(somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) (somber piano music) - Good morning, church family.

Happy New Year, and happy Lord's Day. Romans chapter five, verses three to five, it reads, "And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, "knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, "and perseverance, proven character, "and proven character, hope. "And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God "has been poured out within our hearts "through the Holy Spirit, who was given to us." With this new year ahead of us, with the many blessings and perhaps trials ahead, may we persevere, may we rejoice, strengthened to know that we have the Holy Spirit with us and the love of God within us.

(gentle music) (gentle music) (gentle music) (gentle music) (gentle music) (gentle music) (gentle music) ♪ Light of the world ♪ ♪ Light of the world ♪ ♪ You step down into darkness ♪ ♪ Open my eyes, let me see ♪ (gentle music) ♪ Beauty that made this heart adore you ♪ ♪ Hope of a life spent with you ♪ (gentle music) ♪ So here I am to worship ♪ ♪ Here I am to bow down ♪ ♪ Here I am to say that you're my God ♪ ♪ You're altogether lovely ♪ ♪ Altogether worthy ♪ ♪ Altogether wonderful to me ♪ (gentle music) ♪ King of all days ♪ ♪ Oh, so highly exalted ♪ ♪ Glorious in heaven above ♪ ♪ Humbly you came to the earth you created ♪ ♪ All for love's sake became poor ♪ ♪ So here I am to worship ♪ ♪ Here I am to bow down ♪ ♪ Here I am to say that you're my God ♪ ♪ You're altogether lovely ♪ ♪ Altogether worthy ♪ ♪ Altogether wonderful to me ♪ ♪ I'll never know ♪ ♪ I'll never know how much it costs ♪ ♪ To see my sin upon that cross ♪ ♪ I'll never know how much it costs ♪ ♪ To see my sin upon that cross ♪ ♪ So here I am ♪ ♪ Here I am to worship ♪ ♪ Here I am to bow down ♪ ♪ Here I am to say that you're my God ♪ ♪ You're altogether lovely ♪ ♪ Altogether worthy ♪ ♪ Altogether wonderful to me ♪ ♪ You're altogether lovely ♪ ♪ Altogether worthy ♪ ♪ Altogether wonderful to me ♪ - All right, welcome to our new 9/30 service.

As I said, we're gonna be doing some changes and see how it goes. And so our first service actually had a lot more people than we expected. We had over 200 people in the first service, good and faithful early risers came. And so if that continues, obviously, that would be very helpful to be able to distribute the guests that are coming to church.

You know, I didn't really think much about, you know, three services. I was just--I was so busy doing other stuff, I wasn't thinking about it. But I probably had at least 100 people telling me they're praying for me. So my knees will hold up, okay? So I just want to give you a heads up.

Like, one of the ways that I'm planning to preserve my knees is because if I stand for too long, I don't have much cartilage in between my two knees. And so if I stand up for a long period of time, it starts to swell up. So I'm gonna be sitting during the worship time.

So if you see me sitting, don't judge me, okay? So I'm doing that because I'm trying to-- I'm trying to make my knees last throughout the whole day. So just kind of--I'm just asking you for your pardon for that. Let me give a few announcements before we get started.

First of all, next Sunday, as you guys know, is members meeting. It is scheduled for 2 p.m. And because of that, we are--the college students are gonna be doing a fundraiser so that you don't have to worry about going out and coming back. And so the lunch will be provided here.

It's for $10 for Chipotle Bowl. Still cheaper than anything you can get outside, all right? So please mark that on your calendar, 2 p.m. And as I said, we're gonna-- after about two to three months, we're gonna evaluate everything that we're doing to see if anything needs to be tweaked.

So just be patient with us as we get adjusted to our new schedule of three services. FAM 245 Ministry, if you are married three years or less, there is a workshop that's happening on January 20th at 10:30 a.m. in the Sprouts Room. So mark that on your calendar. Bible Lab, as we are taking a break for our normal Bible study, there's a Bible Lab to help you to better prepare for Bible study, inductive Bible study.

Pastor Mark is gonna be leading that. On Sundays from 2.30 to 3.30, one hour, three session, starting from January 21st, 28th, and the 4th, again, at 2.30. So this would be after lunch, and then you'll be back on campus at 2.30 to 3.30. This will help you quite a bit to be able to-- if you're having a hard time doing inductive Bible study, this will kind of get you jump-started to help you with that, okay?

Again, just a few more announcements. One, the Jubilee Ministry, if you're 50 and older, there is a new Bible reading plan, a fellowship that's gonna be happening, and it'd be an opportunity to get together with the other Jubilee members, again, if you're 50 and older, to go through the Bible together.

I think it's the New Testament that they're gonna be going through. So please contact Elder Phillip, and he'll be able to sign you, and then I think there's fellowship that's going on along with that. And along with that, we have a new ministry called Fig Ministry, Families in God Ministry.

So if you're not FAM 245, if you're not fairly newlyweds, or if you're not veterans, 50 and over, there's a big chunk of ministry that's in between. There's a new ministry that's gonna be starting, and we're gonna be having a presentation from our brother Dean next Sunday to explain a little bit more during the members' meeting.

But they will also be having a Bible reading plan that's gonna be coinciding with the Jubilee. So if you want to sign up for that and to read through the Bible together, you can please sign up for that. I think there's a website sign-up, right? Where do they sign up, on the website?

Okay, so go to the website, or after next members' meeting, there'll be sign-ups that you can take place after that. Okay, I think that's it. And one other thing is that Galatians Bible study is gonna be continuing in February, so we have the whole month of January off. Our India team is going to be leaving on January 26, and then when we get back, the Bible study's gonna begin, okay?

So if you haven't signed up for home group or small group, please sign up as soon as possible so that we can better prepare for that, all right? Let me pray for us. And again, if you have a physical offering, there's an offering box in the back. Otherwise, we'll be giving online.

