WEBVTT 00:00:02.162 --> 00:00:12.198 We want to celebrate one of us and thank you for celebrating our anniversary 29 years, amen. 00:00:12.198 --> 00:00:12.599 Amen. 00:00:12.599 --> 00:00:20.571 13th of August 1994 was a very eventful day. 00:00:20.571 --> 00:00:25.143 Thank you, jesus, and the Lord has walked with us. 00:00:25.143 --> 00:00:29.251 All this we celebrate and I thank God for Martha. 00:00:29.251 --> 00:00:41.923 I thank God for Martha and Martha, if you're watching, thank you for bearing with me all these years and it has been a great journey and we give God a glory. 00:00:43.539 --> 00:00:53.790 We also want to celebrate with Pastor Simon, who is away in Mombasa, coming back, I think, later in the day, and yesterday Pastor Simon was honored. 00:00:53.790 --> 00:01:10.948 He was given an honorary doctorate, amen, an honorary doctorate degree of divinity from Peace Foundation, christian University of the United States of America. 00:01:10.948 --> 00:01:12.400 Amen. 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:15.608 So we celebrate him. 00:01:15.608 --> 00:01:17.362 Isn't he looking good? 00:01:17.362 --> 00:01:35.231 Now, next Sunday, when he shows up, tell him to come with that gown, simon Mesquia Paluco, and so begin to refer to him as Reverend Dr Simon Mwangin Degwa. 00:01:35.231 --> 00:01:39.379 Thank you, jesus, amen. 00:01:39.379 --> 00:01:56.786 And Pastor Simon has been quite involved in peace work, even as he has been preaching from different places, and this university noticed it and began to talk to him and they were able to give him that honorary degree. 00:01:56.786 --> 00:01:58.170 And we celebrate Pastor Simon. 00:01:58.170 --> 00:02:04.640 Why don't we give him another big, big hand in Jesus' name, amen. 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:11.430 So ask your neighbor welcome to degree can you. 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:18.722 Somebody saying I have a PhD, phd. 00:02:18.722 --> 00:02:29.449 Phd can mean anything, it can mean Penguine Hannah degree but we thank God even for those in our midst who have PhDs. 00:02:29.449 --> 00:02:38.504 They have masters, they have PhDs and we celebrate honorary degrees, academic degrees and all the degrees that God gives to you. 00:02:38.504 --> 00:02:41.123 Tell your neighbor, god is taking us higher. 00:02:41.123 --> 00:02:45.700 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:02:45.700 --> 00:02:53.252 We have been involved in engaging one of our counties and we want to thank God. 00:02:54.221 --> 00:03:05.211 El Gayo Marraquet County is a county that was adopted by one of our house groups, from Wemuto, and we have been really engaging with them. 00:03:05.211 --> 00:03:16.068 We had a serious meeting at Sankara with many of the stakeholders from that county and the governor attended that meeting and he sent us a letter. 00:03:16.068 --> 00:03:24.967 We received greetings and a precision letter from his excellency Governor Wesley Rotich and we just want to thank God for the engagement that we have. 00:03:24.967 --> 00:03:30.731 We're engaging under the umbrella of what we are calling hashtag love embraced. 00:03:30.731 --> 00:03:33.746 Tell your neighbor, hashtag, love embraced. 00:03:33.746 --> 00:03:40.717 So we're embracing that county to reach out at all levels. 00:03:40.717 --> 00:03:54.490 Just the other day I was with a CS Mulkomen and we had some extensive discussion about the progress of what is happening in El Gayo Marraquet and we believe that God has just opened that door for us to make a difference. 00:03:54.490 --> 00:04:01.008 The team hashtag love embraced just asked me to say this. 00:04:01.008 --> 00:04:05.687 As we agreed, doing good is good business. 00:04:05.687 --> 00:04:09.187 Doing good is good for your business. 00:04:09.187 --> 00:04:25.228 Love embraced is therefore an opportunity for everyone who would want to do good that can contribute towards healing, causing relief and support the people and communities in El Gayo, marraquet, build more towards alternative live loads and sustainable peace. 00:04:25.228 --> 00:04:49.569 It could be an idea, an innovation, an investment in a sector, seeds donation, tourism opportunities, a food package, a package for girls in school, a donation of fruit trees, tree seedlings, counseling services, agricultural technology, a house for the security officers at thought and a manufacturing plant, and so on and so forth. 00:04:49.569 --> 00:04:52.269 This is our engagement in that community. 00:04:53.562 --> 00:04:56.430 I'd also like to say that an opportunity is coming up for us. 00:04:56.430 --> 00:04:58.747 It's called an opportunity validation week. 00:04:58.747 --> 00:05:12.201 It's scheduled for the second week of October, 8th to 14th October, and we want to engage with this community and they'll be going to that community that we have a team from here. 00:05:12.201 --> 00:05:14.369 The love embraced team will be going there. 