The Assurance of Providence - the Battle of Wills

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

I'm born in the year of the rooster. I'm going to retire in the year of the rooster. I'm also saved in the year of the rooster, so the year of the rooster is very special to me.

I want to begin with a little bit about the Ang Pow. It's a Chinese New Year tradition. It was started in the Sung dynasty and it was meant to be about the red color of the packet. That was more important than what's in the packet. Today, the symbolism of the red of the packet is less important than what's in the packet. The red symbolises many good things.

For many of us Chinese when we look into the coming year there is that anticipation of prosperity. We have this feeling that it will be more prosperous than the previous year.

The Jews also on the Passover night had the blood of the lamb painted on the doorposts. I want to look at the colour red. The title I want to speak today is on the Assurance of Providence. I want to say we have this assurance not because we are smart or capable but because we are the children of the almighty God.

I have two friends who has GAD (general anxiety disorder). We live in stressful times and in times like these the stress can get to us. The main cause of anxiety is the word uncertainty. It's that uncertainty that bugs each and everyone of us.

What is anxiety? You go to the office and you hear of VSS and you wonder if you still have a job soon. Your children's grades come down suddenly and you wonder what's happening with them. Or you have a pain in your back and you went for a medical check-up but the doctors are still not sure what's wrong. All these are uncertainties that causes anxiety.

Psalms 31:14-15

14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

15 My times are in Your hand;

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,

And from those who persecute me.

This was at a time when David was being hunted. It speaks of a time when he was hunted by Saul and his friends all abandoned him. It was then he penned this Psalm. The word trust is always connected to trusting God. Verse 15 is where David mentions the Providence. God is in control of human affairs.

For example, I can give you every single incident of your daily lives. Today you are here because of Providence. It is the exact opposite of coincidence. Where it is the permissive will of God, even if the person is not here today, God is still with them. Good or bad, we fall under the sovereign will of God. God is in control but God also permits evil. God has that foreknowledge and control over it.

Today I stand here at the pulpit because he has permitted it or he had prescribed it. God is in total control.

The key is whether  the providence is good or bad for you. By the end at 12.15pm you will know.

In these two verses, King David was asking God to deliver him from his enemies. He was praying for the  providence of deliverance. The certainty come from the believe that God will deliver you from your adverse circumstances.

Matthew 6:30-33

30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Matthew struck a chord during those times. Many who listened to Jesus are people who are struggling to put food on the table. These are basic provisions. Matthew quotes the words of Jesus and he said don’t worry about food, clothing or shelter. That is the promise of provision.

As children of God most of us have more than enough. Amen? God's promise is that he will fulfill all our needs. That his children will not beg for bread. But God has not promised to satisfy our greed. Most of the times we are so anxious and we worry because of greed.

God bless us but we have to be wise and be good stewards and we will be alright. Two things come out very strongly.

You of little faith. Sometimes we have this uncertainty that things will not turn out well, it is an issue of faith.

When David said I trust in you, he also said you are my God. It's the same here, it says seek first his kingdom. Providence is working in our favour because we are the children of God. But to have that certainty need two things. To be able to believe that God is acting in your favour. But there is another by product of that faith. When you believe in God, it is that faith that draws you to him.

You will find the issue of faith is about where God is and who God is.

Luke 17:17-19

17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

The compassion of Jesus  was on them and all 10 were cleansed. Only one came back to thank him. What is verse 18 teaching us? God is not an answering or vending machine. Someone you go to, to get whatever you need and then you go away and only coming back when you need him again. He wants to fellowship with you.

The nine who were cleansed but cabut (went away) broke the heart of our Lord. God wants to fellowship with us. The circumstances of life are points where you see his provisions but also points where he wants to meet with you.

When you want to have that assurance of providential favour in your life, the rest in your soul, you must have faith that God is working all the time that all things will work for good but he desires that you come to him not just for his blessings but for who he is.

I've a Christian friend who asked me if he can do Buddhist meditation or yoga to calm himself. The fact that he had to ask this shows he has not found rest in God. Outside the church there are so many who has not the peace of God and today as children of God we are in a position to tell them "let your heart not be troubled" because Jesus can give them a peace that surpasses all understanding.

You can only impart what you have. If you come to me for big bucks sorry I cannot help you. Not that I have no money, but if you're talking about money for business I cannot help you. But if you say you worry or cannot sleep, you can give me a call. Hopefully don't everyone call me.

