Overcoming Satan And Judging Ourselves by Zac Poonen

one of the things that I have been concerned about not only in CFC Bangalore but in number of our CFC churches is the lack of spiritual growth in people who have been here for many many years I'm not talking about newcomers the newcomers are in the kindergarten it's okay but if people have been here twenty twenty-five years and are still in the kindergarten that begins to concern me as much as it will concern you if your son or daughter sat in the kindergarten for 25 years it should disturb and then if that happens with your child you'd probably take that child to a doctor and say is there something wrong with this child that he can't understand he goes to school every day but he doesn't seem to be making any progress in his education I don't know whether all of you are as concerned about your own progress spiritually as you would be about your children are you as concerned about spiritual development as education you've heard me often say that people choose even Christians who come to CFC choose the best for their children in education the best for their family and medical treatment here do you we don't I mean we people in other churches just sit in their old churches but here you may come to this church and say well I belong to CFC it doesn't solve the problem it still may be true that you don't value your spiritual development as much as you value medical facilities for your family supposing you took your child to a hospital and not being treated well any family member you would be concerned and you would change the hospital so many people say yeah CMC is the best Church we have found good but you can sit here and imagine that everything you hear and understand in your mind is true in your life that's one of the greatest deceptions that Satan puts upon God's people that what they've understood in their mind they think we've got it for example I think many of you would say you understand the New Covenant but according to my assessment I'd say more than 75 80 percent of people here don't have a clue what New Covenant is in their life it's a fact I'm talking about this church I'm not talking about some other Church but you understood it in your mind you can explain it so we need to ask ourselves why because Christ is coming and we don't want to stand before him having wasted our life especially sitting here and receiving all the opportunities you had to grow so I want you to think about certain things which you pass good for example this is one of the very important verses James chapter 1 to prevent ourselves from deceiving ourselves James 1 how do you deceive yourself James 1:26 if a man thinks himself to be religious so let me read it like this if a man thinks that he's understood the New Covenant so well that he can even explain it to others but he cannot control his tongue when he speaks to his wife or when she speaks to her husband or when he's in the office or when he speaks to the auto rickshaw driver who's cheated him or to the porter in the railway station errs cheating him and he cannot control his tongue he is deceiving himself that he's understood the new covenant his understanding of the New Covenant is worthless he doesn't understand a thing now do I now do you understand why I say 80% of people sitting here have not understood the New Covenant judge yourself by one thing how much can you control your tongue at home how much can you control your tongue when you speak to people who are at a lower social level than you your servants etc how do you treat them we had a so-called brother here many years ago who he and his wife had a servant girl from some poor place here working for them and he treated her so badly burnt her skin with some hot plate and beat her and made her lie in the bathroom in a wet bathroom and she got so sick her kidneys were affected she had to be taken to hospital in the hospital said are you guys from CFC they knew about us and that brother a few days later when I heard about it invited me to his little boy's birthday party I said I'll never enter your house till you go and apologize to that poor girl and her parents for treating her like that just because you're so rich and you have so much money I'm glad that brother left the church will never enter CFC we don't want such people who treat others badly just because somebody is in a lower social level you ask yourself my brothers and sisters how you treat people at a lower social level I'll tell you something God will treat you exactly like that that's the way the Bible says that and I've repeated that verse many times and I want to say it again please turn with me to some 18 I believed in it I practiced it I've had people working in my home and they saw Christianity in me I see what the Bible says in Psalm 18 and verse 25 with the kind you show yourself kind if you want God to be kind to you let me tell you one thing one thing forget about everything else be kind to other people especially to people you think are lower than you you have to correct them of course don't we correct our children but are you cruel to your children no be kind even correction we have to be kind in correction you have to correct your servants you've got to correct people in your office or factory who work under you otherwise nothing will get done if you don't correct them of course I remember when I was in the military I had to even pull up a sailor if he didn't salute me I didn't care for salutes myself but if there were two stripes on my shoulder I was representing the Navy and I had to keep discipline but I wouldn't be unkind I wouldn't speak rudely you must not if you're a Christian you must be known by the way you use your tongue not just to other brothers and sisters here but especially when nobody sees you when people don't know you and to people who are at lower sexual level and God sees it and I'll tell you something I've seen it through the years with the kind God always shows himself kind and the reason why many people do not grow is because they are not kind but it says here in the last part of verse 26 but with those who are crooked crooked are those who live one life before other believers and quite another life in private there it says God will also show himself as to total margin says twisted that means hey this is not a God I expected to treat me yes that's how he's treating it because you're treating other people like that that's why he doesn't answer your prayers you can pray as much in your life but God's not going to listen it's very very important dear brothers and sisters that we do not deceive ourselves the self deception is one of the greatest problems in among Christians we imagine that we are even imagine that we are following Jesus C 2nd corinthians in chapter 11 see the corinthians were pretty carnal and worldly and their disputes and fights and quarrels and one of the things paul told them in 2nd Corinthians 11 is they were listening to people who were preaching another Jesus not another God not another God of some other religion no they're talking about Jesus but it's not the Jesus of the Bible another Jesus and if you go to Christian television today and listen to a lot of those programs I tell you many of them are preaching another Jesus and I'm sorry to say there are people who sit in CFC and have been here many many years who have been listening to those Christian television programs from other people for so many years and they have not grown spiritually and that children are wayward because they don't realize the effect of listening to another Jesus ask yourself is this the Jesus the Bible speaks about when these guys speak about when they ask you for money on television for example where did Jesus ask people for money that's one single item is enough for me to cancel out somebody completely never to listen to him and all these people who boast in the Christian TV about