Devoted & Revived | Pr Dr Daniel Kong

You're listening to a message to go from Acts Church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

Let's go to extracter two versus forty.

So this is written by Luke, or should I say

doctor Luke more specifically, he is observed the church, and

before this incident happened, he's observed the church for the

last thirty years. So a lot of us we want

to of course it's like post resurrection and all that era,

but a lot of us want to become the Church

of the Book of Acts. Correct, but we do not

really see something to see it as an instantaneous or

an instant thing that happened, but actually is a lot

thirty years in the making. This is just one record

of the incident that happened beyond those thirty years.

Okay, so let's jump in.

And look at the day of the Pentecost every okay,

so far, all right, let's look.

Let's read X four forty two.

They says they devoted themselves to the apostles, teaching and

to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Everyone was filled.

With awe at them, excuse me, at the many wonders

and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were

together and had everything in common. Okay, so unity right common,

and so united that they sow property, the possessions to

give to anyone who had need. Every day keyword, every day,

they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They

broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad

and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of

all the people and the Lord. Added to their numbers

right daily, not just edited numbers occasionally, not just added

the numbers weekly, not even monthly. It is daily to

those who were being safe. This is God's word. Right,

So I'm excited to unpact today, even as we celebrate

thirteen years of goodness in actu Us. The title of

my message to day is devoted and revive. Of course,

we are in a season of revival, so it's reviving

in the context of reviving the devotion, our devotion to God.

And what is devotion? Like I said, using parents as

example or mother's an example. You what your mom, or

rather what mothers do.

In private and in public, it's the same, right. They

don't have a different persona. They don't switch, you know,

switch roles and then they put on something. Sometimes for

us we may behave a bit differently at work, perhaps

recovered that sort of in homes recently.

But when somebody is devoted, whatever they do in the

personal space and in the public space is the same.

And this is what we want to move into.

Being devoted in the context of, at least the godly

context is really living God, both in the personal where

nobody sees, and also in public. Okay, So that's pretty

much the gist of all the focus that we're going

to focus on today. If you are those that want

to just write something down and then say goodbye to

see you next week, this is the this is the

key point life.

Okay.

So being devoted and revived. Okay, Now, of course there's

this joke. Don't go away. The doors are really locked anyway,

so you can't run it from me. You got to

endure my uh you know, just me for a couple

of hours, you know, not getting a couple of minutes.

But yeah, let's let's go into it.

So I always want to start off with something like

this because sometimes I think there's a lot of things

that we cover, but you something to forget something in

points but one thing I want you to get, the

one big point, if anything, is that you need to

understand devotion isn't let me just be very clear, isn't

intensity for a season.

It's for the long haul. So I pu posically put

that up so it's very clear. So this is not it.

Don't write this down as something that is the definition.

But rather the big point is devotion is a loving

come even over a lifetime. It's for the long haul.

It's for It's like a marathon. It's not just a

short burst kind of thing. You are to run your

race until the Lord calls you back. It's a loving

commitment over like them. Just like how I mentioned parents.

Once you sign up for it, that's it. When when

when the kid comes, that's it for life. And it's

a little bit like.

That as well. Okay, I'm using some examples.

Yeah, so and and and and you know what it is,

right when we say intensity, it's like, yeah, you know

what I.

Mean inspired, let's go on.

But after a while he lung, you know, he lung um,

you know, lose the lose the push, and we don't

want that. It will fight fire faith even right, you

need to understand devotion is something beyond that. And this

is why I mentioned earlier in the personal and in

public it's synonymous. It's the same, because that actually gives

you the groundwork to be sustainable, Okay, in devotion.

All right, so let me.

Just uh uh introduce you to a book. Okay, this

this guy by the name of James case Smith. I know,

I know, I know why Smith sociodios generic, right, but yeah,

James Smith here. Uh he is a philosopher and a

professor that actually stated this a Christian author as well,

by the way.

Okay, so his perspective is more interesting.

So but basically he's trying to say is that if

you really want to become someone or somebody, okay, you've

got to actually trace back to what you love or

what your loves are. That's the gist of his book. Okay,

fascinating thought. Fascinating thought, right, that means you become some

if you even become something or someone, you just have

to trace back to what you love. Your focus, right,

And one thing that you also mentioned is that we

are not just thinking things quoted for Sila, not just

thinking things, but we are desiring creatures. Even to pick

up a book that's a book over there. But you know,

we're desiring creatures. Who loves our shaped? How is the

love shaped by our habits that we form and more importantly,

in the practices we engage in. Okay, So basically the

gist of it is that good thing. We're not just

people of intellect. We're not just mind people, right, because

you know, when you think something, yes, you can be

compelled with the mind to make some decisions and actions,

but it doesn't go worry far. But if we shape it,

we shape the lorve, it goes a lot further. In

a nutshell, right, our deepest desires really drive our actions

and also our identity. Okay, I put up another slide

after this. It's a bit messy, but that's basically his

whole book. Encompass into it. I wouldn't really go too

much into it, but essentially what I mentioned earlier was

the main thing. The main understanding is that, yes, definitely,

we are governed by what we love and how we love.