The peace of God is our heritage. It is something we can only have if we have the experience of that assurance working in our life. I'm a science person so there's the theory and the experience.

Many times in our desperate situation we cry to God but when God deliver us the house become quiet. If you look at faith in Hebrews 12:2, Jesus  is the source of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He is the perfecter of our faith. It is both an event and a process. The day we accept Jesus  is an event. We are changed from being an orphan to become the children of God. Someone who was helpless to becoming children of God.

That faith should keep on growing. Until the time when you meet with every problem your faith has surpassed it and you remain cool and calm, where the peace of God will rest in you. A peace that surpasses all understanding.

Every time we talk about prayer, there is a place for petitional prayer but have you practiced conversational prayer or have stopped contemplative prayer? That is what Jesus uses to perfect our faith. How do we experience this faith?

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

The assurance of providence provides a certainty that will remove any anxiety.

This is only half the story. For non Christians they cannot understand providence. For those who do not believe in God providence does not gel but faith does. They do what they can and then it fails. They say what can be done. It's fate.

But for someone who believes in God, you talk to the person if things don't work out, they will say what to do, it's God's will.

But as a Christian when you talk about the will of God, we may think it's not the best. If the person cannot accept that the will of God is not the best for him, how do you tell the person to rest in the providence of God. I call it the battle of wills.

When a person becomes a child of God, he will have on one side, God's will and on the other side his will or dreams. When a person accepts Christ on Sunday morning don't expect him to be like Paul on Monday morning. He will start with a mix of God's will and his will. But as he grows, God's will grow while his will lessens. Maturity comes with how much God's will is actualized in your life.

Providence will finally overcome and shine above everything else.

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Paul says you are struggling but if you still think as the world thinks, you will battle with God's will. Then only you can says God's will is perfect.

Then you will not say "what to do? God's will" and instead say, praise the Lord, God's ways are better than my ways and his thoughts higher than my thoughts.

I want to tell you a little story.

When we talk about the life of faith, we say we have a problem and we pray. No answer. We then ask our cell leader to pray with us. Then another week goes by, we persevere. Then God answers. Your faith is now even more than your cell leader's faith.

When Daniel went into the lion's den you can tell Daniel was praising God. Who has more faith, the man in the lion's mouth or the man who has been delivered from the lion's mouth. Many of us our faith gets a booster when God answers our prayer but not when God has yet to answer. Don't Praise God for the suffering but praise God in our suffering because we believe God has his purposes beyond what we can comprehend.

What we talk about faith the Chinese calls heaven's will. The best illustration is from the Chinese novel, the romance of the three Kingdoms. One of the wisest in the novel at 80 years old, he cornered his enemies and burned the army. The general of the enemy was going to commit suicide and that wise man was smiling with victory in sight. That time was the driest of a 7 year drought and while he was basking in his victory, a heavy downpour came and the fire was snuffed out and the enemy escaped. He looked up to heaven and said heaven's will cannot be opposed. And in the movie he vomited blood, never recovered and he died.

Compare him to our great man Joseph of Genesis. Seventeen years old and was sold as a slave. Met Potiphar wife's and was thrown into prison. By the time he came out of prison he was 30 years old. It was a long long time. And at the end this was how he saw God's providence.

Genesis 50:19-20

19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Joseph was someone who had a strong grasp of the providence of God. What came out of Joseph all the time was God. It is the basis for Romans 8:28. God at times permit it but God did not stop there. He will use the circumstances to turn it around for his propose. The perfecter of your faith. From that incident came David and from David, Jesus.

I want to encourage you that no matter what happens in your life, his providence is not only for your good but because he has a greater purpose.

I'm a chess player and you must have a game plan. God has a game plan. His provisions always have a part in his kingdom. God has his jigsaw pieces all laid up. We cannot see it.

God is not a slave driver. He does not use us and not care about us. He is a king with Kingdom purposes and he cares about his citizens. But more than a king be is also our Father and he cares and his work in our lives is part of that jigsaw that has a far greater purpose than those who don't know God.

The passage about the battle of will is best represented in Matthew 26. Jesus is both a perfect God and a perfect man. The Bible says Jesus was hungry and thirsty. He was 100% man. His humanity at this time shows his suffering was real. He was on the cross as the perfect man. In that perfect humanity Jesus approached God the Father and prayed.

Matthew 26:39

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.”

