Most Believers Have Missed The New Covenant | Zac Poonen

there is a very well-known verse that the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving that's in 2nd Corinthians 4:4 to the so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ might not be seen the god of this world is Satan seeking to blind the minds of the unbelieving now here the gospel is called the gospel not of the gospel of forgiveness of sins that's just the beginning the gospel of the glory of Christ the New Covenant gospel is the gospel of the glory of Christ which is way beyond forgiveness of sins it's not just getting out of Egypt is getting into the land of Canaan and slaying the Giants it's not wandering in the wilderness that is the new covenant gospel and just like the god of this world has blinded the minds of non-christians so that they try to work out their salvation and so many other ways get their forgiveness of sins in so many ways but we've received it by faith by grace in the same way the god of this world has blinded the minds of so many believers so that they don't see the rest of the gospel of the glory of Christ so this is what I want to share of I myself was blind to it for about 16 years after I was born again well I was living the normal born-again normal life of not born-again Christians falling into sin usually in my thoughts Oh words we are more careful with our actions after we are born again but careless with our thoughts and words and then I'd say Lord forgive me and I as long as I kept on asking for forgiveness I thought that was it and I was sure I was on my way to heaven when I was so frustrated with my defeated life and it became worse and worse in my thought life even though I was preaching I finally got so fed up with my defeated life that I said Lord I will stop preaching if you don't make my inner life correspond with my outer life and I began to see God and fast and prayed myself and with others and that's when after 16 years of defeat God opened my eyes to see the truth he filled me with the Holy Spirit afresh and opened my eyes to the truth of the gospel now we read in 2nd thessalonians i had to go through this a bit quickly so if you can turn with a mean reference to it but always I'll read it to you this in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 11 is the only verse in the Bible where it says God Himself will allow some people to be deceived now Satan tries to deceive us our flesh deceives and lust as he was a heart deceives of Jeremiah 17 but on top of that if God Himself will send a deluding influence so that some people believe what is false there's no hope for them so to whom does God send this deluding influence it says in verse 10 of second Thessalonians - two things those who don't love the truth and those who don't want to be saved from sin that means when they see something in Scripture which is the truth and they don't love it because they have all their life health something else as the truth and we are not willing to change their mind then they can be deceived and second if they are not interested in being saved from sin they can be deceived so there are two qualifications to avoid deception one is I must love the truth which I see in the Word of God and when God shows me the truth about myself I must love it and say Lord I want to be delivered from that whatever you show me and secondly I must want to be saved from sin the entire Old Testament the only promise was that people's sins could be forgiven as we read in Psalm 103 that was 1,000 years before Christ David could say bless the Lord O my soul who forgives all 100 percent of my sins he was looking forward to the death of Christ on the cross but as soon as you've turned the pages of the New Testament come to the first promise in the New Testament which many people don't know the first promise in the New Testament is Matthew 1:21 which says angel told Joseph you must call his name Jesus why because Jesus means what he will save not even forgive he will save his people from their sins if it was only that he would forgive their sins that's an Old Testament message Psalm 103 but this is he will save his people from their sin there's a lot of difference being being forgiven and being saved to be saved is to be delivered from the pit I've asked people this question I say as Jesus saved you from anger they say no is he Jesus saved you from lusting after women no as jesus saved you from hypocrisy pride no no no what has he done for you then he forgives us every time we fall he forgives us then I say you cannot call him Savior say jesus is my forgiver that's the honest truth who can say Jesus is my Savior the one who's being saved from these sins or who is being saved from be sins so that is where the god of the world has deceived so many people when Paul was writing his last letter to Timothy he told him in 2nd Thessalonians in Chapter sorry 2nd Timothy chapter 2 Paul was burdened for the truth of the gospel to continue and he told him in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 and verse 15 make us be diligent to present yourself to God as a workman who will be approved by him and if you want to be approved by him you must handle the word of truth accurately very important to handle the Word of God accurately to compare Scripture with Scripture and then we can present ourselves approved to God so coming to the truths of the New Covenant I want to talk about it from a different number of passages of Scripture to show the difference between the Old Covenant and the new turn with me first of all to John's Gospel chapter 1 in John chapter one we read in the very first words that Jesus Christ the Word was God but this person who was God verse 14 says the word became flesh so what did we learn from that isn't it interesting that Jesus Christ is called the word he preached the word but before he preached the word he lived the word the Gospel of Luke is described by Luke in his second book you know Luke wrote two books in the New Testament one was the Gospel of Luke and the other is the Acts of the Apostles and in Acts chapter 1 verse 1 Luke gives a title to his first book and the titled Luke gives to his gospel is what Jesus began to do and teach what is the order he did and taught he did not teach what he had not done he did not do after he taught he first did and taught he began to do and teach in the Gospel of Luke that's what is the description of the Gospel of Luke so how would Luke describe the Acts of the Apostles what Jesus continued to do and teach through his body the church in Luke he began to do and teach with his physical body in Acts he continued to do and teach through his spiritual body so our calling is first to do and then teach and never to teach what I'm not doing or which I'm not even attempting to do in other words there's no place for hypocrisy in New Testament preaching so coming back to John chapter 1 we read the word became flesh think of the written word which God had given to man in the Old Testament it was a written word scribe studied it you had to study it carefully and he did not matter if you did not believe it in your private life so long as your doctrine was right in in Israel you were okay and the scribes studied those 613 commandments that God gave them and taught people but the life was not important the written word was important you know it says in psalm 119 and verse 105 thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path what was the light in under the Old Covenant the written word very important Genesis to Malachi and the law for Israel that word was a lamp to my feet and a light to my path David says but in the New Covenant the light is not the word it says about Jesus in John chapter 1 verse 4 in him was life and that life was the light of men as the first thing I want you to notice in the Old Covenant the written word was the light in the New Covenant it was the life that was manifested in flesh when the word became flesh not the written