having raised the dead and all are you so foolish to swallow all that and the people who say they've gone to heaven and come back and tell you stories and I've told you many times Paul came back from heaven and he said I'm not permitted to speak what I hear there that's the mark of a man man who really went up to heaven but it's amazing how people are so ignorant of all these things and I've seen in talking to some of you sometimes I quote a very well-known verse and not the reference I say here's what the Bible says and the brother doesn't even a clue that there's such a verse in the Bible this is people have sat in CFC for years I'm simply amazed and the reason is they do not study the Bible on their own all their Bible study is what they hear on Sunday morning and that's it well I can only warn you but I'm telling you this and don't blame me in the day of judgment many of you are gonna get a big surprise when Christ comes again and you stand before him and you who think you're so spiritual you'll get the shock of your life when you discover what Jesus taught up thought about you so please listen carefully what is another Jesus one who forgives your sin but doesn't save you from your sin matthew 1:21 is the first promise in the new testament which says then name jesus means he will save not forgive he will save his people from their sins forgiveness is in the Old Testament David wrote in Psalm 103 bless the Lord O my soul who forgives all my sins David how many sins of yours did he forgive all of them he lived in one thousand years before Christ and he could testify bless the Lord who's forgiven all my sins if you can say that good you're in line with David one thousand years before Christ but after Christ has come what is should be a testimony bless the Lord who saves me from my sinful habits one by one how many sinful habits my brother sister have you overcome since you came to CFC ask yourself and some of you are slipping back into those old habits some of you who when you were first converted did not watch the type of movies you are watching in secret now don't fool yourself that you sit in CFC and everything's all right I'll tell you in Jesus name you probably lost your salvation because you're believing in another Jesus and your parents allow all that don't afterwards weep when your children go astray so why are my children going astray I'll tell you because you fed them these little poison a little bit at a time when they were small that's why they go astray that's why they have all these spiritual sicknesses that is another Jesus and it says here about people in verse 4 who receive a different spirit Christendom is full of people who imagine they have the Holy Spirit and is not making them holy I said what type of holy spirit is this that doesn't make you holy evil spirits do a perfect job of making people evil unclean spirits do a perfect job of making people unclean and you asked some of these people what is the Holy Spirit - oh he makes us speak in tongues really well unclean spirits can make people I've heard myself people with demons speaking in tongues and when the demon is cast out they stop speaking in tongues but a demon never makes a person holy it's another spirit you be careful about that in the world I believe in the genuine gift of tongues it's a wonderful gift with which we can praise and worship God in secret it's for private use like the Apostle Paul said but that's not the mark of the Holy Spirit's fullness evil spirits make people evil unclean spirits maple Michael unclean you ask a child what does the Holy Spirit make people he will say holy why is that not happening I don't mean suddenly but is there a progression are you going from kindergarten to first standard to second standard to third standard year by year that's my question I'm not asking you whether you got your PhD in one year no what are you progressing at least from one class to the next it's very important I'm saying this strongly because I believe that it's quite likely that we may all be alive when Christ returns I don't know when Christ will return but all the wars and rumors and Wars and especially the plagues that are coming around the world now it is I call it a plague the box book of Revelation says there will be such plagues towards the end of time to me that's an indication of the coming of the Lord it's not something we worried about synthol you're gumming fine I want to be ready I don't want to just go around with mosques and taking tablets I don't see my heart is clean your mosques and all look at that fear people have of getting a little a little germ is so careful and you know I believe these marks cost about hundreds of dollars now because there's such a shortage of it it's so careful about such a small teeny-weeny germ and they allow such big sins in their life are they Christians or heathen the heathen being like that I can understand I'm not saying we shouldn't be careful about protecting ourselves health-wise but I should be a million times more careful protecting myself from sin from a sinful thought from a sinful attitude towards somebody from sinful words much more than any virus in the world that's the mark of a Christian that is much more afraid of sin than of sickness and I want all of you to ask yourself one question this morning are you more afraid of sin or are you afraid of sickness that's gonna spread in Bangalore soon which is more afraid of which will you try to take precautions about that's a question that'll show whether you're a serious Christian or not after sitting all these years in CFC dear brothers please listen to me I'm not angry with you I'm really seeking to lead you so that you don't get a surprise in the day of judgment that's my primary concern because I have a responsibility the Bible says do you know that the Bible says that I have to give an account for all those who've listened to me let us see this verse in Hebrews 13 Hebrews 13 and verse 17 obey your leaders and submit to them I'm not talking about submitting to them and what they asked you to do in earthly things but there are your leaders are those who teach you some spiritual things if you recognize somebody as your leader spiritually then obey Him I'm not asking you to obey everybody who calls himself an elder or a leader but if you the responsibilities on you if you recognize and have confidence in someone as a spiritual leader whom you respect because of his life and his words you better obey Him for your own salvation and you better submit to him because such a person is keeping watch over your soul that's why I speak as I do because that leader has to give an account to God one day what has he got to in a given account did you speak the truth the Lord will ask me I know did you try to impress anybody did you just crack jokes to make people laugh did you tell them the truth were you influenced by anybody's friendship or money or anything did you seek honor or somebody you're such a special friend of yours that you would never correct him that's what the Lord's going to ask me that's why the Bible says don't become a teacher because you will get a greater judgment and it says here in verse 17 let those leaders be able to reply to God with joy concerning you now I never realize this you know it's it's a serious word but I don't understand how it works on the day of judgment but let them not do it with grief because if they have to do it with grief that'll be unprofitable for you how does that apply think of that think of the day of judgment and the Lord is going to ask a leader to give an account concerning you and if they cannot give a proper report about you that'll be grief for you will be unprofitable for you what does that mean I've thought about that I always thought well all of us are going to stand individually and nobody's got God's not going to ask anybody else about us because he doesn't have to he knows