Okay, thank you. This is my great joy to be here and so thankful pastor to allow me to come and present my ministry here And this is my first time visiting Florida. So so beautiful. Feel like I'm in Myanmar because the weather is kinda similar. So I'm so thankful for that.

So as I begin to with a message, I would I want to ask a prayer request. Please pray for believers in Myanmar. Because I've mentioned in the video, so most of my when I preach, I'm going to reflect a lot from my video because my videos, those are my burdens in my heart. And so I will sometime I will use it. I repeat some of that or my or maybe I will highlight some of it again.

So please pray for believers in Myanmar because even in I mentioned the Myanmar so many time. We believe when we receive Jesus as our savior, we thought that that's it. And we don't just we just want we just sit down. We don't want to share with other what we receive. And what we do is we are expecting more foreign teacher, foreign missionary to come to minister to us.

We never we don't really personally take it, the great commission as this as our job because the great commission is given to all believers. But many of us, even especially when I think about Myanmar, most of us, we just think that this is not my job. This is a foreigner or maybe this is pastor job or this is evangelist. This is teachers. But never take it as this is my responsibility.

This is I am obligated to share, to witness to my friends, which is so sad. I remember my father told me one one day, Josiah, we have enough believer to reach Myanmar with the gospel, and we have hundreds of hundreds of bible students graduating each year. But where are they in the field? Where are they in the field? I am so lonely.

Let's pray for more laborers to go. One night, he said that I didn't really take it serious as a young person, I don't really take it. But when I thought about that one, even especially when I started deputation and when I found out that God's will for me is to go back to Myanmar. And this is really true. And I am afraid that this happen even in America.

I remember I visited one of the churches in Wisconsin. There's a pastor share his heart and his heart cry. He mentioned that, Josiah, would you please pray with me? I have been visited a lot of church with no pastor. And I'm and I or I participate in the graduation day looking for young student young people or student who is called to be a pastor or who will go to the to the mission mission mission field.

But what he what he heard is heartbreaking. So it's so sad to hear that even in America, Satan is really wise, and Satan know that how to tricks us from doing God's will, from doing the right decision. So today, let's pray for let's remember when we pray for souls to be saved. Let's pray for even believers in our country, even in US, and it can be in Philippine time, different Africa, even in Myanmar. Satan is really work hard.

So please let's remember for believers to witness the gospel to these unbelievers. So I was I mentioned that I was adopted by a missionary couple when I was a kid. And coming to 02/2005, after hearing the gospel, the one of my teachers, Sunday school teacher, was preaching or not preaching, teaching us the white throne judgment. When I heard the white throne judgment, I was so afraid because the white throne judgment is for those who do not believe Jesus. And and he asked me the teachers asked us, not just me, but all the kids, if God is checking, if God is opening the book of life, will God see your name?

If God does not see your name, then you will go to hell. So she challenges with that truth and also quoting John three sixteen for God's will of the world. And I thought about that, and I was not really clear salvation testimony. And my teachers, after the Sunday school, he stopped by, and he asked me, do you understand Josiah? And I said no.

And after that, she take time with me and explain me one more time, go through salvation story, and finally, I that time that day, I received Jesus as my personal savior. And and two weeks later, I took baptism by immersions. So I'm so thankful for that. When I received Jesus as my savior, I was so eager to share with those who around me, especially going to past school, trying to win us. But as kids, we don't know how to start and what to share.

But we're just trying to win us. But the more we try, the more we've got opposition, argument, instead of going to salvation but just fighting, arguing, debating. It always happens. So anyway, and coming to when I finished my high public school and go going with traveling with my fathers in mission field. I remember it was in the East Side Of Myanmar.

I was in the Christian camp and with my fathers, and I sensed that God has something for my life. And and and I joined Bible College in 2018. It was my final years of bible school, and I and I was privileged to travel with my fathers again, my my adopted fathers. Again, which is we went to South Side South Side Of Myanmar, and there, we are so eager to win as people. As soon as we got there, we were start sharing the gospel track with people.

