Starting Well But Finishing Badly - Zac Poonen

let's turn to 1 Corinthians in chapter 10 we know that the Corinthian Christians were quite a carnal lot and the warning that Paul gives them is a warning from the Israelites in the Old Testament who did not enter the Promised Land he says in 1 Corinthians 10 I don't want you to be unaware brethren and we can read like this that all our fathers were under the cloud passed through the sea were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea and ate the same spiritual food and drank the spiritual same spiritual drink nevertheless verse 5 God was not well pleased with most of them and we know that all those things mentioned in the first four verses are pictures of redeemed by the blood of the Lamb baptized in water baptized in the Holy Spirit feeding on the Word of God drinking of the Holy Spirit born-again people but with most of them God was not well pleased and that's written to Corinthian Christians who were born-again who were baptized in the Holy Spirit and who were speaking in tongues and who had a lot of knowledge and a lot of spiritual gifts know when a when Christians don't read the Word of God carefully they can imagine that if someone is baptized in the Holy Spirit and he is speaking in tongues and God gifts of course God must be delighted with him - such people that all rights God was not well pleased with these people but they experience many miracles in fact there's no group of people in the world that experienced as many miracles as these people who came out of Egypt for 40 years they had bread coming from heaven and water coming out of the rock and supernatural healing amazing miracles their clothes never wore out for 40 years their sandals never wore out for 40 years those are all amazing miracles and yet God was not pleased with them teaching us that you can experience answers to prayer that does not prove that God is happy with you a lot of people are under that misunderstanding God answered my prayer so he must be happy with me no God answered more prayers of these people then any of us have experienced imagine if you got bread from heaven even one day in your life would be a miracle these guys got it every day for 40 years they're the most amazing miracles there anybody has ever experienced cannot just once but for 40 years every day and it is to such people it says God was not well pleased with them so if you turn to 1 Corinthians 1 you see what type of people the Corinthians were it says here in 1 Corinthians 1 verse 4 that they had received the grace of God in Christ Jesus was five they were enriched in Christ in all speech and all knowledge they had tremendous knowledge of the truth not only that they could speak it they've got preachers and verse seven they were not lacking in any gift they believed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and they had all the gifts in their midst and they were waiting for the coming of Christ for seven but he also tells them chapter 3 I could not speak to you as to spiritual men but as to men of flesh because I can only give you milk to drink milk means forgiveness of sins because you are fleshly verse 3 there's jealousy and strife among you the closest church to the Corinthian church today is the Pentecostal church because they have gifts to the Holy Spirit and knowledge and many things but they are carnal now many Christians don't understand this how people exercising the gifts of the Spirit can be carnal fleshly and our babies it says your baby's your infant's verse one can a man be a spiritual baby and exercise gifts of the Holy Spirit yes and to such people he warns in 1 Corinthians 10 I don't want you to be ignorant of those that Old Testament example are people who put the blood outside the door symbolizing the blood of Christ who were baptized in water symbolizing through the Red Sea symbolizing water baptism I had the baptism of the cloud symbolizing the baptism of Holy Spirit the cloud let them protected them a fire cloud of pillar of fire protecting them at night nevertheless verse 5 God was not well pleased so think of all the things they had miracles every day for 40 years God was not happy with them well pleased is a very important word in this God was not well pleased verse 1 corinthians 10:6 this has happened as an example for us again in verse 11 these things happen to them as an example and are written for our instruction what the things that are written in the Old Testament about Israel are written for our instruction as an example for us that we should not act immorally verse 8 don't be idolaters verse 7 that means today don't worship money verse 8 don't act immorally which means in today's terms don't watch pornography and that does not tempt the Lord verse 9 that means tempting the Lord is saying yea even if I do all these things God will forgive me he will take me to heaven that is sort of tempting God so don't try it because they were destroyed verse 10 and that is an example as a warning for you so verse 12 if any of you think you're standing you better be careful that you don't fall away also because no temptation has come to you which is which cannot be overcome every temptation God allows to come into our life can be overcome because God controls the intensity of that temptation depending on your spiritual level he will not allow you to be tempted the same level as he allows me to be tempted he did not allow me to be tempted that the way I'm being tempted today you know fifty five years ago he didn't allow me to be tempted like that because I was not strong enough it's like saying a first standard student does not get a ten standard question paper God does not do it no teacher does it and God doesn't do it either you will be tempted your examination will be at your level you can be sure of that you will never get a question paper that has some question that is not covered in the portion at your level of maturity you know that you can I mean if a person doesn't study then he can fail in the first standard as well but no question will come to you in your question paper in terms of God's temptation that you cannot overcome in other words every temptation you get every question paper you get you can get a hundred percent you can be sure of that never never say like so many people write to me this is too much for me this temptation too much for me or this trial and I'm facing in my home from my wife or my husband or my relatives or my boss is too much for me the moment you say that you're saying about God is unfaithful because here it says in verse 13 God is faithful that he will not allow you to be tested by beyond irritability is there anybody sitting here who is saying these words what I'm facing right now is too much for me to bear really or in other words what you're saying is God is unfaithful really or do you believe the Word of God which says God will never allow you to be tested beyond your ability but you say brother I'm facing a fantastic test oh then God must be having a very high confidence in you that you're in a higher standard than you thought you thought you were in fifth standard and actually you're in 12 standard did you know that so it's an honor when I am tested with a very high level Wow God has such terrific confidence in me so don't look at it test as something to depress you but as something to encourage you say hey that's a really strong test an orifice anything like that in my life which means God must having a very high degree of confidence in you and he will definitely it says here he'll make a way of escape verse 13 it is impossible for that word to fail and I'll tell you I've been a Christian for 59 years almost and I can say that verse is true I have never never never faced a trial or a temptation in