Dangers Of Wealth And Comfort by Zac Poonen

it's a wonderful word we read in Romans in chapter 15 and verse five and six the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus so that with one Accord you may with one voice glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ we must always remember God in verse 5 as the one who gives us perseverance to endure unto the end no matter what may happen around us and who always encourages us to press on if you fall to get up and run again if you fall 10 times to get up again you fall a hundred times to get up and run again he gives us perseverance and encouragement so none of us must ever feel discouraged or condemn ourselves know that God does not God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world John 3:17 so we must never forget that because the devil would like us to forget that the many Christians live under the feeling that God is there to condemn them and so they get discouraged and then it also says it was for whatever was written in earlier times that is for us the Old Testament was written for our instruction why should we read the Old Testament sure so that from their examples through perseverance and encouragement the same two words in verse 5 through perseverance and encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope so in verse 4 we get perseverance encouragement through reading God's Word and verse 5 it says the Holy Spirit God the Holy Spirit gives us that perseverance and encouragement and so there are lessons that we can learn from the Old Testament and I want to try and show you some of them this morning please turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 8 this is a wonderful chapter from the Old Testament and one of the main reasons being that this is the chapter where you read man shall not live by bread alone verse 3 the last part but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord as the first word that Jesus spoke in his ministry and the temptation and that is from Deuteronomy chapter 8 and so this is a very important chapter Jesus knew it in his mind he had read it memorized it meditated on it and he could quote it immediately so chapters like that are very important for us and this was at the end of the 40-year wandering of the internet of the Israelites in the wilderness and Moses was re-cap recapitulating all that happened in those forty years and he was telling them in verse one when you go in to possess the land be careful to obey all the commandments that I'm commanding you today and when you go there don't forget verse two the way the Lord led you for forty years in the wilderness and you know they suffered a lot in the wilderness with the heat and not much good food and to just eat one piece of manna every day that was their meal often thirsty bitten by snakes and walking through the rough desert for 40 years why did the Lord lead his people through those very difficult parts why does he lead his people through difficult parts today it says here first of all to Humble you God has to do many things to Humble us he humbles us through poverty he humbles us through sickness he humbles us through disappointments things we want that we don't get he did umbels us through failure and even sin that is a last resort but in it all what the Lord is testing you need to understand what the Lord is testing he's testing you verse 2 to know what is in your heart whether you will keep his Commandments or not that was the test which God gave Adam only one test will you keep my Commandments or not and at the end of 40 years in the wilderness Moses says that's what the Lord's been testing you all these 40 years - will you keep his Commandments how will you not keep his commands how will you treat some of those Commandments says trivial' unimportant what did we read in Romans 15 verse 4 that all these things written in the Old Testament are to give us instructions so that we can also persevere and be encouraged so the example of the Israelites going through the wilderness but God is a merciful God even though they failed him so many times it says 10 times they rebelled against him and that's why they were punished with 40 years in the wilderness but finally he still took them in to the land and he humbled you first three and let you be hungry to teach you that the most important thing is not food but the Word of God every day manna is not the best type of food to have every single day for 40 years it can be pretty boring whatever it is and there was nothing else I mean there were no curries or anything else with it it's just manna a little bit of man it was enough just enough to sustain them but not very comfortable in other words we can say that they were like believers who were living a very simple rugged life they couldn't buy new clothes same type of food every day there are many poor families even today of believers who don't have much variety in the food they eat every day those who are rich can have a variety of meals but those who are poor live on the same food like these people the same clothes the same food for 40 years but the Lord made sure that their clothing did not wear out in first for and their feet did not swell and thus you know that the Lord your God verse 5 was disciplining you like a man disciplines his son a good father will always discipline his children a father who does not discipline his children is not love his children and the Lord your God was disciplining you how is he disciplining them by allowing them to be poor allowing them to eat the same food every day they couldn't afford anything else like I said many families today and no chance to buy new clothes or shoes or all the things that rich people and their children can say I want this I want that I want the other thing I want this that the other I mean poor families even in the CFC churches in the villages can't afford that that's how God disciplines people we got to face that and therefore remember it's not food or clothing man shall not live by as you know a lot of variety of food or my extra clothes or shoes anything man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and if you have learned that lesson then you've learnt the most important lesson in the Christian