0:00 Let's try together and sing. Mighty name, mighty name. In that name alone, we willy [Music] 0:19 name. Mighty name. conquering Satan, death, and sin. [Music] In the mighty name of Jesus, 0:37 when I bow before the throne, may your deadly foresquished, many victory is won. Mighty name, mighty name. In the name alone we win. 0:57 Mighty name. Mighty name. [Music] Conquering Satan. Death and sin. Brother sing with me. When I plead the name of Jesus, 1:14 Satan and his host must flee. Jesus. Jesus. Precious Jesus, in thy name is victory, mighty name. Join in together mighty name. In the name of the Lord, we win. 1:34 Mighty name, mighty name. Conquering Satan, death and sin. Sisters sing 1:47 [Music] for him and save us all the power of Jesus name. Mighty name mighty name. 2:07 In the name alone we win. Mighty name, mighty name. Conquering Satan, death and sin. Brother, sing along once more. 2:24 Blessed Jesus, mighty Savior in thy name is all I need. Just to breathe the name of Jesus is to drink of life indeed. Join in mighty name. 2:42 Mighty name. In the name of Lord we win. Mighty name. Mighty name. Conquering Satan, death and sin. Sister sing. 3:02 Glorious mighty name of Jesus to the name of King of the praise and worship for the name is victory. Oh mighty name 3:20 mighty name in the name alone we win. Mighty name. Mighty name. Conquering Satan. Holy congregation singus. 3:44 [Music] Oh mighty name, mighty name. 4:00 In the name of glory way, mighty name, mighty name, conquering Satan, death and sin. Just the voices. 4:18 Soon shall come the blessed moment when the Lord shall call us home. When the mighty name of Jesus shall exalt us to the throne. Mighty name. 4:37 Mighty name. In the name alone we win. Mighty name. Mighty name. Conquering Satan, death and sin. 4:54 Please be seated brothers and sisters. When we all see Jesus, we will sing and shout the victory. 5:16 Sing the wondous love of Jesus. Sing his mercy and his grace in the mansions bright and blessed. He'll prepare for us a place 5:35 when we all get to heaven. What a day of rejoicing that will be when we all see Jesus. We'll sing and shout the victory. 5:53 Brother sing while we walk the pilgrim pathway. Clouds will overspread the sky. But when traveling days are over, not a 6:11 shadow, not a side. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all sing Jesus, 6:29 we'll sing and shout the victory. Sisters, let us be true and faithful, justice every day. 6:44 Just one grace of faith in glory. When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing will bring. 7:03 When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory. Onward to the Christ before us. Soon his 7:20 beauty will behold. Soon the worldly gates will open. We shall spread the streets of gold. When we all get to heaven, 7:38 what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory. I hear the sound of rustling in the 7:58 leaves of the trees. The spirit of the earth has come down on the earth and sing has now risen from its knees. Try bones are responding with the fruits of your word. This is now a time for 8:18 declaration. The word will go to all men everywhere. The church is here for the healing of the nations. Behold the day of Jesus drawing. 8:36 My tongue will be the bed of a ready rider. And what the father gives to me I'll sing. I only want to be his friend. 8:53 I only want to glorify the king. Brothers sing all around the world and all around the world the body ways expectedly. The promise of the father is now ready 9:10 to fall. Watchmen on the tower all exalt us to prepare. And the church was spawns a people who will call. Sister single 9:23 [Music] face of Jesus. They are done. 9:42 My tongue will be the pen of a ready writer. The one the father gives to me. the same. I only want to be his friend. 9:59 I only want to glorify the king. [Music] Morning now prepared by God and ready for war. Prompting of the spirit is our word of command. 10:18 Rise a mighty army at the bidding of the Lord. The devil see and fear for their time is at hand. Children of the Lord hear our commission. 10:34 We should love and serve our God as one. The spirit won't be hindered by condition in the perfect work that Jesus has beun. My tongue will be the pen of a ready 10:52 writer. What the father gives to me I'll sing. I only want to be his. I only want to glorify the king. Just the voices sing my tongue. My 11:11 tongue will be the pen of a ready writer. And what the father gives to me I'll sing. I only want to be his. I only want to glorify the king. 11:41 Brothers and sisters, let's put on a garment of praise. This song says, "There's an endless song that echoes in my soul as I hear the music ring. Though the storms may come, I'm holding on to the rock. How can I keep from singing your praise? How can I 12:00 ever say enough? How amazing is your love? Brothers and sisters, we can clap and sing this song. [Music] 12:26 There is an endless song echo in my soul. I hear the music ring. And though the storms may come, I am holding on 12:44 to the rock like this. How can I keep from singing your praise? How can I ever say enough? How amazing is your love? How can I keep from 13:03 shouting your name? I know I am loved by the king and it makes my heart want to sing. I will lift my eyes in the darkest night 13:25 for I know my Savior lives. And I will walk with you, knowing you'll see me through. And sing the songs you give. 13:43 How can I keep from singing your praise? How can I ever sing? How amazing is your love? How can I keep from shouting your name? 14:00 I know I am loved by the king and it makes my heart want to sing. I can sing in the trouble times. Sing 14:16 when I win. I can sing when I lose my step. Fall down again. I can sing cuz you pick me up. Sing cuz you're there. I can sing cuz you hear me Lord and I 14:33 call to you in prayer. I can sing with my last friend. Sing for I know that I'll sing with the angels and the saints around the throne. How can I keep from singing your praise? 