A God Who Encourages Us by Zac Poonen

I first began to sit and speak when I had to speak four or five times a day at a conference and it got a bit tiring on my legs so since I wanted to find the scriptural support for everything I did I looked into how did Jesus preach of the city on Stanny and I tell you though I'd read the Bible so many times it never struck me till I studied it that almost every time Jesus sat on spoker if you don't believe that just check it out in the scriptures the Sermon on the Mount he wasn't standing he was sitting human he was in a boat preaching to the people on the seaside he was sitting and I was I wasn't trying to justify my sitting I was just trying to wonder why did he do that because none of the Old Testament prophets sad when they spoke they always stood so since I've majored in the last four years and tried to see the difference within the Old Covenant and the New Covenant I said is there something here that the Old Covenant prophets all stood where as Jesus did stand sometimes and speak but most of the time you're sitting and so I saw a difference the Old Testament prophets spoke as the mouthpiece of God to to the people but Jesus was building a family the Old Testament prophets were like teachers telling Israel where they were wrong telling them to repent and I saw there's a lot of difference between a a teacher and a father you know Paul speaks about that in 1 Corinthians 4 he says if you're not familiar with that words let me show it to all of you 1 Corinthians 4 he's writing to the Corinthians after you know trying to correct them a lot of sin in their midst and he says I'm not writing these things to shame you 1 Corinthians 4:14 because you can have 10,000 teachers but you don't have many fathers and I became your father to the gospel so I see there that one father is better than 10,000 teachers I work with about a hundred elders and many many churches across India and other faces my constant exhortation to them is don't be a teacher be a father even when you teach God's Word be a father a teacher stands and teaches in a school at least in India they do that I don't know how it's here a father but he sits at the table he's not standing when he speaks to his children he's sitting at the table and so I thought that was the difference between the Old Testament prophet and the new testament servant of God Jesus came to build a family it was like a father had sitting at the head of the table and the Old Testament prophets or just teachers for claiming where Israel was wrong in the church we seek to build a family so that's something new I got I mean not that there are times I still stand up where you stand and sit but the principle there I was trying to understand why Jesus had compared to the Old Testament prophets who stood so that was a new revelation to me that how posture itself indicates something Paul says I'm a father and he says a father will never Shamus children whenever you say something to somebody to shame that person you're not speaking in the spirit of the your continent because it says I hope I'm not writing these things to shame you because I'm your father I'll correct you but I won't shame you so true Christianity and not only changes our relationship with God it changes our attitude towards the people though even the way we speak to people when I see something wrong in someone and I speak in a way to shame that's not the spirit of the new government maybe this fairly Old Testament prophet not the Spirit of Christ the Spirit of Christ will correct don't leave something wrong uncorrect it he'll correct but only the aim will be to restore to bring that thing which is imperfect to perfection and I found through the years that the reason why we're not often very kind and gracious in the way we speak to others particularly those who may know very well his party because we not come to know God in that way a lot of people think of God as a God who is always trying to correct them but there's something wrong something like a policeman on your tail you know flashing his lights that's a completely wrong picture of God that a lot of Christians I know I had that myself for many years and it brought condemnation in my life and I was born again I was the I'd even quit my job to serve the Lord but I still did not know what a good father God was my life changed when I understood that about 42 years ago Pleakley change took this revelation so I see that this is one of the great things that Jesus came to reveal he taught us to pray our Father who art in heaven and I found most of the Christians I met when they pray could public or in private very rarely that they say father Sergiy give me O God O Lord there's nothing wrong in that He is God he is Lord but I found in my own life that when I was always praying like that it was an indication that I didn't really know him as my father it's good for you to ask yourself when you address God how do you address him and in private when I pray I call him dad that's the meaning of ABBA says in Romans 8:16 the spirit who denies cries out Abba Father Abba is a Hebrew word and if it were translated into English it would be that that is the correct translation of ABBA so he's talking about an intimacy that we're supposed to have it God and that is how we are to begin our Christian life that's not some postgraduate degree we get the Christian life or something we matured up for many years from day one it's like when a child is born in your home day one you want him to call you you can't speak yet but you want him to know that you're is that or your is mom God is both to us and when we see God like that we understand words like this for example Romans in Chapter 15 Romans 15 where it says may that this is Romans 15 and verse 5 may that God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be the same mind with one another what a wonderful verse that is romans 15 verse 5 think of that in a husband-wife relationship so many husbands and wives are not in the same mind with each other and if I look at this verse I think part of the reason is they don't know God it the God who gives them encouragement if I see God is a god who's always giving encouragement think of knowing God is a God who gives encouragement there are so many things in the world to depress us discourages make us anxious fearful to have to know God as a god who's how to encourage us never to discourage us discouragement is a no-entry road and we must