In the World, but Not of the World

At Youth Impact Service

On the eve of his crucifixion, Jesus prays to his Father in John 17:14–19,

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Let me illustrate what this means.

Let's say you put water and oil into a bottle. Do the water and oil mix? They are both in the bottle and yet, they are separated. Now when we shake the bottle vigorously, you will find the water and the oil seems to mix. But once you let the bottle stand for a while, the two liquid separates again.

That is what it's like for us. The bottle is like the world we live in. Both oil and water, is in the bottle just like both believers and unbelievers are in the world. Yet, the bible says we are not of the world even though we are in it.

How are we NOT of the world?

1. The Wisdom of the World
2. The Values of the World

I want to briefly touch on the Wisdom of the World and turn my focus to the Values of the World which I think is something most of you will find challenging.

The Wisdom of the World

1 Corinthians 1:25

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

There is nothing wrong with acquiring knowledge. That's why you go to school, then to college and finally a university. But knowledge and wisdom are different. The wisdom of the world is based on the knowledge they acquired and it is temporal in nature. But the wisdom that comes from God has eternal significance.

The building of the Tower of Babel seemed like a good idea.

Gen 11:4 “Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

Where does such wisdom come from? It's an earthly wisdom driven by the ambition of man to make a name for themselves. You know why the Petronas Twin Tower was built? So Malaysia can boast to have the tallest building in the world…once. I wonder why it looks like an "M"? Maybe it symbolises Malaysia. ;)

So any knowledge that contradicts the Word of God is of this world. Like the Theory of Evolution. It's a theory but the world will have you believe that you came from a monkey as truth. So as children of God, we need to know and discern that the wisdom of this world cannot lead us to life eternal because it's of temporal value.

The scientists can tell you exactly what a blade of grass is made of. But they'll never be able to explain to you how it's living and it grow. The wisdom of this world is still discovering the wonders of creation which we term as intelligent design. Things didn't just fall into place over millions of years to exists in an order that we see around us today.

The Values of the World

The world system is committed to at least four major objectives, which I can summarize in four words: fortune, fame, power, pleasure.

First is Fortune, money. The world system is driven by money; it feeds on materialism.

Second: Fame. That is another word for popularity. Fame is the longing to be known, to be somebody in someone else's eyes.

Third: Power. This is having influence, maintaining control over individuals or groups or companies or whatever. It is the desire to manipulate and manoeuvre others to do something for one's own benefit.

Fourth: Pleasure. At its basic level, pleasure has to do with fulfilling one's desires. It's the same mindset that's behind the slogan: "If it feels good, do it." 

I want to focus on only two because Fame and Power usually only sets in when you get older, like me :)

Let's talk MONEY. The Big M.

There is nothing wrong with money on its own. It's the love of money that is the problem. We allow money to influence our decisions, often compromising our integrity for gain.

But I want to look at just one particular area about money for you guys. When you go for an interview. Salary becomes a criteria but I want to stress that salary should never be the main reason for making a decision.

After you graduate, do not delay getting into employment because you are looking for that perfect job that pays well. Interviewers get uncomfortable if the candidate have not found a job too long after graduating. Either you are not good enough or you are choosy. Either way it works against you.

More important is the culture of the company, the opportunities for growth and the job description that fits your ambition. The money should never be your main concern. If you are good, you will be promoted and rewarded.

There are too many who hop between jobs to get increased salary. They don't stay long enough to learn what's needed. Give at least 2 to 3 years wherever you are before considering a move. It is better for your resume and for your learning.

The second thing I want to look at is PLEASURE.

We live in a world where self gratification is paramount. We do what feels nice, looks good and seems popular. The bible says we are children of the light and what has light to do with darkness.

Please let me qualify what I mean. I am not saying we are good people and the non Christians are bad people. We are just a redeemed people, forgiven and is being sanctified because God's spirit works within us to change us from inside out. I know a lot of non Christians who good people, but we know our good is never enough before a holy God.

