God Develops Change Makers with Pastor Peter Tan-Chi

Happiness has to be experienced God's way, not your way. Because my way is disaster. My way Self-worship and sin. And that my friend will never work. You are listening to CCF Run Through, Timeless Truths for today's life in just 30 minutes. If you want to hear more or know more about our ministry, C F. Enjoy listening. So today, as we continue our series, I want to share with you how does God develop change makers. Would you like to learn how God developed change makers? Alright?

The main message today is very simple. Everybody, let's read this together. Everybody, God develops chance makers. Cooperate. God is at work. Whether you like it or not, He's at work. But are you willing to cooperate? Υπότιτλοι AUTHORWAVE. Υπότιτλοι AUTHORWAVE.

Many times we are too busy. So God will allow problems. Number two, God sees our potential. God does not see you as you are today. He sees based on what you can become in Christ. Next, God trains us progressively. God assumes responsibility also in training you and training me progressively.

And lastly, God wants us to partner with Him. To partner with God simply means God is a senior partner and you're the junior partner. The partnership is not 50-50. God is the big boss. And you are Δεν είναι μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο μόνο You must see it from God's perspective. You see, you can either become better or you can become bitter. but if you cooperate with God you say Lord

There must be a reason why I'm having a problem. Will you teach me? Just because you have problems does not mean you are in sin. I'm not saying that. But I can assure you, problems God will use to sanctify you, to make you a better person. So, we have read from the book of Gideon what happened. Remember in Judges chapter 1? Let me just go over quickly. The Bible tells us the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord to sin without having any consequences.

Let me repeat. God loves you so much that He will not allow you to remain as you are. So, God uses what? Problems. For what purpose? If you read the story of Gideon, they were brought so low that they were being brutalized. and taken advantage of by the Midianites. And that's why the Bible tells us, let's read that together, Judges 6, verse 6. The Bible tells us, Israel was brought very long. Because of Midian and the sons of Israel cried.

So my advice to you is, how are you doing today? Please do not wait until God brings you very down to call on Him. You know what prevents us from calling on the Lord? Our pride. You know what prevents us from calling on the Lord? Our self-sufficiency. The older I get, the more I realize I need God. And my prayer is, I will always be prayerful. I want to seek God every day. My prayer is really, I want to get closer to God day by day. I don't want to wait.

until I have one week to live before seeking after God. What about you? How are you doing today? How many of you are having problems right now or this week or you are having problems? Raise your hand. You are having problems. 嗨嗨 Well, I want to pray for all of you. That God will use whatever problems you have. For you to become better. As far as the Bible is concerned, the New Testament truth to support what I'm saying to you is simply this.

Hebrews chapter 12. This is very important so that you will know why you are having problems. Okay? Always because of sin, but listen to this. Everybody, let's read this together. You have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons. My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord. Together.

Nor faint when you are reproved by him. Everybody read, those whom the Lord loves, he disciplines. And he scourges every son whom he receives. The Bible says, whom the Lord loves, he disciplines. When you are having problems, you may be thinking God has abandoned me. You may be thinking God does not like me anymore. On the contrary, if you keep on reading the Bible, I want you to read the next verse. It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with sons.

What son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are without discipline, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. but God disciplines us for our good so that we may share His holiness. This to me is one of the best verse you can use for the security of believers. What is this verse saying? If we are committing sin,

If you are not walking right with God, God will do something. God the Father disciplines his children. I have five wonderful children. I discipline them. But I don't discipline The children of Pastor Ed. You know why? Because that is Ed's job. They are not my children. I don't discipline your children. You know why? They are not mine. God is telling you the same thing. If you are sinning today, And nothing is happening to you. You need to ask yourself. It's God my father.

You see, God is our Father. If you are not walking with Him, there will surely be discipline. Look at the next verse. All Ero Madrid, all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful. So it's normal. It's not joyful, it's painful, sorrowful. But, everybody read, to those who have been trained by it.