And there, the missionary the local missionary stopped us. Please don't do it. We were like, why? Because we are here for that reason, and he is there for that reason too. Where it's like, what happened?

Why? And he told us, if you do that, then we will all we'll be kicked out from this village because that's that mean this place is so dark, and it's not really open to the gospel. And while we were there for three months in fellowship and trying to make build friendship with those local people, but it doesn't really fruitful. But during the times, God challenged me with a question, who will reach out to these people, and who will continue the work that Adoniram Jackson has started back in 1813. And who will shine the light to this darkest place?

At the same time, I pray, I ask, Lord, what is your will for me? At the end of the trip, our mission trip, God took me to Isaiah chapter six verse eight. Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Isaiah voluntarily say, Lord, here am I. Send me.

At the end of that mission trip, God really answered my prayer to that verse. And I said, like Isaiah, Lord, I'm here. Send me. So I'm not going to tell all the story that I already mentioned in the video, but today, my topics, my message is there's something that God challenged me even when I'm in the mission field is I want to put my title as God can use you if you surrender to his call. It's so simple.

It's not that hard a topic to understand it, but it's so easy. God can use you if you surrender to his call. I was not good at speech. I am shy boy when I was a kid. I'm always afraid to stand up in front of people and speak.

You may have different situation. It might not be the same as what I face. We all have weaknesses or we all have something that we don't want to do. There's always something that stops us from doing God's will. So for me, standing in front of people and speak, and I thought that God could not use me.

And I thought that God would never use my life. And I like music. I play guitar. I thought that God gonna use me as a music teachers or music leader in the church. And I thought that that's how God is gonna use me, but I never thought that God gonna use me as a missionary.

But I'm so thankful for that. And I want to quote a verse from Exodus chapter four verse eleven twelve. Exodus chapter four verse eleven twelve. And the law said unto him, who had made man smile, Or who make the dumb or deaf or the seeing or the blind? Have not I the Lord?

Now, therefore, go and I will be with thy mouth and teach teach thee what thou shall say. And Romans chapter 10 verse 14 said, how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? The first verse is Exodus chapter four verse eleven twelve.

Moses, God, he heard God's call. God's want to use him to deliver his people, but Moses said, no. Moses trying to give excuse after excuse, trying to be run away from God's will. He said, no, Lord. Not me.

I like God. I know you want to use my life, but Lord, not me. Please use somebody else. Maybe my brothers or maybe my sisters, someone else, not me. He tried to excuse give excuse, But it looked God's answer that, who make man mouths?

Who make the dumb or deaf or the seeing or the blind? Have not I the Lord? Now therefore, go. I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shall say. So by looking by reading these verse, God can use everyone.

God can use me, and God can use everyone in this building if you surrender to his call, if you surrender to his call. We have people from Myanmar, let's say Burmese people. Burmese people in America, we have 322,000 in America. And the first one, start when I start the invitation, I got invitation invite in the we call AOE, Academy of Excellence in Wisconsin. There's a dean of men that invited me to speak to them because there's a lot of ethnic background.

A student from different country, Thailand, Myanmar. I preach. I challenge with my testimony. After that, there's a lot of high schooler come to me. Why are you going back?

Are you not are you are you afraid to go back? Because this the war is happening right now. Why what made you go back? I simply answered because God's want me God's called me to return to Myanmar. I'm not going back because my visa is gonna expire.

I'm not going back because I'm gonna finish my school year education. No. There's a lot of obligation or there's a lot of way that I can stay in The US. I can serve God in many way in America. I don't really need to return to Myanmar, but it is God's will that for me to return to Myanmar and reach out my own people.

And I mentioned in mentioned in my video that God allow me to be adopted by a missionary couple so that I will learn Burmese language, Burmese school, go to Burmese school and learn Burmese language. I never know that that's how God has prepared me to reach these Buddhist people, Burmese people. So whenever I thought about that, I'm so happy and so thank the Lord for that. If I was not adopted by them, then I would never maybe I would never answer God's call. But I realized that this is God's will for me to reach Burmese people.

