Summary
The sermon, titled Proclaiming God's Faithfulness, centers on the theme of God's enduring commitment to His people across generations. The pastor shares a deeply personal testimony about his spiritual journey, highlighting moments of doubt, pride, and eventual repentance. He acknowledges how pride can be a barrier to experiencing God’s grace and emphasizes the transformative power of forgiveness, both of oneself and others, in deepening one’s relationship with God and the church community. The narrative transitions into celebrating the church’s anniversary, reflecting on its history from 1995 to the present, and sharing stories of God’s faithfulness during challenging times, such as the search for a home, the support from the congregation, and the fulfillment of needs through divine timing. The message concludes with a call to recognize God’s faithfulness in our lives, trust in His promises, and actively participate in advancing His kingdom.
Sermon transcription
missing you are happy but there's no joy
there's really no joy and eventually I
said
what am I doing with my life.
I missed the time when I was still a
young Christian so in love making two
coffees, one for Jesus, one for me.
And yeah, of course that's part of being
a Christian that we are getting
persecuted.
My own family think I'm crazy
because they are nonbeliever. And I am
praising to the roof of our house. Just
praising, you know, lifting my hands and
and my mama said, "Yeah, do not do that
because our neighbor think that you are
losing it and things like but I don't
care."
And then eventually I found myself
I think people in the church judge me.
I said, "Am I transparent? Can you see
my heart? Did you see that I am
sinning?" And I complain.
And then I realize
that the only thing that I am pleasing
is them. I want to look good, to look
better for them. Why I am beautiful
today? Because today is my wedding day
for for God. I mean, yeah. Because every
week because we are the bride of Christ
and every week is our wedding day.
You know, I realize na hindi naman pala
ako umalis. I did not fall away from God
because he's close. I just stand still.
I did not walk to follow.
So I am really grateful that now I on my
process of repentance
and the thing that I realize
I have to forgive myself
when I did that because that is the
thing that really holds me back I am
prideful that is the first sin and worst
sin that we can commit as a Christian is
pride because we think that yeah I'm
doing good I'm I'm not I'm not sinning
in a way. Yeah, a little bit. But God
knows that that God forgives that God
cannot we cannot really see that this
that sin
of pride
it will explode eventually. That's the
first thing that that Satan did to
is pride and hardening of the heart. You
think that you can do better and then I
realized I said to God I'm done. I'm
done. And God cl on my face. Good. Now I
can begin.
And he begin and I eventually I
transform.
I forgive myself. I said to myself, I'm
sorry, Elaine. I did this to you.
You you you
fall away from one thing that you really
love because I did this to you. I allow
myself to harden my heart.
I close my heart so that my God can
enter again. How can he enter if it is
close? You have to open it. You have to
clean it. Even even in our house, if it
is not clean, you are really ashamed to
to accept visitors ba. So now after I
forgive myself, I'm messaging people one
by one. People that who hurt me
specifically.
people who hurt me that I think I think
I did not do anything to them they step
on my toe. They take me for granted.
I forgive them and I message them please
forgive me. This is the end because God
doesn't want us to go back to where he
rescued us.
If it is not good for you, God will take
that away from you. Regardless how much
you love it. I love my best friends for
28 years. I have to let him go because
we are now good for each other.
We are really not
getting to the goal. You know what I
realize? I want to challenge everyone
and even my friends, my family.
The challenge was to bring each one of
us to help each other to go to heaven
because these are all temporary. This
voice are temporary. This this this
looks temporary. Your house, your car is
temporary
because once we go there, that's the
goal. That's the finished. But I have to
remind myself EMorn
to be victorious
are already you already won.
So why you were feeling
when I was praying singing crying when I
was attending the church let's say 20
plus years ago the last time I go to
church this is actually the first time
again after 20 years not because I do
not want to go to church because I
alreadying people
the church that I was soal
I do not like people fellowshing
Oh, you like that? You know, like
because I am so ashamed
my knees are cannot even walk.
