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What Was I Made For by Ps Joyce Khoo | 3 September 2023

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What Was I Made For by Ps Joyce Khoo | 3 September 2023

The sermon, based on a Borneo church service, explores humanity's core purpose: to be fully known and truly loved by God, a concept illustrated by a quote from Tim Keller. The speaker argues that this love must be experienced, not just understood, as Paul prays in Ephesians for believers to grasp Christ's vast love. Purpose and accountability are tied to belief in a Creator; without God, life lacks design and moral direction, leading to self-absorption. The message warns against chasing financial freedom or wealth, which can replace trust in God, citing 1 Timothy 6 to encourage generosity and investing in eternal treasures. Jesus's sacrificial love, depicted as a silent lamb led to slaughter, is the ultimate model, redeeming humanity despite its flaws. Loving God requires engaging the heart, soul, mind, and strength, including using intellect to seek Him through His word, which brings clarity and healing. This love naturally overflows into loving others, demonstrated through sacrifice and service, as children learn what is important by observing what parents prioritize. The speaker shares a testimony of making room for God in a busy schedule, leading to a tangible presence and an unexpected opportunity to share faith. Repentance is framed as a daily outworking of dependence on Christ, and the sermon concludes with an altar call, inviting listeners to rededicate their lives and make space for God's transformative love.

