Seeking God's Glory and the Good of Others - Zac Poonen - June 29, 2013

the father would give freely to his children mm-hmm it's not something we pay a price for it's a gift the Bible speaks about the gift of the Holy Spirit and if you look at Luke 11 and verse 13 Jesus speaks about the gift of the Holy Spirit if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him the only thing we have to do is ask and yet it's a fact that so many ask and do not receive and there must be a reason you do not have because you do not ask the Bible says you ask and you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives and I believe that is the reason either something is not yielded we're asking the Spirit of God to come into a room in our heart which is not yielded he locked it from the inside and then of course he can't come I believe this is the problem with many many Christians who seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit a heart is like a house with many rooms we all want Jesus to come into the guilt room and clean it up and fill it with light but there are other areas of our life where we may not be so willing to yield to the Lord and then it's no use praying that God will fill us with the Holy Spirit because the door is locked think of any ambitions and plans you have for the future is that area yielded to the Lord can you say Lord I have no ambitions or plans outside your will you tell me to go somewhere I'll go you tell me to stay somewhere I'll stay its equal joy for me to go out to stay I want your will in my life like I said when self is in the center and we wanted Jesus who will come in cater to self in the center we're gonna get another Jesus not the real one because the Lord will not come to orbit around our self if he comes he comes as Lord or not at all and many Christians who do not want to accept Christ as Lord but still want them to be their Savior they're in some type of limbo I don't know where they are really there are many people have developed a theology that you can accept him as Savior and then years later accept him as Lord I hope it's true but I doubt very much and these are the people who always live in uncertainty and these are the people who wonder whether they're really filled with the Holy Spirit or not and if they are if they think they are they've got some counterfeit experience I cannot separate the lordship of Christ from his saving me he is my Lord and my Savior in other words he has to have total control of every area of my life and if I give myself like that there's no nothing that he has bought on the cross that he withhold from me if we can see that the root problem of man is his sin not his poverty and not a sickness once you see that you'll see the hollowness and the deception of a gospel that is being preached today called a health wealth gospel which gives people the idea that your root problem is your poverty and your sickness not at all when once we see that the root problem is sin then we want to be saved from sin even if we are poor and even if you are sick you'd want to be saved from sin and many people who come to Christ really haven't been saved from sin they've been forgiven but not saved if you come to Christ and ask him to forgive you a sin that you committed think of the sins that you frequently commit in your life whatever they are sins that you commit very often and you ask Jesus to save you from it forgive you he forgives you but you go next week and do the same thing and you ask him to forgive you you can keep going like that for years and he'll always forgive you whether it's anger bitterness jealousy hatred anything that you any sin that you commit rude words he'll forgive you but if you keep doing those sins you have to be honest and say lord I've never been saved from these sins I've been forgiven and so Lord Jesus you're really my forgiver not my Savior I wrongly addressed you as Savior because you don't seem to have saved me from much but you have forgiven me much see this is honesty I believe God loves honest people so if I go to the Lord and say Lord I'm really I'm sorry for calling you Savior because you haven't really saved me you have forgiven me why haven't you saved me the Bible says you are my Savior the Bible says he who came to save me from my sins why is it that I'm falling again again in certain areas are they too strong for you are these giants of Canaan too strong for you Lord or am i like the 600,000 unbelieving Israelites who look at the Giants and say they are too strong maybe that's why we don't enter the land the only reason Joshua and Caleb entered the land is not because their muscles were stronger than the Giants but they looked at God and believed that he was stronger than any giant that dwelt in Canaan and that is what the Holy Spirit has come to do to make Jesus save us as to present Jesus to us as a savior that he comes in and saves us from our sins that's a primary purpose everything else is secondary and if you make anything else primary in your life well then don't be surprised if you're not filled with the Holy Spirit why do you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit jesus said when the Spirit of God has come upon you shall have power to be my witnesses not to bear witness but to be a witness to be a witness means begins with my life and includes bearing witness but many people have felt what Jesus said was you shall receive power to bear witness to me it's not true it's one of those problems that Christians have when they don't read the scripture carefully it's amazing what a new Bible you'll get when you just read the Bible slowly acts 1:8 says you shall be my witnesses and to be is different from bearing witness and if my longing is to be a witness for Christ and say Lord had