169. I've never really preached on this issue so much but it's come thou founts
and in 169 look at stanza number two it says here I raise mine Ebenezer here
though by thy help I'm come. Now I'm not sure if everybody's really aware of that
word Ebenezer but you can tell by the following phrase what it kind of means
here I raise mine Ebenezer here though by thy help I'm come. Ebenezer has
something to do with the help of the Lord doesn't it? It's one of my favorite hymns
that we sing and if you've got your Bible there it'll go back to 1st Samuel
chapter 7 look at verse number 12 1st Samuel chapter 7 verse number 12 it says
then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen and called the
name of it Ebenezer saying hitherto have the Lord helped us.
Alright so you can see once again the help there is mentioned there in verse
number 12 the title for the sermon tonight is Ebenezer the Lord helped us
Ebenezer the Lord helped us now if you just do a quick Google definition for
the word Ebenezer it'll come up something like the stone of help
something like that something about the stone it's got to do the stone that
Samuel set up this stone was a memorial so that when the Israelites would look
upon that stone they'll remember that it's God that has helped us it's God
that has helped us and it's God that will continue to help us in the future
and that's the whole point it's about the Lord helping us and and so I wanted
to look back at you know 2024 and you know we've achieved some amazing things
in 2024 I'm like when I look back I just can't believe we've done so much in the
year that has passed and we're going to talk about that in a moment and you know
it's so interesting because Blessed are Baptist Church isn't the largest church
did you know that and either is New Life Baptist Church and the Lord has
allowed us source a minister to crown Baptist Church and that is definitely
not one of the largest churches and yet we've done so much in the past year and
you know it's good to reflect back and to rejoice and to thank God and to praise
God but we need to remember that it's the Lord that has helped us it's by his
strength it's by his spirit it's by his power that we can do anything as a
people of God and I also want to stop and just say thank you to this church I
want to thank the the men who get up to preach on a regular basis brother ash
brother Rams you know brother Matthew brother Tim brother Anthony you know
these men who rotate and are willing to give of their time away from their usual
activities and to meditate study God's Word and to feed you God's Word I
appreciate these men very much and and for so many of those same men to say hey
pass I'll go to crown Baptist Church and be a blessing to them as well and I
think the men who have recently stepped up to be song leaders brother Daniel
brother Nathan these men have done a great job in the last year haven't they
I mean they're the better song leaders by far not to offend anybody but I think
we all say yeah these guys are really great at leading us in praises to God we
want our we want our singing to give God praise don't we and so I thank the song
leaders and the ones they get up to read the scriptures you may not be the usual
ones that are up the front but you get up to read the Bible with clarity and
you know it's an important ministry of our church you know brother ash organizes
the soul winning events and brother Anthony maintains the maps and keeps
track of the numbers and all that which is a great blessing you know brother
Daniel Daniel on you might not even know but he stays back so many times off the
service and gives this place a nice clean you know it's always it always
looks fresh and clean when we come in here because of brother Daniel the ladies
that are obviously a help to their husbands and you know equip the husbands
to be a blessing to this church but you also come and you bring little you know
food a little morning tea and things that we can share and enjoy one with
another so we're not too starving and just rushing to get home after service
so we can stay around have a bit of fellowship have some food I mean these
things are wonderful brother Sabi on Sunday organizing the lunch that Indian
I hope I think you everyone enjoyed it which is great you know just the little
things that everybody does I don't know I don't know who organizes maintains the
resources like to make sure there's toilet paper there's cups as water what
whoever's doing the work thank you I'm losing track of who's doing what but you
know I'm so appreciative of this church because once again I always say it this
is this is a church that has a part-time pastor you know traveling as I can and
I'm usually exhausted on Thursday I'm tired okay and I thank you for putting
up with me that I can't always be there for you on a regular basis like maybe
other pastors can for other churches but you still put up with me and you know as
we support one another we love one another we fellowship with one other we
serve one another we are serving the Lord Jesus Christ because the local
church is the body of Christ and so you know it's great to look back and to it's
important it's important to set up a stone of memorial now I'm not saying
that we literally have to set up a stone I can call it Ebeneezer but it's
important to set up a stone in our hearts and to remember that it's God
that has blessed us and equipped us and helped us to do a great work here at
blessed old Baptist Church now before I continue talking about us and our work
and our mission here I want to look back at this story and give you a bit of
context of what it's all about so they're in 1st Samuel chapter 7 we're
not going to read all the verses but let me just give you a quick backdrop
Samuel's a judge over Israel at this point in time it's before the time of
the Kings and Israel have gone really bad like they're doing really horribly
bad just like I mean there are times that Israel is just far from the Lord
and once again we find that Israel are doing what they're they're worshiping
false gods okay they've gone back and worship these false gods and they
forgotten the Lord their God and in 1st Samuel chapter 7 verse number 3 it says
and Samuel speak unto all the house of Israel saying if ye do return unto the
Lord with all your hearts then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from
among you and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him only and he will
deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines we know that the
Philistines have been like a number one enemy of Israel over the years right and
once again the the Philistines are a threat to the children of Israel and
they're they're afraid they're like God why'd you help with us the reason God's
not helping you is because you've turned your hearts to false gods and it's a
time that they need God's help and brethren you know what in 2025 blessed