respect that law of God just like we respect traffic rules when you see a no entry sign somewhere discouragement is a no entry road self condemnation is also no entry road but I never knew this when I was a young Christian I wish somebody had I was converted when I was 19 I wish somebody had called ahold of me and say listen you must never be discouraged you must never be condemning yourself that's not God's will I think my life would have been better much earlier but if I slipped up and fell I were going to discouragement cell carnation that's not God's will I have to confess how to repent ask God to forgive me but not spend the next few days and discouragement and depression because I slipped up the God who gives encouragement and when we see God like that you'll find it changes our behavior towards those we love whether it's at home or in the church that helps build us together as a family at home as a family in the church so I encourage all of you early in your life right now in the Christian life to know God is a god who's always there to encourage you and if you hear a voice of discouragement you can be absolutely sure that's not God and if you're if you hear a message in a church to discourage you either the preacher doesn't know God or you got it in the wrong way one of the two God does not discourage I don't see anywhere in Scripture he corrects he rebukes very strongly in fact in revelation 3:19 the Lord says as many as I love I rebuke and discipline the rebuke of God never leads us to discouragement it's only as the devil who wants to discourage us because I remember those yet the other days of mine before I knew God is a loving encouraging father if I slipped up and I got discouraged it would lead me into Morrison so I became weak by that discouragement and that's exactly what the devil wanted make me weak so they can trip me up more easily but instead of that if I had said Lord I'm repented I want to turn from that sorry what I did I want you to believe I want to believe you cleanse me and if I could and believe God's word that the cleansing is not something that takes time its immediate and I don't have to you know shed a lot of tears as though my tears will cleanse my sin now if the blood of Jesus that cleanses sin and if God sees I'm sincere and turned to him I don't need to confess my Center in more than once I have a lot of sorrow for it for a long time so I slipped up in some way and I dishonor God that maybe sorrow with my art but not discouragement and I don't have to keep on saying O Lord I said I sinned I think I used to do that particularly if it was a serious and keep on repenting edges God wouldn't didn't hear me the first time if I'm not sincere then he doesn't mean he doesn't hear and even if I compress it a hundred times but if I sincerely come to the Lord and say Lord I'm sorry I slipped up it was wrong I acknowledged my error I'm forgiven immediately think of the thief on the cross he was such a criminal I don't know whether he was a thief and a murderer all combined but that says you mean was around the same age of Jesus 33 or so it's but all is 33 years doing evil or most of it anyway and all he said when he turned to the Lord he read was I deserve I am getting what I deserve in Luke 23 41 I'm being punished righteously will Prince be 41 I'm getting what I deserve Lord remember me he didn't torment himself saying old God you know I've done such a wicked I lose such a we could lie but kill so many people and I won't get a chance to burn out their forgiveness I've stolen from so many people he didn't form torture himself a torment himself um even though he was much worse than all of us he said I deserve this I'm a sinner I'm guilty and Jesus said you'll be with me in paradise today how quick the Lord was to forgive that person to wipe out a lifetime of sin in a moment this is our Father this is our Lord you must never lose sight of this clear vision of Jesus who was also showing by his life how the father was I mention this because I know it this wrong attitude tortured me for a long time my Christian life is quite likely that it does to you as well it's very difficult for us to believe when we have done some terribly wrong things that God forgives so quickly and immediately I know there are people who when they see the God's forgiveness as quick and immediate and complete they take advantage of God say okay well it doesn't matter I can slip up again and he forgive me now those are the people who are playing games are done I can't imagine this man if he came if he was taken down from the cross at the Romans just released him I can't imagine him going back to murdering and theft and after that his general his repentance was genuine and that's how ours must be so I also have been thinking of later why is the repentance of so many people so many Christians or shallow if I repented the shallow our experience of Christ's life will also be shallow so I looked at Matthew chapter 22 to try and understand through repentance if we understand what is God's basic requirement of us then we understand what repentance is repentance is I don't fulfill that requirement in Adams case was pretty clear he must not eat of that tree what is it in our case that God wants from us and Matthew 22 you know Jesus that they asked him in verse 36 what is the Great Commandment in the law and he said that they expected him for them the great commandment was the Sabbath for all these relax you see that how they were really after Jesus for but I mean he did something on the Sabbath they got upset with it but Jesus doesn't even mention the Sabbath it's not some ritual something I mean today going to church every Sunday these are not the great commandments of the law no he says the great commandment is you must love God love the Lord with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind in other words nothing and nobody must be more important to you than God itself that is God's law and repentance is when I don't fulfill that and something is more important to me than God could be my job it could be money it could be anything something has taken the place of God in my heart it could be anything it could be my my right so you want to stand for my rights that's very important out there this guy treat me like that no I have no rights once I come to Christ God because then I made my rights my god people can say well how dare this person speak to me like this larmy Jesus was never offended