my life and I faced many many more than all of you but never faced one was just too much for me to handle sometimes it went on for a long time some trials went on for years but there was always a way of escape and the way of escape is to humble yourself always a way of escape to humble yourself because then you get grace if you don't humble yourself you don't get grace and if you get grace sin cannot have dominion over you you'll overcome the temptation and you will overcome the test so I thought its I mentioned this word in verse 5 God was not well pleased and that is true today that God is not well pleased with many many of his children because though they have come out of Egypt or they are baptized in water and though they are baptized in the Holy Spirit and though they exercised different gifts they are not walking in a way that is pleasing to God they're experiencing answers to prayer sure they know they were knowledge they've got gives maybe they are even able to preach God is not well pleased with them don't ever think that because you have knowledge because you have supernatural gifts because God is using you God is well pleased with you know even if he experienced a miracle miraculous answer to prayer it doesn't mean God is well pleased due to you maybe you waited for a long time to get a job and he got a job doesn't mean God is well pleased with you or he waited for a long time and you finally found a good house to live in doesn't mean God is well pleased with you these answers to prayer are not the evidence that God is well pleased with you and that is what we have to learn from the history of the Israelites every day they got an answer to prayer for 40 years for food for their shell for covering and needs earthly needs so even if you experience answers to prayer every day for 40 years for your earthly needs it does not prove that God is well pleased with you because I've seen particularly a lot of full-time Christian workers I've heard that testimony through the years God has provided all my financial needs good I believe it I've experienced it myself but I can't therefore saying God is well pleased with me because God provided all the material needs of these people for 40 years and even if I serve the Lord for 40 years and I say God has provided all my needs without asking anyone it all came from heaven just like manna I can still it can still mean that God is not well pleased with me and I'm absolutely convinced that God meets the material needs of many many full-time workers and others and God is not well pleased with them and this is written for our instruction so what I want to say my brothers and sisters never never satisfy yourself that God's given you a good house he's given you a good job he's provided all your needs he's educated all your children or your children are happily married it proves zero that God is well pleased with you if you look at these earthly blessings as the proof that God is well pleased with you you haven't understood 1 Corinthians 10 you're being deceived just like those Israelites in the wilderness felt oh God must be very happy with me manner today - and I got a snake by it and God healed me wow he must be really happy I was thirsty and God split the rock and gave me water God is not well pleased he was not well pleased every day what God was saying was I'm not well pleased with you I'm not well pleased with you I know I answered your prayer I did supernatural things for you but I'm not well pleased with you very very important to understand what does it mean to be well pleasing to God in the second letter to the Corinthians Paul writes in chapter 5 this is the mark of a true man of God second Corinthians five he says in verse nine we have an ambition it's good to have an ambition provided your ambition is heavenly and not earthly if you have an earthly ambition [Music] to be highly educated good job it's okay but there's nothing spiritual about that and even if you got it it doesn't mean anything we have an ambition verse 9 second Corinthians 5:9 to be well pleasing to God see if you really want to be well pleasing to God you have to have an ambition for it just like these people in the world have an ambition somebody goes into business and he has an ambition to become a millionaire for his business to prosper to open many shops or he has an ambition when he goes into athletics to win the gold medal at some games or to represent the country in the Olympics his ambition ambition everybody is an ambition people who study science or athletics or play cricket or they want to get into the Indian cricket team ambition ambition here is Paul also says I have an ambition - my ambition is not all these earthly things I don't want to get into any football team or to take part in the Olympics I want to be well pleasing to God Paul is Paul was a full-time Christian worker and his ambition was not well God should meet all my earthly needs so that at the end of my life I can say yes I trust to the Lord I never mentioned my needs to anybody and God met all my earthly needs that was not his ambition that was just a byproduct his ambition was at the end of my life not that God has met all my earthly needs but that I've been well pleasing to God so that I stand before the Lord one day and he says to me well done good and faithful servant do you have that ambition that was Paul's ambition now I'll show you the example of somebody who was well pleasing to the Father turn with me to Matthew chapter 3 the same word you find well-pleasing well pleasing to the Father Matthew chapter 3 we read about Jesus being coming to John John the Baptist to be baptized and verse 16 after being baptized Jesus came up immediately from the water Matthew 3:16 and the heavens were opened and verse 17 a voice from heaven said this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased what did he say about the Israelites in the wilderness I am NOT well pleased you see the contrast and here What did he say about Jesus I am well pleased he said that about the Israelites after forty years in the wilderness I am NOT well pleased he said about Jesus after 30 years in Nazareth I am well pleased now see the contrast the Israelites experienced supernatural miracles every single day for forty years not well pleased God says Jesus experienced zero miracles for thirty years I am well pleased how do you explain that that God is well pleased with a person who prayed jesus prayed every day I'm sure he prayed for thirty years and never experienced one supernatural miracle never healed one sick person spoke in tongues in fact in his whole life he never spoke in tongues can God be well-pleased with somebody who never speaks in tongues in his whole life the Pentecostals will say no I say yes greatest example is Jesus can God be well pleased with a person who never once in his life had a supernatural answer to prayer yes Jesus now if I were to ask you have you had a supernatural answer to prayer even though you haven't you will cook up something and say that was a supernatural answer because you want that testimony I also got a supernatural answer why do you have way why is there that lust to exaggerate some answer you got to prayer to make it sound supernatural I'll tell you because you feel in your heart that unless God does something supernatural he's not happy with you rubbish look at Jesus and comparing with the Israelites well pleased not well pleased let's get this clearly in our mind because you'll never hear this in any other Church can I'm showing it to you from Scripture Paul said we have an ambition to be well pleasing to the Father and who was his example not the Israelites but Jesus so what was it that made Jesus well pleasing to the Father well we know Hebrews 4:15 well-known