Dont Break Gods Heart by Zac Poonen

I want to turn to Ephesians in chapter 4 and we read from verse 30 he since 4:30 God has got a goal in our life God doesn't do anything without a purpose and if we are Christians we need to understand his purpose in the Old Testament God's purpose for man was totally earthly he gave them a land physically he gave them material blessings he give them any children lot of cattle and overcame their physical enemies he asked for 10% of their material things he gave them to teach them to put him first he asked them for physical sacrifices of bulls and goats he told him to build a physical tabernacle and then a temple everything from beginning till end of the entire Old Covenant history was physical material earthly there was no spiritual healing only physical healing when he said I am the Lord your healer that meant physical healing that's all and now that's a great thing for some people who remained spiritually sick because they don't realize that the smallest sin like telling a lie is worse than getting aids do you think there are many people in the world who believe that do you think there are many Christians who believe that I don't think so I haven't met many who believe that even telling a small light is worse than getting AIDS I wish there were because if there were we would have more Christians who enter the New Covenant and that to me is one of the clearest proofs that most Christians even believers have not entered the new covenant because they still consider sickness as worse than sin I believe that anybody who thinks that sickness is worse than sin is really under the Old Covenant are probably no covenant at all it's one way you can test yourself you know we've spoken much about the New Covenant in this church and one way you can test yourself whether it's all just head knowledge or whether you're entering into it is ask yourself are you disturbed by sin more than sickness I mean would a guilty conscience disturb you more than if the doctor said you've got you know cancer that cannot be cured I want to live like that that one small prick of my conscience disturbs me more than if a doctor told me you got incurable cancer and I believe that's the test of whether all that we hear in this church is just theory or whether it's become real in our life God had a goal in the Old Testament it was 100% earthly he never promised them anything in heaven he never promised them eternal life he promised them earthly blessings of the obeyed and the more wholehearted they were in obeying God the more they got earthly riches in earthly blessings and prosperity and many things like that the whole thing turned for something far better when Jesus came he's promised us not only promised us after Jesus ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit was sent down we read in Ephesians 1:3 that he has blessed us with every single spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ and here is another way by which you can test whether you really understood the New Covenant and entered into it and you honestly say that with all of your heart you value heavenly riches more than earthly riches if so god bless you brother sister you're pretty almost certainly in the New Covenant if in addition to that you can say that you're pursuing heavenly riches more than earthly riches boy your blessing you've entered into the New Covenant a lot of us may understand these things and even talk about it but it's all theory I want to say to you when you stand before the Lord don't have regret and all these wonderful truths we heard just entered your clever mind and never descend it into your heart to become part of your life so God has got a goal in the New Covenant also and that goal is described we have seen it many times in Romans 8:29 is to make us like Jesus Christ he chose us before the worlds were created not to take us to heaven not to make us rich on earth not even to make us healthy he'll make us sick allow us to be sick if that will make us more like Jesus that's not God's will God's will for us is perfect health I believe that proof Jesus Christ was never sick but sometimes even a wholehearted brother like Paul needed a little sickness which he called a thorn in the flesh because he was in danger of something of getting proud and losing God's grace and so when God saw if it's Shalders shall I allow this chapter lose my grace or lose a little bit of his health God said let him lose a little bit of his health that's not serious I don't want him to lose grace and sometimes God does that with his servants even today but he never needed to do it with Jesus because Jesus was so radical wholehearted to always give the glory to the Father he would pray and heal the sick and do miracles and then he would rush off to the wilderness and give the glory to the Father the very few people who are wholehearted like that but if a person is wholehearted he doesn't need to be sick because that's God's will and but basically God's will is to make us like Jesus and if sickness will help us to become a little more like Jesus God does it even for Paul if a little financial struggle will help us to make us a little more like Jesus to trust the Father God will allow it but that's not God's basic will sometimes he permits certain things because he sees us going astray it's like giving us a little spanking a little chastening but a new covenant Christian is one whose goal is the same as God's that means you're kicking the ball in the same direction you know how everybody in one team in a football game kicks the ball in the same direction and even if the forward passes it to the quarterback halfback he he's passing it only because he wants to go to the goal he's got one goal in mind as I got to put that ball through those goal posts and that's how God he's got a goal in our life and all that zigzagging and dribbling and everything else that you see in hockey and football is ultimately given that goal and everything that God does in our life is ultimately to get us to the goal of becoming like Christ that's his goal and he when he asked us to share this wonderful message with others and if