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Your listening to a podcast recorded during a cornerstone Borneo service. For more information, you can follow us on our social media or visit us at www.csc borneo.org. And before I start, there's just this quote that I feel like was so beautiful and this legend just passed away recently, Tim Keller, and he says that "To be loved by not known is comforting but superficial." To be known and not loved is our greatest fear, but to be fully known and truly loved is a lot like being loved by God. It's what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and 45 us for any difficulty life can show at us. And I really felt that you know that is what we're made for. Like human beings, like creation, we are made to be loved by Christ and to love Him and return. And a part of it will always be demonstrated in the love of people. That essentially is the entire sermon. So if you forget everything, I just said, right, this is it, this is the summary. In Ephesians 3, 18, Paul prays that we might grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge. And that feels like a oxymoron, because it says that to know a love that you will never know, essentially, because we will never in our understanding, you know, intellect, understand the depth in which God loves you. So how can we know this love? And I feel like some of the message translation, I know some of those like support against the message translation, but it's a translation anyway, but it means to experience the love of God. Taste and see that the law is good. And I can tell you about the love of God. And people will tell you about the love of God, but if you don't experience it, then people say that you need encounter of Christ. You don't experience that love you will never truly understand what it means. And this concept of purpose that a lot of people are asking for, and it's not something that only Christians ask. Essentially, everyone in the world, to some extent, will ask, what am I here for? Know what do I do? And that for me, right, is the greatest argument of why they need to be a God. Because if there was no God, there would be no creation, there would be no design. And if you're not designed for a purpose, don't you think that would be very random? Like our life would be very, very random. So if there's no creator, there's no design, no design, no purpose, no purpose, no destiny, no destiny, no accountability. So therefore, you can yolo, you can, you know, there's nothing that I'm going to be accountable for. Leave however you want, why is there even a line of what's good and bad, why do we not murder, why do we not kill? What's the purpose if there is no God? And for us to know that there is a God, the purpose here is because one day, we are to stand before Christ and give an account of our lives. And when you stand before Jesus, what are you going to say? Are you going to say that you let a lot of annoyed worship sessions or you preach a great message? But can you stand before God and say that I have truly loved you? And I truly know what it means to be loved by you. Because if there is no God, everything will be driven by self-absorption, self-protection and self-promotion. It sounds very scary because the truth is that's the world. Everyone's leaving for themselves, it's a survival mindset. It's just like, if I don't, if I don't do it, then no one's going to do it for me. So I think as I was just writing this, it reminds me of what am I truly made for. And he told me to look into my week. Because I think that as much as we can say that God, my goal is to be loved by you. But if you look at our week, 85% of our weeks are often chasing good jobs. Learning money, which is not wrong. And everyone is working for this thing called financial freedom. Which is financial stability. They keep saying that one day my money will work for me. But as of right now, you're working for your money. And like, your life is literally for your money. This is financial freedom. Because if, and I thought, you know, if that's 85% of our time. And like, everyone is just like, oh, my job, it's really hard. And it is. I feel like working is still until the Lord. But if that chase of money becomes the thing that you live for. Because you think financial freedom is going to set you free. There are a lot of rich people that are not very free. And there are a lot of rich people that are suffering. Because like that void was never meant to be filled by money. It cannot. And I remember, Pastor Richard and I were sitting on a bike in Barrio and we're just going around the city. And I saw people that were harvesting. I saw people at the market. And I looked at them, right? And every time we come by, you know, they will stop all they do. They'll say, hi to you, wave. And then come, want to have a conversation with you. And I felt like, wow, these people are so rich. Because they were not so busy with everything else that if they had to drop something, they would drop it for you. And I felt like, you know, Jesus had a heavy assignment. But Jesus was never busy. The Bible, there's not a single verse in the Bible that says, Jesus was busy. He's like, he was never busy. But if you talk to anyone, they say, I'm busy. And that becomes the model, you know, as Christians, it's just like, if I do more, I reflect more of Christ. But Jesus didn't do more for the sake of doing. He did it because I only do and I only say what I see my father doing. And that was not being busy. So this whole financial freedom thing, and he asked this question, he says that how much money is then too much? Or how much blessing? I know blessing can be in many forms, not just financial, but how much is too much? And the answer was whatever amount replaces trust. You know, this financial freedom that we're chasing after is essentially to feel void that Jesus is supposed to feel. If too much, for some people that could be just a hundred dollars extra, they have enough. I don't think about today, you know, I've got enough, I'm financially free. There's this real on Instagram that keeps going that, you know, I can safely quit my job and retire today, as long as I die by Sunday. And essentially, that's that concept of freedom that when I don't need to work anymore, I'm free. But if that amount that you have starts to replace the trust