27th December 2012 by Donna Uning-CM.
In the last 25 years, Pastor Brian Young has visited Kuching many times. A couple of those times, he was on mission trips to the longhouses. At the Leaders Retreat 2012 held at St. Faith’s Church, Kuching, he encouraged and challenged members in their walk with the Lord. “Are you guilty of not hearing the Holy Spirit?” he asked.
Matthew 16 says He will build His church around the world. It is God’s agenda. The principle of evangelism is found in John 12:24, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (NIV).
God wants us to be fruitful; the message is to go. We have to know God’s strategy and plan. Most people do not go to the church. There is a merging movement of Christianity in corporations, classrooms, banks, etc. The church has become an extension to these places, he pointed out. The secret is hearing from the Lord, he said. Let the spirit hear what the Lord says. “God is challenging His disciples to be involved in the marketplace,” he says.
How can I do that? Putting our identity in one place is not productive. The church is called to equip; to work effectively in the marketplace. What are the means to bring people to Jesus? You are the teacher or preacher that God wants to use. Simply obey the Lord and do what He wants you to do. “Sheep begets sheep. Shepherds beget shepherds,” he reminded. You will never know what impact you have in the marketplace. When you lay hands on someone, you are transmitting the love of Jesus!
The strategy that God gives is not hard. Life is about being trained and equipped to be God’s disciples. Church planting is not the same as the book of Acts. “We are equipped to be disciples of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the best equipper!” he pointed out. The Lord loves to do the unusual. Acts 19:11 says, “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul”(NIV). The Lord is so creative. Don’t limit the Holy Spirit; we limit the Holy Spirit by our unbelief.
“Our destiny is determined by the choices we made,” Pastor Brian Young pointed out. Following Christ is a relationship that defines every single thing that we do. How rich is your relationship with Jesus?
How to be more effective as a disciple? The secrets of the Lord belong to those who fear Him. There are seven ways, we as disciples, can be more effective, he said. First, a true disciple has to learn to be still. Jesus went to the mountain. In Matthew 6, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness and came back with the power of the Holy Spirit. In Hebrew, desert or wilderness means ‘a place where God speaks’. Go into your closet or quiet place and wait upon the Lord. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am Lord.” The essence of prayer is listening to the Lord. Jesus waits on the Father on what to do. He will teach you how to effectively use the gift.
Second is knowing your identity. All that Christ has was His communication with the Father. Who are you in Christ? Your purpose or destiny is wrapped up in your identity. Your destiny is determined by what you are in Christ. God is in the business of doing the miraculous. Alignment first between you and God before there is an assignment. Your identity is the key to your breakthrough.
Third is awareness. Are you aware of what’s going on around your family, office, or classroom? You can and you should. For example, by sitting on the chair or place of authority, you can change the atmosphere, the present. Know that the Spirit of the Lord is on you and you can change the world around you. God designed it that way. God is no respecter of persons, what happened to the evangelists (Wesley, Moody, etc.) can happen to you. You are His representative.
Walking in peace is the key to discernment. What is God doing in your life right now? If you are a disciple of Jesus, you should know how God is using you. If you recognize your assignment, you recognize what the devil has against you. When you face opposition, it is a good sign that you are doing something right. Frustration is going beyond grace. Whatever God calls you to do, He will give you grace to do it. Operate in our sprit, not just your minds. The challenge is bringing your mind to cooperate with your spirit.
Next, is renewing your mind through meditation, fasting and praying. You can only do this with constant renewal in the fellowship with the Father. You sustain motivation with relationship and work with the Holy Spirit. The disciples of God spend quiet time reading the Word. You will never be effective without this discipline.
Six, you need to know what God’s assignment for you tomorrow. “Listen to God for instructions for tomorrow,” he said. If you spend time with Him, He will show you. That’s the life of a disciple.
Lastly, learn how to handle discouragement. As we learn to master ourselves, we will learn to master discouragement. You learn empathy and right thinking.
The church in the marketplace is the answer to our world problems, he said. We are the true essence of Christ. We need to shift from church mentality to Kingdom mentality. He called us to excel in our field in order to impact others. “God has never failed in anything,” he added. You can be successful if you learn to work in God’s perspective. He delights in the successor of His people. If you are a disciple of Jesus, there is no end to how He can use you. Your assignment for the Lord is to be filled in the Holy Spirit and be on the field for the Lord.
Jesus spent His entire ministry on the preparation of the twelve. They all left; they forsook Him. He loved them to the end. He never gave up.
“Our success as a church is how well we bring people to Christ,” he said. The favor of God is a very powerful influence. The favor of God in our lives is our testimony. You are made for excellence; everything you do is marked by excellence. We must possess a kingly and priestly anointing. “God called us to begin in the Spirit and operate in the Spirit,” he pointed out. Operate in the anointing that God called you to operate in.
John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord. Our assignment is to prepare the way of the Lord. We are called to prepare the way of the Lord. “You never, ever, graduate being a disciple. You just bring people to Jesus and Jesus will do amazing things,” he ended his message.
Pastor Brian Young later prayed over all the church leaders and business people in the church. Pastor Brian Young and his wife Ruth were in Kuching with the Full Gospel Businessmen (FGB). The Leaders Retreat 2012 was held on December 11-12 at St. Faith’s Church, Kuching.
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