Humble Yourself And Be A Servant by Zac Poonen

[Music] [Music] you [Music] one of the most important things we need to understand about God's ways is what was manifested as the primary thing in Jesus life and we can see that in Philippians in chapter 2 and Philippians chapter 2 we read he talks about unity there with one of the most complete verses on unity found in the whole Bible Philippians chapter 2 verse 2 he speaks about being in the same mind the same love united in spirit intent on one purpose I don't think there is another verse in the whole Bible that speaks about so many aspects of unity same mind same love same spirit same purpose and in order to get there he says in verse 5 have this attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus he speaks about two sins two sins that disturbed and prevent unity those sins are verse three selfishness and pride here is a command is it possible to obey it do nothing from selfishness do nothing in pride I tell you after 50 years of being a believer I haven't come there yet and if you think you have it's because you don't have light on yourself these are two mountains do nothing from selfishness that means absolutely zero in my life that I do Center in myself every decision never thinking of myself nothing in pride but though it is a mountain if you don't start climbing it you'll never reach the peak we have to press on this is what it means to press on to perfection like you see in the front of this pulpit some people say to us oh you brothers think you're perfect I say just come and see what's written in the front of our booklet that's our testimony that we're not perfect we believe in pressing on to perfection perfection means what to be like Jesus who did nothing from selfishness who did nothing from pride now in the Old Testament there was no commandment saying don't do anything from selfishness don't do anything from pride it was impossible to give that command because it's like asking a little baby to lift a 50-ton weight how can he little five-year-old lift 50 tonnes over his head so God doesn't give impossible commands but now he says you can do it because you know if you have a crane you can lift a hundred tons now when God gives us the power of the Holy Spirit it's possible to obey this command many of us say we believe the Bible is the Word of God do you tremble in God's Word do you know why God does not look upon many of us with favor and I sing if God would look upon us his face would shine upon us we would be radiant all the time we would never be in a bad mood we would never be depressed or discouraged if God's face would shine upon us God told Moses tell Aaron this is the way to bless the people of Israel Numbers chapter 6 verse 24 the physics the Lord bless you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and shine upon you and give you peace the fullness of that we can experience only today and if God to whom does God look with favor let me show you a verse in Isaiah 66 Isaiah 66 we read in verse 1 and 2 he's talking about prophetically about building the church many of us want to build a church many of you elders think that you're building the church in your locality I hope you are I don't know but I certainly want to build a church I don't want to just like Noah was gripped by building the ark I'm gripped by building the church because I know that's the only thing that will remain when the world is destroyed just like Noah knew the ark is the only thing that will remain when the world is destroyed I don't know whether you believe that the only thing that will remain is not your house and your job and your reputation but the church and if you're wise you'll build a church I saw a 66 the Lord says heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool where you're going to build a church for me what sort of house you're going to build for me because I made all of this universe but I will look at this person with favor so that I will make him build my church the one who is humble and contrite or broken of spirit and who trembles at my word I remember years ago when I read that verse I said Lord all my life I want you to look at me with favor always every day in my home I want you to look at me and shine upon me when I stand in the pulpit whether it's 10 times a day I want you to look at me with favor and I know it'll go well and the Lord says I look at you but I'm not partial these are the conditions you must always humble yourself you must always be broken in your spirit and when you see something in my word you must tremble until you obey it I said Lord I'll do that and God's Word breaks me God's Word humbles me because I know I haven't reached where God wants me to reach that's what made Paul the man he was he was constantly aware as he says in Philippians 3 I have not yet attained I've not yet become perfect but there's one thing I do there's only one thing I'm doing in the world I'm not here to make money or get honor or fame I'm here to press on to perfection and to build a church so when I read a word like this do nothing from selfishness you know what I do I tremble at that word because I look at my life and I say Lord so many things in my life I'm seeking my own you be honest with yourself when you make a decision what do you think how will this affect me how will this affect my family is this going to be beneficial for me this is going to be beneficial for my family if I go there that would be more