our Baptist Church needs the help of the Lord so what can we do as individuals to
have God's help well the same instruction that we see there in verse
number three it says our return unto the Lord with all your hearts you know
the first and great commandment is to love the Lord God with all your heart
with all your soul with all your might with all your a missing one strength
heart soul mind with all your mind Jesus Christ adds that in the New Testament
with all your mind you know that is the first and greatest commandment of all
well they've not done that their hearts are to all these false gods now it says
and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him only brethren our hearts
desire ought to be to serve God only not to serve mammon not to sell serve this
belly you know and the lust of the flesh no we ought to serve the Lord God only
and if we do that he's going to deliver us he's going to help us he's going to
be able to see this church do some great work for him in 2025 in verse number
four then the children of Israel did put away Balaam and Asher of good on them
and serve the Lord only and Samuel said gather all Israel to misfire and I will
pray for you unto the Lord so they do that they come to misfire all the
coming together they're coming to offer a sacrifice to God they like that the
repentance they're like God you know you're our only God we're going to serve
you and by doing this you're going to help us and you're going to deliver us
out of the Philistines hands and then verse number seven and when the
Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpah
the Lords of the Philistines went up against Israel and when the children of
Israel heard it they were afraid of the Philistines and the children of Israel
said to Samuel cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us that he will save us
out of the hand of the Philistines so they want deliverance they want help
from the Philistines against the Philistines right so they do the right
thing Samuel says all right come to Mizpah come gather together so they do
that they're doing the right thing they're following the commandments that
the man of God has given them right though they turn their hearts to the
Lord God they're doing that which is right but then the trial comes and the
Philistines here that they're all gathered in Mizpah they're in one
central location so the Philistines are like all right this is our chance to
wipe them out in one stroke all right and you know what many times when you're
about to do something great for God when you're when you're just doing what is
right and you're about to do some amazing work for God you know who shows
up the Philistines for us it's the devil okay the wicked those that hate the Lord
God those that hates the Word of God you know the ministers of Satan will often
come along and try to tear you down and you're wondering what have I done I'm
just I'm getting I'm trying to get right with God I'm trying to walk in his ways
and then like you think right if I just walk in his ways we're gonna get sorted
normally when you take that first step and do what God wants the Philistines
are like let's take him down now you know let's discourage them now before
they're able to turn their hearts fully to the Lord God look at verse number 10
and as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering the Philistines drew near to
battle against Israel so again Sam was doing the right thing right coming to
offer us burnt offering they're not going to war they're not they're not
ready or prepared for war they're just trying to get their hearts right right
and the sacrifice and then the first is all right take him down now's the time
right these guys distracted they're not ready for battle they're focused on this
sacrifice they're easy targets let's wipe them out and look what it says in
verse some of the let's continue some of 10 but the Lord thundered with a great
thunder on that day upon the Philistines and this comforted them and
they were smitten before Israel brethren who smelt the Philistines God what were
the Israelites doing were they getting their spears and this swords and their
shields ready for battle no they were just doing what God's asked them to do
right they were following the Lord faithfully and the Lord sends a great
thunder and the thundering is so loud they get this comforted and the Lord
smites I don't know how the Lord smites me thunder I mean often thunder is
associated with lightning so I don't I don't know I don't know if the light
his strikes were coming down and just wiping out this army that's possibly
what's what was happening right God takes care of the Philistines and look
at verse 11 and the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the
Philistines and smelt them until they came under Bethka then Samuel took a
stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen and called the name of it Ebeneezer
saying here the two have the Lord helped us so he does the right thing
Samuel says look yeah okay we kind of got the the remaining soldiers at the
end right they went and chased out of the Philistines but Samuel fully knows
man the one that delivered us the one that helped us is the Lord God right no
praise on man no like I'm Samuel the man of God it's because of me no he
says no it's because of the Lord and we're gonna step a memorial let's get
this stone this stone is Ebeneezer and we're gonna remember that it's a Lord
that has helped us so that stone represents their help against the
Philistines in the past and it also represents the hope that God will give
them in the future it's good to look back at the past it's good to look back
and remember what God has done for us and then when we're encouraged by that
because sometimes we do get discouraged sometimes the Philippines the Philippines
the Philistines the Philistines that we like the Philippines that they're good
the Philistines right they turn up and they discomfort us they discourage us
and the Philistines can represent anything any kinds of trials and
difficulties any kinds of discouragement that may come upon your life and the
Lord is the one I want to remind you today that it's the Lord God that will
help you it's the Lord God that will help blessed help at Baptist Church as I
said the title of the sermon today is Ebeneezer the Lord helped us the Lord
helped us now I want to break down and look what I'm about to share is just
historical great things in my ministry okay and it's from it is from my
perspective okay just it's from my perspective it's not that I think I'm a
great man or in fact I don't think I'm a great man so I just think I'm one of
you trying to serve the Lord God as faithfully as I can okay but God has
done some great things in the ministry you know and let me go back to 2017 2017
is when I got ordained 2017 is when we packed our bags as our family stepped