It does not mean we shy away from non Christians. We can have friendship but not fellowship. When we walk our life pleasing to God, we will be seen differently because we abstain from some things that your friends may engage in.

It does not mean it is right because everyone is doing it. That is how we are different. But that does not mean we judge what they do. They are just blind to truths that you and I see.

It was not easy to be a Christian and be in business. Especially the advertising industry. When I started, I had a lot of jeans client. Do you know all the best jeans are made in Penang? Levi's, Wrangler, Lois, Lee Cooper, Texan etc

Nowadays you have UNIQLO and H&M. So I used to spend a lot of time with the jeans maker bosses. These people in apparels are streetwise people. I'm surprised how I survived back then. God is merciful.

In meetings, there would be like 6 to 8 people in the room and I'm the only non smoker, but I get smoked. And when they meet after work to discuss business always must have alcohol.

Once, they had a big Company Dinner at Shangri-La and me and auntie Melinda was seated at the VIP table. Then they had some games on stage and there were three tables with cloth covering something that looked like a small pyramid.

My name together with two other guests were called to participate and when they removed the cloth, I almost fainted. It was stacks of canned beer and we were supposed to drink all of it as fast as possible. The boss quickly asked one of the staff who knows I don't drink to step up and volunteer to take my place and he won! When you make your stand, God grants you favour. I became good friends with them but I did not fellowship with them. And they know why.

I also made sales trip with them outstation so that I could understand their business. And one time 5 of them in a car and went to a pub and each of them were accompanied by pretty hostess there. I was left in the hotel lobby with a cold drink. But each of them took turns to accompany me at the hotel lobby because they know I won't go in. I shared Christ with them while I chat with them because they wanted to know why I wouldn’t join them. Because of business and fear that I'll offend my clients, I could have joined them but I chose not to. We always have a choice so when you are caught in a situation like this, remember what I said today. Choose wisely.

In the world but not of the world. When we grow up, leave home and go into the world, we need to know what we're up against. Different values. Different ideologies. Different activities.

We need to be their friends but set apart. We build bridges yet there are boundaries. You'll be surprised how God can use you out there in the marketplace when we are not ashamed to call ourselves Christians and walk the talk.

Live your life in such a way that those who don't believe can see that there is something you have that is good and wonderful—something different, something they'll be curious about, something they'll want for themselves, too.

When your friends go through a bad patch or crisis, often they turn to you because you have something they don't. Be the salt and light of the world, in it, but apart from it because we know our destination is not this earth, we are just passing by, so make your time here count for God.

A Story of Three Gardens

Ps Koay Kheng Hin

Today I'm quite excited because I've not been up here for quite a while. It's like when I make announcements I don't want to give away the Mic. I have an old fashioned sermon to share. I was telling Bro Andrew that I sometimes think that now that I'm officially part of the pastoral team, what comes to mind is the movie the Last Samurai. Tom Cruise and Ken Wanatabe in the last scene, shows the Samurai charging at guns and canons with their blade and that's why it's called the Last Samurai. All die.

I have an old fashion sermon and I only have the Word of God to offer you. I've had the opportunity to hear sermons and I realised that my messages are very old fashion.

There are a lot of fresh messages that is available online but I also believe that the insights into the Word of God is eternal and there are always fresh insights into the word. I noticed that most of my books are old old books. About 90% of my books.

The Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan is one of those old classics. How a young Christian when he searches for God and he uses a lot of analogy. It talks about the word itself drawn from Peter 1 that we are all pilgrims of this earth as we journey through life, God will keep us progressing.

What I can impart to you is my journey with the Lord. My task is to draw men and women into an intimacy with the Lord. What about missions you say? My task is to draw you into communion with God and it is God's task to call you to the commission.

When we talk about TOP as a church, it's you and me. If you are doing well spiritually, TOP will do well spiritually. When I say spiritually, I'm talking about the temperature of your spiritual life. Are you excited when we talk about the things of God? That is the spiritual gauge of your spiritual temperature.