life that life can come to us only if we listen and obey every word that comes from God's mouth that's why me I say to read the Bible regularly that's why I've told you many times get a copy of that commentary through the Bible and read three pages every day I read three pages myself you know I wrote it I find I'm reminded of things in God's Word and I've encouraged again to meditate further on the passages I've already gots already spoken to me on you never a Bible is like a well that never runs dry I would encourage you learn to live by every word that proceeds from God's mouth and then he says the Lord will not allow you to keep on like that the Lord is going to bring you into a good land a land of Brooks of water of fountains and springs it won't be like the wilderness flowing and land of wheat verse eight and barley and vines and fig trees and pomegranates it was from poverty to plenty from being poor to being very rich a land where you will eat food without scarcity in which you can have variety no lack of anything you have metals you can have industries there you can dig copper and and when you have eaten and are satisfied bless the Lord your God for the good land which he has given you and now comes the warning let me tell you here is a warning that everybody in CFC has to take because you don't have to go to the Old Testament to learn it we look around at Christendom the churches that are being here for so many years this is where they fail so listen carefully beware that when you become rich and you have plenty of money to throw around you can buy what you like you can live as you like beware that you don't forget the Lord your God and you don't keep his Commandments and his ordinances otherwise when you have eaten and are satisfied and have built good houses and lived in them and in today's language we can say in verse 13 when your business prospers when your salary in your office increases and you have a lot of savings in your bank accounts and your children are healthy and strong doing well they are married perhaps they've got good jobs and then your heart becomes proud that danger was not there when they were poor when they couldn't buy new clothes when they had to eat the same simple food every day that danger of becoming arrogant and proud comes especially to the next generation to your children when they become rich when they get jobs where in one month they earned more than their parents earned in one year if you hear that we are children earned in one month more than the parents earned in one year when that happens and that's happened that is the time to be careful not in the years when he was struggling oh no those years you cling to the Lord those years you don't have time to watch movies because life is a struggle he probably don't have enough money to pay for the monthly internet maybe there was no internet but now you're wealthy get what you want and in the comfort of your home with nobody watching except God he can live as you like beware you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of a life of sin there's a verse in 2nd Peter 1 which says if you forget let me paraphrase it if you forget your past sinful life from which you were saved you will become spiritually blind read that 2nd Peter 1 nothing is worse 9 or some whether if you forget at any time the wretched sinful life that God saved you from you will become spiritually blind and that's happened in numerous people that brokenness is gone that is an indication of pride I've seen it in a number of young people children of parents who are in CFC children who grew up as babies from in CFC and where they are today but i thank god they're not all like that i've also seen a few young people who grew up as children here for examples of humility and who are not taken up with their salaries and their wealth who don't mingle only with the elite educated but who are mingling with the poor and uneducated those of you who are in high jobs and your children can go to good schools get a good education i want to ask you do your children mingle with the really poor people in CFC in conference time do your children go to talk to the poor people who come from the villages in Tamilnadu ask yourself do you want to save your children or do you want to raise an arrogant bunch of people who will only mingle with the elite upper-class Christians I've seen it happen here they'd like to talk to the foreigners more than the poor villagers from Thailand okay I don't go stopping it I say we have priests enough in this church for people to know we only say is he who has ears to hear let him hear if you want to bring up your children that may go right ahead but I'll tell you this the Word of God does not change the way you bring up your child mark my words proverbs 22:6 when he is old or she is old they will not depart from it and if you see children going astray you can be sure you brought them up like that childhood if you see them not serious about spiritual things and if the things of the world mean more to them now because you brought them up that way I'm not trying to bring you under condemnation God is a God of encouragement but if you repent I've heard people come to me and say brother Zac please pray for my children they're going astray I say fine we'll do that I believe God can work even with children who are not grown up who grew up in CFC and who are not wholehearted today God can still work with them provided I tell those parents you do one thing first kneel down before God and say my children are not wholehearted today Lord because the Word of God is being fulfilled in proverbs 22:6 that's the way I brought them up and they became like that when they grew up it's my fault it's our fault we take the blame 100 percent then you can ask God lord please forgive us please make them radical wholehearted disciples at least now and keep praying you and your wife and they change and you'll see a miracle happen but it has to begin with honest acknowledgement of your failure and your sin as long as you say no it's like that it happens like that the world is bad and they got bad friends and bad company and some children turn out like that okay I've got nothing more to say what will you stand before