when people spoke to him in a rude way this is also one big difference between the Old Covenant in the New Covenant see when a Moses sister is his older sister Miriam spoke against Moses not in a bad way didn't speak evil about about Moses she just said why have you married this non Israeli woman but Moses wife was not a Jew or a Jewish family why have you married a non Israeli woman just because she questioned God's servant she got leprosy that's for a simple thing like that but when they came to Jesus when people came to Jesus and said far worse things like you're casting out demons by the prints of deep your your your name is beautiful that's a lot worse than what Marines Miriam got leprosy the Pharisees who said this to Jesus God forgiveness that's the difference between the old government of a new cup you know it speaks in Hebrews about the blood of table and the blood of Jesus the many contrasts like this you find in the Bible about all the New Covenant it says in Hebrews throughout that the blood of Abel when it fell to the ground when Cain killed him was silently crying out for revenge punish the one who shed my blood punished him on spirit God didn't spare key he cursed him and it says in Hebrew so that the blood of Jesus held to the ground it wasn't crying for revenge or punishment it's crying out for forgiveness very beautiful picture blood of kids Abel on the ground and blood of Jesus on the ground one crying out for revenge my blood and the other saying forgive so when we have anything other than God as occupying the place in our heart if I don't love God with all my heart and with all my soul and is all my mind I am in sin so repentance is you know turning around and giving up anything that took the place of God my heart giving it out there is most Christians but they are first when they are taught to first of all most fabulous don't even preach repentance it does please believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved in their whole aim you know the aim of a lot of random is we don't want people to go to hell you want to save them from hell so missionary challenges are given like this in churches look at all those millions going to hell don't you want to go and save them and people respond to that challenge and come forward without any call from God to go to that place and you go to a place without a call from God you're going to create problems for God's work I've seen this in India with the numerous missionaries who came to India without a call from God it is more harm God's work in India those who had a call from God make a tremendous difference tremendous difference so Jesus didn't come really to save people from Hell it's interesting to know that the first promise in the New Testament is he will save his people from their sins but from hell to be saved primarily the ultimate result the final result of being saved from sin but he came to save us from our sins not to forgive us our sins alone but to save us from our sin so what is sin according to this I'm not loving God with all my heart with all my mind loving something else or someone else more than God that's my sin so repentance means to turn around from that sin he's not just giving up my drug addiction or my gambling or drinking or some other bad habit repented by pornography that's not it's true in one sense we need to do all that but there's a lot more than that so if my turning from sin is only these filthy things which even the world considers filthy my repent is a shallow and my repentance is shallow my hole Christians life is going to be shallow because repentance is the foundation on which the house is built so the foul the foundation is weak or shaky don't be surprised if your entire Christian lives but we shaky-shaky shape so it helped me to see true repentance is to see the commandment first and I've not obeyed that commandment repentance is Lord I'm sorry I haven't away that command where is the commandment they must love God with all your heart with all your mind and all your strength God must be everything to you now I don't hear the gospel being preached like that and that's why we have all these shallow conversions that's why we have so many believers falling into adultery and slaves to pornography and so many divorces among Christians divorced people becoming faster distance see the condition Christendom has come to and it's all because we have not seen what we have to repent from so always keep this in mind what is the Great Commandment in the law Matthew 22 36 the Lord says to love God with all your heart all your strength all your mind another thing Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount like overcoming anger and dirty thoughts and telling lies and all that but it all stems from this the root of sin is I don't love God with all my heart soul strength and mind he is not number one and everything in my life something else is you know for a preacher's impendence preaching ministry can be his god and that's why you find so many preachers that don't allow younger people to come up they push them down it's because their ministry is their god a lot of preachers I've met they they're so interested in impressing people with their ministry the ministry is their God and know nothing must take the place of Almighty God in my heart Christ once we Lord every area of my life and that's what I got to repent of and if I've repented of that then we can say that I've repented fully but that's not all when they asked him for one commandment he said I can't give you one alone could be if two that hang together he said there are two Commandments were sorry on which the whole of God's law depends and so it's not enough that I say you must love God with all your heart you've got to love your neighbor as yourself and so that's the other thing I bought a repent oh it comes it's the other side of the coin you can't get a coin with one side you can't get a currency note printed on only one side so if I love God with all my heart and I don't love my neighbor as myself I haven't understood the law they are so uncommon when it is that I cannot give you one these two go together so in simple terms what does it mean to love my neighbor as myself in practical terms because repentance includes that the great commandment is love God with all your heart and love your neighbor means everybody else in the world as yourself the way and what the way I have been helped by is reading this verse of interpreting