An Immovable Life - Zac Poonen

praise the Lord brothers and sisters it's always good to come back home just like when you travel somewhere how you feel when you get back home and also because like I always say sorry John ChaCha has CFC hemara which means that there's no place on earth like CFC you got to go to other places and other churches just appreciate it sometimes those who've lived here and been here for so many years don't appreciate sufficiently what we have here and the tremendous work that the elders of this church have done to make this church what it is today if you have not learned to appreciate that it's either because you're blind or because you haven't seen what it is like in other places we had this promise here Isaiah 60 verse 2 and 15 so I want to turn to something there in Isaiah chapter 60 the Lord says first of all in verse one the glory of the lord has risen upon you darkness will cover the earth verse two but the Lord will rise upon you and his glory will appear upon you nations will come to your light now remember the Lord was speaking to Israel at that time it applies to us as a church if we had looked at Israel we would have hasn't hesitated to say things like this because there were problems there there was difficulties they were not perfect but the Lord has hope for his people and more and more as I get older I've come to look at God's people more and more like God Himself looks at them I can understand how Paul in his old age said whenever he wrote to a church he said I thank God whenever I think of you it came naturally to him I mean I'm sure Paul had discerned meant to see that all those people sitting over there were not perfect and there were so many things wrong with them but he thanked God upon every remembrance of the different churches he says you're my joy to the Philippians he says I have you in my heart that is the way any godly person will look at God's people don't you look at your children like that despite all the mistakes they make you parents have seen the blunders and mistakes your children have made but do you still have them in your heart it is only such people who can build the body of Christ I believe God wants all of us to work together to build the body of Christ here and in other places but you cannot do it unless you have this attitude Paul once said to the Corinthians you can have 10,000 teachers but I'm your father meaning that one father is better than 10,000 Bible teachers you can have 10,000 bible teachers teaching so many good things but they don't have a heart you're speaking from their head and telling people instruction but a father is someone who's got god's people in his heart and i want to encourage all of you my brothers and sisters even though you may see faults and different ones when many of us have got very sharp eyes to find those faults grow up to become a spiritual father many of us have been in this church long enough that we should be in that place but we have a care for the people around us you can't leave that in the hands of just three or four elders we want many many brothers and sisters here to be like fathers and mothers towards the new people coming in towards many others coming in and to say to them the glory of the Lord will rise upon you imagine what an encouragement that can be to someone who is discouraged and he goes on to say as we've seen here in verse 15 I will make you a joy a joy from in in the NASB it says from generation to generation and that is our burden because an older generation is moving on and a new generation is coming up and that new generation must also know the Lord exactly like the older generation the most important thing in the last days will not be knowledge of the Bible will not be the ability to sing it'll be knowing the Lord and that is being my burden for many years for God's people in our midst and the others in show you a verse in Daniel chapter 11 which is particularly referring to the last days just before the Antichrist rises on the earth and Daniel chapter 11 it speaks here about you know Jesus spoke in verse 31 about the abomination of desolation as one of the things that's going to be there in the last days and it says in that time by smooth words verse 32 people will turn others to godlessness and who act wickedly toward the Covenant but the people who know their God will be strong and take action and do exploits for God it's not people who know their Bible it's not people to come to church not people who sing people who know their God so glibly today people say I'm born again even nowadays people very glibly say yes I'm baptized in the Holy Spirit yeah these are all catchphrases that we use but I want to ask you personally hmm can you say that you know the Lord that you know Jesus intimately this is the thing that's going to help you in the days to come even if you don't know the Bible so well even if you don't have gifts I want to encourage you to develop getting to know the Lord to know Jesus personally this is going to be the most important thing this is the thing that will help you to stand in the difficult days that will come and when you know the Lord I'll tell you one characteristic of your life will be you will be an encourage everybody you meet you will encourage it's not that you'll overlook their sin we've certainly not overlooked sin in this church we speak strongly against sin but we seek to encourage people that there's hope I was I'm often challenged by this words of Jesus in Luke chapter 22 you know does the Last Supper and these words he says Luke 22 verse 15 I have earnestly desired to have this Passover with you before I suffer and in the message translation it says you all have no idea how much I have looked forward to