Abide and Advance - TY's Testimony
With Pastor Josh on sabbatical this month, a few young preachers will be stepping up to share at Heartbeat. This week, TY opened with a deeply honest message—not polished or preachy, just real. He wrestled with what it means to live out our theme for the year: Abide and Advance.
Can Abiding and Advancing Really Go Together?
TY opened with a question:
“Do abiding and advancing even go together?”
Abiding often feels still—praying, reading the Bible, sitting with God. Advancing feels active—evangelism, missions, events, doing stuff. “They seem like opposites,” TY said. “But Jesus says we can’t bear fruit unless we abide.”
So how do they fit together? What TY discovered was this:
We advance through Jesus—and the hope of eternal life.
When Ministry Out There Exposes the Heart In Here
TY shared about leading Neighbours, a ministry reaching the homeless in Sydney’s CBD. It was deeply moving, full of purpose and compassion. “I felt so alive,” he said, “like this is what it means to advance the kingdom.”
But after the high of serving, Deb asked him one small question that pierced deep:
“How’s your house church going?”
TY admitted it wasn’t great. People had left, and he felt unheard. Frustration turned into bitterness, especially toward his shepherds. And that’s when Deb hit him with this:
“How can you love people you’ve never met, when you can’t love the ones right next to you?”
TY realized he had been trying to build the kingdom—but on his own terms. He wanted change, progress, results. But the love required to truly build God’s kingdom had to start with the people already in front of him.
“I said I was building God’s kingdom… but really, it was my own.”
Philippians 2: The Kingdom Starts With Humility
Reading Philippians 2, TY saw how Jesus built His kingdom—not by pushing forward, but by laying Himself down.
“Though He was in the form of God… He emptied Himself… He humbled Himself to death—even death on a cross.”
That’s the love we’re called to mirror. And not from willpower, but from abiding.
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”
Through Jesus—and the hope of eternal life.
Jesus didn’t demand performance. He didn’t love us because we were useful. He chose the cross to make us His.
“Jesus died for my shepherds too,” TY said. “And I couldn’t even love them. Why? Because I didn’t see them the way Jesus did.”
You Can’t Advance Until You’ve Abided
“Pride blocks us from looking up to God,” TY quoted. “It lets us look down on others. But the gospel flips the story.”
When we abide—when we slow down and let Jesus shape us—our love becomes more like His. And from that place, we can begin to advance. Not to earn worth, not to prove a point, but because His Spirit is at work in us.
“Advancing isn’t separate from abiding. It flows out of it.”
Through Jesus—and the hope of eternal life.
So, How Do We Actually Advance the Kingdom?
TY reminded us: the kingdom isn’t just about big events. It’s wherever God reigns—in our conversations, our house churches, our work, our care for others.
“The kingdom of God needs a King, citizens, and a place where He rules. That place is your life.”
So how do you do house church?
How do you do marriage?
How do you do work, friendships, mission, parenting?
Through Jesus—and the hope of eternal life.
TY got us to repeat it again and again. It wasn’t just a phrase—it was the anchor.
Final Call: What’s Breaking Your Heart?
TY closed with three questions for house church:
- What brokenness in the world breaks your heart?
- What part of Jesus’ life inspires you—His compassion, justice, healing?
- What’s one way you can bring healing or restoration into that space?
And he gave us a vision: Our lives should show what Jesus would look like living in 2025. The way we love each other, carry burdens, show grace—it’s not just “nice Christianity.” It’s the message. It’s kingdom work.
“You’ve been called as kings and queens,” TY said. “So let’s live like it.”
Through Jesus—and the hope of eternal life.