00:05:14.369 --> 00:05:25.329 We want to ask those who are from that community please connect with us here at the office, find out more information and we also want to ask our members in whatever way possible. 00:05:25.329 --> 00:05:32.312 Whichever way you'd like to connect and pray and contribute, please let us know at the office. 00:05:32.312 --> 00:05:34.747 You'll be given some more details out there. 00:05:34.747 --> 00:05:36.262 Look at your neighbor, tell your neighbor. 00:05:36.262 --> 00:05:45.089 Hashtag love embraced El Gayo, marraquet Amen. 00:05:46.161 --> 00:05:50.411 I don't know if we have any members from that section in our congregation. 00:05:50.411 --> 00:05:59.487 If you can just stand, if you're here, we just want to acknowledge and celebrate those from that county and I'm telling you we are going from one county to another. 00:05:59.487 --> 00:06:01.622 We have any in our midst. 00:06:01.622 --> 00:06:04.766 Amen, amen. 00:06:04.766 --> 00:06:05.627 God bless you. 00:06:05.627 --> 00:06:07.711 God bless you, thank you, thank you. 00:06:07.711 --> 00:06:08.531 Thank you, thank you, amen. 00:06:08.531 --> 00:06:22.980 So we really appreciate you and we want to engage with your community in a big way, really enable County Aconigani, ask them. 00:06:22.980 --> 00:06:25.428 Ask them and don't say shimahoko. 00:06:25.428 --> 00:06:29.005 We just need to find out the right county. 00:06:33.019 --> 00:06:39.184 By the way, as we are getting into revival season, we also are very involved in county number one, which is which one? 00:06:39.184 --> 00:06:41.048 Mombasa. 00:06:41.048 --> 00:06:42.745 We got very involved. 00:06:42.745 --> 00:06:53.151 We have some of our members also going to Kilifi and so we're moving from place to place and we want to just make a difference in this country, because this is our country. 00:06:53.151 --> 00:06:58.408 Tell your neighbor, this is our country and as a church, we're not just preaching. 00:06:58.408 --> 00:07:01.028 We want to engage the stakeholders that are coming on board. 00:07:01.028 --> 00:07:01.608 They're amazing. 00:07:01.608 --> 00:07:06.387 We have people from banks, we have people from the private sector. 00:07:06.387 --> 00:07:12.785 We are people from very many places wanting to connect because of what we are just doing as love embraced. 00:07:12.785 --> 00:07:14.144 So we thank God for that. 00:07:14.144 --> 00:07:20.083 I want to ask the media team to give us a clip very quickly, and then we shall read the scriptures for today. 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:26.944 Our Father who art in heaven. 00:07:26.944 --> 00:07:29.812 Hallowed be thy holy name. 00:07:29.812 --> 00:07:31.923 Thy kingdom come. 00:07:31.923 --> 00:07:36.512 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:07:36.512 --> 00:07:38.100 Kingdom. 00:07:38.100 --> 00:07:41.309 Prayer is a powerful avenue to relate with God. 00:07:41.309 --> 00:07:45.627 Do you like to know how to pray from the kingdom's perspective? 00:07:45.627 --> 00:07:51.170 Prayers that prevail a guide on effective praying is ideal for you. 00:07:51.170 --> 00:08:03.250 Authored by Reverend Ambrose Nyungau, the senior pastor of Buckland's Baptist Church, prayers that prevail will equip you with practical knowledge to pray according to God's word. 00:08:03.250 --> 00:08:07.148 Invest today in acquiring kingdom principles. 00:08:07.148 --> 00:08:16.533 To place your order, call 0722 845 401 or visit Paki's bookshop. 00:08:16.533 --> 00:08:24.913 Payment is through the MPB by Goods Tilneberg, 564 1249. 00:08:24.913 --> 00:08:31.612 Prayer that prevails the effective oven prayer of a righteous man avails much. 00:08:34.403 --> 00:08:36.005 Amen, amen. 00:08:36.005 --> 00:08:38.990 Shall we stand. 00:08:38.990 --> 00:09:00.206 By the way, this book is available immediately after this service and this book is about the Lord's Prayer, our Father, who art in heaven, and thank you, alex Barton, for giving voice to that clip Amen. 00:09:00.206 --> 00:09:04.874 Not only does he give voice, they also create all the words and everything that needs to be said. 00:09:04.874 --> 00:09:09.871 The team in the media team put the pictures and all that. 00:09:09.871 --> 00:09:14.750 So let's celebrate the media team and what they do in Jesus' name. 00:09:14.750 --> 00:09:16.383 Amen. 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:21.188 We are reading from Acts, chapter 9, verse 1 to 9. 00:09:21.188 --> 00:09:24.207 Today we are talking about empowered calling, unveiled. 00:09:24.207 --> 00:09:28.028 This is the month as we talk about empowered calling. 00:09:28.028 --> 00:09:31.275 Look at your neighbor and tell your neighbor you look cold. 00:09:31.275 --> 00:09:40.903 Amen, regardless of what that calling is, tell them I am an empowered person who has been called. 