that in faith went to the Sunshine Coast and started a church New Life Baptist
Church it still continues praise God there 2017 it was a great year it was
great to get things started and it's a bit scary at first but hey you know it
is what it is and you learn over time how to pass that you learn how to lead
you learn how to draw upon the Lord's strength more so than ever then 2018
rolls around and guess what happens in 2018 we start blessing out Baptist
Church praise God bless no Baptist Church all right here in Sydney that was
never the plan it wasn't my plan it was meant to be a band-aid solution for a
temporary issue that was going on we started blessing about churches for a
few families traveling here on a I think it was a Tuesday back then was the
Thursdays I can't remember anymore all right meeting next door the building
next door right just meeting there and serving the Lord and trying to keep
brethren together trying to maintain the soul within that was being done and and
encouraging the brethren teaching God's Word and we I praise God for 2018 these
are these are some great things and we're still here brethren thank you
we're still here I don't know how you I don't know it's 2024 I don't know how
you've put up with this pastor praise God thank you all right then 2020 2019
rolls around right we get to our one year anniversary because blessed about
church used to just we just called it new life Baptist Sydney okay and you
know even though I've always viewed it as its own independent church but we
finally gave it its official name blessed blessed our Baptist Church which
was voted by the members and we started having our Sunday services because we're
just having midweek services right so that was a great achievement to start
having church on Sundays when most people are readily available to be in
church and of course attendance has grown on Sundays and lesson on
Thursdays or midweek and that's that's expected that's natural that's normal
but I praise God that you know God has allowed us to have the Sunday services
and also in 2019 this was the first time that we started to have interstate soul
winning marathons okay so now we had a church in Queensland we had a church
here in New South Wales we started to find brethren in other places like a
Melbourne or like an Adelaide and we started to have soul-winning not that we
travel to the other states but we had these mega marathons for Australia and
Oceana and Asia and all this and we had church members from other churches going
out soul winning all on the same Saturday right to just to encourage one
another to do a great work to share some numbers that was awesome to be able to
you know reach not just the two states but also understand that we've got an
influence that spreading in other places here in Australia so that's awesome that
that was what was developed there in 2019 then 2020 hits the dreaded COVID
year or one of the dreaded COVID years okay it's very beginning of it but this
you know I it kind of twisted my arm you may recall to bring my family back
to Sydney for a temporary period of time and the goal was that we'd be here for
one year one year it ended up being a year and a half and because of border
closures and all that kind of stuff that that happened but hey it was good
because we needed there were some issues that need to be dealt with here at the
church so it was great that we could be here we went to having three services
during COVID and yeah it allowed me to be here to to be you know a support to
this church you know like almost like a full-time pastor for a temporary period
of time which was a real blessing then 2021 rolls around the COVID continued
and this forced our hand to have live streaming because church services
couldn't be had in the same way this caused us to not just have live
streaming here at Blessed Up Baptist Church but at New Life Baptist Church as
well and this started to you know it wasn't really the intention to find
other people in Australia but that's what happened all right we we met our
friends that we love and care about brother Martin brother Emilio they found
us online during these COVID years via live streaming and you know even though
they're not members of our church as we kind of associate membership you know
regular attendees but we love and care about them you know I feel like they're
part of our church I feel like they're you know we hear about the soul winning
that gets done even to this day these two men go out they've got out this week
how many souls today they had about five souls saved or something like that I
can't remember the numbers right now these men are doing a great job going
soul winning hey thanks to 2021 thanks to COVID thanks for live streaming these
things that God has allowed us to do and these are just some of the men out there
are other brethren across Australia that have found us and that you know I feel
like I'm their pastor because they haven't got a good church get plugged
into and they reach out and ask questions and they try to visit us when
they can so we praise God for the live stream and that started in 2021 in 2022
we we had our first interstates let's call it a missions trip right our first
interstates miss what is that missions trip say it's going overseas all right
but here's what's funny if Americans come to Australia to go so winning they
call it a missions trip why can't we call it a mission strip if we go to
Melbourne or something right but that was our first interstate missions trip
to Melbourne right where we were there wasn't just a soul an event going on in
Melbourne but we took some of our church members some of our some of the members
of our churches to be part of that to go to Melbourne to take out some silent
partners to train them up and go and solve winning right to encourage them to
bless them to tell them hey we love you we care about you you know that was
awesome at first it wasn't very comfortable was it brother ash sleeping
in that bedroom well I had lots of complaints about the Airbnb that I
selected in Melbourne at that time but doesn't matter there were souls that got
saved and the beds in our mansions in heaven will be much more comfortable I'm
sure but that was 20 22 our first missions trip to Melbourne that started
a chain of events because then we have 20 23 and in 20 23 we had our
interstate mission strip to to WA some of you guys went to WA with us right then
we went to Perth we went to Bridgetown we had a great turnout we had a how many
how many baptisms were there in Bridgetown that day I don't even know
anymore it was crazy something like eight or nine baptisms in that freezing
cold water when I walked out of that water I could barely feel my legs but I
praise God praise God for the for the work that was being done there in WA we
got to meet some other brothers in the Lord which was wonderful we got to
encourage brother Daniel brother Daniel Earl we're talking soul winning I took
