WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:09.000 Welcome Just hand Away Tagalog Sermon podcast, your daily dose 2 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:13.439 of inspiring from heartfelt tagalog sermons from different characters. 3 00:00:12.839 --> 00:00:15.480 And speakers all over the Philippines. We hope that this 4 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:16.800 podcast finds. 5 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:23.879 You in good shame and now here's your message. You're 6 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:27.839 listening to a podcast from Victory. God's mission from the 7 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:30.760 beginning has been to go into all the world, but 8 00:00:30.920 --> 00:00:34.640 man's tendency is to settle. Learn more about this truth 9 00:00:34.759 --> 00:00:37.399 in week one of our series All Access. 10 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:45.000 Right now, we're going to take a serious break every year. 11 00:00:45.079 --> 00:00:48.719 We normally take two Sundays in order for us to 12 00:00:48.759 --> 00:00:52.039 be able to talk about something that is very important 13 00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:55.479 to us as a church and as a whole movement, 14 00:00:55.560 --> 00:00:59.520 which is World Missions. And I like the title all 15 00:00:59.560 --> 00:01:03.280 Access because it's a faith declaration. It's us saying that 16 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:06.120 there is no nation that we cannot reach by the 17 00:01:06.120 --> 00:01:07.400 Gospel of Jesus Christ. 18 00:01:08.359 --> 00:01:10.159 And one of the verses in. 19 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:14.879 The Bible that I really like, which became a scripture 20 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:18.840 that I really hold on to, especially when I'm facing 21 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:22.680 a difficult situation, is John chapter six, verse six. And 22 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:26.640 the setting was when Jesus preached to five thousand people 23 00:01:26.760 --> 00:01:30.159 and it was getting dark and they need to send 24 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:33.359 people away because there's no food for them and it's 25 00:01:33.400 --> 00:01:36.640 getting dark. And Jesus told these disciples to give them food, 26 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:39.159 and they said, there's no way we can do that. 27 00:01:39.239 --> 00:01:44.120 There's no seven eleven here, there's no catering service. Five 28 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:48.239 thousand people. You're talking about five thousand people. And John six, 29 00:01:48.359 --> 00:01:50.760 verse six said that he only asked them to test 30 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:54.560 Philip because you already have in mind what he's going 31 00:01:54.599 --> 00:01:54.879 to do. 32 00:01:55.480 --> 00:01:56.719 He already had a solution. 33 00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:00.599 So it's not that God was caught by price and 34 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:04.040 doesn't know what to do, but it's just putting these 35 00:02:04.040 --> 00:02:07.480 disciples in a situation where they can learn how to 36 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:11.879 live by faith, not by sight. And so all access 37 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:16.080 were saying, there's no nation, no city, no campus that 38 00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:18.960 we cannot reach by the Gospel of Christ. And this 39 00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:23.159 is still very much in line with our series Redefined 40 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:26.520 jesus Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus taught his disciples 41 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:30.879 what kingdom living is all about, and he thought about 42 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:35.319 kingdom values, and that's what this series is about. Also, 43 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:38.840 you know, there's this funny story that my friend told 44 00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:41.159 me at the time when he was getting a lot 45 00:02:41.240 --> 00:02:45.879 of promotions in his company so as a way to celebrate, 46 00:02:45.960 --> 00:02:51.280 he asked some of his relatives to join him in Softel, 47 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:55.800 Okay to have a dinner buffet. So in few relatives, 48 00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:58.840 some of them it was their first time to really 49 00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:00.759 be in a setting like that, so it was really 50 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:04.759 awkward in a hotel buffet. They're not used to that 51 00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:09.360 kind of setting. So when when they were there already, 52 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:15.560 he said, go enjoy. So was one by one they 53 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:20.560 came back and then uh, when one of her, one 54 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:25.680 of his relatives came back. Actually in Titan is a plate, 55 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:32.319 No Titan, I have a picture Loreate Choking Laureate, Savina 56 00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:41.719 Tita Sabind. So although it was a five star hotel 57 00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:45.919 international buffet, there's a lot of options. 