00:09:40.903 --> 00:09:42.548 Tell them Amen. 00:09:42.548 --> 00:09:50.303 And the character for the month is Paul, and we want to read his conversion. 00:09:51.130 --> 00:10:08.962 The Bible says then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogue of Damascus so that if he found any who are off the way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 00:10:08.962 --> 00:10:16.042 As he journeyed, he came near Damascus and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 00:10:16.042 --> 00:10:23.600 Then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him Saul, saul, why are you persecuting me? 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:25.789 And he said who are you, lord? 00:10:25.789 --> 00:10:30.601 Then the Lord said I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 00:10:30.601 --> 00:10:33.519 It is hard for you to kick against the gods. 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:38.221 So he, trembling and astonished, said Lord, what do you want me to do? 00:10:38.221 --> 00:10:45.744 Then the Lord said to him arise and go into the city and you'll be told what you must do. 00:10:45.744 --> 00:10:52.803 And the man who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 00:10:52.803 --> 00:10:57.809 Then Saul arose from the ground and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. 00:10:57.809 --> 00:11:08.807 But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus and he was three days without sight and neither ate nor drank. 00:11:08.826 --> 00:11:12.933 This is God's word and God's people say amen, amen. 00:11:12.933 --> 00:11:14.599 Please be seated Again. 00:11:14.599 --> 00:11:17.809 We invite all those who are watching us online. 00:11:17.809 --> 00:11:25.789 Thank God for our congregation at the pavilion and wherever you may be watching this message, may God speak to your heart in a mighty way. 00:11:25.789 --> 00:11:29.320 Shall we pray, father, in the name of Jesus. 00:11:29.320 --> 00:11:30.809 We celebrate your word. 00:11:30.809 --> 00:11:35.809 We thank you that in a service like this, we can worship you in song. 00:11:35.809 --> 00:11:38.789 We can worship you in time of prayer. 00:11:38.789 --> 00:11:43.782 We can worship you in time of giving, but we can also worship you in time of hearing your word. 00:11:43.782 --> 00:11:48.701 The Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. 00:11:48.701 --> 00:11:57.809 So, father, this month of empowered calling, enable us to understand our calling, enable us to walk in that calling, enable us to fulfill that calling. 00:11:57.809 --> 00:12:12.130 We thank you for your word and, as Pastor Ambrose speaks, speak through him, holy Spirit, and speak to your people, because we have prayed all these things in Jesus' name and God's people say it Amen, amen. 00:12:12.130 --> 00:12:13.616 Empowered calling. 00:12:13.616 --> 00:12:15.274 We're going to talk about Paul. 00:12:15.274 --> 00:12:18.522 We want to just see what that calling is all about. 00:12:19.191 --> 00:12:23.780 But I want to say this even in the beginning that a call is not an event. 00:12:23.780 --> 00:12:26.554 So tell your neighbor, a call is not an event. 00:12:26.554 --> 00:12:32.620 A call is a mindset, is a way of thinking. 00:12:32.620 --> 00:12:36.558 Many times people wonder how do people get called? 00:12:36.558 --> 00:12:43.517 But I want you to know that God calls you to salvation, that there's a call to salvation. 00:12:43.517 --> 00:12:45.809 He says come to me, you who live under heavy laden. 00:12:45.809 --> 00:12:50.236 There's a call to salvation, but there is also a call to success. 00:12:50.236 --> 00:12:55.275 A call to success, God wants us to succeed. 00:12:55.275 --> 00:12:58.297 Tell your neighbor, god wants us to succeed. 00:12:58.297 --> 00:13:01.394 God did not call us to failure. 00:13:01.394 --> 00:13:03.640 God has called us to be excellent. 00:13:03.640 --> 00:13:05.917 So we were called to salvation. 00:13:05.917 --> 00:13:08.475 We were called to success. 00:13:08.475 --> 00:13:11.537 We have also been called to significance. 00:13:11.537 --> 00:13:13.809 Your life is a life of significance. 00:13:13.809 --> 00:13:25.789 It's a life where you fulfill God's calling in your life, and so sometimes you need to understand that your calling is not just an event, it's a mindset, and God wants you to know that he can call you from any place. 00:13:25.789 --> 00:13:27.416 You don't have to qualify. 00:13:27.416 --> 00:13:30.597 When God calls you is when he qualifies you. 00:13:30.597 --> 00:13:34.418 You don't have to qualify to be called. 00:13:34.418 --> 00:13:39.075 God calls you and then does what Qualifies you. 00:13:39.830 --> 00:13:42.958 Now listen to this verse in 1 Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 26. 