14:54 How can I ever say enough? How amazing is your love? How can I keep from shouting your name? I know I am loved by the king and it makes my heart. I know I am loved by the 15:14 king and it makes my heart I know I am loved by the king and it makes my heart want to sing. [Music] My heart is filled with thankfulness. 15:41 [Music] My heart is filled with thankfulness 15:59 to him who bore my pain. who come the depths of my disgrace and gave me life again. Who crushed my 16:18 sinfulness and clothed me in his life. and rule this law of righteousness with power upon my heart. 16:36 [Music] My heart is filled with thankfulness 16:51 to him who walks beside. Who f my weaknesses with strength and causes pure love. 17:07 Whose every promise is enough for every step I take. [Music] Sustaining me with arms of love and crowning me 17:26 with grace. [Music] My heart is filled with thankfulness 17:43 to him who reigns above. Whose wisdom is my perfect peace, whose every call is love. 17:59 For every day I have honor is given by the king. So I will give my life my all to love 18:16 and follow him. For every day, for every day I have on earth is given by the king. [Music] 18:32 So I will give my life, my all to love and follow him. 18:43 [Music] Wonderful merciful savior, 19:02 precious redeemer and friend. Who would have thought that rescue the souls of men? Oh, you rescue the souls of men. 19:22 [Music] Counselor, comforter, keeper, spirit we long to embrace. You offer hope when our hearts 19:42 hopelessly lost the way. Oh, we've hopelessly lost the way. You are the one that we praise. You are the one that we praise. 19:57 You are the one we adore. You give the healing and grace hearts always hunger for. 20:12 Oh, our hearts always hunger for. Almighty infinite father, 20:27 faithfully loving your own. Here in our weakness, you'll find us falling before your throne. Oh, we're falling before. 20:46 Just the voices sing. You are the one that we praise. You are the one we adore. You give the healing and grace 21:04 our hearts hunger for. Oh, our hearts always hunger for. Shall we stand up, brothers and sisters? Sing our last song. Oh come let us adore 21:32 him. Oh come let us adore him. Oh come let us adore him Christ [Music] 21:51 alone. For he alone is worthy. For he alone is worthy. 22:07 For he alone is worthy. Christ the Lord. Just the voices. We'll give him all the glory. 22:25 We'll give him all the glory. We'll give him all the glory. Glory 22:39 will give him all the glory. Christ the Lord. Thank you, oh my father, 23:00 [Music] for giving us your son and your spirit till 23:17 the work on earth is done. [Music] As we remain standing, 23:47 let's bow our heads in prayer. The Lord is in our midst. Let's keep ourselves from all distractions. 24:04 The things bother us, we can cast it on the Lord. He deserves our attention. He deserves our praise. 24:26 Let's quieten our spirits and minds his presence. Our redeemer appeared in the likeness of men 24:49 in humility to save us. This is such an exciting think when we think about Jesus. Because of this reason, God highly 25:05 exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name. So that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow of those who are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. 25:24 And that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. That's the excitement in heaven. May the Lord help us to see that he is our excitement. He is our source of joy. 25:43 He came down, humbled himself to redeem us from self and sin and the world so that we are exclusively dedicated to him and be a witness for his name. Psalm 149 says, "Praise the Lord. Sing 26:03 to the Lord a new song and his praise in the congregation of the godly ones. Let his people be glad in the maker. Let the sons of Zion rejoice in their king. For the Lord takes pleasure in his people. He will beautify the afflicted ones with 26:23 salvation. Let the godly ones exalt in glory. Let them sing for joy. May the Lord help us to praise him and thank him. Brothers and sisters, please take time to praise him. We praise you, Father. Lord Jesus, thank you. Thank 26:40 you, Lord. Thank you. You are a loving redeemer, Lord. You humbled yourself. You loved us with an everlasting love. You came down, Lord. Thank you. Thank you very much, Father. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you for being in our 26:57 midst, helping us. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, heaven rejoices. Lord, it all praise and worship and glory, honor be for him alone. Praise you. Praise you, Lord. Thank you. Thank 27:15 you, Father. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Father, thank you for this time, this day. You've given us a day to rejoice in you and bless you and praise you and be a better witness for you. Thank you for another day you've given us, Lord. Thank 27:30 you. We commit ourselves, Lord. We commit our brother who shares the word into your hand, brother Santos. We pray that he'll be anointed. Speak from the utterance from heaven that we will get the glimpse of heaven. Lord, get the 27:46 glimpse of Jesus that our hearts will be set free. Lord, pierce our ears and pierce our heart so that we'll be able to hear you, Lord. Lord, thank you for this time. We dedicate ourselves to you Lord. Speak from heaven. Bless our time 28:05 together Lord. Be thou glorified and magnified. We pray in Jesus name. Please be seated brothers and sisters. We look into our memory verse. Last week we had a promise from Romans chapter 10. Please repeat after me. 28:25 Romans chapter 10 verse 13. Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. This week we have a command from 1 28:43 Corinthians 9. Please re repeat after me. 1 Corinthians chapter 9 27. I discipline my body and make it my slave so that I myself 29:02 will not be disqualified. It's a passion of uh Apostle Paul. May the Lord give us that spirit. Let's repeat that. 1 Corinthians chapter 9 27. I discipline my body 29:23 and make it my slave so that I myself will not be disqualified. Such a joy and privilege to have brother Santos Punan with us. Um they were with 29:40 us as family last January. Um he's very exciting brother a passionate for the Lord and his church. So every time I hear him so I become more passionate for Jesus and his church. Uh he is uh the 29:59 wonderful brother and uh he is one of the elders in rivers of rivers of life Christian fellowship at Colorado in USA and uh uh he is infectious that means if 30:16 you hear him you love Jesus more and his church and if you are around him he is like that he he's so excited brother I I love to hear him every time he speaks and we are so privileged and we are so happy to have brother Santos brother 30:34 Santos welcome and uh we are so happy that you could take time to join with us and share your heart and burden and we'll be happy about you. Please over to you. Thank you. Uh are you able to hear me? I 30:55 hope clearly yes. It's a joy to uh to see all of you and it brings back many fond memories of uh just a few months ago when I was there with my family. Uh that is in many 31:15 ways my second home. Uh CFC as the home that I grew up in. And uh it's so nice to see some familiar faces and I'm sure some new ones as well. Thank you for praying for me and thank you again for how welcome you made us all feel when we were there. We didn't 31:34 want to leave and we want to come back soon. So, thank you. Thank you each one of you brothers and sisters. We're very humbled by your love for us. I was thinking as I praise the Lord for his faithfulness in preserving CFC all these 31:51 years. I believe it's really just his faithfulness and his tremendous love for his church that no matter what the devil has tried to do to destroy the work in CFC and through CFC, he has never succeeded. 32:10 There have been times when it looked like he might succeed or something might happen, but Christ has always triumphed and will always triumph. And these 50 years have been a wonderful testimony of that. 32:27 Um, but the true mark of the bride of Christ, which is what the church is, is not that they're looking back, but that they're looking forward. the phrase that Paul used towards the end of his life. If you turn with me to 32:46 second Timothy chapter 4, if you can think about what it must be like for a woman who is engaged to be married to a man and if she's really excited about it, you 33:05 know that she's really loves him. Not that she keeps thinking back on all the gifts that he has sent her and all the money he has sent her and all the things in the past. But there's one thing that she's most excited about. He's coming 33:24 soon. She's more excited about the fact that one day her bridegroom will actually come and they'll be together for all eternity. Somebody who's not really doesn't really love her husband or her fiance is one 33:41 who likes all the gifts and keeps looking back and thinking about all the gifts. And I find that when I look back on God's faithfulness in my life and as we look back on God's faithfulness in CFC, 33:56 it must inspire in us a greater desire to see him. cuz he's the one that we want most. And Paul uses this phrase in 2 Timothy 4:8. 34:12 He says the last part that this crown will be awarded not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. The last phrase of 2 Timothy 4:8. Second Timothy as far as I understand was the 34:30 last episode that Paul wrote. In fact, a few verses earlier he says, "I finished the course." As Paul was reaching the end of his life, having fought faithfully and served faithfully, he wasn't looking back and saying, "Oh, 34:47 it's been I I don't know, it must have been about 30 years that he had served the Lord after he was converted. 30 40 years maybe." He wasn't looking back on what a what a wonderful ministry he had or anything like that or 35:01 how many people he brought to the Lord or how many churches he planted or how many elders there were. There was one thing that he was passionate about. I'm going to see my Lord face to face. I loved his appearing. And I hope dear 35:16 brothers and sisters and children that that will be the characteristic of CFC all our days for however long God allows us to remain on this earth before his coming that the one thing that captivates us most is his appearing. 