But what is most beautiful is that he said not my will but your will. Your will be done. In KJV, thy will be done shows the graciousness of God's providence in our life. The will be done has brought us to where we are, saved, to be sanctified and glorified. God is always good. You may not understand it but if you can just cry, thy will be done and you will be most blessed.

SaveSave

We are a Team!

Sis Melinda Song

We were once a society that centered around family. There are multiple generations under one roof and relatives/clansmen lived near each other.

Nowadays families are scattered. Our connections with other people are most often in the workplace and those connections are usually transient.

The culture today is very individualistic and narcissistic. What does it mean to be narcissistic.

ILLUSTRATION: The Greeks, as so often in human experience, provide us with just the right story about the Me problem, the seed story of selfish. It is the story of Narcissus.

Narcissus was a gloriously handsome young man. All the girls fell in love with him. They adored him, threw themselves at him, treated him like a glamorous celebrity with all the attributes of a god. But Narcissus paid the girls little mind. He rebuffed ignorance and dismissed them. He scorned their adulation. Narcissus had no time for them; he was all the company he needed. He could not waste time on anyone; he required his full attention.

One of the girls (that Narcissus slighted) prayed to the gods for redress, a prayer that was immediately answered. Greek deities love answering these kinds of prayers. The great goddess Nemesis was right there to answer the prayer of the girl with the broken heart; she heard and stepped in to take care of Narcissus. She decreed, "May he who loves no other love himself only."

One day as Narcissus bent over a pool to get a drink of water, he saw there his own reflection. Wow! He already knew he was important; he knew all the girls were falling all over themselves to get his attention. But he had no idea that he was this good-looking. He fell in love with his reflection immediately. He exclaimed, "Now I know what all those girls see in me, no wonder they are in love with me—I'm in love with me! How can I ever bear to quit looking at such loveliness that is me mirrored in that water."

Narcissus couldn't tear himself away from his image. Kneeling at the pool he pined away, fixed in one long, adoring gaze. The whole world was reduced to that image, the Narcissus-adoring self. Narcissus got smaller and smaller and smaller, until there was no Narcissus left; he had starved to death on a diet of self. Selfism is suicide. All that is left to this day is a white flower that we call Narcissus, a frail memorial in the cemetery of selfism.

• Eugene Peterson, Learning to Love the Church, www.christianitytoday.com

We love ourselves so much that nowadays there is such a thing as sologamy!

Individualism and disconnectedness occurs in church as well. Many people serially date churches. Some remain distant and on the margins, attending only when something better isn't going on. Others are committed but they are not all in. They aren't fully known by their community.

Doing life on our own is not part of God's design.

Text:

Hebrews 10:19-25, NKJV

19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Why go to church? To answer this question we have to look at man’s nature and the nature of the church.

Concerning the nature of man:

A. WE ARE CREATED FOR COMMUNITY

God is a community in himself existing for all of eternity past in perfect loving fellowship as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In creating mankind, God desires for us to participate in that community and know the perfect and joyous love the Godhead share.

But God didn't create man to be in community with Him alone. After he created the world and Adam, God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him" (Genesis 2:18). God created man and woman to have families and live together. The family is God’s idea. That is why “God sets the solitary in families…” (Psalm 68:6). Jesus was born into a family which provides a context for

When Jesus is asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” He answers in terms of relationship, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is like this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-31). Life reduced to its essence is relationship. 

ILLUSTRATION: Based on a 1960s study, Roseto became known for a cultural anomaly where the health of Roseto residents, especially cardiovascular well being, was dramatically better than American norms. Residents of Roseto had significantly fewer heart attacks, even without adhering to a heart-healthy diet or doing regular exercise. The study found that this predominantly Italian borough had all the telltale signs of a community on the verge of cardiac arrest: pervasive smoking, drinking, and a diet rich in red meat and fat. But it had very few heart attacks, widowers outnumbered widows, and men over 65 were twice as likely to outlive the national averages.

What caused this? According to the study, it was due to Roseto’s sociological framework. Roseto residents experienced an emotional well being that greatly aided their physical fortitude. When asked the key ingredient to the physiological and emotional vibrancy of Roseto, Dr. Stewart Wolf, the lead researcher in the Roseto study, used one word: community.

Community is what most of us truly long for—deep, meaningful, supportive relationships. Sadly for the town in Pennsylvania, Roseto lost its effect. As the community modernized, its people quit living the integrated community life they once led. Individualism became the goal, and within 10 years, according to a later study, the emotional and physical benefits that it once enjoyed disintegrated. Roseto now reflects the same diminished health as the rest of our population.