58 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:46.280 To choose from. 59 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:51.120 She went back to what she's used to, what she's 60 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:52.960 familiar with, Sabi. 61 00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:54.919 Jian. 62 00:03:55.800 --> 00:03:58.319 So she just went back and my friend was telling 63 00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:01.800 me this, and Sabia sang been a go. I paid 64 00:04:01.800 --> 00:04:04.639 thousands of US. If I only knew, then we just 65 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:07.879 went to Chow King instead. 66 00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:09.240 If I only knew. 67 00:04:09.800 --> 00:04:12.000 Now, that's a funny story. But if you think about 68 00:04:12.039 --> 00:04:16.360 it as Christians, that's also our proclivity, that's our tendency 69 00:04:17.720 --> 00:04:20.120 in order for us to go back to our old 70 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:24.160 ways and sometimes go back to our old pattern of thinking. 71 00:04:25.319 --> 00:04:28.040 Even though we're already part of the Kingdom of God 72 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:31.519 under the rule of Christ and the Bible is now 73 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:34.199 the standard of how we live and what we believe, 74 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:37.639 there is still this pool, and there's tendency for us 75 00:04:37.959 --> 00:04:41.800 to go back to the old pattern of thinking and 76 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:46.560 way of life that we became accustomed to prior to 77 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:47.800 encountering Christ. 78 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:48.600 Soda. 79 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:53.759 I'm not sure if that will work, but this one, 80 00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:57.360 I've tried it for so long, and so that's why 81 00:04:57.399 --> 00:05:01.240 there's a need for us to constantly for our mind 82 00:05:01.319 --> 00:05:04.399 to be renewed by the word of God and for 83 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:08.399 God to transform us from the inside out. The Bible says, 84 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:12.279 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and 85 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:15.879 you will know and test the good, pleasing and perfect 86 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:19.399 will of God. So the Bible says, do not conform 87 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:21.439 any longer to the pattern of this world. 88 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:23.399 Whether you're aware of. 89 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:26.040 It or not, you're using a pattern when it comes 90 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:28.519 to your marriage, when it comes to your life, when 91 00:05:28.519 --> 00:05:31.720 it comes to your finances, when it comes to your identity. 92 00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:35.680 There is a pattern that you're using that serve us 93 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:36.959 the peg. 94 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:39.480 Picture Cole. 95 00:05:39.560 --> 00:05:43.439 But God said, stop using the pattern of this world. 96 00:05:44.360 --> 00:05:46.720 If you want to walk in the destiny that God 97 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:50.600 is for you. If we want to experience God, God 98 00:05:50.680 --> 00:05:53.759 pleasing and perfect will, we have to embrace the pattern 99 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:57.199 of His word. And we need to align our hearts 100 00:05:57.279 --> 00:06:01.680 and our lives to His word every single day. And 101 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:04.040 one of the things that need to change in our 102 00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:09.360 mindset is this idea that we are not just local Christians, 103 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:13.160 we are global Christians. That you are not just a believer, 104 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:16.480 you are called to be a world changer. That's why 105 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:19.800 in the early days nineteen eighty four, one of the 106 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:24.199 sayings that we have in order to reinforce this value 107 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:29.439 is the saying of a Bible and a passport. Okay, 108 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:33.079 and our leaders would tell us and one of our. 109 00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:35.839 Leaders originals Sabinian year. 110 00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:40.240 But during the early years, and you belt when we 111 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:46.480 only have hundreds of students, no money, provincial students, no 112 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:50.759 excellent facility, or just a new church of one hundred 113 00:06:50.759 --> 00:06:56.600 and fifty students. Yet in spite of that, at that 114 00:06:56.639 --> 00:07:01.079 time they would tell the new believers students, if you 115 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.759 are serious about following Christ, you need two things. You 116 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:07.959 need a passport, and a Bible. You need the Bible 117 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:10.600 to know God, and you need the passport to obey God. 118 00:07:11.720 --> 00:07:15.639 Because you are not just called to be a local Christian. 