the right now my the way I live is bringing dishonor to you if not before other believers or other human beings before the devil see the devil is called the accuser of the Brethren he is the deceiver of the whole world but the accuser of the Brethren let me show you something about the Ministry of Satan right now it's mentioned in Revelation chapter 12 and verse 10 in verse 9 he's called a deceiver of the whole world it's one of the titles of Satan when he looks out of the world he seeks to deceive everybody but when he looks at God's children well he still tries to deceive but he's not as successful with God's children as he's with others so in relation to God's children he's called in verse 10 the middle the accuser of our brethren he's not the accuser of the world he does not accuse the world because they're already in his lap but he accuses believers and it says here in verse 10 last part he accuses them before God day and night so he's a full-time worker 24 hours accusing and he doesn't tell lies to God he's not going to tell a lie about you something you didn't do but he's looking at your life to see what he can find that he can accuse to God once when it says in the book of Job Satan appeared before God and God asked him where are you coming from and of course God knew but he wanted Satan to say it he says I've been roaming around the world that's what he said and he's still roaming around the world and he's roaming around the world primarily to accuse the believers to see what can he find in somebody to accuse them before God and I wonder if this strikes us as serious Lord is there something as the devil roams around and comes across me does he find something in me too that he can accuse me to you about and say well god this guy calls himself a believer one of your children but look how he's behaving right now look how he's speaking look how she speaks to her husband look how he speaks to his wife at home and nobody else he's happy that no other believer listens to him what do you call him God isn't the outright hypocrite when he sings so well in the church that's what I mean by accusation or other secret sins that we commit there are believers who watch internet pornography on this in secret well I don't lose their testimony before men but the devil says look what this guy is doing he's supposed to be a child of God what can God say there's a little expression in 2nd Samuel 12 which often comes to my mind see these are the reasons why we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to be a witness for Christ I want to be a witness for Christ before Satan so that he who examines me in areas of my life where you cannot see me when nobody sees me I there could be times in my life where there's no human being around me and the devil sees that what I do how I keep my accounts who I cheat the lies I speak which I may justify myself the devil knows it all in 2nd samuel chapter 12 this is the time when Nathan came and accused David and said you have committed sin by taking your eyes why Bathsheba and killing him and so God's gonna discipline you but David acknowledged his sin in the law and Nathan said to him okay verse 13 2nd Samuel 12 13 David said I've sinned against the Lord Nathan said okay the Lord has taken away your sin you shall not die see forgiveness is immediate even in the Old Testament it's not a great thing for you to have your sin forgiven by the way it was immediate even a sin like what it David committed adultery plus murder adultery plus murder and all he said was I have sinned Nathan said forgiven but verse 14 by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme that's the phrase that comes to my mind in those days the enemies of the Lord were the Philistines who could say whatever God is this your so-called king of Israel commits adultery and murder even some of us Philistines never do such things the enemies of the Lord could blaspheme today it is Satan who turns around to God and blasphemes God because of you something you do or I do ah the enemy does the enemy of the Lord get an occasion and opportunity to blaspheme the Lord that is the question of that should be uppermost in my mind always not did anybody see me did any believer who might know hear about this absolutely unimportant whether some brother or sister heard about it or knew about it put it in the trash can not worth anything did Satan see me do that that Satan hear me say that did Satan see me at that time doing something that dishonours the Lord however much I may justify my action you know people cheat in business and can justify it in so many ways yeah you can justify it before men but Satan knows the whole truth and God knows the whole truth and Satan turns around to God and says look at this guy do you give occasion to the enemy of the Lord to blaspheme that's the question I ask myself and I'll tell you something if you ask that question to yourself every day there's more likelihood of your being free from sin in your life then if you ask any other question like have I lost my testimony what do people think about me worthless and when God sees that you're the type of person who is concerned that his name should not be blasphemed in the heavens by Satan he will work very quickly on your behalf to bring salvation otherwise you will only know Jesus as a forgiver so I believe this is the important thing Lord I want to be more concerned that I don't blaspheme your name because Jesus taught us to pray our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name Protestant Christians most Protestant Christians are taught don't repeat that prayer I think the Roman Catholics and some other groups Orthodox and all they repeat it we don't repeat it okay but do you ever say it in your life do you ever think