they accept rise his goal for them also is to make them like Christ God wants to populate heaven with a whole lot of people who behave like Jesus Christ who conduct their lives like Jesus lived on earth because that's God's standard and to start us off on that he forgives all our past sins blots out our past looks it as it looks at us as if we have never sinned what a wonderful way to start I come to the starting line of the Christian life christian race absolutely clean and you need to feel clean that's why you need to believe God's Word which says you're declared righteous in God's eyes and I never get tired of saying that because I find part too many Christians living under guilt and condemnation and discouragement and gloom I don't believe a Christian is ever supposed to be in a bad mood one day of his life I've made that a goal in my life that I would never be in a bad mood one day of my life and God's helped me and make that your goal and it'll become your goal if you sort of surrender to the devil and say oh well once in a while in this world you got it bad moods I can prophesy you'll have bad moods and you'll get more and more of them if you think that the devil is more powerful than Jesus Christ then you better resign yourself to a grumpy anger ridden lust ridden Christian life but if you believe that Jesus Christ is more powerful than the devil that you've surrendered your life to Christ and greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world that the mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead comes into you through the Holy Spirit can lift you up from all the spiritual death there is in the world if you can believe that God will do miracles in your life you don't have to be a believer of 45 years or 50 years a believer you can be born again yesterday you can be filled with the Holy Spirit and let the resurrection life of Jesus lift you up from all that is of death in this world including the pursuit of wealth and honor and pleasure and everything else God did give you enough for your needs and make sure you don't get too much that destroys you thank God for that type of control you know how in many machines that operate particularly I remember the Navy we had these boilers that used to run the ship they there's a pressure gauge and they got to always make sure it doesn't become too much because it gets too much you can explore a lot of gadgets have that your water heaters have that type of thing uh something that regulates that it doesn't get too hot and blow up the whole thing isn't that good wouldn't you have what would you do if you have that mechanism not working in your water heater blow it up God also makes sure that you don't get too much money then unless it blow you up isn't that good I say praise the Lord otherwise the same thing had happened to you that can happen to that water heater blowing up so God keeps that pressure needle always in the safe area that never gets into red everything is designed like that he never allows temptation to become too much for me he doesn't allow my wealth to become too much for me he doesn't allow anything the pressure of circumstances nothing to become too much for me because he's got a goal and he's the controller of the whole world and he's got that goal to make me like Jesus but it's not automatic I mean if if it were like the planets then I would be in perfect obedience thousands of years they've obeyed but this is where these many many exhortations come through in the New Testament and in order to help us to obey these act our stations God gives us the Holy Spirit and the whole purpose of the Holy Spirit I've said that many times from second Corinthians 3:18 is to show you the glory of Jesus and to make you like that please remember this you've got to see the glory of Jesus first how he lived how he his triumph over death is trying for the devil III meet lots of believers for example or afraid of the devil and I asked them this question was Jesus afraid of the devil he imagined Jesus being afraid that demons would do something to him never and the Bible says as Jesus is sore we in this world we're never to be afraid of witchcraft black magic none of these things they can't touch us they all the demons in Hell try to get together and do black magic on me it just won't work it won't work on my family sure I can challenge the devil it's impossible can you challenge the devil on that are you scared oh they're not challenged the devil I don't know what he'll do to you next you see that's that's why we have fear we don't really believe that he's been defeated on the cross we're afraid so we have a peace treaty with Satan oh I won't disturb you I won't disturb you anything don't trouble me I won't trouble you lots of Christians live with this type of peace treaty to say I'm never going to sign a peace treaty with the devil no I'm gonna do maximum damage to his kingdom in my one earthly life I hope that's your goal too because that's how Jesus did it he destroyed the king of the devil he came here to destroy that Kingdom and he's given us that job now to continue that work wherever we go but you've got to be free from fear that Satan can do some harm to you what Satan can manipulate evil people to harm you that's impossible it is impossible because God's goal is going to be fulfilled I was thinking the other day just before I get to Ephesians 4:29 let me read this in Revelation chapter 12 it speaks here about the devil and worse for his Dale swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth that's the dragon now we know later on this dragon is shown clearly in verse 9 to be the devil Satan so Satan it says pull down one-third of the stars of heaven we know those are not the physical stars because God hasn't given Satan power over any stars he God's not gonna allow Satan to put those stars down to this earth it's never gonna happen then this is a scripture that was already fulfilled I believe this refers to the Angels in the book of Job we read about God talking to job in Chapter 38 ins talking about the Angels as morning stars there was a news upon stars and I believe this verse means that when the