the Lord and say in the final day you can justify yourself for the next fifty years but what do you tell the Lord in the final day nothing humble yourself he verse 15 Deuteronomy 8 he led you through the great and terrible wilderness with his fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty water and those days you didn't backslide he fed you with manna to Humble you and now when you lack enter the land of Canaan and you have all this wealth you saved the power and strength of my hand made me this wealth do you say that that I worked hard and I was intelligent and I made all this money that's why the company gave me a promotion because I'm smart and not dumb like these other fellows in the company may God have mercy on you he shall remember the Lord your God verse 18 for it is he who gives you power to make wealth because he loves you because he wants to confirm his covenant with you and it shall come about verse 19 if you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and today those other gods are money pleasure ease comfort laziness and you serve them and worship them Moses says I testify against you today whichever church you belong to even if you're in CFC you will surely perish like the churches before you that perished so you shall perish because you would not listen to the voice of the Lord your God it's a wonderful chapter I take it very seriously I remember in my own life my wife and I the years when we struggled when we couldn't get much even our food was very very simple we couldn't get by hardly anything for our children or for ourselves and he said Lord I never want to forget those days and I want to be devoted to you today just like I was in those days there must not be even the slightest drop in devotion to you because there are warnings in Scripture of godly men don't think because I'm a godly man and I've kept a kept going to know I'm okay no you know that the children of Israel they went astray when comfort came or when relative comfort came let me turn to Exodus in chapter 32 for 430 years they had been slaves in Egypt they never worshipped idols then where was a time where was the money to make idols where was the time to worship idols they'd go to work at six o'clock in the morning and come back at 9 o'clock at night there was their slaves and they clung to God and they cried to God the Bible says they sighed in Exodus chapter 2 the last with his side and O God a mercy upon us they prayed but then they got delivered that was a tremendous and they saw miracles of the Red Sea splitting open and a pillar of cloud and fire leading them in and that you know when you experienced a few answers to prayer and miracles it can go to your head and you can begin to think that boy I'm a special child of God and that's what they felt now it was there was no slavery they didn't have to get up at six o'clock in the morning carry bricks and stones there was nobody whipping them on the back saying come on do your work they were free and not only they were free God had told them to get their wages from the Egyptians the Egyptians had made them so for 430 years without paying them and so before they left God said go to every Egyptian and collect gold and silver from them get the sea God didn't tell him to ask for money he was saying give me our salary give me my salary for four hundred and thirty years in gold and silver they were only collecting that salary there's no sin and going to the office and saying can I collect my salary that's all those Israelites were told to do go to every gyptian house and collect your salary collect all the gold and silver and they got it four hundred and thirty years of salary which was not paid to them and they came out and when they came out with all this gold which they never had before they were poor but now they had so much gold and Moses had just gone up they were scared as long as Moses was there oh boy he was a very strict man but once he had gone away just for a little over a month just one month and it says in Exodus 32 Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain the people assembled to Aaron Aaron was also a leader but he was not of the same quality as Moses not the same degree of strictness he was a God appointed leader definitely God said Aaron is one of the leaders but he was not like Moses and they said to him come make us a God who will go before us because this man Moses I don't know what's happened to him okay Aaron said quickly he wants to be popular you know leaders who want to be popular he said fine tear off the gold rings where did he get gold rings from these slaves he caught it there was suddenly they got 430 years salary and they became wealthy bonus and everything else and they put gold rings in the years of their wives and their daughters and even in their sons amazing tear it off and bring it to me and the people tore off all the gold rings in the year brought it and Aaron listen to this he took it and with a grating tool he melted all this this is Aaron and some people who helped him shaped it into a molten calf can you imagine a leader doing this who had seen all the miracles they just seen from God and Aaron tells them this is your God I just made it who brought you out from the land of Egypt this wretched golden calf this is your God and what is the name of this God by the way what is the name of this golden calf Aaron said I'll tell you tomorrow we're gonna have a feast to this God and verse 5 he is called Jehovah tomorrow we'll have a feast for this calf Jehovah how quickly this backsliding came so quickly they hardly come out of Egypt and they're already backsliding the next day they rose up and of course they went through the religious exercise of burnt offerings and peace offerings before this Golden Calf Day called Jehovah and then they sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play and the Lord said go down Moses the people have corrupted themselves they've turned aside from the way they're worshiping a golden calf and the Lord said I've seen these people verse 9 they're an obstinate people let me alone that I may destroy them I'll make you a great nation there you see Moses heart he says Lord I don't want to be a great man this people descended