I cannot even walk because I am ashamed
like you are so you are so shy to to
look at God like that you know. Now I
said to myself, "Thank you for making my
ground solid because I can now stand and
praise, you know, because that's how
supposed to be.
God lif me up from there. I said I am
nowemed
the same holy spirit that Jesus have who
rose Jesus from the death lives in me
and lives with everyone.
That that's why sabi ko nga, Lord God,
you are the king of the universe,
creator of everything in everyone.
We are we are already victorious. We are
winning. We just have to remind ourself
yeah we could have a battle today but we
already know that we are that we won.
Thank you everyone and God be the glory.
Thank you. Thank you sister Lane for
wonderful testimony.
Imagine after 20 years
you have attended a church. Praise the Lord.
But praise God for his second chances,
right? Thank you Lord for not giving up
on uspite
Amen. In spite of us, God is faithful.
Sister Susy, you want to say something?
I just want to give back all the
praises, glory, honor to the Lord uh for
the I just celebrated my
half century birthday.
So yeah, I thank the Lord for his
blessings. I thank the Lord for the
family and friends around me. Everything
that he has done in my life, all the
life lessons, all the ya prayers from
friends, from family. I I give all
thanks to the Lord. Thank you.
Praise God.
Okay, I hope we can reserve the next for
our uh service next Sunday.
So shall we now call our children for
before they go to theay school and we
also request our youth to join our
children here in front as we pray for
Praise the Lord.
Yeah, before we pray for our children
just uh
we are uh
having one of our sisters to leave us
for good and move to Belgium Sister
Jerina. So we will pray for her later
after the service.
Uh yeah, it's a bitter sweet moment once
again that one of our appears are moving
but God is uh going to be with her
sister Jerina. Okay, let us uh extend
our hands and pray for our youth and
children.
Mr. Job, you are the
Okay, let's pray. Hallelujah. Father
God, we are thankful Lord for our youth
and children. Oh Lord God, we thank you
God for uh your uh great uh goodness
that you have brought them to us.
gift Lord to our church andally Lord to
their par god Lord God we are grateful
that they are growing and every every
day Lord we pray for your grace
anointing your presence be upon them
Lord in their own um experience in life
that they may always uh know and be
aware of your presence Lord that is at
work in their lives God today Lord as
they are having their Sunday school we
pray that you uh teach them your word uh
use our teacher today sister J to teach
them Lord your word we pray Lord for
their fellowship together may they uh
enjoy your presence in their mids and uh
we pray Lord as they are uh facing their
challenges in life that they uh may have
Lord your wisdom, your your grace at
work in them so that they will be a
blessing Lord to the people around them.
So once again Lord we thank you for each
one of them in Jesus mighty name we
pray. Amen.
Amen. Praise the Lord.
Amen.
So this uh
this first Sunday of the month of the
anniversary month, uh the theme of our
month is God's faithfulness.
And so for this particular Sunday the
title of our sermon is proclaiming God's
faithfulness
which is found in 145
13 shall we read it all together?
Psalm 1451
your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom
and your dominion endures through all
generations.
The Lord is trustworthy in all he
promises in and faithful in all he does.
Hallelujah. Thank you Lord for this
opportunity to celebrate Lord your
faithfulness from generation to
generation. Oh God your kingdom endures
forever. We proclaim oh Lord God your
greatness in our lives in our community
Lord and in the people Lord that you
have brought uh into us. Lord to share
life with us and to have relationship
Lord as brothers and sisters oh Lord God
this is indeed beginning of reflecting
the years that you have been with us and
may we uh give justice Lord to the to
the theme of this month oh God because
you indeed are worthy of all the praise
Lord of all the acknowledgement of your
great and mighty works
to to for us Lord God to be convinced
and to be able Lord to uh experience
that you indeed are faithful to each one
of us and so today Lord as we listen to
your uh to this sermon uh we pray Lord
that this word of yours from the book of
Psalms Lord be planted in our hearts for
this we ask in Jesus name we pray amen
Am the Lord so this is my opportunity to
say my um anniversary message because
our anniversary of course we have a
special
uh preacher special speaker for that day
so this my only chance and I would like
to use this opportunity to to
express the the testimony
uh the experience of God's faithfulness
in my life, in our lives, that we may
glorify the Lord um thanking God for
what he has done indeed in each of our
lives. You know, I have just uh me and
my wife just returned from Dubai.
