1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:17,360 Welcome to ECB's weekly sermon podcast. ECB is an international church in Bangkok, Thailand, 2 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:23,260 with dozens of nationalities worshipping together. We invite you to connect with us from wherever 3 00:00:23,260 --> 00:00:31,080 you are through our website, ecb.asia, or our mobile app. And now we pray that you are blessed 4 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:39,520 by this week's sermon. Well, last week we started a new sermon series called The Servants Devoted 5 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:48,800 to God. And as the title suggests, in this series, we're gonna look at ourselves as servants of God, 6 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:58,640 people who love God and who serve Him with devotion. The moment Jesus saved us, not only 7 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:07,160 did we become children of God, but now we also became servants of God, people who are called 8 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:16,000 to be active change agents for the sake of God's kingdom. And as Pastor Pablo shared last week, 9 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:21,960 the moment Jesus saved us, we got a new citizenship. What is that citizenship? Well, 10 00:01:21,960 --> 00:01:31,000 it's citizens of the kingdom of God. We also got a new identity, servant of God. And with all this, 11 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:38,400 we also got a new purpose, a new mission for our lives, which is to make disciples of the nations. 12 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:45,720 And in our context here at ECB, it means to make disciples for global impact. And all of this, 13 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:53,680 also came with a completely different culture. The way of being and thinking and doing in the 14 00:01:53,680 --> 00:02:00,160 culture of the kingdom of God is vastly different from the worldly culture that you and I used to 15 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:08,600 be part of. We were very used to living for ourselves and for our own interests, but now 16 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:15,400 we're called to live for God and for His interests. We were very used to giving into our own impulses 17 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:22,840 and desires, but now we're called to walk by the Spirit. I tell you, that's a different culture. 18 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:29,680 And that culture requires a getting used to for servants devoted to God. It requires a getting 19 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:34,800 used to. And one of the things that we need to learn about this culture, the culture of the 20 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:41,720 kingdom of God, is its motive. What is the driving force for everything that is happening in the 21 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:49,280 kingdom of God? Well, today we will learn that the motive of the kingdom of God is love. Love is 22 00:02:49,280 --> 00:03:00,880 that motive. And I think you know this, but love can make you do silly things sometimes. Crazy things 23 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:08,000 sometimes. You may have your own stories, which you can share later on as we are outside after 24 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:14,600 service having fellowship, but let me share a few stories of the crazy things that love can make 25 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:21,720 you do that I did after some online research. So there is this guy and he wrote this, I sold nearly 26 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:28,280 everything I owned. I quit my job, moved three and a half thousand kilometers. For a woman I met online 27 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:38,320 via a chat group for cat owners. That's one of the silly things that love makes you do. Here's 28 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:45,880 another one. This one is funny. I took my own braces off with nail clippers. I was head over 29 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:51,360 heels in love with this girl, but I found out through a friend that she didn't find me attractive. 30 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:58,160 And as I had my braces already for four years and my teeth were perfectly straight, I figured it 31 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:05,120 was time. Long story short, we went on one date and that was that. And my parents were furious. 32 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:13,680 Love makes you do crazy things. One more, just for the fun of it. I flew from Aspen to Denver to 33 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:18,920 Pittsburgh. That's a lot of flying if you don't know where that is. I rented a car, then drove 34 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:26,080 12 hours in the midst of a terrible snowstorm that shut the city down all because I wanted to 35 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:32,040 get back for a date with a boy. Only to find out when I finally got there that he had forgotten 36 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:40,320 about the date. Love makes you do crazy things. Love makes people do things where you're looking 37 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:49,760 and you say, really? That's what you did? Yeah, I did because I was in love. Well, the first 38 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:57,280 apostles, followers of Jesus when Jesus was still on earth, did some very crazy things out of love 39 00:04:57,280 --> 00:05:07,080 for Jesus. They were willing to let go of personal ambitions and security out of love for Jesus. 40 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:15,840 They were willing to choose a life of sacrifice and service out of love for Jesus. Most of them 41 00:05:15,840 --> 00:05:24,320 were willing to be tortured and to die for the cause of the kingdom of God out of love for Jesus. 42 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:35,640 Love makes you do crazy things. In 2 Corinthians 5, we get a clue for the motive, the reason why 43 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:42,480 the apostles were willing to do this. This is what the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5, 44 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:49,480 for Christ's love compels us because we are convinced that one died for all and therefore 45 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:56,560 all died. He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him 46 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:05,000 who died for them and was raised again. Paul explains that it was Jesus' love that made them 47 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:10,800 decide to no longer live for themselves. Not because Jesus forced them to do that. No, 48 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:17,880 no, no, no, no. It was their response to Jesus' compelling love for them that made them want him 49 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:24,560 