20250720-ACH-0930-Disciple First - Chandreshan

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

We hope this message will light up your tea.

We are half into the team of disciple first. Uh.

This year, I'm sure you have heard so many things

about disciple first discipleship. I'm sure you know's a Gloria

and all the other speakers have been talking about discipleship.

Different leaders are talking about discipleship to to to you guys,

and in asking your maybe, uh, have you considered discipleship?

Do you want to consider to be part of the

discipleship because and because why we're doing this is that

this year we really want to focus to go deeper,

to go deeper into this discipleship that what we're supposed

to be in actually it is the fundamental of being

a Christian. Actually, you know, it's not just by word

of mouth we say disciple first, you know, but we're

saying that, no, really, disciple is the first thing you're

supposed to be, you know, And we want to take

intentional action in that. That's the whole purpose and desire

that we're talking about discipleship to you all on and

off and on and off, because that's where everything starts.

You know, we talk about revival. We all, I mean,

if you've been a Christian for some time, you've heard

about revival and things like that. But revival will not

be able to happen if there are no disciples, because

who are then going to carry on what the Holy

Spirit does if it's not for the disciples. So, you know,

this is what we are supposed to be, disciples disciple first.

So Christ did not call us to just be a

believer or a practitioner, you know, or it does not

call us to be just oh whatever that people call

whatever religion that they follow, you know, mostly they believe,

mostly they call them practitioners and things like that. But

we are called to be disciples. It's it's just clear

in the Bible. You know, you call everyone to become

his disciple. Matthew nineteen says that, you know, go and

make disciples and reaptize them in the name of Father,

Son and the Holy Spirit. It's it's just clear. There's

no other way around it. Become disciples, becoming disciples of

Jesus Christ. That's what we're supposed to be. And and

you know, and and you cannot try to say that. No,

I think I'll just stay at being a believer. Oh

I think I'll just stay at being a practitioner. All

these things. You you you cannot do it. But because

there's a clear word and understanding why the word disciple

was used in the Bible. So there's this word. Okay,

next one, yes, thank you. So the Greek word for

disciples is actually martetis, which means a learner or a follower,

you know. So it means like you are learning, and

you are learning and you are following, then you are

a disciple. That's what we're called to do. And it

appears in the Bible, in the Gospel of X and I.

In the Gospels and also in the Book of Acts

for about two hundred and sixty times they refer to

those who were with Jesus as his disciples, or in

another word, as martetis. That's what they were referring, both

of them. I mean all of them too, you know.

So it starts from there. It only after that, after

a Book of Acts, you read other letters, all and

other books of the Bible. Well, the words like saints,

brethrens believers, the elect, the servants, those who are in

Christ were all used. Only after that. Those who are

following Jesus were called disciple, and everything else is whatever

believer for saints, those who are in Christ, brethrens and

sisters in Christ. All that was only after that. None

of it was before that. So it means even in

the Bible, it is so clear that you become a

disciple first. Then only you are a believer. Then only

you are brethrens in Christ, you know, and and things

like that, and you are a saint, and and all

these things that the Bible mentions is only after that,

you know. So our primary call from this we know

is to be is disciple, to learn and follow, you know,

That's what we're supposed to do. So we are called

to be disciples first. That's why the whole team is

disciples first, so that you learn and you follow. Yeah,

you know. So I want to ask this question to

all of you, you know, I like if you can respond,

I hope you will respond. You know how many you will? Okay, Amen,

she's so excited. How many of you here say that

you are a follower of Jesus Christ or you follow Jesus.

I mean you can raise your hand, you know, I

mean if you're confident. If you're not confident yet, I

think pass the gloria, I should talk to you. Okay, okay,

so okay, there a few of you will raise your hand.

So but but you know, if I how if I

ask you, how do you follow Jesus? What would your

answer be? How do you follow him? Said I'm a

follower of Jesus, and I think a bunch of you

raise your hand seventy seventy percent. That's telling us the

gray only seventy percent. So if you say you are

a follower of Jesus, how do you follow him? How?

How is that applied in real life? You know? Because today,

in today's day and entire following is a very different meaning.

We're very confused about following because social media is confused

as about what is following. Like, like, you know, when

you follow someone in social media, what do you do?

You would, uh, you know, stock their photos and you

will see their feed, you know, you know, so you

know you're gonna be scrolling and looking at their updates

and maybe you will like, you'll double tap and you like,

or you will comment wow, so pretty wow, so beautiful.

I don't know what else you'll comment then yes, so funny,

it's another good comment as well. You know, you might comment,

and then what will happen. You will just scroll to

the next and you will forget about it. Right, That's

what we always do. We keep scrolling, scrolling, and we

just forget about it. And you do the same thing

to all those you follow on Instagram. You're not gonna

like hold their picture and just keep staring at them. No,

it's gonna be so weird if you do that, you know,

but you will move on. You will just forget about it.

