(2018 Atlanta) 1. Our Responsibility To Be The Light - Zac Poonen

welcome all of you this morning you know there are many titles that Jesus used to describe himself he said I am The Good Shepherd I'm the door I am the way the truth and the life I am the resurrection and the life we cannot use any of these titles for ourselves we can't say I am the resurrection of the live for I am The Good Shepherd all those titles were unique for him but do you know that there's one title only one with Jesus used for himself that we can use he gave it to us as well it's important to understand that there's such a tremendous ignorant of Scripture in the world and I believe that's one of the works of the devil to keep Christians ignorant of what Christ purchased at such tremendous cost on Calvary's cross for us so that we don't inherit the promises it's like if your father left you a will of a billion dollars in different banks and property in different places some crooked cheating lawyer cheated you of most of it and left you with ten thousand dollars in your very happy that's how I see Christians are but we won't make that mistake when it comes to money we are very sharp when it comes to money but the devil fools us left right and center concerning something more important than our money our spiritual inheritance in Christ for example it says here Jesus said do you know how long Jesus was the light of the world you know the worst John 8 verse 12 where Jesus said I am the light of the world and then he said he is very important to compare Scripture with Scripture John 9 5 very important while I am in the world I am the light of the world that means he was the light of the world only for thirty three and a half years that's not blasphemy that's quoting scripture while I'm in the world I am the light of the world but some people may say well Jesus is still in the world well he meant his physical presence then also I can show you from Scripture just before he went to the cross he said in John 17 verse 11 I am no longer in the world so did you get that when he left the world he himself said I am no longer in the world compare that with John nine five while I'm in the world I am the light of the world get these scriptures firmly in your mind don't believe all the things you have heard and christened them so far go by God's Word the only light God's given us written light is in God's Word now so who's going to be the light of the world now I mean Jesus is still the door the Good Shepherd the resurrection of the life and the way the truth and the life all that no one comes to the Father but by him all that's right but who's the light of the world that he said in John 5 and verse 14 to his disciples John chapter 5 and verse 14 he turned to his disciples and said he you are the light of the world that's our inheritance so if somebody asks me today who is the light of the world I'll say me have you ever heard any Christians say that sounds blasphemous right it's not blasphemous it's confessing what Jesus said why don't we take that responsibility because it's an awesome responsibility you can't be fooling around with sin and go around saying you're the light of the world and because we want to fool around with sin we don't dare to say what Jesus said I am the light of the world I want you to meditate on these scriptures carefully never forget them let me repeat Jesus said while I'm in the world I'm the light of the world and he said I'm no longer in the world when he left and then he said to his disciples you are the light of the world it'll change your life if you take it seriously in those days the only light it was not light like this the only light they had was in lamps lamps that were lit with oil and throughout the scripture oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit nobody could be the light without the Holy Spirit dwelling within and the Holy Spirit never dwelt within man until the day unto Jesus died and rose again cuz only after that that the Holy Spirit came in only then could a human being be the light of the world after Jesus left it's an amazing thing don't imagine that you can ever be the light of the world without the Holy Spirit you could not burn lamps in those days without oil and it was not that you once filled the lamp with oil and of last forever the lamp had to be continuously fed with oil the fullness of the Holy Spirit is not something you experienced once and that's it I appreciate my Pentecostal fellow believers who have brought the light brought to light the importance of being filled with the spirit but I disagree with them in that they have not emphasized the continuous being filled with the Holy Spirit it's not just once for all it's continuous Ephesians 5:18 the real translation of it is be being filled with the Holy Spirit that's how we're going to be the light of the world and any man who really seeks to be inwardly filled with the Holy Spirit continuously will be the light of the world in the area where God puts you and if you're born again and you ask Christ to come into your life the Holy Spirit has come in because when you ask Christ to come into your life is the Spirit of Christ that comes in Jesus himself is in heaven is the third person of the Trinity that's in the world today just like the second person of the Trinity was in Israel 2,000 years ago and just like they could invite Jesus physically into their homes today we can invite the Holy Spirit to come into our life and that's what happens when you are born again the Holy Spirit comes in that's what happens when you ask Jesus to come into your life but Christ may come in through the Holy Spirit but you may not be filled with the Holy Spirit unless you have yielded every area of your life to him when you do that what happens is he makes you the light of the world so I want to explain something about that you see in the Old Testament they had a light but that light was God's Word turn with me to psalm 119 psalm 119 and we read in verse 105 