word but the word become flesh the same word but now it is not in a book alone it is in a life and that life John 1:4 is the light of men that's different from psalm 119 where it says thy word is a light to me now the life of Jesus is the light in him was life and that life was the light of men and this light can never be crushed by the darkness it says in the next verse if we partake of this light this life which is light the Prince of Darkness will have no power over us that's why the god of the world blinds people to the truth of the New Covenant in the Old Covenant because the written word was the important thing the prophets but go up to meet with God and come back and say kind hear what the Lord is saying that's the Old Covenant message come and hear in the New Covenant the messages come and see what the Lord has done in my life through this world how he's changed my life how he's delivered me from my sinful habits come see in John chapter one we read about some of the disciples of John the Baptist came to him in John chapter 1 verse 38 and said teacher where are you staying and rabbi where are you staying and Jesus said in John 139 come and see today people are asking Lord Jesus where are you you know what he's saying come and see in the lives of these people who have entered the New Covenant whose lives have been transformed by my grace so this is another big difference between Old Covenant and New Covenant it is not coming here but come and see and from there you come in here the other thing we see in John's Gospel chapter 1 it says here in verse 14 the word became flesh it was not just written it was in a life and dwelt among us and we saw the glory of God so the purpose of the New Covenant is not to show how wonderful Christians we are but to manifest the glory of God in us and it says here about Jesus we saw the glory of God in Jesus full of grace and truth that's a new word for the New Covenant grace is never found in the old Old Covenant and even the word grace translated in some King James Version in the Old Covenant is the word favor it's not new testament grace because it says here in verse 17 of John 1 the law was given through Moses grace and truth came only through Jesus Christ there was no grace in the world until Jesus came very important to understand there was no grace under the Old Covenant there was the law replaced by grace and truth truth is another word which is misunderstood the word truth means here reality the opposite of truth is a lie the opposite of reality is hypocrisy so when it says here about truth he's saying that we can live a life of reality in other words a life free from hypocrisy which was impossible under the Old Covenant nobody could keep for example in the Old Covenant nobody could keep the 10th commandment you read through the Ten Commandments nine of them people could keep and even when Jesus told the rich young ruler about keeping the commandments he only went up to come on man number nine he never mentioned number ten the number ten commandment was you shall not lust you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or your neighbor's anything that your neighbors that woman walking down the road is your neighbor's daughter you're not supposed to lust after her that is the tenth commandment nobody could keep it the Apostle Paul says in Romans chapter seven I could keep all the law but when it came to the tenth commandment Romans chapter 7 he says I found all types of lusting in my heart and that which was meant to be good brought death for me Romans chapter 7 the sin taking an opportunity through the commandment killed me Romans chapter 7 when it came to the tenth commandment verse 7 he killed me I could not keep it but he goes on in chapter 8 to sing now that the holy spirit has come and I walk according to the spirit I can fulfill the law romans 8:4 so that's just in a sort of introduction that's why I say there was no reality in the Old Testament all the people who preached they were lusting inside they were getting angry with their wives at home but the high priest and all the prophets they could not preach from a life they could priest what God had spoken to them even John the Baptist the greatest of all the prophets Jesus said the least person who enters into the New Covenant the kingdom of heaven is greater than him in what way but we can experience truth in the inward part which they could never experience in the Old Covenant do you remember when David sinned and he wrote that wonderful Psalm Psalm 51 just one verse in that Psalm where he says O Lord Psalm 51 verse 6 you desire truth in the inward parts I just don't have it that's exactly what Paul says in Romans chapter 7 when it came to the last commandment where you shall not desire anything that's your neighbors I found he says all types of lusts in my heart that's an honest man but he was delivered because he sought God and he was filled with the Holy Spirit and as he walked in the spirit he overcame so that's the second thing I want you to turn to Ephesians chapter 2 now to see something about this what grace means a much misunderstood word Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 6 were saved by grace you have been saved through faith that not of yourselves it is the gift of God all our works can never forgive our sin we know that there are three tenses to salvation their salvation from the penalty of sin which is taken care by the blood of Christ and their salvation from the power of sin he which is through the power of the Holy Spirit and then the salvation from the presence of sin in the future when Christ comes again so here it says about the past a past salvation is by faith not of works but the purpose why are we saved it says here in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 we are created in Christ Jesus to fulfill certain good works that God planned beforehand to live the life of Christ that is the purpose of this grace so there are two things we read in John 1:14 grace and reality grace and reality freedom from total freedom from hypocrisy and strength to live in overcoming life turn with me to Romans chapter 6 and verse 14 which is one of the fundamental words of the New Covenant which explains grace very clearly you could even ask a little child a question from this verse Romans 6:14 sin shall not have dominion master over it mastery over you because you're not under law but under grace so if I were to ask even a 10 year old boy can you read that verse and tell me one simple answer to one question how do you know you're under grace well there it is sin cannot rule over me how do you know you're under law sin rules over you make it more practical anger rules your life you are under law whether you knew it or not lusting after women rule your life you're under law not under grace it's very clear sin shall not rule over you sin shall not be your master when you're under grace most christians let me use the old testament example have come out of gene egypt by the blood of the lamb baptized like they were baptized in the red sea the pillar of cloud symbolizing the baptism of the holy spirit also they are received but they never entered a life of victory the land of Canaan they wandering wander and wander in the wilderness that is light under the law are they redeemed by the blood of the Lamb yes they come out of Egypt out of Pharaohs power Satan's power yes but there's no victory in their life wandering wandering wandering all their life till they perish in the wilderness that is the life of many many believers him not understood the New Covenant because the god of the world has blinded their eyes so here is something that we need to think about what is it that has made us blind the Holy Spirit has come to open our eyes to see the truth so we see here we saw John chapter 1 let me show you one more thing in John chapter one we saw that grace and truth came through Jesus Christ but we also see here another thing in John chapter one and that is John