- Sunday Service 9/21/2025

The End of the Day The End of the Day The End of the Day The End of the Day The End of the Day The End of the Day Good morning, church family. Happy Lord's Day. We will now begin our service. The End of the Day The End of the Day The End of the Day The End of the Day The End of the Day The End of the Day Good morning, everyone.

First of all, I want to welcome our returning students and our first-time visiting students. If you're here for the first time, I just want to extend the warm welcome to you. I'm Pastor Sung. I oversee the college ministry here at Burian Community Church. and I have a few announcements.

We have a very packed event this coming week. So starting Tuesday, September 23rd, we're going to have our boba night, and then following that, we have pizza and ice cream night on Thursday, and then followed by making wise decisions seminar, and then Saturday, we have our barbecue. This is a good time for you to come and join us, meet our students, our staff members.

We're going to have some testimonies that are shared by our collegians. We're going to have some activities. Also, we have a welcome lunch that is scheduled for October 5th. That's scheduled at 1 p.m. So if you have questions about our college ministry, you have questions about our church beliefs and our vision, that's a good time to come to meet with our staff, our college student leaders, and then myself.

So I want to invite you to come, join us for that. We have a red canopy outside in the courtyard, so following service, if you have any questions about that or if you want to sign up for that lunch, please come and visit us there. I want to, you know, meet with you.

So please come out to the courtyard if you have any questions about the college ministry. Thank you. Again, just a reminder, the college canopy is the red one. As you go outside, you'll see a red canopy. So please visit that after service if you're a college student or if you brought a college student to church.

Next Sunday, we have a new newcomer welcome lunch. So this is for people who are visiting the church and you want to find out more about the church or meet some of the leaders and find out about the history and what we believe. And so that lunch is for you.

There is a separate one for the college students. That's coming up, I think, a week after that, right? But if you are interested in coming to that, please sign up at our welcome table and let them know that you'll be able to come so that they can prepare lunch for you.

And then our next membership class, that's starting in October 5th. Okay, that's starting at 9:30 at the Youth Chapel. So this is an eight-week course if you want to be a member of the church. And again, we go over the church doctrines, our ministry philosophy, why do we preach a certain way, what doctrines that we hold on to, what does it mean to be a member of the church.

All of that stuff is covered in this membership class. And it happens during this service at 9:30. So meaning you'd have to come to either first or third service to attend this. So that's starting on October 5th. So you can sign up for that as well. And then lastly, for the members, October 12th at 2:00 p.m., we have our members' members' meeting.

And so again, if you can't come, please let us know ahead of time. It's going to be happening at 2:00 p.m. There will be a fundraiser lunch from our Taiwan mission team. So just keep that in mind as well. And there will be a service fair that's happening. In other words, all the different service teams that are functioning in the church, they'll be set up so you can go and visit.

Some of it is for information, some of it is to recruit. And so if you're a member of the church, please plan to stick around a little bit after our members' meeting. And so you'll get to know what's going on at church, okay? I think that's it for now.

So after our main pray set, our brother Josiah is going to come up, give his testimony, and he'll be baptized this morning. So let me pray for the offering. And again, if you did have a physical offering, we have an offering box in the back that you can visit on your way out after service.

All right, let's pray. Father, we come before you desiring to worship you, to focus our full attention, Lord God, on who you are and what you've given. We pray that you would lift us up, that we may see Christ and know where our help ultimately comes from. Help us, Lord God, that whatever it is that we have been entangled with, that our time of corporate worship would help us, Lord, to recalibrate who we are, what we think, and what we do.

I pray that you would bless this morning and bless the offering that we give. And may it be used wisely for the purpose of your kingdom and may it be multiplied through your blessing. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Let us all rise and let's spend a few moments to greet the neighbors around us before we continue.

Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Lord. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. is your name. Holy, holy, not beside you, greatly to be praised. Thank you. I saw every truth to the Lord's hand.

Now your tears bow down again. God gave His Son to win. His angel, He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside.

He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside.

He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. He ran inside. A parchment paper for every song on earth, the world, and every day, a scribe of a dream. A parchment paper for every song on earth, the earth, and every day, a scribe of a poem, and every day, a scribe of a dream.

A parchment paper for every song on earth, the earth, and every day, a scribe of a poem, and every day, a scribe of a dream. A parchment paper for every song on earth, the earth, and every day, a scribe of a poem, and every day, a scribe of a poem.

A parchment paper for every song on earth, the earth, and every day, a scribe of a poem, and every day, a scribe of a poem. A parchment paper for every song on earth, the earth, and every day, a scribe of a poem, and every day, a scribe of a poem.

growing up in a Christian household and truly being saved by Christ. For years I believed in the existence of Christ. I believed in the events of the Bible that they were true, that they happened. But deep down I didn't really know Christ. I didn't really know his will, his law, or my path in life.