actually 12th of August the day the
senior pastor of Dubai called us to join
the anniversary
but what a way of asking us gave us only
2 weeks notice and we still have apply
we still have to apply for visa because
we are still Filipino passport holder
and so I was just really not
enthusiastic about it and we uh told him
pastor we just celebrated our uh
convention
and also we are busy preparing for our
anniversary itself our 30th year
anniversary but he said uh we would
really like to to have you because uh
you are a former senior pastor and uh we
have invited all the former senior
pastors of the church.
So I think I cannot really
make an excuse anymore. So we were just
praying that we will have enough time to
process everything uh to get booking
flight and also to apply for a visa. And
to make the long story short, we were
able to join the celebration in Dubai.
And I never really expected uh the way
it turned out because all the senior
pastors has to share their uh experience
at the time that they were leading the
church.
So that was why we were invited. So uh
I I was given a portion to share in
front of the conregation
my experiences and how the church was
during my time of 11 years as as pastor
of Dubai.
And it was really
it was a different and special
experience because most of the time when
we go to to visit we have uh I have a
sister know one or two of my sisters uh
are still living there but this time
there are no more uh relatives
from my side so
you know the feeling
I have a family there um most of my
focus is with my family. The church was
there of course but this time I focus
fully to the to the church and it was
really a different feeling because the
nostalgic
uh memory of uh of the people who were
there and who were who are still there
and we we really uh celebrated each
other's lives uh recalling the time that
that we were still there
And then I conducted a seminar for Y and
youth.
And most of these people I do not know
them because I've been away from that
church for already 12 years and uh this
are new generation and I was excited and
I was amazed by by their
uh their insights
and uh it was really indeed a blessing
for me to to return to my the church
where I started my ministry.
So today I want to talk about God's
faithfulness from one generation to the
next generation. As I was praying earli
about the church anniversary, you know,
I I can feel those who were here since
the beginning of the church like uh
Sister Susy, Pastora Susy or Sister
Claire or
I don't ah sister Nora.
Yeah. The the OG.
Yeah. Together with Sister Cora, they
are the OGs.
Yeah. For those who know original, it
means original.
Yeah, sister Lisa was there also. So I
mean you know they have a different
feeling from the rest of us because when
we say we are celebrating the 30 years
anniversary of the church it means
something to them different from the
rest of us.
It's deeper they have seen the ups and
downs of this community and we are just
thanking the lord that because of their
faithfulness
that we are able to experience God in
this community as well. Amen.
So I will start with uh the story of the
Bible.
When we talk about God's faithfulness
from generation to generation, what a
way of looking at our Bible.
This is a document
of around 1,00 to 2000 years of history.
am right 2000 years before Christ
before Abraham during Abraham's time
until the last of the uh the apostles
were alive around maybe 90 AD and even
after that because there are still uh
people in in the time of the book of
Acts who were uh there when Jesus was
not there anymore when Jesus was
ascended into heaven. So I mean talking
about between 1,00 100 years to 2000
years of history
that this book was recorded is more than
amazing.
I don't think is any other book or we
consider this a library
of of books
that can
that can equate to the length of of this
uh document right with 40 plus authors
including kings, prophets, judges,
philosophers,
shepherds, fishermen, etc, etc.
different three different languages
Hebrew Aramaic and Greek and yet
it is unified in its content
so talking about God's faithfulness
from generation to generation talking
about uh the miracle
of God's mighty deeds
there is nothing that can compare to
God's word amen
And today I would like also to talk
about this year 2025.