that commandment in Mighty chapter 7 and verse 12 you know he King he preached the whole Sermon on the Mount and we can say in a nutshell the Sermon on the Mount is love God with all your heart soul strength and mind and love your neighbor as yourself that's the son of the mountains it's extended as what we call the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 6 and 7 and Matthew 7:12 which is there for now this is at the end of the Sermon on the Mount the rest with all confusion therefore the way you want people to treat you treat them because that's the law in the prophets and this is the same expression Jesus used in Matthew 22 where he said the great commandment is up God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself there also he said this is the law of the prophets and here also he says there's a lot of the prophets in other words the law of the prophets is the way Jesus describes the Old Testament Bible he was saying your entire Old Testament Bible can be summed up in this love God with all your heart soul strength and mind and treat other people the way you want to be treated yourself and then you read through the Sermon on the Mount with that verse in mind if you understand it do you want people to be merciful to you when you do something wrong what do you want to come down hard on you we all want people to be forgiving and merciful I'll be forgiving and merciful to others blessed are the merciful define mercy or do you want people to yell at you in anger no but don't do that what is treat others the way you want to be treated yourself how do you want your husband to freak you treat him like that oh you want your wife to treat you treat her like that this is the hole you see this is the law in the profit this is the old message of the Bible if you're not doing that we can sit here for ages talking about victory over sin and the do and living way taking up the cross all this pious language or just fooling ourselves if it is not good eating - treating others the way I want them to treat me you want people to lust after your sister and almost after other girls in pornography would you want your sister to earn some money by stripping herself in front of a camera for people all over the world to see you wouldn't want that you would want your wife to do that you wouldn't want your sister to do that that don't watch it yourself somebody else is doing that to make money are you going to pay for that or even if you're watching it free there you're not treating that person on that computer screen the way you would like to be treated or the way you'd like your sister or your wife to be treated each other if your wife is doing that to make money no those women are doing it to make money well they're not doing it for any other reason they don't enjoy doing it some of them are treated so badly and imagine a Christian enjoying that paying for it what I will Christianity is that until I see that not treating other people the way I want to be treated I'm not treating other people the way I want my wife to be treated I haven't understood repentance I haven't and when I see it like that I say hey when it comes close to home I realized I don't want that you don't want it for yourself you don't want it for your wife but why do you want it for other people treat other people the way here to be treated yourself God really takes special care of people who really seek to live like that that's repentance you know the Christian life begins with repentance and faith faith it when I turn to God like that and repent if Jesus would forgive me all my sins immediately and not only that he said in Hebrews eight well I will not remember your sins anymore so if I take repentance seriously I find that I have a good foundation in my life my building or shake my Christianity or shape a lot of Christians their Christianity began to shake after a while backsliding is the building and shaking it off almost always because the foundation has not been laid properly any skyscraper takes such a lot of pains to make sure the foundation is deep enough solid enough good material because they're building a skyscraper that's why this is so important and I want to say also God treats us the way we treat other people turn with me to Psalm 18 so I'm 18 really verse 25 with the kind you show yourself kind you want God to be kind to you be kind to other people that's what it's saying here if you are kind to others you'll find God is very kind if you treat other people with purity gotta treat you the same way and it says but if you're crooked the last part of our Isaacs wit with other people you'll find God is the literal Hebrew there is three tips Gardens others not twisted but you'll experience it in a very twisted way because you are crooked in your dealings with other people with the blameless you show yourself layman to the pure you showed so pure so I find here not only God wants me to treat other people the way I want to be treated by them God treats me also the way I treat other people these are characteristics of God if I'm kind to others I don't have to ask God to be kind to me he will automatically be kind it's his law he will treat me like I treat others so if you've been having some problems in y'all if God's dealings with you search yourself and see whether this is the reason you're not treating other people properly maybe you're not treating your wife probably at home if God yelling at you maybe it's because you're yelling at your marriage bug and when you stop it you'll find God stopping it too otherwise it'll continue I've gotta change stop God is a very righteous guy and you can't just treat other people in the world as you like likes and then go God is a lot forgive me God says repent first repent of the way you've treated other people repent of the way you speak to others he says in James chapter 3 speaking about the tongue James 3 with our tongue we bless God our Lord and our fathers father me he's talking about believers is not only or unbelievers we bless the Lord our Father obviously believers and then these believers curse men that means use say rude unkind things to your fellow human beings maybe they did something wrong okay they did some floating wrong to Jesus and you curse them men who have been made in the likeness of God so I don't want that atheist that non-christian is he made in the likeness of God according to his words yes I mean that image is being defaced terribly but he's