But sometimes, right, we also cheat following Jesus the same way.

You know, just open sometimes the Bible and then be like, wow,

so good, come on Lord, and then we come to

church and then yay, come on Lord, and then you're done.

You're done following him, you know, that's it. And then

on Monday to Saturday you're following something else. Too many

things you're following, you know, because this is the truth,

because we are following too many things in our life today,

and there's too many noise and too much of distractions

that is actually in our lives today, and we because

of that, we have stretched so thin spiritually, and our

attention is divided. You know, it's really our attentions are divided,

so divided that we are not we can't actually follow

him fully, you know. And and that's not how we're

supposed to follow Jesus. True following Jesus is giving it

all to him, following the way that he paved, where

he did not live for himself. He lived for the

Father in heaven, you know, and and nothing else. He

was very clear that I am here to follow my

father and do his business. Even he says in Look

two forty nine, did you not know that I must

be about my father's business? So that was very he

was very clear of what he is following. But today,

because where we are living, in the situation that we

are in, we often have too many things fighting for

our attention, you know. But we have to be very clear.

Is Christ is the lord of all or not at all?

That's it. Christ is Lord of all or not at all.

There's nothing in between. There's nothing in between. You can't

say I'm going to juggle Christ and I'm going to

juggle something else with Christ. It's quite not right. So

we have to get our priorities right first. There's no

Instagram following. We cannot follow Jesus like we follow someone

on Instagram or whatever the new social media is, you know,

but he has to follow him genuinely. But it's a

struggle to do so because many things again I repeat

this again. I probably it's not like a broken record.

You know that many things compete for attention today in

our daily lives, and sometimes we are bound to make

choices about whether to follow him or something else, even

in the smallest things, you know, things like can I

still find a way to make it to church? Or

a long day yesterday, I'm so tired, the bed is

calling me, oh ninety thy so early, so early? Can

I still then make it to church? Or you know, oh,

there's a concert at the mean that it was a concert.

I I live in book Joel exactly, so it was

so traffic, the jam was so bad because I live

in Booka jalelh And And you know, would you still

make it to church or you'll say that no, I

think I will go for that concert instead, yeah, you know,

or would you let things compete? Or can you or

say that I'll at times where they say that, oh, no,

on Sunday you have to work Sunday morning, No, you

have to be at work. Can you and say that no,

I cannot. This time is set aside for me to

serve God or to be in the house of the Lord.

Can we say that because that tests whether are you

genuinely following or not? You know, can I set aside

Tuesday nights together and pray with my church community, or

you know, oh, work, I'm going to stay or stay

back at work and work over time, or or I'm

just too tired to socialize and at Tuesday night, so

I think I'm just going to go to work. I

mean I'm going to go back to home and sleep.

Oh you know, would you be able to set aside time?

Can we say that? Can we make a stand to

say that that tests you whether are you following Christ

genuinely or not? You know, it's not about attendance. I'm

not saying that, oh it's because of attendants not. I'm

saying that these are just the little tests. Actually, whether

you can you stand and say that it makes you,

It makes people around you know that your follower Christ

as well. I remember a long time ago as a student,

when I was a degree student in UPM. If you know,

a UPM is a government uned so they love to

have exams on Sundays because they're you know the MPU

subjects where all faculties have to take it, you know,

like Kandergata nationhood and you know Ungan Ethnic you know

all those nonsense papers. Right. They used to do it

on Sundays. They love to eavy on Sundays because they

say like, oh, that's the day everyone can can meet together,

you know, everyone free schedule. And I said no, I

don't have a free schedule on Sunday morning. So I

was very I didn't like that, you know, and I

was growing as I was like first year, second year

and third year, and I felt like this is not right.

I you know, someone is to say something about it.

So I actually went to my lecturer in my faculty

and I told her that I'm not going to come

for exam on Sunday. And she's like, what's wrong with you?

And I said no, because Sunday mornings are church time

for me, and you have exams on Sundays regularly, so

I don't want to do that. And she's like, oh

what why only you? What about everyone else? No one

else is complaining? And I don't know what came in

to me at that time. And I told her this boldie,

I guess or I don't know. However, you want to consider,

would you have exams Friday twelve thirty to two thirty?

You will never do that, you know, right, because it's

an important time for you and all of you. I'm

not saying who is you? So you know? For you?

So what about me? What about others? Then she was like, oh, actually,

you're right. I wonder why no Christians came and told me,

told us about this. So the faculty that I was

in is the faculty that organizes this exam, because this

is like the human ecology faculty. All the papers of

this comes from that faculty, and the person that I

was talking to is actually the dean of the faculty.