that you need of gone in your life, then that amount is too much. In 1 Timothy 6, 17 to 21, it says that command those who are rich in this present world, not to be arrogant, not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain. But to put their hope in God, who richly provides with everything for our enjoyment, command them to do good, to be rich and good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay out treasures for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. So many have little to no appetite for the eternal because they have so little invested there. So funny how like the slightest view drawn sun by a shameless. Yeah. Thank you Sam. Sam has stood and has stopped up to do our slides. But anyway, I think this, it is really hit me because I do realize that when we say that we are made for internal life, we say a lot. But we don't really live it. How many people actually live day to day as though they were saving up for eternity, how many people actually live as though their best investments were in eternity. We make this job in a staff team that every time, we do something, we sacrifice and no one sees, when we were like not sure for certain, we say, though we are mentions in heaven. But at the same time, as much as it is a job, there are certain things that cost that doesn't feel like you will see a fruit here on earth, or even a use of your time. You feel like, you know, if I do this right now, if I do this right now, I probably can earn a hundred bucks here, I probably can get more there, probably get new shoes. And all these things are, they are of earthly good, but are you investing into the eternal life, the life and life abundantly, we are made to be eternal beings. So if we are as Christian, if we don't have eternity as a mindset, you forever live just like everyone else. We will constantly be in this right race that will never come out of, because everyone's got the same goal, it's how much money you take to your grave. How much money can you possibly earn in this next, or how much fame can you earn, how much of a legacy that people talk about, it's just like, how much of myself are able to boast about in this lifetime. But eternity is knowing that there is life after this. And what am I doing to make sure that life is better? life after this is greater than life now. And essentially, this eternal light that we're talking about was paid for at a very high price. In Isaiah 53 verse 7, he says, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before it shears in the silent, he did not open his mouth. Jesus was taken to the cross, just like a lamb to the slaughter. And when you did, I did a little bit of an animal research and it says that if you drank a pig to a slaughterhouse, if you drank a cow to a slaughterhouse, they will make a big deal. They will fuss about it, they know." But when you take a lamb to a slaughter, they know, but they just, they walk, they just walk into it. And like that's the image of love. Is that God was oppressed and afflicted, but He didn't open his mouth when He could, when they ask Him, you know, the sins of the world, you know, you're all this, if you are free, then free yourself. And He could, all the strength do it, 'cause He really didn't know wrong. But that's the kind of love that He had, that He took it to the cross to essentially redeem us so that we couldn't have relationship with Him. And that's what we're designed to be. And the highest price was paid for you to do exactly that, to be loved by God, to be fully known and fully loved. When He died for you, He didn't think of, one day this person's gonna be a great evangelist. I died for Him. Or one day this person is gonna move mountains. I died for Him. He took it at the same people that probably couldn't wake up in time for pre-service this Sunday. Or some people who probably don't wanna go to church or feel like they have nothing to do with Christ. I think they hate Jesus 'cause He's a hypocrite because they do not know Him. He's like, He saw these people and said, You know what? Like a lamb, I will be silent. And I'll still go to the cross. And that's what we are made for. And He will go to search the whole world and find, and no one can love you like He can. Oh my God, Christ, put us out together. The fact that I have been a Christian for like 30 years, or as long as I can remember, and still can stop when I think about what was done. It's a testimony that God goes much beyond a religion. Phew, okay. So anyway, this love that we're talking about that you feel in church, it's not a feeling, it's not a vibe, it's not a how we go with you feel, but it's really it's the Holy Spirit that every time you invite Him into a place, and where His presence is, that is love. 'Cause God is love. He is the creator of love. And you take God out of the equation that is no love and that all that other aspects of what you think is love. It's never going to fill you and you're always going to run dry. 'Cause it's only by the blood of Jesus that was shed for our sins, that we're now reunited with Christ. And that's why we preach the message of repentance. Because if you think that you've got it all together, that you cannot allow the blood of Jesus to wash over you, that you will never understand this love that was died for you, that will shed for you. And repentance isn't about how much right or wrong that you have done in your life. It's not about whether you were bad before, or if you're pretty good now, but it's really that you were once dead. You were dead in your sins and now you are alive. And now you get to be with Christ Jesus, you get to commune with Him, that every time you call Him that He would come, I want to share a little bit of a testimony of what happened yesterday. I think in the midst of my busyness, I felt like God just had to put a stop in my schedule. I had said yes to a client a couple of weeks back, and it was twofolds. That means I had to shoot one, and I just shoot another one yesterday. In the midst of pepping my sermon and all these, I felt God, I can't. I don't have time, I shouldn't go. I'll still stand someone else. But I felt God was saying that, honor whatever you have committed to, just go. And then when I looked at the schedule, we had to shoot something in the morning, and then we had a four hour break in the middle. To do