And afterwards, our brother CJ is going to be coming up, giving his testimony, and he will be baptized this morning, all right? Let's pray. Father, we thank you, Father, for this new day, Lord God, that we have to celebrate and to prepare for 2024. We pray, Lord, that you give us a heart of surrender, Lord, that we may worship you truly in spirit and in truth.

Focus our eyes and attention, Lord God, upon you, the author and perfecter of our faith, that we would desire to know you, to love you, to worship you more passionately than we've ever in 2024. Teach us, Lord God, to be a church, to pray, to pray earnestly, Lord God, that we may receive your power and that through us you will do mighty things.

We pray that in our giving that you would multiply it, Lord God, multiply the joy, multiply, Lord God, the use of it. May it be used, Lord, effectively, wisely, for the sake of your kingdom. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) - Let us all rise as we continue our service, but before we do, we could spend a few moments to greet the neighbors around us.

(audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (audience chattering) (soft piano music) Let's sing holy, holy. ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ Lord God Almighty ♪ ♪ Early in the morning ♪ ♪ Our song shall rise to Thee ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ Merciful and mighty ♪ ♪ God in three Persons ♪ ♪ Blessed Trinity ♪ (soft piano music) Holy, holy.

♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ All the saints adore Thee ♪ ♪ Casting down their golden crowns ♪ ♪ Around the glassy sea ♪ ♪ Cherubim and seraphim ♪ ♪ Falling down before Thee ♪ ♪ Who was and is and evermore shall be ♪ (soft piano music) Holy, holy.

♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ Though the darkness hide Thee ♪ ♪ Though the eye of sinful man ♪ ♪ Thy glory may not see ♪ ♪ Only Thou art holy ♪ ♪ There is none beside Thee ♪ ♪ Perfect in power ♪ ♪ Love and purity ♪ (soft piano music) (soft piano music) Let's sing holy.

♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ Lord God Almighty ♪ ♪ All Thy works shall praise Thy name ♪ ♪ In earth and sky and sea ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ Merciful and mighty ♪ ♪ God in three Persons ♪ ♪ Blessed Trinity ♪ Amen. (soft piano music) (soft piano music) ♪ You God before the mountains were brought forth ♪ ♪ O'er days of spring and summer filled the earth ♪ ♪ From everlasting ♪ ♪ You are God ♪ (soft piano music) ♪ We dwell beneath the stars in ancient skies ♪ ♪ A thousand years are nothing in Your sight ♪ ♪ From everlasting ♪ ♪ You are God ♪ ♪ Your promises are held within Your hands ♪ ♪ Your perfect love and faith of no end ♪ ♪ We rest within the wisdom of Your plan ♪ ♪ Everlasting ♪ (soft piano music) (soft piano music) ♪ The pain and tragedy of love ♪ ♪ Surrounds us like this planet's sun ♪ ♪ Everlasting ♪ ♪ You are God ♪ ♪ Your promises are held within Your hands ♪ ♪ Your perfect love and faith of no end ♪ ♪ We rest within the wisdom of Your plan ♪ ♪ Everlasting ♪ (soft piano music) ♪ We rest within Your hands ♪ (soft piano music) ♪ God, I always are known to You ♪ ♪ But by Your grace You're making all things new ♪ ♪ So satisfy us in our numbered days ♪ ♪ Establish every effort while we wait ♪ ♪ Everlasting ♪ ♪ You are God ♪ ♪ Your promises are held within Your hands ♪ ♪ Your perfect love and faith of no end ♪ ♪ We rest within the wisdom of Your plan ♪ ♪ Everlasting ♪ ♪ And all our days are held within Your hands ♪ ♪ Your perfect love and faith of no end ♪ ♪ We rest within the wisdom of Your plan ♪ ♪ Everlasting ♪ (soft piano music) - Amen, you may be seated.

- Hello, my name is CJ, and I'm part of the youth group, and this is my testimony. I grew up in a loving Christian home where I was blessed with parents who took us regularly to church. To me, church was a routine where I would go and have one day of the week to worship and learn about God.

I had no true knowledge of Jesus and the gospel and didn't understand the meaning and weight of the sacrifice Jesus had made. I would memorize verses, but not to treasure God's word, but to make my parents proud and to avoid punishment. I would go to a one and offer another opportunity to be worshiping God or for fun games and for hanging out with friends.

During the week, I was a disobedient kid and lied habitually to cover my own tracks. When I would get caught, instead of feeling sorry, I would plan on how I could commit the sin again without getting caught. For a long while, I was content with this bland, sinful routine and was satisfied with this cycle of sin until I began high school.

I would grow tired of being expected to memorize verses and to read the Bible. Worship had no true meaning to me, and I wanted to stop going to church so I could live my own life. By the grace of God, I entered adolescence and started to attend the Vine Youth Group.

There, I finally began to hear the Bible and take the word more seriously. I would be more inclined to pay attention to the sermons of the pastors and heed warnings of sins. I tried to repent of my sins with sincerity and sorrow, but even with my having a better understanding of spiritual matters, my sinfulness began to accelerate at a shocking speed.

I would indulge in lustful passions, lie on a regular basis, and always be angry and violent. I didn't truly understand what it meant to be saved and have a relationship with God, and I lived a double life. On July 24, 2023, I finally came to Christ. Before that day, I was sneaking to play video games and wanting to have some entertainment before I went to sleep.

I constantly pushed for the things that I desired, even if it meant I had to lie, cheat, or steal. If it weren't for screen time or limits on the device, I would not have gotten caught. But my dad caught me and told me that we would talk the next day.

I went to sleep without feeling any sort of remorse for my sin and went to sleep wondering how I would get out of the punishment. The following day, I was ready to get it over with and the lecture and the punishment over with. My dad started to lecture me and my brother and spoke with us for a very long time.