• Adam Stadtmiller, How Your Church Can benefit from “The Roseto Effect”, www.Christianitytoday.com)

WE ARE CREATED FOR COMMUNITY! No matter how you’re wired—introvert, extrovert, socially adept or socially awkward—something in your soul longs for meaningful relationships with other humans. That’s why solitary confinement is used as punishment for the worst criminals.

If community is something we all want, what keeps us from achieving the type of meaningful human relationships that God wired us for? Sin has warped our relationship with God and with others. Selfishness prevails.

God in His mercy has redeemed us from sin and all its effects. One of the chief purpose is to restore our capacity for community with Him (v. 19-22) and with one another (v. 23-25)

B. WE ARE REDEEMED FOR COMMUNITY

Scripture is all about community. God chose the Israelites to be his people (Leviticus 26:12). They lived and worshipped God together in community. Even in exile and during the Diaspora, the Jews lived out their faith in community.

Following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, God then instituted the church, the Body of Christ as a community of believers who are interdependent on each other. "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it." (1 Corinthians 12:27). Churchless Christianity is grossly unbiblical.

God’s people are called to live in loving and intentional community with one another, and never in isolation (Acts 2:42–47). The church is a body with many parts (1 Cor. 12:12–31), a family with many members (Gal. 6:10), a temple with many living stones (1 Peter 2:5), and a nation with many citizens (1 Peter 2:9). These and other scriptural metaphors emphasize the nature and necessity of the church for the Christian life.

Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (v. 25). Why?

Same reason why attending a live concert or game is much more exciting than watching on television but more important…

C. WE GROW, SERVE AND ARE TRANSFORMED IN COMMUNITY

A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is an individual experience, but it is not a private experience. Just as a baby is born into a family and grows and matures, so Christians are born into spiritual families that help believers grow and mature. 

Every church is a family and every family has a certain personality. Likewise, every church has a certain atmosphere that is determined by its overall attitude toward ministry and growth.

You have been called to this church for such a time as this. This is the place where God is going to grow and mature you, where you serve depending on your SHAPE (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, & Experiences).

What happens when we come together?

Hebrews 10:23-25, NKJV

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

We’re a T.E.A.M. and Together Everyone Achieves More!

1. Together We Hold Fast the Confession of Our Hope Without Wavering (v. 23)

ILLUSTRATION: While visiting family in Alaska, a man asked his cousin about the best places to go hiking.

Then he asked my most important question: "What about the bears?"

"Attacks usually happen when people go by themselves," the cousin responded. "That's what happened to a woman last week. She was running alone and got caught between a cub and a momma bear."

"We don't need to go hiking while we're here...." the man said.

"We are safer if we all go together," the cousin replied.

There aren't bears out there in everyday life, but

there are wolves who seek to destroy us. False or aberrant theology abounds at every turn. Satan and his legions try to distract us with temptations. Our own sin leads us astray.

We need spiritual oversight (Heb. 13:17), brothers and sisters to watch our backs. We are our brother’s keeper to warn, rebuke and advise.

Oversight also means we submit (an ugly word nowadays) to the covering and authority of spiritual leaders, within the boundaries of God's Word (Heb. 13:17). God designed this system of accountability for the progress and protection of His flock. This is only possible if we are a part of an organized fellowship which has identified elders, pastors, or leaders.

Submission necessitates a commitment and relationship to a local body of believers and to their spiritual leaders that includes discipline.

Besides offering security and protection, families also help shape our beliefs and values. That’s one reason why TOP is aligned with the AOG and is not an independent church.

Apparently, it was the “habit of some” to neglect public worship and thus disregard their church family. In order for them to “hold fast the confession of [their] hope without wavering” and stay tethered to their spiritual moorings, it was paramount for everyone to remain under the sound ministry of the Word and in close fellowship with one another (v. 23).

2. Together We Consider One Another to Stir Up Love and Good Works (v. 24)

The phrase "one another" is derived from the Greek word allelon which means "one another, each other; mutually, reciprocally." It occurs 100 times in the New Testament. Approximately 59 of those occurrences are specific commands teaching us how (and how not) to relate to one another. The command “Love one another” alone occurs at least 16 times.

Obedience to those commands is imperative but you cannot “one another” alone. Community is the laboratory in which we learn to rely on God’s grace and experience the gospel’s transforming power.

It’s a T.E.A.M. effort. Together Everyone Achieves More!