00:13:42.958 --> 00:13:46.779 The Bible says this about where some of us were called from. 00:13:46.779 --> 00:13:53.423 It says this brothers and sisters, think of what you are when you are called. 00:13:53.423 --> 00:13:57.581 Not many of you are wise by human standards. 00:13:57.581 --> 00:14:00.399 Not many were influential. 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:02.778 Not many were of noble birth. 00:14:02.778 --> 00:14:08.482 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. 00:14:08.482 --> 00:14:13.041 God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 00:14:13.041 --> 00:14:27.809 God chose the lowly things of this world and despised things, the things that are not to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. 00:14:27.809 --> 00:14:32.789 God called you when God called you to salvation, it's not because you are so smart. 00:14:32.789 --> 00:14:38.809 God called us because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 00:14:39.592 --> 00:14:48.769 God chose you just to know that, out of eight billion people in this world, god chose you to do something, to be something. 00:14:48.769 --> 00:14:51.809 Hallelujah, god chose you. 00:14:51.809 --> 00:14:53.456 You are important, you are special. 00:14:53.456 --> 00:14:59.789 God doesn't come looking for people who have been beaten down and out and there's nothing they can offer. 00:14:59.789 --> 00:15:04.682 God knows that when you came to this earth, you had something to offer. 00:15:04.682 --> 00:15:08.740 Look at your neighbor and tell your neighbor you were created to offer something. 00:15:08.740 --> 00:15:13.789 Tell your neighbor you look like you are carrying big things for you. 00:15:13.789 --> 00:15:15.414 You are carrying big things for this world. 00:15:15.414 --> 00:15:20.471 Hallelujah, hallelujah. 00:15:20.471 --> 00:15:24.996 Yes, you know, don't live your life just carrying around your intestines. 00:15:24.996 --> 00:15:28.615 God wants you to do amazing things. 00:15:28.615 --> 00:15:33.434 Hello, you know, some of us just live like that. 00:15:33.434 --> 00:15:36.335 You must live with significance. 00:15:36.335 --> 00:15:36.937 There's something. 00:15:36.937 --> 00:15:37.658 God created you. 00:15:37.658 --> 00:15:40.157 That's why you're on this planet in this season, in this time. 00:15:41.830 --> 00:15:45.789 You are to be born in 1840. 00:15:45.789 --> 00:15:51.592 You are to be born around now because you had something to offer, something for the world. 00:15:51.592 --> 00:15:55.557 So when God called you, he called you for a reason and for a purpose. 00:15:55.557 --> 00:15:59.697 He called you because there's a harvest to be harvested. 00:15:59.697 --> 00:16:04.701 The Bible says this in Matthew, chapter nine, verse 35. 00:16:04.701 --> 00:16:08.038 Jesus is going through the villages and the towns, and this is what he says. 00:16:08.830 --> 00:16:17.160 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 00:16:17.160 --> 00:16:27.365 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 00:16:27.365 --> 00:16:34.322 Then he said to his disciples the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 00:16:34.322 --> 00:16:41.288 Then he said ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 00:16:41.288 --> 00:16:43.174 There's a harvest. 00:16:43.174 --> 00:16:44.278 That's why you're on this planet. 00:16:44.278 --> 00:16:46.850 There's something that God wants you to do. 00:16:47.370 --> 00:16:50.863 There's an idea that God wants to bring through you to the world. 00:16:50.863 --> 00:16:52.408 That is why you exist. 00:16:52.408 --> 00:16:52.929 That's why you're here. 00:16:52.929 --> 00:16:55.201 That's why you need to be born again. 00:16:55.201 --> 00:16:56.950 That's why you need to be successful. 00:16:56.950 --> 00:17:01.950 That's why you need to be a person of significance, hallelujah. 00:17:01.950 --> 00:17:14.703 And so, when God was looking around and he saw that the disciples needed help, god started looking for a man called Saul, because Saul was completely fighting God. 00:17:14.703 --> 00:17:18.159 That's why you don't have to be so saved to be called. 00:17:18.159 --> 00:17:27.721 Sometimes you don't even need to be saved to be called, because a calling is something that God places upon your life to make a difference in the world. 00:17:27.761 --> 00:17:39.874 If you read the stories in the Bible working on Moses, working on Abraham, working on Ruth, working on Hannah they were called for particular assignments and God wants you to fulfill an assignment. 00:17:39.874 --> 00:17:42.881 And sometimes you may think God just wants you to be a preacher. 00:17:42.881 --> 00:17:46.116 No, not many of us are called to preach. 00:17:46.116 --> 00:17:54.260 If some of you are brought here to just even say your name, hello, you just faint. 