That was when he began to lead the conversation to the gospel. My dad began to break down emotionally, pleading with us to truly understand why Jesus had to die for a sinful man. It was then at that moment that a terrifying realization hit me. My dad does not get emotional that easily.

This made me realize that this was truly serious and the sin in my life would destroy me. That's when I sat there on the couch and began to pray. During this time, many things fled in my mind and the weight of my sins overwhelmed me. I thought of the times where I attempted to repent but was only in vain.

I thought of the times where I would only think about myself and my selfish desires. I thought of my friends who had recently given their lives to Christ and what that truly meant for me. I realized that the gospel was my faith and that all I had to do was grasp the invitation into the family of God.

I prayed for a while before finally making the decision to come to Christ and accept Him as my Savior. I asked my parents to pray with me while I repented and surrendered my life to Christ. After being convinced that I was truly saved, I felt an intense joy. I felt at peace for the first time in a long time.

It was that feeling that I remember to this very day and I am thankful to God for it. That day, I meditated on a specific chapter that my parents told me to read. That chapter was Ephesians 2. A verse that really stood out to me was verses 8 through 9.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith "and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God, "not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." I did nothing to contribute to my conversion. God yanked me out of the water while I was drowning and by mercy, Jesus created a way so I can escape the eternal punishment that was for me.

By His grace, I am able to say that I am a child of God and I will walk with Him until being called into His presence forever. I know that I will struggle with the weight of wanting to sin, but because of Jesus, I can confidently say that He will be with me every step of the way.

Thank you. If you understand, when you're going into the water, you're being united with Christ's death. Then when you come back out, you're being united with resurrected life. I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Obviously, this is a very special day for the Jun family.

I know that they've been praying for CJ and their children's salvation for so many years. Also, watching him grow up since he was a baby. He was born six months before my son. I remember my earliest memory of CJ was we were at Best Western summer retreat. I was watching the kids.

I think they were right around one years old. They weren't able to stand yet, but I remember looking at both of them saying, "Don't touch this." For whatever it was, I was in the room by myself. I said, "Don't touch this." I remember CJ looking straight in my eyes and just moving his arm.

He was looking straight at me. He kind of skirted it just to see. I said, "No, CJ!" Anyway, that's my earliest memory of him. Then seeing him give his testimony this morning is just so real. Overjoyed for him, for the family, for our church to be able to see our children grow up.

All the people who invested in his life as well at church, so many teachers who throughout the years, whether it was Sunday school or VBS or even a youth group, and just sitting there and counseling him and coming alongside with the parents to be able to share the gospel with him.

That's ultimately our desire. What we see with CJ is that every single one of our children will be able to be raised in a church that really values the gospel, and that this is not just something that we just talk about and have a form of godliness, but that our next generation of children who are being raised in this home, some of them maybe babies now, that hopefully when they are our age, that they'll be able to take the baton and really be able to be a greater light for the next generation.

Again, seeing CJ get baptized just, again, gives greater hope for me and for all of us for our next generation. If you can turn your Bibles with me to Ephesians 6, I'm just going to be reading one verse. I'm going to be in this text, the very familiar text that's in verse 10 all the way down for the next three weeks.

As we transition to the new year in 2024, as you can see, our banner has changed, at least on one side. We've been focusing on this probably the last five or more years. It's pray and proclaim, pray and be sober, pray and be watchful. As we're wrestling with this, it's like do we want to have this theme again or is there something else?

The reason why I decided to choose this because I can't think of anything else that really stands out to me that really requires and that we need to improve on than this. Even if for the rest of my tenure at this church that this is something that we're going to be focusing on, until our church actually has a reputation of being a prayer church, I believe that this is something we need to focus on.

We need to continue to grow including myself. This is a reminder to us that as we go this year that we want to improve. If we improve and our church continues to grow and Bible studies and all these things are growing, but we have not moved in the depth of our prayer and our devotion to prayer, I would not consider that a success.

I think this is something that we really need to work on and that's why we're emphasizing this again in this text. I'm going to read verse 18 and we'll jump in this morning. With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

Heavenly Father, we pray for your direction, your guidance, and your understanding, Lord God. We pray for your mercy. We pray for your grace. May your word and your word only go forth. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So the theme of this year is pray in the Spirit. But what does praying in the Spirit mean?

Now, if you're from a charismatic background, you may have heard that maybe praying in the Spirit is some mystical thing that you need to be touched or maybe you need to be praying in tongues and that's what it means to be praying in the Spirit. But that term "praying in the Spirit" is not unique to this text.

In fact, all over Scripture we are reminded that everything that we do is to be done in the Spirit. That you can study the Bible, you can walk, you can do evangelism, do all this stuff, but at the core of it when Jesus says, "You cannot bear fruit unless you abide in me," He says "abide in me" in John chapter 15 after He reminds them in chapter 13 and 14 that the Holy Spirit, the Helper, is going to come.

That He's not going to leave them as orphans. So when He says to abide, He is referring them to the Holy Spirit. That you cannot bear fruit unless you are abiding in the Holy Spirit. You need to continue in the Holy Spirit. So in Galatians 5.16 we are told to walk in the Spirit.

In Romans 8.13 He says, "The identifying mark of a child of God is one who is being led by the Spirit." Philippians 3.3, He said, "We are to worship in the Spirit." 1 Corinthians 14.16 "When we bless one another, we are to bless in the Spirit." In Galatians 6.1 if somebody falls into sin, that we are trying to restore them, He says, "We are to restore them in the Spirit." And then He says in Romans 8.26, "The Holy Spirit, when it prays, it groans on our behalf." It groans on our behalf that we may be able to have effective prayer.