devil fell he gathered in his rebellion one third of all the angels in heaven they joined him in grab Elian and those are the ones who roam around the world today as demons and evil spirits that possess people there are multitude to them because there are millions billions of angels and one-third of them joined Satan in his rebellion now the point is this very simple mathematics he one third joined him how many were left in heaven 2/3 so for every demon how many angels are there got it it's simple mathematics for every demon in the world how many angels are there don't ever forget it say to yourself for every demon there is in the world there are two angels and you know what the Bible says in the last verse of Hebrews chapter 1 those angels have been sent to let me read this Hebrews 1:14 the angels are not only are they our messengers the angels are messengers sent to help and care for those who are to receive God's salvation have you received God's salvation God sends angels to help me and to care for me the Angels went to Jesus when he was under tremendous pressure in the temptation have you read that that when he was under tremendous pressure in the 40 days of temptation the angels came and ministered to him another time at the end of his life in Gethsemane when he was under tremendous pressure as an angel came and strengthened him and what God did for Jesus he will do for you and me I believe there are angels that have protected us driving down these roads and the angels are very busy nowadays and the roads of Bangalore with God's children moving around so fast on their vehicles but thank God for all of them thank God for these angels that protect us from accidents thank God for these angels that are there when any demon comes at you remember you got two angels with you if ten demons come with you you got how many good you guys good at mathematics but this is something so real it's not imaginary it's real it's real somebody asked me if I feel lonely in my house now because my wife isn't there I said there are so many angels around the house you gotta sort of push your way around to get from one room to the other this is true I heard somebody say that man I said that's true of me too there are angels there in the house you need to recognize everybody in the world including the Heath and recognize the presence of evil spirits they know witchcraft they know people do black magic and I tell you most Christians I've met know more about witchcraft than they know about how many angels are there to take care of them this is the sad thing this is the work of the devil he's blinded people God's goal is to make you like Jesus and he's even got the angels to serve you now having said that that's why he fills us with the Holy Spirit you see you can't live the Christian life without the part of the Holy Spirit I don't care how much you believe you can believe you can read the Bible but I'll tell you you'll never never be able to live the Christian life unless you're filled with God's Holy Spirit even Almighty God did not expect anyone to live the Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit and the person who treats that as some sort of extra you know like the ice cream at the end of the meal oh well doesn't matter if I don't have the ice cream either because I had my lunch no it's not that it's everything if you don't have the only spirit you got nothing you got knowledge you're no better than anybody in the Old Testament they didn't have the Holy Spirit they're in the Old Testament welling in them and I believe a lot of problems that Christians face today their fundamental sources they have not sought to be filled with God's Holy Spirit they're trying to live the Christian life and they live a good life like a lot of heathen people live a good life and you think this this person who believes in Jesus lives a good life because he believes in Jesus you say is born again that heathen fellow lives just as good alike he doesn't believe in Jesus you say it's not born again it's all crazy the difference is that a Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit not want to ask you all of you this question are you sure that you are filled with the Holy Spirit if you're not what in the world are you doing why aren't you disturbed about it why aren't you disturbed about it why aren't you concern that the power of the Holy Spirit is not there I mean if you ask if you build a house and you ask the Karnataka electricity board for an electric power connection you won't get it by the way if you don't ask for it it's the same with God you've got to ask for it the only thing is with God there's no corruption you don't have to give a bribe to receive the Holy Spirit and you don't need an electrical contract or anything but you apply dramatic Electricity Board for an electricity connection and they don't give it to you what do you do to tell your wife alone well we sit in darkness now I've never met her heard anybody who does that they keep going to the office and say we gotta get we got to get our connection we applied for it we applied for it two months ago why haven't we got the connection why can't we go to God like that why can't we go to God and say God I received Christ in my life why can't I be filled with the Holy Spirit give me a power connection my fridge is not working my tape recorder is not working the lights are not burning the fans are not running in my life give me a power connection Lord I really believe you need to pray I believe there are many of here who need to earnestly seek God because God sees your contempt to live in the darkness that's why he doesn't tell you and it's this Holy Spirit that's supposed to communicate to us that mighty resurrection power of Jesus Christ the power of the Holy Spirit is the same as the power of his resurrection the Bible speaks about the power that raised Jesus from the dead that means lifted him up over the worst thing that devil could do to him yet God says that's nothing I can overcome that that's the power that God wants to give us the power that lifts us up over fear and sin and discouragement and gloom and bad moods and every wretched