being with you you have no idea imagine Jesus speaking to people who all gonna forsake him we're all gonna run away from him and the Garden of Gethsemane one of them is going to betray him another one is going to deny him three times but he overlooks all that needs as you have no idea how much I look forward to being with you because God has chosen you I want to say that to you dear brothers there may be a few crooks here and there okay there were there was a crook in gee Jesus Church too so I'm not disturbed if there are a few in our midst or not straightforward it doesn't disturb me but I believe that most of you are sincere and I believe you must recognize that God has chosen you and therefore our attitude in towards fellowship must always be you have no idea I can say that honestly I can say it I'm not just repeating the words of Jesus you have no idea how much I look forward to fellowship with God's people from 40 years this has been my family I've not known any family like this and you have no idea how much I look forward to always being with you all even in the midst of all my travels and he goes on to say to them you know they had a dispute there in verse 24 as to who's going to be the greatest see these were not a bunch of perfect people those 12 people sitting there and neither are you neither am I they had their imperfections and Jesus was not blind to it why was eagerly looking forward to a whole lot of people who are arguing about who's the greatest he says yeah they have a little weakness but they'll get he knew they'll get over it and they did get over it but if he had kept on condemning them they would never got discouraged and left I don't condemn and discourage your children encourage them encourage one another was the greatest ministry you can fulfill he says that there was a dispute among them among whose to be the greatest and what does he tell these people he says in verse 28 you are those who have stood by me in my trials when my father has granted me a kingdom and I'm going to give a kingdom to you as well what a word to say you have stood by me day in the moment of weakness a little later one of them denied and all of them ran away but in all those three years three and a half years when Jesus was called Prince of Devil's they stood by him when they when they tried to kill Jesus these eleven twelve people stood by him that's what he's saying you guys are not perfect but you've stood by me I think of brothers who have been with us almost from the beginning some twenty-five thirty years and if you know the way we have been attacked and ridiculed and mocked and called all types of bad names through all these 40 years even now I have to say you stood you stood true to CFC and stood true to what we have stood for you have been faithful you're not run away and gone away somewhere else I can say that you stood by me in the trials and God is going to give us a kingdom and even to someone like Peter who was going to fail and deny him he says to him in verse 31 Simon Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat and I know you'll fail but I'm praying for you see that was the reason why he had faith for them he prayed for them and that's one thing that any of us can do for one another when you see somebody fainting or discouraged I prayed for you and he says when you have turned again I know you will turn again Peter can you imagine how much those words encouraged him when he finally fell when you turn again strengthen your brothers imagine telling that to a man who's going to deny Jesus three times so I know it's going to happen but that's not the end of the story Peter God's going to turn you around and when you have turned again strengthen your brothers God wants you to be one who will strengthen your brothers and sisters so we want to be men and women in the coming days who strengthened our brothers and sisters because we are going to we are going into difficult times in this country and not only in this country it's difficult to be a Christian like in the Living Bible second Timothy 3 verse 1 says in the last days it could be difficult to be a Christian everywhere in one country it may be one way in another country it may be in another way I mean with all the anti-christian activities that are going on and the Hindu ization of India which we are seeing a lot I was reading the other day in the papers that they're going to make yoga compulsory for 11 then 12 standard students in CBS see what are you gonna do what are you going to tell your children to do it is just physical exercise that's fine but I hope you'll tell your children not to repeat all those mantras to Hindu gods what are you going to do education is important yeah we need to know how to stand firm in other countries it is in different ways in the United States of America now the Supreme Court has made a law that men can marry men and women can mary women and live together as husband and wife two women and two men no hinduism doesn't accept that islam doesn't accept it but people who call themselves christians it's come there and the worst part is if you are a a government officer who is supposed to authorize a marriage you got to conduct that marriage of two men what are you going to do if you are a believer there are people who are standing up against it who've been imprisoned etc so in different ways that word which the Lord says in second Timothy 3:1 in the last days it's going to be difficult to be a Christian and to stand up but we're not scared because the Lord will be with us there was a great secret of Jesus life which came home to my heart which I want to share with you that's the thing that will make us unmovable turned first to 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 