So you cannot do anything as a Christian if you're not in the Spirit. Or else it becomes just a religious activity. Everything that we do in the church, if we are doing it by our own strength, it's no different than a Buddhist going to a temple and lighting up some incense and hoping that the powers are going to answer your prayers for your purpose.

So it's nothing more than a religious activity unless it is in the Spirit. That's the identifying mark of a Christian and a non-Christian. So in the church, you may have people who are filled, who grew up in the church and out of habit or superstition, are doing things because they want blessing from God so that they can live a better life.

It's just that the avenue that we have chosen to get blessing for a better life is Jesus. For Buddhists, it may be Buddha, right? For anybody else, whatever God that they choose, it's just that that's just the avenue that they had access to so that they can have a better life.

The distinguishing mark of a Christian is the Spirit. The Spirit of God dwells in us and the Spirit of God leads us. The Spirit of God causes us to walk with Him and it is the Spirit of God that teaches us to pray. And so, not only do we need to pray, just do it.

Just get it done. He says no, to pray at all times in the Spirit. Now, in order to understand what does it mean to pray in the Spirit, again, everything needs to be understood in the context of the text. If we want to understand what Paul means by praying in the Spirit, we need to understand what he's been saying prior.

So if you know, we've studied the book of Ephesians several times in our church history, and if you know the book of Ephesians, it's divided into two major parts. First three chapters is doctrine. It tells us about Christ, His love, election, predestination, how we've become adopted as children of God.

And then chapter four through six, he says, "Therefore, live up to the gospel that you've been given." That we need to be united, what does it mean to be a good father, to be a young man, and so it gives us imperatives based upon the doctrines that we know about Christ, the gospel.

And then the conclusion of everything that he says is in this text in chapter six. That after you've learned all the doctrines, and you know, like, this is how you ought to live, he concludes this section by saying, "Pray, pray, pray, pray." Now you know that anything in the Bible that is said in repetition, you know that we're supposed to pay more close attention.

Like today, if we wanted to emphasize something, you might highlight it, bold it, you know, you might put circles around it, whatever it is, so that whoever comes to that text, you know, you need to pay attention to this. Apostle Paul in verse 18 isn't by accident that he mentions petitioning and praying four separate times for all things, for all occasions.

"Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray." So we can say that everything that he has said in six chapters concludes his main point by saying, "Pray, pray, pray, pray." So I can't overemphasize enough why this is so important, why our church needs to continue to grow in this aspect. We need to pray.

But in praying, if our prayers are going to be effective, it needs to be praying in the Spirit, right? So what does, again, in the context of that, what does praying in the Spirit mean? Well, if you look at verse 10 through 12, it tells us that we need to pray in the Spirit because we are in spiritual warfare.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might, put on the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places." In other words, praying in the Spirit means that we are engaged in a spiritual battle, right?

First and foremost, so before we pray that our finance is good, or even for our health, before we pray that we may have a better and comfortable and more peaceful life, first and foremost, praying in the Spirit is engaging in the battle that the Spirit of God is engaged in.

That's what He means by that. So here, when He says praying in the Spirit, it's not necessarily just something mystical or praying in tongues, but that we are praying according to what the Spirit Himself is engaged in, recognizing that we are engaged in spiritual battle. There are a couple of things that we need to understand about praying in the Spirit, right?

First Peter 3, 7, where we are encouraged to pray, He says, "You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way as with someone weaker, since she is a woman, and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered." I want you to notice here, He doesn't say, He doesn't say, "Pray so that you can be a better husband." That's not what it says.

He said, "Be a better husband so that you can pray." So the purpose of righteous living is so that we can have better, effective prayer. So the point of righteousness is prayer. Prayer is not what makes us righteous. Righteousness is what causes us to be effective prayer warriors. Again, in 1 Peter 4, 7, "The end of all things is near; therefore, be sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer." You notice here, He doesn't say, "Pray so that you can be sober." He says, "No, be sober so that you can pray." So the emphasis here, the actual work here, is not soberness.

The actual work here is not being a good husband. The actual work here is praying. Now you can understand, if the work is flesh and blood, that what we do in the flesh and blood is going to matter. So we pray so that we can be more effective in flesh and blood.

But that's not what He says. He said our battle is not against flesh and blood. It's not against flesh and blood. So that you being better equipped to do physical things is not the point. He said doing physical things is so that you may prepare yourself for the actual warfare which is happening in prayer.

That's what He's saying. Prayer is the battle. Discipleship is so that we can be better prayer warriors. So if discipleship leads to less prayer or not enough prayer, then you've missed the whole point of discipleship. If Bible study, all it does is causes you to understand the Bible better, but it hasn't caused you to pray more effectively, then you've missed the whole point of Bible study.

Because the whole purpose of Bible study in every spiritual activity is to bring us closer to God. And it brings us closer to God when we are able to pray. And we are able to experience spiritual power when we pray. So He says our struggle is not against flesh and blood, meaning He's not telling us to be stronger in flesh and blood.

That's the point that He's making. There's not a battle that you can win by working harder or being more disciplined or smarter or having more methods. That's His first point. I'm not saying that. But He says our battle is against rulers, against powers, against world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.

All to say, if you were to conclude why He says this, that we can get in there and we'll talk about the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation and the shoes and girding your loins and all of that stuff. But at the end of it, what is the point?

Why is He saying all of these things? He's saying all of these things because He said this is beyond you. Your fight isn't you. The success of the fight isn't going to be your discipline, your knowledge, your work. It's not flesh and blood. How are a bunch of fishermen going to go against the rulers by their own power?

Did Jesus really equip them? And they're so well trained that when their whole Jewish community want to kill them, have they been properly trained to know when they go right, go pivot to the left? Right? If you see them ahead and hiding, were they properly trained so that they can maneuver away from that?