your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path the rest of humanity did not have a light the world lived in darkness but in Israel three 500 years ago when God gave the law to Moses in the Mount Sinai and the nation of Israel was established they got a light and that light was God's Word and that's what raised the standard of Israel above all the rest of humanity with the Ten Commandments and the other laws that God gave them that word was a light but when Jesus came the word became flesh till then the word was in a book in parchment written down it's one of the big differences within Old Testament and New Testament the word that was written down which all they had was a written word for 1,500 years all of a sudden the word became flesh in other words you reread that in John 1:14 the word became flesh and what that means is all that was written which is explaining the nature of God the commandments of God were now manifested not in a book not in parchment but in a human life that's the first time in the history of man the written word of God was manifested in a human life and is described as the word became flesh but it was not meant to end with Jesus Christ it was flesh in that first body of Christ that was born in Bethlehem's manger grew up in Nazareth and lived for thirty three and a half years people could see the Word of God that's why Jesus said to his disciples if you have seen me you've seen the father it's not a message written down he it was his life they had watched him for three and a half years and they you know in John 14 one of the disciples came to Jesus and said show us the father and that's enough for us because you keep talking about the father that's in verse 8 john 14 8 Philip said to Jesus Lord show us the father you've been speaking about the father the father in heaven just show him once to us because he said the father is so good he he loves you more than any earthly father loves his children he'll never deny you anything good for you show us the father and jesus replied to Philip was in verse 9 of John 14 Philip have I been so long with you and you haven't known me he who has seen me has seen the father he want to know what the father's like look at my life the word the Word was God and the word became flesh and you know when Jesus said that at the Last Supper John 14 is it the message of the Last Supper he had just finished washing their feet that was a job that was done by the slaves in those days you know the rich Jewish families people used to wear sandals not shoes in those days you walk through the dusty roads in Israel your feet get dirty it's very much like in India I always wear sandals in India because it's so hot your feet get dusty on the roads and it's so refreshing to have your feet washed and that's they'd have a slave at the door those days in Israel and a bucket of water or a basin of water and the slave would wash the feet of those who were invited for a meal but because it is the Last Supper and Jesus did not want any visitors there he told the man of the house keep the room empty but the man kept a basin but no slave because no one was supposed to be there and the disciples came and sat down and all that feet were dusty who's going to wash the feet Peter's designed the senior disciple I don't know things like that Matthew says I'm a chartered accountant I don't do things like that some of them were big people John was related to the high priest he doesn't do things like that Jesus says I suppose I'm the only slave here so I'll wash your feet and after saying that he said if you've seen me you've seen the father that's how God is he's come to wash our feet she want to be like God we all say we want to be like Jesus this is what it means to be the light of the world it's not being a great preacher very few are called to be great preachers God God could make all of us preachers in a moment but he chooses a few to preach his word I know I was a very shy reserved inward-looking introverted young man when the Lord called me and I said Lord I don't know how to stand before people but if you fill me with the Holy Spirit you can do through me what you did through the Apostles and I prayed and sought God and fasted and sought the Lord and God filled me with the Holy Spirit and gave me a supernatural gift that's how I learned to preach but he doesn't give that gift to everyone it doesn't mean I'm superior he gives a gift to serve people but all of us have to be the light of the world the light of the world is not reserved to one person in the light of the world is not by preaching it's by living the life in him was life and the life was the light of men turned with me to John chapter one don't be discouraged if you're not a preacher he have a greater calling than that to be the light of the world John chapter one it says about Jesus in him was life and the life was the light of men Jesus started preaching only when he was thirty years old but he was already the light of the world for thirty years how's that do you become the light holy by preaching or by some supernatural gift like healing or casting out demons no was Jesus the light of the world only for the last three and a half years he was the light of the world throughout his life we got to learn something there so don't covet a gift God has not given you and don't write imitate a gift God hasn't given you God gives different gifts to different ones just like different parts of the body and none of them are unimportant and if you're one of those hidden parts of the body who never sit stands in a pulpit or doesn't have a public ministry don't think that's unimportant you know there are certain hidden parts of the body like the heart and the liver and the kidneys do you think they aren't important they are more important than our fingers I'm more important than even our eyes and our hands you can live without your eyes in your hands but you can't live without your heart and your liver and kidneys so don't think because you're