Something can be trained, essentially, Okay, how do I mean

by training? You can then introduce habits in there, and

after habits it becomes natural, and after natural you you

sort of reorder your love, and then therefore you become

a better devoted person. Erica so far, Okay, let's move on.

You're very interest of time, so very fascinating. Right, So

back to the point, we are not transformed by information. Right, Yes,

we can be, but that's not it, because repeated actions

ultimately pushes us and draws us to something greater. Now,

how many of you can agree with that that statement?

It means just your knowledge is insufficient? Right.

I can tell you something you know it's good, just

like how oh you shouldn't be eating this? Sometimes you agree,

but that agreement can be against short term right, right,

And this is what we're talking about, or wouldn't be

amazing if it's really just purely based on information. Right,

you want to Let's say, lie, you want to you know,

shape ship, bulk up, shape up. I don't know what

you call it. You want that six pack? Okay, guys,

this is what they You pick up a book that

talks about how to get there. Now by just downloading

the information, will you get there? You can read twenty books.

I can guarantee you you'll not get anywhere close to

that kind of physic same thing. Information only gets you

so far. A French philosopher. This is uh, his name

is Renee. Okay, he said this long time ago. I

think therefore I am someone believe that. You know, I

think it, therefore I am it. Okay, yes, and know

the half truths. Yeah, just said no because the reality

is that if it's just information, yeah, it wouldn't really

lead to action. It wouldn't really even lead to what

at least we Christians believe as transformation. Okay, so you

gotta be very careful with just Oh Lord, just show

me more. I need to read the Bible from cover

to cover one hundred times before I go out and

do something. Yes you can, don't get me wrong. Word

it's important equips you. But you can't just go based

on information.

Right. So this is what we are trying to talk here.

So in fact, even Jesus himself talked about this, right,

and it's teaching.

Let's bring up Matthew. Let's bring up Matthew.

You know this story. I think I know the story.

A person who builds their house on the sand. And

we paraphrase here to to save time. What happens right

when the storm comes, everything falls apart, Your life falls apart, right,

and you always had heard this story before, right, But

when he says this, however, who hear my words?

Here's my words, and also obey paraphrasing.

Here all those other things stay that over there. When

you hear it and you do something about what you hear,

it's likened to a wise man, a person with wisdom.

Okay. So that's why even Jesus himself.

Believe in not just information but actually doing something, and

that doing something is likened to a wise wise thing

to do. Okay, Otherwise what's the point or just hit knowledge?

So back to the whole.

Thing I just mentioned. We are thinking things.

Yes, God gave you a breed thing, don't get me wrong,

use it right. But the more powerful thing than just

thinking is actually doing things. And how do you move

from thinking to doing? This is why I'm introduced to

this thing called desire. Okay, uh, desire because when you

desire something all let's say, if you really want to

do something, the devoted to something.

First thing that has happens that it has to be

fueled by desire.

When you are feeled by desire, the devotion he's going

to take on another level. One example, my kids are

studying now, so they Let's say, for example, they want

the desire to get a good grade raising for example. Okay, Now,

if they do not have uh sorry, if they do

not have a desire that's aligned properly, there will not

be a devotion to getting a good grade. So devotion

can take on another level when desire works in tandem

with the desire. Okay, and this is where we talked

about habits, right. Habits are the ones that actually matches

up with the desire, because when you desire something so desperately,

you would do things that matches that desire and then

for those habits would eventually lead to devotion.

Okay.

So as a church, right, as X to us even,

we need to be clear on this. We need to

know not just who what we want to do, but

who we are becoming or who God has caused us

to be as a church. So let's talk about it.

Let's use definitions. Right, Let's look at the devotion. What

devotion is at least from the English dictionary. Okay, just

google this, so it's probably came from Mirram Webster dictionary.

So devotion in the in the dictionary sense is intense loyalty, dedication,

profound love. Right, profound love. What else towards a person

or cause or activity? You see, something is very devoted

to something. These are the things that usually comes to mind. Also,

something that talks about commitment. When you're devoted to something,

you are committed, not seizing, sometimes even bringing in self sacrifices.

Right, parents, understand that, right? Okay?

And also there's another definition that talks about religious practices,

how you worship, how you're dedicated to certain practices, et cetera.

And that's what the dictionary defines devotion. Now, how ma,

can you understand this devotion correctly?

A cut? Right?

You know, people who are devoted to something, and we

human beings are actually very wired to be.

Devoted to things. Let me explain. Have you have you ever.

Uh you know, really wanted something that you devote your

time to it. Let's say you want to get fit,

you devote time to it. Right, you believe in something?

Or some people maybe even be devoted to their kids,

right or their jobs that they very intensely do all

those things. They are loyal, they're dedicated, they have unwaving

committed commitments, sorry to what they devote themselves to.

Got it right?

Eye understand right, it's not just me, right, were just

devoted things?

Right? So the question is again, al those are not.

