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| Rev Mark Barnard |
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| A hilarious moment when Rev Mark brought out a sword that belonged to Pastor Gideon joking that his counselling may not work but if you go to your Pastor, it will surely work if he draws this sword. He'd like to have this "tool" to bring home. |
Many years ago we were here, some ten years ago and we found this church to be a beautiful church. We are now based in Tasmania at the bottom of Australia. It is very cold.
We bring greetings from our church, Kingborough Life Church, its a beautiful place. If you're there you can come and look us up.
Isaiah 55:1-8
1 “Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
It's interesting that there is something that God has for you that money cannot buy. In the economy of God money is not everything.
When you have been with God for a while you'll see that the world has little to offer you. We have found the prize of great pearl!
God wants to say something to us so that it will bring life to our soul. So that it will empower us to do what He desires.
v6-8 and here he says why. God's thinking is not the same as the way the world thinks. His ways and thoughts are not like man.
God's ways are very different from the world's ways. If people's thinking is at a level, God's ways and thinking are at a different level, higher than ours.
We are in a place of opportunity as there are seasons in our life. God sometimes change things because His ways are higher. Your pastor is new and God has led him to new things here.
God did the same with us when we were told by God to go and that's how we ended up at Tasmania. Tasmania was the last place on earth we were thinking of going. This was a church that had a lot of issues but there were nice people there. In fact we were thinking of Malaysia as we have been here so often, more than twenty times. But God wants to shift the church to a different level and that's why things happens for that season for a reason.
This bible is unique and very different from all other religious book. This is God's word and not just a book that contain God's word. Societies have been built based on foundations found in this book.
This book has a number of paradoxes where we struggle as it seemingly shows two contradictory issues. These seems rediculous but they are the word of God.
James 4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
1. Exaltation comes from humility
The world says you have to climb over the top of people to get where you want.
I have had people prayed, God humble me. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. There was this lady that prayed to be like Job, as she said that he ended with so much. But do you know what Job went through? He lost everything. (Laughs)
Humble yourself. Don't ask God to humble you. Don't pray that prayer.
Lucifer was filled with himself and he wanted to be like God. Pride, and self exaltation destroyed the lives of Adam and Eve when they eat of the "durian" in the garden of Eden. I meant "fruit". (more laughs).*
* This was in context of Pastor Gideon jokingly asked TOP members to take Rev Mark out for durians knowing he hates them. He said it must have been durians in the garden of Eden since God says the day you eat it you shall surely die. And that there are thorns on the skin for a reason: not to be eaten.
Philippians 2:5-10
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death –
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Jesus left the glory of heaven and is the perfect example of how he humbled himself by coming to earth.
Selfish ambition is a killer of church life. Ministry is not about position. The bible says promotion comes from God. Exaltation come from humility.
2. Strength comes from weakness
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Another paradox. When we can't do it, God can. If you want to do things that have eternal value, we need to operate in the faith realm and these are things we cannot do by ourself.
We can have good programmes to build Gods church but we need to recognise that to do the Lord's work we can't do it without the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It's not about the good music, the facilities if the church or the talent of the people. Paul, came to this place where he says without the Lord I can do nothing. Have we come to this place?
I have been doing ministry for half of my life. The further into it the less I know. I need to come to a place where I depended on him and yield to him. There was a time when I tried so hard and came to a point when I told God I cannot do it. And God said that's when He can take over and I get out of the way. That's when great things happen in the church.
And there may be a thorn in your flesh where you are struggling. God says my grace is sufficient for you. That's the sort of church God wants you to be where his strength is there in our weakness.
Let's go a little further.
3. We receive through giving
Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive. ’”
This is again contradicting in terms. Sometimes we just see people that just want to take take take. The bible says that giving is the secret to receiving.
The Israelites are like that. They just ask and ask and ask. Like children who knows how to just ask to get their way.
This is scriptural secret.
Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Just like in Malachi regarding tithing. You can't out-give God. This is God's ways. If you don't give to God the devil takes.
Matthew 5:38-42
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. ’ 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
These are wisdom principles from God and you watch God works. We have so many testimonies regarding this.
The ultimate test is in giving something most dear. God did that when he gave us Jesus.
Matthew 5:43-48
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
God's ways are totally different from man's ways.
Maybe we do one more before I round up.
4. Finding comes through losing
Philippians 3:7-8
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
The bible says the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Sometimes we need to let go of some things in order to gain new things from God. Remember the rich man asking Jesus how he can enter the kingdom of God? Jesus told him to sell everything and follow him. Jesus didn't mind that he had possessions, it's just that his possessions had him and he can't let it go.
Same as Zacchaeus, where he gave back what he took and Jesus said salvation has come to your house. Two very different result. Interesting.
Matthew 10:39
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
If you want everything that God has for you, you may have to let go everything that is in the way. There are some things I know that is near to my heart. I have to learn to let go. Abraham had to give up his son, which was a gift of God. By being obedient, he became the father of many nations and God spared his son.
This is a good church and God wants to take us to a new place. You are a church I believe wants to be set up for significance in the future. It is not about the things we have but about a Church that captures the heart of God and wants to do God's will like how Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsamane. He went to the cross and died so that life can grow. A paradox. His ways and His thoughts are higher.