absolutely nothing. You just wait until you have to shoot again. So we went into the villa, like it was a house. And my friend and I, because of that four hours, we just decided, let's just talk about God. So that four hours, we just talked about, you know, the different people we talked about, Catrin Kuhman, we talked about Ryan Hart Bonke, we talked about Amy McPherson, Mariah Woodworth, and all these greats of the faith, you know, that all they did right was they tell God that, like, God, whatever you want in my life, you know, I died to myself, and just come and be with me. And can you imagine? Catrin Kuhman is one of my greatest inspiration, that as she did her healing tents and healing meetings, that as people were coming to her meetings, right, there will be wheelchairs lined up outside the stadium because they will get healed on the way in. That expectation of Christ, just that expectation, she never, she's not even gone on the stage yet, it's just as they were going into her healing revivals, they just left their wheelchairs, and it was their faith that healed them. And anyway, as we were glorifying God in that space, just true conversation, I could feel a tangible shift in the atmosphere, like, you would just feel this weight. And the moment that was that weight, right, and like, I feel like, over time, you learn to recognize when Jesus has come into the room, and he's just there, the weight is just there. And this place belonged to some of our friends who don't fully know Jesus yet, but suddenly, right, he just kept coming in. This guy is just coming in, and he will sit down for a while, he'll look for something, he'll just at the corner, then we will just continue our conversations, and he'll go out again. Primarily, then he'll come back in again, and he'll come a little bit closer, and he'll ask, "Do you want water?" He'll be like, "Oh, okay, there's already water in the table." Like, "Oh, good, oh, good." And he'll be like, "Okay, okay." And he left out again. Then after a while, right, he suddenly just came in, and he could, and he just sat next to us. So he'll say, "Hey, and this is a very well-to-do family." You know, I feel like in the terms of money, stature, like this person has got it all. He's got it all. And he just sat there, he suddenly just asked, he says that, "You know, my daughter's asking questions, and I can't answer." And she's asking me about God, and you could just see Him unrevealing, and these are people. Sometimes we've just your position, right, when you grew up in the kind of background, you just have to, there's a certain wall that you have with people, that you don't open up with everyone, but there is no wall too high that Jesus cannot knock down. So I felt like, all we did, right? We were not trying to convert anyone. We were not trying to convince somebody of a Christian philosophy or theology. We were just welcoming Him in that space, and He just kept asking questions, He was like, "So what time is your church start?" You know, maybe I should bring my kids there, and I could just see in Him that hunger, that God, you are doing something in your people, that people are starting to realize that maybe there is much more to this world than everything that the world has told you to chase after. I think this morning when we were coming into church, I was prepping for this sermon, I kind of feel like with evangelistic sermons, you don't really know where to go. Like, there's a structure, but there's not really a structure. And I felt God was saying that, "Hey, you know, if this morning you would make room for me, "like how you make room for me yesterday, I would move, "and I would come and you would know." And I know that He's here. I feel the weight of it too. It's probably why I keep crying. But that is the God that we worship. He's a God that is never too busy to come into your life and just sit with you. He's a God that, and you know just now we were singing the song, "I'm waste my hours and my days." And it's very funny how they used to work waste. 'Cause I think that in God's perspective, no time spent with Him is ever wasted. To just sit in His presence and do absolutely nothing is never wasted. But it will always look like waste in the eyes of the world. Is that when you have a people that are chasing every single thing and trying to like come up with new ways on excellence and efficiency, right? There is a God that looks in the world's eyes like wasted time. And that's the same story as Noah. You're building an app in which everyone thinks is a waste of time. But essentially whatever you do until the Lord, you're investing to eternity. And that app is gonna be your salvation and the salvation of your family. It's the only thing that's actually gonna last beyond. Anything that you think that you are working on on this day and age, on earth that you feel it's for the generations to come. Even if you think it's money, it's not. The only thing that we want to invest in our children is that love of Christ. And that's the only thing that's going to give them protection. Because if money was going to save Noah, you should just build an ark with like dollars. But he says that, "No, like, build me a place in which I will find my rest and my home. Now make me a dwelling place." An Ephesians 2, 1-10, it's really long, but he talks about, "We will want that because of disobedience and our many sins. We used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil. The commander of the powers of the unseen world, he is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. And all of us used to live that way. Following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. And that's the thing, it's all of us, he says, "For all have fallen short of his glory." I think this morning, if there's part of you that feels like there's a repentance in you, it doesn't matter if you are a Christian from before, but I think when he says that you work out your salvation daily, you pick up your cross, you carry it daily. It's because every day there's probably something in you that needs to die for that salvation to come through. And repentance is a daily out work. It's the understanding that God without you, I cannot do this. And if you have gone a day thinking that you can do it without Christ, then this is the call to repentance already. That there is