Wrong, you know, by the way, being devoted to your job,

devoted to health, devoted to your kids, etcetera.

That's all not wrong things.

But is that the most It is that should those

things be the highest devotion? Or are we called to

have even a high devotion to something else or somebody

else or maybe God needs utmost devotion or have we

lost track of that that we put everything else on

top of that And that's the main thing we're talking about. Okay, now,

let me just talk about some case studies of devotions

or devoted people, uh, examples that will sort of bring

my point, uh, you know, drive my point home a

little bit more. Okay, now, let's look at the first

photograph over here of a of a of a person

far left.

Okay, Now, anybody knows this guy? Is it coming up? Yeah,

no problem, everybody knows this guy.

Probably not my my at one thirty, right, they I

bring out a lot of photographs.

Of random people, so they're very used to it.

Sorry, if if this is something new, I do that

just so that it keeps me awake at a one

thirty service. And also he keeps everybody else awake. So

this is just my my style anyway, neft but yeah, okay, uh,

you may not know him, but if you look him up,

you google him. He's quite a big time guy.

Now.

He is known as a what we call sports world

they call him super fan. Okay, you know a superfan

is right fanatics, crazy over cent sports.

Okay. So he is.

Based in Canada, Okay, him knows NBA.

Okay, basketball, you know you know NBA?

Right, Okay, So he this guy has attended every single

Raptors game. This is a sport, NBA team Okay, team sport.

He has attended every single game, never missed one since

nineinety five, never missed one. Okay, only time he actually

missed one game or some games he's during COVID. So

his streak, right was broken during COVID times. Every imagine that, right,

if you have a record every day, you know, you

every game you've not missed, but suddenly COVID happened, Like,

oh man, how how can I you know?

Anyway, that's not the point.

So he deeply loves the players, knows the game, knows

the fans as well. In fact, He's also founded a

foundation uh that is dedicated to this cause. And this

is he spends about tree and ky of his own

money just to make this thing work.

Okay. Uh. And he even sent his.

Children to games every year to to to he's almost

like a Raptors.

Evangelist, like if you want to call it that. Uh.

And he's globally recognized for his devotion.

And also he was so recognized right that he was

inducted the Basketball Hall of Fame uh and also received

a championship ring from NBA. This is the level of passion.

You didn't get all that consistency. He's you know, I'm

quite sure in his.

House he's also probably littered a lot of stuff outside.

Is also very loud.

He's really devoted to everything that he believes in. And

that's consistency.

That is enough.

But yeah, okay, so just an example of devotion. Okay,

second case study, everybody knows this guy.

Quite sure? You know this guy, are crikey? Yeah?

Okay, so I my family and uh, you're previously based

in Australia for thirteen years. Uh so, so we had

the privilege to see Steve Irvin in the flesh.

I know when my kids were growing up.

I also had this thing this past and no past

called Friends of the Zoo, So that allowed us access

to the zoos as much time as we won. And

one of the times you went, the Steve Irwin was there.

You're still alive then, okay. Uh, it's amazing that guy.

When you see him, you really just like how you

see in the TV and all those uh you know,

if you go online or whatever, the energy that he

has in person right is even more powerful than you

see him on online.

Okay.

Now, of course when he passed on, it was a

big national kind of morning.

Uh, not just in Australia, but all around the world.

Everybody tuned in because he was so recognizable, okay, for

for what he loves, his love for animals, his dedication

for animals, and not just animals. You know, he's especially

dedicated to crocs. We all know that, right, crocodiles. And

this is a person who again is known for his

dedication and people are interested in him because he's so

passionate about it. I'm quite sure that the crocodiles and

all that they are not you know, reciprocating the love.

You know, he's not. They're probably not as devoted to

Steve as Steve to them.

Okay.

So again the devotion captivated the world. That is what

I'm trying to say. Another example that is easily understandable.

Third kse study. Anybody knows this person purposely through a

curve ball. Okay, Okay. So the last person here is

that she one of my personal heroes. This person is

called Perpetua okay, or later she was called Sane Perpetua.

Okay.

Now she is a daughter of a famous magistrate in

the Roman province. It is modern day Tunisia, somewhere in

North Africa.

Okay.

So she lived between hundred and eighty two to eighty

in the era. So probably most of us will not

have seen her unless you can walk through in time.

But anyway, just to be a background story, she wasn't

born in the Christian family. She was born into a

family of wealth, Okay. But suddenly she heard of the Gospel.

She was so so so, you know, so.

Captivated by the Gospel that she even secretly studied the Gospel.

I studied all the scriptures and all that. Of course,

back then there's no handy Bible, there's no U version Bible,

et cetera. Those are all different scripts, different people and

all that.

But it's crazy times.

Also during that time, right, there's not persecution, you.

Know, religion.

Persecution is a big thing back then. So during the era,

she was caught essentially having uh being amongst the committee

of Christians, being caught with scriptural texts, et cetera. So

he she was actually taken into prison and then I

introduced to another another person next line, this is a emperor. Okay,

scept when just read this thing. Septimus Severus. Okay, anybody

expecting to have a kid soon. That's a good name

to have anyway, No, no getting getting yeah, Septimus Septimius Severus.