My parents faithfully put me in Sunday school, in VBS, in Awana. They put me in so many events and in so many programs for me to learn about the Word of God. And for that I'm truly thankful. I could recall the events in the Bible and the lives of prominent figures like King David, but my understanding of God's character was limited despite all that.

God wasn't personal to me, but most of all I struggled to understand Christ's sacrifice. I couldn't understand why an all-powerful God couldn't just say, "You're forgiven." I was taught about how significant the cross was, but it seemed so unnecessary to me. over time, through Scripture and through godly people, God opened my eyes.

God demands absolute holiness and righteousness to be in His presence, which I did not have. It was impossible for me to have. No matter how good I thought I was, how much I thought I was better than others, it was impossible. And God has been patient with me, and He's been walking with me through every step of the way.

And suddenly, the cross wasn't unnecessary. It was my only hope. And not just the cross, but the imputing of righteousness upon me so that one day I can face God on the day of judgment despite my sin, despite my pride, despite how far I've fallen standing before Him. And just how amazing is that for the Lord to let His beloved Son, the one person who deserved it the least, to be inflicted with wrath on His place, in my place.

How can I not be in awe of God's grace and mercy? But it was the past year, when I was away from home for the first time, that God became real to me. The pride I had in my own abilities quickly crumbled as I chased worldly approvals over God's.

And my friendships and my education paid the price. I gave up on people too easily. But at the same time, I put all my hope into people to satisfy me. Which created unrealistic standards. I was a hypocrite. I was hurt by others. But I also hurt others by pushing them away.

I took the easy way out of school work. My priorities were all over the place. It even got to the point where my own choices almost ended my time here at UCI and at Berean. I had failed. And I was terrified. But in that place of weakness, God showed me His strength and grace.

Second Corinthians 12:9 says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." My sin is great, but God's mercy is greater. From family, to double ACF, to Berean, God kept bringing me back to Him.

My insecurities cannot prevail against the love shown by these God-fearing people. For it wasn't just their love, but it was God's love. Their priority was God rather than themselves. And I wanted what these people had: security and love. Even after today, I will sin and betray God countless times.

But despite my inconsistency, I am assured in God's eternal and unchanging character. I'm thankful for my parents and for the church that has supported me. And I'm grateful for my cousins for being here today. This morning, 4 a.m., my grandfather passed away. So I want to give a special thanks to my cousins, to my father, for being here today.

My grandfather was a faithful man. And I'm grateful to the Lord for being able to spend the last few weeks with him during his final days. And as my father mentioned, there are similarities between the passing of this life into God's kingdom and my baptism today. Freedom from the flesh and to be filled with God's Spirit and to be in his presence.

As it is said in 1 Samuel 3:18, "He is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him." Even when judgment was cast upon the priest Eli, he still trusted in God's sovereignty. Whenever I do things by my own will, I fail. But by relying on God's will, his glory shines.

And it is in Christ's name that I proclaim my faith today. Thank you. So, if you understand when you go into the water, you're being united for Christ's death. When you come out, you're being united to his resurrected life. I do. And I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Okay. And I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All right, thank you, Josiah, for your awesome testimony. If you can turn your Bibles with me to Luke chapter 12.

We're going to be reading from verse 35 to verse 40. And for those of you who are either coming back or new, visiting to the church, this is in the context of the whole chapter, actually starting from chapter 11. And it's in the context of Jesus preparing his disciples for the ministry that's coming.

And so, we're going to be reading verse 35 down to verse 40. Reading out of the NASB. Be dressed in readiness and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding, wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks.

Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes. Surely I say to you that he will gird himself to serve and have them recline at the table and will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch or even the third and finds them, so blessed are those slaves.

But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You too be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.

Let's pray. Lord, I pray that you would anoint your word, that you would protect this pulpit, that you would soften the hearts and open the ears, Lord God, that your word would go forth and will not return until it has accomplished what you have ordained. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. Whenever we study the Bible, you have to understand the context. Especially if we're preaching through the Bible, we jump into the middle of the text and we try to glean meaning from it outside of the larger context, then what's going to end up happening is you're going to take words out of context.

It's just like if I said something and you took a small piece of what I was saying and then said, "Oh, Pastor Peter said this," and you can get me to sound like anything if that's the way that you listen. And just like any other normal conversation or normal letter, you have to read it in the larger context.

So the text that we're looking at, Jesus is about four to five months away from going to the cross. His whole ministry was to prepare the disciples. He said, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." So now as He is turning His attention from the crowd to the disciples, preparing them for Him going to the cross, He knows that difficult time is going to be coming, not only to Him, but to His disciples.

So He's preparing them. So everything He's saying in this text is in the context of struggle and persecution and even death that's coming to the disciples. Now obviously this is relevant to all of us because what He called the disciples to do, He also called the rest of the church to do.