a hidden member of the body of Christ that you're unimportant every member in the body of Christ is important and don't let the devil tell you anything other than that there are many people who pray for me I know and you don't see them but I believe that they are the ones who pump the lifeblood spiritually speaking that enables me to speak the other heart of the body I'm the tongue but that moment the heart stops the tongue stops speaking so don't think that you're hidden ministry is unimportant don't let ever don't let the devil ever tell you that you pray for a servant of God it's like the heart pumping you may not see the effect of it I mean do you see the effect of your heart pumping no but is the heart that keeps your life and the prayer of the Saints is the heart of the Christian life and it doesn't take long to pray I often tell people I say I'm not asking you to pray for me always I say but if the Lord ever brings my name to your mind any time I'm putting the responsibility on God not on you I don't want to make you condemned by saying you got to pray for me now and then you feel condemned that you didn't know if the Lord reminds you of my name I say take 15 seconds do you have 15 seconds to pray for me and my wife only two things that will be healthy enough to travel and that will have an anointing to speak the Word of God 15 seconds that's it and maybe the Lord reminds you after that six months later about me fine when the Lord reminds you take 15 seconds you may think it's nothing is accomplished I tell you a lot is accomplished because when many people I pray like that is a heart pumping I mentioned that just to encourage those who think oh I don't have a public ministry why do you have to have a public ministry the body of Christ that's seeking honor if God gives you a public ministry take it I never sought for preaching I can stand before God say I never wanted to be a preacher I wanted to be a Christian I was in the Navy and I just wanted to be a Christian there a witness for Christ but God told me to quit and go around the world preaching the gospel that's what I did but I say the light is not just preaching it's not words he doesn't say he spoke words which was the light that was Old Testament in the Old Testament the great message was coming here what God has spoken the man of God has gone up to the mountain he's been there 40 days with God and now he's come with a message come in here or what Moses is speaking don't look at his life he had a fight with his wife the other day about circumcising the child and they had a bit of a scrap there and then finally he circumcised that's the only thing written about Moses family life by the way that he had a fight with his wife and he didn't circumcise his child and that wife had to get a knife and or a stone or something and circumcise and noren through the flesh at Moses feeding a Europe husband of blood to me by the way you can read that in Exodus chapter 4 so the point is don't look at Moses home life no no he's a failure there but hear him he is the man of God so today when you hear a preacher who's talked low he's a divorced his wife don't worry about that and his children are all wavered don't worry about that but he is the man of God that's not New Testament that's Old Testament by the way this is the same as Samuel Simon was another great prophet but do you know that he practiced nepotism do you know what nepotism means nepotism means favoring your different members of your family he appointed his two sons who were corrupt to succeed him as judges and they were taking bribes and practicing injustice till the people of Israel came to Samuel and said Samuel we are fed up with your sons they are taking bribes and dishonoring God sad no and Samuel had learned a lesson from Eli the high priest whom's sons were punished what I'm trying to say is the Old Testament message was don't look at his life don't look how he's brought up his children even the great prophet Samuel don't look at Moses private life coming here HEA are here the light is the world then Jesus came the New Covenant now the message is come and see not coming here come and see the life in a human being not just when he's in the pulpit all the time when he's at home we read about Jesus that when he was at home he he came back from the temple at the age of 12 and it says he was subject to Joseph and Mary Luke chapter 2 verse 51 all those thirty years he never preached a sermon he knew the Scriptures at the age of 12 better than all the scholars we think that if we know the scriptures we can preach isn't it amazing that he knew the scriptures at the age of 12 and just didn't preach for 18 years after that he didn't have a lust to preach to get honor like a lot of people today who think I know the scriptures and I can preach really do you have the life to back it up that's the question the life isn't the light is not the words you speak the light is your life in him was life and the life was the light of men that is New Covenant here is one of there are many differences between Old Covenant and New Covenant but one of the differences is in the Old Covenant we'll come in here here it is come and see so come and see how he lived at home first of all 30 years the life was manifested the light of the world was seen at home obeying the god-given commandment children honor your father and mother obey your parents for this is right in the Lord it's not just a doctrine to be preached Jesus manifested it for 30 years have you ever meditated on that how difficult it is for children to obey their parents I mean if you got children you know how it is you ask your little boy or girl whether they enjoy obeying you I don't think so I don't think there's ever been a boy or girl born like that in the world because we are imperfect parents the best appearance are imperfect Joseph and Mary were imperfect and here was a perfect boy growing up under imperfect parents and obeying them do you have an imperfect boss in your