chapter one verse 18 I told you three things number one the word becoming flesh as opposed to the word being written in the Old Covenant John 1:14 the second grace and truth john 1:14 as opposed to mercy in the old testament eenz forgiveness now we have grace unreality unable to be free from inner sin but reality freedom from hypocrisy possible in the New Covenant and the third John 1:18 knowing God is a father in the Old Covenant they never knew god is father no sick no person not even John the Baptist could look up to heaven and say father the first person who could look up to heaven and say father was Jesus Christ and on the day of his resurrection he told Mary Magdalene in John chapter 20 go and tell my brothers that's the first time Jesus called his disciples his brothers in John 15 the pre three night three days earlier at the Last Supper he told him I called you servants and now I call you friends but after the resurrection he calls them my brothers and he says tell him I ascend to my father and your father that's the first time he combined that phrase my father and your father till then it was my father or separately your father sometimes but now he says my father and your father now they had become had the possibility to become children of God who could look look up to God and say father and the Old Testament they were servants not sons and a believer was still experiencing only God's mercy and not his grace he's really under the Old Covenant still let me turn to Galatians in chapter 4 and verse 1 a child he may be born again is no different from a slave if he's still a child but we are called to be sons we read in Galatians for fire there's a difference between a child in the son a child is a picture of a believer who's under the Old Covenant his sins are forgiven Psalm 103 bless the Lord O my soul who forgives all your sins but he has not become a son because he's still a slave to sin in Galatians 4:1 the child is no different from a slave from the Old Covenant people even though he claims to own all of God's promises but he hasn't experienced them but God has sent the Spirit into us so that we might be sons this is very very important to understand let me share with you one more thing that Jesus said about the father when he was talking to the Samaritan woman he said something else about the New Covenant in John chapter 4 the Samaritan woman spoke about the Jews worshiping in that mountain and we Samaritans worshiping here and jesus replied to him and said in John's cry to her and said in John 4:23 the true worshipers will worship the father they worshiped God in the Old Testament now we worship our Father in spirit and he says in verse 20 for God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit that's the other wonderful thing about the New Covenant in the Old Covenant they could only worship in body and soul I have to rest through this but you can look at these references later 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says man is spirit soul and body insert remedy and in the Old Testament the tabernacle which had three parts outer Court holy place most holy place symbolized body soul and spirit and the most holy place was blocked off by a curtain called the veil symbolizing that God could not dwell in man's spirit God dressed there and nobody could go into that place but when Jesus died that veil was rent that was the opening of the New Covenant and now God can enter man spirit and we can enter into God's presence and we can worship God in spirit what's the difference between worshipping God in body and soul and the old testament they read the Psalms it's the soul is our mind and our emotions so when a person praises God with his mind in his emotional and claps and raises hands he is praising God in body and soul but he's not coming to the realm of the Spirit in our communication with God there are four steps the first is prayer where we ask God for what we need the second is Thanksgiving where we thank him for answered prayer the third is praise where we praise Him for who he is not for what he's done that's Thanksgiving and worship and worship is the one thing which most people don't even know what it is what most people call praise and worship in all of our churches is not praising worship it is praise and thanksgiving he said what does it matter if he called us one thing he called praise worship PO the phrase doesn't matter let me use an illustration supposing a man says to a friend of his I bought her a gift for you a Cadillac car and this poor man does not know what a Cadillac car is he doesn't even know what a car is he says go to this store and ask for it and that storekeeper cheats him by giving giving him a bicycle with the word Cadillac car written on it and he goes around thinking he's got a Cadillac car he didn't get it he just has a bicycle that's the difference between just calling praise worship when it is not worship at all does it make a difference it's simple there's a lot of difference between a bicycle and a Cadillac car and there's a as grand difference between praise and worship praises praising God for who he is let me show you what the New Testament says about worship in Romans in Chapter 12 it says it's such a wonderful gospel that he has described in the previous 11 chapters what should you do in return I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God which I've just described in levin chapters present your body a living and a Holy Sacrifice just like in the Old Testament on the altar they offered bulls and goats now he says present your body a living and a Holy Sacrifice to God that is your spiritual service of worship I saw the NASB translates it which is the accurate translation your worship in the spirit with Jesus spoke about to the Samaritan woman he told Samaritan women the time is coming when the true worshipers will worship God in spirit that was on the day of Pentecost that's when that time came before that nobody could worship in the spirit and here it says worship in the spirit is when you present your body as a living sacrifice to God in the Old Testament they had to cut up the Bullock called goat into pieces and so when we present our body we don't just say Lord take my body now we have to fulfill that Old Testament symbolism of cutting up our body Lord here is my tongue I never want to say what I want to say from now on with this done I never want to get angry with this done this dung is for to be used to speak words that glorify you and now the next piece of my body I cut it up and give it to your Lord my eyes I never want to look or read it anything that you would not want me to look at or read and my hands I'm cutting up my body Lord my hands are yours I offer it to you as an act of worship I never wanted to do or write anything with his hand which will dishonor you present your bodies a living sacrifice that is your worship in the spirit and not only that then allow your mind romans 12:2 to be changed into the mind of god renewing of your mind so that you know what the perfect will of God is so this is true worship where I've offered my body and my mind to the Lord for him to control now I want to turn you to another passage of Scripture we looked at John chapter 1 and that is in Hebrews chapter 8 with it New Covenant is again described in Hebrews 8 we read that in verse 7 if the first covenant Hebrews 8 7 was faultless there was no need for a second covenant let me explain that if the Old Covenant was faultless there was no need for a new covenant now that doesn't mean God made a mistake in giving the Old Covenant no that means the Old Covenant could not bring man to the place God wanted him to come which is to have the life of God he could only make man obey certain things and externally the Ten Commandments nine of them don't kill don't steal don't come at a tree etc but that was that was not God's plan God's plan was much more than that that his life should come inside in man's heart would obey that from