thing the devil has put upon us through Adam to ruin us I believe that's what we need that's why we need to be filled the Holy Spirit and once okay now we've come to you just finish the introduction fusions 429 the fries at 4:30 sorry now once you receive this Holy Spirit it says don't grieve the Holy Spirit don't ever do something that hurts him it's very easy to grieve the Holy Spirit you grieve somebody who loves you you can't grieve an enemy you know that you can many make an enemy hate you but an enemy won't feel sad about you when you do something wrong and enemy rejoices who feels sad about what you have done your parents they really feel sad your mother especially if you really sad if you do something wrong and she's grieved and when it says about the Holy Spirit it doesn't say don't make the Holy Spirit angry that's not what it says because the Holy Spirit is not your enemy please remember this who's your enemy and who is not God is not your enemy do you believe that Satan is your enemy this is kindergarten lessons but we got to learn it again Satan is your enemy he's the only enemy you have your mother-in-law is not your enemy please remember that it's Satan knows your enemy and God is your friend say that you young people that god is my friend God is my friend he's always on my side and I'm not gonna have any enemy on the earth but the devil and the holy spirit can never be angry with me but he's sad he's sad because he's my friend and he's so sad when he sees me worldly in my life not going to count for God and he's gonna he's sad because he thinks of the years of regret I'm gonna have an eternity when I think of the way I'm living right now the decisions you make the devil's very sad about some of those decisions because he knows you're gonna regret them in heaven and he says to all this short-sighted fellow he doesn't even realize 2,000 years from now what regret he's going to have for this decision he takes right now for a little bit of pleasure for a little bit of doing his own will here brothers sisters the Holy Spirit is sad he's sad when he sees his husband and wife yelling at each other he said because the devil says haha God you said these are your children look at the way they're talking to each other in that home and sad so it says don't grieve the Holy Spirit of God and I want to read through a number of these verses and go through them like a little Bible study I want to read it in the living in the message Bible don't grieve God it says in verse 30 of Ephesians 4 don't break his heart his Holy Spirit moving and breathing in you is the most intimate part of your life making you fit for God don't take such a gift for granted you know the Holy Spirit wants to be just like breathing breathing is one of the most intimate things we do unconsciously all the time our life is dependent on our breathing you can go without food and water for a long time but not without breathing even for a few minutes the Holy Spirit wants to be like that that's why he's the breath of God breathed on me breath of God see what God did for Adam breathed into him Genesis one Jesus did for his disciples in John chapter 20 he breathed upon them and said receive the Holy Spirit exactly like God breathed into Adam Jesus breathed into Adam in Genesis 1 and Jesus breathed into the holy spirit his disciples in John chapter 20 and that's what the Holy Spirit is what the breath is to our body the Holy Spirit is to our inner being our soul and our spirit do you realize that you've seen people with asthma struggling for breath it's so important breath is so important it's so important that God's made it such that if our nose gets clogged our mouth opens up automatically to breathe because breath is so important we need to recognize the Holy Spirit like that don't grieve him don't make him sad don't break his heart I really love that Lord I said Lord I never want to break your heart you who gave your heart to die for me it's already broken once on the cross I don't want to break it again by the way I live okay verse 31 make a clean break with all cutting remarks backbiting and profane ungodly conversation do you ever make cutting remarks to your wife or a husband or we don't make cutting remarks to strangers we make cutting remarks to what the people we call our loved ones pretty strange isn't it we make cutting remarks to the ones we supposed to love it says get rid of that make a clean break with it and say here you can take a decision sitting there in the chair right now and say Lord I want to make a clean break with all the cutting remarks I make the people somebody you're not happy with and you make a cutting remark it is meant to sting yeah you know it's like the little small little thing at the end of a Scorpion's tail so smaller tongue of some people is like that and it does it so quickly that before anybody knows the sting is off gone and the poisons gone in make a clean break you're a Christian you're not supposed to do things like that make a clean break with that type of stuff Lord I'm never gonna make cutting remarks I've done a lot of it in my life even after I'm born again and I'm really sorry lord I don't never want to do it again don't break God's heart that's the heading don't break God's heart make a clean break with cutting remarks the Holy Spirit's there to help you next time you are prompted to make a cutting remark when somebody did something to offend you or you're not happy with somebody the Holy Spirit let's say remember you made a break with that you finished with it and you helped you right there and then it says make a clean break with backbiting don't speak about people things you would not I mean if you have a responsibility for that person like a father and mother talking about their difficult son or elder brothers talking about some problem in that church other than such areas where you have a responsibility maybe if you're in office here to sit in the office and discuss with the other people on the board concerning some of your staff members those are necessary but other than that why do we talk about people you've got nothing to do with what joy do you get out of