everything about our life he knows everything about our life why should he ask some leader about somebody in their church but I believe the Bible I believe God knows everything about our life but you know we have the habit of justifying ourselves I've seen that with 45 years I've seen with people you say something and they'll justify no no no it was not like that or that is another reason I've heard it from every Tom Dick and Harry there's hardly anybody I've met who will honestly say yeah brother that was the truth always there's some justification like Adam my wife gave it to me or something like that and you ask even so you say the serpent told me it's always some other reason I've hardly found a godly person who would say young brother I have no excuse that was my fault rare it goes exceptionally well with such people always there is an excuse you ask yourself especially those of you who think you're pretty spiritual you ask yourself whether you find a temptation to justify yourself because you don't want to acknowledge that you made a blunder you don't want to acknowledge that you were so unspiritual that you didn't have discernment there that you did something stupid or foolish you don't want to admit that because you've given an impression of being so spiritual so you have to say oh but it was because with this and but it was because of that jesus said to the Pharisees you are those who justify yourselves before men and such self justification is an abomination before God I never want to have an abomination god no no I don't want to justify myself I see something I see yeah I'm sorry it's my mistake I'm not perfect I'm pressing on to perfection because it'll be unprofitable for you Noah this is the words are still not understood fully but I understand it like this if I read it that the Lord will ask people when they come before him is this right that you did not submit to these this person whom I appointed as your leader and of course you come up with your justification yeah I'm Lord I did that and I did this and that thing then the Lord will call the leader okay now tell me what do you think of this guy not because God didn't know but he wants you to hear it from the mouths of that leader and if he says yes Lord I tried to correct the person number of times but I preached to a number of times to them of the church but what could I do they just took it for granted they assumed that everything is okay and then the Lord say okay then he'll ask you have you heard it now he want me to repeat those messages you heard now before you see we got all eternity to judge you dear brothers this is not some fairy tale this is actually going to happen and you will not have a chance to live your life again this is the only chance you get to live this life you will not get a chance dare to set anything right it is appointed unto men once to die Hebrews 7 if you don't know that verse Hebrews 7 and after that the judgment that's all this is no other after that the judgment once you die and that's a judgment that's all but it says here that Jesus is always living to pray for us for the for us it says in verse he ever lives verse 25 to continuously pray for us he's always living to him to see he wants to save us but he wants to save us from that final judgment and that's why he warns us even now Hebrews 9:27 I'm sorry not Hebrews 7 Hebrews 9:27 it's appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment there's nothing after that nothing in between wants to die and then the judgment so the only time I have to correct myself or judge myself is now and judging oneself is something the world knows almost nothing about the devil deceives us that we do not judge ourselves let me tell you two or three things you have to be careful about if you don't want the devil to deceive you and then I'll go into the matter of judging ourselves there are many places but I can think of three passages of Scripture God spoken to me first of all Ephesians 6 three passages of scripture to protect you from Satan's deception Hebrews six and sorry vision six sorry Ephesians six and verse 12 our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers world force of darkness spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places in the Old Testament nobody fought the devil nobody not even Elijah not even John the Baptist there's no record of Satan in the Old Testament except in Genesis chapter three job chapter one and two and one place in David's life where he was tempted by Satan and then you read towards the end of the Old Testament with Zechariah seeing a vision but you never find a single case of anyone confronting Satan directly in the entire Bible the first person who confronted Satan directly was Jesus Christ God does not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability if God let loose the devil on the Israelites even Abraham Elijah Elijah would all be knocked out even John the Baptist would have been knocked out but when Jesus came there so god withheld the devil from doing anything until then but after Jesus came and Satan was defeated on the cross now it's the other way around to resist the devil and he will flee from you James 4:7 and we read in 1 John 4:17 as the Lord Jesus is so are we in the world and I remember once the Lord showing me from that verse as you were afraid of the devil once the devil will be afraid of you from now on I want to ask you a question do you believe that you can live a life where the devil is afraid of you as you were once afraid of the devil so many males I get from people oh brother the devil's harassing me or the devil Sara Samir I think are you Christians or what I mean the devil's harassing me here and there it's because we fight with human beings that we cannot fight to the devil that's what the Lord told me when one of them one of the things that the Lord showed me after I got baptized in the Holy Spirit you know when I got before I got baptized the Holy Spirit I never cast out a demon I was scared of demons I'll tell you I didn't I hope I'd never confessed meet a demon I've heard a big preachers and all who are not baptized in holy spirit once some demon-possessed person came there in the room and this preacher was preaching and he said I can't cast out the demon but I can cast you out so the demon will go so they threw the man out of the hall that's the way they deal with them the Old Covenant throw the man out and the demon will go but that's not how Jesus did it he cast the demon out I couldn't do that but when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit I suddenly got taken into a world which is another world a spirit world where I found spiritual realities a reality of the Holy Spirit the reality of God speaking to our heart the reality of Satan the baptism of the Holy Spirit lives you into another realm it's like being lifted up in an aeroplane some other level many people who talk about baptism the Holy Spirit they are still living at Earth level and thinking they're baptized the Holy Spirit tremendous deception 90% of people 95% of people who say they're baptized in Holy Spirit are not baptized in the Holy Spirit at all I know what happened to me and one of the things the Lord said to me is from now on don't ever fight with men if you want power over Satan refused to fight with men because if you struggle with flesh and blood you cannot fight with evil spirits Paul said we don't struggle with flesh and blood Ephesians 6:12 and I decided that day that I will never again fight with a human being not even about doctrine if somebody comes to me and say brother Zack you are teaching false doctrine okay go ahead believe what you like I will not argue with you because I refuse to fight with flesh and blood so that I can fight the devil and make him flee from me so that if I meet a demon-possessed person with one word he that demon should go and I should not be afraid dear brothers