Anyway, just to.

Give you a prayers, a little sevy okay, little sevy

over there. Uh, he's he. He is the emperor, the

Roman emperor of that time. He has this very uh,

very famous for for this. Every time they celebrate his birthday.

He would want to call for a battle to the Colosseum, right,

he al watched gladders so that the top right there is

from gladiators. So do you understand the context a little bit.

But what he would do during the time is that

he will bring all those people that were persecuted, right,

they were sorry they were caught, basically Christians and all

that will they will catch all these people that are

in prison and they will throw them into the colossum

similar like so okay, and then sending gladiators and beasts

to fight until they die.

That's where the gladiator story comes from. Okay.

So that's what he does for entertainment. Back then, there's

no Netflix, there's no YouTube, et cetera.

So this is entertainment. Okay. So for his.

Birthday, one of his birthdays, Perpetra was actually scheduled or

other going to be part of this birthday celebraty in

this form. So during that time, like I said, the

dead of Perpetra, he is actually influential man, wealthy person

as well.

So he thought, okay, let me try to do something.

He actually went to prison talk to Perpetra and say

things like what every dad will do, right, it's Okla,

you know, you can just deny your faith a little bit.

Don't be too passionate, don't be so phonetic about it.

You believe in your heart that's sufficient. You don't have

to openly express it. And we've also heard sometimes people

use this sort of approach whenever fear creeps in or

whatever danger creeps in, as long as you believe it's okaya,

God will understand.

God would know, right. But of course, the story goes

that she didn't. She refused to.

In fact, if you wanted to actually go and look

up her diary, it's still kept. You know, you can

look it up. You can google it as well. So

let's read some of the memoirs. Just before the end,

when the father engaged her, she said this to the father, father,

do you see that vast or vase depending on which

country you come from, the vast over there?

Hey?

And then of course the father replied, yes, I do.

I can see that now. She then asked, can you

call it something else? Or can it be called something else?

Then the father said no. Then she then replies, she said,

just like that analogy, I am a Christian and I

cannot be called something that I'm not. Very powerful conviction,

very powerful devotion. That, of course, the story goes. She

believed in what she believed, and then the father couldn't

convince her. She ended up in the birthday party, and

then after that, obviously she gave her life for what

she believed in Uh so, yeah, she believed in God

and she you were so devoted that she lost her

life because of that, Okay.

And the story doesn't end there.

Because of that, there were lots of Roman citizens, in fact,

some very influential ones, seeing that, and then there's a

report effect. Look it up, Okay, Anyway, why were they

so convinced because they see that someone who is so

devoted there's even willing to die. There must be some

truth in that, okay. And that's how her story is

so well known that she not just converted to Christianity

and then became a martyr, but there were also some

report effects just based on where she stands and what

she did after that. Now, my main point here showing

you the three different case studies is to show you

that you must recognize that when somebody is devoted to something,

someone some cause in the private and also the public

is the same one. They don't change. Uh And this

is what we want to draw close to. And I'm

just saying this very gently. Also on we have a

Past the Glory, they say that yes, we need to

be devoted, we cannot like okay, Soka, you know you

do this only on Sunday, you do this Monday, you say, said,

that's very and do whatever.

No, no, you cannot.

You have to be devoted, all right, And we love

you so much that we wanted to be very transparent

because this is ultimately what God wants for us.

Okay.

Now, So the most confronting question, and I say this

with love, okay before I show it up, is this

question over here?

What are you most devoted to? What are you most

devoted to? When somebody sees you? What do they think of?

Do you?

Do you think all these guys such a so passionate

for his sports or so passionate for at his work

or whatever. And this is of course talking about someone

who's observing for a long period of time, not just

on a given Sunday. Hey, we can dress up, we

can do whatever on Sunday, but do you see the

same devotion? Are you a Christ a devoter of Christ

when somebody sees you or do they see something else?

It's the main question here, and I reiterate my point

just now. I said that we are creatures created for devotion,

you know we are. We know how to devote our

lives to stings. Right, So who or what actually has

taken our highest devotion. Heavy lost track of that. I know,

very confronting question. It's probably not the most popular thing

to bring up during a celebration above this celebration, but

it's actually very important. Now let me share with you

something that's happened. I've been in the ministry for quite

some years. I've yeah, it's five years law, okay, real,

twenty years a lot older than I look.

Okay, So that's why I always before we think that

I'm very young, and I actually old. Then I look.

But in twenty nineteen and I looked this up because

now there is everything's digital, right, so I actually wrote

a text or before I share that text largely speaking, right,

in the many years of doing ministry, I've noticed something.

All the leaders right spend half the time in church

or outside of the Sunday service trying to get people

to be more and more devoted to Christ. That's the

main thing, rather than all the other things about discipleship

and all these kind of things that we're supposed to

focus on more.

That means we are trying to urra are you and

convince you to just be devoted.

