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in

me that does not bare fruit he takes away, and

every brunch that bears fruit he pruns that it may

bear more fruit. You're already clean because of the word

which I have spoken to you. Abide in me and

I in you. As the brunch cannot bear fruit of

itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you

unless you abide in me Versus five. I am the vine.

You are the branches. He who abides in me and

I in him bears much fruit. For without me you

can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me,

he's cast out. As the brunch and is with it,

and they gather them and show them into the fire,

and they are burned. If you abide in me and

my words abide in you, you will ask what you

desire and it shall be done for you. By this,

My Father is glorified that you bear much fruit. So

you will be my disciples a man. So that is

how the scripture ends here, that you will be my disciples.

But how will you be my disciples when you abide

in me? Right? So I'm just going to share with

us you know. You know, when we walk with the Lord,

we learn from him.

Yeah.

And when we learn from him, we allow his transformative power.

Remember we talk about transformation, right, He's transformative power to

workin us so that we can bear fruit and we

can disciple.

Yeah.

And that is why even when we talk about choosing

a leader that you can walk with, disciple with, it

comes with someone that is and trust that someone who

has a relationship with the law itself, someone who can

actually who is actually connected with God, right, so that

you know when you are journeying with them, they can

also speak into your life true the word of God. Yeah.

So it is transformative, you know, And that when we

bear fruit, we disciple out others. So what we're trying

to understand here is that discipleship is not something that's

just on the clouds just there, right, But it's connected.

It's connected to the root, and that is the main

source that we need to go back to. So you

can have a great leader that you are being discipled with,

you can have someone that is journeying with you. But

even if you and your leader is not connected to

the root, it doesn't go anywhere, right. So it's not

just a human capability just because you meet someone frequently

and you talk so much. It doesn't work that way.

But it goes back to whether you and the disciple

is connected to the root. Right. That is something that

we've got to catch right, It's very important. Now. The

first thing, just want to draw three points here to

help us understand. The first thing is that a discipler

abides on the true wine. Yeah, a discipler abides on

the true wine. As the branch cannot bear fruit of

itself unless it abides in the wine. Neither can you

unless you abide in me. Yeah, And that is why

discipleship is very much about being able to abide If not,

you'll realize that why is there no fruits? Why is

there I don't see much. I keep trying, I keep talking,

I keep doing all I can, but it's not going anywhere. Right,

So that just means we are not connected to what's important,

because the scripture tells us very clearly that if you

don't abide in me, you're not going to see any fruit.

You're going to still see that. It seems dry. It

seems like it's not going anywhere. It seems like it

just seems like there's another relationship, another friendship that is

out there, right, or another best team I'm speaking to. Well,

that's not what discipleship is about. Right. It has to

be rooted, it has to be abiding in God.

Yeah.

In Greek it means men no means to stay, to abide,

to remain, and to wait, yeah, and to waits. It's

only true that we build such connection. If you look

at a big tree now, Dourian season, right, Dorian tree

is shot and tiny. No, they're huge, right, you're tall.

In fact, you can't just think of climbing up and

plucking a Dorian. It doesn't work that way. It grows

for a long time. There has to be a solid foundation, right.

It has to be firm. There has to be farmers

who who have been cultivating it from the start, right.

But sometimes when we look at the end product, we

l we just enjoyed the fruit and we think, oh,

it's so good, right, but we never think about it

took so much time to arrive here. And when you

pluck a fruit or when you take a fruit, if

you just go yourself and just take the doraint and eat,

it doesn't work. It's not supposed to be etn at

that point. But there's a certain season, a certain time

for you to enjoy the goodness of it, right. And

the same thing is with discipleship as well. There's to

be intentionality to it. There's to be a heart, there's

to be two ways going with it, right, and it

has to be connected to the roots.

Yeah.

You know, you have to come to a place of

asking the Lord God, move me, show me, propel me.

And if you want to know God, we need to

abide in him, following his instructions.

Yeah.

So one of the things that I can testify, and

you know, I'm sure Elaine or any other leaders that

I hear as well. When we journey with our girls.