beneficial for me that'll be more beneficial for my family I say Lord I never want to decide like that I want to say if I go there that it'd be will it be more beneficial for God's kingdom and will it bless God's family I'll go if it's inconvenient let it inconvenient can you say you're doing nothing from selfishness are you even trying as many of you have been in the church for 20 30 years how free are you from seeking your own how free are you from saying I don't want to seek my own in the decisions I take in my life those are the people who get God's best those are the people who build a church there are many people who want to build a church is he old they built a church over there I want to build a church in my locality they want honor they want to be known as the elder and the leader they don't tremble at God's Word they're seeking their own in the decisions they make they don't want to pay a price they don't want to be inconvenienced they don't want to sacrifice you know how Jesus built the church let me show you Ephesians 5 the Lord spoken to me many times through this verse Ephesians 5 we read you that Jesus Christ verse 25 Ephesians 5:25 Christ loved the church and gave himself up for the church gave himself to death every desire he had supported act fought for for the church now when you decide to take up the cross in order to be wholly yourself you know even that can be pretty selfish I want to be holy I want people to see me as a holy man of God good but it could be a very selfish desire Jesus did not take up the cross in order to be holy he was already holy he went to the cross for the sake of the others for the sake of the church true holiness is that which seeks the good of others not one's own gain Paul says about some people whom godliness is a means of gain and the Christian world of is full of people who preach godliness in order to gain money I don't believe there are people like that in our churches who are doing it for money but I think there are many in our churches who are doing it for honor the honor of being known as a great preacher the honor of being known as an elder brother or an elder brother's wife you're no better than that other man who is doing it for money you don't need money you need honor he needs money what's the difference seeking our own wanting to be known would you do God's work if you're unknown and nobody knows about you and you're not an elder you're just an ordinary brother sitting at the back of some church but you say Lord I want to build my builded church I never want to be an elder but I want to build a church let nobody give me any credit let nobody know me let nobody recognize me but I want to build a church that's the man God will because he's not seeking his own do nothing from selfishness do nothing from pride I tell you we need to constantly repent and repent and repent and repent of the selfishness self-centeredness and the pride there is in our life that's what he says in Philippians 2 Christ loved the church and gave himself for it Philippians 2 it says let this attitude verse 5 Philippians 2:5 being you which was in Christ Jesus in Jesus Christ God demonstrated his ways when Jesus said I am the way he wasn't just saying the way to get forgiveness of sins he says I am the way the way I lived is the way you should live I am the narrow way that is the way we are to walk the way Jesus walked not being a carpenter or a bachelor but living free from selfishness and pride and that is the area where God sees how many of us are serious about following Jesus if you want to know whether you're serious about following Jesus Christ ask yourself whether you're constantly asking God to show you the selfishness within yourself when was the last time you asked God to show you your self-centeredness your seeking your own your selfishness when was the last time you asked God to show you your spiritual pride when God used you in some way to bless somebody the pride that came up at that moment you repent of it it comes to all of us some people immediately fall on their face before God and say God I'm sorry I got a little puffed up there forgive me others just move on as if nothing happened that conscience doesn't even bother them that they got puffed up when God used them yeah that happens in our churches too I can after being a believer for fifty years and having served the Lord for 44 of those years I can pretty much see pride in a person's face you know pride is like body odor you know when we perspire and we're sweating there's a smell that comes forth from our body which is not a good smell when we don't brush our teeth properly there's a smell that comes fruit from our mouth which is not a good smell and the sad part of it is we ourselves are not aware of it you know a beggar who hasn't heard about for many years he doesn't even know he's not even aware that he's stinking you can smell it pretty close but he is not aware of it people have bad breath are not usually aware of their bad breath and pride is like that you may not be able to see the pride in you because you don't want to see it but a godly man can see it straight away because pride is not something only in the heart adultery is not only in the heart let me show you something in scripture proverbs chapter 6 proverbs chapter 6 it says here in verse 16 onwards there are six things which the Lord hates yeah actually there are seven which are an abomination to him you know what abomination is