to love him back and decide to no longer live for themselves but to live for Jesus and for his 50 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:30,960 mission to seek and to save the lost. That was their motive for being a servant of God. Friends, 51 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:40,720 loving God is not a matter of forcing yourself to find some feelings or affections for God. 52 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:51,640 You know, that's not it. We love because he first loved us. Our love for God is born out of his love 53 00:06:51,640 --> 00:07:00,360 for us. It compels us to love him back and it's only, hear me please, it's only when we're motivated 54 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:11,120 by love for God that we can function effectively as servants devoted to God. If we have any other 55 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:21,480 motive for serving God, we will get exhausted, we will give up and we'll easily find excuses to stop 56 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:30,760 being part of the mission that God has called us to. Only love for God is the motivation to fervently 57 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:43,440 follow and pursue God's calling for your life. And if love for God drives you, serving him will just 58 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:53,400 feel so much different, so much different, easier and lighter. You know why? Because love for God 59 00:07:53,400 --> 00:08:00,960 will cause us to love the things that he loves and to pursue the things he pursues. If you're planning 60 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:08,480 on sleeping during this sermon, taking a nap, at least take this away, will you? This is the one 61 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:13,880 sentence summary of today's sermon and it's so important that I will make it come back during 62 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:19,800 the sermon and whenever you see this statement on the screen, I want you to just read it out loud, 63 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:26,120 okay? Don't ask for my permission. When you see it, you read it and let's practice it once, okay? Are 64 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:33,720 you with me? Here we go. Love for God will cause us to love the things he loves and pursue the things 65 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:39,480 he pursues. That's the one sentence summary. Don't get asleep. There's more. Don't nap. 66 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:49,080 And to understand more of what this means, this statement on the screen, we will have a look at 67 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:56,720 the life of the apostle Peter. When you find him in the book of Acts, there is this amazing ministry 68 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:02,680 that he is doing. Peter preaches and 3,000 people come to faith. Peter lays his hand on people and 69 00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:10,360 starts praying and people heal. Peter speaks boldly about his faith in Jesus even when he is faced 70 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:17,720 with some very challenging circumstances. Great. We love the ministry, but before Peter could engage 71 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:24,960 in this powerful ministry, there was this conversation that he needed to have with Jesus. 72 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:32,520 It was a profound conversation that he needed to have with Jesus because Jesus needed to make 73 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:42,560 sure that Peter's motive for serving God was right. We find this conversation in John chapter 21. 74 00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:49,320 Let me read it for you. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of 75 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:57,920 John, do you love me more than these? Yes, Lord, Peter said. You know that I love you. And Jesus 76 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:06,560 said, feed my lambs. Again, Jesus said, Simon, son of John, do you love me? And Peter answered, 77 00:10:06,560 --> 00:10:15,720 yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus said, take care of my sheep. The third time he said to 78 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:24,280 him, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 79 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:32,520 do you love me? And he said, Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you. Jesus said, 80 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:41,480 feed my sheep. This was a heavy conversation for an early morning. It was right after breakfast 81 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:47,960 that they had. It was a heavy conversation, but it needed to take place because some important 82 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:57,320 matters had to be discussed. Jesus asked Peter, do you love me? Not once, three times. And yes, 83 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:04,200 I do believe that one of the reasons why Jesus asked the same question three times was to reinstate 84 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:11,840 Peter after he had denied Jesus three times the day before Jesus would be crucified. But there was 85 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:19,920 more to it. Jesus needed to make sure that Peter's motive for taking on board this huge ministry 86 00:11:19,920 --> 00:11:27,720 assignment that Jesus would give him to lead the church, that Peter's motive was set right. If 87 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:35,320 Peter's motive for serving Jesus, taking on this ministry, huge ministry, was shame or guilt out of 88 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:43,440 things that he had done wrong to Jesus, or as a way to make good of all the wrongs that he had done 89 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:49,960 to Jesus, then Peter would not have qualified for the ministry Jesus called him to. He would have 90 00:11:49,960 --> 00:12:01,080 given up easily and he would definitely have dried up. Only the motive, love for God, would enable 91 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:11,280 Peter to do the powerful ministry that we read about in the book of Acts. Peter's sole motive to 92 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:20,040 function well as a servant devoted to God had to be love for God. And it was through this motive 93 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:26,600 that Peter could engage and that the gospel was allowed to spread from the early church in 94 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:36,160 Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Only with his motive rightly set, 95 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:43,840 Peter was able to do this powerful ministry that we read about in the book of Acts. Why? 96 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:58,960 I get it, you need to get the hang of it, right? Shall we read it again? Why? Because love for 97 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:07,760 