You know, we pray for them. You know, it's not

just as simple as I think of them and give

them a gift or it's not that, but you intentionally

pray for them, you know, you intentionally think about what

do you want to tell them? I know, how you're

encourage That's my prayer always. I'll ask the lod God,

you haven't trusted them under our care? Right? And could

you show us what is it that we can encourage

them with, pray along with them, or journey with them,

or sometimes even challenge them in the different seasons of

their lives. Because we have experienced that from our leaders

as well. Yeah, and so it is it comes with that.

You know.

You have to be an example, you know. And and

when we speak about abiding, right, let's think about it

in our own lives itself. Yeah, what does remaining or

abiding in Christ look like in our daily lights? What

does it look like? Is it just the twenty thirty

minutes of devotion? Well that's great, yeah, but what does abiding,

true abiding looks like for you? I mean, we can

it can be very different for all of us. Why

don't you just take some time to reflect on this,

because if you want to truly understand the word of God,

you've got to make it applicable to ourselves. And so

if you think of your every day, you know tomorrow's Monday,

when you wake up in the morning, what's the first

thing that comes to your mind when you walk out

to work when you're making a decision. Who's the first

thing that you refer to? Right when you go to bait?

Who's who's the person that you're thinking about before you

go to bait? Because your answer will determine whether we

are truly remaining and abiding in God. Yeah, you could

be in a crossroad trying to make decisions. But are

we so quick sometimes to take the next step or

do we just choose to take a step back and wait,

because that is abiding? Right, to wait on the lot

purposefully doing what I can at this season and knowing

that God knows what's best. That is abiding. Yeah, So

ask ourselves, like I said, we're halfway through the year.

Are we abiding in the Lord enough in this season?

Because we're talking about discipleship, right, it as the first

start with abiding. Yeah, And if you feel that, yes,

maybe I'm not doing enough, then no condemnation because God

is not there to condemn is there to convict us, right,

and that is why the Word of God is spoken

today to convict our hearts and to know that, yes, Lord,

I want to draw closer with you. Yeah, I want

to draw closer with you, and to just share my

journey with the Lord. It has not always been or

have a very serious devotion, you know, just like you,

I mean, just any other human. There were times that

it's just hard to keep the discipline of waking up

and reading the Word and praying right or after work.

You just feel so exhausted and you just feel okay, God,

let me just sleep on the bit and say a

prayer and those off. Yeah I have. I had those seasons. Yeah,

but it took that that conviction and that place of saying, God,

you know what, enough of playing games, enough of the

one hundred and one things to do? Can I just

make God my number one priority? And if you can

make God that, it just becomes part of how you

live your lives. Just like how when we wake up,

we brush our teeth and then we have a breakfast, right,

and why can't turning to the lot be part of

that as well? Right? So if I wake up, so

now the first thing I do is when I wake

up in the morning, when I make sure I switch

on all the lights so that I'm wide awake, right,

and then I'm sitting down and just talking to the Lot.

I just pray. Yeah, if I'm an extra tie it

on that day, then I'll just make sure I wash

my face and all that, and then I'm wide awake, right,

and then I just sit in the presence of the

lot before doing anything at all. Yeah, because sometimes the

moment you do the next thing, the next thing comes

in and then the next thing.

Yeah.

And there's the thing when you just start doing that

one thing, and when you cultivate it, it just becomes

part of the process. It just becomes part of your

lifestyle where it no longer becomes a lot of effort.

But you just know that this is what I need

to do because God is just part of me. I'm

abiding in him. I can't bear fruit without him. This

is what the Word of Lord tells, right, And I

know I can go on doing the what I need

to do, but it's not going to be as how

God would have wanted for me. If I chose to

trust in Him and abide in him. Yeah, and I

can testify that because I abide the Lord. In the Lord,

I have seen how God has worked in ways that

I couldn't even think or imagine. Right, But that is

what happens when you trust the Lord with all your heart.

Yeah.

I was having a very interesting conversation with someone last week.

You know, I met up with him and she's having

this struggle about you know, you know, how much do

I need to trust the Lord? Just asking, you know,

how much should I make my own decisions and how

much should I trust God? And then and then she's

talking about faith and all. Then I told her, you know,

the would have God. There's the reason why it says

trust the Lord with all your heart. Right, you can

only sometimes eat things when you put your all. If

you put your half way heart into something, or if

you put your halfway trusts, then you're't eve going to

see halfway, right, because you still have your effort in it.