Whatever generation that we live in, we take the baton of what was given to us in the previous generation, but the mission has never changed. So if our paradigm of how we listen to the Bible, how we understand everything that we're doing, outside of the context of His Great Commission, you're going to hear things through a lens that's not going to make sense or we're not going to be on the same page.

Because everything in the Bible is understood in the context of a holy God pursuing sinners. And the purpose of the church, why do we study the Bible? Why do we do what we do? Why do we have small groups? Why do we have discipleship? Everything that we do is in the context of the Great Commission.

So if we're not committed to the Great Commission, church just becomes a place where we grow children, where we're protected from the world. Friendship just becomes a place where we have common interest. It just happens to be God. And so we're here with similar interests, similar background. And so I want to be able to go and do stuff with other Christians.

And so when we make that our paradigm, you completely miss the whole point. So Bible study just becomes gaining knowledge. And some of you guys like to have knowledge. And so you just gain knowledge, but it's not equipping you for anything. And so after a while, Bible study just becomes homework.

In order to participate in this community, you have to do your homework, or you're just going to be embarrassed. You don't have anything to share. But it's not equipping you for anything because you're not committed to the Great Commission. Everything that Jesus is doing and teaching the disciples is preparing them to go the path that Jesus went.

And that's why he said, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he also needs to deny himself and pick up a cross and follow me." And so if you remember the previous passages, Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not fear these men when they drag you into court." Whether it's the synagogue leaders where that persecution is first going to start, whether it's the local authorities or the rulers, don't be afraid of them.

In other words, all they can do is kill your body. I mean, think about that. All they can do. He doesn't say, "You're going to be protected." He doesn't say that all your needs and concern for your children, that don't worry about any of that. He said, "Don't fear them because all they can do is kill your body." And that's exactly what's going to happen to all every single one of them.

They are going to die for their faith. He said, "If you're going to fear anything, fear him who can kill the body and is able to put you in eternal judgment." But that same God that you ought to fear that's going to conquer any other fear, that God loves you and cares for you.

So put your trust in him, put your life in him. And then we talked about how last week, after saying that, right, sometimes it's easy for us to commit to the big picture. I want to be a witness for Jesus Christ. I'm going to fight for righteousness. And then we turn around.

What squashes our passion and conviction is a concern for our daily needs. FOMO, right? FOMO is killing the church because we're so concerned about having what the world has, what we will eat, what we will wear. And after a while, it's not the great sins. It's not drug addicts.

It's not sex trafficking. Although all of these things are evil things that we need to fight. But the primary way that spiritual passion gets drained is that we get distracted and concerned more for our daily needs than for the great commission that he called us to. So he warns his disciples, again, in the context to be careful that you do not get dragged into it.

In fact, the language in the New Testament is often used, described as warfare. So if we don't recognize that we are in the context of warfare and Jesus called us to spiritual warfare, we're going to evaluate everything in the context of how does it make me feel. I go to church where I feel safe.

I'm encouraged. I'm enlightened. And that's how we evaluate what is good or what is bad. Apostle Paul evaluated everything based on, does this cause the gospel to spread more effectively? Does your suffering, does God's blessing, does it cause the gospel to spread more rapidly? So he saw everything in that light.

Not, God bless me so I have good children, I have good health, and we can live a long life, I had a good job, and so I am blessed. That's not how Paul or any of the apostles evaluated anything. That's why he says all things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.

It may not be nailed down in scripture and saying this is not, this is sinful, not sinful, but he says he doesn't evaluate what is good or bad based on that. He said what is good and bad is based upon, is it profitable? Profitable for what? In the cause of the great commission.

In everything that he does, whether he gets married or don't get married, whether he has children or not get children, not have children, whether he lives here or lives there, whether he eats or drinks, how does this affect God's glory? How does this affect the great commission? Second Timothy 2:3-4 says, "Suffer hardship with me." Suffer hardship with me.

Can you imagine trying to recruit somebody to your work to join with me, and the primary invitation is, "Come, who's going to suffer with me?" Who wants to come to that? Come with me for glory, come with me to do great work, come with me to glorify God. But Paul tells Timothy, "Come, suffer with me as a soldier of Christ Jesus." No soldier in active service entangles himself with affairs of everyday life." Who isn't entangled with everyday life?

Who isn't paying bills? Who isn't concerned about our job? Who isn't concerned about the market? All right, we live here. We have to pay bills. We have to take care of our children. But the reason why he says don't be entangled with that, there's a difference between paying your bills and caring for your children.

But he says no one is entangled with that. In other words, he's so wrapped up in his thought and his passion and his desire and his goals with the everyday life that he forgets that he's a soldier in God's kingdom. No soldier in active service entangles himself with affairs of everyday life so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

Now obviously he's talking to Timothy who's being prepared to be a pastor at the church of Ephesus where false teachers are coming in and they're ruining the church. But this same command is for every Christian in every generation. In 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul says, "Fight the good fight." Right?