if you look up a concordance you'll find that in the Old Testament in the book of Deuteronomy the Lord said when you go to the toilet in the wilderness there were no flush tanks and toilets and all he said you got to go out outside the camp and take a Spade with you so that when you've gone to the toilet there you cover it up because the Lord does not want to see an abomination there that is an abomination you gone to the toilet and you didn't cover it up here are seven things that are like that an abomination to God number one proud eyes number one it's not in the heart it was in the heart but what is in the heart comes forth through the eyes you don't know it I have come to the place where I can detect it almost immediately I can look at a person's eyes and see pride like an experienced doctor can look at a person and see from the color of his skin sickness jaundice he looks at his tongue and discovers sicknesses pride is something that is seen in our eyes and you cannot hide it you can act very humble and speak in a humble way but you can't change your eyes no acting humble is not the thing if it's in your heart it comes forth from your eyes if pride is in your heart it comes forth from your eyes the same way with adultery it says in 2nd Peter and chapter 2 2nd Peter chapter 2 and verse 14 it speaks about certain preachers who have eyes full of adultery you see I thought adultery was in the heart that's right but it comes forth through the eyes a man who's kept on lusting with his eyes in secret watching pornography watching women and lusting lusting lasting lasting a spiritual man can see adultery in that person's eyes and not only a spiritual man I think a modest woman will very easily be able to see adultery in the eyes of a man yeah you men don't know it nobody sees you lusting after women nobody sees you watching those pornographic sites but a godly modest woman can woman can see it in your eyes your eyes have become saturated with adultery and you can't cleanse it easily unless you get rid of that secret lusting in your heart it's in the eyes God's made it like that it's like you can see anger in a man's eyes can't you that's easy to detect you don't have to be spiritual to see anger in a person's eyes you know that you can see gloom and depression in a person's face you don't have to be spiritual to see that but you have to be a little spiritual to see pride in a person's eyes and pride in and adultery in a person's eyes but it is there and so if we really want to be like Jesus we say Lord I'm determined to root out all selfishness from my life all pride from my life that's the only way to pursue unity and it's no use an elder brother telling other people to do it he has to be an example himself if an elder brother has got adultery in his eyes how can he deliver other people from it if an elder brother loves money how can he deliver other people from the love of money impossible the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil it says in 1 Timothy 6 and you can love it secretly but it will produce all sorts of evil in your life it will produce confusion in your church and you will blame this person and that person and the other person for the problem with the problem is with you that you love money you got adultery in your heart it's all secret but it comes out so it's not an easy thing to build a church you can see somebody has built a church and say boy I'd like to do that let me get the right doctrine and let me get the right pattern sing the same songs preach the same message and we'll build a church it's not like that it's like copying the tabernacle you know that we can make a tabernacle today exactly like Moses made in the wilderness because all the dimensions details color of the curtains everything is written in X Exodus today a man can produce a tabernacle 100% like the one Moses made in the wilderness but one thing will be missing the fire of God will not be there and that's the most important part and so you can look at other churches and imitate the pattern preach the same doctrine go to our website and listen to all these messages absorb them and preach them you think you'll build a church No you'll build a pattern the fire will be missing because the fire depends on a humble man on a godly man and if God doesn't find a humble god-fearing man who trembles at his word there will be no fire there the pattern will look the same and you can fool everybody we are attached to CFC we are one of the CFC churches how long will that glory lasts when Jesus comes he's going to strip that veneer of that and expose your church for what it is and expose an elder brother for what he really was take it seriously my brothers and sisters I'm concerned because I see failures in elder brothers it disturbs me they got the pattern as I've studied church history I asked myself why is it a great movement started by a great man of God by the time it comes to the second generation just dies out it's happened again and again and again with every single movement that ever happened in history church history and as I've studied it I studied it because I want to learn from the mistakes of others I don't want to repeat the mistakes other people made and I learned one thing the founder knew God the followers know the doctrine that's the difference the founder knew God like Elijah he lived before God's face the followers they just know the doctrine they got the doctrine and pattern and follow