this is not for spiritual leaders it's for every believer Jesus did not overcome Satan just for some special group of people for every single believer for you even if you're a young believer I remember hearing of a a man of God in China years ago maybe eighty years ago or so 90 years ago who was in that village he was the one person who's really filled with the spirit would cast out demons and everybody was demon-possessed they'd bring into that house in one day they brought somebody demon-possessed person to his house and he was not at home so his twelve-year-old son said bring him in and he cast the demon out because he'd seen his dad do it so often and he was living with the clear conscience he did exactly what his dad did and that chap is delivered you don't need to be 60 years old before you do such things is Jesus who did it on the cross for us and you stand on that victory you're a 12 year old if you believe it it can be true for you it's all a question of faith not of age but you got to stop fighting with flesh and blood we struggle not against flesh and blood but against these evil forces if you want power over Satan in your home if you want to restrain the forces of evil from entering your home from attacking your home attacking your children I'll tell you give you one advice stop fighting with human beings stop from today fighting with your wife your husband your neighbour your relatives your in-laws who cheated you for the property or your whatever they do your mother-in-law whatever it is you will not have power over Satan then you will just come and sit in a church and sing songs but Satan will laugh at you and market you that's the first thing I want to say secondly in Ephesians also in chapter 4 it says here in verse 26 be angry but don't sin there is an anger which is not sinful like Jesus was angry when he took the whip and chased the money changers out he was angry when the Pharisees were not allowing to heal a sick person that's a righteous anger and I asked the Lord once about this how do i distinguish in my mind between righteous anger and unrighteous anger and I got a very clear answer I say and you know what I always say look at the dictionary when you don't know the meaning of a verse look at the dictionary and to me the dictionary is the life of Jesus Christ just like for English we have a dictionary for the Bible we have the life of Jesus the word became flesh so in that word become flesh I understand what the word means and so I looked at Jesus when was he angry when people are exploiting others when people were making money in the name of religion to be christ-like you must be angry when people make money in the name of religion if you look at a pastor making money in the name of religion and you're not angry I'd say you're not christ-like that's all something's wrong with you you're not christ-like you're seeking your own honor so that's the place where he was angry or when the Pharisees would not allow to help a poor helpless person when was he not angry and they called him the devil when they spat on his face when they beat him whipped him crucified him never angry so I learned from the dictionary I got the meaning when should I be angry when should I not be angry meaning is whenever it concerns the glory of God and the things of God I must be angry if it's being Dishonored wherever by whoever even if it's by a famous preacher doesn't matter nobody's greater than God or his word but I must never be angry when people do something to me or say something about me they can call me the devil they can call me false prophet they call me any name or they can spit on my face or do whatever if I get angry because somebody does something to me I am NOT it is an unrighteous anger the only place where I'm a fourth can afford to get angry is where something concerns the glory of God if somebody did not respect me forget it Who am I to deserve respect my Savior was wash your feet why should I respect respect from anyone I must honor all men yes the Bible says that but Bible doesn't say get everybody to honor you no I'm not interested so it's very very important that we don't get angry in anything concerning ourselves when you get angry make sure it's not sinful anger that's the meaning of that verse make sure it concerns the glory of God the house of God the name of God those are the things like for example if you see the name of the Lord being dishonored in this country it should make you angry not against people but against the devil I'm concerned about all the Christians who are bringing such dishonor to God's name by their behavior yeah I'd be concerned if Christians bring a bad name to CFC by their behavior definitely here we are trying to be a pure testimony for the Lord and here's some guy goes and does something stupid and brings a bad name on the church and he doesn't even repent about it we've had cases like that they have some justification or the other amazing amazing the name of the Lord is dishonored by their action and they should be weeping before God and fasting they don't do that there's some excuse they make you think such people will never grow spiritually not in a hundred years till they learn to judge themselves and not find an answer for every wrong thing they did so we must be angry when the name of the Lord is dishonored anywhere in CFC or anywhere but it should not concern you it's not because you for example I often think if I ask somebody in in the CFC office to do something and they didn't do it I shouldn't get angry forget it okay it's not done we are human we can't do everything in time the only things here is a sin I'm going to be careful that I don't sin there so I always say it's all right some work takes longer than expected find something bungles up something blows out we we ignore all that those things are not serious but anger is serious and it says here it gives you a little time limit for those who still haven't got full victory you know we don't get victory overs overnight it takes time to overcome anger just like it takes time to overcome the love of money so you're given a time limit here in verse 26 isn't that good and if you do get angry make sure you get rid of it before sunset and in those days sunset was the time people went to sleep so what it means is if you do get angry and you haven't got over it get over it before you go to sleep because if you don't do it verse 27 you have given the devil and opportunity I want to say to every one of you please listen you had a dispute with your wife or your husband and you went to bed without settling it you have opened the door for the devil in your heart and if he torments you with bad dreams and torments your my and torments you in other ways blame yourself because God told you before you go to bed settle it with your husband and your wife otherwise you will give the devil an opportunity be honest now how many times have you guys given a devil an opportunity in your home and you wonder why is this happening well I'll tell you why it's happening because you didn't obey the Word of God you went to bed last night without settling matters with your husband or wife how difficult is it to ask forgiveness before you go to sleep from your husband or wife there's only one thing that'll hinder you from doing that your pride how can I the great Maharaja or very often the great Maharani how can I ask forgiveness from the other person Queen I'm the queen Queens don't ask forgiveness should you ask forgiveness from a servant if you have done wrong to that person yes I don't care who I remember when I got light on this I said lord if I ever speak rudely to a beggar who comes to the gate I spoke rudely to him to go away I'll go after him and say please forgive me I'm sorry for speaking to you like that I'm serious about it my fellowship with God is a million times more important than my dignity I don't have any dignity when it