35:34 The danger as the church grows I find even for my own life is that it's easy when there's a large group of people moving in a particular direction which I believe CFC is moving in that direction towards more Christlikeness and greater 35:51 holiness and love. The danger I find is that as the church grows, it's possible for some to just get carried along with everyone else. When when the church is smaller and it's just a few people, 36:11 uh then that's not as much of a problem. But now that CFC has grown, not just there in Bangalore, but around the world, God has allowed the truth to be spread to so many different countries. And so many people are thankful. Many of 36:27 you have come through that ministry. The danger is that we can sit in larger churches and just get carried along with everyone else. And recently I got the picture of of what I understand of how small fish 36:45 travel in what are called schools. A school of fish it's called. And um I I have a little video that maybe the video team can play now just to show you. It's just about 30 seconds or so of what it looks like to see a school of fish. I 37:03 don't know if that's possible for you to pull that up. School of fish might look like a huge group all moving with one mind, but it's really a collection of individuals responding to each of their neighbors. If one fish speeds up, the fish behind 37:18 it speeds up. If a fish pivots, the fish next to it pivots. They track each other with sight and via sensory organs along their bodies that alert them to vibrations and pressure changes in the water as their neighbors move around 37:31 them. Yeah. Hopefully you got a little bit of a picture of how that's pretty fascinating to see. These fish I assume are not they don't have incredible intelligence 37:51 um like human beings do and yet you see how they all move together these large and sometimes they're very very large uh they even call schos is a many schools of fish and I as I read about it I understood that the way they are able 38:09 to all move together is they some of it is visual they're able to see just the person in front of the the fish in front of them. And if that fish goes this way, they also go this way. If the fish in front of them goes to the left, they 38:24 also go to the left. And that's how they're all able to stay together. And another is also they have apparently some sensors on their along the side of their body which allows them to sense the vibrations in the water. And so if 38:41 it's out of their eyesight, they sense that this fish next to me is moving to the right. So I also need to move to the right. And or if it's moving to the left, they move to the left. So they stay close together, not too close, so 38:56 they don't bump into each other. And they follow the person in front of them or the fish in front of them, and they're able to match the moves that their neighbor around them makes. And I saw this as a a little bit of a 39:11 picture of what it could be like in the church where God is leading his church forward and now more people are joining. But if I sit in a church and I'm simply following what the others around me are 39:30 doing, if I look around and see, oh, these brothers have a certain way of speaking or they quote certain verses or they use certain language and so I learn to fit in by using that same language or talking about the new covenant or 39:47 phrases like you must take up your cross or you must be filled with the Holy Spirit. It's easy for us to come to the church or even to have been in the church for some time and just fit in and think that because the church is moving 40:03 in a particular direction, I can get carried along. That's not how it is. If you turn to Revelation 2 and 3, you'll see in both chapters 2 and chapter 3 that even though Jesus spoke to the 40:21 churches and to to the messengers in the church and the message to all seven of these churches was for the whole church. You see that at the end of each of these, and you can look at it for all seven of them, at the end of each letter to each 40:39 church, he says, "He who has an ear. The individual who has an ear, let him hear." He or she. The individual who has an ear, let him hear. 40:56 And then again he says to him to the one who overcomes the individual who overcomes I will he gives different promises like to the ephes to the church in Ephesus he says I will grant to eat of the tree of life. So even though he wrote this these 41:15 letters to the church and specifically addressed it to the elder in the church at the end of it he says I'm looking for individuals who want to hear what I'm saying to the church and individuals who want to be overcomers 41:33 and out of that individual response individual hearing and individual response we are united. So it's not that we are fish that are following other fish and looking at the others to see what they're doing or uh looking for friends in the church to be 41:53 connected to but that we are our eyes are on the leader like we sing in one hymn um we never need be vanquished our eyes are on our leader that's the what will preserve CFC until Christ comes I 42:11 believe is that in CFC God finds people, individuals whose eyes are on their leader. They're not looking to the other fish on which way they're going. Their eyes are on their leader and that's how they know whether to turn 42:25 right or left. Our unity and our movement in a common direction with the common vision is not based on how many people do we have moving in that direction but that Jesus our leader has called us in that direction. 42:42 And the danger is that we could be fish that are just following the crowd and as the churches grow bigger that becomes more and more of a danger. And these are what I see in the New Testament. Jesus called fools. 