00:17:54.260 --> 00:17:55.343 Do you like me to call you? 00:17:55.343 --> 00:17:58.054 I'm looking at you. 00:17:58.054 --> 00:17:59.679 Do you want me to just call you? 00:17:59.679 --> 00:18:03.337 Of course, those watching us online when I say my heart, where's the fika apple? 00:18:03.337 --> 00:18:04.381 Because they're online. 00:18:06.172 --> 00:18:08.115 But some of us, god prepared us. 00:18:08.115 --> 00:18:25.335 I remember the first testimony I gave was not a very good testimony because I was young, I was around 16 years old, I had just given my life to Christ, and then our Sunday school teacher was so excited because among all the boys there, I was the first one to get saved, and he was just excited. 00:18:25.335 --> 00:18:37.692 So one day, when parents had come and we were sitting there out of nowhere, he said oh, we are so excited that God is moving in our midst and God has touched one of our young people and he's saved Ambrose. 00:18:37.692 --> 00:18:40.598 Can you stand up and tell us what God has done in your life? 00:18:40.598 --> 00:18:45.075 That was the day. 00:18:45.075 --> 00:18:52.413 You know, at that particular time you're also trying to impress some girls and now you're being called as you're saved. 00:18:52.914 --> 00:18:53.336 I didn't know. 00:18:53.336 --> 00:19:00.681 I froze proper, because if somebody just calls your name out of the blue and says that come and say something, I froze. 00:19:00.681 --> 00:19:01.682 I got finished. 00:19:01.682 --> 00:19:07.603 It's like somebody had pinned me on the seat and I could not move. 00:19:07.603 --> 00:19:12.950 Now, of course, after he had said it, everybody is quiet and they're waiting for me to stand up. 00:19:12.950 --> 00:19:16.930 So when I realized I have to stand up anyway, I was so tense. 00:19:16.930 --> 00:19:19.976 So when I stood up, I stood up like a spring. 00:19:19.976 --> 00:19:27.771 I just went and I stood up and I looked up and I said my name is Ambrose, thank you. 00:19:27.771 --> 00:19:28.673 And I sat down. 00:19:28.775 --> 00:19:33.621 Boom, and that teacher was so nice. 00:19:33.621 --> 00:19:37.910 He said that is a wonderful testimony and we just want to thank God for that word. 00:19:37.910 --> 00:19:51.950 You know, I just say you cannot do this to me, but you see, at that time, god, who saw the future and saw this boy struggling to give even his fastest money. 00:19:51.950 --> 00:19:56.059 He saw a pastor who would stand among many people. 00:19:56.059 --> 00:20:00.930 He called me Come on, let's give God a big hand. 00:20:00.930 --> 00:20:02.253 He called me. 00:20:02.253 --> 00:20:09.842 So sometimes God calls you without knowing, because by that time I didn't know that I wanted to become a pastor. 00:20:09.842 --> 00:20:12.239 But I was called into salvation. 00:20:12.239 --> 00:20:14.930 I was called to succeed, I was called to be significant. 00:20:15.511 --> 00:20:18.853 And let me tell you this Saul of Tassas was called. 00:20:18.853 --> 00:20:24.782 He was going the wrong direction and God intercepted him because God had a work for him to do. 00:20:24.782 --> 00:20:31.702 And later, when Paul tells us about his life, god just used him amazingly. 00:20:31.702 --> 00:20:33.373 And God will use you. 00:20:33.373 --> 00:20:35.018 Tell your neighbor, god will use me. 00:20:35.018 --> 00:20:40.717 Hallelujah, yes, he will use you, he will use you. 00:20:41.230 --> 00:20:45.682 And so there are three things that I want us to understand about this calling which I want to bring to your attention. 00:20:45.682 --> 00:20:47.093 Number one passion. 00:20:47.093 --> 00:20:48.576 Tell your neighbor passion. 00:20:48.576 --> 00:20:52.837 Number two is propulsion Tell your neighbor propulsion. 00:20:52.837 --> 00:20:58.098 Now you need to say it nicely, because sometimes you can say your own things. 00:20:58.098 --> 00:21:01.953 And the third one is production. 00:21:01.953 --> 00:21:05.541 So there's passion, propulsion and production. 00:21:05.541 --> 00:21:06.873 Can you say that quickly? 00:21:06.873 --> 00:21:12.696 I heard somebody saying prototype. 00:21:12.696 --> 00:21:24.900 I didn't ask you to say prototype Passion, propulsion, production, because when a calling is on you, there's a passion and we're going to see that in Paul's life, because he had a passion. 00:21:26.531 --> 00:21:29.740 But even before he was called here, he had a passion, but it was in the wrong direction. 00:21:29.740 --> 00:21:36.454 The Bible says this in chapter nine, verse three to four Jesus has intercepted him. 00:21:36.454 --> 00:21:37.618 Jesus is talking to him. 00:21:37.618 --> 00:21:43.040 He says as he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 00:21:43.040 --> 00:21:49.000 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him soul, soul, why do you persecute me? 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:51.294 Who are you, lord? 00:21:51.294 --> 00:21:53.278 So last, I'm Jesus, whom you're persecuting. 00:21:53.278 --> 00:21:56.256 In that persecution there was so much passion. 