the innermost being he would be pleasing to God because the Bible says 1 Samuel sorry in one seven sixteen years man looks on the outward appearance but God looks at the heart and the Old Covenant could only make people good in the outward appearance and a Christian who is good in his outward appearance but not in his heart is an Old Covenant Christian a Christian who is pure in his outward appearance but not pure in his art he's an Old Covenant Christian I'm not saying his sins are not forgiven but he has not understood the New Covenant at all and he's not experienced it because the New Covenant is in the heart so that's why the first covenant was faulty and he goes on to say in Hebrews eight I will make a new covenant and the three parts of that new covenant are described in verses 10 to 12 so I want to start from the bottom verse 12 first of all all your past sins forgiven and blotted out not only forgiven Hebrews 8:12 God says I will not remember that's the foundation of the New Covenant my past is blotted out and God says I will not even remember that we have to begin there then we go to the next thing all will know me as father they don't have to teach one another I will give the Holy Spirit to each person in the Old Testament the Prophet had to come and teach people about God not now 1 John chapter 2 all says you have an anointing that teaches you all things and here also all will know me personally you don't have to know about God from any other person why does God appoint teachers then to teach the Bible there's a lot of difference in knowing the Bible and knowing God a child can know his father even though he may not know literature or mathematics or any such thing that takes time but he can know his father from a very young age and in the New Covenant the important thing is knowing God not just knowing the Bible we must begin our day not just by reading the Bible but talking to the father talking to Jesus all shall know me they don't have to teach everyone his neighbor saying no the Lord so the Bible teacher is called to teach the Bible which God appoints teachers in the church to do that like I'm doing right now but knowing God I don't have to help you to know God you can know God yourself you need the Holy Spirit for that you don't need Zack Coonan or any other teacher for that the Holy Spirit seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit and you'll know God and the third part of the New Covenant is in verse verse 10 I will put my law in their mind and write them on their heart in the Old Testament when Moses went up to the mountain God gave him two tablets of stone one contained the first four commandments and the other contain the remaining six Commandments it was written on two tablets of stone made of rock almost as if to say to mankind that your hearts are harder than this rock I can write on the rock but I can't write it in your heart but then the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost and God could write his law on these two inner tablets what are the two inner tablets it says here in Hebrews eight in verse 20 the mind and the heart what does it mean when it says God writes his laws in our mind that means he gives us a desire to do the will of God but he then he writes it in a heart which is giving us the ability to do God's will so there are two things we need first of all it desire to do God's will and if you have that desire dear brother sister don't think you got it by yourself it's the Holy Spirit who worked in you to write God's law in your mind so that you desire to do God's will but that isn't complete the new covenant he has to write it in your heart and the heart is the place where we read in Hebrews 13 and verse 8 for the heart the heart should be strengthened by grace we saw when grace rules over us when we are under grace sin cannot rule over us it's like if you're standing under a roof the rain cannot fall on you in the same way when I'm under grace sin cannot touch me cannot rule me I can be tempted but I can't sin it's when I move out of grain that I sing he's good for the heart to be strengthened by grace when God writes his law in our heart it means he gives us strength to fulfill his will there are two things we need like it says in Philippians 2 God it is at work in us Philippians 2:13 to will and to do his good pleasure too will means he writes it in our mind to do his will means he writes it in our heart that is the new covenant so what did we see in Hebrews 8 the three parts of the new covenant past sins completely blotted out so god doesn't even says he won't even remember it secondly knowing God as a father through the Holy Spirit said I don't need to go to anybody else to help me to know God you can no doubt yourself and third where God gives me the desire and the ability to do the will of God this is wonderfully pictured in Hebrews chapter 10 where Hebrews chapter 10 we read a quotation Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 7 we read a quotation from Psalm 40 verse 7 and 8 right David says in Psalm 40 behold I've come in the volume of the book is written of me I delight to do your Will O God that Psalm 40 verse 78 I delight to do your Will O God that's the law written in the mind but Jesus says here in hebrews 10:7 I come to do your Will O God which is the law written in the heart you see the difference between the way Psalm 40 is quoted in Hebrews 10 it's not I delight to do your will but I come to do your will so Old Testament Saints may have had a desire to do God's will like many of you have but the question is has have you experienced that ability it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace so that we can do the will of God and now we turn to a third passage of scripture which emphasizes the New Covenant we saw John one we saw Hebrews eight and now we look at Matthew five six and seven which is known as the Sermon on the Mount now most people don't take the Sermon on the Mount seriously saying it's impossible to fulfill well let me tell you what Jesus said at the end of the Sermon on the Mount he gave three pictures two ways two trees and two houses so first of all he said the way I've described is a very narrow way there's a narrow gate by which we enter in when we are born again and then there's a narrow way that leads to life which is described in Matthew five six and seven and then he spoke about two trees he the important thing is not to try and copy this no he says your basic tree the life of Adam is bad battery has to be chopped down and the Holy Spirit has to plant another tree within you which gives you this life that enables you to obey Matthew five six and seven otherwise you try and try and try and you will fail all your life and the third picture he used is of two houses those who listen to my word listen to the Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:7 24 and do them but means they don't just listen and understand it they do it their house is built on the rock and then the second category of people who listen to it and don't do it their house is built on sand now both houses look all right as long as Christ hasn't come may look all right but when Christ comes the flood and the rain comes in there that house collapses so obedience to the Sermon on the Mount is a very very important part of the New Covenant when he turned with me to Matthew chapter 5 where Jesus said I did not come to abolish the law or the prophets either Old Covenant is abolished but God's law is not abolished the Word of God is not abolished the word is now becoming flesh so he says I come to fulfill that law how manifesting it in his life and leading us to the place where we can experience it in our lives and then he compares the old testament standard with the New Testament in Matthew 5 verse 20 he says unless your righteousness goes beyond the righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven I don't know how many of you understand that what was the righteousness of the