tearing down somebody's reputation aren't you a really evil person to just tear down somebody's reputation unnecessarily why not say something good you're not helping that person don't break God's heart with backbiting and then it says with profane talk talk that is you know ungodly dirty let's finish with that then it says instead you know when we get rid of something evil we've got to replace it with something good when you clean out your house of all the garbage you don't keep your house empty do you why does a person clean a new house he's got to fill it with furniture and jesus said if you clean our house get rid of all the evil spirits keep it empty you'll find seven times more evil spirits come and occupy their house don't keep it empty that's what Jesus taught in that parable don't ever keep your house empty don't say it's clean it's not enough that it's clean it's got to be filled you got to first clean it and then fill it that's a simple point of that parable where Jesus said a house and Adam evil spirit the evil spirit is cast out the house is kept clean and but unoccupied the Spirit came back with seven other evil spirits and occupied it and the man's condition became worse than before that's happened to some Christians they really got born-again seriously but they didn't fill their house with something good and the good is the God's holy spirit and all the things that he does in your life so what shall we fill our hearts with verse 32 be gentle with one another and sensitive that's a beautiful translation of tender hearted sensitive God's Spirit makes us sensitive sensitive to the feelings of other people sensitive now if I say that how will that person feel how will that person feel if I say that about you talk you talk to your wife about her mother your mother is like that or your father's like that how will that person feel you may not feel anything because it's not your parents but it's not the way to talk about your wife's parents to her or your husband's parents to him no don't don't ever say such things be sensitive to people's feelings be sensitive to their needs that's Christianity then it says for you one another as quickly and as thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you I really love that how should we forgive others as quickly you know we forgive but I don't know whether that's quick as complete as God forgave you have you ever gone to God and said Lord I'm really sorry about the sin e committed can you please forgive me did he say come back after a couple of days I'll tell you never he doesn't even say come back after a couple of minutes it's immediate I love that passage where it says Peter denied the Lord three times you know that's probably the worst sin that Peter ever committed in his whole life even adultery was not so bad he ever did it but that he denied Jesus who'd been so good to denied him three times saying I don't even know this man just to save his life and he thought I've really blown it now I really destroyed myself I made a mess of my life and it's no use and it says at that time that Jesus turned Luke 22 and looked at how do you think he looked at I wish somebody would draw a painting I did see a painting once of the Lord turned and looked at Peter but the artist had no understanding of Christ he turned with a serious look I don't believe the Lord turned and looked at Peter Peter would have gone and committed suicide along with Judas Iscariot if Jesus had looked at him like that I've never seen a painting the Lord turned and looked at Peter let's a look of forgiveness compassion it's okay Peter don't worry in a few minutes I'll be dying for that very sin you committed I love you never mind start again I told you I was praying for you I knew this is going to happen Satan was desired to have you but I'm praying for you and Peter went out and he wept wept bitterly because not just that he had sins but that after he had sinned that the Lord looked at him with such forgiveness and mercy that broke his heart and I want to ask you my brother's sister is there somebody in the world who's waiting for a look like that from you she get my question is there somebody who knows they have hurt you harmed you they're not too sure whether you're really forgiving them probably they're waiting for a look like that from you so no use just coming to the meeting and saying I want to be like Jesus this is what it means to be like Jesus means to look at people like that okay it's alright you did that against me forget it if Peter hadn't even confessed it to the Lord it's okay I look at you and my look will bring you to forgiveness and repentance and so lovely as quickly and as thoroughly that's important it's not just quick but it must just like God says I will not remember your sin anymore I gotta give that person a look saying listen it's over that's it's finished don't talk about it anymore it's forgiven and I want to look at you the way God looks at me see this is why what it means does when God says don't break my heart don't break God's heart by refusing to forgive others and then it says further down in chapter 5 just goes on it's all the same subject don't break God's heart he says if you want any help in this not just like God forgive you but in all other areas the imitators of God are watch what God does that's a great exhortation watch what God does say Lord I want to be like you he does he bless his people in a way that he doesn't even come pronounce he Hey here am i God I'm come here to bless you he just blesses them goes away and they don't even know it isn't that how he's blessed us so many times I've seen Chris they get sick they pray for healing they go to a doctor take medicines all that is good is God who has appointed doctors and created medicines on the earth for our healing but my point is this when you got that treatment or you got that surgery and you got that medicine and you got healed don't give the glory to the medicine oh brother this new drug that was invented by some heathen guy over there is the thing that cured me why in the world did you pray then give the glory to God watch what God does he does something and he