God will cause us to love the things he loves and pursue the things he pursues. Indeed, as we will 98 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:15,440 learn today from the story of Peter, when love for God is your motive, it will change your priorities 99 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:25,280 and it will change the way you see people. When we look at the Apostle Peter in the book of Acts, 100 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:32,840 we see a totally different person compared with the Peter that we met in the gospels. Helped by 101 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:38,080 his motive, which was love for Jesus, and of course as well by the power of the Holy Spirit, 102 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:45,240 which had been poured out on the day of Pentecost. We see Peter engaging powerfully in ministry, 103 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:51,880 but also we see a Peter that had his priorities clearly set. And I want to highlight this morning 104 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:59,920 three priorities that we can learn from Peter as servants devoted to God in our age, in our day. 105 00:13:59,920 --> 00:14:06,160 And I want to do that by looking at a story that we find in Acts chapter 3 and 4. This is how the 106 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:13,000 story goes. One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer, at 3 in the 107 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:20,080 afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, 108 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:27,800 where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter 109 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:35,400 and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him as did John, and then 110 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:43,320 Peter said, look at us. So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 111 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:53,360 Then Peter said, silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you in the name of Jesus 112 00:14:53,360 --> 00:15:02,240 Christ of Nazareth walk. And taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's 113 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:11,640 feet and ankles became strong. This is one of those amazing healing stories that we find in Acts. Who 114 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:19,320 loves a good healing story? We love those stories. And just so you know, God still works in these ways, 115 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:28,160 but it's not the miracle I want to focus on today. I want us to focus on Peter's priority. Silver or 116 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:35,280 gold I do not have. And Peter was right in saying that he did not have any money. He had given up 117 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:41,080 his fishing business a couple of years before that, when Jesus had called him to follow him. 118 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:46,320 And as far as we know, Peter had not invested in any retirement plans or financial plans, 119 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:52,200 and for all we know, he lived on gifts and donations. That's how the early church ministry 120 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:59,320 was financed. Peter had not invested in any financial plans, but it didn't mean that he 121 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:10,160 come empty handed to the lame man. It was because Peter instead has been investing his life in the 122 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:17,280 resources of the kingdom of God for years, three and a half years or so. Peter had seen Jesus 123 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:23,680 proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. He had seen Jesus demonstrating the power of the 124 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:29,160 kingdom of God. He had been trained by Jesus. He had been seeing Jesus. He had been learning from 125 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:33,720 Jesus. And at some point, Jesus had looked at Peter and the rest of the disciples and said, 126 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:40,360 now you go do it. You have seen me doing it for all these years. That was a time of training and 127 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:46,640 equipping. Now I give you the authority. I give you the mandate. I give you the assignment to go 128 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:54,800 and do it yourself. Proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God and demonstrate the power of the 129 00:16:54,800 --> 00:17:01,560 kingdom of God. Those are the resources of the kingdom that Peter had been investing himself in. 130 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:09,920 So when he appeared before this paralyzed man who was expecting silver and gold, because that's what 131 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:16,200 you expect as a beggar in the temple courts, that's not what Peter was able to give him. He was able 132 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:24,080 to give him something of much more significance and value. He was able to give him healing, 133 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:35,600 restoration, transformation. Why? Because Peter had invested his life in the resources of the 134 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:43,120 kingdom of God. Now don't miss the point here, okay? There is nothing wrong with silver or gold. 135 00:17:43,120 --> 00:17:48,360 There is nothing wrong with smart financial planning for the future, whatever that looks 136 00:17:48,360 --> 00:17:54,280 like for you. For as long as you're not obsessed by it, for as long as you're not controlled by it, 137 00:17:54,280 --> 00:18:02,880 you will be fine. But here is the point. As servants devoted to God like Peter, we need 138 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:10,960 to make it one of our priorities to invest in the resources of the kingdom of God. We need to learn 139 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:17,600 and understand how to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God and how to demonstrate the 140 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:24,440 power of the kingdom of God. This is exactly the reason why discipleship here at ECB is at the core 141 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:30,320 of what we are doing. We need to be trained, we need to be equipped in the resources of the kingdom 142 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:35,960 of God. Yes, for ourselves so that we can be changed and sanctified and all of that, but also 143 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:42,280 for the world out there, because we've got something to give that they so need. Fullness, 144 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:53,480 freedom, transformation and restoration in the name of Jesus Christ. Loved ones, invest yourselves 145 00:18:53,480 --> 00:19:02,800 in the resources of the kingdom of God. Well, you can imagine