him out and then brother Callum took him out and now he's he's out there in Perth
going soul winning when he finds a partner he's not going week in week out
like brother Martin does but he's going out there on a regular basis and he
keeps me updated every time he gets soul saved he lets me know we've got this
many saved this week praise God you're right you know our churches our
influence our ministry is affecting more than just our local churches I want to
understand and I don't know what you think about like all of this like to me
I just rejoice I'm like how did God say well God helped us God did it it's by
his help it's by his power it's his strength it's his love that allows us to
reach these other places in Australia and there are people soul winning could
you imagine like when we get to heaven there are gonna be people that we meet
in heaven that would be like well it's because of blessing up at the church new
life of the church you guys taught some people there in Melbourne some taught
some people there in WA to preach the gospel and I got saved because of these
people I mean what that's amazing to glory in these things and then what 2024
last year it's our biggest year ever okay we had our first international
missions trip to the Philippines okay not the Philistines the Philippines
Philippines right that's where they're receptive to the gospel all right we
went there and I didn't know how many hundreds got saved I have no idea what
the numbers are all I know is we smashed our soul in numbers okay on the
Philippines alone and it's a great time to enjoy each other's company fellowship
go just up to me when I go to place like Philippines I come back to Australia
appreciating this country that God has blessed like I know there's a there's a
living what is a cost of living crisis but when you go to the Philippines and
you come back here there is no cost of living crisis like we all live quite
comfortably quite here okay all right I mean the Philippines have a cost of
living crisis you know there are people struggling and poor and on the streets
and children that are orphans that have nobody to take care of them like that's a
different world altogether that's good to just go out there and and and just
experience and be able to come back and instead of a little Australia's a weak
country understand that but it's also nice to come back and thank God that he
has blessed this country and allows us to continue serving him without
persecution and that the blessings the opportunities that exist in Australia
that we can do a great work for him go we went to the Philippines brethren then
we went to Fiji and we smashed it again I was a great time Fiji was probably the
highlight for me in 2024 honestly that's I found the people to be so beautiful
the people are just wonderful God-fearing people unsaved God-fearing
people and all we need to do is like you fear God man you better fear God and you
know what God loves you so much instead of your works your faith in Christ alone
it's everlasting life and how many people just received us so gladly I just
praise God for the Fijins I thank you for those that went out and we're part
of that work I mean we smashed the so many numbers that we've ever done year
by year I don't know what they are I don't really care what they are God
knows what they are all I know is we smashed it all in 2024 what else have
we done in 2024 well this pastor went to New Zealand didn't get to do any soul
winning but got to film a documentary one salvation I don't know if you enjoyed
it it was only for 40 minute documentary but it was great to be part of that
right and even though I didn't go to New Zealand and win any souls one-on-one
that one salvation was then played in a youth group okay and the youth group of
that church invited their friends or unsaved school friends to come and
listen to it and then the gospel was presented at the end and a large
multitude believed on Christ of those young people that's a great year 2024
what else we were to Melbourne again didn't we for the some of you guys went
to Melbourne again and we had an even bigger turnout this time with a soul
winning there in Melbourne got to meet other brethren all right and praise God
souls were saved and instead of going door-to-door some of us went shops to
shops right to the malls and the shopping centers and we're able to meet
some young people and preach the gospel there in Melbourne one thing I found
really interesting in Melbourne was that everybody's home like everybody's home
you don't do a lot of walking because Melbourne's always raining right like in
Queensland you go door-to-door and no one's home they're all at the beach
they're at the pools all right they're at the parks in Melbourne everybody's
home and then you got Sydney it's somewhere in the middle all right but
anyway that was interesting like just being able to see that everybody's home
and I think I got one saved I think I believe I did from memory and it's just
a great time to meet other brethren I mean this is all done in 2024 and then
God opened the doors you know they're in Port Macquarie we've crowned Baptist
Church all last year or this year I should say all this year a third
church that I could pastor not that I want a third church to pastor I don't
really want that just give me one church Lord I'm happy but if God can use us and
do some great works for us it's the one it's the Lord God who helped us it's it's
him it's his power and what do we learn what are we seeing on this on Port
Macquarie souls are now getting saved door-to-door soul winning works no
matter where we go praise God praise God that that church has been going for
about a year and a half or a bit more than a year and a half before we took
over they weren't seeing souls saved at the doors but man as soon as that
influence gets in there as soon as the the soul winning gets cleaned up a
little bit a better presentation you know good teaching souls are now getting
saved in Port Macquarie so I don't know what the Lord hasn't planned for us in
2025 I know I'm looking at the bigger picture here today guys there are I'm
sure there are other great things that God has done over the years maybe you
individually can look back over the years and say yes the Lord has done some
great things for me because the Lord has helped but what are we learning this
story here in first Samuel chapter 7 what is a big learning that when you do
what God wants you to do when you're ready to offer yourself a sacrifice you
know go and do and serve him walk in his ways and and set your heart for him and
him alone and you're like all right Lord I'm getting ready for 2025 I'm ready to
do what you've asked me to do I'm looking forward to what you can do
through blessed up at the church the Philistines they're gonna show their
face okay there's going to be people that will strive to discourage you and I