Fight the good fight. Not relax, not be secure in a security blanket of, you know, one saved always saved, but it says fight the good fight. How many of us in here can say I'm fighting? And what are you fighting? What are you struggling with? I think all of us can say at times we struggle to pay the bills, we struggle with our marriages, we struggle with raising children.

Like all of these things are what the whole world struggles with. Everybody, Christian, non-Christian, Buddhist, they all struggle with that. But what is unique about your fight? What is unique for a Christian? Obviously he's not talking about fight the good fight, meaning just be a good dad and just be a good father.

The whole world struggles with that. And a good Christian should struggle with that. But is that what he's in reference to when he says fight the good fight? No. In fact, 2 Timothy 4:7, at the end of his life, as he is facing death, he says, "I have fought the good fight." So follow me as I follow Christ.

And what does that look like? Apostle Paul poured his life out. This guy lived a comfortable, educated, well-connected Roman citizen who was already pretty wealthy and famous before he met Christ. And then because he met Christ, he lost everything. And then he calls other people to come follow him.

So when he says, "I have fought the good fight," it's because he lived every single day risking his life, risking his comfort and safety, forsaking all the comforts of this world in order to bring the gospel to the world, just like Christ did. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh." War.

2 Corinthians is written to the whole church, not to a pastor, not to missionaries, to the whole church. And he describes it as warring. "We do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses." You know, I just found out that in the 20th century, there has been more martyrs in the 20th century than in the last 2,000 years combined.

Well, I had to look that up and say, "Is that true?" Now, obviously, there's a lot more people that live today, but there are slaughters happening by the thousands all over the world. We just don't hear about it. Just dig a little bit and you find out. And I was surprised, and I knew that there was a persecution for Christians has been rising in our generation, but I was really surprised to find that in the recent years, right, the suffering toward Christians, the hostility toward Christians has been growing all over the world.

We are in a fight. And so, before we even jump into the text, if we're not in the fight, if the fight, if you think the fight is the pastors, the missionaries, some people who are gifted. I'm glad that we have some people who go out to the marketplace and they're sharing the gospel, and we want to cheer them on.

We want to pray for them. They're doing the front line work, but we sit in the back seat just applauding them. So, your mind and heart is not engaged. The Bible says wherever your treasure is, there your heart is. So, your treasure is in the everyday concerns. So, your heart is not there in the front line.

You're just kind of like, "Yes, we admire you. We want to cheer you on." But if we're not engaged in the fight, the scripture isn't going to make a lot of sense to you. It's not going to make a lot of sense to you because the scripture is here to tell us why he had to come.

The scripture is here to tell us what we ought to do, how we ought to speak, how we ought to pray, why we ought to pray, all for what purpose? To seek and save the lost for his glory. So, if our life and our commitment is disengaged, and the only way that we're engaged is by theology, by theory, by talk, by assenting.

I agree with that. You assent with your mind, but your heart and your life is going to be disengaged. And how you evaluate what is good and what is bad is going to be completely off. Because we're not on the same page. What I would look at and say, "That's good," and what I look at and what you say is good, is going to be different because what you value is different.

And I'm here to tell you that this is Christ. That everything that you read from book of Genesis to Revelation is in the context of God pursuing sinners and then calling us to join him to pursue sinners. And that's why he tells us that because they hated me for what I said, they will hate you for what you say.

They will love you for what you do. They will love you for being gracious and merciful. They will love you for being generous. But they will hate you for what you say. It is in this context where he was telling his disciples, suffering is coming. And then even at the end he says, "Sell everything." Right?

Because he's preparing for war. Right? He's preparing them for war. Don't be bogged down by this stuff. Sell everything and come follow me. Live like dead men because you are. And it's in that context he says in verse 35, "Be dressed in readiness and keep your lamps lit." Right?

"Dressed in readiness" basically literally means to gird up your loins. So if you've been in certain parts of the world, whether in the Middle East or in particular in areas of India where the men, I don't, I forgot what that is called, but it looks like a skirt. Right?

And gird up your loins basically is normally they can't use it. It's comfortable. It's not as hot. But when you're ready to work or do something, they would pull that up and then tie it around their waist. And basically it becomes a pants or short pants. And that's a literal image that he's giving.

He says, "Gird up your loins." Right? "Put on your pants that get ready for work." Ephesians 6:13, "Take up the full armor of God so that you will be able to resist in the evil day and having done everything to stand firm." Why would you need to put on the full armor of God if you're not engaged in battle?

Right? You're not being attacked. You're not going to enemy territory. No one wants to hurt you. Everybody's praying. Why would you need to put on the full armor of God? Right? Did you need to put on the full armor of God to come to church today? Did you need to put on the full armor of God to attend Bible study?

Did you need to put on the full armor of God when you're studying or reading the reading scripture? No. He said, "Put on the full armor of God because we're going to engage the darkness." And they're going to push back. And they don't want you to succeed. Put on the full armor of God.