119 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:18.959 You are called to be a global Christian. When I 120 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:23.399 became part of Victory, when I was in college, I 121 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:26.959 think I was seventeen or eighteen years old, almost twenty 122 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:31.000 years ago, I was told the same way. I've never 123 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:34.319 been out of the country. I was a provincial student, 124 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:38.879 and our leaders would tell us, you get a Bible 125 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:43.720 and a passport because you are going to nations, you're 126 00:07:43.720 --> 00:07:44.959 going to preach the gospel. 127 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:50.160 So come in a man ahme and we come on, 128 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:50.680 let's go. 129 00:07:54.360 --> 00:07:59.759 Okayamasa clueless command and we just received it by faith, 130 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:01.480 not really fully. 131 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:03.439 Understanding how it's going to happen. 132 00:08:04.439 --> 00:08:08.600 But that just because we have no idea of how 133 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:11.560 it's going to happen now, it doesn't mean it can't 134 00:08:11.560 --> 00:08:15.439 happen to us. Okay, If that's God's word, we have 135 00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:18.240 to receive it, we have to declare it, we have 136 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:20.240 to believe it until we see it happen. 137 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:23.000 And so that's what we're going to talk about today. 138 00:08:24.279 --> 00:08:27.079 If you have your Bible with you are going to 139 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:32.600 read the story and Genesis eleven beginning verse one to nine. Okay, 140 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:37.200 early days they said, we need a Bible in a passport. 141 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:39.320 And I'm sure many of us, if not all of us, 142 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:43.200 we already have one of the two requirements. We already 143 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:51.320 have the passport Bible. We're trying to work work on 144 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:54.120 that that we will not just hold our Bible, but 145 00:08:54.200 --> 00:08:59.559 the Bible will get into our heart. So Genesi is eleven. 146 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:03.440 We're going to start in verse one. It says, now 147 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:07.360 the whole earth had one language and the same words. 148 00:09:08.519 --> 00:09:11.879 And as people migrated from the east, they found a 149 00:09:11.960 --> 00:09:15.759 plain in the land of Sheennar and settled there. And 150 00:09:15.799 --> 00:09:18.679 they said to one another, come, let us make bricks 151 00:09:18.759 --> 00:09:22.240 and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, 152 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:26.679 and bite themIn for mortar. Then they said, come, let 153 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:30.240 us build ourselves a city and a tower with its 154 00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:32.840 stop in the heavens, and let us make a name 155 00:09:32.919 --> 00:09:37.279 for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of 156 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:40.440 the whole earth. And the Lord came down to see 157 00:09:40.480 --> 00:09:42.919 the city and the tower which the children of man 158 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:47.639 had built. And the Lord said, behold, they are one people, 159 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:51.279 and they have all one language, and this is only 160 00:09:51.320 --> 00:09:54.720 the beginning of what they will do, and nothing that 161 00:09:54.759 --> 00:09:58.720 they proposed to do will now be impossible for them. 162 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:00.639 Come let us go down. 163 00:10:00.679 --> 00:10:04.639 And they're confused their language so that they may not 164 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:09.399 understand one another's speech. So the Lord dispersed them from 165 00:10:09.399 --> 00:10:12.080 there over the face of all the earth, and they 166 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:16.679 left up building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, 167 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:19.759 because they're the lord confused the language of all the earth. 168 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:23.960 And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face 169 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:27.360 of the earth. This is a famous story in the Bible, 170 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:31.039 in Genesis eleven. And they said, during that time, there's 171 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:36.799 only one language, and people are using the same word. Now, 172 00:10:36.840 --> 00:10:41.639 it's just I just really enjoyed imagining how that looked 173 00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:46.039 like during their time. Can you imagine you have Chinese, Germans, 174 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:48.799 you have Indians, you have all kinds of people, but 175 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:53.360 they are speaking the same language and speaking the same word. 176 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:58.679 No need for trans translators and no need for sign language. 