It yields peaceful fruit of righteousness. Now there are many ways God will discipline us: financial problems, relationship problems, boyfriend, girlfriend problems, children problems, health problems. But whatever it is, I want you to know something. Turn to your neighbor, tell your neighbor, God loves you. No, say it with meaning. God loves you. And because God loves you, He will allow problems. And he will allow discipline.

Next principle, God sees our potential. Now, what does it mean? God sees our potential. This is so important. You see, God does not see you as you are now. He sees your potential in Christ. We do the opposite. We judge people. We don't give people a chance because we see people as they are now. God is different. When God looks at you,

God sees what you can become in Christ. Look at Gideon chapter 8. God sees a potentia. The angel of the Lord appeared to him. The Lord is with you, valiant warrior. Гаад took the initiative. Then he appeared to Gideon. And he told Gideon, you valiant warrior. Look at me. Who is Gideon? Gideon was a coward. Gideon was afraid. He was a simple farmer. Gideon never fought any battle. And yet God called him, you are a valiant warrior. Can you imagine that? This guy has never been to any battle.

In fact, he's a farmer. Hiding. And yet God said, you are a valiant warrior. What is the principle? God sees you. Not as you are, but what you can become in Him. Can you turn to your neighbor, tell your neighbor, you are a valiant warrior. You are a coward. You are a valiant warrior. Now, of course, Gideon, being very sincere, replied. Look, Gideon said, Oh my Lord, if the Lord is with us.

Why then has all this happened to us? Where are all of his miracles which our fathers told us about? Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt? Now the Lord has abandoned us. Handed over us to media. Can you see how erroneous we are? We judge God based on our circumstances. God has not abandoned them, but God wants to wake them up. God wants them to know the real problem. You see, you cannot find real peace, real joy apart from God.

Let me repeat. If you are looking for happiness and you think you can find happiness apart from Jesus, Sooner or later you will discover it is not possible. These guys, the Israelites, were disobeying God. And God is saying, you got a problem. And that's why God wanted to use Gideon, but Gideon is so insecure. Look at the next verse. Look at how Gideon looked at himself. Well, look at how God looked at Gideon first. The Lord looked at him and said, Go in this strength of yours and save Israel.

Have I not sent you? Now, God is trying to tell Gideon something. I am going to use you. You are going to be victorious. Let's read the next verse. Gideon said, O Lord! How can I save Israel? You see his problem? My family is the least in Manasseh. Manasseh is one of the tribes of Israel. Two other tribes. And I am the youngest. You see, when you look at yourself, That's the truth. Who am I? So Gideon said, in Tagalog, sino ba ako? How many of you right now?

You are not qualified, you are not able, or you feel inadequate. Raise your hands. 와, you see, that's a good... Once you realize you are inadequate, you are ready for God to use you. You know what scares me? When somebody comes to me and he tells me, Peter, you better get me to be your pastor. I say why? Well I'm so educated, I have a PhD degree, I can speak, you better use me. That person will scare me. If somebody comes and tell me, you know, I don't think I can do this. I'm not adequate.

And I will ask him, are you willing to be used by God? You see, God loves humble people. God promises he gives grace to the humble, but he opposes the proud. So if you feel you're inadequate today, I have good news for you. Humble yourselves before God, and God will use you. So this is Gideon. That's his background. How can I be a valiant warrior? I cannot. Alright, read the next verse. God assured Gideon. Look at God's assurance. Everybody read. The Lord said to him, surely, louder,

I will be with you. So our sufficiency is always God. So God plus you is greater than anything else. including your opponents, including your enemies, including your problems. God bless you. Question, is God with you? Louder. But are you with God? That's a big difference. Are you with God? Somebody was telling President Lincoln, is God on our side? One of the bloodiest civil war in history was the U.S. Civil War, the North and the South. And you know what Abraham Lincoln said?

That's not the right question. Is God with us? The right question, are we on God's side or not? that is the right question are you on God's side how come God uses People who are really not really qualified. Well here's a divine principle. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Here's the amazing principle. Everybody read. Consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh. not many mighty, not many noble, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.

God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. The base things of the world and the despise God has chosen. The things that are not so that he may nullify the things that are. Everybody read, so that no man may boast before God. God uses ordinary people. Noah. Нового кадра!