from Abraham let it continue let it never be said it descended from Moses I don't want to be a great man I don't want you to make me a great nation there you see the greatness and the humility of this godly man he wanted nothing for himself he only wanted for God's people that's the type of man you and I should be that's the type of man God uses who will never seek anything for himself but is always concerned for God's people and the testimony of God and the Lord said why have you why why do you burn anger burn against them you brought these people out of Egypt why should those worldly people say that there's corruption in the midst of your people why should those world what will the Egyptians say when they see all this please protect your testimony remember Abraham Isaac and Jacob was 13 and verse 14 so the Lord changed his mind about the harm he said he did his people does God change his mind he does he wanted to destroy them but one man stood there between God and the people and said forgive them Lord the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much because Moses is a righteous man God heard his prayer and said okay I won't destroy these people and they were saved it's amazing we read that God wanted to destroy Nineveh in Jonah's time and was the word of God 40 days and I'll destroy this nation and 40 days later he didn't destroy them does God change his mind yes he changes his mind when sometimes when he sees one man at least one man who stands up for him and who will stand in the gap for the land there's a verse I want to show you in Ezekiel chapter 22 and verse 30 this is much later this is just before the Israelites went to Babylon in captivity God was very patient with these realize for a long time but they had gone astray and the prophets verse 28 were whitewashing all the sins ezekiel 22 verse 28 the prophets were just whitewashing everything and covering it all up and making false visions and the people of the land verse 29 committed robbery and it all types of wrong things and in the midst of all this corruption their rulers verse 27 where wolves tearing the prey and the priests did violence verse 26 priests in verse 26 Prince's in verse 27 prophets in verse 28 ultimately the people also in verse 20 and the whole Jing bang Lord and the Lord said in the all this crowd I searched for one man who would not compromise you know what that very often God looks like that he looks for one man who will build up the wall and stand in the gap before me so that I will not destroy it Moses stood in the gap there and said Lord don't destroy this vehicle and so he didn't destroy them but in this time in Ezekiel's time he says I found none so I poured out my indignation on them see Jeremiah and Ezekiel lived around the same time and the Lord said even to Jeremiah and chapter 5 they were contemporaries they lived around the same time Jeremiah was also called by God 40 years he preached to try and save Israel from going to Babylon and the Lord told Jeremiah and chapter 5 verse 1 go through the streets of Jerusalem Look Now and take note seeking or open squares and see if you can find one man one man who will do justice who seeks the truth without compromise and I will pardon her in Sodom and Gomorrah Abraham prayed Lord if there are ten people will you spare the land he said okay if there are ten I will spare the land the Lord was more merciful in Jerusalem he said if you can find one I'll spare the land I don't need ten one but he couldn't find one and that's why Israel went to Babylon God has raised up many churches through these twenty centuries many of them started like Jerusalem and ended in Babylon Christian history is full of such stories even the day in the first century the Apostles built churches that were holy before God like Jerusalem but by the time comes to the end of the first century you read in Revelation chapter 2 chapter 3 so many of those churches had drifted away they just got a name that they are alive they got the doctrine they got the singing but they don't have the fullness of the Holy Spirit they don't have purity and zeal for God compromise and the Lord says I'll remove the land stand from your Minister D recognized you as a church he said I'll spit you out of my mouth I'll remove your name from the book of life these are some of the warnings in Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3 what type of churches churches planted by the apostles so it happens you know and when Moses came down he saw all this it says in verse 19 of Exodus 32 you know Moses thought there's war going on heard all that sound and Exodus 32 in verse 19 Moses came near the camp and he saw the golden calf they were worshiping money they were not worshiping money in Egypt now they started worshiping money and dancing and Moses anger burned and he took those tablets which God had written with his own hand 10 commandments and he shattered it at the foot of the mountain saying why should I give you these Ten Commandments you bunch of people you have no gratitude to God for what he's done for you is something like Jesus getting angry when he saw people in the temple worshipping money and taking money from the poor selling doves and sheep so he took the cuff and burnt it just see what he did Moses was such a strong man he took the car verse 20 and burnt it with fire ground it to powder scattered it on the water and said now you children of Israel drink this water this calf that he worshipped that cruel he was a man of God and then Moses said to his co-worker why did you do this that you brought such a great sin upon them and Aaron said don't get angry the people said make a god for yes him he puts the blame on others this is a habit of Adam God asked him something he points at his wife Moses here and he points at the people artists these people not me and I told them to the call and listen to this this is interesting verse 24 they gave me all the gold verse 24 middle and I threw it into the fire and out came this calf wow what a miracle that is as if he thought Moses would be so stupid to believe that I threw all the gold and out came a cough this business of self-justification has been there from the time of Adam did you eat the tree Lord my wife