that all of this caused commotion in 146 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:08,560 the streets of Jerusalem. There was a lame man who they knew from the temple courts was now healed, 147 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:16,160 and indeed a lot of commotion and excitement happened as the story continues. While the man 148 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:22,480 held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place 149 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:29,440 called Solomon's Colonnade. If you don't know what that is, that was a corridor in the temple where 150 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:35,760 the early church had their first worship services. And when Peter saw this, he said to the people, 151 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:43,560 fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or 152 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:52,120 godliness we had made this man walk? It's by faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and 153 00:19:52,120 --> 00:19:59,160 know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely 154 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:08,120 healed him as you all can see. Peter could have easily gone along with the excitement of the crowd, 155 00:20:08,120 --> 00:20:18,240 right? Peter, did you do this? Hmm. As a matter of fact, thank you for noticing. I did. Peter 156 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:26,320 could have easily used the success stories of the crowd to build a platform for himself, 157 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:35,360 but that's not what Peter did. What we learn from this is a second priority as servants devoted 158 00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:44,600 to God is that we build God's reputation. We do not build our own reputation. Peter was quick to 159 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:50,760 say to the people, hey, let's get the facts straight here. Jesus is the one who healed this 160 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:59,840 man. It wasn't me, people. All credit goes to Jesus. Out of his love for Jesus, it was not at all a 161 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:08,160 big deal for Peter to direct the applause and to direct the attention to the one to whom all of 162 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:21,200 that should go, Jesus. Success draws people to you. You may have noticed that already in your own 163 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:31,560 life. Success draws people to you, whether it's your academic achievements or your giftedness 164 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:40,920 as a leader, or maybe you're a really good teacher or it's your musical performance. When people see 165 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:49,220 your success, they are drawn to you. They are excited with you, and before you know it, they 166 00:21:49,220 --> 00:21:58,120 make you the hero of your story. But let's get the facts straight here, shall we? It's because of 167 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:04,480 Jesus who you are who you are. It's because of Jesus that you have what you have, and it's because 168 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:14,840 of Jesus that you're able to do what you do. And therefore, all of our success stories give reason 169 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:23,960 to point to Jesus. We repeat that our successes always give reason for us to point to Jesus. 170 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:36,400 And Peter sets the example for us. And again, don't get me wrong, being successful is enjoyable, 171 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:44,680 okay? I even believe that God wants us to enjoy success, to enjoy the things we do, 172 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:53,080 to find satisfaction and to thrive. But again, let's keep the facts straight. Our success 173 00:22:53,080 --> 00:23:03,480 stories we owe to Jesus so he gets the applause. I'm not an American football fan. I'm not American, 174 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:08,160 so I didn't grow up with football. I find it even a little bit silly why you could call a sports 175 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:20,520 football when you hardly use your feet. Anyways, don't know why I said that. But I did pick up on 176 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:26,000 the Super Bowl that happened last weekend. If you didn't follow the news, the Kansas Chiefs were 177 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:32,320 beaten big time by the Philadelphia Eagles. But that's not what drew my attention of the news. I 178 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:38,560 watched a few post-match interviews with the head coach and a number of players of the Philadelphia 179 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:49,080 Eagles. And one after the other would say, you know who deserves the glory? Jesus. He's my Savior, 180 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:54,680 he's my Lord, he's my King, here's my favorite Bible verse. I have built my life on the foundation 181 00:23:54,680 --> 00:24:00,440 called Jesus. What a platform. National television and the fact that it reaches Thailand, that means 182 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:07,520 international television and streaming. What a platform to build the foundation for the 183 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:17,320 reputation of God. All of our success stories give reason to point to Jesus. Well, the events in 184 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:22,660 Jerusalem not only caught the attention of the public, the people, but of course also the Jewish 185 00:24:22,660 --> 00:24:32,800 leaders got the news. And whenever the Jewish leaders heard about Jesus, oh, that's when trouble 186 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:40,400 began. And we find this in the continuation of the story. The priests and the captain of the temple 187 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:46,680 guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were 188 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:52,760 greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the 189 00:24:52,760 --> 00:25:00,120 resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and because it was evening, they put them in 190 00:25:00,120 --> 00:25:07,080 jail until the next day. A little bit too late because many of them who had heard the message, 191 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:16,000 they believed. So the number of men who believed grew to about 5,000. What a great day of ministry 192 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:21,880 it had been. A paralyzed man was healed. Then people were drawn and say, tell us more. So Peter 193 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:28,120 and John could evangelize in the temple courts and the church grew from 3,000, that's what we read 194 00:25:28,120 --> 00:25:37,720 in Acts chapter 2, to 5,000 in one day. Glory to God. What an amazing day of ministry. The thing is 195 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:45,920 that amazing day of ministry came abruptly to an end when Peter and John got arrested by the 196 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:54,680 temple authorities. They were put in jail awaiting the verdict of the Jewish council the day after. 