verse in C f/c he tempted in all points as we are but he never sinned what did the Israelites experience every day for 40 years supernatural experience manna from heaven supernatural healing water from the rock a cloud always protecting them from the Sun in the desert you know that was one of the functions of the pillar of cloud it was like a big cloud that gave them a Shack a shade when there is a terrible walking through a desert but there was always the shade and at night a fire that lit up their compound all night boy that's real protection no wild animals would come near that every day supernatural protection what did Jesus have everyday tempted but did not sin next day tempted but did not sin and next year tempted but did not say thirty years do you see the difference between Jesus and the Israelites in one case it was overcoming temptation every single day in the other case it is experiencing miracles every single day now I want to ask you my dear brothers tell me honestly honestly which do you want if you're given a choice God says I will give you supernatural miracles every day but you'll never get rid of your grumbling and complaining and murmuring and fear and anxiety and all but everyday you will experience the miracle do you want that life or do you want a life but you'll never experience any miracle no answers to prayer but you'll overcome sin you'll never grumble you'll never complain you'll never watch pornography you'll never lust after a woman you'll never lose your temper you'll never love money you will love your enemies you will be able to bless those who curse you but you'll never experience a supernatural miracle how many you feel honestly from deep down in your heart say Lord that's what I want that proves what your ambition is I'm just trying to show give you a scan a scan of your heart so that you don't deceive yourself that your spiritual because you can have a like the Corinthians have a lot of knowledge and I'm pretty sure the Corinthians could sing well as well that knowledge they had gifts to sing and it gives to do all types of things but they were not pleasing to God I know what I want I remember once when I read this about Jesus the voice from heaven saying this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and the great longing came in my heart and I said father in heaven can you please say that about me can you look at my life and say as you watch my life every day every day this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased or if you're a girl this is my beloved daughter on whom I'm well pleased I tell you that's such a terrific longing in my heart that I said Lord I don't care if I lose everything I don't want money I don't want house I don't want anything I don't want even ability to speak I don't even want health you can take you and make me dumb you can make me paralyzed I only want that you should be able to look at my daily life and say this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and I know that because that has become ambition God's begun to help me in that area I'll tell you honestly I don't look for miracles if God does them well and good if he doesn't do it that's fine that's fine with me I don't want to be able to testify somewhere this thing happened and I had a supernatural healing maybe some of you experienced that good do you boast about it bad that's worse what you experienced was good but the moment you began to speak too much about it it ruined everything like I say what you the miracle you got was a good chicken curry but then you put a dead lizard into it by boasting about it and that was the end of it you spoiled the whole thing you should have left it as it is so many situations like that you see if your passion in life is to be well pleasing to the Father you will know God in such a way that other Christians will never know I guarantee you'll overcome anger some of you who have a problem with anger believe me you will overcome it not 99% but hundred percent some of you who have a problem with grumbling murmuring you will overcome it 100 percent you have a problem with lusting pornography he will overcome it 100 percent 100 percent you look at a pretty girl and you'll want he we want to not look at her again 100 percent but you have to go to God and say Lord I don't want miracles I want to be well pleasing to you if God sees that deep down in your heart as a passion like Paul says an ambition look at these people who want to participate in the marathon race in the Olympics 40 kilometres they for four or eight years they run and run every morning so many times a day they run forty kilometres run and run and improve their timing he book stopwatch with them and see how much did I make today how much damn oh I slowed down today I got it run faster watch their diet they don't eat anything they like they eat what their trainers tell them is good for you to keep healthy to run so much of discipline they do in their life just to win an Olympic crown or a medal Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9 they do it to get an earthly medal what about us we want to get that word from heaven that says I'm well pleased with you can you say that you will be as or you are as earnest to get that commendation from the Lord as that marathon runner is to win an Olympic gold medal how he trains every day he sees food on the table which he likes to eat and he doesn't need it because he says this has just increased my weight and I won't be able to make that timing tomorrow I lose my timing I'll never get to the Olympic Games if I just eat what I like and no he says I've got to be disciplined that's the example that Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 9 and says we need to discipline ourselves in the chapter just before the chapter I read just now you need to discipline ourselves to be pleasing to the Lord and in the Old Testament I want to share with you how we read when Moses died turn with me to Deuteronomy in chapter 34 and verse nine Moses died and the whole nation of Israel were displeasing to the Lord in the wilderness but there was one man called Joshua who was also on that crowd of 600,000 he was not displeasing to the Lord he and Caleb went into the land as spies and said with God's help we can overcome them and God was so happy with them with all the other 600,000 we read God was not well pleased that's why I says in 1 Corinthians 10 did you read it with most of them not with all of them with most of them God was not well pleased most of them means 600,000 - - with most of them God is well pleased but there were two with whom God was well-pleased Joshua and Caleb and it's Joshua that's mentioned here in Deuteronomy 34 when Moses died it says here that Moses appointed Joshua to take over from him and we read here in verse 9 Joshua the son of nun Moses was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him see that was Moses laid his hands on Joshua and communicated something to Joshua of the anointing that was upon him he couldn't just go and do that to anybody yeah it had to be someone whom God had chosen Moses had two sons but he couldn't give it to them God said not your sons sorry Joshua and Moses laid his hands on Joshua and then people recognized that Joshua is also a leader and that's why you read in the book of Joshua and you read the whole book of Joshua how what a mighty leader he was you know it was very difficult for him to step into the shoes of Moses the mighty man of God who everybody respected but the Lord told Joshua in Joshua chapter 1 verse 5 no man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life as I was with Moses I'll be with you I will not fail you I will not forsake you holy be strong verse 7 and be careful to do everything according to the