58 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 58 beloved brethren be steadfast immovable that's the word I'm thinking of immovable that means nobody can move you from the position you have taken as a disciple of Jesus Christ no matter what price you have to pay no matter what you lose I have this painting in my sitting room of the early Christians being thrown to the Lions and those four people in torn clothes kneeling down there and praying when the Lions are coming out and I look at that and say Lord these are my brothers and sisters they are my foreigners in the 2nd and 3rd century and they inspire me I'm facing mosquito bites they faced lions I thank God for their example it challenges me I want to be immovable they were removable all they had to say was Caesar is Lord they said no we will not say it he said Jesus Christ is Lord throw him to the Lions it have been very easy hmm just like in that story of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego how people could have suggested to them listen you're not burning down in your heart just bow down your head and escape man otherwise they'll throw you into the fire they should know if we bow down we are giving a wrong impression to people that we accept this idol and we don't so he refused to bow down and the Lord was with them in the fire immovable immovable how shall we be immovable in the days to come how shall we be immovable that is the thing which we need to know how shall we be immovable in the days to come whatever may be whatever may happen turn with me to the example of Jesus in Acts of the Apostles and chapter 2 Acts of the Apostles chapter 2 and you know the paw Peter is speaking here about how it was with Jesus and there's a verse he quotes from the Psalms from Psalm 16 which he applies to Jesus says in acts 2:25 David spoke about him this is from Psalm 16 verse 8 referring to Jesus I saw the Lord always in my presence he saw the father always in front of him and he's at my right hand and so I will not be moved I will not be shaken nothing will shake me jesus said because I see the father in front of me always and he's at my right and in front of me always means he was living in the presence of the Father all the time this is what we have to develop this habit of living in the presence of the Father all the time and then he'll be at my right hand means he'll be there to strengthen me that's the meaning of his being at my right hand you see it's because we don't have Jesus always in front of us that we speak so rudely sometimes to one another you think you would speak like that if Jesus was right there how would you husbands and wives speak to one another if Jesus was right there in your presence when you get angry when you get upset when you lose your temper you're wobbling you're shaking you're not unshakable then but you can be unshakable every one of us if we say Lord I want the Holy Spirit to so fill me that's the only way to do it you can't sort of try to remember it's not a thing of the mind you know the to try and imagine oh Jesus is here Jesus how long can you do that in the moment of temptation you'll forget all about it but the Holy Spirit can do it the Holy Spirit can so make you so aware in the moment of temptation of the Lord's presence in the moment when you are facing a trial whether it's a lion or whether it's some compromising situation in your place of work or where you may have to lose something because we take a stand for the Lord the Holy Spirit in that moment will make us aware of Jesus presence that's the thing that'll make us unshakable and he'll be there to our right hand to strengthen us how when we encourage all of you my dear brothers and sisters please pursue this with all your heart old and young no matter how senior you are in the Lord pursue with all your heart to say like Jesus I see the Lord always in my presence as I said let me repeat it's not a mental exercise you can try and do that ok I'm going to imagine I'm in the presence of the Lord all the time it won't last because while you're busy doing other things in other work you'll completely forget about it I heard people say I every 15 minutes I'll try to remember that Jesus is there these are all mental techniques if there was some technique like that it would have been written somewhere in the scripture but it isn't but what Jesus said was in the Holy Spirit has come he will take up mine and show it to you he will make you aware of my presence that's why we keep on saying you must be filled with the Holy Spirit all the time not once for all baptism in the Holy Spirit that's good I believe two of the great greatest dangers I've seen in Christendom in doctrines one is once saved always saved the other is once filled always filled both are wrong once saved always saved has sent more people to hell than probably any other doctrine because a man is accepted try some time ago and then he backs later and he thinks he's okay it's a deception Hebrews 3 and verse 12 says we are made partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm until the end and in the Acts of the Apostles you read about people who are filled with the Holy Spirit and then people who were full of the Holy Spirit that means they were continuously full always full and that was not true of everybody that's what we need to see for there is no such thing as once saved always saved or once filled always filled once baptized forever fill to the spirit it just is not true but because there are people teaching that the emphasis on that are you saying are you baptizing Holy Spirit and the guy may be the biggest backslider in town but once he was saved once baptized the Holy Spirit he doesn't live in the presence of the Lord