the pattern and the doctrine but God is not there it's like building the tabernacle without the fire and that's what's happened the glory of God is departed and the Old Testament word Ichabod is written there the glory has departed so the solution to it is to determine any one of you God can use you to build a church if you decide one thing Lord I am determined to climb to the top of his mountain what is the top of the mountain where I do nothing Philippians 2 verse 3 from selfishness and nothing from pride and if I discover some selfishness or pride II immediately repent in dust and ashes before God and say Lord that was not this person's fault or that person's fault it was my selfishness it was my pride I want to have the same attitude that Jesus had who had zero selfishness zero pride when it says we had to walk as Jesus walked it means we are to walk with zero selfishness zero pride and like a child learns to walk we have to learn to walk it's a long walk you know these people who run marathon races in the Olympics you know that for three four years every day they get up and run those 40 kilometers you think they win that prize in the Olympics so easily no they keep their bodies trimmed a lot of things I'd like to eat they don't eat a lot of things they'd like to do they don't do we have to get enough rest and get up early morning and run 40 kilometers every day and then one day you see him standing on top of that podium and getting the first prize and the gold medal you said boy I'd like to be there yes you'd like to be there are you willing to get up and run party kilometres every morning are you willing to then deny yourself all those rich foods you like to eat that's the price he paid behind that man standing at the gold medal for the winning the marathon lyza history of self-denial and behind every man or woman of God when you see God is used he's a history of self-denial you may know nothing about but you can do it if you're willing to pay the price if you are determined to climb this mountain say Lord I want to have the same attitude that Jesus had to love the church and gave himself for it think how you give yourself for the sake of your children is there a father or mother here who will not sacrifice for your children one alone of sacrifice you make for your children time energy money your life how many of you will love the church like that those are the ones we'll build the church Christ loved the church and gave himself for it I know that verse many times the Lord has spoken to my heart so do you want to build a church there's only one way you can do it you got to do it the way Jesus did it love the church and give yourself for it that means you don't complain about others I remember years ago then CFC is way back the beginning the early days when we had a lot of different duties to different people for the maintenance and cleaning of that building when it was just one floor and there was somebody appointed to clean the toilets at the back and he didn't turn up and my first reaction was say what a responsible person he is and the Lord told me immediately is my house your house I said yes Lord then go and clean the toilet yourself so I went and did it and I the picture that came to my mind was like this supposing in my own house where I live not in the church building but in my own personal house if some brother who loves me very much volunteers and says brother Zack will you give me the privilege of every morning just coming and cleaning your toilet oh that's very kind of you if I don't want that but he says no I just want to do it I love you so much and so he comes along every morning and cleans the toilet and one day doesn't turn up what do I call him hey why haven't you come to clean my toilet would I do that impossible impossible why should he come to clean my toilet it's my house I should be thankful that he did it for so many weeks the Lord said treat my house like your house then you will be my servant and I decided that day Lord your house will be my house your family will be my family I will care I would sacrifice whatever it costs I will never say that that's too inconvenient that's too difficult no I'll never say it because Christ loved the church and gave himself for it yeah you can build a church too but if you keep on asking how much will it cost what is the sacrifice I have to make the all say forget it I look for somebody else you keep on asking how much will it cost what sacrifice you'll have to make brother forget it forget it go into something else go into business and make some money don't waste your time trying to build a church God will not use you in a hundred years till you come to the place where you love the church and give yourself for it you say Lord I want to do nothing in my life out of selfishness those are the people who have really built the church in different places you think it's a doctrine you think it's gifted speaking you think so it's not gifted speaking it's a life of sacrifice that builds the church some of us can speak great sermons but you don't have a life of sacrifice behind it of self-denial and doing nothing from selfishness and pride that's why you have so many problems in your church that's why you have so many complications that's why the devil is able to come in and mess around in your church and you just sit back and blame human beings you blame other people you know if something went wrong in CFC I would blame myself I wouldn't