So from then onwards, the following semester they decided to

say that we are no longer going to have exams

on Sundays anymore, especially for this paper. If any other

faculty does that, then it's up to them, love, but

for no more. So you will never hear a common

exam on Sundays. Students these days, you know, they don't

have that. It's because someone one day decided to be

bold enough to go and say that, and they were

completely fine with it. It's just that they was they

didn't know, they didn't aware because there were no they.

She mentioned this to me, Oh, come, I have never

heard any Christian come and tell me about this before.

So it was a stand the tests whether are we

following him genuinely or not? So again I said, you know,

it's not about church attendance. It's not I'm just saying

this so that you will skip everything and be at church.

But sometimes you can even be here physically, but your

hearts are not even you know, you are probably in

your phone scrolling, you know, and your hearts are not

following him truly. You know, your mind is thinking, well

what am I going to have for lunch? Of this?

You know? You know. But but all these little decisions

that you make shapes you as a follower and as

a disciple. Was genuinely committed to the business of following Jesus.

But you may say, oh, Chan, I'm trying so hard,

but it's you know, but I can't, you know, it

seems so hard. And I always get the answers because

you know, I have a lot of Cambra students in Esca,

and every time I challenge them, they'll be like, but chant,

I'm not like you. I cannot do it, you know,

I said, no, I'm not asking you to be like me.

I'm asking you like Jesus. Perhaps it is something that

you need to focus on this year, you know, for

you maybe to do a hard check. It's your heart

in the right place. Are you understanding God correctly? You know,

because we can only truly grasp the concept of what

is it to be a follower when we have a

fundamental understanding who God is and what are his actions like?

Because if we don't know who God is and what

are his actions like, then we are just we can't

we can't properly follow you. We probably won't follow you blindly,

or we're not following at all. You know. That's why

we're always finding ourselves on the fence, because we haven't

really understand how God is and who God is and

how does he work and what are his character? So

let me ask you a question. You know, so this

will boil down to how do you perceive God in

your life? So I asked this question, how many of

you believe? You can answer honestly, I'm seriously answer honestly,

how many of you ye have believe that God is

here for you. Here is your hand for you. Okay, great,

what I if I tell you that that concept that

you have, that belief that you have is not entirely correct,

that it can be incorrect? You know? What if I

tell you that God is not her for you, but

we are the ones who are here for him, I

don't get me wrong. Scripture does affirm that God is

God's love, mercy, grace, all of this. You know. It

will draw near to you, it will help you, it

will save you, it will care for you. All these

things He will do for you. But it does not

exist for you. But we have been so used to

hearing this consumeristic gospel that suggests that as do, he

revolves around us, or he's here to bless you, is

here to heal you, it's here to get you that promotion,

is here to help you pass that exam. But no,

that's not how he works. Is not your cosmic concerge,

or is not your wishing well, or it's not your genie.

But we are so used to it. We are so

so used to this, and sometimes our worship song sounds

like that, and when it doesn't sound like that, we

get upset. Oh I don't like that song, you know.

But let me tell you the truth is because of

that understanding that we have, That's why we are never

satisfied with the Gospel alone. We want more and we

are constantly seeking for something more because we have not

understood what it is all about, what is the true

Gospel all about. That's why we cannot be consistent with

the Lord. Especially when struggle comes. We're going through something

we cannot fully surrender to the Lord. The first thing

we do is to forsake God or for God God

when struggle comes, because we are constantly needing for more,

and we ask questions like this, God, why are you

not doing this for me? I pray, I come to church,

but nothing happening for me. We have a lot of

baggages and we're still asking God this question. We get

disappointed with God. This is a consum mindset that we have.

I'm giving, but I'm not receiving anything in return. Yeah,

you know, I don't know why I put a picture.

This reminded me of This reminded me of pandemic. So

you know, you know, it's a question that we have

in our mind all the time. I'm giving but not

receiving anything in return. I'll come not fair. Why he

gets it, I don't get it. Why he got nice testimony,

but I don't have nice testimony to share. Oh a

pread sch it. You're gonna come get sort of place,

you know. But today I want to ask you. Would

you still follow him even if you did not receive

the breakthrough that you've been asking for. Would you still

follow him even if it does not heal you for

the healing that you've been asking for, or maybe the

job that you've been one thing? Would you still follow him?

Would you still say, Lord, I will follow you, Lord,

I love you if would you still follow him if

your life is going to be filled with suffering and challenges?

Would you still follow him if all you get to

see is his face but never get to see his

hands move in your life? Or would you still follow

him if you are hated forever or even going to

be persecuted for the rest of your life? Would you

still follow him? You know, because the Bible stays that clearly.

You know from Luke nine twenty three to twenty four

says that then he said to them all, if anyone

desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take

up his cross. The alien follow me. For whatever desires

to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses

his life for my sake will save it. Look nine

fifty eight says the same thing. Fox have holes. Jesus

said to everyone, Fox have holes, Birds of the air nest.