The two important verbs in this verse are “consider” and “stir up.” Christians are urged to seriously “consider” or “pay attention to” the spiritual needs of others, and not just their own. We are our brother’s keeper!

To “stir up”, also translated “spur on” or “provoke” or “incite”. The Greek word is paroxysmos from which we get paroxysm, a sudden convulsion or violent emotion.

Normally, this word has a negative meaning in the NT.  For example a sharp disagreement (paroxysmos) came between Paul and Barnabas. Sad to say, some of us are good at stirring up trouble, adding wood and oil to fire.

As used in Hebrews 9:24, the meaning connotes encouragement, encouraging a pleasant sense of prodding our brothers and sisters toward love and good deeds. The way we live should be provocative to other Christians in the best sense of the word. The result of our example should be love and good works in the lives of other believers.

Fellowship with the body of Christ is where love is tested and proven. It is God’s great classroom of the development of Christian character. The mature ones help to strengthen and encourage us, while the weaknesses in the less mature give us the opportunity to practice and to test our spiritual growth in such characteristics as patience, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, etc. to bring forth progress.

It’s a T.E.A.M. effort. Together Everyone Achieves More!

3. Together We Exhort/Encourage One Another

The word encourage comes from Old French,  en- "make, put in" + corage "courage, heart".

To exhort or encourage requires us to come alongside other people in a way that will strengthen them in Christ. Encouragement may mean bearing a load for them. It may mean prayer, companionship, or sharing your own conviction that God is faithful based on your experience of his loving care.

Like climbers roped together on a steep mountain, like players in a football team (Pele and the beautiful game) we must keep track of one another and cheer each other on.

Most of us are starving for honest and meaningful affirmation in a world that knows better how to beat us up, than build us up.

ILLUSTRATION: A lady worked at a meat distribution factory. One day, when she finished with her work schedule, she went into the meat cold room (Freezer) to inspect something, but in a moment of misfortune, the door closed and she was locked inside with no help in sight. Although she screamed and knocked with all her might, her cries went unheard as no one could hear her. Most of the workers had already gone, and outside the cold room it's impossible to hear what was going on inside. Five hours later, whilst she was at the verge of death, the security guard of the factory eventually opened the door. She was miraculously saved from dying that day. When she later asked the security guard how he had come to open the door, which wasn't his usual work routine, this was his explanation:

"I've been working in this factory for 35 years. Hundreds of workers come in and out every day, but you're one of the few who greet me in the morning and say goodbye to me every evening when leaving after work. Many treat me as if I'm invisible. Today, as you reported for work, like all other days, you greeted me in your simple manner 'Hello'. But this evening after working hours, I curiously observed that I had not heard your "Bye, see you tomorrow". Hence, I decided to check around the factory. I look forward to your 'hi' and 'bye' every day because they remind me that I am someone. By not hearing your farewell today, I knew something had happened. That's why I was searching every where for you."

Encouragement could be as simple as greeting someone!

Unless providentially hindered, therefore, make church attendance the highest priority in your weekly schedule, and thus “encourage one another … all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Heb. 10:25b).

It’s a T.E.A.M. effort. Together Everyone Achieves More!

Help us Lord to:

• Members of One Another
• Devoted to One Another
• Honor One Another
• Be of the Same Mind with One Another
• Accept One Another
• Admonish One Another
• Greeting One Another
• Serving One Another
• Carrying One Another’s Burdens
• Bear with One Another
• Submit to One Another
• Pray for One Another
• Encouraging One Another
• Build One Another up
• Love One Another

Many thanks to Sis Melinda for her sermon notes.

The Keys to an Incredible Journey with God

Rev Ronald Ooi

I feel like a Caleb after the wilderness. Caleb said God had given him strength like it was 40 years ago. Joshua and Caleb were men of a different spirit. They just took the hands of the next generation because the first generation never made it to the promise land. He held their hands and said they are going to make it by serving God wholeheartedly. Serve the Lord with all your heart, not half your heart. Give it your all, 100% dedicated to the Lord. Not 50% but 100%.

We are going to pray for the youth this morning. Last week we prayed for the children's church and my wife asked whether can we take them home or not. They're so adorable. She's actually with them this morning. If there's anyone who can take her away from me are the children. She's there to just encourage and walk with them even as they're doing a great job.