blame anybody else if my home was messed up and my children were wayward what will I do blame my children no I'll blame myself I said I didn't I was not a good father that's why my children were wayward well the elders who will say there's problems in my church because I have been a total failure as an elder show me an elder like that I tell you God will do mighty things through him but we have a bunch of elders who blame others and say that person's fault this fellow's causing trouble that fellas causing trouble that's the spirit of Eve when she got the Adam when he got poisoned by the devil in Eden it's my wife she's the cause of the problem dear brothers and sisters we haven't seen Jesus who never blamed anybody I said what's the difference between Adam and Christ when we are in Adam we have Adam's nature when we have Christ we have Christ nature that's what it means I was once upon a time in a tree called Adam where I did everything from selfishness and everything from pride one day the holy spirit cut me off from that tree and put me into another tree called Jesus Christ that's why I don't believe in these generational curses ancestors did something in the curse will come to me rubbish that's if I'm not born again now what is my ancestry my ancestry is in Christ and the Heavenly Father there's no curse there if you have not been grafted and put into Christ boy you got a lot of generational curses to deal with but when you are put in Christ we have the SAP that flows from the tree is the SAP of unselfishness and humility it's not something I produce do you thing a branch produces the SAP that produces oranges no the sack this branch just receives the SAP that produces oranges and Jesus said I am the tree you're the branches I have to receive the part of the Holy Spirit that produces humility that otherwise it would be an artificial humility that produces a life free from selfishness that's why the most important thing in the Christian life listen to this is to be filled with the holy spirit that's what those early Christians have which the devil is contre fitted everywhere and people are satisfied of the counterfeit my life and my ministry would not be what it is today if God had not baptized me in the Holy Spirit and fire there was a time when Jesus Christ baptized me in the Holy Spirit and fire he laid his nail-pierced hands on my head and anointed me put the spirit in me and fire in me and I said Lord I never want to lose it and the Lord said living trembling at my word I say Lord I will and that's why I say I haven't come to that top of the mountain yet but I'm working my way up and every year it gets better to be totally free from selfishness and conceit the reason is there's a law in God's dealings like the law of gravity you know that you can make use of the law of gravity so many so much of machinery makes use of the law of gravity in many places electricity is produced by what is called hydroelectric power they have a big wheel a waterfall they put that wheel under the waterfall and the wheel goes round and round and round and out as gravity pulls the water down and the turning of the wheel around a magnet produces electricity Adam could have done it in electricity is not an invention it's a discovery invention is something you produce like a computer discovery something which is there in nature and you discover it if Adam knew how to use gravity he could have produced electricity and even you know let water fall fall upon this thing and get some magnet and produce electricity through it there are laws in the kingdom of God - and one of those very important laws like the law of gravity which you can make use of is this God gives his grace to the humble 1 Peter James chapter 4 and verse 6 God gives his grace to the humble and God is opposed to the proud and in case you missed it Peter repeats it in 1 Peter 5 and verse 5 it's one of those things repeated in the episodes two different Apostles write the same thing God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble therefore 1 Peter 5 verse 6 humble yourself under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you at the proper time what does it mean to be exalted some people think if I humble myself God will make me an elder is that what you be you want to be exalted over people by your totally unfit to be an elder the sad thing is some elders do want to be exalted over people they want to order around and to be known as a big man I'll tell you what I want to be exalted over sin I want to be exalted over sin I want to be exalted over the world I wanted to be exalted over the devil I have zero zero interest in being exalted over people I have no interest in giving orders to people I have no interest in people respecting me God is my witness I have zero interest in people honoring me or respecting me or deferring to me or any such thing but I have tremendous passion and interest to be exalted over sin and the world and the devil and money and lusts I want them all under my feet I want to be exalted and that is how I read the worse that if I humble myself God will exalt me over all these things let men be bigger than me and greater than me let everybody in the church be greater and bigger than me doesn't matter every one bit I'm sorry to say that once upon a time many was started in CFC pursuing the right way or not pursuing the right way now they are seeking to be exalted over people many have drifted from that original