43:00 And I thought about three types of fools in the church. And I thought I'd share with you briefly on those. Let's turn first to Matthew chapter 7. Three types of fools in the church. 43:18 Matthew chapter 7 as you know Matthew chapters 5 and 6 and 7 were the introduction of the new covenant as it were Jesus first big sermon of teaching where he explained what he came to bring the new covenant 43:37 and the difference between the new covenant and the old covenant we've heard about that in fact I remember hearing dad say that when CFC started They spent weeks or maybe months or even years perhaps going through the sermon 43:52 on the mount. Uh and that emphasis on the new covenant life and the new covenant church is I believe what has preserved this church and what will continue to preserve this church in the narrow way. Jesus also spoke about the 44:07 narrow way in this passage. But at the end of all of this teaching, Jesus says in Matthew 7 24 through 27, a story that you've probably heard from the time you were a little boy. I certainly heard that story and sang a song about the 44:23 wise man who built his house upon the rock and the foolish man who built his house on the sand and the end of that story. Um, and I would summarize this story like this that these are people who in the same church, two groups of people in 44:42 the same church, but one of them and they were all told to take up the cross. A group of people who were in the same church who were told to take up their cross. One group of people did it in secret. Another group of 45:01 people didn't. And the group of people that did not take up their cross in secret were the ones that Jesus called fools. Cuz he says um in verse 24 that everyone who hears these words and acts on them is can be compared to a wise man 45:19 who built his house on the rock. Verse 26, everyone who hears these words and does not act on them will be like a fool, a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And so Jesus here was saying that the difference the fools in 45:36 the church are those who refuse to deny themselves in secret. Jesus said in Matthew 16 verse 24 that if anyone wishes to come after me, he must say no to himself. That's what 45:54 deny himself means. He must say no to himself and take up his cross and follow me. So sitting in the church, two people hearing exactly the same message every Sunday and every weekday when we have home groups, hearing the 46:14 same message, listening to the same sermons, loving the teaching, but in secret. Some of them actually denied themselves. actually when they were faced with situations to please themselves or to please God, they pleased God and they 46:33 denied themselves. Deny themselves simply means, like I said, whenever I'm faced with the choice of doing what I feel like doing or doing what God feels like doing, I say no to myself. No to myself. No, Santosh. No. And yes 46:50 to God. So some of them did that and others did not and they were the fools and but they sat in the same church and they continued like those fish moving along. Okay, CFC is doing it this now. We're going to study this or we're going 47:07 to hear this message. And they continued on in that direction. But in secret, Monday through Saturday, in secret, they refused to deny themselves and to say no to themselves. These are fools in the church. 47:25 And one day, God will reveal the secrets of all people's hearts. The secret things will be revealed. Everything that was said and done in secret will be revealed. And let's be ready for that day. Like I said, the mark of the bride is that we are loved 47:44 his appearing. The return of Jesus, G meeting Jesus face to face and being with him forever is what excites us. Nothing here on this earth excites us like that. That's the mark of the bride. But one of the marks of being ready and 47:59 loving is appearing is that I know I can. I'm willing for everything of my life to be exposed right now. Think about it, dear brothers and sisters and children. Can everything that you did in the last week, just the last week, can everything be brought 48:17 into the light right now today, what you thought or what you did first of all, what you said in secret to your wife or your husband or in the workplace. What you thought in your thoughts that even your spouse did not know, the 48:32 motives with which you did things, the attitudes you had towards others. Even if you looked pleasant to them, can all of that be brought on the light into the light and played on the big screen right now? That's what it means to love his 48:49 appearing. I'm ready. Yes, Lord, you can bring it all into the light. Otherwise, I'm a fool sitting in the church because the secret things I'm really not denying myself in secret. Let's take that to heart. Another type of fool is though 49:07 fools are those who don't seek personally for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Those who don't seek personally for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. If you turn with me to Matthew chapter 25, Matthew 25, Jesus told another story, 49:34 another parable. Again, a parable that you're familiar with. And I would summarize this story this way. people who sat in the same church and they all heard about the Holy Spirit. People who sat in the same church and 49:51 they all heard about the Holy Spirit. But you see here also there were two groups of people. Half of them all of them heard about the Holy Spirit but half of them actually experienced the fullness of the Holy Spirit in secret. 