Pharisees there was something good about it it was an external righteousness jesus said in Matt Matthew 23 to the Pharisees you clean the outside of the cup good Jesus was giving them a certificate than their external life was clean they didn't do the wrong things which the law kerbed but the inside of the cup is dirty he said and he connect that with this verse your righteousness must mean more than the righteousness of the Pharisees they cleaned only the outside of the cup you have to clean the inside of the cup if you want to enter the kingdom of heaven and to explain that he said okay I'll explain what I meant I'll explain what I meant when I said I've not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it let me give you a few examples number one the law said you shall not commit murder I have come to fulfill it how if you get angry and you keep on getting angry you can go to hell verse twenty-two anger in the heart is what produces murder on the outside so that's how the law is to be fulfilled not just according to the letter but in the life inwardly man looks on the outward appearance you don't commit murder you get a good testimony God looks at the heart there's anger there you have failed that righteousness of the law must be fulfilled inside then he says I'll give you another example the law said Matthew 5:27 you shall not commit adultery I seen you that's not enough if you commit adultery in your heart if you lust after women you watch pornography you have committed adultery with that whom you're looking at if you lust after a woman you committed adultery not if you see a woman not if you're attempted but if you lust after temptation is not sin Jesus was tempted but he did not sin until the end of her life will be tempted but it's when I yield to temptation when my will agrees with it that I used to say for example if a thought is flashed into my mind but dirty thought a bigger thought a grudge a thought of grand juror anxious thought of any type of thought and I rejected the thought came I was tempted I rejected it I did not sin Jesus was tempted turn the stones into bread he said no fall down and worship Me the devil said no was he tempted yes did he say no when one's will agrees with temptation then sin comes and so Jesus said your righteousness must be more than the external righteousness of the crisis which just cleans the outside of the cup the vast majority of Christians if they are honest they'll have to say that it's only outside of their cup that is clean the external life and the reason is they're satisfied with it and that God in the world has blinded their minds to the tremendous possibility of living this higher life of the New Covenant where these sins can be overcome sin shall not rule over you because you are no longer under the Old Covenant but under the New Covenant it's good for grace to strengthen your heart Hebrews 13 verse 8 then he gives some more examples he says for example the Old Testament it said in Matthew 5 here and you should love your neighbor and hate your enemy Matthew 5:43 but I say do you love your enemies the person who cannot love his enemy is not entered into the New Covenant the person who loves his friends and his brothers but it has got a bitterness against somebody maybe you're bitter against your mother-in-law dear sister you are under the Old Covenant face up to it seek God for that grace that will help you to overcome sin well you can love every person those who harmed you hated you done evil to you that you'll never wish any evil program you don't have any grudge against anybody it's a wonderful life this new life is it possible with grace yes without grace impossible any amount of determination will never get you there you can listen to this message and you say I've understood it all in the mind you've understood it but you need grace and there are two verses in James 4:7 and 1 Peter 5:5 it says God gives us grace to the humble if you don't get grace to overcome sin there is only one reason for it there's a pride in your heart a pride of who you are or your knowledge or something else or your position or whatever you are God resists the proud it says in those verses he can never get grace if you are proud and that's the main reason why people don't overcome sin I remember the olden days when I was seeking for victory over sin and I didn't know how to do it and I understood this but sin shall not have dominion over you now if you're under grace and I also saw that God gives us very slowly to the humble whenever I slipped up with my thoughts I'd go to God and say Lord why did I fail I know the answer I didn't get grace and I say why didn't I get grace there was some pride somewhere so when I slipped up in my thoughts what I would ask God is not why didn't I get grace or why did I fall I would ask God Lord show me where was I crowd or if I got angry somewhere some time with someone couldn't control my anger I go to God and say Lord where was i proud because if I was humble God would have given me great and if I had I was under grace I would have it through please keep this as a principle in your life any time you are defeated by any sin thought word or deed don't ask God why you fail the answer is you were proud because God always gives us grace to the humble and if you were humble you would not have fallen further in Matthew 6 he speaks about not seeking honor when you pray don't let people know about it pray in secret when you fast don't let people know about it when you give money don't let people know about it tithing is an Old Testament law all those who paid lights are under the Old Covenant who keep it as a law are under the old covenant in the New Testament there's not a single verse from Acts chapter 200 when the New Covenant was established of asking people to give 10% to God in the New Covenant the law is 100% all that you have belongs to God Luke 14:33 you can't be my disciple unless you give to God everything you possess that doesn't mean you got to put all your money in the offering box no but it means that all that you have belongs to God but how much should I give to God that is very clearly described in 2nd Corinthians 9 God loves a cheerful Giver as much as you can give cheerfully but recognize that everything belongs to God in other words all my possessions I say Lord oh here are my possessions I won't hold on to them that's possessing it I opened my palm and say this is yours all my possessions are yours you can keep it there or you can take it away God is to me free in the Old Testament they possessed it in the New Testament we offer up to God and say what you want you can take what you want me to keep your teeth but I don't live under a law of ten percent I don't live under that bondage I say Lord all that I have is yours tell me how to spend my money help me not to waste it help me do use it as the way you want me to use it that is new covenant discipleship a lot of people say oh well then God will make life miserable for me he won't allow me to spend it here and there maybe that's because you don't know God is a father your father make life miserable for you how could my Heavenly Father make life miserable for me impossible and the last part of me 7 an amount is about anxiety he says don't be anxious any person who's anxious has not entered into the new government very clear we can be concerned about situations but when you're anxious and worried it proves you don't know God is your father let's face up to it it's better to acknowledge and recognize our disease so that we can get healing if you keep denying the disease you'll never get healed say to yourself Lord anxiety is a sin because three times in Matthew 6 you said don't be anxious don't don't be anxious why did he repeat three times the same God who said do not commit murder said do not be anxious have you taken it that seriously yeah it says also do not love money Matthew 6:24 if I love money it's a sin I can have money but a lot of merchants is having am