part that God showed us sincere see the way of humility and brokenness but there are a few and I praise God for them who have seen that vision and who will not change who are determined to go the way Jesus went who at the end of his life in the last day of his life was washing the disciples feet and I prayed that many times in my life I said Lord on my last day of my life on earth I don't want to be a director of any organization or be some big shot somewhere if you will give me the honor on the last day of my life on earth to be washing somebody's feet I would be delighted because that's where my savior was on the last day of his life on earth where which me are you pursuing are you going up or going down Lucifer went up and you know where he ended up he became the devil Jesus went down and down and down and down and down you read that in Philippians to turn back to Philippians to Jesus though he was God humbled himself he wasn't just an elder brother he was Almighty God he was not an elder brother he was Almighty God and he humbled himself and became a servant he came to earth and became a servant it says because he was made in the likeness of men where he Philippians 2:7 he became a servant you need to understand this verse I never understood it for a long time he knew that the moment you become a man you have to be a servant of others have you known that I said Lord that's amazing that in this sin cursed earth were not supposed to be Kings were not supposed to be rulers when they wanted to make Jesus a king why did he run away tell me why did he run away in John chapter 6 because he knew a man has to be a servant they didn't know that in the Old Testament the man after God's own heart David became a king many people became kings but not today no today we have to follow Jesus who when they wanted to making monkey he ran away into the wilderness on the mountain town he didn't want to be a king he wanted to be a servant because he knew he saw clearly that in a sin cursed world the only right position a man can take is to be a servant of others have you seen it I praise God for the day God opened my eyes to see that that I am not called to rule over anybody I am not called to get anybody to obey me I agree fully with John Wesley who said if you disobey me brother you do not sin if you disobey God you sin I'm sorry to say there are elder brothers think if you disobey me you sin rubbish you're a servant of the devil I'll tell you honestly if you disobey me you don't sin if you disobey God you sin Jesus became a servant I'll tell you what is the greatest need in CFC today in the year 2010 as it completes we need more servants with a spirit of a servant not those who serve there's a lot of difference between those who serve haven't you seen these pictures of cabinet ministers who inaugurate a road sweeping campaign by taking a broom and make sure the photographer's are there and and sweep the road inaugurating the road sweeping campaign the Chief Minister coming and doing this are you that type of an elder he's serving he's not a servant he's a lot of difference he's serving and being a servant you can serve in numerous ways in the conference and you may not have the spirit of a servant you may do so many things but you may be a pretty bossy person Jesus was a servant a bondservant he became like a slave and because he emptied himself and came down like that it says God exalted him for this reason verse 9 for this reason God exalted him and gave him a name which is above every do you know who's going to sit at the left hand in the right hand of Jesus James and John wanted to sit there I'll tell you who's going to sit at the right hand and left hand of Jesus if you can understand how Jesus got the highest place then you will know who's going to sit at his left hand and right hand in eternity Jesus did not say oh there is no such place as my left hand my right hand all are equal in heaven he did not say that he said that is a place like that left hand and right hand of me that means very close to me not every believer will be so close I believe that with all my heart but for all eternity every believer will not be as close to Jesus as others that depends on how faithful you are here to me the greatest reward the greatest reward that God can ever give me in heaven is not mansions it's not crowns what will I do with ten crowns me balancing on my head and walking around heaven what's he use my getting a 14 bedroom mansion in heaven I don't want it you can have it I'll tell you the reward I look for in heaven closeness to Jesus closeness to Jesus that is the only reward worth anything in heaven and I believe with all my heart that the more faithful you are on earth in this one life the closer you'll be to Jesus why did God give Jesus the highest place in heaven not because he was the son of God it says here because he humbled himself now I know who's going to sit at the right hand and left hand of Jesus in all the history of humanity those who humbled themselves the most I don't know who they are but I'm sure there are two people who humble themselves the most it could be some poor Widow in Africa who is one of them and maybe some other unknown man in some other place who humbled themselves more than anybody else they're going to sit their left hand or right hand of Jesus and you wonder who are these I never heard of these people they are the ones who humbled themselves because it's a law the one rumble