law which Moses commanded and we read that more Joshua was faithful till the end of his life we read in right up to the end of Joshua's life he was faithful he told the Israelites you people can serve whomever you like but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord and that's how he died and then it comes to the book of Judges and I want you to see what happened after Joshua died when Moses died there was a Joshua to take over when Joshua died there was nobody is it because God did not want a leader of course he did when does it when is it that God doesn't want someone to lead his people never never never he always wants people but there was nobody fit Joshua had children they were not fit so we read in Joshua chapter 2 as already Judges chapter 2 now Joshua is died judges chapter 2 and verse 7 the people serve the Lord all the days of Joshua they never drifted away they didn't go after idols because Joshua was a very strict leader and he had some influence on all the elders who were with him there were some elders who were under Joshua's leadership they didn't have the same degree of anointing that Joshua had but they had been influenced by Joshua's life and leadership that there was some measure in which the blessing continued but then they say serve the Lord all the days of the elders were seven who survived Joshua but once those elders also died verse 11 then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the bales and forsook the Lord who brought them out of Egypt see how much was dependent on leaders how much was dependent all those years with Joshua they never dared to do anything like that I think Joshua was in Canaan probably about 40 years he was around 80 or so when he entered in and he was about a hundred and twenty when he died so all those forty years he his real lights never went after idols and the elders beyond Joshua I don't know how much longer they were maybe a few years and then they died and then the children of Israel went back to worshiping idols again you know I told you the other day about how Moses and Aaron were the leaders but when Moses went away just for 40 days to the mountain they went to idolatry because Aaron was not such a strict person and these elders I don't know whether they were very strict either so gradually a drift came and they went into evil but it never happened in Joshua's time and I think by the time Joshua died and the elders were there I think it declined must have started with the death of Joshua and though externally as it says they were status judges to seven days followed the Lord but it was only external but inwardly declined came and as soon as those elders also died finished the what was inside came out and they started worshipping idols again what did we read 1 Corinthians 10 these things are written for our instruction this is what has always happened throughout the Old Testament I want you to give you another example in 1 Samuel we read about another leader and the time you know Ezreal always had a prophet and a high priest to lead them because God was their king he said yeah all the other nations had Kings God told Israel I am your king but the people of Israel came to Samuel in 1 Samuel Chapter 8 and said to him in verse 5 1 samuel 8 5 appointed king for us because you are old now and your sons are all backslidden by the way my Samuel sons were all backslidden and taking bribes just like the sons of Elah you read about that it was 3 1 Samuel 8 3 the sons of Samuel were dishonest and took bribes and so the elders came to Samuel and said hey listen Samuel your sons are alway work they are not like you so best is you appoint a king like all the other nations of Kings and give us a king to judges when the Lord said to Samuel okay verse 7 listen to them because they have rejected me verse 7 from being king over them they don't want me as their king anymore I was their King till now I appointed prophets and leaders but I was their king but now they want to follow all the nations of the world and have a king and so they had to select the king and the Lord told Samuel in Chapter 9 verse 16 tomorrow I'll send you a man from the land of Benjamin and you can appoint him as king so he met Saul and then Samuel said let's take lots so that doesn't look as if I have selected a king actually God had told him this is the man now Samuel could have told people hey listen gods told me Saul is the king so you better accept him but he didn't want to it to look as if he was being partial to some friend of mine so he said this invest is let's cast lots and see whom God chooses Samuel had faith that if he cast lots and God will still choose so so you read here Sam chapter 10 verse 17 Samuel called all the people together and he said now you come before me verse 19 last part by your tribes one by one and there are twelve tribes let me cast lot and see which lot which tribe is chosen and where's 21 Samuel 10 20 cook Lots in the tribe of Benjamin was chosen okay he says now let's cast lots for all the families in Benjamin first 21 to cast lot and the family of the Metroid family was chosen verse 21 and then he cast lots for all the different families there are different people there and Saul's name came up that was a sovereignty of God there's a verse in Proverbs it says the Lord determines the result of the Lord this is Old Testament and the last time it was done was before the day of Pentecost when the eleven apostles decided to cast lots to pick out which of these two shall be the twelfth apostle with us that was not God's choice I don't know whether you remember that place in Acts chapter one they cast lots they were selected two names to replace Judas Iscariot and Peter and the others cast lots and they picked out one and they said okay but that was Old Testament way of finding God's will actually the 12th person to replace Judas Iscariot was Paul who came much later that was God's will but they didn't know that and they had waited and said Lord we won't cast lot you show us who's your will God I said hang on in a few years I'll show you who has to replace Judas Iscariot that's Paul I believe Judas Iscariot was the cleverest among all the Apostles and he was the one who's supposed to write the episodes but Paul God is crowned like it says in revelation 3 take heed that no one takes your crown Paul got a crown of Judas Iscariot but here they cast lots and Saul was taken now Samuel had already told Saul and earlier when he came to him he had anointed him and said you're the king so he should have been just coming up there and say hey listen by the wedding fellas I'm the one but it says here they looked for Saul verse 21 and they couldn't find him put yourself in Saul's place supposing Samuel at one day anointed you and say hey you're gonna be the king and then you find all these Lots being taken and you're not disturbed because you know that lot will come in your name I'm sure you'll be hanging around there waiting to be show yourself he wasn't there do you see what a humble man Saul was when he started he went and hid himself and you know where he hid himself he was hiding under some suitcases no I'm not joking you read that in verse 22 he found some suitcases somewhere and he hid between those suitcases that nobody would find him because he was a very tall man and if he stood in the crowd he would stand out so he went and hid among some suitcases there that some people's luggage and they looked and looked and looked and found they found this guy hiding the suitcase and pulled him out and said come here you've been selected and when he stood there it says in verse 23 he was taller than all the people from his shoulder upwards that means the tallest person in Israel came only up to Saul's shoulder when a thousand people