The first garden is the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 2:8-9 (NIV)

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

It tells us two things. One, God did not create Adam in the garden. He was created outside the garden. God put him in the garden. The second is that the word Eden appeared. We sometimes use the word paradise. A garden of paradise. Delight and pleasure. It's a good garden.

A lot of trees there but there are two important trees. The tree of life and the tree of knowledge.

Genesis 2:15-16 (NIV)

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;

There are two trees. The tree that comes.to the foreground is the tree of knowledge of good and evil. In the background was the tree of life. They took the fruit of the tree and that disobedience caused death to come to the human race.

Adam and Eve were created with the capacity for immortality. To live forever. There was a tree of life where they would not have seen death. But towards the tree of life was the tree of knowledge and at that tree they stumbled.

Adam and Eve were offered two trees. To get to the tree of life they had to get through the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They failed miserably.

The book of the Bible begins here but it became the lost paradise. It represented disobedience.

Genesis 2:17 (NIV)

but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Death became the norm for the human race. It is this death that came over the human race that marks every man and every woman. Now when you talk about paradise and heaven to people they will say I am on earth and still young, why talk about heaven. They do not have any hope beyond what they have now.

But many of these people, when they reach the end of their life, they search. People who have near death experience, they'll say they see clouds and if you read some books like "Heaven is so Real", you think it sounds a little far fetched to believe.

I only believe what the Bible writes. I really don't know about any other experiences written in other books. I only believe what is written in the Word of God.

As children of God, there are two things that we should not be doing.

We should not be putting paradise and heaven aside. Why? Because your awareness and experience of it now will affect your spiritual life on earth. What is the relevance of your heavenly hope in relation to your life on earth? Or should we right from the beginning in our Christian life be excited about heaven.

When you look into the Bible there is a strong connection and it no accident that the Bible begins and ends with paradise. At Revelations it describes the glorified garden.

The second garden is the Glorified Garden.

Revelation 22:1-5

1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Before I interpret these few verses, let's look at the apostle Paul. He was thinking about the glory after death. He said to live is Christ and to die is gain. He had the consciousness that he was on a journey and his final destination is the glorified paradise.

Peter, he wrote that we are pilgrims and strangers on this earth and one day he will meet the Lord in glory.

And John wrote that he who testifies to these things he said come Lord Jesus. He was looking unto the glory of being with him in the glorified paradise.

There are a few things in this glorified paradise that would come true. There would be no more night. Where is this light from? You cannot trust Tenaga but you can trust God. The city of the New Jerusalem gets light from the glory of God. The glory of God lights up the glorified paradise.

Adam and Eve lost that covering of the glory of God when they took the fruit from the tree of knowledge. In the glorified paradise you have the second garden where salvation finally found its perfection. Fully manifested and the glory of God is everywhere.

In verse 4, it is written they will see his face. You will see Jesus face to face. In the lost paradise Adam and Eve lost the presence of God. Here you will see the Lamb of God on the throne.

Verse 3 says no more curse. No longer. The righteousness and truth and the perfection and full rest of the soul is found in paradise. Would we one day want to find a place where we can lay down all our burdens and all our anxieties are put away. Where the presence of God is seen and experienced forever. A place marked not by death but by life.

There was a movie called Shangri-La where a place of beauty, pleasure and life exists. Science uses the word Eutopia. Nobody wants to die. Even a man up to the very end will always have the hope of another day longer. Very few I've met who say why today cannot die, must wait until tomorrow?

Where is this second garden? The garden of the glorified paradise. Is it in heaven now or existing now, the answer is no. Revelations 21 tells us that it awaits a new heaven and a new earth.

There will come a time when there is a new heaven and a new earth. It will come down onto earth. The glorified paradise will still be on earth, a new earth. This is the hope of every sons and daughters of God. That one day we will be with our Lord Jesus experiencing the fullness of God.

The world is in the lost paradise trying to find the glorified paradise and they'll fail.

In Jonathan Edward's Christian Pilgrim, he wrote that we should not rest in the world and its desires but we should be desiring heaven. We should want to be with God and to be with Jesus Christ. We want to be in heaven not because it has more beautiful beaches than Batu Ferringhi or that it has more beautiful gardens than Hawaii but because Jesus is there.