themselves the most is right at the top the one who humbled himself next to that is next to them those who humble themselves and thus who you know just want it to be somebody honor their way down somewhere else where are you going to be do you want to be close to Jesus I tell you I'd give anything to be close to Jesus for all eternity anything I say Lord just tell me the price I have to pay on earth I've paid I'm not interested in anything I want to be close to Jesus and all eternity he who gave His life for me why should I be a thousand miles away from him in heaven I want to be close to him and I can be humble yourself you can be humble yourself be a servant be a servant of others it's not just a theory for me I've been gripped by it in my heart you know there's a difference when you're gripped by something in your heart it becomes a passion it becomes a passion that drives you and you never get tired if you have this passion in your heart you can do a miracles amazing things when you have a passion in your heart I heard a true story once of a mother who saw a car going over her child and immediately she rushed and lifted that car to release that child you see a woman did that that's right it actually happened she had such a passion such a love for that child that all the adrenaline pumped into her body she could lift one wheel of the car which she could never have done in normal circumstances it's amazing what you can do when you have a passion for something it'll drive out your laziness it'll drive out your tiredness he'll drive out everything because you got a passion to be a servant of others this is the way my brothers and sisters this is the way which is completely unknown in the Old Covenant in the Old Covenant they wanted to be kings and leaders jesus said the Gentiles look for such positions among you it must not be so but he who is greatest among you must be serve the others must have the spirit of a servant isn't that how a mother is many of you are mothers tell me honestly aren't you really a servant at home to your children what a lot of things you do for the sake of your children from babyhood you don't expect any reward you serve even when your children are ungrateful don't even say a word of thanks to you you'll still cook food for them you'll still wash their clothes that's the spirit of a servant who seeks nothing in return and I'll tell you something elder brothers can learn from mothers how to serve others if you want a good example elders of how to serve the church look at mothers how they serve their children expecting nothing serving serving serving serving serving serving for years even after the children are married you know how it is in India the mothers still go and help their children when their wives have babies that's how it is it's an endless life of serving till that 90 year old mother dies what has she done all her life served served served served till her last day on earth elders take an example from that if you want to be a true servant if you want to be like Jesus because God says he compares himself with mothers can a mother not care for a child that's the example he got a follower that's the example Jesus gave us if we humble ourselves and when God allows circumstances to come into our life it says your humble yourself under the mighty hand of God what is the mighty hand of God it is some supernatural ability to do miracles No it is that the circumstances in your life which crush you a difficult husband boy sister that is the mighty hand of God trying to crush your pride and your selfishness that difficult wife who cannot understand you at all that is the mighty hand of God trying to crush you but you refuse to be broken you're resistant you blame your wife where you blame your husband no wonder you're not broken even though you heard this message for so many years when will you start brother this is the ABC imagine a kindergarten student getting frustrated teacher getting frustrated with this fifteen-year-old sitting there still don't know it doesn't know ABC I believe that's how God looks at a lot of his children the first lesson of humility you haven't learned what are you trying to learn you're trying to learn about the tribulation and the rapture and the Antichrist and the beast with seven horns see the Beast in your own flesh first he's got more horns than seven horns in the days of the AME Christ discover that and put that to depth that's more important than all these prophetic pictures of beasts and all that the beasts of selfishness and the beasts of pride the mighty hand of God financial difficulties problems don't run to man run to God and say Lord why have you allowed this I mean I followed that principle even if I got a little fever and I lie down in bed nice eh Lord why this there must be a reason nothing happens without God's permission I'll tell you why because jesus said even your hair on your head cannot fall without your father knowing about it a fever is much worse than a hair falling off our head so I say Lord what's the purpose of this fever what are you trying to tell me and the Lord would remind me of a few days earlier when I spoke one unkind word to somebody or a harsh word one word I have wept with joy I say Lord thank you so much that you watch over me so carefully that you don't even let one word slip without giving me a spanking and saying don't do that I have loved the hand that has smitten me because it's made me holy it's