comes to spiritual things my fellowship with God is very important I if you valued it like that I tell you you would have been far more spiritual today than you are I'm telling you the truth many of you you have good brothers and sisters but you're not grown you're getting a hundred percent but you're getting hundred percent in the kindergarten every day every year what's he is glorying I get a hundred percent if a student if a boy tells me uncle Zach I'm getting a hundred percent every year I say which class are you always in the kindergarten right now that's not the way it should be it shouldn't be with you you don't want it to be like on with your children it's better to get 50% in standard one than to get a hundred percent in kindergarten forever think of that make a little progress don't give the devil an opportunity and so verse 29 be careful in future visions for 29 that unwholesome means unhealthy words don't come out of your mouth oho how careful we are that unhealthy things don't go into our mouths very careful there here it says don't let any unhealthy words come out of your mouth you remember what Jesus said what goes into your mouth cannot really ruin you it gets washed out in your system but what comes out of your mouth comes from your heart and that's defiled you already so remember this always all of you my brothers and sisters what comes out of your mouth is a million times more serious than what goes into your mouth we are so careful that the food we eat is hygienic ly prepared we wash our hands so that there are no dirt in our hands and we eat but we're so careless with what comes out of our mouths have you really understood the New Covenant now you understand why I said eighty percent of people sitting here haven't understood the New Covenant except in their heads it's true not only here I find that in most CFC churches we glory in a knowledge of the truth but the reality is not there so what should come out of my mouth then only what is good that will build up people edification means build up according to the need of the moment and that it will give grace that means people who hear me must get some grace through my words you ask yourself whether that is true and if you want grace to come through your words you know the law God gives us grace to the humble if you're humble when you speak to people even when you have to speak firmly there will be grace in your words there'll be grace even in your firmness because you're basically a humble person and if you don't do that if you don't speak like that verse 30 you're gonna grieve the Holy Spirit you are gonna greet the Holy Spirit and you know the Holy Spirit grieved this person claims to be a child of Christ look at the way he's behaving so verse 31 let all bitterness be put out of your mouth and let all anger and rot and clamour and slanders speaking evil of others be put away from you and in contrast be kind to one another forgiving each other this is the next thing I want to say to you forgive one another as Christ forgave you if it's an unbeliever the moment you know that somebody has hurt you forgive the person immediately if it's a brother with whom you wouldn't fellowship settle it between both of you the Bible says if your brother sins rebuke him Matthew 18 and verse 14 15 onwards and if he listens to you you have won your brother he doesn't listen to you and it's a serious thing take another brother with you maybe you take the elder something serious there settle it and it's a serious thing it says there he doesn't listen even to the church elders then put him out of the church that's serious but our attitude must always be one of forgiveness even if somebody's put out of the church we must forgive him there's no doubt about that even if he doesn't listen to the elders we must forgive him there's no excuse for not forgiving even the people who have been put out of CFC you got to make sure that you have personally nothing against them I make sure of that 100% forgiven as far as I'm concerned but the church must be kept pure so Matthew 18 verses 15 to 17 says you've got to put him out and we had unfortunately had to have cases like that because we believe in certain principles in the church you know even in the hospitals they have what's called an isolation ward and the isolation ward is for people who's who was so severely sick they don't want other people to get that sickness and say they don't keep them in the general ward that's sensible so when people are put out of the churches like an isolation ward they put out because we don't want other people to get that rebellious infection from them it's an act of kindness supposing your own son had an infectious disease which we hope will be cured in a while you yourself will put that son in another room and not let your other children mingle with him why is that is that an act of hatred it's an act of love that's how we treat the CFC family when someone has got an infection from which they refuse to be healed they can be healed but they refuse to be healed we had to put them in an isolation ward when are they allowed to come back when the disease is gone yeah we hope the disease will be gone when you put your son in an isolation ward you hope he'll be healed you don't keep him there for the rest of his life if he gets healed that means if he really repents and acknowledges his sin and turns from it and there's proof of it and evidence of it that may take some time sometimes people are put in isolation ward for months on end or years depends in the old testament they put lepers outside the gate forever because they're not cured of their leprosy in some cases Jesus came and cured them and then they could come back into the into the town otherwise he had to stay outside forever so forgive one another just as Christ has forgiven you it doesn't matter how big the crime it does not matter how big crying if you don't forgive satan will get an advantage over you turn to 2nd corinthians and chapter 2 i was telling you these three areas where in relation to satan getting and one is when you fight with human beings struggle with flesh and blood and the second i told you is when you lose your temper and you don't settle it before the sun is gone and the third is an unforgiving spirit ii corinthians 2 and verse 10 whom you forgive anything I also forgive see there was a man who was put in an isolation ward you read in 1 Corinthians 5 this man had committed a serious crime and you know what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5 I hand that fellow over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh so that he will repent I don't want him to be lost I want him to be saved when you put your son in the isolation ward you don't want him to die he wanted to be healed and so Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5 I hand him over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh let him get sick so that he will repent always isolation ward is for healing so when we put people in an isolation ward it's for healing but sometimes it takes a long time sometimes it may take 20 years before they repent okay some diseases not because the disease needs to take long because they refused to take the treatment some people in the isolation ward won't take the treatment and they remain like that sick forever because they are too proud to take the treatment of humbling themselves and setting matters right okay then you stay there forever probably die in the isolation ward that's another thing but here it says this man was handed over to Satan in 1 Corinthians 5 and the entire church excommunicated him you know they wouldn't meet him they wouldn't talk to him and it says here in verse 6 sufficient for such a one is this punishment which is inflicted by the majority what is the punishment they refused to go and doctor they don't nothing to do with them not everybody some people tried for their