177 00:10:59.320 --> 00:11:03.519 You can just and verse with anyone you like. I 178 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:08.039 remember this story, funny story. The mom of one of 179 00:11:08.039 --> 00:11:12.759 our pastors at that time was working in the United Nations, 180 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:16.159 so she's the one who told the story Sabina one 181 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:18.879 time as an elevator sla. So you can just imagine 182 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:22.879 all kinds of people working in that building. And when 183 00:11:22.919 --> 00:11:30.279 they were writing the elevator, may Pino can see you again, 184 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:36.480 taps and the mom known pastor not Caucasian, came on 185 00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:53.799 the closure elevator and say, so they were doing that 186 00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:56.919 the whole time until at a certain floor, and then 187 00:11:57.039 --> 00:12:03.159 open your elevator. Then somebody came in also PINOI you 188 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:16.960 never recognized new Caucasian looking Abare Camusta, ca, Bang nationality, 189 00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:23.279 Bang languagees Pilano. Now in Genesis eleven, verse one, at 190 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:26.320 that time the whole earth had one language and same words. 191 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:29.919 And as people migrated from the east, they found a 192 00:12:29.960 --> 00:12:33.600 plane in the land of Shinar, and they settled. Now, 193 00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:38.240 settling down was really is really a positive thing. Sometimes 194 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:42.320 it can mean a person who's planning to get married 195 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:48.080 para settled down or planning to buy a house, or 196 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:53.159 maybe it means somebody who finally found stability in this 197 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:57.919 place of work or where they are living. So it's 198 00:12:57.960 --> 00:13:02.279 not a negative thing. But the word used here meant 199 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:07.240 to stay, to dwell, and to remain. So when the 200 00:13:07.240 --> 00:13:11.000 Bible said that when they saw that the plane of Shinar, 201 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:14.600 they saw it was a good land. They imagined all 202 00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:21.240 kinds of possibilities and opportunities. They said among themselves, sabinila wegnataiomalistito, 203 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:26.840 let's settle here. Now that was a negative word because 204 00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:31.200 the original mandate of God for them was not to settle, 205 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:35.840 but to scatter. So they're saying, let's not continue on 206 00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:41.360 with the mandate of God. Instead, let's just focus here. 207 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:46.440 Let's just build our houses, our businesses, and let's. 208 00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:48.000 Just take care of ourselves. 209 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:52.240 So it was contradicting God's will right from the beginning. 210 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:55.440 In Genesis chapter one, verse twenty eight, we can see 211 00:13:55.480 --> 00:13:58.879 it says, and God blessed them talking about Adam and Eve, 212 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:04.360 and he said, be fruitful and multiply and feel the earth. 213 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:09.200 Genesis nine, verse one, Noah and his descendants, he said, 214 00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:11.440 And God bless Noah and his sons and said to them, 215 00:14:11.480 --> 00:14:16.639 be fruitful and multiply and feel the earth. When God 216 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:19.879 created Adam and Eve, God created them with the mission, 217 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:25.000 and everything that God gave them, the resources, the intelligence, 218 00:14:25.120 --> 00:14:29.840 the talent, the gifting, the ability, all of it that 219 00:14:29.879 --> 00:14:32.559 God has given to them was supposed to be used 220 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:37.360 to accomplish this mission of filling the earth with God's glory, 221 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:39.360 you know, in the same way with us. Maybe your 222 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:45.039 good in science and math, maybe you're an entrepreneur, a businessman, 223 00:14:45.399 --> 00:14:49.639 whatever talent, whatever resources God is given to you. The 224 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:53.320 purpose of that is for God to be honored and 225 00:14:53.399 --> 00:14:55.799 for us to be a blessing to the ends of 226 00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:59.000 the earth. We're supposed to use that to point people 227 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:02.200 to Christ, not to us. And so that was the 228 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:09.320 original mandate, even during the time of Jesus. Fast forward 229 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:14.440 when Jesus came. The mandate never change. It's still the 230 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:19.039 same before Jesus went back to heaven. Here's jesus last 231 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:23.320 word to his disciples in Matthew chapter twenty eight, verse nineteen. 