about it what did Jesus mean when he said when you pray pray like this there are some good things that some of these Orthodox Christians have which we can learn by throwing out something we have missed something what I learned from that prayer is a number of things first of all when I pray to God I'm not to address him as God not that calling him God is sin because he is God but daddy father it's so important for me anyway it's very very important because Jesus said when you pray say our Father who art in heaven Jesus was so keen that we should know him as father he said your father will give you the Holy Spirit never did he say God will give you the Holy Spirit never your father I will pray to the Father and He will give you a helper you have to come to him as father we can call him Lord we can call him God but the primary way in which we address God must be father and I've been trying to train people wherever I go to develop that relationship with God as a father if you don't address him as father you may be a bit scared of him you know this is how some Roman Catholic teaching is they teach when you are a little boy and your father was angry with you and wanted to spank you who came to protect you your mother you can't go to your father that's why we need Mary in between to protect us it's very logical only thing is totally untrue it gives a wrong picture of God as a father who from whom from whose anger I have to be protected either by Mary or by Jesus No jesus said the father himself loves you jesus said if you've seen me you've seen the father there is no difference between Jesus and the father in terms of love and affection for me if I'm not afraid of Jesus I'm not afraid of God my father I need to know him as father how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him and if that's not your normal way of addressing God ask yourself why I'll tell you why because in Romans 8 it says Romans 8 verse 15 you have not received a spirit of slavery he's talking about receiving the Holy Spirit you've not received a spirit of slavery that leads you to fear like in the Old Testament but you received a spirit of adoption that means you become a son of God or a daughter of God by which you cry out Abba Father because the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God so one of the things that the Holy Spirit does when he comes into us is bring a cry in our heart saying daddy we get a real dad in heaven not someone who is distant I think that many Christians are like children who got a father but the father lives in some country 10,000 miles away and who sends them letters every now and then and some gifts but he's never seen his dad you ask him have you got a dad he says yeah I got a dad have you ever seen him no I haven't seen him where does he live he lived some 10,000 miles away he sends me gifts now and then and I don't really know him do you know him no I don't really know him this is exactly how many Christians know God yeah he's there somewhere up there and he sends me some gifts now and then but I don't really know him you know that Jesus wanted us to know God is our Father he said when you pray pray our Father we are to address him as father that's why I I love songs which address him as father and not as Jehovah there are songs which address Jehovah this and Jehovah that I'm not against it I don't just don't sing it because I don't call God God by that name I'm not an Israelite I'm not a follower of Moses there are a lot of Christians who are more Israelite than Israeli than Christian in their language I finished with the Old Covenant completely I don't keep the Sabbath I don't pay tights everything I have belongs to God I don't kill lambs and I don't call God Jehovah I call him father do you recognize that you may think it's a very small thing but see the effect it has on your life God becomes distant I never want to call him by names that make him distant I used the example of one of my children came up to me one day and said mr. Pollan I'd like to talk to you I say hey what's wrong isn't that your name mr. Putin yes it is but that's not how you're supposed to call me that's for strangers you call me Dad I go to God and say Jehovah gotta say who are you are you my child or why are you calling me by that name I never call him by that name I call him dad it's an intimate name it's made a difference in my life I know the fullness of the Holy Spirit brought God is a father to me it's a reality and when I when I sing I'm speaking to God every song I sing I'm speaking to my father that's why I tried to mean every song I sing every word so these are little things I find so often Christians have swayed by the writers of songs who didn't have that theology right and it affects them so I'm very careful I'm not saying we shouldn't sing those songs and just saying be careful for example a very well-known song there's power in the blood can you find that in Scripture never that's cleansing in the blood where in the Bible you read this part in the blood would you over evil a victory win there's power in the blood really it's part in the Holy Spirit that's how we can win the victory or evil show me one verse in Scripture which says that I get victory over sin through the blood of Christ victory victory plunge me into victory through the blood this is all false theology and we sing it and sing it and sing it without even thinking about it I'll tell you what I sing and they sing in the blood I say in the spirit there's power in the spirit to free me from sin I don't sing it loud because I don't want to disturb other people who are singing the other side using what you like but I'm on a mean every word that I sing to God you may call me a fanatic but I'll tell you this it's made a difference in