want you to remember this this is the battle that we fight we don't wrestle
against flesh and blood we understand that but we are soldiers of the Lord
there is a spiritual battle the devil doesn't like what blessed up Baptist
Church is doing it doesn't like what New Life Baptist Church is doing it doesn't
like what crown Baptist Church is doing it doesn't like what our brethren
Melbourne and Perth are doing when they get out there and see souls saved the
devil doesn't like our influence in the Philippines he doesn't like our influence
in Fiji the devil is more than happy for the Fijians to be God fearing people as
long as they're on their way to hell so I want to understand that there are
going to be difficulties that's always been difficulties over the years but hey
what do we need to remember Ebenezer all right we need to set a stone a stone in
your heart a stone of memorial we say Lord it's by your help it's by your
strength that we can do anything when you remember that it's the Lord and you
get discouraged you got a confidence to go to all right when you feel like
quitting it's I'm done I'm done with church I'm done with serving the Lord
yeah if it's if you're relying on your strength in your flesh you will be done
but when you rely on the Lord he gives you a strength a power the ability he'll
equip you because he wants his kingdom to go throughout this whole world and he
would utilize you he would utilize blessed up Baptist Church even though
we're not this mega church but we're doing some mega works for the Lord so I
want to remember Ebenezer the Lord helped us it's by the Lord's strength
now I've read it off a whole bunch of positive things that I remember from a
high level from 2017 to 2024 you know 2025 what's the plan pastor I don't know
okay I don't think we're gonna look I'll be surprised if we do equal or more than
we did in 2024 I'll be surprised I don't think we're gonna be doing anywhere in
there as much it doesn't matter though all right we do what God equips us to do
the resources the abilities that God gives us we give it to the Lord we serve
him there is one thing I definitely want to do I definitely want to send two
people every to Fiji to go soul winning all right let me know if that's you you
say pastor it's me me in 2025 it's my turn to get out there all expenses paid
except your food all right flights accommodation all covered for a whole
week all right now if you want to go for two weeks you can cover the
accommodation for the next second week all right you do what you need to do
we'll send two of you out there from whatever church crying Baptist New Life
blessed about this church all right to continue serving the Lord I want to you
know find a good church lock in a good sound church a good pastor there in
Fiji there we can we can work together with him that you know these souls that
we see get saved we can point them to this good church so if the Lord can help
us find that church to you know cooperate with and to bless and and to
help them praise God maybe that's God's intention for us there in 2025 you know
what else what else do we need to get done I'm not sure a building a new
building we probably need a new building as a lot of little ones
brethren we need a place to meet yeah we need we probably most definitely need a
new building okay so please keep your eyes open keep your ears open but again
there are things that we need to achieve there are things that we need to do as a
church and I hope that as your pastor as a as your leader an example I can help
you along this journey but forever I need you guys and you know we need the
help of the Lord to equip all of us to serve him faithfully but as I said when
we do great things there are great difficulties there are great
difficulties I praise God for 2017 right which I said I got a date Sunshine
Coast start new life Baptist Church praise God but there were difficulties
there were Philistines there were challenges I started that church in the
midst of a Trinity versus oneness controversy alright a lot of people were
against me okay because they thought I was like a oneness believer even though
I've never believed that garbage I've always taught right on the Trinity
alright but people like to throw you in oh that guy's a oneness and what's he
gonna do and start some wicked church some corrupt church there in the sunny
coast people were ready to tear me down even before I started to pass on the
Philistines were ready to tear them down even before they Scott their hearts
right of the Lord to do something great for him
remember there are always there's always some type of difficulty 2018 I had to
break fellowship with my sending pastor of this very issue over oneness okay and
then when you break fellowship with your sending pastor what happens people start
to claim you have some ulterior motives they start to question whether you're
truly biblically ordained to begin with I mean if you broke the first of the
one that ordained you then surely you can't be ordained yourself and so
there's always been challenges there's always been criticisms and I don't know
why because I think I'm a pretty good happy person easy to get along with I
thought people like to challenge and criticize and they don't want to see a
great work done for God I don't know you know that's that's the devil it's it's
he puts these crazy desires crazy thoughts in the hearts and minds of
people and all you do want to do is serve the Lord and people just want to
tear you down and you think it's always the Philistines but sometimes it's your
own brethren you know that sometimes it's other believers I don't know why
okay the hearts aren't right we've got at that point in time they can't see
clearly whatever it is all right so that's 2018 I was classified where I was
challenged whether I was truly classified as an ordained pastor because
I had to break fellowship with my sin in pasta 2019 I was racking my head what
happened in 2019 I think it's a relatively peaceful year actually hopes
I don't know maybe that maybe if I go back and really think hard I'll probably
find some challenges to the ministry but I think 2019 was a relatively peaceful
year praise God and need a break sometimes all right can't always be
battle sometimes you need to rest all right and recharge your battles recharge
your batteries to get ready for the battles then 2020 we talked about how
COVID comes along boy and COVID was wonderful in the sense that I was able
to come and help lead this church because obviously the conditions the
the mandates all that stuff was much stricter here in Sydney than he was on
sunny coast you know the sunny coast during COVID most people just went about
their normal lives barely noticing any differences but over here and especially
in Melbourne but over here right where I had the church there was some great
difficulties here and this led to disagreements amongst church brethren as