The youth are the now generation and we just want to walk with them. Today, God is here and not just the future and he wants to walk with us like he did with Abraham and we want to walk with these youth. We are the uncles and aunties and big brothers and sisters. Kelvin where are you? He's like a big brother to the youth. Terrence too. That they come around them and walk with them to do life together. It's not just a programme. We do life together.

This is a year that prophets are saying about advancement. They are being sensitive to the seasons and we need to be sensitive to them. They are sensitive to the mind of God and the seasons of the time.

In Malaysia we wear the same clothes all year but in Melbourne there are seasons and when we are there, we need to wear the right things for the right weather and we do the right things for the right weather. You plant and pluck the right things for the right season. Same with you, life is full of seasons and he works in our seasons. The same with the church. Sometimes we move in the same old way when the times and the seasons have changed.

I was here 35 years ago but Penang have changed. I don't know if I can drive now like before. I have to change if I were to survive the traffic here. All the criss-crossing, it's scary. When I look at TOP, I am amazed at how far it's come.

I remember when I preached during pastor Eng Lian's time and you have come a long way and God is still walking with you.

This morning I want to talk to you about the keys to an incredible journey with God. If you find my key to my car you will find my car in the basement and in my car you'll have my access card to my house. From my car keys you get to my house key. And into my house! And with the third key you can open my fridge door.  One key opens the door to another.

That's the secret of God when you have the key. The key to the first door will unlock other doors. That's the excitement we have in knowing God. The key to knowing God is a very powerful key. Jesus said I'm the way, the truth and the life. He gives us the key to reconnect with the father. There is life and there is life with God. It's different. Life really starts when we are reconnected to our maker.

God did not reconnect us to come to church. It's wonderful but it's more than that. It's about walking with God. We can come to God every day of our life. That God is open and ready once you find that key.

Life, whatever the season may be, life is primarily a journey, an incredible journey with God. When God made Adam, he walked in the cool of the evening in the garden. And God called out to Adam, where are you? God thinks of us all the time. Before we were anything, before we were formed in the womb, God loved us. He thought of us. Think about that for a moment.

When I looked back and when my son left his room I asked what happened? I had him for 19 years. When they reach 12, 13, they say mummy don't hold my hands anymore, I want to be with my friends. We have them until their youth. We were parents and in Hebrew it's horim הורים, a trainer. Our role is to train them in the ways of God.

I hope my wife and I can run a family seminar, sometime this year. We love to do that. When Abraham was asked to leave his country, his relative, everything he has built in the land of Ur, what did he do? When he gave his plan to Abraham he was thinking of you and he was thinking of me. He was already thinking of how Jesus will come. God was using that nation to bring the Messiah to us. We now who have faith in Christ as the children of Abraham and we have that inheritance as children of Abraham. That is another key.

I would like to talk a little about my children and grandchildren. When I close my eyes I see the faces of my grandchildren. I'm thinking of them all the time. God said something to me. Just as you think of your children and grandchildren, I think of my children all the time too. Before we were anything he loved us. He created us and he knows exactly what he was doing. We love because he first loved us. We were made to be loved and to loved. We are human beings first and not human doing.

He not only thinks of us but he wants to save us and bring us into eternity. He wants to be with us forever and ever and ever. That is why he created us, not just to think of us but that he may be with us for eternity. That's our God. I'm starting to understand him more. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. God wants me to be with him.

The key to an incredible journey with God. I want to share one key with you.

Hebrews 11:8

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

We only have one life on earth to discover all the keys that will open the doors of blessings and wisdom and understanding of who God is.

I call this the "yes" key. I was asking my wife is it a better term than obey? Obey sounds very heavy and legalistic. When we learn to say yes out of love towards God, our response to him is yes God, whatever you want, I'll say yes Lord. I call it the yes key. The yes key will unlock the door to deeper revelation. Look at Abraham. I mean he was already a rich man in the land of Ur, he's got money, he's cattle, he's got business, he was one that didn’t know the one true and living God yet.

And in the background of chapter 12, during the time of the Tower of babel, there was confusion and chaos. The people wanted to build a tower and city. To build a name for themselves. God looked down and came down and he scattered them because they were building what I call the Tower of Babel out of pride and ambition, than to honour God.

The acronym of the Tower Of Babel is TOB. The were building a TOB out of their own ambition. The wise man builds his house, his ministry, his family, the wise man who builds anything builds it on the rock. When the storm comes it will stand. But the foolish man builds it on the sand. Then when the rain comes it will not last. It will be demolished, it will be destroyed.