own personal popularity and honor they would meet this man who was excommunicated and put out in Corinth by Paul yeah they saw their own honor so it doesn't say everybody but the majority took their stand with Paul and said no we are not gonna help him by discipline by going and helping him it's like the prodigal son and the prodigal son is in the far country eating what the pigs are eating if you go and feed him he'll never go back to his father's house it looks like an act of kindness on your part but actually you don't have wisdom though God is disciplining that guy by making him go to the level of the pigs and you stop that so he never goes back to his father's house but a wise person say no let him suffer there I'm not gonna sell him any food packets I'm not gonna give money he repents and goes back to his father's house that is the wisdom of God God's love is shown sometimes by not healing a person not helping a person till the person has come to an end of himself so that he comes back to God forever and when he comes back God will make a feast for him that's how he yes isn't that wonderful that's how it is so some people recognize that they had the wisdom of God they said we will have nothing to do with him and they inflict that was a punishment inflicted by the majority and now he says the guy is repented forgive him now don't keep on that wrong attitude towards him comfort him otherwise he'll be overwhelmed with sorrow verse 7 so I firmly now go and reaffirm your love for him because the guy is repented he's acknowledged his error he's turned around and he says if you don't do that if you hold those old grudges yeah this guy treated me like this so I'm never going to forgive him you know what will happen Paul says if you forgiving somebody I forgive him I know how Paul says that I handed him over to Satan once but because he ruined the church testimony but I've forgiven him and if I forgiving anything I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ why did I do it verse 11 so that no advantage is taken of us by seyton that's the third thing while don't fight with flesh and blood diffusion six-second don't leave anger unchecked settle it and third forgive otherwise Satan will get an advantage over you if you can sit here my brother's sister and you can think right now right now just think for a moment it won't take more than half a minute is there anybody on earth whom you have not forgiven think for a moment a name will pop up in your mind immediately I'm not a magician but I know human nature and I know God loves you and will reveal the name of the person whom you have not forgiven right now or the person's now God says it's your choice whether to forgive that person or not what do you say he is not repentant well that's none of your business he's not your brother in Christ forgiven forgiven and if a person you know the Bible says if a person is stubborn and does not repent he is not your brother treat him like an unbeliever it says how are you - treat unbelievers how did Jesus treat unbelievers on the cross forgive them so even if a brother is stubborn he refuses to repent okay Matthew 18 says he doesn't listen to you doesn't listen to the elders treat him like an unbeliever treat him like an unbeliever means treat him like Jesus treated the Pharisees on the cross forgive him he's not your brother he don't want fellowship with you fine but forgiving when we understand Scripture with Scripture I've heard believers who say God I want to be like God God forgives people only when they repent I will forgive people only when they repent aha then you're a judge God as a judge can say that I'm not a judge I'm a human being and there are other laws for me that I have to forgive people even if they don't repent but to treat them like unbelievers there are unbelievers as far as I'm concerned but I forgive them he may call himself a brother but no he isn't I mean if you were a brother you'd be sensitive to God's voice but he's not repenting so I forgive him completely and I treat him like an unbeliever problem solved I have no fellowship with him end of the matter please understand this balance lest lest you take that verse you heard me quote that verse if your brother repents forgive him and you say ah that's a good verse for me my mother-in-law is not repented so I'll never forgive her it's talking about your brother someone who was a fellowship with you and if the person doesn't repent it's finally says in Matthew didn't treat them like an unbeliever and treat them like an unbeliever means forgive them you don't have fellowship with them it's so perfectly okay if you don't have fellowship with your mother-in-law the Bible doesn't say you must have fellowship with everybody I'll tell you honestly I don't even have fellowship with everybody sitting here in this church no I'll tell you honestly I don't because I can see that some people are not walking in the light and the Bible says it's only if you walk in the light 1 John 1:7 we have fellowship I'll gladly have fellowship with the youngest believer who walks in the light but someone who is trying to live a double life I'm sorry I won't have fellowship with him because even God Almighty won't have fellowship with that person what I'll forgive so if you don't forgive it says in verse 11 Satan will take advantage of you and you're not ignorant of his schemes he may quote a verse to you saying Jesus said your brother doesn't repent only when he repents forgive him yeah saving takes code scripture sometimes to deceive people but he doesn't quote the other scripture which says treat him like an unbeliever that means forgiving but you don't have fellowship with them we need to understand Scripture by the word Scripture that's why God has appointed teachers in the church and now I want to come to 1 Peter 4 which is the worse which says how do I know I am part of the household of God I've often taken this verse as the proof that I am part of the household of God we looked at these three verses where Satan takes advantage of us to remember them Ephesians 6 where we fight with human beings or Ephesians 4 where we get angry and don't settle it or second Corinthians 2 where we don't forgive someone and by the way those of you who are struggling with anger supposing you're suddenly provoked I want to give you a helpful bit of Old Covenant advice not new government advices die to yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to fill you but Old Covenant also there is a helpful second best so here is the second best way to get over anger the first is to be filled with the Holy Spirit the second best way to get over anger is Psalm for this is the worst quoted in Ephesians 4 by the way be angry but don't sin is Paul is quoting from Ephesians 4 and verse 4 tremble with anger but don't sin this is the exact verse which Paul is quoting in Ephesians 4 be angry but don't sin so Old Testament solution was when you get angry see the less rest of that verse go and lie down on your bed what wonderful advice so next time brothers and sisters when there's a fight in your house go and lie down on your bed and be still till you cool off like they say that's the second best way to get over anger but whichever way you do make sure you settle it before sunset otherwise the devil's got an advantage over you now we come to 1 Peter 4 I want to show you this verse the mark of being a part of God's house 1 Peter 4:17 the time has come for judgment to begin in the family the church the household of God where we judge ourselves first that is the mark of God's house people who judge themselves first who don't justify themselves but who judged themselves first it must begin with us first it says see that's where the church is different from the world you know in the world they put themselves first in everything I want to come ahead of you I want to push you down and go on top whether it's a company