office who's a crook and you're an upright man don't you find it difficult to obey Him it's like that a perfect boy obeying imperfect parents and he never complained once always did what they told him to do because if he hadn't he'd have obeyed he would have disobeyed the fifth commandment he would have sinned and he could not have been a sacrifice for us he never sinned for thirty years even though he didn't preach a sermon he was the light of the world dare in Nazareth hidden away in a small village in Israel the light of the world and that life is what the father in heaven finally approved at the baptism saying this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased when do you think God is going to be well pleased with you not when you cast out demons and heal the sick and preach her sermons but when you live a life hidden before God's face who was watching Jesus in Nazareth in those years he wasn't even known he was just known as as some poor carpenter's son he looked just like any other boy but that is the son of God the light of the world was seen in that home first in the way he lived in the way he obeyed his dad and mom his earthly parents and the father said I'm well pleased dear brothers and sisters this is what it means when Jesus said you are the light of the world the way you live at home first not your life in the church or in the pulpit or with other Christians not in the social service you do but in the way you live with your wife at home the way you bring up your children that is where the light has to be seen and that's the thing that's so sadly lacking in Christendom today and that's where the devil has robbed Christendom of its inheritance what an awesome responsibility is to be called the light of the world people think being president of the country is it awesome responsibly I'm sure it is when I believe it's a much more awesome responsibility to be the light of the world don't you think so I certainly believe that it's easier to be the president of a country I'll tell you that than to be a light but God gives us the power of the Holy Spirit to do it the main reason why the Holy Spirit was given was not for us to do supernatural ministries that that is there but it is secondary and I'll tell you why Jesus was filled with the spirit from birth he was anointed for a ministry when he was thirty but he was filled with the Holy Spirit for his life from from his birth he manifested the fruit of the Spirit of love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faithfulness meekness self-control for thirty years that's the light of the world and that is why God fills us with the Holy Spirit the anointing for ministry and service is different but to be filled with the Holy Spirit is a privilege of every single believer the oil in the lamp and you know a lamp and it's burning it doesn't make any any noise but if it's there in a dark room it makes its presence felt I mean today instead of oil we talk about electricity like oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit there we can talk about electricity as a picture of the Holy Spirit in a dark room if a light is there it makes its presence felt you walk into a room and you know immediately if it's lit or not you cannot avoid the presence of lights even a small lamp burning you notice it he doesn't have to make a noise in fact lamps that are burning probably don't make a noise if it's making a noise something's wrong with it good lamps don't make any noise at all they just shine but they make you aware of their presence this is what it means to be the light of the world you come you meet a man who is living by the life of Jesus it's not his words that will impress you is the way he lives it's the way he respects you as a human being even though you may be a nobody you know there's so little of that we see in the world today preachers were supposed to represent the meek and lowly Jesus behave more like army generals or with bodyguards all around them it's not Christianity it's not it's the way of the world they're not manifesting the light of the world is just showing how important they are Jesus never went around showing how important he was he came here to manifest the life of God in a human body so I want to I hope you'll be gripped by this truth this weekend that each of you if you are born again if you have asked Jesus to come into your life you have a responsibility to be the light of the world in a dark world which is ruled by sin and where man is going more and more into the ways of the devil look at the things that are happening in so-called Christian churches today it's in the newspapers you read all about it I don't have to describe it you know the direction in its drifting you think today's Christian churches are drifting towards God or drifting towards the world and the devil I have no doubt which direction it's drifting and in the midst of that the Lord says to a few of you you are the light you don't have to be great in number see that lamp is so small compared to the size of this room but it makes its presence felt that's how we can be you can be a small Church in a very powerful light I remember when I started serving with the light I got on these matters when we started serving the Lord in India very few were interested in the beginning now there are many more but still very few compared to we have a population India of four times the size of the United States 1200 million 1.2 billion people in our country and 98 percent of them don't even call themselves Christians and to be the light of the world to be the light of our country you think you've all born you've got to get millions of people know jesus said the way the life is narrow and few there be that find it and so I remember when the Lord called me to serve him I said lord I don't want to go around this country finding out who wants to go to heaven when they die you know like preachers preach gospel messengers preach do you want to go to heaven when you die I never asked