It's like the person who hears the word, Jesus said,  and he does it. That's the wise man. The man that hears it but does not do it, is building on weak foundation. We want to be the wise men and the wise women. So I pray all of you will build it on the rock and not sand because it will not stand against the storms. We want to be wise men and women when we build it on strong foundation.

Let's see what Abraham build in the times when men were building TOB. If Abraham had said no he would have missed it but he used the yes key and he walk and obeyed God. He decided to leave the sandy ground and he received revelation after revelation from God. He became even richer but he left all that to be richer in God. Just like many years ago I left my own ambition to be rich in God.

Where are you going to take all your riches? Our riches is how much more we know God. Heaven may be my destination but God is my destiny.

Abraham thought he could help God and Hagar came into the picture and a son of the flesh came. You begin by faith and walk by faith and you will end up by faith. Not by flesh halfway through.

The project was the nation of Israel but the process was more important than the end project. The process was when he reach 99 years old, he will show he is El Shaddai,  God almighty. God was trying to show Abraham that which is impossible became possible. He just told Abraham to do the walking and God will do the making. You walk with me then comes the work.

You want to know God, bring that yes key with you. Yes Lord I will do it. From that yes, revelation after revelation will come to you. Abraham built an altar to meet with God. A tent is something that move from place to place and from that tent came the tabernacle. God wants a church that is built on revelation and it will become stronger and stronger and stronger. Our tabernacle and your tabernacle is in our heart where God's presence dwell.

Learnt to say yes to God.

It is also the key to God's presence in your life. I have reduced my television from ten to one or to zero now. Occasionally we sit down to watch a nice movie or I take my grandchildren for a nice cartoon. One of the reason I don't do that is halfway they throw in an advertisement. My wife is an I person. They're the easiest person to sell to.  They are curious, oh, what is this. These advertisements sell clothes, and perfumes. It's something you don't really need but they make you want it. Just like in the garden of Eden. The modern day malls are all garden of Edens. They make you want it. I would rather the Holy Spirit create the desire in me to want more and more of him. That all of us will have the desire for God and his plans.

Moses initially when he was young he had that desire at first and wanted to save the people of Israel. He wanted to give God a helping hand but that's not the way God works. He had to run away in the wilderness and he lost all that desire. There was probably no more motivation or vision and that was for 40 years of his life. He was probably disappointed with himself and everything that was around him. Then at 80 God comes into the picture at the burning bush and God spoke to him from the burning bush that was not burning. And at 80 years old he said he's old and he cannot speak anymore and all this resistance. When the resistance is bigger than the desire, nothing will change, life will go on as it is. Que sera sera, whatever will be will be, there is no power shift at all. But at 80 years old God stirred this man's heart. He needed to have that desire. He failed in his first time but God is a God of second chances.

And Moses said who am I? Who do I tell Pharaoh  who sent me, I'm nothing. And that's when God said when you're down to nothing and empty, God does something. My wife sometimes said when you are full of yourself how can the Holy Spirit fill you. And God said I Am send you. Moses, it does not matter who you are but more Important is who I Am, God is saying. All that resistance is gone. No wonder when God build that tent, it's a TOP and not TOB. TOB is built by ambition but TOP is built by revelation.

And finally, the key is to bless others. God said to Abraham, you will be a blessing. You do the walking and I will do the blessing. You do the walking and I will do the showing. First things first. Put God first and when it all happens, we cannot say we did it. The younger ones may not know this song. Famous Frank Sinatra's song "I did it my way". Those 50 and above will know this. And look where the world has gone. But we do it God's way, amen?

Adam disobeyed, and he brought destruction. He said no and it brought destruction. Jesus said yes, and he brought life. He obeyed the father, came down, took the form of a man and He has blessed the whole world including your life and my life. Walk with him.

Say yes to God. He love us so much how can we say no to God. He said yes to the father how can we say no to him. And because he said yes to us, yes to the father, and when you say yes, you have found the key and you are on an incredible journey with God.

Destined for Greatness

Rev Jasmine

I'm going to get my PhD soon. Penang Hokkien Dialect. Here are the photos of my family. Here you see Josh, Chase, Chloe and Audrey. And this is Ken and Joy with Isaac. They say the reward for not killing your children are your grandchildren.

During the time of recession in Australia, God blessed my children with good jobs in Australia. Praise God.