or an office or even in politics push other people down go on top even in school there are students who try to push other people down and go on top this world is full of people who put want to put themselves first everywhere you know children are going grab the biggest piece of cake or whatever it is me first me first me first everywhere in important things you know no unimportant things like passing through a door you'll say okay you go first or washing your hands please go first though there aren't important things important things it's always me first me first including you and me till we get converted but there's one area where the worldly people put other people first now where that is judging all the people in the world me first in every area except judging there I'll put other people first now when we are born again we get turned not upside down but right-side up we are born upside down spiritually we get turned right side up so what happens we put other people first in everything now except judging there we put ourselves first as the mark of a person who's been turned right-side up the opposite of the world and so it says here we are now part of the household of God we judge ourselves first and something happened between you and a person don't find out where he went wrong ask yourself where you went wrong ask yourself where you went wrong judge yourself for and then we can be a part of God's house he has a particular area who it's mentioned two verses earlier in 1 Peter 4 about judging ourselves don't be verse 15 a murderer I don't think anybody danger here of being a murderer or a thief I hope nobody here is going to be a thief third evildoer I hope you will not being able to earn fourth this is where many people fail busybody in other people's matters you know a busybody in other people's matters is put in the same category as murderer thief evildoer you see I'm not a murderer I'm noti'm now endure but you go poking your nose into things that don't concern you and somebody else's affairs you want to go and find out from somebody some curiosity curiosity to find out things that are got nothing to do with you and you poke your nose into something it doesn't concern you a busybody in other people's matters you want to find out information about others you're in the same category as a murderer thief and evildoer you'll never hear this in any other Church because they don't explain the Word of God to you people for people it says don't let anybody suffer like that you're a Christian it says don't suffer if you're a Christian don't suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or one who's curious about other people's matters or you want to ask people embarrassing questions you wouldn't like them asking you embarrassing questions but you go and ask them are you a Christian or a heathen ask yourself next time you do that please remember what I said ask you are you a Christian or a heathen why how will that information help you knowing something about somebody else which is not going to help you one but in fact it will pollute your mind hinder your spiritual growth prevent or disturb your fellowship with God but you go ahead and want to find out this find out that find out there are people like this who are curious about everything and that tongue is wagging wagging wagging wagging some of the people who've been put out of our church are people like that who could not control their tongues elders been removed from eldership because they could not control their tongues wagging wagging wagging wagging and no matter how much I warned them is still Waggin Waggin Waggin tongue because this is a disease and no matter what treatment you give they never get cured always they want to talk about other people something evil about us they're not good things something bad bad bad about this and that this is what I heard this what I heard this is what I heard this what I heard do you have that habit I want to tell you you will destroy yourself there have been people who put out of the church for such reasons you have not been because you've been very careful but you may be you'll face your judgment at the judgment seat of Christ please my brothers and sisters take this seriously don't be curious about other people's affairs don't be a busybody trying to interfere in their affairs don't give advice to people who don't ask you for advice no I don't go around giving advice feel I I have the right to because I'm an elder but even there I'm very careful if I sense that a person doesn't like my advice I don't give it if I sense that a person will get offended with my correction I just leave it I try it once or twice I remember a brother who's not in the church now years ago and he came to me and I told him something and he said brother nobody talks to me like that oh I said I'm sorry I will never again talk to you like that and I know I was correcting him in something I never spoke to him after that he left the church pretty soon and he's gone correction is for our salvation dear brothers and sisters these this is the way of life that we preach here don't let the devil get an advantage of you judge yourself I judge myself every single day and you may say me means brother Zack there are things wrong in you of course until I become 100 percent like Christ 100 percent there will always be something wrong with me but I can only judge it when I discover it and this old illustration that I have used supposing you put a ice cube in some thick liquid which you can't see beneath the surface you can only see 10% of that ice cube on top the rest is hidden sin is like that what I see of sin in my life what do you see of sin in your lives only 10% don't think you're so holy 90% is there hidden underneath the selfishness self-righteousness self justification many many other things maybe wrong attitudes but I don't see it if I don't see it God doesn't hold me responsible I don't have to judge myself I can only judge myself that top 10% that I can see so when I say victory over sin it's not overall sin nobody has that except Jesus but what we can see so in other words if I take a knife and slice off that top 10% of that ice cube what will happen all you clever people you know what will happen to that ice cube it won't stay underneath when the 10% is sliced off ice cube comes up a bit that means you see a little more of their ice cube which you did not see before that is how God reveals sin to us if you have not discovered more sin in your life in the last one year I'll tell you it's because you're not slicing of the part that you can see if you slice off the part that you can see every year you will see something more of Chrysler's miss in your life something more of the love of money something more of self-righteousness something more aware you're curious about other people you'll get light you know everything I preach I'll tell you honestly I preach what I've discovered in my own life I judge myself and if you keep doing that the IceCube will become smaller and smaller and smaller self will get reduced and reduced reduced and you'll become more and more like Christ this is spiritual growth that's why I said from the beginning ask yourself whether you're getting light on areas of your life which you did not get light on before let me read to you a hymn that I wrote I don't know maybe 30 40 years ago after CFC started I want you to see the words if I have not forsaken all it's of him full of getting myself where did I get it from I'll tell you I didn't get it from heaven I got it from my own heart from my own flesh which is the same as yours God invites me if I have not forsaken all in answer to thy loving call I means the Lord invites me to forsake all and I hold back something because I think oh he's taking it away from me he's not taking away he wants to bless that part in the part that you keep for yourself will never be blessed the part