ask the Holy Spirit and each one of us can do that God loves you my brother sister God loves you intensely he gave his son for you what greater proof can you have than that he gave his son to die for you each one of you and say Jesus God gave Jesus to die for me he loves me there's no doubt about it in my heart there must be no doubt in your heart that God loves you personally not God so loved the world that is a doctrine but God so loved me that He gave His only Son for me make it personal and if that is true and it is true how shall he not with him freely give us all of the things I've sent the Lord always in my presence he's in my right hand and I will not be shaken therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exultant and my flesh will also live in hope those words are for us too because this is where we can follow in Jesus footsteps when it says be unmovable unshakable here is the secret to always have the Lord in front of us and in practical terms what that means is as you pray that the Holy Spirit will make that real to you to take a little time because we have not pursued it God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him I want to say in the midst of many many believers there are only a few who diligently seek Him there's no partiality with God if you see another brother or sister who knows the Lord much more than you don't think he's some special favorite of God God has got no special favorites even his own son when he came to earth God the Father treated him just like another man he had to pray to get power just like you and I he had to humble himself to get grace just like you and I he had to be wise and not go where people were trying to kill him just like you and I he was just like a man just like you and me he had God it's got no favorites he didn't even treat Jesus like a favorite when he was on earth that's why it says God loves us as much as he loved Jesus and that's why we sing in that song what he did for Jesus he will do for you if you take living in the father's presence as seriously as Jesus did I hope you'll be gripped by something today that will change the direction of your life was there a time in your life once upon a time when you were a most serious Christian than you are today what has happened is the love of money the pursuit of earthly advancement taking you away from what you could have become for God an effective instrument I find so many people they just want to ease their conscience oh I must go to some meeting because I'm a Christian and I use my conscience yeah I go for a weekly meeting or I go for two meetings a week and I'm taking a Bible study is that all are you fulfilling God's purpose for your life do you feel a challenge to get people to know God or just teach them the Bible there are multitudes of Bible studies going on in the world today but people are not coming to know God I've seen as so many of those groups I need so many people who tell me Oh brothers Eric I listen to your messages regularly I read your books I say once use of that have you come to know the Lord better I find many people in many places they do not want to build fellowship with other godly people they just want to listen to my messages on the internet and sometimes they they get points for their own sermons from that imagine there are interest in their own edification they want to get some points for a service where do you think such people aren't going to come to know God they're just seeking their own honor there's no partiality with God he's a rewarder of anyone who diligently seek sin if you say Lord every message I hear I want to I want to use it to get to know you better not just to get another Bible better but to know you better I want to know you I want to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit I want to always live in your presence so that my life my conversation my behavior is always as if Jesus is right there that I will not say there's no question of it being any other way then we will be unshakable in the day storm God will give us wisdom what to do when we face these difficult situations or what advice to give it to our children when they face some difficult situations in school it hasn't become as bad here you know what they are teaching 10 year old children in the United States in the schools that is perfectly all right to have sex and there are some children who have no mother but two fathers and some children who don't have a father and mother but two mothers is what they're teaching 10 year old children what do you do if your children are being taught that and they're being taught the details of sex and being given videos and all in government schools and booked books on it here it may be another way but I want to tell you you will not have the wisdom to guide your children or write in the coming days whatever it is if you don't know God if you know God you'll have an answer for every situation God can solve every problem you believe that sure there is do you think there's any problem that Almighty God who runs this universe console I sometimes look up into the skies at night and see what a massive universe is and you know having studied a little bit about geography I know that the universe is huge and Earth is like a small speck of sand this whole planet Earth which looks so big in the you know in the size of the universe is like a speck of sand I say Lord on this speck of stand is me one small man let me not think too much of myself ever the small teeny weeny person on this speck of sand daring to tell other people about Almighty God not please let me have low thoughts about myself I'm amazed how so many people teach the Bible to others who don't have this awesome fear of God reverence for