00:21:56.256 --> 00:22:00.032 You can find that he had gone and gotten letters and those letters were given to him. 00:22:00.032 --> 00:22:04.431 He had decided he was going to kill anybody who followed the way of Jesus Christ and he had a passion. 00:22:05.453 --> 00:22:06.959 And people have passions for many things. 00:22:06.959 --> 00:22:15.460 There are people, right now, the premier league is about to start and people are preparing to arise and cause their passions to rise up. 00:22:15.460 --> 00:22:18.698 There are people who are deciding they will never walk alone, hello. 00:22:18.698 --> 00:22:27.053 And there are people who are preparing their arsenal to destroy other guys as if it were passion, passion. 00:22:27.053 --> 00:22:28.855 And we have them here. 00:22:28.855 --> 00:22:35.451 Manchester United, Hello, now. 00:22:35.451 --> 00:22:37.778 Now you're passion, passion. 00:22:37.778 --> 00:22:41.359 And this, this league, this season. 00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:47.579 People are deciding who is going to take this, who is going to do this, but sometimes it is too early to predict what is going to happen. 00:22:48.570 --> 00:22:50.997 But passion there are people who have passion to eat. 00:22:50.997 --> 00:22:53.382 They just eat with a lot of passion. 00:22:53.382 --> 00:22:56.736 You can see them eating fish with passion. 00:22:56.736 --> 00:22:58.259 They are sweating, but they are. 00:22:58.259 --> 00:22:59.561 They are heating this thing. 00:22:59.561 --> 00:23:04.519 There is a big Ugarli and they are moving the mountain and it's a lot of passion. 00:23:06.631 --> 00:23:09.978 The people of a passion in writing they write for me. 00:23:09.978 --> 00:23:10.719 I write a lot. 00:23:10.719 --> 00:23:11.942 There's a passion I do. 00:23:11.942 --> 00:23:14.232 Writing comes easy for me. 00:23:14.232 --> 00:23:17.420 So passion Our worship team. 00:23:17.420 --> 00:23:18.561 They sang with passion. 00:23:19.290 --> 00:23:20.773 People have passions in different ways. 00:23:20.773 --> 00:23:24.521 The people have a passion to to, to, to handle children. 00:23:24.521 --> 00:23:26.614 Others have a passion to handle adults. 00:23:26.614 --> 00:23:31.810 Others have passion in matters of accounting, administration, doing all kinds of things. 00:23:31.810 --> 00:23:38.261 We have passions, but sometimes you don't realize that that particular passion was given to you by God himself. 00:23:39.950 --> 00:23:41.334 Let me read Romans, chapter 12. 00:23:41.334 --> 00:23:43.681 The Bible says this from verse three. 00:23:43.681 --> 00:23:47.898 Again, paul is talking about people's passions and people's callings. 00:23:47.898 --> 00:23:48.700 This is what he says. 00:23:48.700 --> 00:24:06.890 For by the grace given me, I say to you everyone, to everyone of you, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment and in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 00:24:06.890 --> 00:24:22.930 The next verse says this For just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, though, we are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others. 00:24:24.173 --> 00:24:25.836 It says we have different gifts. 00:24:25.836 --> 00:24:30.950 We can turn that and say we have different passions, according to the grace given to each of us. 00:24:30.950 --> 00:24:37.950 If your gift is prophesying, then do a prophesy in accordance with your faith. 00:24:37.950 --> 00:24:42.076 If it is serving, some of us are just serving. 00:24:42.076 --> 00:24:45.683 We love to serve, even if somebody is not there to serve. 00:24:45.683 --> 00:24:49.273 If it is serving, then serve. 00:24:49.273 --> 00:24:52.759 If it is teaching, then teach. 00:24:52.759 --> 00:24:57.085 If it is to encourage, then give encouragement. 00:24:57.085 --> 00:25:04.242 If it is giving, there are some people, just like apostates they are just passionate about giving. 00:25:04.242 --> 00:25:04.583 Hello. 00:25:04.583 --> 00:25:08.953 So if it is giving, then give generously. 00:25:08.953 --> 00:25:16.626 The other day, when we were talking about passport, somebody generously gave our finances for 40 people. 00:25:16.626 --> 00:25:19.617 Hallelujah For him. 00:25:19.617 --> 00:25:22.743 His passion is giving and he gave. 00:25:23.163 --> 00:25:38.347 And right now, while I'm talking about passports and those who are receiving passports and maybe already have a passport, we are now talking even to those of you who are in the diaspora Get time, write invitation letters, bring right to us and say, hey, we're inviting so and so to come, so that you guys can go. 00:25:38.347 --> 00:25:41.401 Look at your neighbor and tell your neighbor, where do you think you're going? 00:25:41.401 --> 00:25:47.505 Hallelujah, let me ask you do you guys want to be invited to go places? 