It can be very tiring because why we're just going

running circles, right, And I can say this because, like

I said, I've been doing this for quite some time.

So why aren't we focusing more on discipleship, spiritual growth

even and what the mission of the church really is

supposed to be?

Right?

And we're still coming back to getting people devoted? Right,

And like I said, it's not I mean, it's part

of our job as your leaders, your past, like pastor

Gloria Past, the job to call, to compel, to convince,

to inspire you to have a life that's fully devoted

to Jesus et cetera. But ultimately, right, the responsible responsibility

at she lies in your hands. You know, we can

do all we can, we can't make the decision for you.

So in twenty nineteen, the story I just mentioned to you, right,

I almost walked away from church ministry.

And why do I remember that?

It's actually nineteen of April twenty nineteen, So clearly is

because like I said, technology these days, right, I actually

have a timestem there of a message that I crafted.

I was going to send it out to my leader

back then.

I'm gonna read some except with it, so hey blank,

so you won't know who that person is been considering

stepping down from blank okay, ministry, LA leadership and or that.

Just I'll let you know so they can pray along

with me. Let me explain further.

I'm still committed in all areas and in no way

stepping away, but just wanted to take some time, you know,

out of some of the things I'm struggling for this

coming season. And then I see something like, you know,

I've also planning as a baticultus at work, so I'm

because you're going away for a while, so I wanted

to talk to you first before I talked to pastor

about some transition plans. So that ended day by saying

just a title change, but not a change of heart.

Then message never got sent out, by the way it

was in draft mode. But I can share with you

why I was frustrated back then. It wasn't because I

was burnt out. It wasn't because I wasn't doing or

I didn't love Jesus and all that kind of thing.

But I was just frustrated people back then, a lot

of roaring and then no, no, no fruit right and

and I was like, Okay, maybe it's not for me,

and I want to take a break for a while,

and again, thankfully the Lord knows better a lord wrestling

with the Lord, and that never gets sent out. But

it's still in my unsent. And that's why I can

tell you very clearly nineteen April twenty nineteen or nineteen

four nineteen, right, just just realize that anyway, Yeah, have

we come to the point that church is just about

entertaining saints, that we are just every in we are

going around, but there's no conviction or no fallout after that.

You just hear something. Oh, it's like again feeding the brain.

Sometimes people say, oh, I know this, the messages or whatever.

It may not be so stimulating, but even if it

stimulates you, you don't take action. What's the point, right,

So that's what, like I said, honest, I'm also human.

Right away, I got flash as well. Right, I was

very frustrated back then. I almost call it quits. And

I'm curtiously you know, Jesus sometimes are yeah, we need

these people, right and and and and and we in

our human capacity, human society, we sometimes do fall up

systems or.

Baby them a bit more.

And Jesus don't do all that I know, by the way,

Jesus just go you follow me, not fall up system,

follow me system. Right, So, like I said, that was

my my then my my conviction. Like, okay, I hear you, Lord,

let's let's uh, let's let's let's do this. And because

of that, thankfully, I'm still doing what I do and

I'm still passionate what I do. But I almost gave

up this long story shot. Okay, Now the next statement

is very important. I said this sort of alluded to

this a little bit. The only person who can devote

yourself is actually yourself.

You.

Now, really, we can do all we can.

We can, Rara, we can do nice programs, videos, I

don't know, Kenva what what have you? Even dress up

and all that, but ultimately, right you're you're holding the wheel, right,

And that's my main point here, big bowl, right, big

and purposely and really obvious. You only you can devote yourself.

You know, you've seen baby dedications all there, right, babies,

But ultimately they have to one day choose to devote

themselves to Jesus. We can't as proxies do it for

the kid. And similarly as well Pastor Gloria, the leaders

and everybody else hell the leader and all that they

cannot devote you to the Lord. You could devote yourself.

Like I said, it's our job to convince you, compel you.

Ah, but we can't devote you. We can't devote you.

We can create space to get me wrong, We create

space so they can hear. You can talk about, you know,

space to hear the good news, the gospel. But ultimately,

I mean even even hearing about how you can move

towards a life of devotion. But you are the one

that needs to make that decision and therefore devote yourself.

Remember I said earlier, right, devotion is an intensity for

a season, it's a love and coming over lifetime. So therefore, yeah,

when we take this on, it's not easy. Like I said,

it's not easy, but we want to let you know

that it's actually doable, and I'll talk about how to

get there heavy right, So I heavior that like I said,

the message right. Anyway, let's move on, all right, So

the question is we know that devotion is important, So

the question is how do we become people of devotion?

How do we again back to the question asked La, right,

is someone to look at you, they see you're devoted

to God? How do we become that people. All right, First,

of course you're making the decision.

Now.

If you didn't catch that all that right, you get

made deciphers. Right, and let's come back to X chapter two,

because there's a lot and the scripture was there for

a reason. It's not just random scripture. Okay, So back

to accept to her. You see, they devoted themselves. They

weren't compelled, you know, I mean they were compelled, but

they had to the first one hundred had to do something.