Abraham lied about his wife. Jacob was a schemer. Elijah suicidal. Moses had temper problem. David, murderer, adulterer. Rahab, prostitute. Jonah ran away from God. Paul, murderer, Peter denied Jesus. Μπορεί να δημιουργήσει οικονομικές κοινωνικές κοινωνικές κοινωνικές κοινωνικές κοινωνικές κοινωνικές κοινωνικές Number three, God trains progressively.

God trains us progressively I've seen how they train people First you swim. I teach you, swim laps. After so many laps, you swim one kilometer a day. After that, two kilometers a day. It takes time. The same thing with God. God trains us. Step by step. Here is the New Testament principle. Philippians chapter 1, verse 8. Step by step. I am confident of this very thing. He who began a good work in you.

perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Do you know the meaning of this? God began a good work in you. To the call of Christ. You surrender your life to Him. God is saying He is continuing at work up to today. He who began a good work in you. Has God begun a good work in your life?

I believe God is working in your life. That's why you are here today. He will perfect. The word perfect is He will complete it. God is going to complete His project in your life. And I'm going to tell you, God is very efficient. And God will use it. He uses what? Problems. But you got to do it step by step. What do I mean by step by step? Well, let's find out, right? Step by step. Let's read. Progressive training. On the same night the Lord said to Gideon,

Remember, step by step. Before you fight the Midianites, you learn to obey me first. Step by step. Take your father's bull, a second bull, seven years old, tear down the altar of Baal, which belongs to your father, cut down the Aserah, Aserah is a goddess that they worship. Baal is a male god. That they worship.

That bes that is beside it. And build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this stronghold in an orderly way and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the asrah. O que é o princípio? To be used by God, you've got to remove the bias in your life. You have to remove idols. Before you can build an altar to worship God, you first get rid of the beals in your life. I call this idol. Now, all of us have idols. but you may not have recognized it

Part of the training of God in your life, in the progressive training of God, He wants you to learn to get rid of idols. What do I mean? How do you define an idol? Well, I like the definition of Martin Lloyd-Jones. Let's read this together. What is an idol? Together. An idol is anything in our lives that occupies the place that should be occupied by God alone. You know, Bill Gothard explained this years ago.

about idolatry. What is idolatry? Everybody read. It is together trusting people, possessions, or positions to do for me what only God can do. Now look at yourself. Dziękuję bardzo. The worst sin in the Old Testament is idolatry. Today, in the twenty first century I submit to you it is still idolatry, except our idols has morphed. Our idols have changed from wooden idols to From golden idols, silver idols, the idols today have changed. It can be relationships.

Do you know the most dangerous idol in your life? Which is hard to detect. Is yourself. Self centeredness. Self sufficiency. When people tell my wife, God loves me, He wants me to be happy, so what's wrong with divorcing my husband? What's wrong? God wants me to be happy. you see look at that statement god wants me to be happy Is that a correct statement? Yes or no? I'm testing your theology. Does God want you to be happy? Yes or no? Louder. You need theology. God is a wonderful God.

God wants you to experience happiness and joy. However, It cannot be experienced apart from when you deny yourself and you follow God. Let me repeat, happiness has to be experienced God's way. Not your way. Because my way is disaster. My way leads to self-worship and sin. And that, my friend, will never work. So, does God want you to be happy? Louder. The secret of happiness is holiness.

Let me repeat, holiness is you set apart your life for God and happiness becomes a byproduct. If you pursue happiness, that becomes your idol and that is a problem. Don't pursue happiness. You pursue God. Until you identify your own idol and surrender that to God, you are not going to move forward. And many, many of us have idols.

Lastly, God wants us to partner with Him. What do we mean by partnership with God? You are committed to God's will. You want to do it God's way, and you want to do it God's time, and you want to do it God's power. That's partnership. Judges six, thirty-six. This is what happened. Gideon said to God, if you are going to save Israel through me. Notice the grammar. You are going to save Israel through me. Partnership.