my life when I begun to take words seriously the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5 be careful when you come into God's presence be careful about the words that you speak jesus said don't speak meaningless things to God I take those things seriously I find my whole life has changed since I began to take every word of God seriously every jot and tittle and I'll tell you this you begin to take the Bible seriously you'll find that God fulfills his promises also in your life in the same way so think of that prayer our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name what do I learn from that Lord the number one request in my life is that your name must be hallowed your name must be reverenced up there in the heavens where the devil's blaspheming your name day and night because of the sins of believers preachers pastors and all types of believers living in sin and the devil's blaspheming blaspheming the name of God Lord please let there be one little witness on earth who Hallows your name do you desire that do you long that your little life will glorify God in the midst of a Christendom that dishonours him hallowed be thy name I've learned to pray that prayer seriously I don't repeat it meaninglessly but I think about that prayer often and I say Lord I may have number of other problem in my life they can wait I want God's name to be hallowed thy kingdom come see my needs haven't even come up yet Lord I want your kingdom to come on this earth first of all in my life I want you to be king over every area of my life I want you to be king in my home everything there must be no area in my home which cannot face the light of God's kingdom shining there there is no darkness no darkness in my heart no darkness in my home the light of God's kingdom by which everything I want to seek God's kingdom first in my life thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven Lord that's my third request I want your will to be done in my life exactly like it's done in heaven and how did they do it in heaven the angels in heaven don't run around doing something for God you know people say why don't you do something for God No Michael doesn't tell Gabriel go and do something for God no the angels wait on God and say God what do you want me to do they don't run around trying to do something for God like a lot of foolish Christians who have a brainwave to do something for God I've seen the result of all these brainwaves that Christians have to do something for God the chaos and confusion that comes in Christian work because of trying to do something for God using methods that are never found in Scripture when the Lord tells Gabriel go down to earth and take this message to Zecharia or to marry or someone they go and do that and come back and wait upon God what next God thy will be done on in my life exactly like it's done in heaven I don't want to go around earth doing something for you Lord I want to wait on you tell me what to do and I'll do it and when the Lord tells us to do something we don't wait no angel waits saying just hang on God I got something important to do there's nothing important to do and God said to do something we do it immediately we do it joyfully willingly Lord I want all of my life to do your will on earth like that see if this becomes the order of my prayer then I can come to my earthly needs give me my daily bread give me help give me a place to live give me a job give me my daily bread includes a job otherwise how do I get my daily bread place to live in provide for my family Lord I want to get my children educated because they must earn their daily bread one day - it's all there but it's got to begin with thy name thy kingdom that I will this is what Jesus taught his disciples to pray they never prayed like that in the Old Testament you look at the sounds what are the Psalms full of Oh God destroy that enemy of mine was troubling me it's usually some earthly enemy it's all full of that that's why I never pray the prayers in the psalm it's all Old Testament prayers if I can apply to the New Covenant and see that those enemies are the sins in my flesh and say Lord destroy them you know there's a prayer in the Old Testament Lord take the little children of my enemies and smash their heads on the rocks have you read that in the sound I think of those little sins in my life there's got to be their heads got to be smashed on the rocks if you read it like that it's okay but I hope you don't think of your earthly enemies their children's heads should be bashed on the rocks that's Old Covenant Old Covenant praying is so different and I find that many Christians pray like Old Covenant people because they are all government people because no preacher told them that the root of sin is being centered in yourself Lord I want to protect my name I want to protect my kingdom and I want to do my will a lot of Christians do live like that my name I don't want that to be scandalized did someone speak evil about my children wow that disturbs me name of Jesus being dishonored that's think about that later they're centered in themselves and why do I need the power of the Holy Spirit to promote my name to do my will to establish my kingdom a lot of people are seeking God for that they hear about some preacher who was filled with the Holy Spirit in his life was chained they said boy I want that and they seek for the baptism in the Holy Spirit because they read that deal moody became a mighty evangelist after he was baptized in the Holy Spirit and they want to be mighty evangelists or get a name for themselves they are not concerned about hallowed be God's name you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives this is the reason brother I'll tell you honestly if your aim is that