God it's because they don't know him that's why there's such a lot of Bible knowledge in the world today but very little knowledge of the Lord very little knowledge of the Lord I want to know how many of you are passionate to know Jesus better to know him better to become know him like in the Song of Solomon the bride knew her bridegroom intimately this has been my passion for virtually all my life my passion is not to preach the gospel my passion is not to teach the Bible my passion is not to travel here and there or even plant churches far from it my passion honestly I can say before God is to know Jesus my bridegroom better and better every year and it's been true and as I know him he takes me here he takes me there and I tell people about him that's another thing but all comes out of a relationship with him I want to live in his presence she want that life I said Lord if I live in your presence I will never lose my temper at any time in my life 24/7 365 days of the year I want that life I want that life I want a life where I'll never be anxious 24/7 365 days of the year because the Bible says be anxious for nothing the Bible says put away all anger I take those things seriously the only way to do it is if you can save with Jesus I've set the Lord always in my presence then he's at my right hand in every mood I wish you young people would be gripped by it right from this day onwards so that you can be the Lord's witnesses in the next generation to proclaim the same truth that we as your fathers have proclaimed to you in this generation there's a great need for young people to rise up in our midst for the same passion and fervency to lead other people to know God some of you have been here so many years don't you think it's about time like the Lord told Peter and you have turned again strengthen your brothers strengthen your brothers even those of us have made a mess of our life failed so many times like Peter failed nevermind the Lord says don't let your faith fail when you hit rock bottom Peter remember when you hit rock bottom that your father in heaven still loves you no matter how much you fail and I want to say that to all of you some of you who are disturbed because you messed up your life so much and fail so much in the past when you hit rock bottom remember that God still loves you your father still loves you he's got a plan for you he wants you to turn and one day still strengthen your brothers and sisters he wants to do that God's taken me in the years before CFC started through very deep valleys of failure and rejection and brokenness and all that and that's the way he prepared me for what he had for me but because he took me through those pots I can never have high thoughts about myself because I know what I was I know what gutter the Lord picked me up from I'll never forget it that's why I have hope for everyone I'm speaking the absolute truth I have hope for everyone no matter how messed up their life is no matter how messed up their marriage is no matter how much they have failed and bringing up their children properly I have hope even if you don't have because I know my god I know that God has got hope for the worst he's a God of hope the Bible says so I wanna encourage you seek that the Holy Spirit will make you aware of the presence of the Lord as I said one practical thing that you must that you can do is as soon as your conscience tells you something is wrong stop everything and set it right that's one practical advice I'd give and let me give you a verse for that in Colossians in Chapter three you must know these verses Colossians chapter 3 it's good that you have your Bibles with you and turn to this verse and get to know it Colossians 3:15 let the Peace of Christ rule or as the margin of my Bible says be a referee in your heart let the Peace of Christ be a referee in your heart to which you were called in one body we are one body in Christ in our relationships with one another sometimes we can have difficulties the Bible is not unrealistic you can have difficulties with your wife with your husband with your children and when the peace is disturbed in your heart in some relationship that means the referee has blown the whistle and you know in a soccer game football game when the referee blows the whistle the game stops people who don't know the rules some guy who doesn't know the rule can still kick the ball and say nobody's stopping me I'm going to score a goal he thinks he's called a goal he hasn't there RF resets come back nothing is going to move in this game till that foul is set right that's why I blew the whistle that's the meaning here let the Peace of Christ be a referee in your heart that blows a whistle saying something is wrong that means when you lose your piece about something and doesn't that happen to us sometimes we're disturbed I have often said whenever you are in that type of irritated state of mind don't ever open your mouth because you'll say something stupid which you'll regret later on you know if you have some disturbance in your something's disturbing you let's say in your relationship with your husband a wife that can happen in every marriage keep your mouth shut because there's a little disturbance you know how the referee is blown away so don't open your mouth don't say anything be quiet and say lord help me to set this foul right that means I get the piece back in my heart if you're in the Lord's presence you'll have peace in your heart that's where you know that's how we know the mind of the Holy Spirit when we are seeking God's will about something when you're considering somebody for marriage or considering a job or considering a move to some place Romans 8 and verse 6 says Romans chapter 8 and verse 6 the