They devoted themselves. So they aplenty costs came and all

this other stuff.

But what did they do. The first thing they did,

they devoted themselves.

Interesting, no one did it for them, right, no one

drove them to this point, but they themselves will compelled.

They were quote unquote self devoted, self devoted.

So and you know the story, right, the first hundred

and twenty were devoted, and then in the upper room,

and then what happens three thousand, one hundred and twenty

to be more specific, around three thousand people were also devoted. Again,

they were also self devoted, and then of course you

know the the spiral spiraling, you know, the pyramid scheme

kind of always joke about it.

But yeah, it just became.

Daily, daily, And you think it's like, oh, I devote

her and then she devote him and then she devote.

No, it's not that they devote themselves. And that's why

the church grew so quickly.

So if you really are to believe, I mean, if

you believe that X to us is going to be

that church, right, you got to start devoting yourself. It

starts here, of course, if your leaders first, yes, but

it also starts here before those others around you. In

this vicinity, this city can be lost, can be can

be reached for Jesus. Okay, so again, how do you

come people of devotion? Let's look at three points and

then and how much am I given to you? Uh?

Just curious the eleven? Okay, run run all right?

Devotion okay, first point, devotion doesn't work without desire.

I sort of elluded to that a little bit. Okay, desire?

What is desire? I'll bring out a Greek word, probably

gonna butcher it very badly.

Right, prose cautery, oh okay, but put the phonetic reading

over there, But essentially right, it is to devote oneself

two or to persist in or to continue steadfastly in

and here closely in to wait on continually. I think

recently hosts we talk about waiting on the lord. Right,

that waiting also is part of being devoted, at least

in the Greek. So that this is the word that

was used in X two. Right, So we just want

to go back to the root of the word, not

the English dictionary word, so that you can appreciate this

a bit better. So in case you miss all that persistency, consistency, loyalty.

And all that is still there. Okay. And they were also.

Yeah, step fast and sometimes also in the waiting, so

even when things are not seemingly not moving, they are

still step fast. Right anyway, boys brigade here away another

point anyway, So yeah, why do I say this Because

rules can modify behavior, but only desire can change the

way you devote yourself to things. Okay, So that's why

you know it's very important to have desire.

The pair up. Let me uh, let me see where

you have time to go through this? Yeah, so again

I said.

Earlier, right, your careers, your your your relationships, even really

having one thing, you'll say, for like having a child,

even you know you devote you have the desire, and

then therefore you then devote you do things that you

devote yourself towards having or making that work right, or

even having a visa, you know some of you maybe,

I mean in my church, I've got a lot of

people apply for visas to to to to to remain

so uh yeah, anyway, let's not go there. Yeah, so

we need to inspect our desires. So that is a

line with our devotion, right, And let me tell you

a story. Ah, okay, this is gonna be a Yeah,

I'm a chipoholic. In case you don't know what chipperholic

is is someone who likes chips Chris if you're Brits, okay,

potato chips, chippo holic. Yeah, so I've got a very

during my birthday one of the years, I've got a

very close friend who lives in l A, Los Angeles.

He came back to visit and he knows I'm a

chip hoolic. By the way, right in whichever season I

am right with, whichever healthy season. And also about Egyptian

it's just that bad. I'm a chipolic trying to quit anyway,

as I got friend back to the story, A friend

came back from LA he knows.

That I've got this thing. And then he he he

brought back a back of chips.

Okay, by the way, he brought back a training ounce

ting ounce back of chips, So that translates to about

maybe eight hundred grams. It's not those small little twisty's

back And it was like a big bag. Now if

anyway travel with chips before, it's not you can't check

it in. You check in explode because of the pressure.

So it has to be hand carried, big bag of chips,

you know, hand carry with love all the way, uh,

you know, and from l A to here, I think

it's about if you took a direct flights about twenty

hours with transit probably longer.

So a lot a lot of devotion from his on

his part.

But you know, when he got here, I told him, bro,

you know what I'm trying to in this season, trying

to every time I was very I was a behavior,

you know, trying to cut cobs, you know, eat healthy,

eat weird stuff, drink green stuff and all again and

stuff again. Anyway, I was in this hell healthy sceness.

So I said, it's okay, thank you for the gift.

I would then take this home for my kids, living

that right devoted to my kids. Anyway, So I on

after the meat. On the way back to the car,

I was holding the back of chips and then into

the car suddenly the accident, the chips accidentally went into

my mouth, fell into my mouth. Yeah, and of course

you know what has happened. So yeah, I started off

by just putting the chips there, looking at it. It's

jalapino chips, you know, very very nice.

Uh.

It kind of hard to find here, okay. Anyway, Yeah,

so and I thought to myself, you know, I'm a

discipline man, I'm a grown man. Stayed down for a while,

and after a while, I, yeah, it accidentally opened. I

wonder what the chip would look like. And then of

course you know that some went into my mouth. So

that's the honors truth. And if you look at me

that you're so disgusted.