doesn't even let you know that you did it he did it he healed you and he you thought it was a medicine it wasn't the medicine was God God used the medicine I know but very often we we don't recognize because God is so hidden but watch what God does and learn something from that and say Laura I want to be like that I want to bless people in a way they don't even know God's not always hanging around waiting for somebody to say thank you to him no he wouldn't have time for anything else if you wait and hang around people waiting for them to say thank you because they'll never say it anyway he's got other things to do than just waiting around for people to say thank you and I've got other things to do than just wait around for people to say thank you to me now we bless them and leave them that's it watch what God does and then you do it like children who learn proper behavior from their parents that's a great exhortation we teach our children to say thank you say thank you to Uncle say thank you to auntie and they learn they don't know it automatically say sorry you stamped on that little child Stowe say sorry to him we teach our children I hope you do teach your children to say sorry and thank you and teach them to pray before they eat because we want to say thank you to God and says like little children learn from their parents I want to ask you who say God is your father what have you learned from your father little children if you ask them seven eight-year-old have you learned did your parents teach you something sure it's lots of things I learned from my parents they taught me ever brush my teeth they taught me to braid my cell they taught me so many things I want to ask you you say gods your father what have you learned from your father can you tell me a couple of things you learned from your father watch what God does this is an exhortation it'll change your life watch what God does and you do the same thing just like children learn proper behavior from their parents and then verse two mostly what God does is to love you it isn't that great most of the time what God does it he just loves us and that's the thing we got to learn that even if he can't do great things for other people here's something we can do we can just love them I may not be able to give them gifts you may not have the money to give people gifts you may not have the facilities to invite them home for a meal it doesn't make a difference mostly what God does his love people and that's what we've got to learn from him so keep company with God great verse keep company with God and learn how to live a life of love I want to learn that you know like an apprentice you go to a factory even if you've got your iti degree and things like that you're got your diploma rather from the IDI and you'll learn some trade with some machine yet you go to that factory and you really don't know much about how it works and you work with somebody who has been there for 35 years and he's such an expert he can do it blindfolded and he tells you and think if he's one of those unselfish people who wants to teach you every trick of the trade he's learned in all his life but a few people like that but if you get into one of those people you really learn something I want to tell you that Christ is like that he teach you everything but keep company with him walk with him and say Lord how do I do it here now here's this tricky situation and I'm being tempted and many times I used to say Lord some time in your earthly days in Nazareth I'm sure you face not the same situation but the same temptation Jesus never rode a scooter in Nazareth on earth and had all types of people yelling at him no but he faced the same temptation in other circumstances he never had a drunken father but he faced the same temptation that children of drunken fathers faced in other circumstances our circumstances are not the same yours and mine are not the same but every human beings temptations are exactly the same do you know that I know every temptation that comes to you even though I'm not a prophet because I know every temptation that comes to me and Jesus knew every temptation because he was tempted with them and it's wonderful to say in a time of temptation Lord you face this when you were in Nazareth and I just want to I just want to do what you did there I want to keep company with you and if you keep close to that Master Trainer you'll be a first-class Christian in no time at all keep company with him and learn a life of love read the Gospels and see how he loved people he didn't heal people saying well if you promise to follow me I'll heal you not even once He healed multitudes of people who are in Hell today did you hear that jesus healed a lot of people who are in Hell today I feel sorry for them because they just came for physical healing and went away like those ten lepers I don't know whether what happened to the other nine lepers I hope they got saved sometime but there's no indication in the Bible they did but the one fellow got saved because he came back he wanted more than healing from leprosy he wanted more than earthly blessing and he got something more it's always like that you get an earthly blessing and you don't get satisfied with that come back to the Lord and say Lord that that's okay that's just a bonus what about what you're going to give me something heavenly you'll get something more so let's see how he lived this life of love and you keep company with him and you learn that yourself observe how Christ loved us his love was not cautious but he wasn't sort of careful oh if I show too much love to this person how will he behave we are so cautious oh you know I've seen that particularly in the matter of giving and receiving money haven't you always now be honest and we always had to pray about it before you give somebody money heal it ruin him how much should I give it maybe not too much because they've got to be cautious you know I got to pray for people okay how many of you prayed when you receive money Lord should I receive this we never pray when we have to receive money but we had to pray a lot sometimes passed and prayed two or three days