gave it to me in Jesus day he said you are those who justify yourself before men but that is an abomination before God Aaron was like that and the people were out of control and then Moses said is anybody here on the Lord's side anybody in this camp and out of all those 2 million people the sons of Levi said yes we are on the Lord's side then he called those sons of Levi and said I want you to go into the camp and don't spare anybody take your sword verse 27 idol worshipers must be killed that's a law in those days kill every man even if it's your brother don't spare him he may be your good friend don't spare him every man his friend and every man his neighbor don't look at his face and be partial take your sword and chop off his head you think that was easy would you have done it if you were there I mean in the New Covenant we don't do it but that was Old Covenant but if the Lord said you got to go and do that chop off the head of these people who worship the idols and purify the camp would you do it or would you be compassionate say no let's be merciful more merciful than God that's been the tragedy of Christendom in two thousand years people don't know God they don't know the holiness of God and the sons of Eli did that and have you ever wondered says did he worse 29 dedicated yourself to the Lord that he may bestow a blessing upon you you know why did God choose the sons of Levi to be the priests have you ever wondered that is a greatest honor out of the 12 tribes he didn't just pick lots and say okay Levi no in this moment of testing only the tribe of Levi stood with the Lord God said okay you guys will be the priests throughout your generations your children and grandchildren they'll be blessed because you stood for the Lord and you did not compromise you will be the priest so remember that the priesthood was given not arbitrarily without any reason it was because they took a stand for the Lord what we learned from that is you know this already happened once they came out of Egypt and then they drifted away and all the gold that's why Moses warned them later on in the economy eight but one very interesting thing we see that after this one event and because it is very strict action that Moses took you know chopping out people's heads and number of people died that day for the rest of their wilderness journey for nearly 40 years they never worshipped idols that's very interesting one strict treatment and they never worshiped idols again if Moses had been lenient here they'd have been worshipping idols for the next forty years but now they were going to enter Canaan and now it is going to be comfortable again that's when the autonomy he said it he said be careful now this struggle and time of poverty and struggle is over and you're going to come to a comfortable life be careful that's the time you will backslide you see an example of that in Genesis in chapter 9 we read in Genesis and about the flood and at the end of the flood you know everybody was destroyed and then Noah came out and as he came out of the ark and it says in verse 8 chapter 8 verse 20 Noah built in our altar and then God blessed Noah verse chapter 9 verse 1 be fruitful and multiply he said I will establish my covenant with you and what a tremendous blessing there was a rainbow and I I will establish my covenant with you and your children will be blessed and then what happened verse 20 chapter 9 verse 20 Noah began farming the time of trouble the flood is over now he had been preaching a hundred and twenty years opposed or paused persecuted opposed opposed opposed and he stood true to the Lord built the ark single-handedly just with his sons true to the Lord but now the Lord had blessed him and he built a vineyard then what happened then he became drunk and took off all his clothes and lay naked in the tent he never did that in all the six hundred years before that he never did that when people were opposing him and persecuting him four hundred and twenty years when he preached in the wilderness see what comfort and ease and the blessing of God does to a man if he doesn't fall on his face before God and say Lord I'm just dust in ashes you blessed me but I'm nobody I'm nothing these are warnings things written in Scripture are for us brothers as long as you're opposed and persecuted and you're struggling think how hard nor would have worked in those days getting up early in the morning and working too late at night building the ark and preaching going out preaching and opposed by everybody he never got drunk in those days but now the nobody's opposing him he's popular he's famous the whole world is his and God is blessed him and rewarded him in so many ways and made a covenant with him with a rainbow he was a great man of God that's when he fell these things are written for our instruction that can happen again and what is the result it ends up in one of his grandchildren being cursed because havin his son came and saw his nakedness verse 22 and reported it and when Noah woke verse 24 he said ham son was Canaan verse 25 cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers that's how the Canaanites got curse and those are the people whom Israel drove out of the land of Canaan that's here it begins here curse that came upon them because ham had now come out till then he was faithful he helped in building the ark he helped in building the ark and now see what's happened to him and his children yeah that can happen when ease and comfort come in our children can go astray unless there are strict fathers who keep correcting them even after they have grown up and got married you don't have to control your marriage children but if you're a father you still got to warn them when there's a danger and I keep doing that my children all married but it doesn't mean I give up my right as a father I don't interfere in their life at all but if I see them going astray I don't care I will tell them the truth not after they had gone from pletely astray but I see a drift one degree off the straight path that's when I warned them I hope you do love the Lord more than you love your children if you want to be a disciple maybe you started out like that are you still like that let me give you another example