to how well I was leading this church over COVID you know I don't think our
past is doing the best that he can for us during COVID I don't think he's
making the right decisions all right trying to which kind of started to
eventuate right try taking us to 2021 an attempt to tear this pasta away from
this ministry here of this church in 2021 there was an attempt for me to step
away as the pastor of this church a rebellion and we had the border closures
as well right so I'm here in Sydney I my heart of course is my main church New
Life Baptist Church and my goal was to visit them week in week out but the
border closures made it very difficult with New Life Baptist Church and being
able to unable to frequently visit New Life Baptist Church that church lost
half its attendance we maintained our core numbers but all the newer members
that were added to the church I was unable to visit I was unable to really
be there and in due time that church loses half its attendance as I said
there's an attempt to remove me as the pastor here at blessed about this church
okay and I believe the core issue came down to how I was managing the church
during COVID okay now look there are great things that have happened we talk
about how COVID brought the live streaming brought our influence to
other places in Australia but I don't want you to forget the difficulties the
challenges the heartbreaks all right the backstab and the betrayals all that
stuff goes on too when you're doing something great for God it's just part
of it it's part of the package all right what else
2022 actually 2022 was pretty relatively peaceful as well praise God
neither a break after all that COVID garbage all right after 2022 was
relatively peaceful then comes 2023 all right and there are calls that I'm an
un- disqualified pastor because of some family challenges that we're facing all
right sort out after a few months it's not a big deal got all sorted all right
but I when people want to tell you down when the Philistines see weakness they
want to attack they want to tear down churches they want to destroy pastors
and Brevin you know me man before before I'm probably the person that wants to
step down the most as a pastor okay people don't have to tell me you should
step down because if I had a reason to step down I would have done it a long
time ago all right my family comes first but then what happens people criticize
you they criticize your family they criticize you as a pastor you're
unqualified it's like man I thought we were friends I thought I had your back
and you had my back and you know we're going to serve the Lord till he comes
back you know and people break your heart that's what it is Brevin then 2024
all right 2024 the greatest year of works that we've done as a church but
it's been a challenging year again I had some claims that I was an
unbiblical pastor say why were you an unbiblical pastor because another pastor
in America preached something about the Trinity that I never I never said but
because something about the Trinity was said that was disagreed with I'm an
unbiblical pastor it's like what what does it have to do with me well I'm
focused on new life blessed hope then crammed up this church this is the
environment that God's given me this is the responsibility that he's given me I
could care less about what's going on the outside of the world but people I
don't know it's just people they want to attack they want to criticize okay look
again just get you need to get used to I'm trying to explain something okay
look if God was not my helper I would have quit a long time ago if getting
into ministry and doing a work for the Lord was just my strength my efforts my
abilities you know this church would have collapsed I would have stepped down
a long time ago I won't understand it's because of the Lord he's our helper
he's our Ebeneezer okay he'll get us through this coming year what else we
had the greatest soul winning numbers ever 2024 any good pastor would rejoice
any good church would rejoice and there were good churches and good pastors that
disagree with me on the end times but they can rejoice at souls getting saved
because they know what the main things are and so what happens my best friend
pastor my known familiar friend has to get out there and publicly criticize the
soul winning like where did that come from friend you betrayed me with a kiss
it's like why what what does it have to do with anything like we're trying to
oh we don't think the numbers are right okay who cares God knows the numbers God
knows who truly got saved and then you know there are probably people that we
think didn't get saved they got saved there are some that got there that we
think I'd say that didn't get say it doesn't matter we're going out there
we're doing a great work we're investing our time our efforts we're taking time
off work we're using church funds personal funds we're doing a great
sacrifice all right what for the praise of men not to for the kingdom of God
I've never seen I've never seen I've been honest here I've never seen the
numbers that we got out there in Fiji in Australia we had about 25 blessed hope
new life other brethren in other places in Australia get out there I think there
was about 9 10 11 churches represented from Australia from Australia and New
Zealand and New Zealand okay I kind of love New Zealand sometimes okay but man
that's a great work right and you can criticize that and you discourage people
and you're like what in the world why Philistines the devil okay envy
corruption wickedness sinful man is what it is and by the way I'm a sinful
man sir we're all sinful men we all have struggles okay and here's the thing like
and it's the greatest year it's some of the greatest struggles I lost a great
number of members that new life ever search again this year over because of
what one pastor said another country about the Trinity and then toward the
end of this year guess what another pastor with his family problems they
have nothing to do with me I barely know the man I barely know the family has
nothing to do with me has nothing to do with you has nothing to do with new life
or crown Baptist Church and there are people that want to come what do you
what do you have to say about the matter you know trying to create division in
churches create division amongst friends you people are gonna have different
opinions about some issue on the other side of the world who cares we've got a
work to do here in Sydney on the sunny coast in Port Macquarie in Australia in
Melbourne in Perth there's a great work there's a great need that needs to be
fulfilled and God has been using us and we're I'm just I'm just trying to I'm
not trying to discourage you I'm just trying to say look hardships are gonna
and look probably some of these things there's probably other things that you
know about that I don't even know about some other difficulty some other