That's why he allowed me to be adopted by a missionary couple and go to Burmese school and learn Burmese people. So that's the reason that today I'm going back to Myanmar. This is God's will for me to reach out to these Burmese people, and I'm ready for it. The language is ready. Everything is ready.

So we have more than enough people to reach to reach Burmese people. But I don't know how many people go will return to Myanmar as a missionary or will return to their own people and witness bringing the gospel to their own people. But no matter what their decision is or maybe whether they answer to God's call or not, but this is God's will for me to return to Myanmar. So I will return. So my I'm planning I'm praying that I will be able to return to Myanmar in two years, 2027.

That is my goal, and I'm praying that I believe that God gonna really limit to that prayers. Also, going back to the message here, God can use everyone. Even God can use even though I don't really this is not my first language. As you all can know, that is my first language. This is not my first language, but I believe that God is gonna use my testimony.

But what I need to do is I have to surrender. So many times when I start the debilitation, I'm to be honest, I'm so afraid. I'm so afraid because this is not my language. Sometime I think if I was would say a lot of words, but what if they don't understand? What if they don't get what I'm trying to give them?

So many times I thought about that, but I believe that this is God's will for me to reach Myanmar, and then this is the first step that I need to take. So William William Boots said, not call? Did you say not hard to call? I think you used say, put your air down to the bible and hear him beat you go and pull sinner out of the fire of sin. So, friend, no matter who you are or where you have been, God has a plan or purpose for us.

And then throughout the bible, we see countless example of ordinary people, imperfect and broken and unsures being used in a mighty way when they surrender to God's call. Even I just mentioned about Moses. The first time he reject, he refused God's call, but later, said, I'm gonna use you, and you will be my witness, and you will go for me to deliver my own my people. Fine. Moses finally surrendered to God's call.

Answered, okay. I will go. Then what happened? God used him mightily to deliver his people. And another example that I want to mention is Mary.

Think of Mary. Mary was an ordinary young woman from Nazareth, an insignificant town in Israel. She humbly accept God's plan to bring the savior into the world. We all know the story of Mary. She was busy with something, busy with house house things, household.

Maybe I don't know what she was doing, but the angel of God appeared and asked, you're gonna cheer bear your child, messiah. Mary could have said no. Mary could have said no to God's invitation, God's offering. In those day, if a young woman bear a child without a man, they could they can kill him. They can kill her.

She know that if I say yes to this offering, then she know that I could have I could I would have put my life into death. But Mary, knowing that the consequences of saying yes to the Lord to this offer, but she said yes. I respond in Luke chapter one verse 38. Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word.

Show show the power of saying yes to God. God's call is not based on status, wealth, or ability, but on his grace and purpose. If God's call is based on status think about that. If God's call is based on the status, your status, or my status and wealth or ability, then how many of you will say, God will call me? I'm not the smartest person.

Maybe you are not. You may not be the smartest person in your family. Maybe a class for me, a student in the class, I don't know. But God call is not based on our status and wealth and ability, but is on his grace and mercy. Mary would become the mother of the savior of the world.

These were the rule of great immense honor but also great sacrifice. God often calls us into roles that are bigger than ourselves. His mission will require faith and trust and sometimes great sacrifice. Mary, she knew that if I say yes to this offer and people will find out that I bear a child, then I will be I'll put my life in debt. She knew that, but she willingly respond to God's offer.

Yes. Be it unto me according to thy will. What a sacrifice. What a faith. Will you, like Mary, say yes to God's call?

God want you to participate in his purpose. Are you willing to be his vessel today? Another story that I want to mention today, tonight, is Peter's Luke five. Luke chapter five. You can find this story in Luke chapter five.

Peter was an experienced fisherman. His boat was his livelihood. It was a symbol and an ordinary tool. We all know the story. Peter sends his friends were they were washing their net, washing their net, and Jesus came, and Jesus used his boat.