nothing, there is no strength, there is no love without Christ. To love him will always be a. It's like a logical response. I think in Bill Johnson gave this really beautiful analogy. He was saying that, "The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength." And he talked about how he went for this fine dining experience. And the two things that he doesn't like is oysters and caviar. So he thinks both of them, when you eat it individually, he says that it tastes horrible, he doesn't like it. Then he decided to go to this fine dining restaurant. And when the chef took out the first dish, it was oysters with caviar on it, and a little bit of something else. And he looked at it and he notched his wife. And he says that, "We're paying too much money for this meal." Because he's like, "I do not like that." But he was like, "I paid so much already, I'm just going to eat it." So when he ate it, he says that he could feel like the angels descend from heaven and sing hallelujah. He was like, "It was so good!" He was like, "How is it that the two things I do not like have created the one thing that I now love the most?" He was like, "This is not my favourite thing." Then he realized that for many of us, that's the word of God. Because if you read certain parts of it, parts of it are sour, parts of it that don't feel nice, parts of it that don't make entirely sense to you right now, they all come together and when you eat it as a whole, to make the best dish that you will ever taste. And to love him is to love his word. It is not true because it's in the Bible, it is true, it is in the Bible because it's true. And the thing about truth is that you cannot take it in parts. So when you say that God, I want to love you, you've got to love all the parts of him, all the parts of his words, the parts that kind of hurt sometimes, the parts that feel it's contradictory to your lives. Those parts when you eat it all together will make the best dish that you ever taste. And the one thing that he sort of went on to that I felt like really spoke to me was about, he says, "Love your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength." I think we get all your heart and all your soul to some extent. But all your mind, I was lying. That means God sees the intellect as a love language. That your mind essentially is a tool to love God. They say that in the book of Psalms, David and the Watchmen, they stayed up late at night and they interceded and prayed for God to move. And there were some nights where he just woke up in the middle of the night to consider God. That's all he did, came in a minute like you just wake up. It's like not even to like, "Okay, I've got agenda, I need to pray, I need to sit for like tribal gathering, I need to pray for this is this." He woke up in the middle of the night to consider. "Hey God, what are you thinking about?" And like that is strength, that is love. You love God to a point that in everything that you do, you would consider Him. And I realized that, you know, the mind is so powerful because if you love God, the clarity of thought that comes with it, you can't love God. You know, you probably could love Him with your heart, you could cry, you could feel things. But you know, if you're not taking care of your mind, you're intellect, if you're not feeling yourself with the word of God, there's no clarity of mind, things like depression and anxiety. I'm not saying that these things happen, you know, just because it's a spiritual attack. I understand your many levels to it, but the word of God in itself is healing. There's healing in the word of God. And the more that you immerse yourself in His word, in Him and loving Him, the more that it's clarity it might, for anxiety and all these things to leave is when you consider God. Like, "God, where are you right now? Before you do something, God, are you here?" And I feel that, I feel like I can't say this the way He says it because, you know, I'm still trying to figure out the revelation of it. It says that a person who has limited control of their thoughts, have limited ability to love God with their mind. And the battle is to be clear enough to love God with your intellect. That God is not a God that goes against your logical reasoning, you know? Some people think that, "Oh, you know, I can't understand this like every fairy god, it doesn't make sense." But the thing is, if you immerse yourself in the word, God makes sense, God made sense. The creator of sense is God. And the longer and the more that you try to search the whole world to try to make sense of the person who created common sense, the more you're just going to be really confused. Why I think we have so many confused Christians because they're searching everywhere else to try to make sense of a God that created sense. It's in His word and as He brings revelation to you, you will understand what it means to love God with your mind. And the one aspect of this love that I felt really hit me was when she talked about love looks like sacrifice, that it's a cost to it. I mean, if Jesus was the model of love and the model of love was a cross, it wasn't roses or dinner and movies, it was a cross. And if that is the model of love, then what kind of love are we modeling for those around us? And really for our children? He says that our kids learn what is important according to what we sacrifice for. So at a very young age, we will sacrifice for their education. We will say stuff like I want to pay for you to go to the best school because that is a sacrifice that I do out of love because I think it's important. Over time, they will see it as important. And for some of us, it's like music lessons, you know, it's holidays, we sacrifice for you to go on a holiday so we have enough to have fun. And then He asks His question, you know, what do you wake up early for? And what do you stand in a long line for? And then I realize, you know, I can say a lot of things but in the end of the day, you know, if you have children, if you had inheritance that you're going to pass on, when they look at you, what are they going to say? That they think looks important in your life. What are you doing currently or how are you living your life for them to look and say, oh wow, Jesus is important. Like God, my relationship with God is important. Because we prophesy with our