The feeding of the 5,000 in the Bible provided Dominic Yeo, Superintendent of the Assemblies of God and senior pastor of Trinity Christian Centre with a platform to teach on overcoming limitations.
By Theodora Oh
CN PHOTOS: Jonovan Tan, Michael Chan and Shawn Yip.
When you look beyond the limitation of a situation and look unto Jesus, you will find the opportunity for your breakthrough. That is what Dominic Yeo preached to churchgoers at City Harvest Church at the weekend services on Sep. 8 and 9.
The church soaked in the atmosphere of faith as Yeo spoke boldly—and often comedically—on the topic of breakthrough.
Besides pastoring Trinity Christian Centre, an Assemblies of God church in Singapore with over 7,000 in weekly attendance, Yeo also holds the titles of General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God of Singapore and the Executive Council Member of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. He is widely known for his gift for bringing timely messages on powerful breakthroughs and transformation to international congregations.
The message he brought to CHC that weekend was indeed timely. Yeo started his message by reminding the congregation that “Breakthrough suggests that there are certain limits in our lives, certain barriers that force us to stay where we are; in order to get past these barriers, we have to learn how to break through them.”
BREAKING THROUGH BARRIERS
Building on a familiar Bible story–the feeding of the five thousand—and peppering his sermon with his life stories, Yeo shared with the congregation five keys that bring them to a breakthrough.
1) In a remote place, God is there: Recognizing the Presence of God
“If you feel that there’s a gap between you and God, you may be in that remote place. But even when you are in the remote place, God would love to meet you there; and as long as He is there, He can refresh and restore you,” said Yeo.
He also identified the difference between fact and truth. “The fact is that you may not feel God but the truth is that God lives in you!” He reminded the congregation that God is closer to them than they believe.
2) When it is late, it is time for breakthrough: Understand that God has His timing
God is never late, but He is also never early; God is always on time. Yeo explained that if God is early, the one He is helping would either “steal His glory” or “fight him until you mess up His rescue plan.”
3) God’s breakthrough always involves his servants: You are His instrument
“Saying no is an oxymoron in the sight of God. Try saying no to your commander in the army,” said Yeo to a laughing crowd.
Throughout the history of the Bible, God has always used men and women to fulfill His work on Earth. Yeo established that everyone is designed and destined for breakthroughs; the key then is to align one’s own life to God’s Word and His promises, and to be proactive in answering the call of God.
“Sometimes we have good intentions, but good intentions can get us into trouble,” he pointed out. “Only God’s intentions will give us breakthroughs and mold us into people of breakthroughs.
“You are God’s agent to breakthroughs!”
4) Step out in faith: Experience the grace of God
“We all need the grace of God, but grace is only appropriated by the activation of faith.
Using the story of how Peter walked on water, Yeo explained, “All 12 disciples heard Jesus calling them to come to Him, but only Peter stepped out of the boat in faith; and when he did, he experienced the grace of God (to walk on water).”
Yeo taught the crowd to be mindful that faith is not just courage in action but also obedience in action.
5) You can only give what you have
Using 12 volunteers, Yeo demonstrated to how Jesus would have divided the five loaves and two fish to the 12 disciples. The disciples were the ones who gave the people “something to eat” as commanded by Jesus.
“That day the disciples learned that they could only give the people what they have,” Yeo said. “Years later when Peter meet the lame man at the Beautiful Gate, he said ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you.’ You can only give what you have in your hands.”
In closing, Yeo challenged the congregation to recognize that each person is God’s instrument of breakthrough; when that recognition is coupled with the conviction of who God is and what He can do, breakthroughs will happen in their lives.
Josephine Cheah, 53, a homemaker, felt that Yeo’s message affirmed her faith in God. “I know that even through difficult times, I simply need to step out in faith and God will surely match it with His grace.”
Jonovan Tan, 22, a student, shared the same sentiment. “The greatest takeaway from Reverend Yeo’s message for me was his first key on seeking God in remote places. In most difficult phases in our lives, we forget God is still there with us. We need to remember that He is omnipresent and that no matter what season we may be in, He will never forsake us.”