But if you can put your all, that is when

God shows you it's all as well. Right, That is

how God works. He makes sure that you take the

first step, then he shows you the next step. You

can just take five steps right away, right, it doesn't

work that way. You've got to take the first step

and then the next step, and that is what abiding

is exactly right. So would you take the first step

church with the lot? Right? I just sense God, it's

just you know, challenging someone here to take that step

of faith. Right, to take that step of faith, and

then he shows you what's the next step and the

next step until you reach wherever you want to reach. Yeah,

but abide in the lot. Yeah, So think about it.

What does it look like for you in our everyday life? Now?

Number two is that growth happens through pruning. Yeah, and

that is what we read in the Book of Jaundice. Now,

every branch that bear fruit, he prunes that it may

bear more fruit. Interesting. Right, you might think that I'm

already bearing fruit. Why must you catch out me? I'm okay,

I can just keep growing. But then the word God

tells us I you will prune whatever that is bearing

fruit so that you can actually bear more fruits. And

that is the heart of our father in heaven. He

doesn't just want you to remain complacent or enough. I

just have this is enough. God wants to give you more. Right,

But the question is whether do you want to receive

the more? Yeah? Do you have the space to take

on that more or maybe you're filled with your basket

of everything that's going on in your life and God

is trying to give you but there's no space to

take it in. Yeah, but God wants to prun ess.

Yeah.

So pruning is for structure, you know, and it is

to control the amount of fruits that are produced. So

when we prune a tree or a brunch, it is

to actually also make sure that it doesn't bear too

much to the point that the brunch will fall down,

right because it's just too heavy, too many fruits, and

so it proves to just have enough of what it

can contain and that it continues to prune. Yeah. And

so the same thing is with our lives as well.

So this we take too many things that God is saying, hey,

you're not supposed to be carrying all of it, right,

That is why he prunes. It cuts off a little

bit of year and there sometimes it's out. It's painful,

you know, but it has to happen for him to

actually show us what matters, what our priorities, right, what

are we prudent about? And then he shows us Okay,

instead focus on this, put your energy on what I've

called you to do, not on everything else in the world,

because I have that in control.

Yeah.

So pruning is that.

Yeah.

And the thing is that only the gardener knows best

of what and how much of pruning it needs.

Yeah.

You and I can look at a tree and say that, oh,

maybe we should cut this and cut that. It's just

from our eyes. But a gardener is someone who has

actually harvest that tree from the scratch. Yeah, And so

then he knows the ability of that particular tree. And

the same thing. The gardener of our life is God himself, right,

because he created you from the time you and your

mother's womb. He knows you beyond what you can know.

You think you know yourself too, well, well, I'm sorry.

God knows you away beyond that. And so that is

why he knows whether you need the pruning and when

you need the pruning, you know, and he knows what's

best for us.

Yeah.

You know, when we talk about pruning, right, it happens

because it is in fact when we talk about the wine.

It is the very first step in wine making. Yeah,

in wine making, some gardening tips here, you know, and

we know that sometimes we look at the after results

we look at the wine, it looks good and well packaged, right,

But it was because it had to go through the

pruning process to come to where it is. Yea, every spring,

grapevines sprout new butts, which becomes canes and produce leaves

and clusters of berries called the fruit of the wines

or grape clusters. Okay. And then this fruit is constant,

higher quality, and it grows from new wood versus the

old wood from the prior year. Yeah. So every other

year there's a new wood that comes in. So pruning

is the process of removing the old, the date wood

from the wooded trunk of the grape and leaving just

enough butts on the existing kin.

Yeah.

And so that is sometimes what pruning does. It sometimes

removes the al ways of our lives, all thinking, you know,

all experiences that sometimes can be quite tangled up with

the new things that God is giving us. You know,

God made us one to start something afresh in your life, right,

a new season and new people that is bringing to you.

But if you're still caught up with the all, how

are we going to embrace the new? Yeah? And so

that is what pruning does. And so that is when

discipleship comes in place when you have someone to talk

about these things right that you've been going through past

hurts for example, you know, unforgiveness or sometimes even challenges

that you're having with people. And sometimes when you can

talk it out with someone who is more matured in

their faith, they pray along with you. Yeah, they share

certain thoughts. They I mean, they're not going to tell

you what to do, but we are here to guide you. Yeah,

And so that is why decide ship plays a very

big part. God uses people to help us in the

pruning process as well. Yeah, Well, when we talk about

think of these two questions here, you know, how does

God cut off or prune in our lives today? Think

about yourselves in the different seasons that you've been in.