the Holy Spirit will come and get self out of the center of your life in but Christ in the center there every that everything will revolve around him I believe that we shall be filled with the Holy Spirit pretty quickly where we want to say our Father I want your name to be hallowed in my life so many Christians I you know I've seen I have experienced people who engage in Christian work for so many years I've observed them in India and the chaos confusion they bring into Christian work by doing their own plans many years ago the Lord sorted that out in my life by showing me one verse that solved that problem permanently in my life it's in Matthew chapter 15 Matthew 15 and verse 13 jesus answered and told his disciples every plant which my heavenly father did not plant will be rooted up it doesn't matter whether it's a good plant it doesn't matter if it was a good Christian project it'll be rooted out pulled out one day it can last a long time and looked like a great Christian ministry one day God will pull it out I don't want to spend my life labouring for something which God is gonna pull out one day oh no I have only one life and I can't play the fool with that and build things which God is not gonna support it may look nice it's a great project it's what a lot of other Christians are doing wonderful the point is did God plant it or not neither whether it's a good plant not whether it's a big plant did God plant it was it God's idea or my idea how do the Angels do God's will thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven they wait on God that is the difference between Mary and Martha don't you think what Martha did was very good sacrificially making food for jesus and his disciples like a lot of Christian workers are doing today with much sacrifice and they think of course God will recognize my sacrifice how much of money I've put into this project how much of my time has gone into this project he won't be impressed brother sister he'll only ask how you doing my will and that's why after I don't know how let's assume that Martha slogged away and perspired in the kitchen for one hour what a lot of effort sacrifice money involved in cooking that food for other people you would think that when he came she came before Jesus at least there should be a word of appreciation before you know rebuking her at least oh well Marta I really appreciate all the effort you mean I know you're quite sincere in trying to make something for me no not one word Martha you're bothered about so many things which I'm not interested in watch Mary you think she's doing nothing she's doing something much more important than you she's listening to me the one thing that is needful mary has chosen that good part luke 10:42 which shall not be taken away from her I believe a Lord of Christian work in this world would close down if he followed that principle and only the things that God has planted will remain I am very thankful that when I was a young Christian God gave me that word one thing is needful listen to me I don't want you to go run around do so many things I don't want you to go here and there listen to me and do what I say and I remember some years ago and one of my birthday's I said Lord you got a word for me today said one thing is needful listen to me a few years later another birthday I said Lord you got a word for me he said one thing is needful listen to me the Lord just helped me to that word for 50 years and I can see today the value of it not to do a work which I think is good not to do a work because there is a need so much of Christian work is because there's a need so much of missionary work is what are you doing sitting around here doing nothing when there are people perishing out there in that country do you ever find Jesus speaking like that never so people are challenged to sacrifice because somebody else has got less than they have you got to go and do something for them that's not the basis of going you know that's how Martha was challenged I'm gonna do something for all these needy people and the Lord said that's not the basis has God planted that plant or not and I remember when we started the Ministry of planting churches I said lord I don't want to plant a single church every church that I built will be rooted out and destroyed in no time you got to plant them if you tell me to hang around and do something I'll do it but if you're not planning them I mean not be involved in it at all I get all types of annotations from here and there come here and do this and help us and help us I say sorry I can't go where God doesn't send me it'll be a waste of time I've learned one thing in my life I cannot be a blessing in any place to anyone if God doesn't send me there some of us may think because my motive is right I think Martha's motives were absolutely right because my motive is right and because I've got some ability in this field maybe to preach God's Word and on top of that God has also blessed my ministry in these places ABCD and E therefore I can go to this other place also and be a blessing wrong I know that clear as crystal that I will be a hindrance to God's work if I go to some place that God hasn't sent me if I try to do something that God has not led me to do we say well how in the world to know God's will that's the message in the first chapter of the Bible every day God said something God said something God said something and that's what the earth responded and did when when the God said Let there be fruit trees coming out of the ground the earth didn't produce whales and sharks and fish no no it would be trees another day when he said let the fish multiply the fish multiplied the earth responded to what God said he didn't have any bright idea of its own that's why we are different