stood there you could see Saul's head standing up there showing that that guy lived by his head and that's why he fell away later as well he lived by his his intelligence and his knowledge but he was a very humble person and you read some interesting things there in the beginning how you did not take any revenge on those who did not fight with him he just forgave them and it's very interesting to see how how it was right up to chapter 11 chapter 12 such a humble god-fearing man but he was getting victories the Philistines were being defeated and we read here in 1 samuel 13 that's all went to fight with the Philistines and he was always defeating the philistines verse four Israel heard the news solid smitten the garrison of the Philistines and then see what he did it happens to many people when God blesses them in one ministry they suddenly go outside their boundary into another ministry that God has not called them for Samuel Letts Dolezal listen you wait I will come and offer a sacrifice to the Lord because I am a priest yo not a priest you're a king verse 8 1 Samuel 13 verse 8 he waited 7 days according to the appointed time set by Samuel but Samuel did not come that was a test for Saul what is all gonna do Samuel told him to wait seven days I'll come and offer the sacrifice Saul said I have done so many wonderful things on the battlefield I'm anointed to be king I'm sure I can be a priest as well he said bring me the peace offerings and burnt offerings and as a priest verse 9 he offered the burnt offering this is an example of a man mightily blessed by God in his area going outside his boundary into another area which God had never called him to go into he was a king not a priest and there was a reason for that nobody in the Old Testament was allowed to be a king and a priest you read later on in chronicles about another king of Israel of Judah who wanted to become a priest and he got leprosy because the first king priest was to be Jesus Christ as a result for Jesus Christ and anybody who took that position was violating God's law anyway Sam as soon as Saul finished offering the burnt offering Samuel King when Samuel said I'll come in seven days he keeps his word only thing he didn't come in the morning he came in the afternoon but Saul got impatient in the morning and offered the sacrifice and Samuel said to Saul what have you done how dare you offer a sacrifice you're really a king man and Saul you know he's always great at making excuses yeah I saw the people scattering your way and all that and Samuel said to Saul you have acted foolishly verse 13 you have not kept the commandment of the Lord and now verse 14 your kingdom will not endure he said Lord are you so strict with a man who has been so faithful just because he slipped up what I tell you most Christians have no idea about the strictness of God I've seen that with many churches and CFC churches in some places with elders who go outside their boundary or who are not strict and I've seen what what at the end of that church it's always wishy-washy calamity because they say yeah it's okay God has blessed me here I can do this also no you can't here to stay within your boundary brother-sister and look the punishment your kingdom will not endure you say Lord just for a a thing like this you take away the kingdom many people can understand God's ways I heard people tell me brother Zack you're too strict okay I hope you know God better than me they may have told sam'l adults what's happening you're so strict with soldiers for a little thing like this was it a little thing the Lord is now looking for a man not who's got a big head but who's got a good heart verse 14 you know the difference in the head and heart and that man after God's own heart was David and I I don't think he was even born at that time because he was much younger than David was thirty years old when he became King and here in chapter 13 verse 1 we read that Saul reigned for forty years in Israel so if Saul reigned for forty years then in Israel then David was born 10 years after Saul became King simple arithmetic because David became King Ernie was thirty so God says haven't got the man yet but I'm looking for a man after my own heart and he found one in David Saul you got your head above everybody else David's got a heart and that's what I'm looking and the Lord is already a point in him imagine saying that before the little child was born or he maybe was a little boy then the Lord is already appointed him ruler because you did not keep for the lord commanded and that is the example of Saul now let's go to David turn to 1 Samuel 2:16 you see how this very humble Saul lost the kingdom and later on he disobeyed also we read in 1 channel 7:15 now in chapter 16 the Lord said to Samuel okay stop reading or Saul I'm going to send you I've chosen the son of Jesse to be the next king chapter 16 verse 1 and if you want to know how much Jesse the father despised David read carefully Samuel came to Bethlehem and verse 4 and the elders were trembling because if a prophet comes somewhere that means something is wrong and they said how are you coming in PCC I'll come in peace nothing's wrong I've come to please call the sons of Jesse and his sons to sacrifice and so Jesse brought his sons because Allah jameelah told Jesse one of your sons has got to be the king and then Illya the eldest verse six came before Samuel and Samuel saw height and his Martin and his good looks in surely this must be the anointed king Lord said no don't look at his height and here is that beautiful Old Testament verse it comes here 1 Samuel 16:7 God does not see the way man sees man looks on the outward appearance but God looks at the heart ok not ilya let's try the next one having a dad no not him 3rd verse 9 Shama not him like that Jessie verse 10 made 7 of his sons to pass before Samuel you know he had told Jessie bring all your son's here and he brought seven of them and even the seventh one God said no and Samy was confused hey Lord you said one of the sons of Jesse is going to be king and he's brought all his seven sons here and you say no no no no no to each of them then Samuel said listen do you have any other sons he said yeah we've got a young guy he's he's the youngest he's always playing the guitar and singing songs to God so we just told him to look after the sheep in the he's not fit to be the king salmon said bring him here and they brought David just to show you how much they his father despised him but he thought this guy he can't be him king means not him there's nearly not him sometimes that people who we think are useless other ones God picks up I'll tell you that I've seen that so many times people who man despises because the God sees in their heart a devotion and a love for him you know that David was writing Psalms before he was 30 years old imagine in writing inspired Scripture in the Bible before he was 30 years old and as soon as he came the Lord said in verse 12 last part this is him I'm sure Jessie got a surprise of his life and Samuel immediately anointed him see Samuel was a man with discernment these Old Testament prophets were called Sears s EE RS you know the meaning of Sears one who can see one who can see what other people cannot see one who can look into the future and see something which others can't see one who can look at a person and see what his heart is like which others can't see others just look at the outward appearance or his cleverness but a seer could see something and that's how when he saw all the other seven sons of Jesse's God said no no no no no no and as soon as he saw David God said yes very important requirement and I believe as you grow spiritually it's one other thing you must long for that you left but you can see things which God