made in the likeness God I think oh say a poster on a wall with some film actors face or something and then it's torn you can't see the face clearly you don't you can't even recognize because most of the faces the poster has been torn that's the picture I get a man he can't eat it he is nowhere like God at all but he was made an image of God defaced by the devil it says there man who's been made it's not only believers song but all men have been made in the likeness of God and that's why there is there cannot be any racism if I've understood this this is one of the terrible things about hedonism they see a lot of it in India they have a caste system that the upper caste and it's so terrible in India that in some villages you know it's banned by the government which you can enforce that ban only in the cities where there are police stations and things like that but on the villages nobody bothers and so the caste system continues no matter what laws the government projects and so if if a man of a lower caste walks by and the shadow falls on this madam mr. Schad Oh falls on this man is a far higher cause he's got to go to have a shower that's how much he despises that fish and so many cases we read in the papers of this upper caste man's daughter falls in love with that lord kars and sometimes lower caste people are very highly educated and gets married the father of the girl goes and kills both of them it's very common because it's such a hatred that person is not anywhere near me so we find this type of treatment of other human beings who Christians won't be completely different from that there is no higher or lower cost in my mind everybody's the saying that uneducated stupid dumb person is made an image of God that person has got Down syndrome or some other defects it made an image of God I have to consider every person around me then it says how can you curse that person made an image of God and then go and bless God that's what he says here in chapter 3 now then then you have I need to repent of that repentance means I turn around from that type of attitude I had towards other human beings to whom us I apologize if I did something wrong let's say that for example this is only for people of my own social level or status what about if it's a homeless man whom I've hurt in some way or spoke rudely to I had must go and apologize which I'm sorry for speaking to you like that of cdk like because he made an image of God they need homeless ladies but he's made an image of God so there's a lot more to repentance then we think and the reason we have so many of our problems is because we are treating other people differently and no matter how much we come to meetings and talk about victory over sin and being filled with the holy spirit and speak in tongues and all that you will never come into this divine life till you understand what the commandment is and what repentance is turned from violating that commandment love God with all your heart soul strength if money for example takes the place that God should have in my heart money very important for taking the place about in my heart I haven't prevented I'm not repented and many many Christians I have to say money or their job or profession it's taken the place of God in them they don't kill people that they don't get angry they don't lust after women they are upright they give generously for God's work but money and their profession has taken the place of God never God's not against your earning money people like Joel when Abraham were extremely wealthy in the new judgment of the people like filling them were wealthy enough to have slaves in their house and you never read the Holy Spirit's saying in the New Testament I'm talking about telling a master divide your property with your slaves I would think that that should be what Christianity teaches know that communism we must distinguish it in communism and Christianity the Santee only says treat your slaves property he doesn't even say released written properly because Paul knew left under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that the time was not right to proclaim the Roman Empire release or the captors it will come at a later stage but bear me see that treat them properly you don't have to share your money with them you don't have to share your property with them treat them kindly so it's all based on this principle treat other people the way you want to be treated yourself and I asked people this question I would say most Christians the ones they hurt the most are the ones who live in their own home your husband or your wife yeah we in a moment of weakness we slip up because familiarity breeds contempt whether you like it or not it's true familiarity breeds contempt and if you're a true Christian it will not be true it'll breed respect you would respect more people who are very close to you okay but let's assume that you haven't come to that place yet you slip up and you say something rude or an anger to your wife or husband now the question is how quickly do you apologize to her or him that is a test of your spirituality how quickly do you do it he recognizes the fall I mean if you have a conscience you know immediately that you've done something wrong or you said something else how quickly do you set it right to use an illustration you walk out on the onto the road and you slip and fall how quickly do you get up ten seconds not even one thing is that I mean I don't want to be lying down on the ground that's not the way I'm supposed to be I'm supposed to be erect do I recognize the same thing when I've slipped up and fallen into sin into treating another person the way I don't want to be treated myself treating another person the way I don't want God to treat me I did something wrong okay how quickly do I set it right that shows how deeply I have repented and it's very simple I ask I'll ask people why do you delay in asking forgiveness there is only one reason Christ tell me there's any other reason it's only pride because it's a bit humiliating to go to that person say sorry for what I did five seconds ago what I said but I'll tell you something if you practice it maybe you'll sleep up a hundred times each time you decide I'm gonna get up immediately get up in DUMBO I've got to forgive me and I go not this person to forgive me I guarantee I can give you a written guarantee you will come into a life of overcoming that sin very quickly may take you a year but you'll finally