But the son of man has nowhere to lay his hand,

He has nowhere to lay his head, has no house.

Would you still follow Jesus if he has not given

you a house to stay? John fifteen twenty says, remember

the word I said to you. A servant is not

greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will

also persecute you. That's not a good life. None of

it sounds good right now. It sounds comfortable. Imagine not

having an ice house but air con on. You need

to be sleeping on a mat all day. Yeah, so

what if that's what God calls you. But that's the

life written for followers. Really. No part in the Bible,

No part where Jesus says that I'll give you everything

you asked for. No part of the Bible says that

I'm going to give you a comfortable, good life. Yeah,

No part of the Bible says, But again I said,

the consumeristic gospel that we believe for so long is

what is making us so challenging. It makes us so

challenging to accept this, makes it so hard for us

to actually swallow this that life is going to be

full of suffering and challenges, because I will boldly say,

that's what the devil wants. The devil's plan is to

cause us to forget and ignore the history of early

believers and disciples. Because if you read the Bible, and

if you read after if you read the Book of Acts,

and if you continue to read the history of the churches,

none of these disciples at a good, peaceful death. None

of them went back. Oh, I have served the Lord

all my life. Let me now rest and sib Pinacolada

while I see the world pass by. No, they all

land gruesome death, you know. But that's what the devil's

intention is, to cause us to forget and ignore the

fact and as far as the fact that persecution and

suffering has always been part of the follower's life, you know,

and more importantly, help makes us forget the true meaning

of the gospel. You know. What it makes us do

is it makes us suddenly very suddenly desire for three things. Praises, position,

and possession. This is why church we are never satisfied,

because if we examine our lives closely, we'll find that

our lives revolves around these three things. Yeah, either after

people's praises, validation, well done, well done. I'm not saying

don't say that, but I'm saying that sometimes it happens,

or we have to position, or I did not get

the position. I want to be there, I want to

be this. I want to be the CEO. I want

to be the COO, CFO or any os out there. Possessions.

I want that nice car, I want the nice house.

I want nice, this nice, that everything nice. And it

makes us revolve our lives around these things that we

forget a sense of being a true disciple for Christ.

And that's what the devil wants. You know. The devil

is never fear afraid when you when you even sin,

because the devil knows your sins have been forgiven already.

The devil is not afraid, you know, of Christians. But

he's afraid. It's not it's not really you know, it's

it's afraid of Christians that remember what they're calling is

Remember what this mean to be a true disciple is

it's not afraid of Christians, but it's afraid of a

true disciple. It's because it's easy to be a Christian

in today's life, but it's harder to be a disciple

that would do follow him regardless of anything. Even when

you don't hear his voice, still follow him, still obey,

still do Even when I don't get blessings, I still follow.

Still obey Harder. It's easier to come and sit and

hear Wow, such good messages and then just go back

and live our lives daily like normal. But that was

not afraid of us, I said, it has made us

forgotten what we're supposed to do true the world and

the attention that He has pulled us into. Really, so

if they come back again, come back again, that we

exist for him, because we have worn over and we

are no longer belong to ourselves. We no longer belong

to ourselves. And the true gospel is that God sent Jesus,

they paid for us the ultimate price and redeem us

from hell. Already the souls have been worn over, and

now we only need to do is live for God

and do his will first Guarentian six nineteen twenty says

that you are not your own, for you were bought

at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and

in your which are God's second. Corinthians five fifteen says,

and He died for all, that those who live should

no longer live for themselves, but for him who died

for them and rose again. Christ died for us, And

we have been worn over, and He has redeemed us

from hell. That itself is enough, that itself is true fulfillment,

that itself is true satisfaction. You know that victory alone

is worth celebrating already that like hello everyone, we will

not go to hell. We will not be in an

eternal life where God doesn't exist, but we will be

with Him in his presence, in his glory, in his

triumphed over hell. If my God has triumphed over Hell

and rescue me from the flames of that pit, do

you really think he will abandon me to be hungry?

Do you really think that he's going to let me

be mocked? Do you really think he's gonna let me

find anxiety, fear and all the other things alone. That's

how he's supposed to be a gospel. You've God, save

me from the pits of hell? Is he gonna abandon me?

Is he gonna let me suffer alone? You will never.

That's how we should were. The gospel God wants is

to grow, not to be engrossed in ourselves. This gospel,

if you believe it this way, if you know that

we are done, we are worn already, so I can

say yes to anything, be curse. I know the destination

that I'm getting to. I can live no matter how

God has called me to do, even if it's, you know,

with just dirty rags. I will still be able to

live because the destination is already set ready. And then

if you believe that, if you walk like that, I

tell you the gospel will take you through a beautiful

adventure in your life. It'll be all about the journey

because the destination is already set. You already know your destination,

so now it's the journey. So it doesn't matter you're

fifteen or fifty. I can tell you the true Gospel

will make it all about the journey that you're in.