we read in 2nd Samuel and chapter 11 there was a particular season in the year when war used to take place it was probably the summertime winter is difficult to go and fight battles so this is a springtime chapter 11 verse 1 the land was getting warmer that's the time when Kings go out to battle it's consistent in that area of the world and David was always the leader in the battle you know those days the Kings would lead the army in battle it was like that and this time David decided I'm senior I'm 50 years old I don't have to go to battle now he was still healthy and strong but he said hey I've got servants and Joab and say you go and fight I'm not coming this time and David stayed at Jerusalem one fatal mistake he did not go to war he sent other people to war you go and pray I've got other things to do right now you fight the battle I got other things I got to watch some movies today and when evening came David rose from his bed even sleeping in the afternoon as if the night sleep was not enough he rose from his bed and no time to pray and all like the olden days he used to be in the fields poor boy looking after sheep he would write songs there were days when he was running from cave to cave to cave you know that it says in the Psalms that this was written when David was running from this person to that person in some cave walls when the Philistine King were trying to kill him those sounds were written when he was running for his life when he was being chased to death he wrote sounds he was in touch with God inspired by the Holy Spirit now he was not writing Psalms now he had no time even to pray does yeah I'm a big king I've got a palace here I've got made a lot of money I got rid of Saul and I'm the king everybody here respects me as a man of God I killed Goliath he gets up from his bed and walks around the house and you can be pretty sure God was not with him there and he saw a woman bathing in the next compound that was foolish of that woman to bathe in a way that other people would see her now all these women nowadays who don't dress properly exposing parts of their body are following Bathsheba you can blame David sure for falling but what about Bathsheba was exposing herself what about the girls who exposed themselves today you think they are not guilty sure they are and of course God was not with David he just saw this woman and he kept on looking kept on looking she's very beautiful and he finds out who it is he's somebody else's wife and David says ah it doesn't matter I'm a king go and bring her here and he sleeps with her and she conceives verse five now what to do this is the great man of God was once called the man after God's own heart who wrote Psalms when he was in poverty and struggling but now he's rich and he has plenty now what to do okay let's put the blame on the wife he'll blame on the husband he calls his husband has gone to war can he meant the shamefulness of this someone is fighting a battle for your kingdom and you go and sleep with his wife anyway let's put the blame on him call him back from war and tell him to go and sleep with his wife tonight so at least the blame will be on him for the child David said go to Wray go wash your feet and go to your house but Araya did not go to his house and slept at the door he was more faithful he knew God more than his master David verse 9 he just slept at the door of the king's house and they said Uriah didn't go down and Uriah look at the Araya saying Lord my fellow soldiers are all fighting verse 11 in the field how can I go and sleep with my wife when they are fighting in the field I will not do it so David didn't know what to do he still is not convicted and so the next day he sends a message to the general make sure that Uriah is put in a very dangerous spot in the war and when the people are attacking all of you withdraw and leave Uriah there alone verse 15 so that he will be killed and so Joab did that and were seventeen Uriah died and Joab sent people to David and you know it says we had to run away we were defeated by the enemy and when the King asks you verse 20 why did you go so near to the city to the fight don't you know they'll shoot from the wall then just tell him one word verse 21 last part Uriah also has died and David said they told him your eye has dead verse 24 then David said it's okay don't worry verse 25 you know the sword kills one person in that person so long as your eye is dead it's okay can you imagine a man of God descending to this level it shows what happens when you're not struggling and you're not poor when wealth comes in comfort comes in Fame you say you will never descend to that level let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall you may not use murder to cover up your sin but you can sin against people and cover it up in so many ways crooked and you can say you're a believer from CFC me give you one more warning the Book of Numbers chapter 22 you read about a man called Balaam and he was known as some type of prophet in the land of Moab and when Israel came this is when Israel was in the wilderness and they came to attack more Aven they lack the king of Moab was afraid of this Israeli army because he had heard the reputation these people are defeating so many enemies wherever they go so they called he called His Prophet Balaam and he sent some people with a lot of money to Balaam and said it says in verse 7 numbers 20 to 7 the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went with the fees for divination that means if you want a prophecy you got to pay money just like so-called Christian prophets today if you want to hear from them you got to pay money so they knew there's a fees so they went there and they came to Balaam and give him the money and repeated Belloc's words and Balaam said hang on I can't just do it I will seek the Lord verse 8 Jehovah that's the word there lor D in capital letters means Jehovah I will seek Jehovah and when he speaks to me I will tell you what to do and God came to Balaam here was a man who was in touch with God it was not the devil who came to bail him it was Almighty God Jehovah who came to bail him and said who are these people Balak has sent them to curse the people of Israel and God said to