197 00:25:54,680 --> 00:26:03,360 A Jewish council that was greatly opposed against the cause and the case of Jesus. This certainly 198 00:26:03,360 --> 00:26:11,400 was reason for Peter and John to be discouraged and to tone down their message, don't you think? 199 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:18,440 But they didn't tone down. The day later when they were called in, this is what happened. 200 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:30,680 Could you help me click? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, rulers and elders 201 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:37,400 of the people, if we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who 202 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:44,840 was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel. 203 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:51,600 It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead, 204 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:59,520 that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become 205 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:08,800 the cornerstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to 206 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:16,720 mankind by which we must be saved. Does this sound to you like a man who is deeply discouraged or 207 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:25,920 planning to tone down? Not at all, right? Peter is even upping the game, confronted with a very 208 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:35,520 challenging situation with people who were greatly opposed to him and to Jesus. Peter speaks boldly, 209 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:45,680 proclaiming the name of Jesus. And it caused a very awkward situation. There were these leaders, 210 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:55,240 well-educated, seeing these guys uneducated, speaking wisdom, and courageously and boldly 211 00:27:55,240 --> 00:28:01,080 speaking into that. Not only that, also the lame man who they had known from the gate called 212 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:06,320 Beautiful, the temple, he was in that room and they could not deny the fact that actually he was 213 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:14,080 healed. The man could walk and he was praising God. What can you say? And for once the Jewish leaders 214 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:23,280 were lost for words. And the only thing they could come up with was this. They called Peter and John 215 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:30,960 in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John 216 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:38,760 replied, which is right in God's eyes, to listen to you or to listen to him? You be the judges. As 217 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:48,000 for us, we can't help but speaking about what we have seen and heard. There is no stopping of Peter 218 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:55,440 and John. They can't help but to speak about Jesus no matter the situation they're in, no matter the 219 00:28:55,440 --> 00:29:02,720 consequences they are facing. Remember, the people they were talking to had the power to lock them up 220 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:11,080 for years or even to kill them. But that didn't bother Peter. It didn't bother John. They boldly 221 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:20,040 spoke about Jesus no matter what. This is where we learn the third priority as servants devoted to 222 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:31,880 God. Out of love for God, we see any opportunity as a good opportunity to represent Jesus. It echoes 223 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:41,800 the words of Paul in Ephesians 5, to make use of every opportunity. And can I just clarify this a 224 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:49,160 bit? This doesn't mean that we have to talk about Jesus 24-7, okay? This is very annoying for the 225 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:57,640 people around you and I don't think that it will help the cause of Jesus much. It's all about 226 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:05,520 recognizing the opportunity, recognizing the opportunity to represent Jesus and then to decide 227 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:13,040 to respond to it, whether it is through speaking, through just your attention and listening or being 228 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:23,240 there or through acting. Recognize these opportunities. Recognize them with a commitment 229 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:31,400 to respond to them so that others may come to see Jesus through this opportunity. And as we learn 230 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:39,400 from Peter, recognizing and responding to opportunities can even happen at times that are 231 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:49,280 deeply challenging, even at times of suffering. I was at my father's bedside in the days before 232 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:56,440 he passed away in 2015. It was on Easter Sunday that year, a day and a half before he would pass 233 00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:04,200 on. He was in deep pain. He had a lot of things going on in his body. He was in deep pain that 234 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:11,240 the doctors tried to subdue with morphine and other heavy painkillers. So he was groggy all day 235 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:17,640 basically, but we were at his bedside. But whenever someone came to his bed, whether it was a doctor, 236 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:24,600 a nurse, a friend, a stranger, someone from their church, he would open his eyes. He would look at 237 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:36,960 them and he would save it with a big smile on his face. Jesus is alive. Until his final breath, 238 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:49,800 he recognized the opportunity to represent Jesus and he responded to it amidst deep pain. I'm crying 239 00:31:49,800 --> 00:31:58,520 for two services now. I was not planning to do it. What an example to his son, to my siblings, 240 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:08,560 and to my mother. Friends, whether it's your mountaintop experiences, whether it's your deep 241 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:20,360 valley dark experiences, there are always opportunities to represent Jesus. Shall we just 242 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:28,840 commit to recognize these, open our eyes to seeing them, and to respond to these so that people may 243 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:39,200 encounter Jesus through that and may come to