He tells us to enjoy whatever God has given you. So don't go and sell your house because I say you look to heaven.

What is our heavenly hope in God? Now we look at the third garden.

The third garden is the Garden of Gethsemane.

Matthew 26:36-39

36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

This third garden answers this question. The verse that stands out is this. My father if it's possible let this cup pass by me. But finally he says not as I will but as you will.

The first garden was a struggle between God's will and Adam and Eve's will. The devil pushed them - your will be done or God's will be done. Finally Eve decided my will be done. But Jesus said as God's will. The lost paradise represented the permissive will of God. Here it showed Jesus bowing to the will of the Father. It's the prescriptive will of God. God's will be done, the full providential will of God. We are all here on earth.

Every day we face this question. Is it my will or God's will be done. We are daily as a Christian in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The day we become a Christian we enter our Garden of Gethsemane. Everyday you will face this challenge, my will be done or his will be done.

Men and women who have captured the essence of that heavenly hope that whatever decision they make now will have eternal value. They will be able to say thy will be done. They have this hope of glory of Christ in them.

Many years ago even after becoming a Christian, I didn't really find rest in God. Until one fine day, I found two words. Strife and surrender. In these two words, I got the breakthrough as God illuminated it. God's will is about surrender. Eve did not do so, she had to use her hand to take it. It's strife. Everyday, are you going to strife to lay hold of things or will you surrender?

For us to surrender our finances, our career, our children, those things that are dear to us is easier said than done. It's a journey.

Many years ago, I'm a science teacher so I went through a period if I've surrendered my finances to God? My career to God? I ticked a list. Some things I stopped like chess because it's held on Sundays. So I ticked no. To surrender my wife to God. Don't want to say much. Tick la. That time Esther was two years old and Rebecca was seven. When it came to my children, I couldn't tick.

The tick means if God calls me back can I release them. Sometimes your life changes with just a little tick. Finally I ticked. You have to release. It does not mean your children is no longer with  you. It means surrender. Your will be done.

If we know there is a better life ahead of us, a heavenly hope, it gives you strength and the rest of the soul and it will be a barometer of your spiritual health.

Every single day of our life is the Garden of Gethsemane. Looking at the glorified paradise will give us strength and hope.

You have eternal life as children of God. But the more important is to have a victorious Christian life. The question is are you experiencing eternity in your life. If you are saying yes, then I want to encourage all of you that tomorrow as you wake up you will have that glorified paradise coming down to earth I to your life.

I end with this. The Bible has a poetic coherence to it. When God ordained that when you enter the tree of life, God maintains that principle that to enter the tree of glorified paradise is the tree in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is a prelude to Golgotha or Calvary. It's a tree of curse, shame and suffering and Jesus bored that. We now enter it through the tree of shame, it's our shame our suffering and our curse borne by Jesus.

The Mercy, Grace, Blessing and Favour of The Lord

Bro Kenny Wong

It is wonderful to be in the house of the Lord. My purpose is to give glory to the Lord. What happened actually happened. What you will hear is the truth. Ps Ronald told me to come and share and I say why not. I want to give all the glory to him.

I grew up in PJ as a very naughty young boy. I hardly listen to my parents. I'm not from a rich family and I'm the youngest of 6. I used to wash plates and clean tables at a coffee shop after school. I was paid 50 cents per night. It's not the 50 cents that I wanted but that I'd pack back unfinished food so that my family can eat.

In 1972, a person in the coffee shop once asked if I want to work at the racecourse when I was 12. He'd pay me RM15 a day, and 2 days a week that's RM120 a month which was a lot of money then. He was an illegal bookie so I'd be asked to run errands  for all the police officers there. This corporal would tell the guard that I am his friend and to let me in, though I was just 12 years old.