So far we we have celebrated
and we are celebrating
three at least for me three particular
experiences in my life. First of all,
those who have joined us for the
European and Middle East uh region uh
convention in Germany uh in July
was the 25th year of the the uh regional
convention
and then in Dubai last Sunday the 35
years from 1990 to 2025
and uh this month our church
1995
2025
so I mean we are talking about
reflecting on the faithfulness of God in
our church in our churches brothers and
sisters
um the regional convention
25 years of God's faithfulness since
1990
um nine conventions
time of those attend including some
delegates from here
first timers that convention
they have to know they have to learn
from those who have been attending since
the beginning I happen to uh attend the
first convention in year 2000 not 1990
sorry the first one in year 2000 in
black forest Germany and uh I can still
feel as if it was just yesterday
when we were riding the bus um from
Gopingen
the 50 seater bus and we were from
different countries delegates we rode on
that bus the 2hour drive from uh
Gopingen to the black forest and we just
kept singing because someone brought
aitar you know
we were singing all the way to the
mountains as if we were long time
friends as if we were really blood
brothers and sisters
and as I shared in testimony in the
convention that during the time of
prayer that was the the last day you
know usually uh in the recent convention
gathering we us have the prayer for each
other time the night before
the last day because you know the last
day would be the check out from the
hotel right so everyone is busy packing
and is just saying uh byebye and go our
different ways but for because that was
the first uh nobody realized that so our
prayer for each other happen on that
very day before we leave the place. And
so when we prayed for one another,
you know the mutual feeling of everyone,
nobody wants to leave the place.
And brother Bunny, the the husband of
sister Ching, he was crying and he said,
"This is how it feels to be a brother
and a sister."
He said he was crying and he wasing for
the first time you know the the kind of
relationship
that the world cannot offer.
We may be strangers we may be coming
from different backgrounds. But when the
Holy Spirit is at work
we are as if you know born
from the same family.
is exactly you know the mission of God
for us why God has planted us here you
ask the question why am I here
in this place why am I here together
with these people I don't know them from
from Adam as I say but they are my
beloved brothers and sisters
when sister Rine was sharing about her
life we know that God uh looked at her
as the apple of God's eyes and as God
loves her, we love her as well. Amen.
Because of the presence of God, it makes
our relationship real. It's not
superficial, it's not shallow.
It is the presence of God that makes
this relationship work because God has
called us for a mission to advance the
kingdom of God while we are still alive.
Hallelujah.
when Dubai
in uh
January of 2025. So I always remember
that rather than this uh celebration
last uh Sunday
when we were in the Philippines last
January,
we had a a reunion of former wind
members.
It was a hurried activity because
my son was married a month ago a month
in December of 2024
and we cannot accommodate all the
friends and all the brothers and
sisters. So we said we let's just have a
reunion but when one of our former
members who had a a big hotel in the
Philippines, she offered let's us have
it in in my place all expenses paid. So
that makes really uh make things
possible. So we already called people to
join the event and we only have I think
uh
around 10 days
short notice but 90 plus people attended
the reunion and amazingly
each one uh was excited to tell their
story the story that God has moved in
their lives even after their time in
Dubai.
So that was amazing. My sister was able
to document all the the testimonies
and put it in the in her account. and
sister suan sister Susan of UT she's not
a window by member but she said pastor
don't you believe I started watching
the the testimony
in in the evening and I did not stop
until I finish all the testimonies my
goodness how long it is I think it's
more than 5 or 6 hour
but
you know amazing stories amazing like
one of those people like she was just
an ordinary member in the church but now
she is gathering uh leaders of different
denominations in Negros
because she is uh uh in charge of the
intercessors of the Philippines on that
place.