232 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:29.480 He said, go therefore, everyone say go, go therefore and 233 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:33.440 make disciples of all nations. It's never to stay or settle. 234 00:15:34.440 --> 00:15:37.360 Jesus never said settle down where you are. 235 00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:38.279 No, he said. 236 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:42.840 Go, go and make disciples. And that's not only God's word, 237 00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:45.000 Jesus word to his disciples. 238 00:15:45.559 --> 00:15:48.000 It's still the same word for you and me today. 239 00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:50.480 Go don't settle. 240 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:53.039 You know, somebody said that there are three kinds of 241 00:15:53.080 --> 00:15:59.320 people in church, the quitters, the campers, and the climbers, quitters, 242 00:15:59.320 --> 00:16:02.799 people don't stick with with. 243 00:16:01.879 --> 00:16:04.279 With their walk with God weeks. 244 00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:07.559 Lang Man's Lanta was they started out on fire, but 245 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:13.159 then along the way when they encountered inconvenience, offense and challenges, 246 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:14.679 they immediately quit. 247 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:19.720 Then the campers they settled, Sunday Church. 248 00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:28.480 Beginning, Adamites campers they settled. But there's another group of people, 249 00:16:28.519 --> 00:16:33.360 the climbers, and that speaks of people who are pressing 250 00:16:33.399 --> 00:16:37.639 on people who refuse to settle. Yes we are blessed, 251 00:16:37.960 --> 00:16:40.600 Yes we are. God has been good to us, but 252 00:16:40.840 --> 00:16:44.000 we know that it's not just for us to. 253 00:16:43.960 --> 00:16:46.639 Be blessed, it's for us to be a blessing. You know. 254 00:16:46.679 --> 00:16:48.919 I'm so blessed. I just don't have a picture here. 255 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:51.679 One of our leaders in the seven o'clock service, who 256 00:16:51.720 --> 00:16:55.519 are in their sixties, and when I was having coffee 257 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:58.120 with them, I think two three weeks ago, I'm just 258 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:04.759 blown away how God is using them running multiple victory groups. 259 00:17:05.480 --> 00:17:08.400 I mean, and in one of the companies that they 260 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:11.640 are ministering to, at least fifty people already went through 261 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:15.279 victory weekend. I'm just amazed, And I said, I want 262 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:17.920 to be like that. When I reached that age. I 263 00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:20.400 don't want to settle. I want to keep pressing on. 264 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:24.240 I want to keep going. I don't want just to 265 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:27.480 talk about what God did in me and through me 266 00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:30.559 ten twenty years ago. I want to have fresh stories. 267 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:34.200 I want to have fresh testimonies of God. Question is 268 00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:38.319 are you a camper or are you a climber? Are 269 00:17:38.359 --> 00:17:39.200 you still going? 270 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:41.599 Are you still pressing on? 271 00:17:42.440 --> 00:17:45.559 Genesis eleven, verse three, And they said to one another, come, 272 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:50.119 let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly, and then 273 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:52.839 let us build ourselves a city and a tower with 274 00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:55.599 its stopped in the heavens. Let us make a name 275 00:17:55.720 --> 00:18:00.759 for ourselves. Three times the word let us was mentioned. 276 00:18:01.319 --> 00:18:04.039 And in the Bible, if a word is repeated twice, 277 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:08.599 especially three times, God was sending a message. 278 00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:11.079 There is a point that he wanted to make. 279 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:16.200 So this was a huge undertaking, a big project. They 280 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:19.079 are trying to build a tower that will reach the 281 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:23.200 heaven Today, the tallest building in the world is in. 282 00:18:23.160 --> 00:18:25.960 Dubai, Okay Borge Khalifa. 