know Jesus through it. Recognize and respond. I'm gonna 244 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:59,520 take a sip of water now. By the way, are you still tracking with me? Yeah? Well, let's see. Yes, 245 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:09,480 well done. You won't forget this line. You know what God loves most and pursues most? What is that? 246 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:22,800 Anyone? Yeah, it's people. It's people that God loves most and pursues the most. God is building 247 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:34,080 his kingdom and he wants many more to enter in with our help. And this requires a change in us 248 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:43,960 because we're biased people. We have preferences for certain kinds of people, but we need to come 249 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:52,280 to see people the way God sees people. And Peter had to learn this as well and we're gonna learn 250 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:59,200 alongside Peter through a story that we find a couple of chapters later in Acts, in Acts chapter 251 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:06,600 10. This is how the story goes. At Caesarea, there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was 252 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:12,720 known as the Italian regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing. He gave 253 00:34:12,720 --> 00:34:20,320 generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon, 254 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:28,080 he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God who came to him and said, Cornelius. Cornelius 255 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:34,720 stared at him in fear. What is it, Lord? He asked. And the angel answered, your prayers and gifts to 256 00:34:34,720 --> 00:34:42,320 the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa, that was a 257 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:49,040 town about 55 kilometers away from Caesarea, and bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 258 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:59,600 He is staying with Simon the tenor whose house is by the sea. Cornelius was a military leader in the 259 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:07,080 service of the Roman Empire and the Romans were deeply hated by the people of Israel. Not just 260 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:13,360 because of the military oppression, also because the Romans were Gentiles. There were non-Jews and 261 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:23,520 therefore, stay far away from these people, impure. But hey, Cornelius and his entire family, 262 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:30,400 they were devout believers. They loved Jesus. And now God is appearing to Cornelius in a vision 263 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:37,560 telling him you should send people to this Peter guy who is a couple of hours away and ask him to 264 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:44,160 come to your house. What Cornelius couldn't know is that around the time when his men were on the 265 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:52,200 way to get Peter, Peter also got a vision from God. And this was Peter's vision. About noon the 266 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:57,880 following day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to 267 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:04,040 pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat and while the meal was being prepared, he fell 268 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:12,000 into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its 269 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:19,240 four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals as well as reptiles and birds and then a 270 00:36:19,240 --> 00:36:29,200 voice told him get up Peter, kill and eat. Surely not Lord. Peter replied, I have never eaten anything 271 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:39,280 impure or unclean. The voice spoke to him a second time, don't call anything impure that God has made 272 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:47,520 clean. This happened three times and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter 273 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:52,920 was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's 274 00:36:52,920 --> 00:37:00,360 house was and stopped at the gates. They called out asking if Simon, who was known as Peter, was 275 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:06,640 staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the spirit said to him, Simon, 276 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:16,120 three men are looking for you so get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them for I 277 00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:26,160 have sent them. You need to understand this was a shocking experience for Peter. He was raised under 278 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:33,840 Jewish rules and regulations for all of his life so for all of his life he had heard that Gentiles 279 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:42,880 were to be avoided. Gentiles stink, they're impure, they're unclean so do not engage when you meet one 280 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:54,480 and definitely never ever enter one of their homes. That is super bad. But God wants him to see people 281 00:37:54,480 --> 00:38:01,520 the way God sees people and he gives him this vision and he tells Peter, I want you to go with 282 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:08,480 these men who are waiting for you at the doorstep of the house where you're staying. So Peter goes, 283 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:16,360 what else can you do when God is so clearly telling you to do? He goes and when he enters the house of 284 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:23,480 Cornelius, he met Cornelius and Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence but Peter made 285 00:38:23,480 --> 00:38:30,880 him get up. Stand up, he said. I'm only a man myself. While talking with him, Peter went inside and 286 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:40,520 found a large gathering of people and he said to them, you're well aware that it is against our law 287 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:49,720 for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile but God has shown me that I should not call anyone 288 00:38:49,720 --> 00:38:59,280 impure or unclean so when I was sent for I came without raising any objection. Peter had had some 289 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:06,560 time to think about the meaning of this vision. It's a long walk from Joppa to Caesarea and now he 290 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:14,480 knew, I don't get to dictate the terms on the basis of which people can enter the kingdom of 291 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:25,880 God. I am not the one to exclude. God is inviting anyone into that kingdom and