loving the New Covenant my whole heart is to love God with all my heart now when we hear all these things we said this is impossible in human strength it is impossible but with the power of God it is possible the last thing in Matthew and some on the mountains don't judge others now when you hear all this don't try to judge other people whether they're living up to the standard or not that's not your business judge yourself now I want to say one more thing about this new covenant and that is in Ephesians yeah told frequently about the heavenlies so let me conclude with Ephesians in Ephesians in chapter 2 it says that Jesus when we when he died we died with him and crucified with Christ we were buried with him and Ephesians 2:6 says he raised us up with him that means God raised us up with Christ and has seated us in the heavenly places Ephesians 2:6 and that's why it says in Colossians chapter 3 if you are risen with Christ seek those things that are above where Christ sits at the right hand of God the fusions two sixes we are seated right now in our spirit in the heavenly places in my spirit I'm not supposed to be living on this earth I'm seated in the heavenly places my values become heavenly when the Holy Spirit fills me and makes this real to me that I am a heavenly person I get heavenly values seek those things that are above why do we have those exhortations because the guard in the world is blinded people to their privileges in Christ and so here's another thing the heavenlies which is very very important first of all our mind is set on things above but another thing which we see says in Ephesians 6:12 I remember that years ago for 16 years of my life I was afraid of the devil I was afraid of a born-again I was afraid he could do me hard here he tripped me up here and there but that disappeared when I understood this Ephesians 6:12 we read our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the evil forces of darkness the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places so we see here that the Christians battle is not with human beings but with evil satanic forces in the spirit and what the Lord told me from Ephesians 6:12 is if you want strength to battle Satan make one decision in your life that you will never fight again with flesh and blood you will never fight with your wife or your neighbors or your brothers or anybody in the office you'll never fight with a human being we wrestle not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers I remember the days when it was very easy to get angry and to fight with people over so many things like Christians fight over property and money and all kinds of things I could not overcome Satan I was scared of Satan but when I came to this life a time came and the Lord said to me as you were afraid of Satan for many years now onward Satan will be afraid of you I praise God for that word that set me free I'm not afraid of the devil now because I refuse to fight with flesh and blood take that decision in the old testament they were always fighting with flesh and blood the Canaanites and the Midianites and the ammonites and all types of people there was the early enemies but Jesus never fought with anyone somebody slapped him on his face he didn't fight back he only fought with the devil in the New Covenant we do not fight with human beings any of you who are arguing and fighting with human being whether your wife or anybody else my dear brother let me say to you very lovingly you are under the Old Covenant but you don't have to stay there God has made a way for you trust him have faith that God can give you grace you can be saved from that bad habit through faith by grace and in Ephesians there's another thing which is mentioned and that is the body we are built together it says in Ephesians 5 and verse 9 19 verse 16 the whole body is fitted and held together and grows up in love that's the last thing I want to mention in the nucleolus they could not work as a body they were all lone individuals and this is the final and most important part of the New Covenant today I'm not a lone individual the great prophets in the Old Testament are all lonely people starting with Enoch Noah all the way up to John the Baptist Jeremiah Isaiah they never worked in fellowship with anybody else always alone because they couldn't get along with anybody else you put two prophets together in the Old Testament they fight because they were not under grace but now two can become one and that's how the overcome Satan Jesus said in Matthew chapter 18 where two or three this is referring to the church this is the finest descriptions of the church Matthew 18 and verse 20 where two or three are gathered together in my name not those who gather together that is we gathering ourselves know gathered by the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit brings two or three people filled with the Holy Spirit together in Jesus name there's the beginning of a church that's what we've experienced that's what I've experienced forty-five years ago two or three gathered together by the Holy Spirit and they become one which says in verse 19 evacuating if they are agreed together agreed in spirit that was impossible under the Old Covenant this is what fellowship is in the Old Covenant they didn't have fellowship those lone individuals today we call fellowship sitting in a meeting together with all the others and singing and listening to us that's not fellowship fellowship is a deep unity in our hearts the type of unity a husband and wife must have which will drive Satan out of their home completely I have taken Matthew 18:20 first of all to from my own family I say Lord with my wife I want to be so one with her agreed about everything and I know that you'll be the third person in the midst and then Matthew 18:18 what I bind on earth will be bound in heaven and when problems arose physical problems financial problems I could bind Satan we could put together bind Satan and drive murderer home we could protect our children from the attacks of Satan if two or three are united without any inward separation what a word the devil is done in separating husband and wife fighting quarreling with each other they make sure they never one body and they have no power over Satan and the devil comes you know when a husband and wife are like this the devil can't come through but if he makes a gap between them he comes right through and detects the children that's how the children suffer it's so important to understand fellowship beginning with the husband and wife in the Old Covenant there was no emphasis on the home it doesn't matter how you brought up your children Moses children were wayward Samuel children were wayward they were still prophets but in the New Covenant it says if your children are wavered you cannot be an elder in a church if you're divorced you cannot be an elder in a church because you've got two wives so there are many things like this in the New Covenant which I will not then for come in family life fellowship in the family which leads on to fellowship in the church and that's the last thing I want to say it so I rushed through this I hope you can listen to the message later on and take time and what I said in one hour you should probably take 10 hours to listen going through each Scripture and asking God to make those words real to you that the word which is written there must become flesh in you make that your prayer Lord I want the world to become flesh I want to experience grace that strengthens my heart I want to experience not only a desire to do your will but actually doing it I want to know you as father so I don't have to go to somebody else to know God I know you personally and Lord I want to experience your writing your law in my mind in my heart and to experience the reality of building my life on that firm foundation mentioned in Matthew five six and seven and finally building fellowship in my home and in the church so that the gates of Hell can