Then at 14 someone asked me if I want to run errands for a group of friends. To just buy breakfast, lunch and dinner. And he'd pay me RM10 or RM20 per trip. But slowly from buying breakfast, lunch and dinner, it came to buying heroine. At the age of 14. They don't buy by the tubes but by packets. Later I came to know these group of people were not simple people but very very big time gangsters.

In 1974, at the age of 14 I became addicted to heroine. Guns and money were under their pillow. This went on and my life was all messed up. I did not have to worry about money.

In 1976 on April 5, they robbed Poh Kong, a big goldsmith shop at Paramount Garden. And they went back to their hideout just 200 meters away from the goldsmith shop. House No. 20, 20/7 Paramount Garden. Imagine that. 4 of them were shot dead at that house. The 5th at OUG. In 1980 the last of them was caught  in Penang in 1980 and was hung in 1981. They all come from Jalan Dato Keramat. All has sparrow tattoos on their chest and thighs. They were called the Luku gang. After Botak Chin was caught in February these group of gangsters were shot dead by the police.

My world came apart. No more money or drugs. Don't ask me how I get money to survive from 1976 to July 28 1978. I do not wan to go into the details.

In 1978 I got admitted into a drug rehab centre called Joe's Corner. God has been so merciful to me. I left school at the age of 14. I can't read and I can't write. But God was merciful and I got admitted into Joe's Corner.

I ran away three times and the pastor said if you run away again give your place to someone else. I saw Ps Ronald in a room doing his assignments. He was a Bible school student then. When I was undergoing withdrawal they don't give you medicine. They just pray for you. They just lay hands on you and say Lord, heal him! Heal him! Cold turkey. They bath you in cold water and very fast you come out of withdrawals.

If I had a mobile phone back then I'd probably not be here today. God was merciful because that morning on April 5th, I was so high I couldn't answer the house  phone to go to the house. I was supposed to go and get their passports and foreign currency so they can go over to Penang. These are big time gangsters that have committed murder and robbery. If not I'd have been shot too. By the time I got there, the place was surrounded by police.

I want to thank God for not allowing me to go to that house that morning and for placing me in Joe's Corner. That's the mercy of God.

Now I want to talk about the grace of God. In the programme, they give assignments on Mondays but I couldn't read or write. Ps Ronald would also give assignments but I don't understand what it was all about. I was uneducated. Form 1 and Form 2 I didn't go to school for 108 days.  I messed up my life because I did not listen to my parents. I had to look at the dictionaries for all those words. Obtain, I don't know what it's about. Get I know.

I used to con people during my drug addiction. My father died many times. This mind is a very corrupted mind because I keep telling people my father died to get money. But at Joe's Corner they give you memory verse and it cleanse and renew our mind. It's so powerful. As an 18 year old boy I had so many memory verses.

The government cannot help the drug addicts. It's the word of God that helped so many of us.

We appreciate those pastors because they gave their life for us. Today if you ask for money for old folks home, or children's home or the disabled, they will give but if you said it's for drug rehab, 90% of them will not because they said they deserved it. It's these pastors that gave their life for us. They are paid only RM30. That's why if he invites me I'd immediately say yes, to give glory to God. These are people that gave the most ungrateful people a chance.

I took a part time job because I was uneducated. In 1980, I went for an interview at Hope Computer. Before even the interview, the person asked me if I'm an ex-Joe. And he immediately gave me the job. I was so happy because the biggest challenge I faced was rejection by society and family. And I cannot blame them. It is so difficult to be set free and if society rejects us, so many went back to drugs. I went through a lot of these rejections in my life. Society don't give us a second chance but Christians gave me chance.

I promised the Lord that I will promise to be faithful to God because I got a job. To be honest. I was paid RM250. I managed to save RM10 to save into the bank. But the Lord reminded me to pay back all those that I have cheated. To pay back everyone of them. I never compromised on tithing to the Lord. RM25 I gave to Lord. I never go hungry. I buy boxes of Maggie mee then. They say you'll lose your hair if you eat too much Maggi Mee but look at my head now. Still full of hair.