50:10 Because you read about five wise virgins and five fools, five foolish virgins. It says that all 10 of them had lamps. All 10 of them had lamps. That means the lamps needed some level of oil, but it was only a visible oil. To me, that's a 50:29 picture of what it's like in the meetings when the brothers say, "Let's sing loud. Let's lift our hands and let's pray." And maybe some even pray in tongues and some pray with a loud voice and crying and tears that everybody is 50:46 doing perhaps. But half of them, the five wise virgins in secret Monday through Saturday, they actually experienced the fullness of the Holy Spirit. All of them heard about the importance of being baptized in the Holy Spirit and 51:04 receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit every day. because that's what the church they attended spoke about and we hear about that in CFC. Half of them actually sought the Lord earnestly and continuously for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Half of 51:20 them were content just to pray in the meetings on Sunday or act like they were filled with the Holy Spirit. And sometimes we can cover the lack of fullness of the Holy Spirit with a loud voice, with emotion, with praying, with 51:36 a loud voice or singing loud thinking that that's the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Those who don't seek personally for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Because we read here that in verse 3, Matthew 25:3, when the foolish took 51:55 their lamps, they took no oil with them. That symbolizes that they did not have a personal experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. They took no oil with them. They had no oil with them. Dear brothers and sisters and children, 52:14 is this the testimony of our lives in secret that I have no oil with me? Yes, there's a flask. Yes. Yes. There's a lamp and people can see it and I'm around others, other virgins who are sanctified and made pure, but in secret 52:30 there isn't a burning desire that the Lord would continuously fill my hidden vessel. They didn't have a personal experience of the Holy Spirit. Uh, keep a finger there. I'll come back to Matthew 25. I want you to see a verse 52:47 in Acts chapter 2. On the day of Pentecost, the day of Pentecost represents the beginning of the church as it were. Until that point there were people who 53:06 followed Jesus and his disciples and many others who followed him even gave up houses and lands and family and followed Jesus forsook everything but they actually became a church one body on the day of Pentecost when they were 53:22 baptized in the Holy Spirit and we read here in verse three Acts chapter 2:3 the Holy Spirit when it came when he came down He came. This was what it looked like. There appeared to them tongues as of fire dist distributing 53:41 themselves and they rested on each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues. That phrase they the Holy Spirit rested on each of them. This is the church within the church if 53:58 you will. As God looks out on the church there in Bangalore. I believe that he looks out and sees who is it on whom the holy spirit has come and rested. That's his church. That's the those are the fish that are actually moving in the direction that 54:17 the leader Jesus is leading them because they're filled with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit has connected them with Jesus and they're hearing the voice of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. But around them maybe mingled among them 54:32 are other fish who are not filled with the Holy Spirit and they're just carried along. And it could very well be that there are some in the church who are led in a particular way because Jesus is leading them that way. And next to them are 54:48 other fish who are led in the same way because the person next to them was led that way. And that's the danger I'm speaking about. And I I've seen this in my own life, dear family, that I could easily just follow the leading of a of a 55:04 of an older brother or an elder brother. And that's good. We're told in Hebrews 13 to obey our leaders and to follow their example, observing their conduct, imitate their faith. We're told, yes, we must follow the example of our elders. 55:18 But ultimately, the example of our elders, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11, follow me as I follow Christ. As you follow those elders, do you see that they're following Christ? Do you see the Christ whom they're following? 55:33 And is that why you're following them? Have you seen Christ clearly in the church and that's why you're here? I ask myself that often even at our my local church there here in Colorado. Lord, am I seeing you here in the church? Is that what's keeping me 55:50 here? If not, then I'm in danger of just being this fish that's being carried along like the others. And that vision of Christ, that hearing of the voice of Christ can only come if I have a burning constant desire personally to be filled 56:09 with the Holy Spirit. We we hear much about being filled with the Holy Spirit. We've heard the testimonies of my dad and brother Ian and how God filled them with the Holy Spirit and that's how they became one and the church started through that. And 56:23 we hear even now of our leaders who are filled with the Holy Spirit. But it must be a personal thing for each of us from the youngest to the oldest. The promise we're told here um um in verse if you skip down in the same 56:41 chapter to verse 38, I love this of verse 39, Acts 2:39, the promise of the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for you. Anytime I read the word you in the Bible, I put my name there. I hope you'll do that also as an exercise. 