overcome anger finish it let's follow this simple prescription as soon as you fall yeah it's me I've got to forgive you and apologize lepers you're doing something to your pride they're shattering your pride God will treat you the way you treat your repentance God will bear witness to it so it's wonderful to see this because you know there are commands in the New Testament which some people read it say oh that's impossible for the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said Matthew 6 in the space of one minute at about one minute or two minutes in 1965 to 34 how long does it take to read from verse 25 to 34 not more than two minutes 26 25 to 34 in the space of two minutes three times jesus said don't be anxious don't be anxious don't be anxious now if the Lord repeats something three times in a size of two minutes it must be really important that's not a suggestion you know sort of it's good not to be anxious that's already said but that's how most Christians have taken it isn't a good thing out of the answer yeah sure but that's not what Jesus said the same God who said do not murder said do not be anxious am I going to categorize these into two different categories that say this is important is it not important it's the same God who said it do not commit adultery do not steal do not murder do not be anxious supposing that was listed in the commandments why didn't God listing the commands because he knew nobody could keep it in the old government they didn't have the holy spirit within them they didn't they hadn't seen Jesus as an example they couldn't do that that's why that is not one of the commandments but in the new tension when you read three times he says verse 25 don't be anxious and again in verse 31 don't be anxious again in verse 34 don't be anxious three times in the space of two minutes must be serious why is it that we don't take it seriously and you come into the neuter into the episode and Paul says the same thing in Philippians 4 inspired by the holy spirit he says in Philippians 4:6 be anxious for nothing and you say what can I do I'm the anxious day whatever thank you may be God's Word is for everyone be anxious when I think consider the possibility please consider the possibility that you're not getting free from anxiety because you don't treat other people the way God's treating you you see that's a different subject no these are connected you're not treating other people the way you want them to treat you there are connection bring that message idea leaders because you cannot be free from anxiety you've gotta give you grace no human being can be free from anxiety we live in a world where there are 101 things to make us anxious now I want to I don't want to get anybody to get condemned of over what I'm saying there's a difference between being concerned about something and being anxious about something your kid has gone to school and he hasn't come back on time if you're not concerned about it you're not a good parent definitely not but there's a lot of difference of being concerned about something and being anxious about if you lost your job actually you're concerned because you had to feed your family but even in such a situation the command of the Lord doesn't change be anxious for nothing but it doesn't stop there it says here let your requests be made known to God with Thanksgiving that he's heard it just be amazed to see the miracle God can do for you you work testimonies of other believers who lost their jobs and God did miracles for them is it only for them he can do it for you or another command there rejoice in the Lord always it's not rejoicing our circumstances always that's not possible rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice whatever may happen to me and say God is on the throne this is the life that New Testament wants us to have and they're not all separate don't lust after women don't get angry don't be anxious rejoice melodic they're all segments of one circle he's a little little segments and I can't just take one segment I like I like to get victory here it's all one circle it's all the result of putting God first my heart and then nobody takes the place without my heart it's all the result of saying I'm determined from today onwards to treat other people exactly the way God treats way I want to be treated and I want to treat other people the way God treats me why do I forgive others because it says in Ephesians 4:32 forgive one another exactly like God forgave you that's how I'm supposed to forgive others exactly like God's treated me so well for giving me so much just treat others the same way and isn't it wonderful that all the hideous things we did in our life God never tells other people about it he doesn't let anybody know all the wicked things you've done in your past life for I've done but don't go around telling other people but wicked things you know about them you know some wicked thing some people did that it died with you because that's how God treated you cover it up love covers a multitude of sins don't humiliate people by exposing their sin God doesn't humiliate you by exposing your sin all I need to meditate on is how did God treat me if I'm not treated other people like that I need to repent of it either things I need to repent up my life to become getting a solid foundation and I have a solid repentance as God forgave me now this question comes up you know I can't forget the evil that somebody did to me well do you know something do you know that God doesn't forget the evil you did to him he says I won't remember it you gotta read the Bible exactly in Hebrews 8:12 the Lord says their sins and iniquities I will not remember anymore I will remember their sins no more he doesn't say I'll forget that there's a lot of difference between saying there is a word for forgetting in the Greek language and God didn't the Holy Spirit did not use it he could have used it he could have said I will forget about their sins no that's not what he said I will remember their sins no more or two to be more accurate I choose not to remember that's what God is saying God hasn't forgotten my sins how can he is his memory worse than mine I remember some of the terrible things I did 50 years ago getting God's forgotten it no his memory is better than mine he chooses not to remember and one of the clearest proof of it is you know that story where you read that in Matthew 18 of a man who was forgiven millions of dollars by the