And Jesus asked to move it in the water. What happened? Peter gave it to God, his boat, to use it, to preach in order to preach, and God bless him. Later, he caught a lot of fish. My point is here, God often calls us to use what we have, our talent, resources, experiences for his kingdom.

I don't know what talent you have, what what give. Everyone is gifted when you believe Jesus as your savior. I don't know what that is, what God is giving you. But I'm pretty sure that you have are gifted. You are talent.

God had given you ability to serve him. But the question is, will you surrender to God? Will you give your talent, your resources, your experiences for his kingdom? Just as Jesus invite Peter to use his bow, God invite us to use whatever you have, we have for his purposes. It doesn't have to be extraordinary, just obedience.

Spirit just simply obey it. Just give it to God. Sometimes God's call doesn't make sense, but his ways are higher than our ways. Isaiah chapter 55 verse eight to nine. Jesus call often challenges our understanding and our comfort zone.

But when we are away even in doubt, we see God do something amazing. So will you say yes to God's invitation to use your vote, maybe your comfort zone, your ability, your talent, or your life and your resources for his mission? Finally, Paul. Paul is is a profound example of a surrender. One persecutor of Christian, Paul and Paul encountered Jesus on the road, his mascots, and his life was transformed.

Act chapter nine verse one and twenty two. By surrender by surrendering to God, he became one of the greatest missionaries and a writer of the New Testament and spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth. So these stories reminds us of a central truth. God is not looking for a perfect people. He is looking for a willing heart, an obedient heart.

Second Corinthians chapter 12 verse nine tells us, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. When we surrender to his call, we invite his grace and power to work through us, turning our weaknesses into testimony of his strength. I want to share my testimony that I also mentioned in the video, but I didn't mention, because I just touched on just a little. It was last year, a week before the conference. We have conference in our school.

A week before conference, my friend sent me video. The videos were so terrible. There's a man. People were killed by the military. And, also, there's a family.

Their father was they chop off their head in front of his family. It's heartbreaking and scary. And I was so scared. I my body was shaking the whole time. And I said in my mind, I will never return to Myanmar.

I don't want to sacrifice myself like that. I don't want to die. I don't want to kill like that. And I said, I will never return to Myanmar knowing that there is gods want me to return to Myanmar to reach people. But I said, no.

I will never return to Myanmar. I would just like I would just serve my God here just like other people do. Burmese people, we I just mentioned that we have 322,000 in America. I don't know what they are doing, but they are living a happy life in The US. They enjoy their life here.

I I wonder, have they ever heard God's call or not, or are they simply refuse it, to refuse it, to respond to God's call? By the time I set my mind, I would just enjoy my life here. You as I I can serve God even in America. I don't really need to go back to Myanmar because God is everywhere. And coming to conference, the conference, the theme is rise up.

Rise up for Christ. And Wednesday, I was ready for breakfast. I sewed up everything, and the message pops up again. It's more terrible than the first time I saw the video. I'm not sure if that's a believer or not, but they just kill it.

I was so it was so terrifying video. I just fell down there. I thought I'm gonna die in there, and I pray, Lord, I don't want to die here. And going to the mission going to the the preaching session, the preacher used. The preacher cove a verse from two second Timothy chapter one verse seven.

For God has not given us the spirit of fear but of love, but of power, but of love, but of a sound mind. And I began to think about when I heard that verse, I began to ask myself, where did that fear come from? I was so fearful. Then I said, I will never return to Myanmar. And but the Bible said here, Josiah, I have never given you the spirit of fear but of power.

Power to preach the gospel. Power to go back to Myanmar and witness to these people. I'm so thankful that God encouraged me with that verse. At the end of the session, we have invitation. I surrender, Lord.

I will go back to Myanmar. And I know that this is your will. I know I'm fearful. I'm afraid to go back. This is not a good time to go back.

