Mission Breakthrough through Abraham’s Journey of Faith

Rev Ezra Chin of Emmanuel Church


Our church is a very unique church started five years ago. I was a corporate man and was a lay pastor. I was asked why I decided to go ministry when I am earning five figure pay. Just the last 2 years I went full time. We have ministry students and some of them are here this morning. It’s a laborious work.


If you have about 50 in the church some 10 of them will answer the call, then our church numbers will go down. God has blessed us with good leaders and that’s how we grew.


I was invited to a youth conference in North Sabah and it talked about the teaching of the Holy Spirit. I availed myself to teach. While walking up to the first floor there were about 80 students gathered there. And God said to me to pray for incest. I was hesitant to  say that but decided to pray for those that were sexually abused like by their fathers and uncles. The pastor was hesitant to allow me too. I said I won’t preach, I just want to pray. Out of 180 students with about 120 being girls, I asked that I wanted to pray for those that were abused.


When I said that in Bahasa those that were raped, some just went hysteria. There were at least 30 of them. Not because they are poor but because they have escaping issues. The population of Christians are reducing drastically. RM1.2 million are being invested in mosques. And many families are converting. We need to be a lighthouse there. What are we to do? If I can save one of them I’ve done my job.


I went full time about two years ago. And we are planting churches now. Why? Because we need to equip the leaders with the word of God. To equip and train and this is called discipleship. To plant more Assembly of God churches. If we allow the Holy Spirit to work there will be revival in Sabah.


Genesis 12:1-9 (NIV)
The Call of Abram
1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.


It’s the same mandate that Jesus gave us. Go ye therefore and be a blessing and make disciples. It’s the same calling from Abraham to us now. Mission is about building nations. We are the influencers of the world. To transform the community and it has to start in the church first.


Abraham served the Lord at 75. And in 15 years he made an impact. And he and his descendants inherited the nation that God has promised him. You are never too old to serve God. I’ve got arthritis pastor. So what? You’re an usher. Look for something to serve. God wants the availability of your heart. If you want the favour of God in TOP there must be a ministry and service centric attitude in this church.


The Lord appeared to Abraham and said: to your offspring I will give this land. So he built an altar to the Lord. An altar means a place of worship and a place of sacrifice. Altar means slaughter ya. Like here is the altar where we gather to worship God.


I’ll give you five Cs that will help you in your missions. Mission is not just going or giving. Giving is just part of the mission. Missions is actually growing. To give you nations and increase descendants.


From Isaac to Joseph there was only a handful. From Joseph to Moses is 490 years there were 1.2 million Israelites leaving Egypt. More and more Israelites believe on the Jehovah God. People were attracted to Abraham’s God. These are the Israelites.


1. Crossover from your Comfort zone for your mission breakthrough.


Genesis 12:4 (NIV)
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.


Acts 7:2-4 (NIV)
2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’
4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.


They had a divine encounter with God. When the glory of God appeared to the family and that’s why they moved to Harran. I know it’s tough. That’s why I moved from the corporate world and sacrificed. Not exactly all la because my EPF not yet withdrawn.


We all want to stay in our comfort zone. We cannot stay at Harran. Most of you are first generation from the CA (Christ's Ambassadors). During your teens. We don’t have a second generation. How many of you are at your thirties? We need to reach the people. We cannot stay at our comfort zone and move to a new place and new environment in this period of new ministry. To move from Harran.


While on his journey God increase and multiply them many times. If you continue to be obedient and continue to expand you will be blessed. You have to move out of Harran.


We have a big heart for missions. And we don’t pay our pastors well. RM800 a month. And sometimes that may be a meal’s cost. We have to leave our comfort zone and God will appear. I enjoy serving. It’s not hardship. You may say it’s because I’ve saved enough but no.


2. Courage to build for your mission breakthrough.


Church is not for maintenance. Church is to grow and to plant.


Genesis 12:6-7 (NIV)
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.


He built the altar at Shechem. Courage to built in the place of his aggressors. We have to believe. Many churches are planted by co-partnering. RM2000 a month we can built one church. I believe that we here of about 300 if we just give RM2 we can save a church in Sabah.


We recently just baptised 4 persons in a small settlement. Give God the glory. It’s a settlement where we have squatters and people from surrounding countries. It’s the poorest of the poorest. We start there because the government is trying to build the largest hostels there with islamisation being the agenda. If we can save some of them, praise the Lord. Go to a place like Shechem. Tough.


If we want to see the manifestation of God we need faith with action. Faith alone will not save people. When we go out and share without fear you will see something happen.


I came from a Buddhist family. My father said to me when I wanted to be a Christian. He said when I come back I’ll be blue black. And second he said I will disown you because I want someone to carry my casket. I prayed. In 2007, my mom got baptised at the age of 75. After more than 30 years of prayer one by one my family got saved. If only you believe and take action.


8 years ago I was at a pharmaceutical company. A doctor diagnosed my father with cancer. I went to see three urologist. I challenged my father it’s time to get saved. If you want to be with my mom, you need to get saved so that you all can be together. And I said that I will pray and he will be healed. Now he’s still alive after 8 years. Courage to believe.


30 years ago you say I will. Now you say I pray first.


Haggai 1:2-5 (NIV)
2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”
3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.


We have become so complacent. We need to have courage and cross over. 


3. Commitment to Call on the name of the Lord for your mission breakthrough.


Genesis 12:8 (NIV)
From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.


He called the name of the Lord in the house of God. The local church is the life giver and the solution to the problem of the world. This is the place where many will find the comfort of God. Abraham never complained but continue to believe and to hope in the Lord. Commitment and hold on for this church. You are the sons and daughters of TOP. Iron sharpens iron in this church. It’s okay. We are family.


Pursue the promise of God with great commitment.


4. Be a Companion-partner of God for your mission breakthrough.


Genesis 13:14-18 (NIV)
14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
18 So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.


I asked why Abraham wanted to go to a high place? Elevated. Abraham said this is my land and he built another altar. It talks about companion to partner with God. Strategic alliances. Every time God wants us to plant a church the resources will appear.


God allows us to make choices. You may see it’s tough but that’s commitment. Pastor Ronald said I’ll die in Sabah and that’s because I love Sabah. I want to plant 20 churches in my lifetime.


5. Ceding of your rights for your missions breakthrough.


Genesis 22:2 (NIV)
Then God said, “Take your son , your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you. ”


Genesis 22:13-18 (NIV)
13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided. ”
15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”


Before Abraham sacrificed his son the Lord provided. Seeding before you reap. There is a comparison on the life of Abraham and the life of the church. Make disciples. We need to go out and extend the kingdom of God.


2 Corinthians 8:8-9 (NIV)
8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.