And every adventure you will be willing to commit. You'll

commit to it the Lord tells you, go do that

you'll say, oh, will do it no matter what's the cost,

because I know what's my destination. It's like that. That

is true gospel. But you might say, but China, I'm

not ready, I'm not perfect yet. I need to think first,

or the standard template. I need to pray about it first.

What about this? What about that? But wait, nowhere am

I telling you? Or even the Bible is telling you

that you must be ready before you come to him,

or that you must be perfected before you come to him.

No way, the Bible says that that you must be

a perfect person, then only you come. No, that's legalism,

that is completely empty gospel. The gospel is not fixed yourself.

Then come to God. The gospel has come to God

and he will change you. But most of us missed

this part. We say that I'm not ready yet to

commit because I think I'm not good enough yet. I

think I'm not perfect enough yet. Oh give me some time.

But we I mean, even if you give you some time,

we won't be doing anything about it. But but really,

because we always think that I must be perfect for sn.

But the gospel is come to God and he will

change you. Isaiah one eighteen says come now. That is reason. Together,

says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they

shall be white as snow. Look. Five thirty two says

that those who are well and no need of a physician,

I have no need for a physician, but those who

are sick. I have not come to call the righteous,

but the sinners to repentance. Jesus is the one that

qualifies the unqualified. If you come to him broken, it'll

make you whole. If you come to him sinful, he

will give you righteousness. If you come to him empty,

he will feel you. You don't need to get ready

to come to God. You come to God and you

make you ready. You know, do we realize that it's

actually prideful to believe that you must be perfect and

completely right before committing your life to Jesus. It's actually

a pride if you say that, no, I have to

perfect first, be perfected first before I come to Jesus.

Because do you really think your method of fixing things

is superior to God's way? Do we really think our

way of fixing ourselves is perfect or better than how

God is going to do it? It's actually a pride?

Or do we really think that you can perfect yourself

without fully committing your life to Jesus. It's the same,

you know, worrying, it's also pride. Being anxious and worried

is also pride because it's also showing that we are

thinking into it so much. You're worried about it so

much that to the point that we think that we

can solve it better, or that we can come with

the outcome better than our God. Above. It's worrying. It's

actually some sort of pride because we think that we

are in control and we keep on thinking about it

and modeling about it and worried about it. But the

outcome is in God's hand. So we just need to

come to a place where we have to say that, no, God,

I really cannot but let me just come to you.

How do we do that? There are three things we

can do. It's become selfless. We come, step fast, and

you surrender. Let's read Philippines. Philippians two was five to eleven.

If you have your Bibles with you and you can

turned to Philippians two, five to eleven. Is he gonna

be on the screen? Yes, all right, so believers too,

there's five to eleven says this He must say, have

the same anthitude that Christ. Jesus had. Though he was God,

he did not think equally think of equality with God

as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his

divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave

and was born as a human being. And when he

appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to

God and died as a criminal's death on a cross. Therefore,

God elevated him to the place V's honor and gave

him the name worth all other names, that at the

name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven, on

earth and under the earth, and every tongue confessed that

Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

So in this verse Paul teaches us what we should

what we should do to be like Christ, will accomplish

all three things. That he was selfless, he was stepfast,

and he surrendered. So this is one of the most

important messages or passages in the Bible. So we talk

about selflessness. You know, in the Bible, selflessness is expressed

in many ways. So in Hebrew usually the term that

is used is said it means covenantal loyalty, you know,

because there's a covenant. So I expressed it through sacrificial

love and care in Greek as agape, which is self

giving and sacrificial love. But in this verse, particularly in

verse seven, in this passage, Paul uses a different Greek word,

which stands for canoe. Canoe means to empty itself. It

means imagine you have a container filled with water and

you pouring out the water, empty out. It's called a kinosis,

or the process of emptying itself. In the human context,

it will be like pouring out completely. It means giving

up status, your significance, and also giving up your privilege.

That's what we are called to do, to empty ourselves,

just like Christ himself did it. No Verse seven says

here but made himself of no reputation, taking the form

of a born servant and coming in the likeness of men.

He could have came to the earth like a king.

You know, Jesus was the son of God. He could

have came to the earth like a king. You could

have just ascended, I don't know, with some royal thrones,

flaming thrones, and came down like that. Oh, he could

have chose to be born as the son of a

king in the kingdom back then and be raised his

whole life as a prince and then become a king

and rule over everyone. But he did not do that.