00:25:47.505 --> 00:25:51.500 Some of you just want to go to Kino. 00:25:51.500 --> 00:25:58.840 I want to tell you this God wants you to go places. 00:25:58.881 --> 00:26:07.941 When I was in Phoenix, arizona, the other time, when I just went you know, I'm in Phoenix, we're visiting Parkland Baptist members and we are out there this guy comes to me and he says they are Kenyans. 00:26:07.941 --> 00:26:10.660 So he comes to me and says, by the way, pastambra, I watch you online. 00:26:10.660 --> 00:26:12.585 You're always talking about guys from Kino. 00:26:12.585 --> 00:26:14.558 I said, yeah, I talk about this guy. 00:26:14.558 --> 00:26:19.657 He says, by the way, I've been in the US for quite some time and guess what? 00:26:19.657 --> 00:26:20.220 Where I came from? 00:26:20.220 --> 00:26:21.403 He said I came from Kino. 00:26:21.403 --> 00:26:28.414 So look at your neighbor and tell your neighbor do you come near Kino somewhere? 00:26:28.414 --> 00:26:32.902 Because they are blessed from Kino. 00:26:32.902 --> 00:26:37.509 So, wherever it is, god wants you to go places. 00:26:37.509 --> 00:26:40.981 And so we are talking to some of you guys in the diaspora. 00:26:40.981 --> 00:26:46.766 You know, create those opportunities, because we want people from Parkland Baptist Church to be world changers. 00:26:46.766 --> 00:26:50.044 We want them to go everywhere in this world to make a difference. 00:26:50.934 --> 00:26:53.942 So if it is giving, then give generously. 00:26:53.942 --> 00:27:02.001 If it is to lead, because some people's passion is doing what Leading, do it diligently. 00:27:02.001 --> 00:27:05.627 So if you're your leader, then don't lead casually. 00:27:05.627 --> 00:27:11.665 And, by the way, I always say this, all of us are leaders in a particular sector. 00:27:11.665 --> 00:27:14.617 There are some places I cannot lead. 00:27:14.617 --> 00:27:25.694 I cannot lead behind, behind the camera, even though I did some work on media while I was in the university in the US Hallelujah, yes, I did those things. 00:27:25.694 --> 00:27:28.362 I could face the camera, I can speak into the camera. 00:27:28.362 --> 00:27:31.419 You know, I can do a clip on the camera without blinking. 00:27:31.419 --> 00:27:35.576 We were taught those things, but that is not my usual calling, that's not my passion. 00:27:35.576 --> 00:27:39.146 So if it is so, if you're leading, lead how? 00:27:39.146 --> 00:27:40.550 Deligently. 00:27:40.691 --> 00:27:44.502 If it is to show mercy, because some people are just merciful, you know something happened. 00:27:44.502 --> 00:27:45.384 They're just merciful. 00:27:45.384 --> 00:27:47.200 They're just merciful. 00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:52.240 You know anything they start crying and you're wondering why they're what they're crying about, but they are merciful. 00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:56.733 If it is to show mercy, do it, hallelujah. 00:27:56.733 --> 00:27:57.998 Look at the next one. 00:27:59.101 --> 00:28:02.451 Love must be sincere, hate what is evil, cling to what is good. 00:28:02.451 --> 00:28:02.853 What? 00:28:02.853 --> 00:28:09.991 All I'm saying is this the people, everybody, has a passion, but as few as some of us have a wrong. 00:28:09.991 --> 00:28:17.914 I've put our passions in the wrong things and we are pursuing evil and causing others to pursue the same evil. 00:28:17.914 --> 00:28:24.255 And that's what Paul was doing persecuting believers, murdering, doing all kinds of things. 00:28:24.255 --> 00:28:32.837 But God loved him and God caught up with him and says this passion, I will use it for the kingdom of God. 00:28:32.837 --> 00:28:34.301 And guess what? 00:28:34.301 --> 00:28:40.076 Paul was turned around and he said I am what I am by the grace of God. 00:28:40.679 --> 00:28:43.809 Listen to what he said one day in Romans, chapter one, verse 16. 00:28:43.809 --> 00:28:44.874 This is what he said. 00:28:44.874 --> 00:28:45.635 This is passion. 00:28:45.635 --> 00:29:03.567 He said this for I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Gentile, for in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith, from fast to last. 00:29:03.567 --> 00:29:07.223 This guy had a passion for this gospel. 00:29:07.223 --> 00:29:09.751 What do you have a passion for? 00:29:09.751 --> 00:29:12.762 Let me show you this verse, because many of us have this passion. 00:29:12.803 --> 00:29:16.395 The Bible says this in Colossians, chapter three, verse 23 to 24. 00:29:16.395 --> 00:29:17.718 It's for all of us. 00:29:17.718 --> 00:29:27.115 It says this whatever you do, whatever you do, work at it with all your heart. 00:29:27.115 --> 00:29:28.798 As working for who? 00:29:28.798 --> 00:29:41.142 For the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. 00:29:41.142 --> 00:29:43.125 It is the Lord Christ. 00:29:43.125 --> 00:29:50.339 You are doing what you are serving, so serve with passion. 