that question because if they are honest everybody will raise their hand is anybody who doesn't want to go to heaven when they die I've never met such a man of any religion everybody wants to go to heaven when they die the poorest man the richest man they all want to go to heaven when they die and many of them think they have gone they will go to heaven when they die you see these obituary columns in the Indian newspapers you read about people who died and always underneath it says they have gone to heaven I've never read of any person it's written he died and he went to hell I've never seen that til today they all gone to heaven everybody thinks they're going to heaven and everybody wants to go to heaven those are not the ones Jesus is calling I say how many of you want to follow Jesus along the way of the cross before they die those are the only ones I want to find and I said Lord those are the only ones honor if I want to find in India or anywhere else in the world I'm not looking for the crowds I'm looking for those who will walk the way of taking up the cross every day dying to themselves and following Jesus Christ who want to die to everything that is sinful in their life be detached from it so that they can be the light if I look at sin just like we look at sickness it is sickness it is like sickness see what health is to our body holiness is to our spirit you can look at it like that it's exactly the same if you loved and longed for health in your body you should long for holiness in your spirit it's the same in fact it is more important and if you're very sensitive to a small sickness you should be very sensitive to a small sin people keep checking their blood pressure and diabetes regularly to see has it gone up a little bit boy I wish we could be more serious about avoiding sin like that can you imagine if Christians started checking up their lives the way worldly people check their get their blood tests and all done so regularly can you imagine what will happen to they'll be a revival in the church if you start checking ourselves on our attitude to sin but that's where the devil has cheated Christians things it doesn't matter sin is not so serious your health is important a lot of people are very careful about not eating junk food junk food is not good for our body what about all the junk literature that maybe you read that feeds your mind what about all that pornography that you watch secretly do you think if you eat junk food secretly it won't affect your body Oh nobody saw me eating it no it doesn't make a difference whether you eat it openly or secretly you need poisonous food secretly it will still kill you you think just because nobody watches you what you the pornography that you watch it doesn't affect you it's ruining your mind you're destroying that pure mind that God gave you it poison and that's how a lot of people feed their children so many children go astray because their parents are feeding them poison with the things they allow the children to watch on television I'm not against television or computer programs I say they aren't they're like a library I don't tell my children never go to a library I say when you go to the library be careful there are good books and bad books there you switch on your television it's like a library there are good programs and bad problems be very careful what books you take I never tell people don't read any books I said be careful what books you read I never say don't watch any programs I say watch be careful what programs you are watching there are books that can destroy your mind there are programs that can destroy your mind at things you can watch on the computer that can destroy your life it's poison and if you say you're a Christian and you're calling is to be the light of the world don't keep putting in things that will destroy that light if you take it seriously so thinking of Jesus words here let me show you a verse in 1 John and chapter 1 in 1 John 1 it's very interesting to see the time which this is written John was the last living apostle of the twelve he was about 95 years old when he wrote this book and if you know we want to know the condition of Christianity in those days you read Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3 most of the churches were corrupt the elders the leaders of the churches were corrupt in the first century churches planted by the apostles in 40 years they became corrupt that's no reflection on the Apostles they were godly men but Paul told one of those churches in Ephesus in Acts chapter 20 he said I know what's going to happen once I leave I've been a strict leader of this church but I'm been here three years now I'm leaving tomorrow that's what he told the elders in Acts chapter 20 and he says as soon as I go those wolves will come in and destroy your church and some of you elders will be led astray and you'll try to split the church and get followers after yourself the Apostles could only preserve the church in their lifetime once they're gone other leaders came who didn't have the same heart for God and they couldn't preserve the church and that's how the churches declined so two such churches John is writing he's got a great burden and he says I want to tell you something the burden you know man was burden for these corrupt churches and he says I want to tell you something that I will 1 John 1:1 what I've heard what I've seen what I've looked at and what I have touched that is Jesus is I'm going to tell you I'm not teaching a theory here he says I'm not telling you some doctrine of sanctification or doctrine of justification all that is good but I want to talk to you about a life that I saw for 3 and 1/2 years I saw him watched it two close quarters I touched him I heard I saw I looked at this life was manifested I saw it in a living human being I saw that eternal life which is with the father that's how he describes Christ the eternal life which was with the father was in seen in a human being 1 John 1 horse 