Another one is I think I I share the
story of brother I will not mention his
name but
this is really something detailed
his wife has said because he is always
saying let's trust the Lord they left
Dubai for good and in Dubai you do not
have pension pension plan so most OFWs
or overseas Filipino workers
to theppines without any if they do not
have financial preparedness
they are they are not prepared for
retirement and that's what they they
were but he said let us just trust the
lord the lord will provide but his wife
said because he said that because he has
experienced the faithfulness of god day
after day after day you know provision
uh he he doesn't have work god has
provided so he said, "Let's just trust
the Lord and that's enough." But his
wife said, "I think it's not enough to
just say, "Let's trust the Lord. Let us
also find have to find work."
That's what his wife said. But he said,
"God will prove to us his faithfulness."
You know what he said? It's just about
less than 10 seconds when he said, "Let
us trust the Lord that he will provide."
The mayor of the city, one of the main
cities of the Philippines where they
lived, the mayor of the city uh walk and
this was the window of their house. He
can see from the window the mayor of the
city walked outside. So he went outside
he
greeted the mayor mayor and then mayor
can you can we invite you in because uh
we want to introduce you to our our
uh uh mother and so that's the problem
of uh the burden of his wife was that
her mother
uh did not have a senior card very
important in theppines
Why? Because she doesn't have birth
certificate.
Because she doesn't have birth
certificate. She cannot apply. That is a
requirement. And she doesn't have she
doesn't have uh medical uh maintenance.
So many things she doesn't have because
of not having the sin card. So they
introduce uh the mayor to the mother and
then they uh explained to the mayor the
situation and the mayor's uh sidekick
as always. Then when they heard that she
does the birth certificate uh no chance
for you. Sorry but what the mayor said
did the mayor said no no no get the
papers right now. Let's finish it today.
So the assistance went and get the
papers. The mayor signed it, put his
signature
and then the husband look at his wife.
I mean, who can say that that is not
God's miracle at work? Who can say that
that is coincidence?
I mean, it's really a miracle.
A lot of miracles happen in our lives.
If you have not yet believed and are not
convinced that God is faithful and he is
doing great and mighty things in each of
your lives, I think you have to start to
reflect today because God is real and he
is at work
we have proven him time and time again
and there is no reason to him anymore.
when
when God works
it's not just
it's not just because
he is convincing us it is because when
we knew of his work in our lives there
is a responsibility that comes with it
brothers and sisters if God work in your
life
you are now responsible because You
already know about something that God
has done.
And if you doubt God is not offended,
he will continue to prove to you.
But the more you doubt, the more it's
becoming difficult
because our hearts begin to harden and
harden and that is really very
unfortunate, very difficult place to be
because time is coming when
it will not work anymore. No matter what
kind of miracle God will do in front of
you, it will not work anymore.
But every time you know remember the
faithfulness of God. Every time you
remember God's faithfulness
it gives us a heart of gratitude.
It it makes us humble. Amen. Sister uh
Eline said uh there's so much pride the
grace of God makes us humble. Amen. Our
prideful is softened because of God's
work.
And the more we acknowledge the work of
God, the more it make us humble, the
more we think of ourselves as nothing.
And we are, you know, abiding only by
the grace of God. And that is what
supposed to be. When we talk about God's
faithfulness from generation to
generation,
it is about us becoming more and more
dependent on God and the confidence that
God will work in our lives facing our
future. Amen.
We talk about our church we Netherlands.
We started in 1995.
One of the highlights of our celebration
is the three decades.
So from 1995 to 2004 that was the first
decade. 2005 to 2014 second decade and
then 2015 to the present is the third
one. So each of this decade there are
like uh different experiences of those
people in those time in those
generation.
I consider myself
being the pastor here for 8 years as the
the the third generation from I I
started from 2017 so I'm still part of
that time for that era.
And so many things I would like to
reflect on.
Uh and one of these things that happened
when we started here because we really
started here really trusting the Lord.