2 Timothy 4:1-2, "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus." That word for charge in Greek is a military term. And he's calling Timothy to battle. "I charge you. I command you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearance and his kingdom, preach their word.

Be ready in season and out of season, whether they receive you or not, whether they thank you, whether they convert or not, whether they love you or they hate you or kill you. Be ready in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction." When we're not engaged in the Great Commission and the work of Christ, why do you need to be ready?

What do you need to be equipped for? 1 Peter 3:15, "Sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." Live your life in such a way, in soberness.

Gird up your loins, so that when it is time to fight, that you will be ready. If you're constantly concerned about the affairs of this life, when the opportunity comes to share the gospel, you're not going to be ready, right? There's been times when I got so wrapped up in watching Lakers, right?

And not recently, but many years ago, right? And there looked like they lost to the Celtics, and the second time they come around there, and I got so wrapped up into that. And I remember the first time watching it, I was so depressed. And I was asking myself, "Why are you so depressed over this game?

It has nothing. They're not going to pay me for this." Right? And then the second time they won, I was so elated. And I remember thinking how foolish and trivial. Like my emotions, my whole being, my happiness was wrapped up in this silly game. Right? And I remember, during that time, somebody would come to me and it's like, "Oh man, you know, like, you know, what's going on in this world?

Why is there so much disasters?" And then I would hear it, and it's like, "Yeah, oh yeah, did you watch that game?" Because that's what I want to talk about, because that's where my heart is. How often in our distraction, and I'm not saying that you can't watch baseball games, I'm not saying you can't watch basketball games, but how much of it entangles our heart where we're not ready, that we're not thinking.

If you are sober and thinking, you'd be surprised how often, you'd be surprised how big the harvest is, and how few people there are. You'd be surprised in Orange County, where there's a mega church, 10 minute driving distance, in any direction, where you can sit down with somebody and ask them what the gospel is, and they don't know.

In Orange County, in this area, they say, "Oh yeah, I know the gospel," and you ask them, "What is the gospel?" and they can't tell you. They don't know. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few, because we're so wrapped up in civilian affairs that we're not ready, we're not prepared.

1 Timothy 3:15, "But sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart, always being ready, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." I mentioned Charlie Kirk last week, right, which I am more convinced today that he was a martyr than I was even last week, right?

And I can't stop watching this videos. His death has caused a stir in our society all over the world, where the opportunity of the gospel has been opened up, and I hope that you are aware of it. You know, just this week, I was out, and I shared with some of the people that I met this week, but we're out there, and we're sharing the gospel at Spectrum, and there's four teenagers, about 15, 16-year-olds, together looking at their phones.

Typically, if I'm out street evangelism, they're the last people I would target. Can you imagine four 15, 16-year-olds sitting together, goofing around, and I was walking by, I said, "You know, I'm going to try something different today," right? So I went up to them, and one of the kids at the end, he has this surfer hair, and I said, "Hey, do you guys have a couple minutes?" Obviously, they kind of side-eyed me, and they're looking at their phones, like, "What this crazy guy is thinking is?" And I started out, my typical thing that I would say is, "Hey, do you have a couple minutes I can share with you about my faith?" And obviously, they looked at me kind of like, "Huh?" And obviously, I was going to, this is what I was expecting, right?

So I thought, "Maybe I better say something to grab their attention, or this is going to go bad," right? And I said, "What do you think about Charlie Kirk?" As soon as I mentioned his name, all four kids stood up from their seat, and they came around me. I said, "Oh, shoot." And then I said, "What do you think?" And they said, "What happened to him was horrible." And one of the kids said, "I've actually been following him." And I said, "What do you think?" He's very logical, what he is saying.

And so I just assumed, maybe he's conservative, maybe he's a Christian. And I said, "Oh, you guys go to church? Are you Christian?" And he said, "No." To my surprise. I said, "Oh, so you weren't raised in a Christian home?" No. I said, "So what do you think about what Charlie is saying?" So if you've been watching his video, you know, especially the last four or five years, how explicit he was about his faith.

And he talked about repentance and coming to Jesus. His number one goal in life is to bring people to Jesus. And his number two goal was to make sure that our country is a place where Jesus can be shared freely. And that's how he brought the Christianity and politics together.

And I asked him, "So what do you think about that?" And then he said, "I need to read my Bible more." So easy to share the gospel. Right? I said, "What do you think about this?" And then all I said, "Hey, there's 4,500 hours of him discussing, giving his testimony.

You read?" He said, "Yeah." And they said, "We're going to go watch it." Right? And then their dad called to pick them up, so they had to leave quickly. After that, I got up and I went to the next person. And the next person, I didn't even hesitate, "Do you know Charlie Kirk?" And they were engaged.