As you have spoken, behold, I am putting a fleece of wool on the dressing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, it is dry. And then I will know you are going to use me. I will know that you will save Israel through me. It's called the famous test. The fleece. Have you heard of that expression? Fleece. What Joshua is saying, to prove

To let me know that you really want to use me and you have called me. Let's put this fleece out at night. In the morning. When the surrounding area is dry and the fleece is wet. Then I know you are calling me. Do you understand? Scientifically impossible. How can the surrounding area be dry and then the fleece is wet? Is it wrong to ask God for confirmation? Yes or no? You see, Gideon was not testing God. Gideon wanted to be sure. If I were you,

I do this in my own life. I ask for confirmation. Because sometimes we can be presumptuous. Let's talk about marriage. I remember years ago when I was courting my wife, okay? You heard of my love story? You want to hear it again? What is the confirmation? I never proposed to my wife, but I went to the state. Υπότιτλοι AUTHORWAVE the parents. But first, you must make sure that the person you are marrying will say yes to you, right? I mean, that's confirmation. Number two, you must have

their parents' approval, which I got. I got my parental approval, which I got. But then there's one more confirmation. She belongs to an amazing organization called Campus Crusade for Christ. And we decided you got to honor a contract. The contract says, she cannot live until there's a replacement. You see, my wife is so beautiful. It's hard to find a replacement. And third, the president must have money to travel all over Asia because they raised their own support.

Now technically I could have just said, you know what? You are getting out of campus crucified for Christ, you're gonna marry me, I'll take care of you. Adios, goodbye. But that's not how we were trained. We were trained to do God's will. God's way, God's time, in God's power. I have good news for you. Almost 50 years ago, all of this happened. Praise God. You can now see. My friend. God wants us to be His partner.

God's time and God's power. Judges chapter 6, verse 34. You know what it says? The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew the trumpet. And that's why God is our partner. He wants you to know you cannot do this on your own. You need the Holy Spirit in your life.

Do you have the Holy Spirit in your life? When you have the Holy Spirit, you have supernatural power in your life. He changes your heart. He changes your desire. You will no longer be serving God in your own strength. And that, my friend, It's the secret Υπότιτλοι AUTHORWAVE

Too many. Now listen to me. If you are a general and you are fighting one hundred thirty five thousand people, but that's the number of your enemy. What do you want to have? How many soldiers do you need? Most of you, we have many people in the military. What's the ratio? Do you want to have more soldiers? Yes or no? Well, God said, you have too many. So what did God do? Those of you are scared, you leave. So how many left?

20,000. 22,000 left. So how many was left with Gideon? 10,000. 10,000 against 135,000. Now, if you were Gideon, Are still too many. Excuse me. Ten thousand along me. Too many. Now do you know why God wanted to bring down the people? Do you know why? You read the previous verse? Why did God want to reduce the number of people? Look at verse 2. Everybody read. Israel would become proud. My own power has saved me. Υπότιτλοι AUTHORWAVE

Partners means what? You do your part, let God do His part. Your part is to listen and obey. You know what shocked me? Ten thousand must hear too much. So God says, reduce some more. So how many were left? Three hundred. Υπότιτλοι AUTHORWAVE Now if you think that's enough 300, what's your weapon, everybody? What is this?This is not the real thing.I don't know how to do it.What else do you need? I want to I want to bring a soldier here, right? So this is what you are supposed to do.

I want to imagine now you have 300 men. What's their weapon? One hand, trumpet. On the other hand, a jar with torch. Now how many hands do you have? Two. Where is the sword? Where? on the belt but you're gonna fight with trumpet and torch Be honest with me, if you are the general, we set a good strategy. fighting 135,000 men. Not only that, look at

the verse about God's timing, okay? Can you read the next verse about God's timing? You know, go you know who what did God tell Gideon? Well, this is what God said. Gideon, I tell you the time, okay? Here is the time. Well let's start with verse fifteen. Verse fifteen. God is so nice, so patient with Gideon. Υπότιτλοι AUTHORWAVE in English so that you will not be afraid you go down to the camp and you hear what they are talking about

So Gideon went to the camp. The guys were dreaming. You know what was their dream? barley bread, the cheapest kind of bread, barley, not wheat. This is for the poor. The barley bread came down and destroyed the tent and the people interpreted the dream by themselves. This is Gideon. God is giving us to Gideon. He is going to defeat us. When Gideon heard the dream, look at God's timing.