2 and that's what we are proclaiming to you I'm not proclaiming a doctrine brothers and sisters it's easy to study doctrines there there's a place for it but he said I want to talk to you about life and the reason the churches have declined so much is because he haven't seen his life they hadn't been gripped by this life and I'm saying this to you so that you can have fellowship with us and our Fellowship is with the father and his son Jesus Christ is solely with that living contact with the father that you can have that life it's like these bulbs and are plugged into the source of electricity somewhere a plug is put into a socket that's why the lights burn you pull it out of that socket and the lights go off and that outlet if you connect it to the electricity the lights come on it is not connected to the outlet there's no light and that's what he's saying if you're not connected to the father if you're not connected to God in heaven whatever doctrine you may believe it'll only be in your head slowly pintel I still won't change your life you can understand everything about justification and sanctification and spend your life watching pornography in secret yes there are believers like that it's amazing you can do all types of things they yell and scream at husband and wife and each other but they talk about sanctification and justification they haven't understood the ABC of eternal life and John's burden for these people who have a theoretical knowledge of God and salvation and all the doctrines and he said I want to tell you about fellowship with God and he says okay let me tell you the first message if you want to enter into this fellowship with God the number one message is this John 1 John 1:5 God is light and in him there is no darkness 0 he does not tolerate sin of any sort just like you would hate the smallest sickness even if an ant biting you you knock it off immediately and then ant bite is not going to kill you but why do you knock it off you don't even want an ant bite right it's not just cancer you want to avoid you even want to avoid an ant bite why don't we have the same attitude to sin it's only is it only gross sins it's because we don't treats in the same way we treat sickness and that teaches us that we value the body more than we value our spirit do you know that the only thing that distinguishes you from an animal is your conscience your spirit God created animals from the dust and he created Adam from the dust animals you I mean you take compare a dog with a human being the dogs got eyes and ears and four limbs just like we've got four limbs and eyes and ears and a dog I suppose its internal I don't know all about the internal organs of a dog what I'm pretty sure is very close to a human being he's got a heart and a liver and the kidneys in every way it's the same same dust when the man dies it becomes dust the dog dies it becomes dust but one thing distinguishes man only one thing after God made man just a shape of something made out of clay mud and water he breathed into him Adam got a conscience that's what made him different from all the animals in the world a conscience that told him you are answerable to God no animal has that and once you lose that sense of accountability to God I want to tell you in Jesus name you have become an animal or you're moving in that direction and you will end where the animals end the only thing that will save you from ending your life as an animal I want to say this very reverently and respectfully is if you listen to your conscience that's the only thing right you may look very handsome I think some cats look very handsome too so what it's conscience that distinguishes you live by that and you'll understand what it means to be the light of the world the message John says is if you want fellowship with God is light there's no darkness in him at all he hates sin once you begin to understand that then he says if you say 1 John 1:6 you have fellowship with him and walk in darkness you're telling a lie you're not practicing the truth you cannot have fellowship with God and walk in darkness impossible and it's not a question of in but in the public eye it's in secret as I told you Jesus thirty years were hidden and at the end of it the father said I'm well pleased with you I want to ask you my dear brothers and sisters do you really want to hear the father say to you my son my daughter I'm well pleased with you I tell you there is no greater honor that you can get on the earth the greatest honor you can get from the world even the Nobel Prize or some Medal of Freedom or whatever you have in this country it's not going to is not greater than God saying to you I'm well pleased with you and we can hear that if I recognize one thing God is light and he hates darkness if you can decide at least from today Lord I'm going to take sin seriously just like I take sickness that the smallest little sickness I want to go to a doctor thousands of dollars being spent to remove some little sickness a lot of people admitted in a hospital and spent fifty thousand dollars for something and for some little sickness they don't they don't want it in their body imagine if you had that attitude towards sin if you had had that attitude toward sin all these years you'd be a different person today so take it seriously that Jesus says to us you are the light of the world and I'm only speaking to those who are serious Christians and I want to tell you it's possible he goes on to say in verse seven if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one with another and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin we're never going to be completely free from sin on this earth because we inherited it from Adam there's a thing called the flesh in us which makes us do our own will and God gives us the power of the Holy Spirit to crucify that that is the way of walking in the light let me turn you to Galatians in chapter 5 and verse 24 the message of the Cross on which Jesus died is proclaimed