Anyway, let's let's let's get back to the main thing here. Now.

What I'm trying to say is that, of course there'll

be reasoning. I know it's my birthday, but I I

can tell you right that obligation or even rules that

were set because I am disciplined or that didn't can

What actually compelled me to go for the back of

chips is actually desired.

To Chipolic. The desire was so strong.

Everything went out of the window. It's okayl my birthday, La.

He flew so far. He took so much effort. I can't.

I mean, I need to be a good friend as

all right. So anyway, Yeah, so obligation did not drive

me to eat the chips, but desire actually did, Okay,

And that's what we are.

Trying to also say, because sometimes we use this or

we need to be, you know, closer to God. You

do this, we obligate you too. Sometimes myself included as well.

We use fear tactics or strategies to say, if you don't,

God will smite you. I mean, I'm paraphrasing here, but

you know I'm talking about, right. It's fear driven legalism,

which sometimes it's used, but that.

Cannot compel you for.

Long term devotion, short term money, yes, La, And then

we only that you know, you have sporadic highs of

commitment and then suddenly like.

I can't do this.

So that's why we always say that it needs to

come from a place of desire, right, a place of desire.

Now the question is how do we then create a desire?

Aren't you glad that before the verse we read, if

you grow back in the early parts of X two,

flesh up the scripture X two one to four, all

of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, right, so

all of them will filled. And that's why when we

read the scripture later on, they devoted themselves. So they

were first filled by the Holy Spirit, and then therefore

devoting themselves self devotion is natural easy because they will

fill with the Holy Spirit. Now it's important because, like

I said, moral obligation, how much I convinced you, guilt

tripping and all that kind of think can you bring

you so far? Even Peter understands this. They're going no

time to run to you because I'm rightning out of time.

But Peter, you know, he goes ups and downs. Right, Uh,

He said that, Lord, I cannot do it in my

own strength. I this kind of world, so I need

the Spirit's power.

Okay.

Scripture is that you can. You can just take a

photo and then let it looks. But second, Peter, is

where that comes from. Second Galatious sorry Galicious as well

talks about this one of the things that the fruit

of the spirit is love.

Right, So if you have the spirit in.

You, naturally you will love because not talking about loving

just your your your wife, your husbands and all that

kind of thing, your your family, but we're talking about

also love for God.

That's what this spirit does.

And of course you love for neighbors in the process

as well. So again sometimes we do things so we say, oh,

you're going to talk to the newcomer and all that.

If you are really filled with the spirit, right, you

come with perspective love, and therefore that love would then

transform the even the action because others you're just doing

it and you just religious duties, obligation, religious obligation, right,

and it's just raised surface level. And that's why we

always need to be filled by the spirit. Then we

will be genuinely compelled and then genuinely devoted, and then

the expression of it, whichever thing that you do encounters

administs all that will be genuine. And that's why I said, yeah,

we need to feel by sprace. So first point filed

by the spirit.

You didn't catch all that.

Second point, the devotion is filed by spiritual habits. Remember

I talk abut spiritual had it right. So what you

practice shapes what you love. Right, nobody likes to eat

green stuff that they get. Go again, anyway, let's look

at the scripture very quickly, gonna run the day in

five four minutes or so.

The apostle, sorry, they were devoted. Sorry, they devoted themselves

to the.

Apostles teaching and to the fellowship, and to the to

the to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. So

a few things that if you didn't catch it, postals teaching,

to fellowshipping, breaking of bread, communion, and also to prayer.

Things that we do, the mundane things that we do.

You know, they have devoted to it.

Anybody reading a bike before, or rode a bike before,

or you know, I'm talking about right the bicycle if

it is I think a picture of this, I mean

it's a random picture.

But you know on a BikeE right, there is two sides.

There's two pedals, are right, you pedal ones left foot,

you pedal right, left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot,

and then you continue to move forward. Now, if you

stop paddling, either want you choose what happened? Most likely

you would topple over or fall to one side. So

we did say that Holy Spirit is important. The Holy

Spirit is at one lake. You know, if the Holy

Spirit does the peddling on one side, let's say one foot,

if we do not do our part, so it didn't

have to job, what happens is that we will naturally fall.

And hopefully this gives you a good.

Understanding of that's why we are to do. Uh, you

know the spiritual habits, because spiritual habits as to keep.

Us going forward while in tandem with the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual habits, Holy Spirit, spiritual habits, Holy Spirit.

Left right, left, right, left right, and then you'll.

Create a life full of genuine spiritual devotion that is

to God. Ah okay, one more photograph very quick on.

I was, like I said, I was based in Melbourne.

Or it's not the same picture, but I have. I

used to plant the lemon tree. And you know those

that you who are botanists and all that, you know

that a tree when it's planted, you often put something

like a like a stick or a stick right right?

What what what the thing the stick is for to

keep it straight?

Right? Does the stick grow? Doesn't grow?

Right?

The stick? The organic growth is the tree itself.

The stick is just merely there to to to support,

to help. So spiritual habits is like a stick. It's

just there to ensure that the growth still goes on because.