Balaam where so I don't go with them very clear you shall not curse these people for they are blessed so Balaam arose in the morning and said go back the Lord has refused permission so they went back to the king and said he doesn't come and the king said I know how to get these preachers just leave it to me so he sent more honorable cabinet ministers to meet this preacher and more money distinguished people verse 15 and more money and he says I'll give you a lot of money we're 17 please come and curse his people and when Balaam in a very spiritual language see all these crooked preachers they've got spiritual language even if you'd give me a house full of silver and gold I can only tell you what the Lord says I cannot go against the command of Jehovah who who sounds very spiritual but stay here I lost the Lord again why I asked the Lord again hasn't he already told you not to go that these people are blessed how can he go and curse them so he goes and says I want to find out in God said to him listen to this verse 20 go with them middle of verse 20 and P Lamas delighted God changed his mind he didn't change his mind he knew this guy loved money he said God just like today he sees so many preachers love money and go in some direction he says go you want to get a job in that church because you got a pair pegye salary there go please go and he can say God told me to go like a lot of preachers say the Lord led me but why does the Lord tell them to go listen to this verse in Psalm 106 it's a - interesting verse Psalm 106 it says in verse 14 he's talking about the Israelites in the wilderness they craved in the wilderness we want we not enough with manna we're not happy with manna we want meat we want non-vegetarian food all this vegetarian stuff is not good for us and they craved intensely in the wilderness and tempted tested God in the desert and listen to this he gave them their request because they pestered him but along with their answer to prayer the margin of my Bible says their soul became withered not the body the body became packed with non-vegetarian food but the soul was withered he sent leanness into their soul the margin says and a wasting disease among them but because they pestered him he gave them their requests those are words you must take as a warning when you keep on pestering God asking him for something you know God doesn't want you to do that you know God doesn't want you to go there you have a clear witness in your heart but lord lord please please got it okay go there are many people who have God like that they thought God let them know they craved for something and God said okay go that's what he told Balaam is I know you love money why are you asking me I know you're going there only for money no other reason you're not seeking to go there the Bible says 1 Corinthians 10:31 whatever you do do for the glory of God but you're not going there for the glory of God you want money go right ahead I won't stop you is that what the Lord is saying to you back to numbers 22 we read their God told him go verse 22 but God was angry because he was going can that happen that God lets you go and then he's angry with you yes it happened before it can happen again because you already know in your heart God doesn't want you to do that he doesn't want you to marry that girl or he doesn't want you to go in that direction but you keep pestering and pestering and pestering and pestering him God says okay go ahead do it don't think that is God's leading God said you can go but I'm angry with you don't have that ever happen and an angel of the Lord stood in the way worst even then God tried to stop him see how good god is he tries to stop one more chance let me try and stop him but he can't see Balaam could not see the angel but the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way and the donkey turned off from the way and when he turned that way the angel of the Lord came there and and the donkey again saw it and moved this way and and then it moved the other direction and the donkey pressed against the wall and Balaam's foot got hurt and the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn left or right verse 26 and when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord she just sat down and Balaam got angry and hit the donkey with a stick he couldn't see the angel the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey and said what have I done to you as the first time in the Bible you read someone speaking in tongues by the way speaking a language it had never learned so don't think speaking in tongues is a great gift it's a gift but the first one who spoke in tongues in the Bible is a donkey speaking a language it had never learned and and Balaam said you made a mockery of me now what I want you to ask you is how is it Balaam could not see the angel and the donkey could see it I'll tell you listen carefully because the donkey did not love money one who loves money will not see many things God wants him to see one may be stupid like a donkey you may despise that brother ah he's dumb but he doesn't love money like you he will see visions of God that you never see you got your cleverness your intelligence capabilities but he will see God in a way you'll never see because he doesn't love money that's what I learned from this these are all warnings brothers and sisters when it goes well with us when we get more and more and more I want to show you one last passage and then close turn turn with me please to Acts of the Apostles in chapter 20 we read about a church in Ephesus where the Lord planted a wonderful church and Paul was the one whom God used to build that church and I want to show you a little bit in chapter 19 of the revival that took place in Ephesus Jaxx 19 verse 17 you know there was a fear that came upon the Greeks who lived and Jews who lived in Ephesus because a demon-possessed man tore clothes of seven sons of a chief priests in the previous verses and the name of the Lord Jesus verse 17 was magnified acts 19 17 and many people who believed kept coming confessing and disclosing all their evil practices and they brought all their magic books and it's like bringing all your rock music DVDs and CDs and what do they do with it