00:29:50.339 --> 00:29:52.805 This is what Paul told Timothy. 00:29:52.865 --> 00:29:54.688 Second Timothy, chapter one, verse six. 00:29:54.688 --> 00:29:58.300 Paul at that time was scared, scared. 00:29:58.300 --> 00:30:07.727 But then Paul tells him for this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 00:30:07.727 --> 00:30:18.660 And then he says this for the Spirit God gave us does not make us what Timid, but gives us power, love and self discipline. 00:30:18.660 --> 00:30:33.869 Then he told him the next statement so do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me, his prisoner, in another scripture, ecclesiastes, chapter nine, verse 10. 00:30:34.954 --> 00:30:37.181 I don't know if you ever read the book of Ecclesiastes. 00:30:37.181 --> 00:30:39.566 It was written by King Solomon. 00:30:39.566 --> 00:30:57.153 He says this whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead where you are going, there is neither working, no planning, no knowledge, no wisdom. 00:30:57.153 --> 00:31:02.445 In other words, this is your time Serve when you're still alive. 00:31:02.445 --> 00:31:04.951 But I want to go to propulsion. 00:31:04.951 --> 00:31:08.519 Tell your neighbor propulsion. 00:31:10.083 --> 00:31:22.119 The Bible says this about Paul, acts chapter nine, verse six to nine God is speaking to this man and the Bible says this and I want to read it in the New King James Version because Jesus is speaking to him. 00:31:22.119 --> 00:31:30.185 And, by the way, this scripture really blesses my heart because number one, it tells me, by the way, when Jesus was talking to Paul, had he died. 00:31:30.185 --> 00:31:35.840 The time when Jesus was talking to Paul, had Jesus died. 00:31:35.840 --> 00:31:39.769 Let me talk to the people on this side. 00:31:39.769 --> 00:31:45.161 By the time the book of Acts is being written, I'm asking had Jesus died? 00:31:45.161 --> 00:31:50.609 So Jesus died, he was buried and then he rose again. 00:31:50.609 --> 00:31:53.721 Now Jesus appears to Paul. 00:31:53.721 --> 00:32:02.843 That scripture blesses me because this Jesus that sometimes you doubt about is actually alive, he's living. 00:32:02.843 --> 00:32:09.057 He's not just historical, he's divine, he's alive and he's talking to this man. 00:32:10.803 --> 00:32:14.472 And, of course, for Saul it needed to be very dramatic. 00:32:14.472 --> 00:32:23.883 For some people this is not dramatic Jesus doesn't talk to us like that but because God knew that Paul had a serious assignment, he needed to engage this guy's attention properly. 00:32:23.883 --> 00:32:27.896 So the Bible says this when Paul had fallen down. 00:32:27.896 --> 00:32:35.471 So he, trembling and astonished, said Lord, what do you want me to do? 00:32:35.471 --> 00:32:40.656 Then the Lord said to him arise and go into the city. 00:32:40.656 --> 00:32:43.117 Now that statement is very pregnant. 00:32:43.117 --> 00:32:46.597 He didn't just say arise and go to the city. 00:32:46.597 --> 00:32:53.575 Jesus spoke with so much strength and said arise and go. 00:32:53.575 --> 00:32:59.148 It was like he was getting hold of a soul and thrusting him into the harvest. 00:32:59.148 --> 00:33:03.660 He says this thing is serious, this is compelling. 00:33:03.660 --> 00:33:05.022 I'm pushing you. 00:33:06.125 --> 00:33:09.251 When you talk about propulsion, you talk about rockets being launched. 00:33:09.251 --> 00:33:12.988 When a rocket is launched, there's a force and the power that takes it there. 00:33:12.988 --> 00:33:17.854 Now, of course, for some of you who never had rockets, you had something called fair. 00:33:17.854 --> 00:33:18.960 Do you know something called fair? 00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:22.489 Fair was you could get a stick. 00:33:22.489 --> 00:33:23.171 That is like this. 00:33:23.171 --> 00:33:32.115 Then you'd put a bladder whatever it is called in English Then you'd put a stone, pull it like this and let it go. 00:33:32.115 --> 00:33:38.314 In other words, you gave it energy and you gave it movement and direction and it took off with speed. 00:33:38.314 --> 00:33:40.019 That's called propulsion. 00:33:40.019 --> 00:33:44.688 Now, of course, helicopters when they go up, they start very nicely. 00:33:44.688 --> 00:33:49.122 Then the helicopter begins to rise. 00:33:49.122 --> 00:33:50.767 That's easy. 00:33:50.767 --> 00:34:00.416 But when a rocket is being launched, there's so much force that is pushed down and it is released up because it has to overcome gravitational pull. 00:34:00.416 --> 00:34:03.105 It's called propulsion of rockets. 00:34:03.826 --> 00:34:05.289 This is what God is saying to this guy. 00:34:05.289 --> 00:34:08.760 He says arise and go. 00:34:08.760 --> 00:34:11.626 For some of you that's what you need. 00:34:11.626 --> 00:34:13.791 That God, really you know. 00:34:13.791 --> 00:34:15.081