You know, has God been pruning maybe certain things that

you feel like, hey, why has there been a certain change,

a certain thing that God is cutting off or something

that God is asking me to let go or to surrender.

That could be pruning as well, right and right now

those thoughts, you know, maybe there's a reason behind it.

Ask the Lord God, what are you teaching me in

this painful season of my life? Right in this time?

But I can't seem to control what's going on, but

then I can. I can sense that there's a change

that's happening. Right, And when you ask the lot, he

reveals things to you as well. Yeah, And what are

the results or some of this pruning? Right? Sometimes the

pruning can bring towards a great growth, right, or a

gradal focus. It just brings clarity because he's removed whatever

that needs to be removed. And now he's saying, this

is what I want you to focus on, be in ministry,

beat in your work or relationships. Right. So he's asking

you to focus. But it's hard to focus when we

are tangled up with the past and the new.

Yeah.

And so that's why we have to allow the Lord

to ruin.

Yeah.

So think about it. Yeah, because it's with the pruning

what happens transformation, And that is what we spoke about discipleship. Right.

Transformation happened when there's a change where there's a renewing

of our minds and our hearts. Yeah, that is when

we can embrace what God is showing us. Are we

good church?

Yeah?

Right? Now drawing to us the final point here, the

Word of God reminds us in John fifteen just now

about bearing fruit. Discipleship is also a about bearing fruit. Yeah.

Sometimes the stories that you hear when we're journeying with someone,

you know, how they become stronger in the Lord, or

how they've decided to serve God. Those things are fruits

that we're referring to, right, because when you partner with someone,

you can do a lot more together compared to journey alone. Yeah,

and that is why God's word tells us that you

cannot bear fruit if you don't abide in me. It's abiding, right,

And the same concept is with discipleship. If you can

abide with someone, if you can walk with someone, then

we bear fruit together, right, to build God's kingdom together

or anything else that you're actually believing for in your

own lives as well. Yeah, So discipleship is not just

an abstract concept, but it's a very practical outworking of

our relationship with Christ. Yeah, it's a practical thing. And

you know, Jesus emphasizers that a disciple will bear much fruit.

And the question that sometimes we've got to ask ourselves

is are we bearing fruits? Right? And I'll share with

you in a bit what do we mean by some

of these fruits. But we've got to be people that

are not just keeping the goodness to ourselves. But those

things are seen through our actions, right through the lines

that that we're journeying with. We see them being transformed,

you know, we see them having their own testimonies, their

own breakthroughs. Right, those are also fruits that you know

God is referring to here. So His fruitfulness is manifested

in our actions, right, in our actions, in our attitude,

how we become a new person, right, the old is

gone the new. Yeah, through our attitudes, our character where

we actually bring God the glory and in fact we

serve as an evidence of our disciples ship. Yeah, so

true our fruitfulness. Then the world witnesses christ transformative power

in our lives. Yeah. And how many of us know

that when we are sharing the good news it is

not just about because we apprecire them, but it's when

they see a living proof or what it means to

live for Jesus. Do you think so?

Right?

If someone to see why must I be a Christian?

Why must I believe in Jesus? Well, when they see Tyrol,

when they see Richard, they say, wow, these people are

always so happy. You know, you know, enjoying life. You know,

whatever comes their way, they don't give up. They just

keep going, Wow, it's good to be a Christian. Right.

Can you tell me how to receive Jesus as the savior?

That is how people know Christ. Right. It's not just

because you carry your big Bible and walk around. But

our attitudes are not the best. You're not going to

track anyone to Christ. Right. It has to work with

how I live my life. And there's something I caught

over the years, you know, especially being in the workplace.