shows you because then you won't be deceived by people very important qualification for an elder to be a seer who doesn't have his own prejudices you see thing is so many elders in the world about partiality they love their own relatives or some special favorites in the church they can never be seers in a hundred years they won't be because you've got partiality they look at somebody who's smart or clever who or who does some service for them or something like that but the seer is completely free from partiality he doesn't look at outer appearance and he doesn't see whether man is intelligent or not he sees the heart and who can show you the heart holy God so God showed Samuel David's heart and that's the man and he anointed him and it says in verse 13 the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day it was not just Samuel pouring some oil on him and laying his hand on him the Spirit of God backed it up and said this is my man and you see how wonderfully David was throughout his life and then we read in second Samuel in Chapter eleven after David had been king for about twenty years this wonderful man of God who wrote Scripture anointed by God he had seen what happened to Samuels children he had seen what happened to Saul he had heard what happened to Eli but he thought no no it won't happen to me I'm a man after God's own heart and 20 years he had once so many battles mightily anointed by God writing Scripture that he began to relax that's when danger sets in when you've been faithful to the Lord for many years and God has blessed you blessed your family and you suddenly begin to think oh I'm a sort of a senior brother I'm a senior elder that's the time danger comes in not that you will go and kill somebody but the sharpness of discernment goes away you don't hear God so clearly as you did 30 years ago that's what happened to David he was about 50 years old now and he couldn't hear God as clearly as he did 20 years earlier and he was 30 he heard God so clearly you could write it down and God put it in the Bible amazing words but now you know those days the Kings were the leaders in the battle Kings used to be the generals who would lead the army to battle and they never had any battles in wintertime it was too cold but when spring came and the kings go out to battle 2nd Samuel chapter 11 verse 1 David was supposed to lead the army but he said well I'm senior now I can sit back and he said to Joab who was his sister's son was a general you go fight the battle Joab was a general and David stayed at Jerusalem we read once when Moses sent Joshua to the battle in I think it's Exodus chapter 17 Moses went up to the mountain and lifted up his hands and said oh god please help Joshua when he's fighting the Amalekites and God answered Moses prayer and they would defeat them and Moses hands got tied the Amalekites would win and then Aaron and hor held up Moses hands and he kept it up like that and the Amalekites were defeated thoroughly that's what Moses did when he sent Aaron to battle what did David do he should have been doing that when he sent you out to battle he should be in praying instead of that he was sleeping and he was sleeping right up to the evening verse - can you imagine that in the evening and most of us get up in the morning in the evening well he was a king he could do what he liked he arose from his bed no prayer nothing I hope when you get out of your bed the first thing you do is pray I hope it is you don't have to be on your knees but I hope as soon as you come out of bed you think of Jesus first thing in the morning a lesson here if David then he got out of bed and knelt down first and said father and think of Joab now fighting the battle please help him to win the victory should have been a different story but he got up and relaxed and he said let me go for a stroll on the roof of my house and he looks over the wall and he sees a woman bathing of course it was absolutely stupid of Bathsheba to be bathing out there and open knowing that people from the terrace in the opposite house can see me crazy it's not only David is guilty Bathsheba's equally guilty is all these women who she provoked David you think it's only the men are guilty who look at a woman and lust what about the women who wear these tight-fitting clothes aren't they guilty just like machi bah what about these women who expose more and more of their body they may not be bathing naked but they're doing something like that when they make their pants so tight and don't cover the joints of their legs and make their upper part of their press so tight and expose more and more of their hands and legs and all that and stomachs more and more are they guilty or not was Batsheva guilty she should have had some sense and all these girls who dress like that should have some sense okay and David said who's that and they told him that's the wife that somebody else's wife you know those days Kings just married whom they like but definitely not somebody else's wife he already had six or seven wives and David said ah it doesn't matter he's somebody else's wife he bring him in bring her in here and he had sex with her and she conceived now what to do somehow put the blame on our husband he called her husband back from the battlefield send me Uriah the Hittite verse six and Uriah came and the David told her ayah go down to your house verse eight so that he could go and sleep with his wife and at least them at least he'll think the child was his what a riot would not go to his house imagine what an upright man your iowa's he slept at the door of the king's house verse 9 and Araya david said to write you didn't go to your house first and listened to Uriah how can I go to my house when my fellow soldiers are out in the open field verse 11 battling out there they are battling out there my fellow soldiers and you mean I should go and sleep with my wife now by your life verse 11 by your soul I will not do such a thing who was more upright here David our Uriah sometimes those so-called leaders or those who imagine themselves to be godly and spiritual God's people are much worse than some of the younger believers who have more uprightness and then God called him to get he called him one day and made him drunk verse 13 he was trying every possible trick but he still would not go down to his house what a man and then David had only one solution I don't want to get caught so he wrote a letter to Joe at verse 14 and said tomorrow in the battle make sure you put Uriah right in front and when the battle is really thick verse 15 all of you withdraw so that he'll be killed this is another form of hiring you know they hire murderers nowadays go and kill that fellow this is what David was hiring a murderer and so it happened that that happened and Uriah was killed and we read in the 17 Uriah died and so they had to send a report to the King what happened in the battle and Joe I've sent a report to the king saying sorry we lost the battle and that when the king says why in the world did you lose the battle don't you know that you should have do not have gone so close to the wall verse 20 just whisper in his ear by the way Uriah is also dead that would come David so the messenger reported and told David we lost in the battle and David says and he told him by the way Uriah is also dead Oh David says and it's okay sometimes people die in battle we can't help it and then he tells about she better come I'm going to marry you this is the great David who started out as a man after God's own heart who wrote Scripture I'm just trying to show you how godly men decline as time goes on don't the first Kings chapter one David was not an old man chap first Kings one verse one and we read here that one of his sons he said my father is going to