He did not do that. I always ask and I

always think why I did not do that? And after

a while it came to my mind, because most likely

he knew that we were going to be on this

earth very long after he sends back. So if he

had came as a king and then he ascended, none

of us would have been able to follow his ways,

because firstly, not all of us are born king. So

whatever he says will never be valid because because he

is at a privileged place and he's talking like do this,

do that, and then be like, ah, how would we

do that? Now it was the king's here. Oh what

would have happened is that all people would have been

fighting for a throne, because if I had to be

like Jesus, then I'm supposed to be a king, and

then the throne after he ascended, people would have been

fighting for it all the way probably until now. Like

if you see any other religion in this world, that

it happens the people are fighting for a throne, fighting

for a position. But Christ was so clear. God was

so clear when he sent Jesus down that that was

not the way, because you know the way. The right

way is that all of us will be able to

imitate Jesus. And the easiest way for everyone to imitate

Jesus is that so that he comes in an humble

and lowly man that he could relate to him, and

every single person that at that time was able to

relate to him follow him and multiply what he taught.

And there was no need for status, privilege, or social standing,

or color or race or any other distinctions to follow him,

because he came as so humble and common that if

Jesus was sitting here, you would not knowing is Jesus.

That's how he looked like, That's how he carried himself,

because that's what he wanted all of us to be

like as well, to be in a place or not

of privilege, to be in a place where in humble

and lowly manner. But that is also the hardest test

of all. When Jesus comes like that and we are

called to follow him, it seems true who are really?

Is true? Follow us? Because we like to follow celebrities

people who have great high status, people who are successful businessmen,

who were successful. We're like, I want to be like him,

I want to work like him. You know, almost we

read everything about that person and try to say that

I'm I'm just going to emulate my life towards being

like him. But Jesus was the son of a carpenter,

probably dressed the most you know, old clothes, probably got

it from village storehouse and not unique low. Probably was

wearing you know, pre love material. And I don't know,

you know, he was so humble on how he walked,

and no one would say that I want to follow

this man. But that was the test of all whether

can we empty ourselves or not. It's when Mark ten

was seventeen twenty two says, you know, when the young,

the rich, young ruler came and asked, good teacher, what

shall I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him,

why do you call me good? No one is good

but one that is God. You know, the com do

not commit adultery, still not, still, do not false bare witnesses,

do not defraud only your father and mother. And the

young man says, teacher, I have all these things I've

kept from my youth. And Jesus looks at him and said, Jesus,

looking at him, loved him, and said to him one

thing you'll like, go your way, Sell whatever you have,

give it to the poor, and you will have treasure

in heaven. And then come and take up the cross

and follow me. When he heard that, he was so sorrowful,

and he went. You can see that Jesus's measure was

very clear. He minds that the Father, he only the

Father in heaven, is good and perfect. And that is

the true measure which none of us can keep it,

because none of us here can say that I'm good

and perfect. Because but this young man at that time

was assuming that he was self sufficient. He was perfect

because he has kept everything right. But selflessness begins when

we can admit dependency to God, not our achievements, not

of perfections, but to say in a place that God,

I depend on you solely fully. None of it is mine,

nothing is mine. I'm depending on you. And interestingly, before

that passage right, Jesus says this, whoever does not receive

the Kingdom of God as a little child, will by

no means entered. And why Jesus says that is that

reminds us that selflessness resembles a little child who is

fully depending on his father. A little child has no status.

The child has no privileges, the child has no money, riches,

whatever name, fame, nothing, It depends all towards the father.

Every child out there living off their father. You know,

no five year old say that I'm an own man

on my own I make my own money. No five

year old saying that. But they run to their father,

Give me this, give me that, I need this, I

need that, feed me amongly everything to the father. And

if Jesus is saying that, if we can't come with

a place where we are fully depending on our father

in heaven like a little child, then we have no

means to enter heaven, to enter Kingdom of Heaven. So

that's what we have to do. Empty ourselves. We cannot

hold anything so high in our life because your wealth,

your talent, your gifts, none of them can measure up

to the perfectness of God. And none of the things

that we will do will measure up to that as well.

So only way we can come into God is by

emptying ourselves and saying that Lord, I need to depend

on you. I cannot live without you. We sometimes thinking that,

or we can actually survive with them God, It's okay,

I still have bank balance can survive me without the Lord.

But no, the it's not about what we have, but

it's about our heart coming to a place to say

that God, without you can do nothing. I need you

in my life, so we have to empty our self church.

Second one, step fast. The word year uses in it

is a lot of meaning as well. You know, stepfast

can mean faithfulness, firmness, established, be firm in Hebrew, and

then in Greek it uses you know, uh, it is endurance,

patients and things like that. But we will focus on

particularly just one word that was used in Philippians to aid.

It says that a dry rys you know, which means

which relates to Philippines was two Chapter two was eight.