after he heard from 292 00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:31,600 Cornelius, the vision that Cornelius had been given by God, after he had heard the longing of 293 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:37,280 all the people who were in the home to listen, to hear more about Jesus, to understand God more, 294 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:45,000 Peter others these words a couple of verses later. I now realize how true it is that God doesn't show 295 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:53,640 favoritism but he accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right and what 296 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:59,080 follows in the verses after. It's a beautiful story that Peter ministers to the people on there. He 297 00:39:59,080 --> 00:40:04,800 shares the gospel with them. People are getting filled with the Holy Spirit and the whole house 298 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:14,480 gets baptized on that day. This meant a completely new era of the early church. Now also Gentiles 299 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:23,480 were invited in. Those who were impure and unclean as regarded by the Jews now could enter the kingdom 300 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:34,840 of God but for that to happen, Peter's mindset needed to change. His heart needed to change. He 301 00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:46,440 had to see people the way God sees people and I want us to take away two things from this story 302 00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:56,400 in Acts chapter 10. Here's the first thing. God's kingdom is inclusive and has no cultural, 303 00:40:56,400 --> 00:41:06,720 religious, social or political barriers. We are part of a highly polarized society where exclusion 304 00:41:06,720 --> 00:41:13,320 and division are common. It seems that you need to meet certain criteria or to have certain 305 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:22,200 preferences to belong to a certain group and when you don't, you're out. That's not the kingdom of 306 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:30,680 God. The kingdom of God is inclusive. Anyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ will be saved 307 00:41:30,680 --> 00:41:42,160 and will be welcomed to enter the kingdom of God. You know what this means? It means that we servants 308 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:51,160 devoted to God need to be the most inviting, most welcoming, most inclusive, most inviting people on 309 00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:59,880 the planet. We have been given by Jesus the keys to the kingdom of heaven and we have been given 310 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:06,480 the mandate and the assignment to invite anyone regardless of who they are, where they are from, 311 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:14,440 or what they have done into that kingdom. If you wonder if this is true, go check out the 312 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:24,600 favorite audience that Jesus had to hang out with in the Gospels. The kingdom of God is a kingdom 313 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:32,600 of inclusion, not exclusion. We are people of inclusion, not exclusion. We are people of oneness 314 00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:42,040 and togetherness, not of division. You know what this means? We need to stop making it about our 315 00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:49,320 preferences, whether these preferences are cultural or social or political or denominational or 316 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:58,240 doctrinal or whatever all. And we need to start making it about God's preferences. To love the 317 00:42:58,240 --> 00:43:05,760 things he loves, to pursue the things he pursues, so that we can have a real shot at making disciples 318 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:13,920 for global impact here in Bangkok. We're called to make disciples of people from all tribes, 319 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:24,040 all nations, all tongues, all social classes, all walks of life. And therefore, no man-made 320 00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:34,720 barriers are to interrupt our mission to doing so. But for us to get to that place of no more 321 00:43:34,720 --> 00:43:40,880 man-made barriers for people to enter into the kingdom, we also, that's the second takeaway, 322 00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:56,200 we have to come out of the safety of our bubbles. All of us, no one except, except. We like to hang 323 00:43:56,200 --> 00:44:01,800 out with people who are like us, who look like us, talk like us, behave like us, think like us, 324 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:09,760 have the same beliefs like us. That's just how it works. It feels homey and safe to us to stay 325 00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:15,040 in that bubble. Well, when you've lived in Bangkok for a number of years, you may have noticed that 326 00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:22,240 we are surrounded by people who are very different from you. They behave different, look different, 327 00:44:22,240 --> 00:44:26,560 smell different, eat different, have different transitions. By the way, they think the same 328 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:38,160 about you, just so you know. And therefore, staying in your bubble is not an option when you want to 329 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:45,480 pursue God's calling, when we want to have a real shot at making disciples for global impact. Peter 330 00:44:45,480 --> 00:44:52,480 had to come out of his Jewish bubble, his Jewish bias, his Jewish conditioning. What bubble do you 331 00:44:52,480 --> 00:44:58,440 need to come out of? Is it a bubble of fellow countrymen? You feel safe among the people of 332 00:44:58,440 --> 00:45:03,560 my own country. It's wonderful. There is a place for that, but that bubble needs to be open. We 333 00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:08,520 need to come out of those bubbles for people who are different from us to enter in. Maybe your 334 00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:13,800 bubble is a group of like-minded people, intellectuals who just like to philosophize. Is that a word? I 335 00:45:13,800 --> 00:45:19,960 don't know. There is a place for that, but that bubble needs to be open for people who think very 336 00:45:19,960 --> 00:45:26,400 different from you to enter in and have a real chance of encountering Jesus. Maybe you have a 337 00:45:26,400 --> 00:45:33,720 life group that is very safe, very comfortable, because it's people that are just like you. Shall 338 00:45:33,720 --> 00:45:40,800 we just open those bubbles and invite people from the outside and people who may be very different 339 00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:46,960 than you. Come out of the safety of the bubble. Come out of the comfort and the hominess of that 340 00:45:46,960 --> 00:45:52,160 bubble. You can still do that at different times, but there is a mission to be accomplished. And 341 00:45:52,160 --> 00:45:59,440 that mission can only be accomplished here and now for us in the Bangkok context if we are willing 342 00:45:59,440 --> 00:46:12,120 to get out of the safety of our bubbles. So that's the story of Peter, loved ones. As we can tell, 343 00:46:12,120 --> 00:46:20,680 love for Jesus changed his priorities and changed the way he viewed people completely. He was his 344 00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:27,800 love for God that made him love the things that God loves and pursue the things that God pursues. 