die now and a David had a number of sons and adore Niger he had number of sons through many wives I think David had about eight wives and each of the sons I want to be the next king and one Kings one verse five Adonijah the son of hagit exalted himself I'll be the king and why did this son of it David become so rebellious listen to the story all fathers please listen carefully now we have seen David's failure as a husband as a king now you see his failure as a father David his father had never crossed him that means the margin it says never given him any pain he never gave many pain by strong words why do you do that no no no he never spoke like that to Adonai job he never spanked him he never caused him any pain it says in the margin of my Bible and he also never asked him a question why did you do that no no why because this boy I denied ever six was a very handsome man you have a good-looking kid better-looking than all the other children or a good-looking daughter better than all the others and cheese your favorite or he's your favorite and you don't want to paint him or her see what happened to that boy when he grew up finally he had to be killed you read the rest of the story these are warning these things are written for our instruction now let's come to the New Testament we read in acts to the Apostles chapter 20 Paul was in Ephesus he planted churches in many places but he never stayed long in any place but in Ephesus he stayed a long time then he had to leave Acts chapter 20 from verse 17 he called the elders of the Church of Ephesus to a place called my leader said I want to talk to you and he told them remember acts 20 31 that night and day for a period of three years I kept on preaching to you with tears I used to weep while I was preaching and those are not artificial tears like some people have got the ability to produce artificial tears to move people to compassion that's all rubbish they're actors Paul was not an actor he was genuinely concerned that these people should take sin seriously and that's why he wept for them like Jeremiah once said if you don't listen to me I'll go alone and weep for you people Paul was a bit like that himself he had Mohnish them with tears you know God gives his word to those who have compassion for his people very often God does not give his word to many of his servants because they don't love his people they only know how to rebuke them and correct them yeah Paul spoke strong words but he loved him he had tremendous compassion for God's people and that's why Paul wrote it was a prophet who always had a world and he says night and day for three years can be calculated that he used to preach early in the morning and his preach at night John Wesley used to be like that in the 1700s he used to go out at five o'clock in the morning to go in to preach to people before they went to work and people listened to him we had to go up to work by 6 o'clock and he preached to them and come back imagine a preacher who got 5 o'clock in the morning before people go to work him and the people who are willing to come together at 5 o'clock in the morning to listen to a message before they go to work what do you find such people today no and then in the evening again after they finished work and in sake let's have a meeting he preached morning and evening in one day I in one year that is 730 messages and in 3 years that is 2100 nearly 2200 messages let's say imagine listening to 2200 sermons imagine if you had 2200 videotapes of Paul's message what I would love to listen to all of them that's what he preached in Ephesus 2,000 sermons with tears and he said in verse 33 I never wanted anybody's money I never wanted any of you to give me a shirt or a pant or any such thing I was not interested in any of these things I worked with my own hands and took care of my own needs verse 34 I showed you like that that it is more 35 it is more blessed to give than to receive and he says to the elders I was 27 I declared to you the whole purpose of God I never withheld anything from you I was willing to offend you correct you I told you everything now please take care of the flock but I know verse 29 that after I leave you these wolves have been waiting outside the door we'll walk right in yes scared to come in as long as I'm here but the moment I'm gone they'll come in I know that Paul says and not only that some of you I don't maybe there were five elders sitting there or six or seven I don't know how big the church was from among you there'll be a division among you you won't agree with each other you're all agreed with each other now big Paul says because I'm here but once I go not only the Wolves will come in you fellows will start having your own opinions in having your own little groups see draw away disciples after them does not necessarily mean that they all left the church and start another church and a five elders started five churches no no no no no within the church the elders had their own favorites these are the people who are my favorites and the other elder had those are my favorites and the third elder had his favorites and the fourth elder and his favorites in the fifth elder at his favorites they were his disciples he would listen to them and this man would listen to them and this man listened to them best way to destroy a church that's what happened but outwardly it was one church the church in Ephesus founded by the Apostle Paul it has not split in 3040 years great but see what the Lord says to the church in Ephesus forty years later second Revelation chapter 2 this is about 40 years or so after Paul spoke those words in acts 22 the leader messenger the word angel can mean messenger to the messenger of the church ins Ephesus write this yeah there are many good things in you Paul has taught you so many things that you still keep you have your conferences you have your singing and you have your choir practices and you have your Sunday School and you have this and you have all these things your deeds and you're also doing many many good things you're working hard and you're upright and you don't tolerate evil people know you're still preaching against sin and if any false teacher comes in you turn him out verse two you've endured for my name's sake you've stood true to the Lord but you have left your first love verse four you don't love me as you did at the beginning and because of that you don't love one another as you did at the beginning you got your favourites you got your special favorites you and you got your favorites you got your favorites exactly like Paul said but outwardly it was one church you have left your first love is that serious Lord yes verse five it is so serious you have fallen and if you don't repent of it I will remove the lampstand I will dear Ekadasi but verse seven there are some in your midst who are overcomers and let them hear what the Holy Spirit is saying so in this church even though the elders are backslidden and had their favorites God had some younger people who I didn't have much influence but they were living in overcoming life they were free from overcome temptation they become free from partiality and seeking to live in love and humility and purity and the Lord says I I'll recognize you what was the threat in verse 5 I will remove the lambskin meaning I will go away from your church so I supposing the if you don't repent verse five now supposing those elders had not repentant the Lord would have gone away from that church what would the overcomers have done what is the bride do in the wedding reception if the bridegroom is going away the bride doesn't stay if the bridegroom is going away I'm going with the bridegroom but all these people were not the bride it's only the overcomers were the bride and they