But if this is your will for me to return to Myanmar as a missionary, I may lose my life, but if this is your will, then I will go back to Myanmar. And we end up singing with fear not and follow me as the song is written by one of our teach professor in our school. So God is not giving us a spirit of fear. God want us to walk in power. Even here, Satan is always know Satan's know that how to tricks us, how to mix us, how to make the wrong decision in our life.

But we must know that God is not giving us the speed of fear, but of power, power to reach our community, power to reach our friend and our neighbors with the gospel. So my friend, as we reflect today, let us ask ourselves, God can use you and your life, my life today. It might not be the same. It may not be the same with your friends. But God can use you.

There are many people out there waiting for a preacher who would bring the good news to them especially when I think of Myanmar. The the mission field that I went. There's no one. They need the light. The gospel light.

They need a preacher. They're waiting for a preacher to witness to them. So the question that I ask myself and I also want to ask you is, are you willing to to surrender to God's call? Are you willing to witness to your to your neighbors or your friends, unsafe friend? My prayer for you today is you would all hear God's call and respond.

And here's one of the preacher who said, every Christian is a missionary. Every non Christian's a mission field. You have one business on earth that is to save soul. John Wesley. So Romans chapter 10 verse 14, we just read that.

So people cannot call on God in whom they have not believed. They cannot believe in him of whom they have not heard. They cannot hear without a preacher. So my friend, God can use your life and my life. We'll use surrender to God's call today.

Thank you. I was thinking about a verse as he was finishing up. Proverbs twenty nine twenty five says, the fear of man bringeth a snare, but who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. The fear of man is not the right fear. It is doesn't come from God.

It comes from ourselves. It comes from our enemies. It comes from the world. It comes from Satan. God has not given us the spirit of what?

Fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. And he spoke of Paul from Acts chapter nine. And Paul had a different kind of fear when he met the the the Lord on the road to Damascus. And it says, and he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, arise and go into the city and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

And he did, and he never looked back. He, more than anybody else, knew what giving his life to the Lord and serving the Lord and proclaiming the good news, gospel might bring into his life because, well, he had been on the other side of the fence. But he surrendered, then he surrendered all. And we need not fear. It's a trap that Satan wants to keep us from reaching our neighbor, our our relative, our coworker, or going to another neighborhood or another state or around the world.

It's a trap that Satan puts in our path to trip us up, to keep us from fulfilling God's call upon our life. And God's call is slightly different from from all of us as to who we he would have us to reach or the area that he puts us in of ministry, but but people need to hear the good news. They need to see Jesus in us, desperately so. And so we must ask. We must ask as Paul did.

Lord, what will thou have me to do? Not, Lord, what will thou have this missionary to do? Or what will you have that preacher to do? Or what will you have the person sitting behind me to do? The Lord still have something for us to do in in reaching people for Jesus.

Prayer is an important part of that. Giving is an important part of that, but going is too. Going is too. And it begins with again a prayer. Lord, send workers, laborers into your harvest followed by a question.

Lord, what will thou have me to do? And maybe God is impressing on your heart this evening. If he is with that, bidding you to ask that question and then answer it. I pray that you will spend a moment during our invitation this evening or come forward. I would love to pray with you tonight.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you, Lord, for brother Josiah, for the calling that you have upon his life, for the courage that you've given him, for the burden that you've given him to reach his people for Jesus Christ. Lord, fill him with your strength and power, your grace. Lord, provide him with the provision he needs to go back and to minister in that place. Keep him safe, Lord, there.

Give him many souls for his labor. Lord, we pray that you would guide and direct his steps, and Lord, we know that you will not guide him wrong. Lord, we we thank you that if the Lord be for us, who can be against us? And we pray that we would boldly answer your call in our lives and pray for those and support those whose you have called to go to other places and in places that are a bit dangerous in particular, Lord, to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But, Lord, I pray that we would surrender all this evening.

And, Lord, we would not just put that off on somebody else, but, Lord, we might ask you tonight, what will you have me to do as we conclude our service here this evening. In Jesus' precious name, we do pray. Amen.