The states that us became obedient to the point of death,

even the death of the cross. At the death of

the cross, a drivers means literally means to be seated,

to be fixed in a place and anchored. So if

I shortly to say, you are immovable in purpose or

because of the loyalty. And this word says that Jesus

was fixed seated even at the point of death. He

was immovable. He had an immovable obedience. And this obedience

that he had was not reluctant. It was not conditional.

He was not like, uh, fine, okay, Jesus, Okay, God,

I'll do it for you. I'll dine and across for you. Fine,

you know. Or he was not like God, if I

do this air, you better do that for me. He

was not like that. But he was just anchored saying

that if this is your will, I'll do it. You

know you're step fast? Can we do so to Church?

Be unshakeable in our belief, in our loyalty to Christ,

faithful to Christ, unmoved by fear, suffering or shame. Or

when trouble comes, will we shake right away or will

we run right away? Because Jesus stood firm even at

the dead point, can we stand firm with for him?

Or are we going to hide away? We're going to

be set fast. Church. Don't give up so easily in

your faith and at times will be more trying. And

I'm sure it's hard. You know, you have struggles, you

have challenges, you have pain, and I'm not You're also

talking to you from like high place where I've got

everything figured out, but I go through struggles every day,

every hour most likely, you know. And I'm saying this

because I'm learning as well to be in this place

of being stepped fast in the Lord. And let me

share your story. My sister. I have her older sister,

but I think about two years ago, she had this

a growth in a in a brain, in a pictratary gland.

And that growth, there's only thirty six people in the

entire world has it. It was so rare and no

one has ever had it. I mean no one, not

no one. Thirty six people has had it, and she

was the thirty seventh at a time, and they had

to do a very very complicated surgery to remove that growth,

to snip the growth out of a picgittary gland, and

it caused a lot of you know, side effects on

her body because of the growth and things like that.

She was struggling. She was struggling very bad. And that

time when she was having a surgery, it was I

think it was November. It was in November, end of November, December,

I think it was first December twent three. She was

having a surgery and I was caught to go to

missions to Mukassi on the same day to Indonesia, and

I was wondering and asking God, like should I even go?

I want to be here with my sister. My sister

is a prey believer. Because my family are all prey believers,

they have not yet to accept Christ. So I was thinking,

should I be here with her? At least in a

way I can bring out the comfort the Christ will

bring it. By the time, the Lot was telling me,

you know you have to go. You have to obey

what I've told you to do and not worry about

anything else. I'll be. I'll be with her, I'll be

with them. I said, Oh, at your word, Lord, I

call even on the moment. On the day I was preaching,

like literally, I was preaching in Bakassi. She was having

a surgery. Of course, the surgery went well, and I

was very thankful when I heard it, and I said peace.

But when I come back, I heard this story from

my mom. I'm almost telling me that in the in

the hospital bit the war that she was in, it

was as bit next to her plus and next to

her there was a family there and uh and the

mother of the patient. I think the mother or daughter

of the patient was so uh interested in talking to

my mother and my sister, and they were always she

was always coming in talking and and and once in

their conversation that lady told my mom, oh, can I

pray for her? I am, oh, I'm a Christian, I'm

from from this church. I just felt, I want to

pray for your daughter, for your daughter's comfort and peace.

And she prayed for her, and my mom was so

touched in a way that like, in a way that

why would someone want to do this for for her?

And I remember I was like, wow, See God has

his ways of doing it. Yes, he didn't forsake my

sister at that time, but it's because I choose to.

I wouldn't say it's because I choose to do that,

but in a way, it's because I still steadfastly obeyed

in a way, it was so hard to do so,

but yet God's hand was there. Sometimes you cannot see

that because we cannot see that, we get shaken. But

God works in a way where if we can stay

step fast and He will show and he will prove

then how it works in our life. So you know,

so it's that's that's the power, you know, you know,

so God sees what you're going through. It's not in vain,

but you reward your faithfulness one day. So you might

ask me, chy, how do I then be step fast?

So hard? I just want to give up? Can you

teach the right way to be step fast? Oh? What

does it mean to be stepped fast? I'll show you

a demo. I always have demos and always call one

person for the demos. That guy, come, come, come, come,

are you the chosen one? Okay? Okay, okay, okay, yeah, okay,

so right now, okay, just then normally okay, you stand, okay, standing,

so right now? Yes, he's standing. When I push him,

he's going to move. It's not immovable, it's very movable.

All right, Okay, good idea. But let me tell let

me teach you another way to do it. Try kneeling

down like you know, like kneel down and prayer like

how would you kneel that? Prayer? Like that? Okay, like that?

So imagine if I'm trying to push him now, it's harder, right,

I mean, I gotta even still, the base is stronger.