all over Christendom the message of the cross on which we have to die with Jesus is hardly proclaimed and that's what the devil is hidden the cross on which Jesus died deals with our past life blots out our past the blood of Jesus cleanses all our past sin but the blood of Jesus does not change your nature nowhere in the bible does it say that the blood of Jesus completely deals with our past but what about our nature this thing called the flesh this sinful nature we inherited from Adam that's not cleansed by the blood of Jesus the Bible says it's the Holy Spirit that deals with that the Holy Spirit returned with me to Galatians chapter five and verse 17 the flesh that's this nature within us that makes us sin that brings darkness into our life it's desires against the Holy Spirit did you know that that there's something in you which is against the Holy Spirit it's like the germs inside your body that are against health they're all over I mean if people look at that you look at your hands under a microscope you'll find it's riddled with germs yeah this they say there's more there are more germs on your computer keyboard than on your toilet seat it's true here all the time typing in the keep of the computer keyboard is full of germs and all types of people use it they're all types of germs there that's how infected infested with germs this world is and it says here the flesh is like that you know corrupt and we got it with us but the Holy Spirit the flesh is against the Holy Spirit and thank God Galatians 5:17 the Holy Spirit is against our flesh the Holy Spirit is against all those sinful desires that there are within us and he's fighting it these are in opposition to one another that's why you need to the yield to the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do the things that you please verse 17 that's why it's so important to allow the Holy Spirit whenever he prompts us he asked you know he wants us to he wants us to cooperate with him and it says here in verse 24 if you belong to Christ you crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts it's not that the Holy Spirit automatically makes us holy because if he did that we would be robots God doesn't want robots in heaven just like you don't want little robots at home and you want children who there's a lot of difference within a robot walking up to you small robot and saying daddy I love you so much and a little child coming and hugging you and saying that I love you world of difference God doesn't want robots who just come up to him and say I'll obey you he wants people who got a free will what's it that makes it's so precious to you when a little three-year-old comes and hugs you and says dad mama I love you so much because they've chosen to do it out of freewill it's not because somebody commanded them to do it and when you choose to go to the Lord and say Lord I want to please you I never want to do what is displeasing to you in my life that delights God more than a million robots saying oh god I love you value.this brothers you know that your response to God in the moment of temptation means so much to God that you have chosen to stand against the devil and against the lusts in your flesh to please him that's how Jesus lived for thirty years is not preaching sermons or casting out demons don't ever think of ministry as the greatest thing the way to life is narrow and very few find it because the devil's blinded people them thing than serving God and doing giving money to the poor and helping orphanages in other Africa and India that's the great thing No the great thing is to please God in your daily life that you don't yield to that lust to get angry or to be bitter or to complain or to cheat or to tell lies or to corrupt the pure mind God has given you with the filth that the devil offers that's what pleases God when you say no to that and you ask God for the power of the Holy Spirit to put that wretched desire to death and the more you do that you will be the light of the world that's why he's given us the Holy Spirit and so dear brothers and sisters let's rise to that challenge and say Lord I want to respond to this amazing calling that you are calling me the weakest person sitting here the Lord is calling you to be the light of the world in your area the light of that small little world you know there are certain people only you know that nobody knows in this in this hall today there are some people you know that nobody else in this hall knows you know your immediate relatives your place of your office the people you work nobody else know here knows them that's your little world and you ought to be a light in that world because that's the only light that they can see they don't come here to the church service but they see you they see how you behave there in moments of provocation and they see how you're different from all the other workers in the office there you can be a light your neighbors who know you they see how you respond there there is where Jesus calls us to be the light of the world may God help us let's bow before him in prayer don't let the seed that God is sown in your mind this morning to be taken away we pray a little prayer Lord I want to take seriously some of the things I heard today I don't want to forget tomorrow or any time in my life what you have spoken to me I want the Holy Spirit to come and fill every area of my life to remind me continuously of some of the important things I heard this morning thank you Lord for giving me the honor to have this title the light of the little world around me in which I live help me Lord fill me with the Holy Spirit thank you Father for hearing us in Jesus name Amen

Channel: AtlantaCFC

Views: 2,972

Rating: 4.7391305 out of 5

Keywords: zac poonen, bible, church, truth, gospel, good news, salvation, new covenant, Jesus Christ, Jesus, Christ, God, sin, satan, darkness, light

Id: PAwTjPAiDqE

Length: 56min 38sec (3398 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 16 2018