And when you preach the gospel, don't stand too high, stand low, and then when a crowd comes, make sure you know, you maneuver. Were they all trained? Is that what Jesus was doing? For the three years that He was walking around with His disciples, is that when you go there, they're going to try to kill you, so I'm going to better equip you to take the gospel into hostile areas when the Roman soldiers come with swords and legions come to kill Apostle Paul?

That because you're properly trained that they gave you the tools to be able to maneuver and get the gospel out to the remotest part of the world because of your proper discipline and training and method? No! Jesus didn't train them any of that! All He said was, "Abide in Me." Don't worry.

When they take you into court and these rulers who killed me are threatening you to do the same thing and you don't know what to say, don't worry. The Holy Spirit is going to give you the words. And that's why He says, "Abide, abide, abide." What are a bunch of farmers going to do against rulers?

What are a bunch of commoners going to do against powers? How will you fight wickedness in heavenly places? We look at it and say, "Well, these politicians are evil, so if we remove them from power, yeah, flesh and blood. You can remove the flesh and blood. What are you going to do about the wickedness that is controlling these people?

How are you going to remove those powers? How are you going to conquer those powers?" So the point of all of this is to remind the readers of the Ephesians, you are completely powerless by yourself. People who pray are the people who feel helpless. You know, even in your own life, when do you pray the most fervently?

It's when you're in a situation where you feel utterly helpless. Maybe a life is on the line. Maybe somebody you love is on deathbed and all the doctors help, it's just not working, and they say, "Please pray." Even non-Christians pray when they feel helpless. Some of you guys who are a little bit older, remember after 9/11, we're all shocked because we've never seen this, not on American soil, right?

Not since 1940s, we've never seen this. So all of a sudden, we all just got shocked. This can happen, we can actually go to war, and for the first time, I've never seen this before and I've never seen this since, the Democrats and the Republicans stood at Capitol Hill, arm in arm, and they had a prayer vigil.

That was such a strange scene because I don't think any of them were Christians. Maybe there was a Christian in there, I don't know. But the Democrats and Republicans who hated each other before and hated each other after got together and prayed. And I don't know which God they prayed to, but they were desperate because they felt helpless and they were scared.

Now for non-Christians, they pray when they feel helpless, but as soon as the emergency is over, they go back, right back into their old life, living in blasphemy and rebellion against God. But the point of everything that Paul says here in this text is to remind us how helpless we are in this spiritual battle.

There's nothing that you and I can do that's going to withstand the scheme of the devil. That's how he described it, scheming. The devil is not just simply coming to us, he's scheming, he's working behind the scenes. So, when you are deceived, you don't know. You don't know. Some of us maybe think like, well, we're smart enough and we study the Bible enough so we're aware enough and I'm a good analyst and I do analysts for a Fortune 500 company so I can know.

I'm good at reading people. I don't know how smart you are, but you're not smarter than the devil. I don't know what you got in your SAT, but I'm pretty sure his SAT scores much better than yours. I don't know what you got in your GPA, I don't know what school you came out of, I guarantee the devil is smarter than you.

How are you, how am I going to withstand the scheme of the devil by our own strength, by our own intellect? That's the point he's trying to make. I don't care how powerful you are, I don't care how committed you are, I don't care how determined you are, how are you going to overpower evil forces?

So the point that he's trying to make that because this is a spiritual battle, unless you engage in prayer, you will be ineffective. You're trying to conquer an army with swords. It's not going to work, you're going to fail. That's the point that he's trying to make. In fact, in Matthew 9, 36 through 38, Jesus is so moved because he sees the multitudes.

The very people that he came to sacrifice his life for, it says he felt compassion for them because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without shepherd. Then he said to the disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." Let's stop right there. Right? Jesus looks at the people and he has compassion and the whole reason why he came to earth, he took on human flesh and was humiliated as a man is because he had compassion for us.

Now he is face-to-face with the multitude and he says, "The harvest is plentiful. They're like sheep without shepherd. The harvest is plentiful, the workers are few." If we stop there, we would assume that we would think, "Okay, if that's the problem, what should we do?" We need to look for better shepherds.

First thing we need to do is form a committee. A search committee who's going to get together and then we've got to find out what kind of pay are we going to offer them? How are we going to attract good shepherds if we don't have the right pay and right resources to support?

We need to find the right people who are going to be in the right search committee so that they can make wise decisions, that they're doctrinally sound, that they're going to be able to choose people who's going to have leadership. Are they going to be able to discern? Do they have character issues?

We would go through all of that and assess, find the right person, trust them, and then evaluate and then hopefully we'll find enough people to be able to meet those needs. That's the way that you and I would approach it in our generation, with our resources. Jesus says, "Therefore, because of this problem," what does he say?

"Beseech the Lord of the harvest, and send out workers to the harvest." Because there is a big problem, because he has compassion on them, because the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few, the first thing that he says, in fact the only thing that he says here, is to pray.

Pray. What problem are you wrestling with now, that you are trying to fix, assess? What is the problem? You know, I've been so dry spiritually and so lost, you know, I'm looking for counseling. Maybe a book if I read it. Maybe if I had an older sister or brother, or maybe if our ministry had this kind of resources, and did all of that, and if we had a committee, and you're looking for all these solutions, and yet you're not praying.

The first and the most important thing that any Christian needs to engage in is prayer. So, before we look for solutions, before we complain, before we're griping, are we praying? Maybe, maybe, before God can satisfy your longing, He's waiting for you to come to Him. To pray. To pray, pray, pray, pray.

To pray in the Spirit, to engage in the Spirit, to beseech the Lord of the harvest. So, my general rule for my life, don't complain unless I am confident that I have prayed enough. Because, if I haven't prayed enough, that may be the reason why I feel the way I feel.