Today's message is "You are Destined for Greatness" because you are a vessel God can use. Have you ever wondered who am I? What's my destiny? Why are you here for? How can I prepare to achieve my destiny? I used to ask this question. Especially sometimes when going through difficult times.

Am I really destined for greatness? The answer is a resounding yes. He wants you to be a part of his great plans. He handpicked you and all your experiences are to prepare you for his purpose which is to destined you for greatness. He destined us to have a great relationship with him. A fitting place in his great purposes in the world.

Ephesians 1:5

having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

Ephesians 1:11-12

11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 1:17

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus in accordance with His pleasure and will …in order that we might be for the praise of His glory…He has given you the Spirit…so that you may know Him better.

That’s GREAT!

Romans 8:28-29

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Verse 29 is where his agenda is to conform us into the image of his Son. We become who we worship. If we worship money we become hard and cold. But if we worship Jesus we become more like him.

What are you destined for? The fullness of what God wants you to be and do. God has a destiny for each one of us to fulfill. Greatness is not about position but about influence. He wants you to rise up to be able to influence others for him.

Acts 13:36

“For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;

See 1 Samuel 17

Like David, we are destined for greatness. David was great because he served God in his generation. How did David moved from being a humble shepherd to a king? There was definitely a process of building up his character.

David had the courage to face Goliath because he has had experiences with God. The process of being a king is by being a servant. He behaved wisely and was so well liked by everyone. True greatness is the more we come under people to lift them up, the more significant we become.

As coaches, we help people find their greatest destiny in God. That's what we want to do to help the leaders find their gifting.

Psalms 78:71-72

71 From following the ewes that had young He brought him,

To shepherd Jacob His people,

And Israel His inheritance.

72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,

And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

God brought David to shepherd his people according to the integrity of his heart and with skilful hands. It is a destination. We need to get there so there is a preparation. David was prepared to achieve his destiny. The challenges will lead you to a place of greatness and influence. There will be defining moments and you will launch out in this faith journey.

 What do we do to achieve our place of destiny? You move from your experiences. Challenges are your defining moments that will lead you to a place of greatness and influence.

To prepare you to achieve your destiny, you need:

• Character
• Competence
• Courage

Character. It is moral qualities such as integrity.

Competence. We have to study to show ourselves approved of God.

Courage. Stepping outside your comfort zone to accept the challenge to serve as a leader. David couldn't wear Saul's armour and he was courageous enough to say no.

Every part of your life especially your soul needs to be connected with God. Like my children, I wanted them to be connected to God and I'll know they're safe. And they assured us God is with them. When your children grow up like that, with or without you I know they'll be fine.

What do you desire to become? Like to loose 10 kg? To grow spiritually? What is required? It requires passion. I saw at Queensbay "Turn your passion into fashion". What is that? Would it be better to turn your passion into vision? When you have a vision obstacles become opportunities and problems become potentials.

In our prayer meeting, we are going to be like David and chop off Goliath's head. We are going to make our enemies flee. There is a plan to succeed in God. There will of course be resistance. Like David his brother's scolded him and the people looked down on him. But he overcame the resistance. He had a plan. He went to pick up smooth stones. He went to get his weapons.

But I want to say we can also miss our destiny. Like the king who was jealous of David. He was insecure. His ego got the better of him.

What is true greatness? The first quality God saw in David was his spirituality. David had a servant's heart.  He was a shepherd but shepherds cannot enter the temple because they step on dung and dead animals. It was not a glamorous job.

1 Samuel 13:14

But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

He served his father by tending sheep and he served King Saul.

1 Samuel 16:21

David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.

Jesus said the greatest among you shall be a servant.

Matthew 23:11

But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Mark 10:43-45

43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

The word "Ministry" comes from the root word diakonos meaning "a servant, waiter".

Like a waiter we are ready to serve. That's what it means to be a minister. God is so great yet he has a servant's heart. There's a paradigm shift called servant leadership that is becoming very popular. Servanthood is the secret to spiritual greatness.

The meaning and significance comes from expending our life. Not conserving it. God designed us to serve.

Matthew 16:25

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

The more we come "under" people so that we can lift them up, the more significance we end up having.  We are destined for greatness but we must prepare ourself to achieve our destiny.  We demonstrate true greatness by serving God and his people.

Pastor Ronald rounding up.

Donald Trump said let's make America great.

Deuteronomy 6:5

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

The spirit of the law is a relationship with God. When you rule with relationship it will last a lot longer. Jesus repeated this commandment in Matthew 22:37.