be overcome by a living Church may that be true in your life as you realize I had to rush through it because of the time but please take time to go through this message slowly thank God that we can preserve these this message on tape and we can listen to it later on the internet I would encourage you to take ten hours to listen to this slowly little by little and make it real in your life let's pray Heavenly Father there's so much in your word is so much of the New Covenant and I believe even what I've said today I've only scratched the surface of it man can never do what your Holy Spirit can do please Lord let your Holy Spirit speak to everyone who's been listening now and you will listen in the future and bring them not to understand these truths Lord but to experience it so that the word will become flesh in their lives we pray in Jesus name Amen thank you brother Zack for that wonderful message so refreshing to hear these new comment truths you know so the next I would say like maybe 10 minutes or so what we will take I have a few questions but Zack if you don't mind this will be beneficial for everyone if you can answer this question some okay so the first question is your last point about the body of Christ now I look at this group just so many countries are represented here I saw people from Germany Belfast nay nopal Bahamas Ghana Australia Scotland - Nigeria so many places so I realize that many of these brothers and sisters don't have a local fellowship what is your advice to these brothers who are listening to you and don't have a fellowship okay no when I when we we planted a church and by not we God planted a church in August 1975 but that was a result of many many years of preparation the preparation was I'd discovered that the weight of fruitfulness is John 12:24 fall into the ground and die if a grain of wheat does not fall into the ground and die it remains alone and if a person does not have fellowship you don't even fellowship it is because he has not been willing to fall into the ground inwardly and to die to himself every day jesus said take up your cross every day and follow me Luke 9:23 link that with John 12:24 if you fall into the if you don't fall into the ground and die you will be alone I decided the greatest work I can do for God in India is to fall into the ground and die and till then I was alone but when I decided I'm gonna die more grains of wheat came up little by little by little and that law applies universally any farmer knows that you so see guys if you preserve it in a glass case in your sitting room that'll be one we great a week forever so there's no excuse for a person being alone he can be the loneliest person a place in the world he can be an esky bowl and God will give him fellowship I believe that because he wants a church in every place in the book of Malachi chapter 1 God says I'll have a pure testimony in every place from east to west that is God's will so that's what I would say fall into the ground and die and pray to God to lead you to someone who has a hunger for the truth share the written word or give them a link to this video or something and pray that God will lead you to somebody in your locality who is wanting the truth and once you get one person like that in right the person home or the family home to watch a video perhaps which will help him to understand these truths and little by little a fellowship can be built starting with two or three gradually it can become a church thank you brother Zack you mention a lot in your messages about seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit right so two questions on that what is the practical way of I mean I remember when I was in a Pentecostal church that I went and like everybody to home here you have to shout hallelujah you know so what's the practical way a believer can seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit and how do we know that we're baptized in the words first of all nobody can coach you into speaking in tongues or the baptism the Holy Spirit the mark of the baptism the Holy Spirit first so how do you know that you've got the Holy Spirit's the full first of all the word baptism baptism is a word which means immersion now there are two ways in which I can be immersed in water one is I go into a tank which is baptism in water the other is if I'm standing under a waterfall and drenched that is the baptism in the Holy Spirit rather Spirit of God comes upon me like a water fall upon me and how do I know the spirit of God's company jesus said in max1 and verse 8 when the Holy Spirit has come upon you like this baptism of the Holy Spirit that drenches you you will receive power that is the mark not tongues tongues may come it's one of the gifts God gives to some people 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 says chapter on chapter 14 say that it's a gift given to some people just like he gives the gift of teaching or the gift of evangelism to some people this but so we don't see for that that we leave it to God to decide what gift to give us but every person can receive power power for what verse 8 power to be a witness for Christ not bear witness bear witness means with lips to be a witness means by my life my words go read carefully you shall receive power to be de a witness not bear witness many people confuse that and so that is the so how shall I seek for it first of all I need to realize that I don't have it and I desperately need it and the answer is in John chapter 7 where Jesus said in verse 37 if anyone is thirsty that's the first thing desperately thirsty you see me me I'm a little bit of thirst if somebody says would you like a glass of water yeah I like a glass of water right now but if I say this glass of water costs a million dollars or a hundred million rupees you see all I'm not that thirsty sorry I'm not so keen on it so what thirst are you thinking of am I so thirsty that I'm willing to give up anything but this part of the Holy Spirit most people are not no they're searching for the part the Holy Spirit like you lose you lose a few cents in the grassy place at night and how long will you look for it but if you lost a million dollars in currency note somewhere how would you look for that first a hunger that is the number one thing if anyone is thirsty let him come to me the second thing is faith if you believe in me out from your innermost being rivers of living water will flow I found that I had thirst like fast and pray and see God but I could not believe I wanted some external sign no it's by faith it's my naked faith a faith that comes when God gives you an assurance I've heard your prayer and I would say it pray and trust God you pray sincerely believe that he'll give you what you asked for hold on to that and say Lord I don't want an external sign give me an inner assurance that I am filled with the Holy Spirit and leave it to God how he gives it to you many of you are born again you know that your your sins are forgiven I ask you how do you know did you see some sign you boys how do you know your sins are forgiven you see I know it exactly the same way the same way you got assurance of forgiveness of sins you can be sure you're baptized in the Holy Spirit if you seek with first and faith yeah thank you and before you join we had a session I mean I was just talking to different brothers from all over the place I notice that many of them are involved in different ministry and one other thing that you're teaching blessed me to have a balance between the ministry and the life of Jesus like would you mind taking a couple of minutes about how to be balance the ministry and the life of Christ okay I think of it like a three-story building the foundation is John 1723 God loves me just like he loved Jesus absolutely assured that I have a father in heaven who loves me who will never let me go if you don't have that foundation you can't even live the life properly you will have no ministry I must never never doubt it unshakable