mind set on the spirit the last part of that verse the mind set on the Holy Spirit is life and peace peace that means when I'm considering a proposal you're considering a proposal for marriage the more you think about it and pray about it you have a more and more peace in your heart that's the Holy Spirit saying go ahead but if you have disturbance you feel uneasy whatever the reason may be you feel uneasy all he's heard saying hold on now you have to be spiritually minded of course if you're uneasy because that boy doesn't have enough money or the girl doesn't have enough money he's not referring to such cases if you're sincerely seeking the will of God peace is the way he shows you his will so the mind of the Spirit is peace peace is the referee by which I know I've done something wrong and if you haven't done this till today please follow from today Lord whenever I lose peace in my heart I'm going to say to myself I have to stop however close I am to the goal I have to stop I can't kick that goal I have to stop and settle this matter maybe ask forgiveness from somebody settle it and then move on it's a very simple rule that every one of us can follow if and there's a big if if we are humble there's only one reason why we will not set it right it's pride it's only one reason why you will not go and apologize to somebody pride so along with the good conscience I say wherever you find a chance to humble yourself take it that's the way of the cross let's the other person think he is won the argument I sometimes have people who come to argue with me about something and I know that they're not interested in the truth they were interested in truth I could spend any amount of time explaining it to them but no they want to argue at me about something in scripture and I say okay brother I've got nothing to say what is he saying I defeated Zack in that argument go ahead think like that I am going to pursue peace I'm not interested in winning an argument with anybody I was visiting a European group where they have this Pentecostal idea of prophecy how my belief of prophecy is what it says in 1 Corinthians 14:3 that it is to speak to people to encourage challenge and build up that is New Testament prophecy and I've got a scripture for it Old Testament prophecy was maybe predicting the future but the Old Testament prophets did not all do that the main message of every Old Testament prophet was repent turn from sin John the Baptist the greatest prophet that was a message so I was sharing this with some of these pastors and they said no no prophesies to say things like a gavage this is going to happen that's going to happen that happens very rarely I say that's not the main function of prophecy and I've had these arguments many times with these folks and I remember another time that's about the last time we had it it went on for one hour they would be on that and I would say no 1 Corinthians 14:3 1 Corinthians 14:3 that's it and it went on and it was getting late at night and I said Lord give me a word of wisdom now I can conclude this so I said brothers I want to say one last word and I'm going to stop and I quoted to them from 1 Corinthians 13 and verse 9 we know in part we prophesy in part when the perfect comes the partial will be done away now we see in a mirror dimly verse 12 then face to face now I know in part let's acknowledge we know everything partially what day when we see him face to face we'll know fully therefore till then what shall we do chapter 14 verse 1 pursue after love brothers let's do that end of discussion peace seek that and choose the way of humility let people think they defeated you in the argument whatever it is we choose the way of going down always never never never seek to exalt yourself because God gives grace only to the humble if you want God's grace always always upon your life I wanted all the time in my life I want every single day of my life I want God's grace upon me when I'm preaching in a pulpit I want God's grace upon me when I'm counseling an individual I want God's grace upon me I want to give him the right word you know like I've often said whenever Jesus encountered a problem whether it was five thousand people to be fed or all the problems that arose not enough wine in the marriage in Cana whatever it was he always had an answer you heard me say this before there was never anybody who ever came to Jesus with a problem where Jesus had a scratch his head and say boy that's a tough I don't know how to handle that never I want to say to you he's not scratching that today either he's the same yesterday today and forever you think you can go to him with the problem today and Jesus scratch his head and say boy how to handle that one but sometimes we act like that sometimes we act as though my problem is a bit big for him the picture the Lord's given me is you know we've all seen these small teeny-weeny hands not the black ones which are little bigger I'm saying they're really tiny brown ones and you'll usually see them going in a line and sometimes one of them will be carrying one grain of rice to their hole of error they live and supposing that's a big burden for that ant then supposing that hand could talk to me and say hey brothers AG can you help me carry this one grain of rice these five feet up to my old air it's pretty heavy you know and he really thinks it's heavy maxime one grain of rice I carry a whole bag of rice if you want and much longer than five feet and I say Lord that's how our problems are Here I am trying to carry one grain of rice is a God can you help me is a tough one this problem is really tough our God is not big enough I believe the God that many Christians worship is not the true God he's not big enough it's mom God