that you give to the Lord will be blessed I'm not forsaken all answer today if I've kept something back from thee God asks for something I hold it back ask yourselves examine yourself as you read these words Lord give me light some eyes I won't see it Lord helped me judge myself each day this is what I said 40 years ago and I wrote this him to walk this new and living way is not the old way of the Old Covenant how can I walk this way I seek thy grace with all my heart what's my passion to be made pure just as thou art that's my goal okay I want to judge myself somewhere else if anything upon this earth attracts me with its sense of worth oh that's valuable we can use things in the earth but if you are tracted by its that's valuable you need a house to live in you need transport to move it's alright you can have all of it but if it attracts you with this sense of what though this is very valuable if money has a hold on me in other words you're not holding money money is holding you your mind many people their mind is under the grip of money money makes them think money makes them dream at night and money makes them take decisions money controls them Lord give me light that I might see you can't see it unless God gives you light third if all my life revolves around me and thoughts of my own family I me and my family all the time there are people sitting right here who are like that ask yourself all my thoughts revolve around I me and my families it go it's all about me and my family what's convenient for me what's gonna be there for my family and you don't think of fellowship with others you don't think of being a blessing to others all me and my family but you come to CFC that is the way of living selfishly if I'm living selfishly that is living selfishly thoughts are about I me and my family lord give me light that I might see hey let's go to some other area this is where something I did not do so far we've been thinking of things we did okay let's think of some area we did not do Lord is there some good I should have done tell me you know the story of the Good Samaritan there was a man lying on the street beaten up by somebody a Levite and a priest went by what was their crime you know the story did they go and kick the man did they go and steal what was left of his money what was their crime in one word they did nothing can you commit a sin by doing nothing that's what Jesus said in that parable and the Good Samaritan came along is there some good I should have done the Levite and a priest should they went to the temple to pray to God what should they have prayer to God over there is there some good I should have done as I was traveling here is there some soul I should have won some person there sitting with for years and he doesn't know that you're a Christian and one day at the judgment seat of Christ he says you knew about Jesus and you never told me and you I thought you were my good friend for thirty years the most important thing you never told me have I hurt someone thoughtlessly usually NARTH those we call our loved ones are the ones we hurt the most we don't hurt our enemies so much except in our mind but our loved ones we hurt their words have I hurt someone thoughtlessly lord give me light that I might see okay again our sins of not having done something there are sins of commission and sins of omission omitted to do if someone's failure it's someone's failure bring a little delight to your heart has not wrought concern and care within my heart someone has failed some people rejoice oh that proves I'm better than him it's not how Jesus felt if someone's failure is not wrought concern and care within my heart think of you brothers who got good children praise the Lord for that and you see somebody else's children going astray how do you feel thank God my children are not like that and you even talk about it have you heard what that person is pointed what that person scolded have you heard that person is a slave to drink but that person is going to drugs or did you see what did you know what that girl is fooling around with such a person is not fit to be in CFC I'll tell you straight if someone's failure has not wrought concern and care within my heart if I have judged others inwardly Lord give me light that I might see what I preach and what I write is what I found in my own heart in my flesh that's how I got light on it I didn't get this from heaven these are not words from heaven I got it in my own flesh as I examined myself I found these things in me I have the same flesh as all the terrorists in the world we are all born from Adam the worst terrorist in the world and I have the same flesh they always say that I'm not better than them but God has been gracious to me that's all okay another danger verse 6 if I have cared for man's applause that means I'm waiting for people to appreciate me I always get excited when say something something good about me I've noticed something through the years whenever I write to somebody something good positive all brother it's really good that you did I always get a reply thank you so much brother I appreciate thank you very much and they give a very humble reply I don't really deserve it or some false humility like that is the reply to me but whenever I give a word of correction most of the time no reply what is that they love honor they love to be praised and appreciate it but they don't like one word of Correction tell me the last time you wrote a reply to somebody who gave you a word of Correction Oh quick you are to reply when somebody appreciates if I've cared for man's applause and sought my own and shunned means stayed away from death on the cross if I have feared man's mockery afraid of being laughed at because you're a Christian in your school college place of work lord give me light that I might see I remember all the names people used to call me when I was on a ship because I was a Christian and I would proclaim Christ openly I remember even senior officers would try to punish me by taking me before the commanding officer as I was a witness for Christ okay last verse how to overcome all this if I have not sought thy power in prayer the only way to overcome Lord I'm weak all these areas and weak Lord I want to overcome if I have not sought thy power in prayer because of earthly toils and care peoples yes oh brother I've got so many things to do so many things to do you know the what I've told sometimes people I say you say you're so busy you don't have time to read the Bible maybe your child gets sick and is admitted in the hospital you suddenly find time how do you find time then be honest and say I don't want to read the Bible I have no interest in it that's honesty Lord give me some interest in reading the Bible but don't say you don't have time he'll always have anything that you want to do you'll always find time if I've not sought thy power in prayer because of earthly tours and Claire if I'm not banging after they this is the ultimate height of spirituality too long of fellowship with Jesus Christ if I'm not longing after the Lord give me light that I might see and go back to the worse the Korres Lord helped me judge myself each day to walk this new and living way I seek that grace with all my heart to be made pure just as thou art let's pray Heavenly Father as we bow before thee you know Lord we are all clever here we understand the language and we've understood it so perfectly that we can even preach this message to others help us to judge ourselves first have mercy on us have mercy on me I want to live in under your grace every single moment of every day every single moment of every day I want to live under your grace and I pray that everyone here will have that passion we pray in Jesus name

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

Id: eOtJuYTcEBQ

Length: 78min 30sec (4710 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 05 2020