challenges something else the devil has decided to throw in the mix of things to
try to stop us from serving him faithfully Brevin the top you know talk
for the sermon is Ebenezer the Lord has helped us the Lord has helped us you
know I'm doing the best I can as a pastor but if it's just me forget about
this should have collapsed a long time ago it's Christ that builds his church
it's Christ's kingdom and all we are our ambassadors we're just an empty vessel
hopefully a clean vessel that God can use by the power of his Holy Spirit to
do a great work for him and Brevin you know what I'm not distracted by the
difficulties all right we're not going to allow us to get distracted by the
Philistines all right God can send his thunders God can scatter the wicked
scatter the criticism God can restore people that have been enemies in the
past guess what they can be my friends too just like the Israelites of old in
this chapter their hearts were in the right place okay and maybe your hearts
have not been the right place in 2024 all right we get our hearts solely upon
the Lord we serve him only and we get out there and we do some great works I
don't care if a former enemy comes together we go and work together praise
God we do it for Jesus Christ I'm ready to forgive and forget I already forgive
it in my heart I don't care anymore I'm just trying to tell you that we've got
some great works to do God will continue using his church but it's gonna be great
challenges as well and I want you to know that I've got your backs and
please have my back because it's hard to be in the ministry it's a hard work okay
now you're in first Samuel chapter 7 look at verse number 14 first Samuel
chapter 7 verse number 14 it says in the cities which the Philistines had taken
from Israel were restored to Israel from Ekron even unto Gath and the coaster of
did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines and there was peace
between Israel and the Amorites what I love about the story is we see Israel
reclaiming their land and what's happened in 2024 we've reclaimed well
we've claimed Port Macquarie and parts of Fiji and parts of the Philippines
thank you brother sorry sister I like the Philippines I like the Philippines
man I can barely speak now but God's opening some land for us all right some
places that we can continue doing some great work for him but we need the Lord
to help us we need the Lord to drive away the difficulties and the problems
and the criticism okay it's it's not a battle that we need to fight okay leave
it to God and we focus on reclaiming the cities that God allows us to claim look
at verse number 15 and Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life I would
love that to be my case I would love to be a pastor all the days of my life I
don't know if that's going to happen I hope it does please pray that it does if
that's the Lord's will for my life I would love that and what I love about
verse number 16 it says and he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel
and Gilgal and Mizpah and judged Israel in all those places that's like me and
he went from year to year in circuit to the sunny coast and Sydney and Port
Macquarie and judged in all those places what a responsibility right well this
shows me someone had a big job to do like he was one of these judges and he
had to go from place to place because Israel was not in the greatest place you
know to have other men who could judge and lead Israel Reverend we need leaders
we need pastors we need a pastor over Port Macquarie we need a pastor here at
blessed Baptist Church we could start a church tomorrow in Melbourne if we had a
man that was ready to sacrifice himself time go to another place and get things
started that can be one of the biggest churches you know they're in Melbourne
that Melbourne needs a good church okay even Perth there are places that we need
men of God to step up and be pastors to be judges all right it gets tiring going
from you know all these places I'm sure Samuel was hired right going from
Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah and judging in all those places can you come with me
to Psalm 12 come with me to Psalm 12 come with me to Psalm 12 Psalm 12 I
thank God that he allows me to travel to Sydney and Port Macquarie now and I've
been doing this brethren since 2018 pretty much every week let's say let's
say let's just say 40 times a year since 2018 and I don't know I said at the
beginning I'll do it for 10 years and I don't know what I was thinking I don't
know maybe it was the Holy Spirit speaking on my behalf I don't know but
anyway the Lord knows why I said those words and I feel like I have to commit
to that time period at least at the very least but Psalm 12 brethren we need we
need the Lord's help all right here's our Ebeneezer the Lord helped us and and
in Psalm 12 verse number 1 Psalm 12 verse number 1 the Bible says help Lord
for the godly man ceaseth for the faithful fail from among the children of
men they speak vanity everyone with his neighbor with flattering lips and with
double hearts do they speak brethren we need godly men we need God we need to go
to God say God help us we need godly men the godly men ceases everyone else has
flattering lips and backstabbers and all this brethren I'm I want to quickly
appoint pastors but I don't want to rush it we need godly men qualified men
faithful men men with the wisdom of the scriptures that are willing to say oh
Lord if it's your will Lord give me the desire there's a work to be done things
are getting darker here in Australia we need more churches we need a more soul
winning we need more leaders we need more judges maybe it's you I don't know
I didn't never thought it would be me to be honest I didn't think it'd be me but
we need more men you know we need more churches we need more soul winning we
need more work and the one we run to we need to go to God God help us God make
it clear which men will be ready to step up to do a great work for you come with
me to Psalm 37 Psalm 37 39 Psalm 37 39
Psalm 37 39
we need our Lord's help in 2025 you're going to go for tribulations you're
going to go through hardships and you know what it's going to happen when you
prepare yourself to serve the Lord whenever the next missions trip is I
don't know when it's going to be or what it is or you say I'm going to go Port
Macquarie I'm going to go encourage the brethren then I'm going to go so when
I'm going to go to that whatever it is something's not something's going to
happen I want to get ready ready for it I want you to get prepared for it I want
you to go God the devil doesn't want me to do a work for you please help me in
the time of trouble to come and when the trouble comes Lord you heard my
prayer please help me you're my strength you're my deliverer
it's the Lord that helps it's a law that empowers us Psalm 94 please Psalm 94
verse number 16 Psalm 94 Psalm 94 verse number 16 Psalm 94 16 who will rise up