and that's I believe the number one reason why there's so much of confusion in God's work and why so many churches never become the type of church jesus wants it to be and why so many servants of God after years of serving God fall into adultery or love of money or become unapproachable dictators and all types of things if a person is really walking in the will of God the more he serves God the more he go down and finally be found like Jesus at the feet of the disciples washing their feet but that's not the way I see many servants of God grow many servants of God the more God uses them they seem to climb up a pyramid become more and more unapproachable that's the way of the devil what's the reason they don't listen now we may not be preachers but the principle applies in every area of our life and the way we bring up our children listen to God God has got a plan in every area of life this book I call this book the manufacturers instructions which if you bought a washing machine you would follow the manufacturer's instructions down to the last letter and this book tells me how I got to live my life how I got to bring up my family how I got to build my chair build a church how I got to do God's work everything is here if I take time to read it and study it and that's why the devil is so keen that we don't spend time studying the scripture we want to read this commentary and that commentary and the other commentary you think a commentary can teach you more about the Bible than the Holy Spirit which commentary did Peter and Paul and John use which commentary did they use to understand God's Word is the Holy Spirit the same today we employ so many other methods to say try and work up the same really get the same results the apostles God for example take the matter of money in Christian work today as such a lot of emphasis on money it's almost as if you don't have money you can't do God's work and that which every Christian organization in the world talks about the most is the thing you never read off in the entire New Testament can you show me one verse I'm not asking for two verses one verse in the New Testament where anybody Jesus or the Apostles say that God's ministry needs your money I haven't found it till today that's today's modern mission movement that mentions all that it's never found even once you find one single apostle saying support my work this is what I'm doing for the Lord support me never this is just an example of how far we have drifted away from God's way of doing things or have we discovered something better than Jesus and the Apostles a new way to serve God you see the result the confusion in Christendom the shallowness the worldliness the hollowness and where are the people who say this is not the biblical way where are the Berean Christians who will compare it with scriptures and say that's not God's Way we want to do it God's Way God gives his Holy Spirit to those who want to do his work in his way not those who want to do God's work in their own way he doesn't give us his spirit for that and that's why you find a lot of Christian work and Christian workers to get a name for themselves so dear brothers and sisters this has many many applications in every area of your life we must say Lord I want to do things your way and that's why we need to study the Scriptures carefully this is the only book in the world that tells us how God's work is to be done how do i how shall I bring up my children this book tells me I don't need any psychology teaching I don't need anyone to tell me how to bring up my children this book has told me everything that's needed I can hear so many testimonies and encouraged you know one reason I decided that even though all my children are following the Lord I will never write a book on bringing up children I decided that long ago because there's enough sin in the scriptures about it there's no standard way of do this do this do this do this I've seen books written on bringing up children it's all make it's a lot of legalism and rules you must do this and you must do that and people get all condemned because they can't do it that way and they say oh my children went astray because I didn't follow all these rules rubbish go to the scriptures and the seek God for wisdom and God will give that to you if you are helpless and needy and you're willing to listen God will guide you in anything one thing is needful that's all are you a father and mother with no wisdom on bringing up your children one thing is needful that mary has chosen that good part sit at the Lord's feet be a little patient and say Lord teach me your way I want every one of my children to be disciples of Jesus Christ that applies in every area in every area in your relationship with your wife and husband and Lord I want to be a godly husband I want to strive with all my heart and to love my wife as Christ loved the church and it's completely irrespective of how your wife is she may be like a witch but if you're married to her you got a lover like Christ loved the church you have no excuse the same way if I were a woman and I was married I would seek with all my heart - I would seek God with all my heart to find out how I could submit to my husband like the church is subject to Christ I would do that and I say Lord I want to be filled with the spirit for that so the question is what do you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit for there's only one place in all the New Testament where there's a command saying be filled with the Holy Spirit did you know that only one verse in the entire Bible where there's a command which says be filled with the spirit I want to show you that Ephesians 5 and verse 18 Ephesians 5 verse 18 we must get into the habit not only of reading the Bible