We were excited to to join you to be a
pastor of this church and we from the
very beginning we already uh started uh
pastoring
we already were busy from the beginning
the only problem was we did not have a
house yet arrange so we were looking for
a house but we cannot
uh give time to it because we are also
pastoring the church. And it was really
a trying time because
when I uh arrived 14th of September in
2017
uh we found a home only 27th of February
and started the living on that place 1
of March.
just count how many months we were
searching for home
5 and half months we have to somewh
temporaril we thank sister suy they
offer their place for several months and
sister ching and brother bunny also for
for a few months but we were really
pressured
we were we were at the time that we were
saying lord What is this?
5 and 1/2 months we are we were
searching you know and uh
there was a time it was very cold and uh
because of coldness my tears just came
out of my eyes and my wife noticed
what happened is it about being cold or
you are crying? I think I said I think
it's both
because we desperate. That's how
desperate we were. But we prayed to the
Lord and
September
27th of February I received an email I
think from brother Yan that was brother
Yan who sent me the the message that
this uh
company uh it's all uh online right who
you have to register and react so that
you can get a chance. He sent me that
email that there is a a flat in Skidam.
And at that time I was with brother
Edwin and Sister Christina and uh when I
show uh them
that was available they called
immediately. You know very several
months we can never call because every
time we call they don't answer. The only
way is to register
and then then and once you are
registered once you are acknowledged
then you can react. That's the only way,
right? I We never knew at that time, but
now we we know that that's the only way.
But that day, someone answered theone
and said, "Are you registered?" No. Uh
is then we said, "Is there anything
available?"
Not at the moment, but there is one we
have not yet posted.
Can we view that
uh the guy on the other lines uh doubt
uh silent a little bit and then said
okay you come right now that is
evening time I think since we came to
the Netherlands that was the coldest
night I think - 10
- 10 we were outside we were freezing
cold waiting outside that uh office and
when the the guy opened He said we can
you cannot view uh you register right
now. So he was really accommodating
know before uh anything else he allowed
us to come uh registered uh
right away we viewed the place and we
already said yes. And so
I consider that you know God's miracle.
I mean God really showed that he is
never late because we said on the 1 of
March we have to have a place because uh
brother B and sister Ching is already
returning
to to the Netherlands from the
Philippines. March 1 is our deadline and
March 1 we were able to move to that
place. Who would say that that is not
the miracle of God?
So many things that happen then but
brothers and sisters we are already here
for 8 years and I think we are here
until God uh sent us anywh else or God
calls us home to be with him we will be
here for good am the Lord
and
Now I will give you the reflections
that you can take home with you and ask
yourself questions.
Question number one, in what ways have
you been personally amazed by God?
Number two, would your loved ones
describe you as someone who is blown
away by God and his goodness?
Would would you be the person who is
confident that you really believe that
God is at work in your life and are
excited by, you know, by the things that
God has done in your life. Amen.
Question number 3. In what ways have you
helped your loved ones to see an
increasing wonder and a of God? I would
say that this would be a season of
miracles.
Believe.
believe that God is going to accomish
what he has set for you in your life.
Believe brothers and sisters,
let us be excited to look forward. Amen.
In the coming months and years ahead,
God is going to show us something that
we have never thought or imagine or
think. Amen. Let us believe because God
is faithful. He has been faithful from
one generation to the next generation.
He is going to be faithful in your life.
He is going to be faithful in the life
of your loved ones. To your children, to
your siblings, to your par God is going
to
plan for you and me. Amen. Father God,
we thank you Lord.
for the 30 years
that we have seen how you work in this
church. Thank you Lord God for the
pioneers
because they have responded
if not for them Lord we don't know and
we cannot imagine how this church would
look like but we are standing here as a
testament of your faithfulness from the
people who have been there from the very
beginning until today Lord you have
brought many people Lord in this church
people have come and gone
And Lord in our time in our generation
we want to proclaim your goodness we
want to proclaim your faithfulness for
you are faithful indeed Lord your
kingdom is everlasting kingdom and your
faithfulness
endures through all generations in Jesus
mighty name. Amen. Amen. Praise the
Lord.