It was not easy for my wife to marry me. It's not easy for a parent to give their daughter to an ex drug addict. We just celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary and we are blessed with four children. My wife educated me to read and write. Reading the Bible helped me improve my English. I have a lot of dictionaries everywhere. My wife was a very smart girl and she educated me. A wonderful wife. In 1983,I went to a sister's house called Audrey to ask her to pray for me because I was going for an interview at Carnation. I only have Form 2 education yet I got the job. Sister Audrey's son-in-law's brother interviewed me. It was the grace of God. I continue to tithe to the Lord. I tithe gross not nett. That's the grace of God upon my life. In 1985, Nestlé bought Carnation. I went through the back door because Nestlé's minimum qualification is Form 5 Grade 2. That's the blessings of God.

I've worked in this company and I've received 8 promotions. I was given a manager position. Minimum a degree. A lot of people didn't want this position I didn't know. I asked Ps Richard to pray for me as it's a high position job. I was offered head of sales for ice cream. When I changed job they gave me a farewell, someone shook my hand and said I've got guts. Because he said many refused the job.

I knew I was in trouble. I'll never forget 1990. I told the Lord I will work hard and trust in you. People think we will collapse as it was very difficult. In 2009 it was still not easy but from 2010, it has been growing every year. The Lord bless us a hundred fold. My wife said what you're getting is mind boggling. Until today I'm still just Form 2. Now when I told them no one believe. If it's not God and his blessings and favour you would not believe.

In 2010 they sent me to Switzerland to study a course. Everyone was told to speak and all of them has qualifications including PhDs. I told them I don't have a master but I have a master up there. That's the favour of God.

I want to wrap up by touching on a few scriptures.

I grew up as a rebellious boy.

Exodus 20:12 (NIV)

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Deuteronomy 5:16 (NIV)

“Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

You ask your parents so many questions when growing up and they answer all your question. Now when you ask your children questions they don't answer. I grew up with problems because I thought I know better.

Psalms 46:1 (NIV)

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Malachi 3:10 (NIV)

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

You trust the Lord and the Lord will provide for you. We should tithe with a joyful heart. Don't compromise.

We serve a merciful God. God is always gracious to us in times of trouble. His blessings and favour are always upon those that put their trust in him.

The Mercy, Grace, Favour and Blessings of the Lord has been real in my life. 

Three Questions

Rev Gideon Lee

All of us go through life with questions. Like our children who grows to a stage where they start to ask lots of questions. I think it's important we learn to ask the right questions. Today we are going to look at the first three questions in the Bible. These questions did not come in a good way because they were asked to deceive man. We want to see how we can learn from this.

Genesis 3:1-11

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

The serpent asked the first question and notice how it was phrased. Eve wasn't really sure when you see how she replied the serpent. And it was not with conviction.

The Second question. God asked them "where are you?". God is still asking this same question today. Maybe to the lost or to some of you who have strayed from God.

And the third question was God asking them who told them this. When God asked the question where are you, God knew exactly where Adam was. He is God.

The serpent was very crafty when he asked Eve the first question. He is a master deceiver. He is real even though I'm not glorifying him we need to be careful. As children of God we are assured of victory.

The serpent asked Eve in a very sly and non threatening way. When God gave Adam the instructions, Eve heard it secondhand. Often when we hear certain things our brain processes it first. God gave us a brain and to rationalise things out. But after that it moves from our mind to our heart. That's when the conviction comes.

Like you have head knowledge of how you are saved. And if I ask you how do you know that you are saved it has to move from head knowledge to heart knowledge and the best answer is that you know that you know.

When God says you will surely die, yet the serpent told Eve you will not surely die. If the conviction was in Eve's heart would she have eaten from the tree? She heard it secondhand so the conviction was not there. If you ever have this thought, did God really say that? It is not from God. The enemy comes with this questioning quote. The devil has only one agenda. To come to steal, kill and destroy.

God's promises come with no strings attached even if there are conditions. Jesus came to give life and life abundantly.

The serpent knows about God's word.