So I had good conversation. Because it started out, I could tell that either they're nominal, or they're not a Christian, or maybe they are a Christian. But, you know, it was so easy to bring the gospel in, because all I have to do is say, "Hey, remember the things that he was saying?" He's like, "Yeah, that guy was very explicit about the gospel." Right?

That's why I'm saying, telling you today, I am more convinced. I don't know what you are thinking about politics, but I am more convinced today that he was martyred for his faith. We live in a time right now, there is a stirring that's going on in our country, that if you are living in a peacetime, a bunker mentality, you're going to miss it.

You may have relatives, you may have co-workers who have that in the forefront. And even if they are hostile toward what he was saying, an open door has been opened to engage the world. You know, it's crazy that he said that his life goal was to have 20,000 turning point to open up around the world.

20,000. Because they were maybe around 3,000 or 4,000. As soon as he was martyred, shot. Three days later, there was 18,000 inquiries. Four or five days later, I hear there's 32,000. And then another four or five days later, I hear there's 52,000. This morning, you know what they said?

62,000 inquiries came in asking permission if they can open up turning point. And again, it's not about turning point. But this young man, 31-year-old, connected what he was doing with the gospel. So if you go to that, there's going to be an introduction to Christ. This has happened. This is something that you and I could not have, we could have worked all our life, and this was, this is God's doing.

The fact that the door has been opened, and if you do not take advantage of this now, when will you, when will you engage the world if you will not engage the world now? What will it take for us to open our eyes and see why we are here?

What the purpose is? What is our mission? When the door has been kicked wide open for us to go. Whatever you think of Charlie, the door has been opened. The groundwork has been laid. Almost a red carpet has been given out to you. And Jesus says, come. What will it take for us to take advantage of that?

He said, gird up your loins. And he says, make sure to keep the lamp lit. To keep the lamp lit basically means to stay awake. To stay awake. Today, if we want to go to sleep, all we have to do is flip the switch. Or maybe clap on, clap off.

It's for our generation, right? Or maybe you have a smartphone. At that time, to keep the light lit, you have to cultivate the oil. So you have to keep pouring the oil to get in. And then if the wick burns out, you have to cut the, cut the ashes off, and you have to put a new one, and you have to keep lighting it.

So the light needs constant cultivation. So when he says, keep the light lit, he's not just saying, you know, don't turn it off. He said, you have to cultivate it to keep it on. Because it is not time to sleep. 1 Thessalonians 5, 6 through 8. So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

For those who sleep, do their sleeping at night. And those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith, love, and helmet of hope of salvation. He said, it is not time for us to sleep.

Yes, there are times we need to rest. We need to take a break. In other words, it's not time to sleep because we have been given a great commission. We're in time of war. I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. In other words, take up your cross and follow me to the darkness.

So we can turn on the light. We can share the good news that more people may come to know Jesus Christ. But if we have a bunker mentality, as long as our children are safe, and we're protecting our children, that somehow that becomes the greatest mission of life, that you're not going to understand the Lord's heart.

The Word of God is going to get choked eventually. He says in 1 Peter 5:7-8, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be of sober spirit. Be on the alert for your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." He said that our enemy is not sleeping.

That's why you can't sleep. Our enemy is pronging around like a roaring lion. Who is he trying to devour? Anyone who wants to turn on the light. Anyone who's going to the gates of Hades. So the owner of Hades is not going to sit there and be okay with that.

He says you need to stay awake. Keep the light lit because we're in time of war. In Matthew 24:37-38, "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days, before the flood, they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark." He said before the greatest judgment and the next greatest judgment is going to come at the end times.

But prior to that, the revelation of the greatest judgment, he says they don't mention the debauchery or child sacrifice or murder. He said they were just eating and drinking and marrying because they were unaware of the wrath of God coming. Just like here, just constant concern for what we will eat, what we will wear, and just constantly drifting, falling asleep, being concerned about the safety and comfort and our bank account and health and wealth.

And the constant entanglement of civilian affairs is what squashes passion. It squashes it. We have so many people who in theory and in doctrine, in what they profess to believe, agree with everything that I say. You'll probably say, "Amen." A large portion of it. Maybe some of you say like, "I don't know if I agree with that.

I don't think that's the Great Commission." You know, I think it's just, you know, like comfort. I don't know. Maybe some of you may be thinking that. But I think the majority of you will agree with me. But what squashes our passion and conviction and boldness is our entanglement oftentimes with sin.

And I know how much pornography has damaged the witness of Christ. Statistically, Christian or non-Christian, over 90% of men, over 90% struggle with pornography. In the church, it could be somewhere near there, 50%, 55%. At least that's the survey that we had at one point. Women are not that far behind because the access to this stuff is so easy.

You don't even have to go look for it because they come looking for you. See, when you are not engaged in the Great Commission and the work that God calls to, when you struggle with pornography, all you are worried about is how you feel. You feel guilty. You feel bad.