57:00 The promise is for Santosh. For brother Zach, it was for him and for brother it was for him and for the others it's for him. But here it says the promise is for Santosh. Great. And then it says and for Santosh's children. 57:17 Wonderful. Put your name there too also. Claim that dear parents that God has promised the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the fullness of the Holy Spirit even for our children, Sunday school teachers, when you teach your your the children in 57:33 the Sunday school class, what a wonderful thing to know that the reason you can encourage them and bless them and teach them God's word is because God has promised even them the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you 57:48 and for your children and all for all who are far off as many as the Lord our God will call to himself. Let's go back to Matthew 25. Continue looking at this parable. So these fools didn't have a personal 58:12 experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. And before I go on, I do want to say that sometimes I hear people and I tell me, "Brother, I've been praying for the baptism of the Holy Spirit for many months, many years, and I don't seem to 58:27 have the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I I'm starting to lose hope, or will God ever fill me? What's wrong with me? And perhaps some of you are there and I know I was there too. But I'll tell you the one thing that God looks for. I believe 58:42 whenever I read about him speaking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and God giving the Holy Spirit, he speaks about asking and not stopping to ask, persevering in asking. And so if you if your testimony today is, I want to be 58:58 filled with the Holy Spirit. I don't know that I've been filled with the Holy Spirit. I don't have an assurance that I've been filled with the Holy Spirit. But if the desire is there and you're asking and you're going to God and 59:09 throughout the day, no matter what you're doing, even if you're sitting in front of your computer at work or whatever it is you do for your work or sitting in front of the sink washing dishes or doing washing the clothes or 59:23 teaching your children or studying in school, whatever you're doing, if in the back of your mind there's a constant cry, Lord, I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, Then you can be encouraged today that God will fill you with the Holy Spirit. 59:38 Don't stop asking the promise. God will fulfill that promise in your life. That's my testimony as well that I too for a long period of time thought Lord I don't know there must be something wrong with me that I haven't been filled and I 59:53 kept asking and then sometimes I would grow tired of asking and then I would get encouraged by a message I heard or uh something would stir me and I'd say okay I need to keep asking and I thank God that I listened to teaching that 1:00:08 pro that um prodded me that poked me and stirred me to continue to seek God. And I hope you'll always listen to such teaching. I thank God for CFC that one of the messages we constantly hear is seek God for the baptism of the Holy 1:00:25 Spirit. And because I was constantly poked and reminded and prodded and pushed, I was whenever I would forget, I would remind myself, yes, I need to seek for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. And one day I started to experience that. 1:00:40 And now the proof that I am experiencing the fullness of the Holy Spirit for me at least is this that the desire has grown. This is one of the beautiful things I find the amazing things about when you're filled with the Holy Spirit is 1:00:55 that when you're actually filled with the Holy Spirit, you want more. Your hunger for him grows even more. I had an experience many years ago when I was a teenager where I believe I was filled with the Holy Spirit. But shortly after 1:01:09 that, my desire for him went away because I thought, "Yeah, I've been filled now. I can check the box. I've had an experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit." Sadly, my testimony after that was that I backslid and 1:01:23 became more, you know, was in a worse condition than before. And thank God he saved me from that pit also. And now I know what the true filling of the Holy Spirit can look like. And that is as he fills me it it the desire for it grows. 