You know, I've always reminded myself how I show up

is how I tell people that I'm a child of God. Right,

And I'm just grateful for the testimonies that I've heard

over the years that you know, people just are drawn

sometimes to talk to you because they know you have

something different within you and I didn't. I'm just drawn

to talk to you. I just need that encouragement. I

just need that prayer. I mean to them, it's to

them they think that it's some feel good kind of

a conversation. But we know that God gives us those words, right,

God gives us that anointing or sometimes at the right time,

at the right place. He tells you, hey, go and

speak to this person, right, and he opens the door,

or he shows you what to say and what to

do right. And that is what it means to be

a transformed person. So think about it. When you walk

into office on a Monday morning, or when you walk

into school on a Monday morning, or to class, you

look like you're going with a smile, You're going, you know,

with an encouraging tone. Do you reach out to people

and say, hey, are you doing? Are we just so

you know, in our own cocoon and my work and

my things has to be done, and people don't even

know you exist, or God, that's even worse, right, I

don't even know there's actually this person in this office

until the day you leave. Then in oh, this is

a person. Okay. Sometimes these things happen, right, and we

are just in our own world. So I hope we

show up every other day as children of God. Can

we do that? Yeah? As the son of God, as

a child of God, walking with that confidence, walking with

that boldness and that assurance that I can't do this

but my strength God. I have a lot more to learn,

but I'm walking in with the boldness and the confidence

that you have given me and I can do this

by your grace.

Yeah.

So the way we show up is a gospel by

its self.

Yeah.

I repeat this. The way you show up every other

day to the people around you, especially to your family

and friends that you're wanting to reach out to. The

way you show up is the gospel itself. You are

the walking gospel. Yeah. And if we can't bring the

gospel alive, then no one is going to know what

it means to be a child of God.

Yeah.

So you are the ambassadors church. You are the ones

who has to carry that branding of what it means

to be a Christian, a believer, a man. So when

we speak about fruits, yeah, just want to show us

what the scripture tells us. You know, fruits is what

is produced, right, and you know a cherry tree produces cherries,

right and likewise any other fruits. But what fruit does

a disciple of Jesus produces? We produce other disciples, that

is what we produce. Okay, we produce other disciples. So

you can have someone who is discipling you and are

you having someone who are discipling? Right? Of course, in

the church context, we think about a leader discipling others.

But if you think of it, discipling could also mean

just people that you have you are journeying with. Right

and so Edeline could be a teacher and she has

a lot of the little disciples who are always listening

to her and following her. Right, Trident, you're discipling our

ex kids, little ones. They are looking up to you.

You know, you better be a good role model, and

I'm sure you are.

Yeah.

The little ones are saying, yes, and I grew up,

I want to be like teacher Trident. Right, there is discipleship. Yeah, parents,

you are discipling your kids and they grow up and

they say, I want to be like mom and dad

when I grow up. Right, Tyrol, your classmates, you can

be discipling them as well, don't you know that? Yeah,

you could be peers, but you could be one step

further because you know Christ, right and God's anointing lives

in you. So that is what we mean by bearing fruits.

We bear other disciples. Right, we are we are, you know,

we are just so intentional to make life, do life together,

to be able to you know, see others grow, others

produce good things in their lives. You know, we must

always have that kind of an intention because God always

wants the best for us. So when we look at

another person, do you just see them as, oh, this

person I'm very difficult, or do you see them while

this person has so much a potential? Right, look at

them through the lens of God. And that's something I've learned.

People are not always the easiest to work with.

Right.

We always always prayed, God, give me and eyes to

see them the way you see them. And then as

she things change, you know you see them. Wow, Okay, God,

God created them also, right, God, he or she's created

in their in God's image, So how could he go wrong? Right?

He has his way of transforming them, just like how

he transformed me. Right. And so again is a matter

of how we look at things. Whether you're going to

look at the bad side or the God side. The

choice is ours. Yeah, right, So we produce other disciples,

and of course the word of God reminds us that

there are two types of fruits. In Romans twelve, yeah

versus six to eight. Let's just read the scripture in

Romans twelve, Hey, Romans twelve versus six, It says, having

then gives referring according to the grace that is given

to us. Let us use them a prophecy. Let us

prophesy in proportion to our faith or ministry. Let us

use it in our ministry. He who teaches in teaching,

he who exhorts in exhortation, He who gives with liberty,

he who leads with diligence, He who shows mercy with cheerfulness.

So which of this gift relates to you something that

you often do very naturally? That is the gift that

God has given to you, you know, even the gift

of exhauts. You know, you could be someone who just

who is very quick to encourage. Right, as soon as

I have a sister Lisa who comes after service who

say pass you know you shad a very good message

and encouraged. That's a gifting, right, that you actually encourage

those who are surveying or something with someone is doing good. Right,

it even says he will show us mercy with cheerfulness.