I shouldn't be doing that. Next time I go, I got to confess to my brothers and I got to do that. But that desire, you don't see the damage that it's doing. I don't want to watch porn because I have to preach on Sunday. I don't want to watch porn because the next time I meet somebody and they ask me about Christ, I don't want to be in a situation where it's going to squash my boldness and conviction.

I don't want to put myself in a situation where I want to see the loss come to Christ, but because I was not ready and I was not sober and I'm living in guilt that it causes me to be timid in what I believe. I want to live a holy life so that I may be equipped and ready when the opportunity comes that I can speak with boldness that this is what I believe.

This is why I admire Charlie Kirk so much. He's just a young man since the age of 18 and the older he got, the more bold he was. He was ready whatever came his way. I'm inspired by this young man, 31 years old, that he was willing to give his life.

You can't do that if you're entangled. You can't do that if you're constantly living in guilt. I want to challenge you. I want to challenge you. There's no greater thing that you will be involved with than to give your life to see other people come to Christ. Have you ever experienced a joy that because you endured, you prayed, that somebody came to Christ because of you?

Not simply a collective effort, not simply because you are part of a team, but do you know what it feels? Like when God used you, your words, your perseverance, your aching, your interceding, your sacrifice, and that person came to Christ because of you. If you taste that joy, nothing else in this world will compare.

You're going to want to do this over and over and over and over again. You're going to come to the Lord and say, "Lord, make this my inheritance. Give me the lost." We can't do that when we're not sober. We can't do that when we're drifting and hiding. He says, "Stay sober." When the master who has gone to the wedding feast, you don't know when he's going to return.

So when he does return and he's knocking on the door to come in, that you will be ready to open and to experience this banquet that he's going to come bring with him. Isaiah 40:31, "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength." Who will gain new strength?

Those who wait for the Lord. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not become weary. Who? Who's going to gain strength? Now people have gathered together and figured out and we have enough accountability. I went to the right church and said, "No, those who wait for the Lord will gain strength." 1 John 3:2-3, "Beloved, now we are children of God and it has not appeared as yet what we will be.

We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him just as he is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself just as he is pure." Our sanctification is directly linked to how often, how often and how passionately we are waiting for Christ.

And finally, Revelations 3:20, talking to the lukewarm church, the Laodicean church. He said, "I will spit you out because you are neither hot nor cold." And at the end it says, "I am standing at the door and knocking, he who hears my voice, and he who hears me knocking, I will, if you open the door, I will come into him and I will dine with him and he with me.

We will have a banquet together." You know, I've probably officiated, again, like 150 weddings. I've probably been to more than 200 weddings and, you know, one of the most common questions I get is, "Don't you ever get tired?" I mean, we're in wedding season right now. We have a wedding almost every Saturday, right?

And my honest answer is, "No, it never gets tired." I never come back from a wedding, it's like, "Oh, man, that was so boring." They said they love each other again. They cut the cake again. They danced again. No, there's two young people who are meeting each other and that's the beginning of their life and, you know, Lord willing, they're going to start a family and to be able to witness that, participate in that, bless that.

I've never been to a wedding where I came back and said, "I'll never go there again." Because it's a banquet. I mean, sometimes things don't work out the way you want it to. It may not be, you know, things may not be as perfect as, but it's a banquet.

I was invited to a banquet to participate in the beginning of a new life. So it never gets so. I get excited. I just don't like wearing suits, but other than that, you know, he says when he comes, he says he's going to participate. Not only are we going to participate, he said the master, he's going to gird up his loin.

He's going to serve us. Wow. Repeatingly over and over again, the Bible tells us, Isaiah 25:6, "The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all people on the mountain, a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces of marrow, and refined aged wine." When he comes, he said he's going to prepare a banqueting table.

Psalm 23:5, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Do I walk through the valley of the shadow of death?" Even in the valley of shadow of death, he says he's going to be preparing a banquet table for me. Can you imagine that? Again, I think of this young man, 31 years old.

I mean, can you imagine as much as we mourn for him? He said, "The Lord said, I have a banquet table waiting for you." Luke 13:29, "And they will come from the east and the west and from north and south and will recline at the table of the kingdom of God over and over again, saying that when he comes, there's going to be a banqueting table and he's going to be serving us." Isn't that awesome?

Our savior, our Lord, our creator, everything was created by him and for him. All things are sustained because of him. He's going to come back and he's going to throw a banquet and he said he's going to feed us, right? Man, I wonder what that's going to taste like, right?

I wonder what that food's going to taste like. I wonder what that banquet's going to feel like, right? We get so entangled with the things of this world and then we no longer look for the things that are coming. And we're so short-sighted and every single thing that we have coveted on this earth is going to look so trivial and trash when he comes.

Think about when you were younger back and when you were teenagers, the things that you value so much, coveted so much, right? You wanted to be part of a particular friend group, right? And I remember very specifically one particular generation, your hairstyle was ugly. And I think this happened to those of you who were in your late 30s, mid 40s, right?