actions, what is valuable to us. And lastly, it's really, it's to love people. That when you are so in love with God, and when you are loved by Him, you will naturally love people. Because loving people is to become like Him. And He says that if you love me, you would feed my sheep. And spiritual realities will always have to be measurable in the natural. He says that, you know, like some people say that, you know, you're of all heavily good but of no earthly use. And the thing that the truth is, no, it's not that way. If you are of heaven, the only way to be of earthly use is to be of heavily good. Isn't it? Because if you're going to try to do good here on earth with your own strength, it's not going to go very far. If you're not trying to love people out of like, man, I'm going to like take out all my time. I'm going to meet everyone this week. And I ask everyone how they are. And just like spend time with everyone like a checkbox. So you're going to run dry. And it's going to be of no earthly good. If it's not of heavenly good. And all blessings. untuk banyak orang yang berlaku, saya rasa, kami berkata di dalam tempat yang kami ada sangat menerima, dan kami masih berlaku, dan sekarang kami berlaku. Semua orang yang berlaku, tetapi, dan semua orang yang terlalu berlaku, dan semua orang yang terlalu berlaku, dan semua orang yang terlalu berlaku dan semua orang yang terlalu berlaku dan semua orang yang terlalu berlaku dan semua orang yang terlalu berlaku I think that's always looking for and he knows our capacity. He knows the capacities that you have. sebab dia ada di masa ini, dan dia akan takkan berkata di masa. Tapi dia akan selalu risaukan beberapa dolar untuk kamu di dalam sebab dia buat begitu dalam love. Jika ada sebuah transaksi, jika dia akan berkata lebih banyak, jika dia ada lebih banyak favor, tapi mereka ada beberapa dolar yang hanya berkata-kata. Jadi, kecuali-cuali saya just hope, ada di percayaan, yang kita akan mencari kepada orang lain yang berkata di dalam love. Awak tahu, Paul, orang lain, yang berkata seorang yang sangat baik, saya rasa macam, "How can Paul be human? Paul, introduce himself as a love servant to Christ?" Itu saja. All the things he could have said, he says, "I, Paul, a love servant, a bond servant to Christ." I think the closer that we walked to the cross, the more we realized that it is better to be a love servant of God than to be a master anywhere else. This is the love of Christ that we want to share with others. This freedom that we have in our church when we sing songs are the freedom essential to carry out so that people in this city will understand what it means to serve a good and loving father. I'm going to invite the Washington team up. I just want to open for an auto call because I feel like it's been a while that we have made one. And there's a church where a place where we want to bring you back to what you are really made for. So, all eyes closed and all heads bowed. Father, I know you're here this morning. I pray that you'll just be with us. And for those that you have called, God, I just pray your presence upon that right now. But I pray that your hands will just be upon them, upon their hearts. I pray that you will grip them. I pray that you will call your children home. Thank God we have all sin and foreshort of your glory. That we need you. We need you, Jesus, we know that you have died on the cross for our sin so that we can be reconciled back to you. That we can have a life and life abundantly. That we know what it means to be loved and fully loved by you. God, who designed love. You are love. This morning, I feel like if you want to give your life to Christ, if you want to rededicate your life to Christ and say, "God, you know, I've just been living for everything else. God, I want you to come into my life again." All eyes will remain closed. I pray you just raise your hands. Amen. Thank you. God, come and be our personal Savior. So many of us, I just feel like we know this God, this great God, this God of this church. I think God wants to be your personal Savior. That Jesus wants to commune with you. Not just you as a body of Christ or you as a. someone who's serving together for a bunch of people, but he wants to have a relationship with you. So God, forgive us of our sins, Lord. If we have put anything else on our. on our outtests, that has taken a place that we know, that even blessings that we have put on our outtests, even favour, even ministry, even anointing God, I pray that you just remove it from our outtests. God, come and be the one on our throne once again. You alone will be praised in our life's God. I just pray that this love that you have for overflow in our hearts into the life of others, I pray love for these harvests that it's coming. I pray for the people that the grounds will be softened, Lord. That when it is time for the harvests that you will find laborers in this house, that will carry you with the love of Christ into the cities, into the nations. God, this morning, I pray for those that have had their hands, in the soil as we prepare, and gear up for tribal gathering, as we gear up for Marlon Panther Costa. Remind us the wise of why we do this. Remind us God that we do this because God, we want to bring your children home. And God, will we always be space for you? Will we never be too busy that there's no place for you to move? Then we will be still and know that you are gone. So I thank you, and for those that have given their lives to Christ, for those that have decided they want to give their whole life. You want to read a line again. I pray that you see those hands, you see those authors, and you see their hearts. Then ultimately, God, that you will call them home and you will make yourself known. Your hand is not too short, but whatever walls that has been built up, God, I pray that you knock it down and you will make yourself known. So we thank you, Lord, for what you have done. We thank you for your presence this morning. Jesus, name we pray. Amen. You've just listened to a production of Cornice Don't For New. Please note that all on authorized reproduction, distribution, or sale of the recording is prohibited. For permission to reproduce or distribute the sermon, please write in to [email protected]. Thank you for tuning in to our podcast and be hope that you have been blessed.