for me against the evildoers who will stand up for me against the workers of
iniquity the Psalmist is asking the question who's gonna fight for me who's
gonna stand for me it's like the Israelites of old the Philistines are
here who's gonna deliver us who's gonna help us Samuel asked the Lord to help us
verse number 17 unless the Lord had been my help my soul had almost dwelt in
silence he goes man it's not for God I would have been almost dead I'll be dead
basically I've quit I would have quit a long time ago unless the Lord had been
my help revenues last what is it 2018 22 2019 21 2 3 4 is past and we
celebrated six years we haven't done seven years have we yeah as a church
okay I'm losing track of things now I don't know six years man the Lord has
helped us this church would have crumbled a long time ago this pastor
would have quit a long time ago somehow it's the Lord it's his help all right
remember that remember it's a Lord who will stand for you you don't need to go
and fight every battle don't get distracted by every battle all right let
God deal with it even the Psalmist says look who's gonna stand for me okay God
you're the one you've been my help otherwise my soul would have been
silence coming to one more passage in March of the nine March of the nine
actually it's a second last passage mark 9 please mark 9 verse number 23 what
else do we need help with brethren mark 9 mark 9 and you know I often say this
and I do mean it I don't think I'm a very faith filled man now faith is on
Christ Jesus salvation praise God all right but I also have a lot of concerns
and there are things that boggle my mind sometimes right and sometimes I share
with others and like don't worry pasta have faith in the Lord it's all gonna
get sorted like that person is full of faith it's like it don't worry it's all
sorted the Lord knows it's done forget about it past I'm like no but I'm still
thinking about it I feel like that's one of my weaknesses that you know others
have other strengths and praise God for that strength if you're that kind of
person but in mark 9 we have a story of a man who's got a child who's a lunatic
right and he goes to Jesus to heal his child to heal his son and in mark 9 23
it says Jesus said unto him if thou canst believe all things are possible
to him that believeth God says just believe just have faith all things are
possible that's why my brethren say to me pastor don't worry it's all sort just
believe yeah okay and look at this on 24 and straightway the father of the child
cried out and said with tears Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief I do
believe but I still have unbelief can you help my unbelief the Lord is our
Ebeneezer Brevin if you're lacking in faith if you're lacking faithfulness you
know who's gonna help you that the Lord the Lord I do believe I know you've got
a great job for blessed up Baptist Church and your life and crown in 2025
Lord I believe it but hope my unbelief because I don't know how you're gonna
utilize us I don't know the reasons are gonna come from I don't know where the
new building is gonna come from if that's the Lord's will Lord I don't know
where these new passes are gonna come from Lord I don't know how much you're
going to sustain me to do my yearly circuit you know to three different
places but Lord we need your help come with me to one more passage John 15 this
last one last one John 15 title for the sermon was Ebeneezer the Lord helped us
the Lord helped us and Brevin when I gave you all these great things we've
done over the years in ministry and of course I'm talking from back from from
my perspective I don't want to I don't want to be the hero of the story I don't
want to be a hero you know I want to be just your brother in the Lord you know
many many regards and I thank you for the hard work that you've done you know
being a blessing to this church in all the different areas of your life you
know the soul wind gets out that gets done for your friendship for your
prayers thank you for your church attendance all right be very hard if
it's just me and and me on a Thursday or me and the Lord very hard to just run
church so thank you for coming it's a real blessing but it's a team effort we
know these verses here in John 15 Jesus Christ says these words in John 15 verse
number four abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself
except it abide in the vine no more can ye accept ye abide in me
when we learn a very important truth here if we want to bear fruits and
we've done so but we want to continue bearing more fruits and more fruit and
more fruit we want to do more for the Lord
Brevin I'm dependent on you to abide in Christ please don't get distracted by
this world look we need to deal with the world we need to work needs pay bills we
need to interact we need to live understand but this world can be very
distracting throws a lot of temptations at you a lot of wickedness a lot of
discouragements this world will throw at you but when that happens Brevin I need
you to just abide in the vine like it's great if I'm abiding the vine and brother
ashes abide in the vine like we'll get some fruit but how can we be more
fruitful is this if each one of our branches here abides in Christ how much
more fruit can we bring forth like if you had a tree and only one branch is
bringing for fruit or five branches are bringing for fruit but the other 20
branches are not bringing for fruit you say well it's not being as productive as
it can be but what if all the branches are bringing for fruit that you know the
the the the tree is doing its maximum produce because everybody is carefully
abiding in Christ Jesus I want that to be your challenge coming in 2025 say
pastor I'm gonna abide in Christ Jesus I'm gonna stay close by him because
without him I can't be fruitful without him I can't pastor without him we've got
no blessing about this church okay we need to continue abiding in Christ look
at verse number five I am the vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me
and I in him the same bring a forth much fruits for without me ye can do nothing
boy that's true without the Lord's help we can do nothing we have the Lord's
help you'd be on your way to help but we have the Lord's help blessed about the
church can do nothing each other so all the great things we've done and we've
done some great things set your Ebenezer stone remember what God has done
look back at the past and rejoice in the past and remember that God can do some
great things in us but when we when we rejoice and we highlight those things
that we've accomplished it's God that did it it's Christ that did it through
us without him we do nothing and brethren we've done some great things
you know why because we abide we abode we abided one of those in Christ
all right continue doing it in 2025 title for the sermon was Ebenezer the
Lord helped us let's pray