slowly but reading the Bible in context Christians are big fans of having favorite verses usually taken completely out of context and therefore they don't understand what is talking about we have favorite verses remember Ephesians was a letter read it like a letter if you got a letter from your dad you don't go to page five and read the 18th line and get something out of it no you'll read the whole letter and say the 18th line on the fifth page is in the context of all the other things he's spoken about so let me read it like that Ephesians 5:18 don't get drunk with wine but be filled with the spirit and speak to one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and make melody in your heart to the Lord as a result of being full of the Spirit always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ there's not one word about speaking in tongues or anything but always giving thanks for everything in the name of our Lord and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ and wives be subject to your own husbands and husbands verse 25 love your wives and chapter 6 verse 1 children obey your parents and fathers don't provoke your children to anger chapter 6 verse 4 when if your servants in the house masters treat your servants robert's chapter six verse nine this is the result of being filled with the holy spirit is this why you want to be filled with the holy spirit are you so eager desperately eager to love your wife as much as Christ loved the church is that why you're seeking to be filled with the holy spirit are you so eager sister to be subject to your husband as the church is subject to hundred percent to Christ is that why you're seeking to be filled the Holy Spirit perhaps not are you so eager fathers to bring up your children at any cost and the fear of the Lord you know that's the context in which the Bible says be filled with the Holy Spirit are you so eager to always be giving thanks for everything in your life never to murmur or complain about a single thing in your life is that why you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit I believe if he's seeking the fullness in spirit for these reasons God will give it to us I'll tell you honestly these are the reasons why I sought God to be filled with the spirit and he filled me I used to read these verses and I say Lord I am NOT like that I'd read Ephesians 5:20 and say I am NOT giving thanks always for all things I grumble and complain about so many things is there a life like this where I always give thanks for all things or husbands be subject to your wives have you read that verse did I read it right husband's be subject to your wives I've always said if you listen to me you'll get a new Bible here it is Ephesians 5:21 husbands be subject to your wives as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit wives we subject your husband's what else does it mean be subject to one another and what does that mean in practical terms it means I recognize that even though God has placed me as the head of the home there's a boundary that God's drawn around my wife and I must not tread into it she has her dignity as a child of God she has an area that God's given to her I cannot tread rough shot into it saying I am the head of the home my children have a dignity too they may be small children but they're made in the image of God and there's a boundary they've got around them for example I cannot humiliate them publicly just because they are children that'll be like a bully in school that's a boundary when visitors in the home I should not punish my children in front of them that would be a double punishment a physical punishment plus humiliation why can't I do it because I must be subject to the boundary God is drawn around them it's a wonderful thing when you recognize this even as we work together as co-workers there are a lot of brothers in in India who look to me like a spiritual father because it was through my labor that God planted churches in these places and I was the one who appointed them as elders in those churches but I never never tell them what to do I know my boundary and I know their boundary they've got a free will they must have a direct connection to Christ and it must not be through me I'm not a second mediator it must be directly through Jesus Christ so I've got to recognize that boundary be subject to one another you know if everybody in the church recognized this how wonderful it would be that we respect one another we respect the boundary God has given around each person and child it'll be a wonderful church and say Lord I want to be filled to the Holy Spirit because this is the type of life I want to live on earth a church filled with the light of God let me turn back to Luke 11 where we were reading about being filled with the spirit Luke 11 and verse 13 jesus said if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him again let's read that verse in its context starting with verse 2 before you pray for the Holy Spirit let's start with how to pray our Father hallowed be thy name god I need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to hallow your name see that comes at the end of that paragraph remember the disciples asked him teach us to pray and he was finally going to lead them to pray for the Holy Spirit verse 13 but to build up to that he said I'll tell you how to pray for the Holy Spirit you're all eager to be filled the Holy Spirit okay I'll get to that but let's start with how you must pray pray that God's name will be hallowed it's not being hallowed maybe in your life because of your secret sins maybe it's not being hallowed in your home because the way you behave with one another or because you're always greedy and covetous for more and more of the things of this earth it's