We bring greetings from our church, Kingborough Life Church, its a beautiful place. If you're there you can come and look us up.
Isaiah 55:1-8
1 “Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
It's interesting that there is something that God has for you that money cannot buy. In the economy of God money is not everything.
When you have been with God for a while you'll see that the world has little to offer you. We have found the prize of great pearl!
God wants to say something to us so that it will bring life to our soul. So that it will empower us to do what He desires.
v6-8 and here he says why. God's thinking is not the same as the way the world thinks. His ways and thoughts are not like man.
God's ways are very different from the world's ways. If people's thinking is at a level, God's ways and thinking are at a different level, higher than ours.
We are in a place of opportunity as there are seasons in our life. God sometimes change things because His ways are higher. Your pastor is new and God has led him to new things here.
God did the same with us when we were told by God to go and that's how we ended up at Tasmania. Tasmania was the last place on earth we were thinking of going. This was a church that had a lot of issues but there were nice people there. In fact we were thinking of Malaysia as we have been here so often, more than twenty times. But God wants to shift the church to a different level and that's why things happens for that season for a reason.
This bible is unique and very different from all other religious book. This is God's word and not just a book that contain God's word. Societies have been built based on foundations found in this book.
This book has a number of paradoxes where we struggle as it seemingly shows two contradictory issues. These seems rediculous but they are the word of God.
James 4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
1. Exaltation comes from humility
The world says you have to climb over the top of people to get where you want.
I have had people prayed, God humble me. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. There was this lady that prayed to be like Job, as she said that he ended with so much. But do you know what Job went through? He lost everything. (Laughs)
Humble yourself. Don't ask God to humble you. Don't pray that prayer.
Lucifer was filled with himself and he wanted to be like God. Pride, and self exaltation destroyed the lives of Adam and Eve when they eat of the "durian" in the garden of Eden. I meant "fruit". (more laughs).*
* This was in context of Pastor Gideon jokingly asked TOP members to take Rev Mark out for durians knowing he hates them. He said it must have been durians in the garden of Eden since God says the day you eat it you shall surely die. And that there are thorns on the skin for a reason: not to be eaten.
Philippians 2:5-10
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death –
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Jesus left the glory of heaven and is the perfect example of how he humbled himself by coming to earth.
Selfish ambition is a killer of church life. Ministry is not about position. The bible says promotion comes from God. Exaltation come from humility.
2. Strength comes from weakness
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Another paradox. When we can't do it, God can. If you want to do things that have eternal value, we need to operate in the faith realm and these are things we cannot do by ourself.
We can have good programmes to build Gods church but we need to recognise that to do the Lord's work we can't do it without the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It's not about the good music, the facilities if the church or the talent of the people. Paul, came to this place where he says without the Lord I can do nothing. Have we come to this place?
I have been doing ministry for half of my life. The further into it the less I know. I need to come to a place where I depended on him and yield to him. There was a time when I tried so hard and came to a point when I told God I cannot do it. And God said that's when He can take over and I get out of the way. That's when great things happen in the church.
And there may be a thorn in your flesh where you are struggling. God says my grace is sufficient for you. That's the sort of church God wants you to be where his strength is there in our weakness.
Let's go a little further.
3. We receive through giving
Acts 20:35
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive. ’”
This is again contradicting in terms. Sometimes we just see people that just want to take take take. The bible says that giving is the secret to receiving.
The Israelites are like that. They just ask and ask and ask. Like children who knows how to just ask to get their way.
This is scriptural secret.
Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Just like in Malachi regarding tithing. You can't out-give God. This is God's ways. If you don't give to God the devil takes.
Matthew 5:38-42
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. ’ 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
These are wisdom principles from God and you watch God works. We have so many testimonies regarding this.
The ultimate test is in giving something most dear. God did that when he gave us Jesus.
Matthew 5:43-48
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
God's ways are totally different from man's ways.
Maybe we do one more before I round up.
4. Finding comes through losing
Philippians 3:7-8
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
The bible says the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Sometimes we need to let go of some things in order to gain new things from God. Remember the rich man asking Jesus how he can enter the kingdom of God? Jesus told him to sell everything and follow him. Jesus didn't mind that he had possessions, it's just that his possessions had him and he can't let it go.
Same as Zacchaeus, where he gave back what he took and Jesus said salvation has come to your house. Two very different result. Interesting.
Matthew 10:39
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
If you want everything that God has for you, you may have to let go everything that is in the way. There are some things I know that is near to my heart. I have to learn to let go. Abraham had to give up his son, which was a gift of God. By being obedient, he became the father of many nations and God spared his son.
This is a good church and God wants to take us to a new place. You are a church I believe wants to be set up for significance in the future. It is not about the things we have but about a Church that captures the heart of God and wants to do God's will like how Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsamane. He went to the cross and died so that life can grow. A paradox. His ways and His thoughts are higher.
 |
| Pastor Gideon praying for Bro Kuan Thai and family who will be relocating to New Zealand in two week's time. |
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