That's a gifting as well. Right, So take some time

to reflect on these giftings and and think about it.

Which of it that God has given me? And let

me show it? Because we're all different we're not here

to compare who is doing better? Right, But we're created

so different, And so ask God, what is it that

you're your What kind of gifts have you given me

so that I can do more of it and bear

fruit from it. Yeah, sometimes you may feel a little

bit stagnant and thinking I am not bearing fruit, But

that's just because maybe you're not tapping on some of

these gifts that God has given you. Right. Maybe your

gifting is, you know, ministry, but you're just not ministering

to others enough. You're not praying. You know, Ministrying just

means praying for others, encouraging them with the word of God. Right,

And so it can come natural for you because God

has given you that gifting. But when you do more

of it, only then you will see the fruits being bad. Right.

It could be also those who leads leads with diligence. Yeah,

and leading here could also in the form of your

marketplace in your schools. Right. You could be good leaders

and people look up to you, do it well, and

then you'll see fruits being bad. People come to you,

you're drawn. People just want to speak to you and

ask for advice.

Right.

That is also a gifting. Yeah, So take some time

think about it because we are created so uniquely and

it's just amazing how God has planted that gifting to

all of us. Yeah. And if only we can tap

on it, then we see the strength that God has

actually given to us and we do more of it.

Yeah.

And that is how we build the Body of Christ.

When we look at us as a church, none of

you are the same. Yeah, none of you have the

same ability, right, some are. That's why we have some musicians.

Some are hosting, right, some are behind the scene, right,

whatever roles we are playing. That is what makes the

church the body of Christ. And that is the example

that the Word of God gives us. The five fingers, right,

none of it are the same. They're all different, and

we need all five to hold on something. And that

is why we need all of us to build God's

kingdom together. Right, to see fruits to be bad if

we can all just play our part and do it well,

even if it's one thing, just do it well, do

it faithfully, and you'll see fruits being bad.

Yeah.

So that's the first gifting that the scriptures reminds us of. Now,

the second type is in galicians five versus twenty two. Okay,

let's read Galicians chapter five right, and says here in

verses twenty two. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace,

long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such

there is no law. So there are different gifts of

the fit of the spirit here, right, How many of

it are we bearing every other day?

Yeah?

Love? Do we love God? Do we love others? Joy? Joy?

This doesn't mean only through good times, true, you know,

difficult times, you can still have the joy of God, peace,

long suffering. Put it down in your journal if you

take the notes down right and ask the Lord or

just reflect how many of it am I actually cultivating?

Or what can I do better in?

Yeah?

Because the thing without faith or the journey with God,

is that it can grow dry if we are not

actively doing something about it, if you're not making it

practical enough, if you're not asking questions and growing. And

that is why discipleship comes in place. Someone who can

have these conversations with you, We say, hey, I have

this pro the spirits by any just you know, guide

me on, you know, how can I be better in

some of this? Or I tend to get so angry

all the time, and I'm asking the Lord God, can

you teach me more patience. The thing is, when you

ask God patients, you'll put you in situations to be

more patient. So be careful of what you pray for. Yeah,

but that's the thing, someone who can actually journey with

you on some of this.

Yeah.

So that's another fruit that the word of God reminds

us of. Y. So just encouraging, just like can invite

extreme forward as we draw to a close of today's message, Yeah,

discipleship goes back to abiding with the sauce Puss, right, God, Jesus,

you know, abiding, having that relationship, being able to wait

on Him. And as we do that, God brings people

into our lives, men and women of God, you know

who we can disciple and journey with. And as they

disciple and journey with us, we must have the desire

to also make other disciples. But because you know what

God tells us to, He just tells us to go

and make disciples. So until and unless we do that,

we're actually not answering the command of the lot. Right,

that was his commandment to go and make disciples. And

that is why it is something that we truly believe

in an acts, and I pray and hope that extra

us will catch that. Yeah to not just stop from

where we are just because I'm receiving the goodness of

the Lord, but I also want to share this goodness

to others. And remember, discipleship happens everywhere within the church,

in your homes, in your office, in your school, wherever

you are, we can build followers of Price.

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

information on our church, please visit aschurch dot org. We

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

this week is going to be a good week, a

hit for you.

God bless