king because he couldn't pay and he went out and got somebody by the throat order in some ten dollars or something like that now remember how does it story start the king is forgiven this fellas debt completely and then he goes and catch some buddies by the throat because he treats him badly he does not treat him the way the King treated him and that's reported to the king and what is the king do when this man comes back to the king you read it in Matthew 18 he put that whole debt back on his head don't you remember that million dollars I forgive you well you got to pay up now or you go to jail why because you didn't forgive that guy $10 and at the end of it Jesus said soul with my heavenly father do to you if you don't forgive other people from your heart so if the king is forgotten about this man is dead how could he put that dead back on it that is a clear proof that the King didn't forget about the death and God does not forget our sins he says I choose not to remember now how does that help me it helps me that in God when I come to God I don't feel like he is looking at me and he remembers all those things in the past no he doesn't remember things and the other ways I'm not tormented by the fact that I remember the evil that followed it to me I will remember it but I choose not to remember that's all that God requires of me there's some people who take a super spiritual position who don't read the Bible carefully who teach people that when you forgive somebody you must forget about what he did that's a lie it is impossible and I challenge any human being to tell me that he's done it it is impossible and all these people who preach it are hypocrites or the first order who haven't practiced it themselves and who haven't read the Bible carefully because the Bible doesn't ask you to forget what other people have done to you but you choose not to remember forgive them as God forgave you and God says when I look at you I choose not to remember a single thing you did against me even though God says I know every single thing you did that's how we forgive others I can't because I had no control over my memory I can have a control over my conscience and memories I cannot control it what can I do when my memory reminds me of a whole lot of things I did or where other people did God doesn't ask you to clean up your memory you ask you not to think evil in your memory but to forget the past it's not possible so when I when I'm thinking of treating other people the way God treats me God does not forget my past I don't have to forget what he did but every time the thought comes to me I reject it I say that to deliver you from the torment that the devil would give some people saying hey you haven't really forgiving that person because you still remember that's a lie Satan you're a liar I know the Bible I didn't know it is today but now I know it you can tell the devil that that I don't I don't have a torment myself that I remember some let me give you an example from the Old Testament in the book of Genesis and chapter 40 Genesis chapter 40 remember this is the story of Joseph he was first of all he was sold as a slave because of the jealousy of his 10 brothers that it said was bad taken away to a far country far his parents thinking that he's being killed by some wild animal and there is in a far country the slave works hard the Lord is with him and then this evil woman Potiphar's wife accuses him falsely and he's locked up in jail think of what all he went through he's got lots of problems far away for his country from his parents all those problems he faces and while he's in that prison we read here a Pharaoh's chisel genesis 40 in verse 5 the cup bearer and the baker of the king of egypt were in prison there and joseph came to them genesis 40 verse 6 and he saw that they were dejected what do you do when you see somebody who's dejected but don't open problems my own I don't have to worry about these guys I mean think of me more thinking what I'm going through it's only way by my brothers and far away's my parents and accused falsely by an evil woman but he forgot about all his problems and he asks them hey why are your pieces so sad today were seven he had even though he had so many problems of his own to worry about he asks and then why he felt something so sad you think is a man who's got no problems at all he's asking that question he's got far more brother than them why are you looking sad do you know the whole story of Joseph hinges on that one action the whole story changes because of that one action where he was considerate when he saw somebody dejected he went up to him and say hey why you was looking sad some problems gotta help you in some way and they told him it's a problem and he explains the dream and you know the story how that's what gives up an introduction to Pharaoh one day he would never have got that if he did not be concerned about asking these people why are you looking so sad that's such a difficult thing to ask somebody why everything sauce and God saw that so I'm going to treat this man well God is kind to those what kind God is concerned about those are concerned about others that's all Joseph had he didn't do any great miracle there he's just concerned about someone who's looking dejected and sad so when we think of God is a God of encouragement God is a God who comforts the depressed he doesn't do it to everybody he does it to those who are concerned about others though he treats us exactly like we treat other people and that's what we need to repent off and we look at our past life all the ways in which we'd not be concerned about other people but we don't usually think of that as sin hmm we saw God is a God of encouragement I want to show you in other words in acts sorry 2nd Corinthians God is a God who gives us encouragement and here's another thing God does 2nd Corinthians 7 6 you can look at these as titles of God one of the titles of God is what we saw the beginning in Romans 15 verse 5 title of God God who gives encouragement I want to know God like that here's another title of God second Corinthians 7 and verse 6 God who comforts the depressed do you want to know God is a God who comforts a depressed I decided many years ago I'm never going to be discouraged it's a choice about will not feeling I'm tempted to be discouraged in the presence with many circumstances where I choose in my will say I was not a different god I have a God who comforts a depressed who