We all want that.

You know that that that you want to build, that

design to build the devotion, right, all spiritual habits actually

doing that. So whenever you do so, the next light

talks about this. Spiritual habits don't create life itself. They

support healthy growth that is happening on the side, and

it has to be repeated. That's why sometimes you say that, hey,

why are are we still praying? We go and pray

service on Tuesday. Deal, why are we praying daily? Now?

Why are we doing this? I read my Bible once

a week in service on Sunday. Enough of you.

Why do we see why you compel me to read

the Bible on my own on Monday. Isn't it past

the glorious job to read the Bible for me?

I read the Bible to you. In fact, no, right,

it's not. You got to do the work, is so

because when you do the work, it transforms you. Uh.

And then of course yeah, I got no time, I

can skip through a bit. But one thing, of course,

you also know there's some people they read the Bible

a lot, but they're still not very good people, right,

anybody people like I know, I don't feel like that

they read Bible every day, you know, but sometimes the

words I'm always like, you're read Bible not on. So

that's why you need to practice as well. You need

to keep doing it. Uh, and and and and and

over time with the spirit. Sorry, with the Holy Spirit

and all that your discipline and all that you will

transform you. Okay, I got a run, seriously, so sorry,

I got a run.

Last one. Devotion flourishes in community, right, a really fashioned committee.

We talked about we talked about what they call us uh,

a life of sorry, starting my mind blanking a bit.

Discipleship right last year, the whole of last year, we

talk about discipleship. Now, discipleship has its part in the

individual setting, but there's also a part where we do

it in the community that you will take take it

on a bit further. Right. Devotion also is like this, right,

you can you it's not meant for you to grow alone.

Ever seen fire like candles, you know they can only

so much, But when a collection of different candles come together,

you burn brighter together. And that's why in verses forty four,

you see getting a scripture up, we're Russia. All the

believers were together and everything in common. So they were

doing all those apostles, teaching, fellowship, breaking a bread, prayer,

but they were also doing together. They were so united

that all these things they do, people like I think crazy,

Are they crazy? Why is this important?

Because when you are baptized in the spirit, and we

think scripture up there so as to form one body,

what's that body? The church? Is that body? Right? Because

you are meant to mirror God's image in the church.

Church people.

By the way, it's not building, it's not a Sunday service.

And that's why it's important. And one thing that I

wanted to just quickly show you this is how I

see it.

Light next light. Okay, So people of all different backgrounds.

As a big google a picture, like it's not not

really someone, but different colors, different capabilities, different h you know,

backgrounds and all that, they come together and they form

almost like you know you've seen broken glass mosaic. Right,

they look way beautiful together, right, but somehow individually, like

a y, it's broken. And what we're gonna do with

this and it's just a little bit like that, right,

when people come together as broken as well, you know,

we're all broken, we're all sinness, et cetera. When we

come together, God can really take it on and bring

us to make something even more beautiful. And that's why

devotion really flourishes within a committitent And that's where I

say to you right now, tour us. People are looking

at you, not because you as you are, but you

collectively as community. They're not just looking at you know,

or which floor we meet at and what you do,

what you dress, and no, they're looking at how come

this people are still meeting regularly, consistently so devoted.

No, like I said, it's not sports fan. Why is

this just so crazy? Right?

Why be so crazy about our community? And again, just

to be very clear, it's not about cliques and friends

and all that. We want to go beyond that as well.

So I got to wind down idea over my time.

But really back to the question or back to the

statement earlier when we said devotion isn't an intense, momentary intensity.

It's really a long haul thing. What are we doing

about it? And I want to end here and get

extreme to come up right now. These are just some

questions for you to think. True.

I asked this question before. If someone were to observe

your life, right, what would they see they most devoted to?

Again?

Would they say career, would they say relationship with some people,

your connections, or would they say Christ? And that's again

something that you need to ask yourself. And if it's

not Christ, then what are we to do to ensure

that they see Christ? By the way, right, just to

share a sight side story again, Uh, you know, I've

got a secular job. I've got I've got a full

time job. People in at work knows I'm also a pastor.

In fact, people from what are coming to church so

they see me on Sunday and on other days?

Is what is doctor day?

Yeah, but that's what it is. Hopefully I'm the same

in private on Sunday and on another days. And I

hope this is something that I just want to remind

us again. If the answer again, it's not wrong to

have other things that you are devoted to, but if

it's not Jesus or not God, which is supposed to

be the most devotion, I think it's just something that

we need to work towards, right, so the first question is,

really is someone to observe your life?

What did they see they are most devoted to?

And of course the next thing is, as X to

us move on to a new season, how can we,

you know, increase our devotion to Jesus Because it starts

off with you.

You need to devote yourself first.

When you devote yourself, the whole church that's fully devoted

of people who are in full devotion to Jesus, Acts

two will happen again, that one twenty will become three thousand,

one twenty here yet, but believe me, it happens on

a daily basis because people are devoted.

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

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

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this week is going to be a good week. I

hit for you.

God bless