283 00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:32.480 According to our very credible source Google, it costs one 284 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:37.880 point five billion US dollars or approximately seventy six billion 285 00:18:37.960 --> 00:18:42.880 pesos to construct this building and it took twenty two 286 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:47.519 million man hours or six years in order to finish 287 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:52.160 this project. And that's with all the advanced technology and 288 00:18:52.200 --> 00:18:55.160 equipment that we have today. And that's not even reaching 289 00:18:55.200 --> 00:19:01.279 the heavens. It's just two seven hundred plus five two 290 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:04.880 hundred and twenty one floors. But it took them six 291 00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:08.720 years in order to finish this project. Can you imagine 292 00:19:09.359 --> 00:19:15.079 how difficult this project was, trying to erect a building 293 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:19.039 that will reach the heaven without the advanced technology and equipment, 294 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:26.079 manual labor. What's amazing is what God said about this 295 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:30.799 building project. Three times he said it said, let us 296 00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:33.519 we're going to make bricks. 297 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:37.759 There's no enough stone. We're going to make bricks. We're 298 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:38.359 going to do it. 299 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:41.319 Yet, God said, even though they have the wrong motive, 300 00:19:42.359 --> 00:19:47.559 but because they are united, one people, one language, nothing 301 00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:49.240 that they proposed to do will be. 302 00:19:49.160 --> 00:19:50.200 Impossible for them. 303 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:54.920 This was a negative example, but God used this to 304 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:58.079 give us a powerful lesson on the power of unity. 305 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:04.440 This is God's way of saying that there's endless possibilities 306 00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:09.440 for people who are in unity. Endless possibilities are available 307 00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:12.759 for people who are in unity. That's why it's important 308 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:16.480 that we fight for unity. No wonder in the New Testament, 309 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:19.960 Jesus prayed for unity. He said, Lord, I pray this 310 00:20:20.119 --> 00:20:22.799 not only for the disciples you gave me today, but 311 00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:26.200 for the disciples, the people who will believe you in 312 00:20:26.200 --> 00:20:29.359 the future. That's talking about us. And he said, Lord, 313 00:20:29.400 --> 00:20:32.039 I pray that you will make them one, just as 314 00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:35.440 we are one. Jesus prayed that we will have unity. 315 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:40.720 Apostle Paul in Ephicients chapter three, I believe he said, 316 00:20:41.079 --> 00:20:47.680 make every effort to protect that unity and the bond 317 00:20:47.680 --> 00:20:50.400 of peace among the believers. How many of you know 318 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:54.240 it takes a lot of effort to stay united. And 319 00:20:54.279 --> 00:20:58.920 that's true for married people. That's true for teams, that's 320 00:20:58.920 --> 00:21:03.640 true for churches, that's true for companies. It requires so 321 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:07.480 much effort for people to be together and have one 322 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:12.400 mind and one heart and one spirit. And Paul said, 323 00:21:12.440 --> 00:21:16.319 make every effort, and by the grace of God, you know, 324 00:21:16.440 --> 00:21:18.920 and we say this with all humility, by the grace 325 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:22.440 of God, the past thirty three years, in spite of 326 00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:28.119 us having lots of strong, highly opinionated leaders, we never 327 00:21:28.200 --> 00:21:30.079 had a single church split. 328 00:21:31.119 --> 00:21:33.160 By the grace of God, we stayed united. 329 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:37.799 You know why, because our leaders made a commitment that 330 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:39.920 we will fight for this relationship. 331 00:21:40.920 --> 00:21:44.799 We will fight for unity, and God just show us 332 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:45.799 the power of unity. 333 00:21:45.799 --> 00:21:48.480 That's why it's important as married people that we fight 334 00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:52.359 for the unity of that marriage. The Bible says a 335 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:56.759 house or kingdom divided against itself will not stand. But 336 00:21:56.839 --> 00:22:01.480 if you are united, there's end less possibility for you. 337 00:22:02.839 --> 00:22:06.440 Whatever God called you to do, if you are together. 338 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:11.279 Everything is possible. So we fight for that. Unity is important. 