That may be the reason why we're not bearing fruit. That may be the reason why certain things aren't going on. Until I pray. Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray. First and foremost. If you didn't pray, don't look for human solutions. If you didn't engage in prayer, don't think you have the answers, because you don't.

Because you're not able to see things from the Spirit's eyes. Until you pray, pride, ultimately, is the biggest reason why we are ineffective. Pride. Some of you guys know that during my sabbatical that I took, I went and got a motorcycle license. Some of you guys know, some of you guys don't know.

Esther gave me permission. She said, "If you had the opportunity to do whatever you want, you weren't worried about what other people think, what would you do?" And I said, "Motorcycle." That was my dream since I was 15. So I went and a friend that I knew was selling his motorcycle for a cheap price, and I got it.

So I was thinking I was going to live out my dream for three months. And then after I'm done, I'm going to fix the bike and I'm going to resell it, and so it's not going to cost me any money. So my wife was crazy. I think she was more crazy than I was because she was pushing me to get it, so I got it.

And I remember taking the motorcycle class, and they would tell me that 95% of all motorcycle accidents happen in the first year. So obviously that freaked me out. So for the first year, every time I went somewhere, and I of course, I never rode it to church, only during the weekdays, so only the pastors have seen me on this bike.

And one other person, yeah. But I would write it because he told me that 95% of all accidents happen in the first year, and I'm in the beginning of the first year, so everywhere I went, I was so cautious. And if it looked like the, you know how the yellow light may be coming on?

If you're in a car, you kind of speed up to get. I see that two blocks away, and I'm already braking. You know what I mean? But when it was dangerous was not the beginning. When it was dangerous was at the end of that year, I started getting a bit more confident.

After going 30 miles per hour in the beginning, oh my gosh, you fall off and you die. After a while, you go 40, it doesn't feel as bad. After you got 60, and then I'm going to get on the freeway, and it's like scared to death, and then after a while, you get even comfortable going 60, 70.

When it got really dangerous was at the end, the tail end of that, I saw a yellow light coming, and I said, "I can pass this." Instead of braking, I started speeding up until I got right there, and I saw all the cars. And that freaked me out, and then so I decided to step on my brake, and because it's not like a car where you can step on the brake and it just kind of stops.

If you brake like that on a motorcycle, you're sliding. So I, again, in my confidence, I started going, and I realized I didn't have time, and I stepped on the brake, and the bike just went out under me. I didn't fall. By the grace of God, it was starting to skid, and I said, "Oh shoot, I'm going to get in an accident." And that would have slid me into the middle of the intersection if that happened.

But as that was happening, I kind of twisted, and I was shaking back and forth, and I was able to get my equilibrium, and I did skid into the middle of the road, and I sheepishly, in humility, walked my bike back with all the drivers looking at me like, "This fool." Good thing I had my helmet on so nobody saw me.

But I remember after that, I was like, "Wow." I almost got in an accident because I started getting confident. I know how to ride this bike. I'm a veteran now. I'm not going to be one of those 95%, because I've almost made it out of the first year. But I realized when I was the most dangerous is when I started getting confident.

Instead of taking precautions and knowing the danger of riding this bike is when I started feeling safe. The point that Paul was trying to make is that in your flesh, you are not safe. There is an enemy prowling around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour, and in the middle of that, you feel at peace.

You feel confident that what you're doing is okay. You're fighting, and then you're smart, and you have experience, and you know what you're doing. That's when you are in trouble. When he thinks he stands in the flesh, that is when he is the weakest. And that's why he's reminding the readers.

After you know all of this, he says, "Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray." In Revelation 3.1, it says to the angel of the church in Sardis, "He who has seven spirits of God and the seven stars says this, 'I know your deeds, that you have the name that you are alive, but you are dead.'" You have a reputation of being alive.

Everybody sees you and says, "Wow, you're such a spiritual person. You know the Bible. You disciple so many people." And so you have a reputation of being alive, but yet the assessment of God is that you're dead. It's not somebody who's getting, or reputation of getting an A is that, "No, you're not an A student.

You're an A- minus student, or you're a B student, or maybe you're a C student." He says, "No. Everybody thinks you're alive, but in God's eyes, you're dead." You have a form of godliness, yet no power. Everything you know about God is a theory. So everything, every testimony that you have is someone else's, that you're regurgitating something that you read, or a sermon that you heard, or illustration, but it's not you.

You've never encountered God. So, you are regurgitating information, you're passing on things that you've learned, but it's not you. That's why he says to pray, pray, pray, pray. In James chapter 4, too, it says, "You do not have because you do not ask." So, when we ask ourselves, "Why do we not pray?" Knowing that we have direct access to God.

If I told you Bill Gates was in town, is he outdated? He's probably outdated, right? Mark Zuckerberg? Somebody rich, right? If I told you he was in town, and he said to come and ask, how many of you would hesitate to run to him? Oh, we get to ask?

And he said, "Whatever, whatever you ask." We have access to God and we don't go. We have access to God who created the universe. He makes Zuckerberg look like he's in poverty. And yet, we don't go. So, why don't we go? One, maybe we don't believe. And that's a simple answer.

Maybe we don't believe. Or two, maybe we don't ask because our desires that we want to ask, we already know that that's not what God wants for us. So, our hearts are filled with things that contradict the things that God desires for us, so we can't take that to God.

You're theologically too astute. You don't believe in the health and wealth gospel. So, you've already learned enough about the Bible to keep you away from God. Not to bring you to God. But theology causes you to stay away from God because your life is not consistent with the things that you're learning.

So, therefore, the more you learn about God, the more you have to stay away from God. So, it is your astute theology that prevents you from praying. Because this theology, if it doesn't cause you to be broken and humble and desire and to go to Him, then it does exactly the opposite.

We do not have because we do not pray. And He says, "Even when you do pray, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives so that you may spend it on your pleasure." The very thing that God doesn't want you to have. Your heart's filled with that.