your God is too small that's what I have to say to many Christians your God is too small it's not the God of heaven set the Lord always in your presence I don't care what we're going to face in India or as Christians in any country in the world I believe God is an answer to every situation I'm not saying it'll be an easy one I'm not saying it'll be without any suffering I'm not saying you may not have to die that's not what I'm saying even Jesus had to die and all the Apostles had to die but I'm saying there's a solution a solution that we glorify his name a solution that will make God point you out to Satan like he pointed job and say Satan have you seen that man have you seen that woman over there in that time of pressure they refused to compromise they stood for the truth God wants men and women like that in our land and in this church let's rise up and say Lord we will respond to that I want to be that I want to keep you in my presence all the time I'm going to keep my conscience clear from now on I'm going to let the Peace of Christ be the referee in my heart I'm going to choose the way of humility the way of death to myself wherever the opportunity comes I want to take up the cross every single day I want to die I want to die I tell you the good news wherever you die there'll be a resurrection and Paul says I want to know the part of his resurrection how in the world can you know the part of his resurrection if you don't die from the time God opened my eyes to show me this way of the Cross that there was a close connection being filled with the Holy Spirit in the way of the Cross the Holy Spirit will always guide you along the way of the Cross and whenever you are confused about which way to which is the right way to choose the way of the Cross that will always be the right way I've seen that through many many years the way of death to self you begin to experience the power of his resurrection in your spirit that lifts you up you know resurrection is something that pulls you up the depths of death death to the height of heaven Jesus was taken from the center of the earth the height of heaven through a resurrection and he will do that for you and me inwardly that lifting up that lifting up when our spirit is never going to sink and get discouraged so I pray that we will all come into this life in the days to come that you just don't hear a pep talk here this morning I hope you have heard something practical and say Lord because we approach the end of time I don't want to be one of those who just drift along as a Christian come along to CFC and move along with the crowd I want to be a radical wholehearted Christian from now on I want to be one who gets to know you better and better and better and don't let the things of the world draw me away from that thank you for all the situation's you arranged in life where I can get to know you better Lord I want to go you go that way and to know you I want to keep you always in my presence I want to be quick to respond to the voice of conscience quick to settle a foul when the referees blown a whistle quick to apologize quick to humble myself quick to die and I tell you by this time next year you will be another man you'll be another woman your Christian life would have moved up to another plane altogether believe me I believe the time has come for all of us to take that challenge and God will help you he's eager to fill you with the Holy Spirit remember my definition of faith to believe that God is more eager to fill you with the Holy Spirit then you are to be filled with the Holy Spirit God is more eager to give you victory over the sins that are defeating you then you are eager to get victory over it that's faith if any of you think I am more eager you are more eager than God is that is unbelief let's get rid of that Lord I believe from today onwards you are more eager to fulfill every promise in Scripture my life my eagerness is a lot of a fraction think of that prodigal son from the far country turning around and taking a few steps the father's running towards him what do you get a picture there who is eager there hmm have you ever thought in the three parables in Luke chapter 15 Jesus for three parables the lost sheep the lost coin a woman had ten coins the last one and the last son in the case of the lost sheep whose was the loss the sheep's of the Shepherd's the Shepherd's was his loss in the case of the woman who lost a coin whose was the loss was it the coin that was disturbed now the woman does the woman's laws now apply that to the third parable sometimes we don't see it like that when the father lost the son whose loss was it it was the sons loss but it is a much greater loss for the father I want you to look at God like that it is he who has been made rich when you became his child Ephesians 1 says his inheritance in the Saints and it is his loss when you drift away say Lord I want to believe that if I take one step towards you you're going to run towards me that's faith God is eager to make you an immovable unshakable Christian may you be encouraged let's pray it's borrow heads and prayer dear brothers and sisters mmm this is not just another message I hope it is a word from the Lord to your heart because God loves you according to your need today and he wants to do something in you respond to him like Jesus said he was yours to hear let him hear I hope all of you have yours to hear it will be so all that you have heard today will you say Amen amen amen yes Lord you heard it we have said it will be so in our life in Jesus name Amen

Channel: CFC India

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Id: V840XcKsUyY

Length: 59min 37sec (3577 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 20 2015