339 00:22:11.319 --> 00:22:14.640 And just for world missions, I'm not sure friends, if 340 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:20.319 we have a picture, it's amazing. We set out and 341 00:22:20.359 --> 00:22:23.960 we show this every time we have missions caravan. But 342 00:22:24.039 --> 00:22:27.799 these are the nations that we prayed for in the 343 00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:31.960 past and that we are praying for. 344 00:22:30.839 --> 00:22:32.400 For until twenty twenty. 345 00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:37.599 In Southeast Asia, po we planted the church already in 346 00:22:37.720 --> 00:22:38.920 every single nation. 347 00:22:39.960 --> 00:22:40.359 Amazing. 348 00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:44.920 Let's give a lot a big hand for that. Nineteen 349 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:47.920 eighty four, one hundred and fifty students. They're just praying 350 00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:50.880 for the nations, not knowing where the funds will be 351 00:22:50.920 --> 00:22:53.079 coming or how it's going to happen. 352 00:22:53.640 --> 00:22:55.039 We only have one church and. 353 00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:59.759 New built thirty three years after we planted churches and 354 00:23:00.119 --> 00:23:04.599 every nation in Southeast Asia we're moving in other nations. 355 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:09.400 Jesus said, go and make disciples of all nations twenty thirteen, 356 00:23:09.920 --> 00:23:13.839 twenty fourteen, twenty fifteen up to twenty eighteen. All of 357 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:17.680 these nations we've already sent missionaries, and we already have 358 00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:20.000 ongoing church planting effort. 359 00:23:20.519 --> 00:23:24.240 Amazing. It's possible by the grace of God. 360 00:23:25.240 --> 00:23:28.279 But it's amazing what God can accomplish when people come 361 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:32.160 together in unity. That's why you on phrase Paul Young 362 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:34.480 saying nothing. We are better together. It's not just a 363 00:23:34.519 --> 00:23:38.960 cute hashtag for us. It's a ministry philosophy based on 364 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:40.880 our understanding of the Word of God. 365 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:42.519 We are better together. 366 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:48.240 It's worth fighting for our relationship. We don't fight against 367 00:23:48.279 --> 00:23:52.839 each other. We fight for each other. We overlook offenses. 368 00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:55.720 We're saying, I'm committed to you. 369 00:23:56.920 --> 00:23:57.119 Now. 370 00:23:57.200 --> 00:24:02.599 What made this wrong because God confuse their language. They 371 00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:07.440 joined together, they set out to settle, create the city 372 00:24:07.480 --> 00:24:11.119 and this stower. What made it wrong was that they 373 00:24:11.160 --> 00:24:16.359 started doing something for themselves rather than for God. Twice 374 00:24:16.519 --> 00:24:20.799 the word ourselves was mentioned there. They said, let's let 375 00:24:20.880 --> 00:24:27.039 us make for ourselves. The focus shift from God to them. 376 00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:30.440 We're going to have all kinds of problem. The moment 377 00:24:30.599 --> 00:24:34.920 life becomes about us, not about God. When it's about 378 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:38.319 my privileges, when it becomes my rights, when it becomes 379 00:24:38.359 --> 00:24:41.599 my comfort, when it becomes my ambition, when it becomes 380 00:24:41.640 --> 00:24:47.720 my goal, we will find all kinds of trouble when 381 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:52.039 it becomes about us rather than about God. Instead of 382 00:24:52.039 --> 00:24:54.799 building the kingdom of God, they said, let us build 383 00:24:54.799 --> 00:25:00.559 our own kingdom. Rather than making God famous, they said, 384 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:07.720 let's make our name famous. And rather than going to 385 00:25:07.960 --> 00:25:11.720 different parts of the world to scatter, they said, no, 386 00:25:11.960 --> 00:25:13.240 that's not a good idea. 387 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:14.480 Instead, let's gather. 388 00:25:16.440 --> 00:25:21.640 So this tower was what was really the symbol of 389 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:26.640 the rebellion against God. You know, our sinful tendency is 390 00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:30.039 to always deviate from the will of God, to do 391 00:25:30.119 --> 00:25:30.720 our own thing. 392 00:25:31.799 --> 00:25:33.400 That's our sinful nature. 393 00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:37.880 Ala nat you will the Lord perro trika Bajan Lloyd 394 00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:45.680 tam Aablloyd Alam Ala young bess. And you know the 395 00:25:45.799 --> 00:25:49.039 struggle for us is to choose our own will rather 396 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:52.640 than choosing God's will, and our sinful tendency is to 397 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:55.359 always step out of. 398 00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:56.039 The will of God. 399 00:25:56.200 --> 00:26:00.519 But here's what's amazing. In Genesis chapter twelve, they failed. 400 00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:03.200 But you know, the good thing about God is he 401 00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:06.279