It's because he's seated. He's seated. Step fast, Thank you,

thank you you know step fast actually means to be seated,

to be seated. And then we are seated in this

position like just now, in that kneeling position, we cannot

be shaken because in that position it does not only

mean seated, but also means surrendered. You're surrendered on your

knees to the Lord to fully and means you know,

you know. There's a word for it in Greek, which

means hand over fully ill fully submit. Come to a

place when you kneel down to the Lord. You come

to a place that saying that Lord, without you, I

am powerless to accomplish anything. Just to be stepfast, right,

it's not to fight on our own, but it is

to be surrendered to the Lord. Church, no surrender. Surrendering

to the Lord is not a sign of defeat. The

world things surrendering is about being defeated, Oh I surrender

a lost ABDN. But for Christ, surrender means coming to

a place of selflessness, completely dependent on God. Where you

are steadfast, you cannot be moved, You're firm, you're unshaken.

There's a lot better that we face. You probably are

fighting daily with this position, right. It's not just what

your physical posture of surrender. But it's also your inner

resolve inside of you saying that my God is in control.

It's saying that Lord, let your will be done, not mine.

Through the pain, we can say just like what Jesus

did you know? In Luke twenty two was forty one

to forty two, it says that Father, if this is,

if it is your will, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless,

not my will, but yours be done. He knelt down

and prayed and he said this. You know, he did

not flee, he did not fight, or it was not faltering,

but he kneeled and surrender because he was steadfast in

his father's will. Church, can we learn to surrender? Can

we learn to come to a place of surrendery And

it's a very hard thing to do, but we should

just try to let go of our pride, a desire

for control over everything, and abandon the belief that surrendering

a sign of defeat or what people think of as matters.

We oftentimes are so afraid to surrender to the Lord

because we are so afraid, what would people think? Would

people think that I am weak if I choose to surrender?

But no, the people might think that you're weak. This

person gave up so fast, but the Lord will not

give up on you. You want to win battles, you

can't win it on your feet, but only on your knees.

I can remember every single challenge that I've gone through

my life. It's all one on my knees. Two tears.

I realize that striving on my own is not going

to get me anywhere. It's just gonna get me more anxious,

more worried, more confused, more troubled. But when I choose

to surrender, peace that surpasses every understanding comes into my mind.

So don't be worried, don't be trouble, don't be distracted,

and don't fight on your own. Also, don't run away.

And also don't be a fixer. I know we all

love to fix things. Don't be a fixer. Don't be

in pride, don't be humble, I mean sorry, be humble,

testing you all, whether you're awake or not. And never

choose the good part to be seated at his feet.

It's a place surrender, and that will not be taken

away from me. And that's what Jesus said to Martha. So, Martha, Martha,

you're so worried. And trouble, but many things, and one

thing is needed and married. I chosen the good part

and it will never be taken away from her. And

she was seated at the feet of Jesus, and that

will never be taken away from you. If you can

learn to surrender, can you hand over your will to him?

Exchange your burden with him? You know, that's when true

repentance starts. You know when true repentance that you know,

really truly you repent when you choose to surrender everything

to the Lord, the deepest parts that you have not

shown to people, the struggles that you have not shown

to people, the battles that you're fighting alone inside of

your heart, all of it. When you choose to surrender

it to God, then you have truly repentant. Then you're

truly free, perfect peace, perfect freedom. There can we all

stand Church. I'm just gonna look to the Lord this time.

Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord. Truly. I as I

was preparing to come here, I mean, the heart last

whole week and the Lord was just reminding me this

particular worse again and again. I was going to share

something else, but I rarely felt that I needed to

share this because I truly believe that this word is

that I'm about to share is something in the right

season for each and every one of us year, including myself.

But I think we have to come to a place

to acknowledge it. A second chronicle seven was falling into sixteen,

says this, If my people who are called by my

name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face,

and turn from their wicked ways, I will year from heaven,

and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Now my eyes will be opened and my years attentive

to prayer made in this place. For now I have

chosen and sanctified this house. Then my name may be

there forever, and my eyes and my heart will be

there perpetually. No. Surrender is not the end, but it

is the beginning where God takes over. If you have

not chosen to surrender yet to the Lord, what you

are going through today, I just want to really put

this out to you. The Word says he. For those

who humble themselves and seek my face, my eyes and

my ears will be so attentive on them, and our

year their prayer, our year, their cry. It's a sign

of surrender. Saying the Lord, I truly want to trust you,

even if I don't know how to. I want to

learn to trust you. The Lord will teach you. So today, Church,

can you come to a place of surrender. Can you

come to a place of humility to say the Lord,

I need you. A place where you know you don't

worry about what people say, You don't worry about what

people think of you. A place where you don't worry

about what the world will think of you, but you

only think about what my Father in Heaven says to

me and what my Father in Heaven wants to do

with me in my life. Learn to surrender Church, That's

the beginning.

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