they spend a lot of money buying all this they burnt it and it is that it was totaling 50,000 pieces of silver boy that's a huge amount of money millions of rupees they burnt it so we don't want all this they didn't sell it for other people to go and you know play those DVDs and read those books no they burnt it this is dishonouring to God destroyed it and now then all stayed there for three years he calls the elders in Ephesus in chapter 20 where 17 I'm sure these people who are pretty proud at the great revival that took place and gods planted a new covenant church here in the midst of all the opposition God's done a work and we planted a church and three years went by and now God Paul has to leave Paul is the only place that Paul stayed for three years otherwise he was always traveling this was his base for three years and he'd called the elders of the absences Ephesus in chapter 20 verse 17 and said to them you know from the first day verse 18 that I set foot in Asia how I served the Lord with humility tears and trials verse 33 I have never desired anyone's money I never decide anybody to give me any clothes you know that I supported myself verse 34 and it took care of like if he had a family he's saying I took care of my family and I showed you like that to demonstrate the truth of what Jesus said verse 35 it is more blessed to give than to receive and now you guys are the elders verse 28 be on guard I told you the whole purpose of God verse 27 I told you the New Covenant and the whole purpose of God I proclaimed every commandment God has given and therefore I'm innocent of your blood verse 26 but be on guard because the Holy Spirit is made you overseers to Shepherd the Church of God with his purchased with his own blood because I know God has shown me Paul says that after I leave savage wolves will come in and not spare the flock those wolves are waiting at the door and said we can't enter here as long as Paul is here he's not gonna be here forever he's gonna go we'll wait and the Lord showed that to Paul and they will not spare you and also there'll be a lot of divisions among you elders one will say this one and we say that and each will want their own group of disciples verse 30 it's sad a place where Paul Labor's so much it ends up like this and why is that one simple word God gives grace to the humble and if people are humble and a mark of humility is you judge yourself every day you've never justify yourself you know quick to judge yourself quick to ask forgiveness quick to set things right that is a humble man God's grace will be upon him continuously but when wealth comes and ease and comfort and blessing and revival and all types of things then is the danger wolves will come in and it happened after Paul left the same church the Lord tells in Revelation chapter 2 you guys have drifted from your first love you are taken up with numbers and all this type of stuff I'm gonna be recognized as a church but I still give you a chance to repent in Revelation chapter 2 the same church in Revelation chapter 2 let's I call it the second letter to the Ephesians that was the first letter we read in Ephesians and now the second letter is very many good things in the church revelation to to your deeds I know your deeds the Lord says your hard work revelation to words to your perseverance you do not tolerate sin and all these false teachers you don't allow any of them you recognize that befalls your persevered you have endured you're not running after money for my name's sake you being true but as for that simple fervent devotion that you had for me in the beginning as God what is the mark that you love Jesus with all your heart he spent time with him and the mark of a man who spends time with Jesus his his face will be in the dust he'll be the humblest man you can know like Moses was because he's seeing the Lord all the time he cannot he spends his life judging himself because he's before the Lord he sees Jesus please my brothers and sisters he who has ears to hear let him hear live before God's face whatever else you don't do or do love Jesus with all your heart he doesn't matter if you can't accomplish great things for the Lord love him with all your heart that's what he wants all your perseverance and I'm just reading from verse 20 perseverance and endurance and test false duck exposing false talking all that is worthless if you don't love Jesus with all your heart he will be recognized you I'll take out the lamp stand so that is what I say to all of you say what the psalmist said in Psalm 73 verse 25 Lord whom have I in heaven but you wonderful verse is the worst the Lord gave me when I was converted I wrote it in the front page of my first Bible Psalm 73 25 Lord whom am I in heaven but you and there's nothing and no one on earth I desire about you I keep saying that to the Lord even though Lord I don't desire money I don't desire honor I don't desire a ministry I don't even desire an anointing I just want to love you there's nothing on earth I desire but you and when I get to heaven I only want you I don't want anything else you keep yourself in that place my brothers and sisters and you'll finish your Christian life in a glorious way and you'll have a glorious ministry god bless you let's pray our Heavenly Father you're the god of encouragement and perseverance you have written these things in Scripture for our warning thank you I thank you for the warnings I get and I pray everybody here will be thankful for the warnings they get they want to repent of past failures and we want to put our face in the dust and say have mercy upon us O God help us to be true to you and the light of the gospel which you lit here will burn bright without dimming that you will like in the early days you separated the light from the darkness you'll keep on separating light from the darkness and let the light burn brightly that we shall go from glory to glory individually in our families and in our church we pray in Jesus name Amen

Channel: SermonIndex.net

Views: 19,067

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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: RgN6wXrKlWw

Length: 70min 1sec (4201 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 11 2018