345 00:46:27,800 --> 00:46:33,120 What an inspiring example for us, right? As servants devoted to God in our day, 346 00:46:33,120 --> 00:46:41,920 inspiring example to learn from. But as I wrap up this message, can I ask you this question? What 347 00:46:41,920 --> 00:46:48,880 is in the way for you to love what God loves and to pursue what God pursues? Let me ask the same 348 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:58,560 question in a slightly different way. Is love for God the leading motive of your life? Maybe you 349 00:46:58,560 --> 00:47:03,680 have been actively serving God in whatever capacity. It could be your workplace, it could 350 00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:11,320 be a ministry of sorts. Maybe it's here at ECB. You're doing great things for God. But now you've 351 00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:16,800 heard this message and you do some reflection and you say, Pastor Rene, if I'm really being honest 352 00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:25,160 with you, although I'm doing these great things for God, it feels dry and as a matter of fact, 353 00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:32,680 I'm kind of tired of doing these things. If I just express how you feel about serving God, 354 00:47:32,680 --> 00:47:43,360 could it be that your doing for God has overtaken your being with God? Before doing anything for 355 00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:50,600 God, you know what God wants? He wants you to be with Him. Before getting busy in doing the things 356 00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:59,320 of God, God wants you to be in Him, to be intimate with Him, to sit with Him. You know why? Because 357 00:47:59,320 --> 00:48:06,280 it's at that place of being with Him and being in Him where we get to know and experience His love 358 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:16,320 for us. And it's then when our love for Him kindles in our souls. But if we have not been at that place 359 00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:27,480 of seeking God's face, of being in His presence, our service to Him will be dry. It will exhaust 360 00:48:27,480 --> 00:48:40,040 you. You will get tired. So if this is you, get back to that place of being. Be a Mary, 361 00:48:40,040 --> 00:48:53,400 more than a Martha. Seek His face. Be in His presence. Allow Him to express His love for you 362 00:48:53,400 --> 00:49:00,480 in deep ways and make that the starting point of anything. And if this means that you need to pause 363 00:49:00,480 --> 00:49:08,360 your service to God for a little while, do it. There's bigger fish to fry. Make sure that your 364 00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:14,640 being with God is the basis for anything that you do. And as you will be reflecting, I hope, 365 00:49:14,640 --> 00:49:22,080 in the coming days on this question, let me also throw in this question. Are your loves rightly 366 00:49:22,080 --> 00:49:32,080 prioritized? You have more loves in your life than only God, and God knows that, and God is very fine 367 00:49:32,080 --> 00:49:38,160 with that. God wants you to love your spouse, your child, your friends. He wants you to love your job. 368 00:49:38,160 --> 00:49:47,000 He wants you to really love things and enjoy things. But when the order of your loves is flipped, 369 00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:59,600 when God is not your first love, you will end up serving and following that other love. The Bible 370 00:49:59,600 --> 00:50:08,120 calls that idolatry. Another love has taken the first love of God, and then it will impact you. 371 00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:14,200 You have no desire of loving the things God loves or pursuing the things He pursues. No, no, no. It's 372 00:50:14,200 --> 00:50:21,560 that other love that dictates the terms. If this is you, God is not angry with you. He is not upset 373 00:50:21,560 --> 00:50:29,600 with you, but He does want to get this love relationship between Him and you right, for your 374 00:50:29,600 --> 00:50:42,240 sake as well as for His sake. So come back. Confess and say, God, yeah, another love has overtaken, 375 00:50:42,240 --> 00:50:48,640 but I want to come back to you. I want love for you to be the leading motive of my life. 376 00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:53,880 Would you join me in a couple of moments of silence before I pray? 377 00:51:00,960 --> 00:51:03,680 Your love is so compelling, Jesus. 378 00:51:03,680 --> 00:51:17,400 When we gaze upon your beauty and we dwell in your house and your presence, 379 00:51:17,400 --> 00:51:33,320 what we see is true love and pure love, because you are love, Jesus. And it's your love that drives 380 00:51:33,320 --> 00:51:44,400 out fear. It's your love that restores and renews our souls. Thank you for your love, Jesus. 381 00:51:44,400 --> 00:51:59,160 But your love also kindles our love for you. As we're about to sing this song of declaring 382 00:51:59,160 --> 00:52:14,760 that you are truly our best portion, we want to pray that, Holy Spirit, you pour out the love 383 00:52:14,760 --> 00:52:31,720 of the Father on us. Some of us here today have great difficulty loving you and loving people, 384 00:52:31,720 --> 00:52:42,320 because they have not yet tasted and seen your love. Holy Spirit, I ask you, pour out the love 385 00:52:42,320 --> 00:52:51,960 of the Father, the good, good, good Father, on those who have dried up and have yet to taste 386 00:52:51,960 --> 00:53:10,240 of your love. Others in the room, Lord, they have tasted and seen your love. There is a dueling 387 00:53:10,240 --> 00:53:16,320 love. There is an idol. There is something or someone else that has overtaken that love. Lord, 388 00:53:16,320 --> 00:53:28,320 speak, reveal, make my brother or sister aware of that thing, of that someone, Lord, that has 389 00:53:28,320 --> 00:53:38,560 overtaken priority love for you. You're not angry. You're not upset. But you're calling your son, 390 00:53:38,560 --> 00:53:48,000 your daughter back to you. Holy Spirit, would you do your beautiful work? Continue to minister to 391 00:53:48,000 --> 00:53:57,200 us. Lord, you are so beautiful. We need more of you. We desire more of you. So Jesus, come 392 00:53:57,200 --> 00:54:11,880 and encounter your people. In your name we pray. Amen. Thank you for tuning into the ECB Sermon 393 00:54:11,880 --> 00:54:19,680 Podcast. Whether near or far, if you are looking for community or are in need of prayer, we welcome 394 00:54:19,680 --> 00:54:28,200 you to engage by sending us an email to office at ecb.asia. If God is calling you to support our 395 00:54:28,200 --> 00:54:35,560 ministries, you will find giving options on our website. And remember to join us next week. God 396 00:54:35,560 --> 00:54:51,560 bless you.