broken me and the Lord is nearer to the broken spirit and I've experienced the nearness of the Lord at such times and tell you honestly I've said Lord please treat me like that all the time all the time don't let me slip up even slightly in any area I want to be a servant if there's slightest bit of pride somewhere immediately God brings me down in some way and I've fallen on my face before him and said thank you lord thank you for your watchful care over me I want to ask you there's the Lord watch over you like that or can you do many many wrong things and the Lord lets you go I'll tell you why the Lord lets you go and so many you do so many wrong things because he knows you're not serious about becoming like Jesus if God saw that you were really serious about picking melodies he'd pick you up for small small things he will watch over you with a very jealous care because you're one of his special treasures I want to be that so that is the mighty hand of God which is always bringing us down because he wants to save us from the spirit of the devil which wants to go up and up and up in the world and say no I want to make you like Jesus who came down and down for all the way from being equal with God down down down to a servant even to the death of the cross and I say Lord that's the way I want to go that's the way I want to go I don't care if I don't preach but I want to go that way and become like Jesus and if you have that passion God will communicate that passion to other people through you and that's was our longing right from the beginning Lord I don't want to meet people who want to go to heaven there are millions of people who want to go to heaven that's not my calling in the body of Christ maybe some people are called to do that I say Lord I want to meet with those who want to live a holy life on earth as a witness for you just bring me in touch with such people I'm not saying that is the only ministry in the body of Christ it's my ministry that's why we used to pray Lord if there's anybody seeking a godly life here please bring him in touch with us not anybody who wants to go to heaven that the Evangelist take care of them god bless them but Lord is there anybody seeking a godly life I want to know them in Bangalore in India in Africa in Chile Russia Japan Cambodia and we get in touch with people in all these places because we pray Lord we want to see those who want to live a godly life of course a few hypocrites also come in like the bad fish in the net it's okay God will deal with them but in the midst of it all we get some precious fish wonderful brothers and sisters who want to be servants whose longing in life is to be like Jesus a servant of others I want you to sing a song with me can you put it up on the screen let me read it out first and then we will sing it there will you let me be your servant let me be as Christ to you is it on the screen pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant to you know some people can be so proud and say I will not let you serve me I will keep on serving you that's not the Spirit of Christ you need grace to let somebody else serve you - I want to serve others and I must give them freedom to serve me as well we are pilgrims on a journey we're travelers on the road we are here to help each other walk the mile and bare the Lord I will hold a Christ light for you in the nighttime of your fear I will hold my hand out to you speak the peace you long to hear I will weep when you're weeping when you laugh I laugh with you I will share your joy and sorrow till we have seen this journey through when we sing to God in heaven we shall find such harmony born of all we have known together of Christ's love and agony will you let me be your servant let me be as Christ to you pray that I may have the grace to let you be my servant - it's a familiar tune it's not the original tune but this is the one we are familiar with so we will sing it you let me be your son me be as Christ to you [Music] I may have you be my servant we are adjourned we are travelers on the road we are good Bijan Wow the my land I will price like the night time of your fear I [Music] hold my hand [Music] Smee peace you long I will weep when you are we [Music] where I will share your joy inside tell we've seen this journey through when we sing to God in we shall find such harmony Warren are we known to get [Music] Christ's love and well you let me be your son let me be as I mean ha [Music] you me my servant - let's pray brothers and sisters do you really want to go this way answer it - Jesus Christ your Lord turn around today from the way you've been going husband wife father mother elder younger child boy girl whoever you are say Lord I see today what you were in your earthly days and that's what I want to be all my life Oh Lord Jesus we long to be like you it's becoming more and more the passion of our heart to be like you what an example you set forgive us for the poor examples we have been fill us with the Holy Spirit baptizes in the Holy Spirit and fire and give us your spirit so that we can walk on earth as you walked and manifest the true Jesus in a corrupt Babylonian Christendom we pray in your name amen

Channel: SermonIndex.net

Views: 106,496

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Keywords: Zac, Poonen, Revival, Repent, God, Sermons, Jesus, SermonIndex

Id: Wf0b8dQp0VQ

Length: 59min 55sec (3595 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 18 2011