He worshiped the Lord and he said, this is the battle plan. What is the battle plan? You divide the 300 soldiers into three companies. Company A, company B, company C. And what is their weapon? Yana, yana, drama, drama. Okay? Now don't drama yet. And then what must you do? Look at me. He's now brave.

Look at me and do likewise. That is the leader. Do as I do. When I blow the trumpet, around the entire camp you must do the same and Gideon and the hundred men who were with him 300 men went to the outskirts of the camp in the middle of the night do you know what time that is God even specified the time. 10pm at night. You attack them 10 p.m. at night when they had just posted the watch.

And then you must blow the trumpets, everybody read, smash the pitchers that are in the hands. When the three companies blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers, had the torches. in their hands and the trumpets in their right hand they start blowing guess what happened oh demo how do you break the jar it to lang drama lang Okay, Drama, stand up. So you have the torch and uh

Trumpet. What must you do? Keep blowing. Three companies. No. Yes. Very good. Very good. Now, what happened to the hundred thirty five thousand Midianites? God's partnership. Trust God's way. The Bible tells us they fought among themselves. And the rest is history. Friends, is God amazing, yes or no? Now, let me ask you a question. Can you be like Gideon? ¿Sí o no? It's a process. But you cannot be a Gideon until you learn. To realize God is your senior partner. Are you willing to trust Him?

You cannot trust God if you don't know Him. My heart goes out for many of us. Many of you have heard people trust God, trust God, trust God. But you cannot trust God. Can I tell you why? Even if you like to. You know why? You don't know him. You cannot trust somebody you don't know. the more I realize who God is. The more I obey, the more I know Him. And the more I know Him, the more I realize God loves me. And the more I know Him, the more I realize God is faithful.

And the more I know him, I realise God keeps his promises. Question, do you have that encounter with God? Have you invited Jesus as your Lord and Savior? That is step number one.

Until you have Jesus in your heart, how will you get to know God? Number two, after knowing Jesus, slowly but surely, remove the idols from your heart. If God has spoken to you, and you feel like Where do I begin? I suggest you begin by surrendering your idols To the Lord. Whatever it is in your life, whatever is holding you back from surrendering your life, why don't you do it right now? Wherever you are, I will pray for you.

If you have idols in your life, I want to pray for you and you want to surrender it, the condition is you want to surrender that. Will you raise your hand? Yes, you have idols in your heart and you want to surrender that idol. Raise your hand higher. I want to pray for you. I want to pray for those people who you are identifying the idol of your life and you want to surrender them to the Lord. Praise God. Anybody else? Keep your hands up. I'm going to pray for you.

Lord Jesus, I pray for this group of men and women who are identifying, admitting the idols in their lives. And now they are surrendering their idols to you. Lord, as they surrender their idols to you, Will you honor their honest prayer? It is so hard for us to give up our idols. Lord, it is our security. It is our source of happiness. But Lord, you are telling us today, we need to surrender that to you.

And today, Lord, as they surrender their idols to you, I pray you make yourself real. You make yourself so real in their lives that they will fall in love with you, that they will come to know you more and more. To those of you who have never invited Jesus to be your Lord and Savior by faith, okay? I want you to pray this prayer with me now. Pray wherever you are.

You pray this prayer. If you are not yet sure that Christ is in your heart you want to begin the first step you pray this prayer lord jesus I come before you as I am. I need you. I invite you today as my Lord and my Savior. Be my master. I surrender my all to you. You are my senior partner. I will do things. I will do your will. I will do it your way, and I will do it in your time, and above all, I will do it in your power.

Help me to live this kind of a life, a life of surrender to you, a life of peace and joy, knowing that you are in absolute control. In Jesus' name we all pray. Amen and amen. God bless you.