will comfort me the way he does it in Paul's case God comforted him through sending Titus and garden isn't that great meant in the great Apostle Paul being comforted as the present by his younger brother guys like that God bless me sometimes but I've listened to some younger brother share something in the meaning numerous tears God speaks to us through another member of the body who is probably half our age and if you are humble enough to receive that there's no limit to how much God can speak to you if you take the low place and say Lord I'm just a member in the body and I'm happy to receive anything you want to give me from remember the body here's Paul Paul's example his policy he died as a young fellow he continuity he remained in his depression God comforted me the depressed person by sending Titus to me I like that he open don't despise any member of the body of Christ saying what can he give me there's a lot he can give you take your humble and willing to receive what God has to minister to you through him it's so much you've missed in your past life because you've looked down on certain believers saying what can you give me I know so much it's not a question of knowledge it's a question of there are hard problems that we have which any amount of knowledge will not cure and God wants to bless us through some young brother so I praise God encouragement freedom from anxiety depression because we are open to others God ministers to us through others so I see the Christian life is a wonderful life all these you know these commands which looked impossible to us be anxious for nothing and rejoice always the reason why they are not being fulfilled don't listen to the lies of other Christians there is impossible to live that life it is impossible if you don't read other people who a god reach you I agree but if you start off treating other people the way Daughtry - you'll find somebody which commands which looked impossible to get fulfilled in your life because you're not taking certain scriptures let me show you one last words God who gives us encouragement so what should we do when God gives us encouragement what are you doing God forgives you you saw that forgive others what about when God encourages seven Hebrews 3 and verse 13 encourage one another every single day long as it is called today we confess sins of commission Lord I had already thought I spoke a rude word have you ever confessed a sin of omission something you were supposed to do and you didn't do well here's something to work on encourage someone daily and to say it Laurie I didn't guard anybody today that is in it is if you believe it's a command of God as long as it is called today because thereby you can help that person to be saved for them being hardened a word of encouragement and save another person from being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin and a God who is a lot of encouragement wants me to encourage others and if I do that I say I want to encourage people I don't want to go around causing depression to others by the things I say I wanna encourage others so much of depressing news in the world I don't have a go around circulating that let people claim the good news God is on the throne the devil's being defeated brother every single thing will work for your good if you love God he will never leave you nor forsake you no matter what happens he will not remember your past against wonderful things we can say to encourage others that God will encourage me that's how he's supposed to live on this earth I remember when some religious folk took me to court or religious reasons one of the words the Lord gave me was as I had 54-17 the Living Bible that afraid so that is you will have justice against every courtroom life I hope you never have to face that but if you do take a promise like this when people tell lies against and show you will have justice in every courtroom life be good to others gotta be good to you this is how God wants us to live on this earth finally my favorite thank you survive a few minutes ago read Philippians how many times Paul says finally he says go to chapter 3 finally anything your concluding no no he goes on to each other advances fine so finally hit proverbs chapter 22 sorry proverbs 11:25 probably seven trade buyer said great worse he who waters others would be watered also himself the generous man will be processed now that's not what the world says word says he could keep on being generous you've become poor there's no you learn to give to others and about God giving giving to you like one man said I I shoveled out to others what God shows it to me and God got a bigger shovel so I end up having more than anything and he who waters others will be watered also himself that means i water somebody else's blood and god waters me that's great i do something two watering is to refresh somebody someone who's discouraged and guilty I bought some water that dry grass becomes me God will water me this is the Christian life it's a wonderful life and if you haven't experienced some of it it's because one something has taken the place of God in my heart or two I'm not treating other people the way I want to be treated or the way God's truth let's rectify that in the find that you come to an altogether new plane of the Christian life but you'll never experience so far that's pretty think about some of the things God spoke to you today and don't forget them don't let the birds of the air take away the sea that's soul in your heart I want to encourage you to water that seed that is meditate on it let's take deep root in your life and then you'll find that the Holy Spirit lives you to a plane of the Christian life that you've never tasted so far always in triumph in Christ Heavenly Father give us Grace and the wisdom to see that you're always seeking our eternal good every word you speak is to lead us to that wonderful life that Jesus died and rose again to give us which soap you are experiencing because the devil has come to steal and it's taken away but lawyer expose the devil's lies and we want to live in the good of all that you purchase for us on Calvary and Jesus thing on it

Channel: SermonIndex.net

Views: 13,567

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Keywords: Revival, Character Of God, Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, SermonIndex, What Is The Truth, Zac Poonen

Id: dAD5v37QDMM

Length: 70min 46sec (4246 seconds)

Published: Sat May 13 2017