I'm still praying about it whether I should give that money are we're just fooling ourselves we're just downright selfish children of adam' behaving like all other selfish children of adam' that's all here's the proof of it our our eyes open to see it if your eyes are open today praise the Lord his love was not cautious but extravagant and he was willing love always takes a risk he's willing to take that risk that this fellow will you know turn on me and spite me and what I'm nothing doing me that's fine I'll still take that risk and if he spikes me fine if he kicks me out I'll go and wait for another opportunity maybe he's in need five years from now I'll go back go back where this fellow kicked you out that's right go back to the person who kicks me out because he needs me now boy that's Christianity have you ever done that once in your life gone back to somebody who kicked you out the last time you tried to help him that's what Jesus did he did that with us a number of times you know my brothers and sisters we haven't kept company with him long enough to become like that we're learning a lot of theories in the church and like somebody said if you spend all your life listen to this it's a great man in 6th 17th century who said this called fénelon if you spend all your life accumulating all this spiritual knowledge God will have to give you one more life to practice all this but there isn't another life this is the only life where you learn actus now itself God's not gonna give you another life so let's learn from Jesus in this life his love was extravagant he did not love in order to get something from us boy that's great he did not love in order to get something from me but he loved in order to give everything of himself to us love like that he did not love to get something from me he loved in order to give me everything he had that's a christ-like person who's not out to get anything from you who is not interested in taking advantage of you in any way but wants to bless you and has got no ulterior motives in seeking your friendship and then further let's read verse three but be careful when you talk about love that you don't allow this love to turn into lust you know like some brother says well I'd like to love some of the sisters that's a great come on do be careful there he says you know Paul's very he's inspired by the Holy Spirit because he knows some people would you know like people who like to witness to the opposite sex I always say don't try witnessing to the opposite sex it's dangerous you can land you into some situations which you may not be able to extricate yourself out wrong seek to be a witness to people in your own sex otherwise this so-called love can turn into lust and if it turns into lust lust means a burning desire for something in your heart that can set you off on a downhill slide it doesn't start with sexual evil lust starts in the eyes and in the mind but it goes on a downhill slide that ends up with sexual promiscuity filthy practices or sometimes bullying greed bullying greed means you demand that you want something it could be from your wife bullying a lot of husbands are bullies yeah bullying covetous people verse four though some tongues just love the taste of gossip some tongues love the taste of gossip Christians have got better use for language than that I hope that can be said about you and I don't like the taste of gossip on my tongue you know like certain filthy things come into our town Ian you don't even think about it for a second he spit it out say I don't want that thank you and imagine if we can gossip tastes like that to our town that I spit it out I don't want it I've got better use for my tongue than that don't talk dirty or silly that kind of tongue does not fit our Christian lifestyle that doesn't fit our Christian lifestyle verse five you can be sure that using people are you talking about using people you can be sure that using people or religion or use religion or things just for what you can get out of it or get out of them will get you nowhere and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ or the kingdom of God what's that using people to get something for yourself using religion to get something for yourself I can name right now people have been in this church for years their children grew up here in a god-fearing way that children learn to speak good English so that they got jobs elsewhere because they're Laing in the earthly language itself was good they were well behaved once their children grew up and got jobs they got their education the parents are not to be found in the church now because they got what they wanted that children are well-off now they don't need the church there are people whom you know very well and the number keeps increasing of such people who have used the church for what they wanted and the children were small they would never dream of leaving CFC no matter what provocation but now children are grown up married you're okay they can afford to leave now we don't want the church what were they here for all along well I'm only said one thing if you stay here long enough if you stay you're long enough for all your inner motives will get exposed its church is a little different from other churches everything will get exposed it's a it's not a x-ray it's a scan MRI scan and and there's something even later than that more expensive I don't know I don't know the name of it but really powerful that's what we've got here thorough every part of your body in your internal mode is along and exposed however don't be like that if you are a Christian we're six don't let yourself get taken in by all the smooth religious talk that's going on nowadays don't be taken in and fooled by all the smooth religious talk that a lot of people are they're telling you on television in public meetings in different places which get you occupied with earthly things you know the devil tries to get you in bondage either to fear listen or to guilt about your past or to earthly things it doesn't matter which of the three he gets you trapped in yet you're trapped with guilt yet you're trapped with fear or get you're trapped with