James 2:19

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

The enemy knows the word of God. He wants us to answer him "I think". The best way to response to him is through the word of God. The serpent presents you with something that sounds like the word of God but is not the word of God. "Did God really say you cannot eat any fruit…" He did not say from this tree.

During the temptation of Jesus after fasting 40 days.  He was hungry and he asked Jesus to turn atone into bread. He knew Jesus was God and is easy for him to do that. But Jesus answered him with "man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out from the mouth of God." He was quoting scriptures. We need to know the word of God accurately. It cannot be I think this is what God say. Then no conviction already. It has to be I know God says this.

What was the second temptation? To throw himself off the cliff. The devil quoted scriptures too. He knows the Bible. Don't read the Bible from just the mind but to meditate on the word so that it is a conviction that we can live by faith.

But Jesus says do not test the Lord your God. The devil was trying to get Jesus  to work outside his authority. Jesus  never used his power for himself but for the needy.

The third temptation the devil showed him the kingdoms of the world.

The devil presents himself like the angel of light. But he is a counterfeit. He showed Jesus  an alternative, bow before him and he'll give to Jesus  the world. No need to go to the cross and suffer all that pain. Just kneel before him.

Jesus replied, worship the Lord your God and serve only him. Jesus spoke with conviction. In what area has the enemy come to you and asked you this question: did God really say so?

Did God really say that there's no other God but him? Did God really say that Jesus was born of a virgin? Did God really say that he came back to life? Did God really say that Jesus is the only way to find eternal life? Did God really say that you have come to church? Did the enemy ask you these questions? He's trying to get you to think. You have to know that you know.

When we can answer these questions with full of faith and conviction, his lies becomes powerless. You cannot rely on secondhand knowledge. You cannot come to God based on your parent's faith. Your walk with God has to be your walk with God. Someone said to me, you cannot subcontract your faith to God.

The second question God asked where are you? God asked to reconcile Adam back to him. As parents we can relate to this. Sometimes my children drink their Milo and then leave their cups on the table. They are supposed to go and wash the cups. But sometimes they forget. I know whose Milo by the colour of their cups. So what do I do? I ask "whose cup is this?" I know whose cup this is but I asked. Why? Because I want them to own up.

But they try to get away. They use somebody or nobody. Then there's that not me. When God asked where are you Adam, God knew exactly where Adam is. He wanted Adam to own up to what he's done. Sometimes we blame Eve or Adam, that we are interested his state.

The first act of redemption was the sacrifice of an animal.to cover their nakedness. God is asking some of you here. Where are you? Have you walked away from him and God is wanting your fellowship. Where are you? I pray when God ask where are you, you'll know this is a question to bring you back to him. A reconciliation question and not to punish you.

Adam answered he was naked and afraid. And God said who told you you were naked? Adam did not get it. He hid with shame. That's what sin does to us. We hide away from him. God ask you told you so. God when he look at us sees Jesus' righteousness in us.

Sometimes we do that with ourselves. We say we are not talented. Who told you? I pray we will not hide when God ask us where are you.

We sometimes wallow in our sin instead of coming to God immediately. Our relationship is restored only when we come back to God but we want to wait or hide. I encourage you to come back and be reconciled back to God quickly.

Three ways we need to avoid deceit.

1. Stay away from temptation. When Joseph was being tempted, he ran. When you like something the enemy will come and tell you it's okay.
2.  Know what God says. Not just hear but be gut sure. You have to double confirm, if there's such a word.
3. Don't hide your sin or yourself from God. When we try to hide from God we are making excuses and hiding in the bushes. He wants to reconcile with you.

There was once a famous lawyer who was dying. He was one of the best Lawyers in the country and he won almost all his cases. At his deathbed, he called for his doctor. He knew he had no time left. He called for a Christian doctor. The lawyer asked for a bible. The doctor asked why you want a bible when you're not a Christian? He said he is sitting for his final exam so he want to try his best to see if there's any loophole in the Bible. I hope you're not like this lawyer.

There are no loopholes in the Bible. There's no back door. There's only one way. God's way. Know it in your heart.