Podcast Summary

Key Points:

  1. The sermon centers on humanity's purpose
  2. Knowing God's love requires personal experience, not just intellectual understanding, as emphasized through prayer and encountering the Holy Spirit.
  3. Purpose and accountability stem from belief in a Creator; without God, life lacks design, destiny, and moral grounding.
  4. Chasing financial freedom or earthly wealth can replace trust in God, becoming an idol; true freedom is found in investing in eternity.
  5. Jesus modeled love through sacrifice, like a silent lamb led to slaughter, paying the highest price for redemption.
  6. Loving God involves all aspects
  7. Love is demonstrated through sacrifice and loving others, as spiritual realities must be measurable in natural actions.
  8. Repentance is a daily practice, acknowledging dependence on Christ and making room for His presence amid busyness.

Summary:

The sermon, based on a Borneo church service, explores humanity's core purpose: to be fully known and truly loved by God, a concept illustrated by a quote from Tim Keller. The speaker argues that this love must be experienced, not just understood, as Paul prays in Ephesians for believers to grasp Christ's vast love. Purpose and accountability are tied to belief in a Creator; without God, life lacks design and moral direction, leading to self-absorption.

The message warns against chasing financial freedom or wealth, which can replace trust in God, citing 1 Timothy 6 to encourage generosity and investing in eternal treasures. Jesus's sacrificial love, depicted as a silent lamb led to slaughter, is the ultimate model, redeeming humanity despite its flaws. Loving God requires engaging the heart, soul, mind, and strength, including using intellect to seek Him through His word, which brings clarity and healing.

This love naturally overflows into loving others, demonstrated through sacrifice and service, as children learn what is important by observing what parents prioritize. The speaker shares a testimony of making room for God in a busy schedule, leading to a tangible presence and an unexpected opportunity to share faith. Repentance is framed as a daily outworking of dependence on Christ, and the sermon concludes with an altar call, inviting listeners to rededicate their lives and make space for God's transformative love.

FAQs

The main message is that humans are made to be loved by Christ and to love Him in return, which is demonstrated in loving people. This love liberates us from pretense and self-righteousness.

We can know it by experiencing it, not just hearing about it. The sermon emphasizes that experiencing God's love through an encounter with Christ is essential to truly understanding it.

The purpose is to stand before Christ one day and give an account of our lives, having truly loved God and known His love. Without God, life would be random and without purpose or accountability.

Financial freedom is not the ultimate goal because it cannot fill the void meant for God. The sermon states that too much wealth is whatever amount replaces trust in God, and true freedom comes from relying on Him.

Investing in eternal life means living with an eternal mindset, doing good deeds and being generous, as described in 1 Timothy 6. It involves prioritizing God's kingdom over earthly gains like money or fame.

Jesus's love is described as sacrificial and silent, like a lamb led to slaughter. He willingly went to the cross to redeem us, even knowing our flaws, to enable a relationship with God.

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