earthly things and promise your earthly things and say you trust God for this earthly thing and that actually think instead of trusting God to be more christ-like yeah don't get taken in by all that smooth religious dark God gets furious this is verse 6 God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales stock but don't but want nothing to do with him personally God is furious with people who got religious sales talk but don't want to keep company with him I want to ask you whether you got religious sales talk but do you sing choruses which are so nice to sing but it's all taught don't even hang around people like that I love that verse 7 don't even hang around people like that because you'll become like them I want to keep company with people who are serious in their Christian life then it says in verse 8 you groped your way through all that darkness and that murk once upon a time but no longer once upon a time you were groping around in the darkness in that murky waters but now you're out in the open verse 8 the bright light of Christ makes your way plain you're in the bright light of Christ so no more stumbling around get on with it I love that get on with it and verse 9 the good the right the true these are the act actions that are appropriate for daylight hours that which is good that which is right and that which is true verse then figure out what will please Christ figure out what will please Christ and then do it verse 11 don't waste your time on useless work being mirror busy bodies with busy work the barren pursuits of darkness it's not enough to be busy you got to be busy doing something that lasts for eternity expose those things for the Shannon that they really are verse 12 it's a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness when no one will see them is there anything in your life which you have to hide from others something secret some account books which you don't want anybody to see secret account books things in the darkness it's a scandal that people waste their lives on doing things like that that they have to do it in the darkness verse 13 ripped the cover off these frauds there are frauds in the world and our duty is to live a life that exposes these frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ they don't look very attractive at all and that's why when I hear preachers preaching some fantastic things they say all we got to be like Jesus I sit there and I say yes you got to be like Jesus in your attitude of money first of all brother they forget that they talk about everything else grip the cover of these frauds buy your way of life verse 14 wake up from your seat climb out of your coffins and Christ will give you light we're not supposed to live our life in a coffin climb out of those coffins watch your step verse 15 use your head make the most of every opportunity you get verse 16 because these are desperate times I believe if that's what Paul said in the first century how much more in the twentieth first century these are desperate times time is short make the most of every chance you get verse 17 don't live carelessly unthinkingly make sure you understand what the master wants verse 18 don't drink too much wine that cheapens your life you know that too much wine cheapens your life alcohol drink the Spirit of God huge drops of him like taking a deep breath three in the spirit of God verse 19 sing hymns instead of drinking songs sing sing hymns sing songs from your heart to Christ sing praises over everything find some excuse this sing a song to God the Father any excuse to sing a song of praise to God sing praises over everything to the to God the Father in the name of our master Jesus Christ and finally verse 21 after a respect for Christ be courteously reverent respectful to one another my brothers and sisters what I have read to you this morning is true Christianity and the Holy Spirit has come to help us to live this life if you do one of these things which are not written here you break God's heart one of these things is written that you shouldn't do that's how we break God's heart when we don't do the things we're told to do we break God's heart don't break God's heart seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit do you know that this is the life you can live you know we don't speak much in the church sometimes about hope hope is different from faith faith is something I have right now hope is I'm gonna get it okay you don't have faith have you got hope that this life is going to be yours you're gonna be you've got to make a clean break with all those wretched things you don't spoke about you're not gonna break God's heart we're gonna be filled with God's Holy Spirit let's just bow our heads in prayer our heads about in prayer I want you to think about the things that you heard there may be different areas of God spoke to you and remember the Holy Spirit showed you the glory of Christ right now from his word all that you saw was the glory of Jesus Christ the way he lived now he says will you allow me the Holy Spirit says will you allow me to make you like this will you say yes Lord yes Lord write your laws upon my mind and my heart do it in my life Lord put it in my life make a beginning today and do it in my life I really want to do it I'm going to go away from this meeting with tremendous hope I'm not going to be the same anymore I'll never be the same anymore by the grace of God by the power of the Holy Spirit I'm hungry for God now Heavenly Father we are hungry for you we want more of you in our life we don't want to break your heart we don't want to do things that we're gonna regret 2,000 years from now please give us grace give us grace give us wisdom especially these young people don't let us be taken in by all the religious sale stop going around around us even in the name of Christ let's not be fooled by things that deprive us of your highest and your best we pray in Jesus name

Channel: SermonIndex.net

Views: 80,428

Rating: 4.8161559 out of 5

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

Id: VvLXvzY2kXQ

Length: 58min 33sec (3513 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 24 2015