not being hallowed Lord hallowed be your name I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit and I want your kingdom to come and then he goes on to say and it takes an example supposing one of you has a friend verse 5 remember this is all finally leading up to the prayer for the Holy Spirit supposing one of you as a friend and you go to him at midnight and say friend lend me three loaves it's not for myself see here I'm going to my neighbor and knocking there I want three loaves what for a visitor has come to my house from a long journey and I don't have anything to give him her six and from inside the neighbor says don't bother me the door is shut my children are in bed I cannot get up and give you anything but he says no I'm gonna leave you till you give me what I want imagine such eagerness to get bread for why not because I'm hungry I'm already full for somebody else and Jesus said ask like this and God will give you verse 9 seek like this for the Holy Spirit and you will find knock like this it'll be open to you and everyone who asks like this will receive pretty soon and he who knocks like this it'll be opened don't you think a father will give fish to a son who asks for a fish will he give him a snake instead how much more here is finally coming to all of this I was talking about asking God for the Holy Spirit this picture of the man going to his neighbor's house is a picture of a believer asking God for the Holy Spirit for what not for myself not for me to speak in tongues not for me to get it to go down my spine because Lord there are needy people in the world I don't have the words to give them I don't have the power to minister to them to deliver them from their bondages some of them are demon-possessed how shall I deliver them give me the power lord I need discernment about their real need and psychological study won't help me give me discernment from the Holy Spirit so that I can help them my brothers sister try going to God like this starting with hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come in verse two and going on to be burdened for the needs of people around you and the Bible says I love this verse in proverbs 11 you know we can always think well if I get keep occupied with God's concerns and other people's concerns who's gonna take care of me I'll tell you I proved this verse for forty-five years of my life proverbs 11 and verse 25 the last part proverbs 11:25 he who waters others will be watered himself by God that's it if you have a burden to water the dry plants of others God will water the dry plants in your garden that is a wave that's God ordained God ran this God created this universe and man and woman on it not to selfishly be centered around themselves but to be centered in him whose heart is always for others and the Lord says you take care of others and I will take care of your need many years ago in my service for the Lord I said Lord I want to make a little exchange with you I'll take care of your family you take care of mine and I can tell you after 45 years he's done a better job than I could ever than I ever did he's absolutely faithful he who waters others God will water him try it in this way seek for the Holy Spirit's power in your life Lord I want to hallow your name I want to seek your kingdom I want to be delivered from this wretched self-centered life which is the root of all my sin which has blaspheme given name cause for the enemy to blaspheme your name in heaven I want to be delivered from it Lord I want to be delivered from all the bright ideas I have to do your work I want to humble myself and sit like Mary to learn how to do your will because I don't want to waste my life on earth I don't want to build with wood hay and straw to impress people I want to build with gold silver and precious stones and I'm concerned Lord because I mean people in need and I don't know how to help them please help me you know this is how we have to seek for the Holy Spirit people come to us the world is full of needy people we meet them sisters you meet them your friends people who visit you people whom you talk to on a cellphone or an email there are needy people all around don't you want to be able to God to minister a blessing to them God told Abraham I will bless you and you'll be a blessing to the whole world all the families on the earth will be blessed through you I've taken that seriously I say Lord I want every family that comes in touch with me to be blessed because that's the blessing of Abraham that's for me through the power of the Holy Spirit and I want to say to you it is for all of us even your children you can ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit so that you'll be a blessing to other children whom you meet they listen to you more than they listen to me are they your friends be a witness for Christ towards them let's pray the Lord says I'll pour water upon the thirsty when the poor and needy cry out to me for water our poor floods upon the dry ground I hope we feel poor and needy and seek for that power it's the only way we can accomplish a work that lasts for eternity don't be fooled by a lot of things that you see around which is so contrary to Scripture Heavenly Father pray you give us wisdom we have only one life and we don't want to waste it we said if anyone lacks wisdom let him ask in faith and it'll be given to him give us a spirit of wisdom Lord in our life we pray in jesus name amen

Channel: River of Life Christian Fellowship

Views: 13,045

Rating: 4.7810946 out of 5

Keywords: seeking, gods, glory, good, others, zac, poonen, sermon, rlcf, summer, conference, 2013, river, life, christian, fellowship

Id: PRGQUwupQnQ

Length: 63min 3sec (3783 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 01 2013