So, even if you're bold enough to go and ask Him, He said, "God can't give it to you because He knows He's going to destroy you." Those of you who are stingy, don't ask for money. It will destroy you. It will destroy you. Those of you who are not generous, don't ask for money.

Because the money that you get is going to fill you with pride and arrogance and pleasure that's going to drive you away from God so God's not going to answer a prayer that's going to ultimately ruin you. So, if you're stingy and you're not good at managing money and all the money is being spent for your own pleasure, don't ask God to make your business better.

"God, when is the right time to buy a house so that I can make a good investment and make more money?" Because more money to you is going to ruin you. That's what He says. Either we don't pray, or when we do pray, God can't answer that. A Christian who is content without prayer is a very dangerous person.

Because whatever success he experiences without prayer is going to ruin him. Because he thinks he's done it. I did it. I made these changes and I made these implementations and I worked hard and I was properly educated and therefore this is what's happening and so you're filled with pride.

So a Christian who is filled with pride automatically becomes a critical Christian. Not only am I good, you don't live up to my standard. So it ruins that person. A worse thing a Christian can experience is superficial success without Christ. Because the more successful you are, the more it drives you away from God.

The best thing that can happen to any Christian is whatever causes us to get on our knees. Whatever causes us to feel helpless is the best thing. Whatever causes you to pray, whatever causes you to come before God, beating the chest saying, "I need you. I need you." Not just want you, I need you.

Whatever causes you to be in that situation is what God is constantly driving us to. My hope and prayer is that I would not have to be forced to be on that situation. But I would be sober enough when I wake up that I would feel helpless, not only sick, not only when I feel like my plans didn't go right, but every day I wake up knowing the spiritual battle that we're in that I feel helpless.

And that my helplessness would cause me to pray. That every single day, every single Christian wake up knowing that we have an adversary who is eagerly waiting to devour us. Now you and I do not have the human power to resist it. And to know that every day, wake up every morning knowing that, that would drive us to Him.

That is the safest and the healthiest place for any Christian to be. To desperately need prayer. To not be praying regularly and then somebody asks you, "How are you doing?" And you say, "Good." You're in danger. Because you don't know the attacks that you're under. You don't know the scheming that you've already surrendered to.

If you say, "I'm good." And you don't have the armor of God on. It says, "To gird up your loins." Right? To engage in the spiritual battle, you need to gird up your loins. You know what girding up the loins literally means? It's to make your skirt into a pants.

That's what that means. Right? Those are my words, but if you look at the pictures, that's what it is. You know, they're wearing these long gowns, and basically you take the back part out. I mean, we see some of the ladies do that, right? When they're ready to make kimchi or something.

They got it on the ground, ready for action. You got to tie it up and tie the side. And basically, if you look at it, you turn the skirt into a pants. Because you need to get ready for action. That's what that literally means. To get ready for action.

So, if you're living your life on vacation, you don't have to worry about action. You know, if you're going to go into battle and you're going to fight, you don't want your clothing flapping around. You're going to be ready, right? And that's why in Job chapter 38, verse 3, Job, at the end of his life, is just so tired, and he's complaining to God, and God finally shows up, and this is what he said, "Now gird up your loins like a man." Right?

In other words, again, just put on your big boy pants, because I got some things to say to you. Right? "Gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct me. You're so bold to tell me what I'm doing wrong. Now I'm here. Put on your pants.

Tell me. Tell me, now that I'm in front of you." So he goes through a series of things that God's going to show him who he is, and every statement that he makes, he says, first of all, "Gird up your loins like a man." Right? "Put your pants on." Right?

That's what he says. First and foremost, praying the Spirit means to be ready. If you're going into 2024, and you made a bucket list of things that you want to experience, the food that you want to taste, and the places that you want to go, and none of that has anything to do with the spiritual battle, then maybe it's time to gird up your loins.

Right? That we need to begin by reminding ourselves that we're in spiritual battle. We're in war. In Jeremiah 1:17, when God calls him to battle, he said, "You're going to go, and you're going to preach my word, and tell them that because of their sin, judgment is coming." He tells Jeremiah, "Now gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all, which I command you.

Do not be dismayed before them, or I will dismay you before them." God is preparing Jeremiah to face the hostility of the people that he will be preaching the word to, and they're going to hate his guts. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, every time that guy opens his mouth, he has nothing good to say.

He's not encouraging at all. He's not seeker-friendly. He's seeker-hostile. Every time he opens his mouth, nobody is happy, but that's the message that God gave him, and that's why he said, "Gird up your loins. I'm not sending you on vacation. I'm not sending you on a cruise ship to kind of encourage people.

I'm going to send you to these people who's going to hate your guts because of the message I'm giving you, so gird up your loins. Get ready for action." In Luke chapter 12, 35-36, "Be dressed in readiness and keep your lamp lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks." Are you preparing 2024 for the spiritual battle that you're going to have already been called to?

He says to gird up your loins. Be ready. And that's why he says to put on the full armor of God. Not just pieces, not just the sword, but the full armor of God. Now, if we're just playing house, if you're going to Disneyland and you're dressed up like a warrior to entertain people, then it doesn't matter.

You may have your legs vulnerable, your chest vulnerable, your side vulnerable. It doesn't matter because it's just for show. But if you're actually dressing up for battle, you know that your enemy is going to see whatever areas of your life that's vulnerable, and you know that's where the attack is coming.

If you're struggling with purity, that's where the attack is going to keep coming. If you're a problem with his money, that's where the attack is going to keep coming. Because the enemy is constantly scheming. If your idol is your children, that's where the attack is going to keep coming.

Wherever the armor is vulnerable is where the enemy is going to be placing his sword. And that's why he says put on the full armor of God. Gird up your loins, put on the feet, preparation for the gospel of peace. Be ready for action. You could tell what, like, when my kids dress up to go out, I know exactly what they're applying to.