It's the Asian guys in particular. You guys grew out your bangs and it was like, it was so ugly. Do you look back, now that you're a grown-up, do you look back at that and say, I wish that would come back, right? I like wearing pants size 46 when my waist was 26, right?

Some of you guys who are younger may not remember that, but you know, some of you guys who are a little bit older remember that. Do you look back at that and say, oh, I wish that way. I wish when I go to heaven, I can do that again.

So many things that we coveted, so many things meant so much to us while we were here. When Christ comes in his banquet, it's going to look so trivial. And yet we forfeit so much, because we want to have that. He said, those who are waiting upon the Lord, he will come and give us a banquet.

And those who are not, he says, they're going to come. Jesus is coming. He's going to feel like a thief that's coming. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, he says, while, verse 3, while they are saying peace and safety, destruction will come upon them. Suddenly, like a labor pains upon a woman, like a child, they will not escape.

It's going to feel like a thief coming. If you've ever had your house like a burglar come in, you know how that feels. It's unwanted. They come to take all the things that you value. They're going to look for it and take it. He said, that's exactly how it's going to feel for those who have not been engaged and looking eagerly for his coming.

Like a thief. So he finally says, Luke 12:39-40, but be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You too be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.

So let me conclude with this. Scripture tells us to redeem every opportunity. I don't know how long this is going to last where the buzz, whether they hated Charlie Kirk or whether they loved him or not, that people are, that lines have been drawn so clearly. And this young man made his faith so clear.

All you have to do is, again, I know some of you guys may be bothered by what I'm saying. I want to strongly encourage you. We're living at a time where the access to the truth has become so easy that deceiving people has become just as easy. Every information that we hear, we're coming from mediators.

And the mediators are completely biased to the right or to the left. So if you want to find the truth, you have to go to the original source and read the whole thing or watch the whole thing. Don't read clips. Don't look at clips and say you've come to the conclusion.

If you want to seek the truth, you have to look at the whole thing unbiased and you come to your own conclusion. But whatever conclusion you come to, I am confident that you will see that this man died testifying about his faith. And as a result of that, there has been a stirring, especially among the young people who are ready to discuss about eternity and about the gospel.

If you stay asleep now, if you go to sleep now, if you don't gird up your loins now, when, when will you wake up? When will you speak? When will you engage? God has prepared the door for us to come. Will you go? Will you go? Just ask. Just ask people.

What do you think about what's going on? And share the gospel with them. I'm going to ask the praise team to come up. Okay. As they come up, I have a song from Keith Green. Some of you guys, right? Some of you a little bit older people, right? God really used Keith Green to really challenge me when I was a young Christian, but I felt like this song is appropriate.

So I want to listen to this song and then we'll close our service for today. At least my portion of it. So can you have that played? Thank you. Do you see? Do you see? All the people sinking down? Don't you care? Don't you care? Are you gonna let them drown?

How can you be so numb? Not to care if they come. You close your eyes and pretend the job's done. Oh bless me Lord, bless me Lord. You know it's all I ever hear. No one aches, no one hurts, no one even sheds one tear. But he cries, he weeps, he bleeds and he cares for your needs.

And you just lay back and keep soaking it in. Oh, can't you see it's such a sin? Cause he brings people to your door. And you turn them away. As you smile and say, God bless you. Be at peace. And all heaven just weeps. Cause Jesus came to your door.

You've left him out on the streets. Open up. Open up. Open up. And give yourself away. You see the need. You hear the cries. So how can you delay? God's calling. And you're the one. But like Johnny, you run. He's told you to speak. But you keep holding it in.

Oh, can't you sin such sin? The world is sleeping in the dark. That the church just can't fight. Cause it's asleep in the light. How can you be so dead when you've been so well fed? Jesus rose from the grave. And you, you can't even get out of bed.

Oh, Jesus rose from the dead. Come on, get out of your bed. Oh, Jesus rose from the dead. Come on, get out of your bed. Oh, Jesus rose from the dead. Come on, get out of your bed. Oh, Jesus rose from the dead. Come on, get out of your bed.

Holy Father, we pray that your spirit, through your word, would bring revival in our generation. Bring revival in our church. Bring revival in our homes. Bring revival, Lord God, to the individuals. Help us, Lord, to know the mission that you've called us to. Knowing, Father, that you have placed us as light in the context of darkness.

Help us, Lord God, to be bold. Help us to be men and women who are convicted for the truth. That we would not hold on to the good news simply as a security blanket. Help us, Lord God, to know that you have given us a mission to take the power of the gospel.

That we would not be ashamed of it. Knowing that it is a power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. So for that end, I pray that you would call your church and that your Holy Spirit, through your word, would cause us to bear fruit 30, 60, 100 fold.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise.

Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise. Let's all stand up for the closing praise.

- Sunday Service 9/21/2025

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