sense the Lord's not here anymore that anointing that was here in the olden days is gone and they see the Lord is left and they would have moved out maybe 10 of them and they'd have started another church in Ephesus and the big 600 member church church would have despised them look at that group those rebels they have left here God's curses upon them but the Lord was there this has happened again and again and again see that group of ten people despised rejected really with the Lord's presence you know the first group is likes all started well in Paul's time but likes all declined thrown out then David comes up small group starts well and you know what happened to David this group of ten gradually becomes 500 and they also go the same way and the Lord leaves them but there are some over comers in the second church they go out and start the third Church in Ephesus and like that through the centuries that is how all these churches have started in 2,000 years some people were fed up with the decline so we want to be true to the Lord and that's how all these denominations have started great movements like when you think of the movement that Martin Luther started 500 years ago it was tremendous he stood against the entire Catholic Church and what a movement it was people were really born again but going sit in a Lutheran Church today the Martin Luther came to the world today he will not join the Lutheran Church in the 1700s there was this man John Wesley he was in the church which Martin Luther started which is called the Anglican Church in England those days and he began to preach about being born again in a holy life and they would not let him preach they threw him out he would stand in the open air and preach and gradually people came and that started what is known as the Methodist Church and he had little little groups godly men some of the most godly men on earth at that time were in England in the Methodist Church but go and sit in some Methodist churches today 250 years later and John Wesley were to come to earth today he would not join the Methodist Church then God brings out some other group like the Brethren or different groups and they were so-called anabaptists also they're always standing for the hallways there were a group of people despised by others stood up for the truth of God persecuted some were killed and in the early plenty gospel movement if you read about the early days of the planet gospel movement 1900 and 18 years ago they were poor poor people one of their main leaders was a black man with one eye blind he his pulpit was a old shoebox on a broken table and when they all prayed he hid his head inside that shoebox and out poor people sitting there filled with the Holy Spirit that's how the movement started but or a period of time became rich that's plenty of money that's what happened to Saul he became rich that's what happened to the Israelites in Joshua's time they had lawless land and possessions and they drifted that's what happened to David he became a king with a palace he was not just out in the fields looking out at sheep and that's what happened to all these movements they were poor when they began but they became big and famous and rich and they drifted away from God and it's happened to every movement within 50 to 70 years it's gone but that doesn't mean God's work dies out no there will always be some overcomers in every generation in these 2000 years God has always had a a few humble god-fearing who don't spend their time criticizing others but judging themselves who want to be well pleasing to the Father whose ambition is to be well pleasing to the Father even if they don't see miracles they want to be like Jesus who never did a miracle but about whom the father could say this is my son whom I am well-pleased we have come to almost the closing years of the church age and Christ is going to come pretty soon and the Bible says we read this verse finally 2nd Timothy in chapter 3 in the last days it will be very difficult to be a Christian second Timothy chapter 3 because where's five men will have a form of godliness without the power they won't give up the form of godliness they will talk the right language they will talk about justification by faith they'll talk about baptism in the holy spirit they'll talk about holiness they will even talk about new covenant they'll talk about the new and living way they'll talk about taking up the cross ohh-ho-ho you think this is the holiest people on earth but no they don't have the power to overcome sin look at the way they live at home with all this language of overcoming sin and holiness and new covenant and baptism in the Holy Spirit and all this everything just see how they behave at home with their wives and husbands see how they bring up their children form of godliness without the power but they sit in a good church which talks about new covenant and victory over sin and all the ones we on the new we don't have pastors we have elders and we don't take money from people all the right language form of godliness is there but the inner power to be pure to be humble to love to be without partiality God but they will have a form of godliness but underneath that form of godliness verse 2 they love themselves they won't believe in sacrificing for the Lord's sake they'll always think of themselves there'll be lovers of money he'll always think how can I make more and more money for myself and they'll always think what is the minimum I have to do for the church are you like that what is the minimum I must do to be recognized as a good brother minimum minimum minimum other people God uses people God uses are those who say I will never offer to God that which costs me nothing those are willing to sacrifice their own convenience sacrifice time with their own families sacrifice the energy sacrifice their money sacrifice their life like it says about Jesus he loved the church and gave himself for it yeah that is those who have the power of godliness but it will be very difficult to be a Christian it says in them that's how the Living Bible paraphrase is the first verse of 2nd Timothy 3 it'll be very difficult to be a Christian in the last days because all these people will have the form of godliness sitting in the same church but underneath that they'll be loving themselves they'll be loving money they'll be boastful they'll be arrogant they'll be disobedient to their parents at home they're ungrateful for all that the church has done for them they'll they'll be malicious gossips verse 3 and but they'll come and break bread see these malicious gossips will come and break bread these boastful arrogant people who can't get along with each other they love pleasure verse 4 more than they love God they'll be watching movies and some dirty ones but they'll come and break bread oh lord thank you for this bread thank you for this cup Lord what are you gonna do after that watch pornography well what some dirty suggestive movie it'll be very difficult to be a Christian in the last days because the church will be a mixture of all these people in the midst of it there will be a remnant of over comers and my message to you my brothers and sisters is be in that remnant you'll never find a pure Church anywhere in the world not even in CFC churches but you can be an overcomer that's my call to you let's pray father thank you for your word that warns us corrects us guides us along the right path help us to take heed to what you have to say pray in Jesus name you

Channel: CFC India

Views: 20,566

Rating: 4.7540455 out of 5

Keywords: zac poonen cfc Christian Fellowship Church Church Fellowship Christian Zac Poonen, Sermons, CFC

Id: Owbua98suqk

Length: 85min 14sec (5114 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 09 2018