If they put on slippers, and I said, oh, they're going to hang out with their friends, or maybe they're going to go bowling, or, you know, even for bowling you need proper shoes, right? If they're wearing slippers out of the house, they're not going to do anything active. But I know when they're going to go play sports or something, they're putting shoes on, they've got the right attire on, so I don't have to ask them, are you going hiking or are you going, you know?

Because I know based upon how you dress. So the question is, spiritually, do you have slippers on? Or do you have the gospel of peace foot gear on, ready? Are your loins girdled? Do you have pants on? Or is it skinny jeans? Which is it, right? What do you have on?

In your mindset, before we talk about anything specific, your mindset, are you aware? Are you aware of the spiritual battle? Are you aware of your enemy? Are you aware of the constant scheming to thwart you and to distract you and fill you with pride and tempt you? Are you aware of that?

That causes us to be sober and to cling to him? If you do not pray in the spirit, your spiritual life is just a theory. It's just a theory. Just like it says in 2 Timothy 3, it says in verse 5, "Holding on to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power," and it says to avoid such men.

A form of godliness, people who only know God in theory. Somebody talk about the love of God? It's just theoretical. It's not real. That's what happens. Prayer is what causes God to be real. Because you're talking to him. If all you've done is learn about him from a book, that's no different than learning about famous people from a book, from watching a movie.

It says, "I know them because I watched a movie. I know them because I saw the interview." But you don't know them. The people who talk to them know them. The people who wrote the books know them. People have gone to him, interacted with him, and seen his power.

They know them, but you don't know them. You know about them. And in the same way, when we don't pray, everything we know about God is just theory. And you guys already know, if anything that you learn remains a theory, eventually you're going to lose it. You're going to lose it.

Some of you guys were studied one major, but if you don't use that, in about five years you're not going to remember, because you just learned theory. Only the things that you are practicing, you're going to get better at. So if the greatest commandment is, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength," and your relationship with God is just theoretical, it's just theory that you're hearing, regurgitating, studying, maybe even memorizing, your affection for God never grows.

In fact, it actually decreases. But when you pray in the Spirit, when you feel the breath of God, when God answers your prayer, when you're praying for the lost, and He begins to show you His own heart, how broken He is for the lost, and you begin to sense His broken heart for the lost, and when God begins to answer your prayers, and God starts to become real to you, everything that you see what Apostle Paul is doing, you will understand why he did it.

Maybe not to the degree that he understood it, but you will begin to understand every part of the Scripture, not theoretically, but you'll understand why he said it, why he's sitting in prison and worried for them. Why he's about to get his head beheaded, and he says, "I have fought a good fight.

I'm ready." Why Apostle Paul is writing and saying, "If you were to ask me, I'm ready. I'd prefer dying than going to the Lord, but I know it's more beneficial for you, so I'll stay and bear more for you." You'll understand that when you understand the breath of God in you.

That's why he says to pray. Pray, pray, pray, pray. So as we face 2024, our church has a reputation of being a Bible-centered church, but it is equally important that we need to be people who pray. Equally important. It's not number one and number two. It's call number one.

When the Apostles established the seven deacons, he said, "So that we can devote ourselves to word and prayer." All of us, not just the Apostles, not just the pastors, all of us, that we need to be equally committed to the word and to prayer. That's why, even if it's for the next 10 or 20 years that this is going to be our theme, and we move only inches, as long as it is in the right direction, we're going to keep emphasizing this, because this is that important.

We need to be a church that prays. That the fruit that we bear is because the Holy Spirit is answering our prayers. I pray at the minimum, right? I'm going to be preaching about what it means to pray in the Holy Spirit. So today was part one, next week will be part two, next third week will be part three, and that will prepare our team to go out to India.

At least, even if you struggle for the rest of the year, that at the least, in your psyche, in your memory, that you understand just how critical this is. That we devote ourselves to prayer in 2024. Let's pray. (Silence) (Silence) (Silence) (Silence) Father, as you continue to show kindness to us, as you continue to show patience and mercy, Lord, teach us, guide us, and lead us to pray.

To pray effectively. To pray for all things. To pray unceasingly. But ultimately, to pray in the Spirit. Help us, Lord God, that 2024, that you would move us, guide us, sanctify us, that we would truly be a house of prayer. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Let's all stand up for the closing praise.

(Silence) (Silence) (Silence) (Silence) (Silence) (Silence) (Silence) (Silence) As we seek, as we seek your face, may we know your heart. Feel your presence, acceptance, acceptance, as we seek your face. (Silence) As we seek, as we seek your face, may we know your heart. Feel your presence, acceptance, acceptance, as we seek your face.

(Silence) At your feet, at your feet we fall, sovereign Lord, sovereign Lord. We cry holy, holy at your feet we fall. (Silence) (Silence) Let's sing, "Jesus draw me close." Jesus draw me close. (Silence) Closer Lord to you. (Silence) Let the world around me fade away. (Silence) (Silence) Jesus draw me close.

(Silence) Closer Lord to you. (Silence) For I deserve to worship and obey. (Silence) Jesus draw me close. Jesus draw me close. (Silence) Closer Lord to you. (Silence) Let the world around me fade away. (Silence) (Silence) (Silence) Jesus draw me close. (Silence) Closer Lord to you. (Silence) For I desire to worship and for I desire to worship and for I desire to worship to worship and obey.

(Silence) Amen. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever.

Amen. (Music) God sent His Son (Music) They called Him Jesus (Music) He came to love (Music) heal and forgive (Music) He lived and died to buy my part in an empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives because He lives I can face tomorrow because because He lives all fear is gone because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives (Music) (Music) We adore (Music) (Music) We adore