foundation my Heavenly Father loves me exactly like he loved Jesus John 17 23 on that I might in the first story of that building oh we just call the ground floor in some places our first floor in some places the first storey of that building is I keep a good conscience like Paul said in acts 24:16 like Jesus said keep your eye clear there's a conscience that means anytime my conscience makes me about something I confess immediately if I've hurt somebody I go and ask his forgiveness immediately if you lost your temper at your wife you've confessed to God and ask forgiveness my wife immediately that is keeping a good conscience that is the first story of the building don't even think of ministry if you haven't got this all the time if you feel you've done something wrong financially set it right if you borrowed from money from people give it back keep your conscience absolutely clear acts 24:16 day and night a conscience clear before God in men on top of that is the second story and that is my family life if you're married with your wife and children if you're a child at home honor your father and mother and if you're married you have to build your relationship with your wife and children but I'm not saying that they have to be spiritual you must be spiritual in your attitude towards them even if your wife is unconverted even if your wife is like a witch or a devil you can still love her like Christ loved that's entirely up to you and if you seek to bring up your children like that you God will bless them and they grow up and go out of the home as well and the third story is the ministry where we build a church now many people are trying to build that third storey of the ministry without being assured of God's love without keeping a clear conscience and without building their family life no wonder there's chaos all over I came to the place where I said Lord I want to give up my ministry if I can't settle these things first and because I decided that God enabled me to build this house Foundation first story second story and third story ministry Thank You brothers an another question so many people when we share this new common truth with other people they accuse us saying that hey these are all you're talking about earning your salvation right you know the things that you said dying - are some things like you know being humble things like they say you can't do that that God has to do in you right how do we respond to that yeah it's true that God has to do it it says in Philippians 2:13 God is at work in you to write his law in your mind in your heart it's God is doing it not me to will and to do his good pleasure Philippians 2:13 the two tablets of stone Philippians 2:13 but it says here we have to work it out in Philippians 2:12 I have to work out what God works in me or to use the illustration of Jesus in Matthew 11:29 take my yoke upon you they all saw two Bullock's plowing the field and I don't know how to plow a straight furrow I'm a crooked sinful person and Jesus says take my yoke upon you let me be the senior Bullock put my yoke upon your neck and walk at my pace I'll help you Jesus teach mean the flowers straight furrow so that's not earning my salvation no I can never think about forgiveness of my past sins a million good works will not forgive even one of my persons it's only the blood of Jesus Christ by which my persons can be forgiven it's only the death of Christ on Calvary that saves me from the guilt of my past life so that is salvation in the past tense but I need to be saved in the present tense from the power of sin people confuse salvation from the penalty of sin with salvation from the power of sin we're not work we are not working out salvation from forgiveness for forgiveness of sins no that's free I can never do anything to get it but right now I have to you know like even in Ephesians I read that words let me repeat it by grace are you saved through faith everybody knows that words it is a gift of God not of works Ephesians 2:8 and 9 and then what after that then God has created us for good works Ephesians 2:10 that we should walk in them which God planned beforehand God has planned something for my life before I was born I have to fulfill that a lot of people stopped with 8 and 9 if he's just to 89 what about verse 10 first 10 is the building it's like Jesus said some people lay a foundation Luke 14 and then forget about it and people will laugh at them many Christians are like that when it comes to a physical house nobody will lay a foundation and stop there but in their personal life they lay a foundation forgiveness of sins on cleared myself past sins are all forgiven what about the house brother what about living with a good conscience what about building your family what are having ministry no and they say if anybody tries to do that they see that's you're trying to turn your salary no I can never earn my salvation my forgiveness of sins was a free gift of God and even what I am doing now is by God working in me to write his law in my heart I cannot take credit for overcoming anger no unlike the branch in the tree the moment it's cut off even if I have overcome sin for 40 years I will fall today and dependent like the in the tree which has produced fruit for 40 years it still needs to be in the tree so I'm not running my salvation and just dependent on the on the branch dependent on the tree trusting Christ for everything for my forgiveness as well as for my present life in Christ alright so this is gonna be our last question then we're anything official meeting so you mentioned about knowing God as a father and being secure in God's love but I don't always feel like I love my God how do I overcome that yeah see in our mind there is emotion and intellect I'm not supposed to live in my mind and to use my mind but deeper than my mind is my spirit and the way into my spirit is in my will my will is the door into my spirit when I deny my will I allow Christ to come into my spirit otherwise I'm only in my mind and feeling a lot of Christians live in their mind and feelings I understand it I'm excited about it it means nothing brother if you don't heal your will that's taking up the cross saying no to your will and let Christ come in so I'm not a living feeling oh I feel this about no in my will I know God is my father I know that clearly what does it matter in fact you don't feel like it it doesn't make any difference so I know God is my father and that only the Holy Spirit can give you that assurance so I don't live by feeling the same way with anxiety the Bible says rejoice in the Lord always that is not a feeling feeling is what we call happiness rejoicing in the Lord is because God is always on the throne he's never given up his position on the throne he's promised that everything will work together for my good and he works in inside me through the Holy Spirit that's why I believe those words and whether I feel or don't feel makes no difference I say I refuse to live by my feeling I live in my will that's why I never get discouraged I remember I told you I was defeated for sixteen years I was so frequently discouraged those days because I lived in my feelings I don't live in my feelings anymore so many temptations can come so many things can be wrong but I say Lorna I've got a father in heaven who runs this universe who works everything for my good who will not allow me to be tested beyond my ability 1 Corinthians 10:13 and that is the foundation of my life and so I I don't shake I'm built on the rock amen and that's exactly how Jesus live right John 6:38 right I have come from heaven to earth not to do my will but to do my father's right thank you brother Zak this has been so encouraging so refreshing and thank you so much for your time and by blessing us you know that your willingness to come and share this message with all of us

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Length: 76min 21sec (4581 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 24 2020