1:01:42 And this is how I liken it. One of my favorite fruits is mangoes. And we don't get good mangoes in America like we get in India. Um and one of my favorite things to eat is mango ice cream. If you give me a little teaspoon of mango ice 1:01:57 cream, I'm going to ask you, do you have any more? Can you give me another teaspoon or can you give me another bowl or give me a bucket of it? I'll probably eat that. And I think the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the real experience of 1:02:10 being filled with the Holy Spirit is like that. When you taste a little bit of when he actually fills your little teaspoon of with him, he is so refreshing. The psalmist said, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. He 1:02:23 really is good. And if you've actually tasted of him, you'll find he's so wonderful like honey in the honeycomb." He says, "That I want more." And that growing hunger to be filled with the Holy Spirit. That's the mark of one who 1:02:39 is filled. And so here were a group of people that they didn't have a passion. They didn't have a burden to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And so they went on their lives. Maybe they at one point they did have such a burden but they 1:02:52 lost it. And when Christ came, when the bridegroom came, they were found lacking. They actually did not have that experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. And that's a tragedy. Dear brothers and dear sisters and dear 1:03:10 children, whatever your experience may have been up to this point, whether at some point you did seek for the fullness of the Holy Spirit and you lost interest or you gave up because God delayed in answering your prayer 1:03:24 um or you never sought for him earnestly like that. Whatever your condition may be up to this point or you find that maybe in the last few days there's been a lack of that urgency. Make sure of one thing that when the bridegroom comes, you're not found 1:03:40 lacking in that personal experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Because otherwise our destiny, our fate will be like it was for these foolish virgins outside the door knocking, asking to come in and Jesus saying, "No, 1:03:56 you had your time. You had your opportunity to seek to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit in secret and you didn't take it. You didn't take it seriously. Verse four, it says that the wise ones, and I believe that these are two groups 1:04:15 of people sitting in the same church. It's not two different churches. It's not one church that speaks about the Holy Spirit and one church that doesn't. This is one church that does speak about the Holy Spirit. And within that are two 1:04:27 groups of fish. You can say some who are being led by the Holy Spirit, who are constantly seeking and receiving that fullness of the Holy Spirit and others who are not. The prudent, the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their 1:04:44 lamps. Yes, in the meetings they also sang loudly and they praised the Lord with a loud voice and they uh exercised the gifts of the Holy Spirit as God gave them. the gifts of prophecy, the gifts of encouragement, uh whatever it might 1:04:57 be. Sure, they had that visible testimony of being filled with the Holy Spirit, but most importantly, they had that hidden fullness of the Holy Spirit in their lives. And then we read that the bridegroom came, verse 7, all of 1:05:14 these virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the prudent, "We've run out of oil. give us some of your oil. That's like the the fish that suddenly caught as not having that life, looking 1:05:32 at the fish next to him or her saying, "Can you give me some of that life?" And the time will come when I will try to rely on the zeal of my fellow brother or fellow sister or the zeal of the elders and say Lord I was I was in this 1:05:51 church where the the elder brother was so zealous and I heard such zealous teaching doesn't that count for something and the Lord will say no I was looking for an individual relationship an individual experience to him, to her who has ears to hear, let 1:06:11 them hear. To the individual who overcomes or I would say to the individual who is filled with the Holy Spirit, the bride bridegroom will open the door. And to others, even though they even though the person sitting next to them in the 1:06:26 meeting might go through the door, they will not. And so sad story. And at the end of this story, you find that Jesus says in verse 12, verse 11, they come. They finally come came with something. I don't know what 1:06:44 they got, what that means in terms of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Lord, Lord, open up for us. But he answered, "Truly I say to you, I do not know you." I understand this parable to mean this. The time will come when it will be too 1:06:58 late to seek for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I take that to heart because Jesus said the last par verse in this parable be on the alert then for you do not know the day nor the hour. Verse 13. I take this to mean that the 1:07:15 time will come when it will be too late to seek for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and Christ will have come and there no more opportunity to seek. And let's be ready. Be on the alert. Let's be on the alert. Let's live in that constant sense 1:07:32 of urgency of of saying Lord if if today I haven't received an anointing of the Holy Spirit. That's the other thing is I could have received an anointing yesterday and the fullness and the baptism aresh but today I haven't sought 1:07:44 it and I'm living off something yesterday and today if the Lord comes and I'm not found with that urgency with that passionate desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit I could be found lacking and it could be too late. May it never 1:08:00 be that we miss out on that. So that second category of fools, those who don't seek personally for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Okay, one more. The third category I thought I would mention is those who are jealous, fearful, and 1:08:17 lazy with their spiritual gifts. These are fools in the church. Those who are jealous, fearful, and lazy with their spiritual gifts. And that's in the very next parable Jesus said again a story 1:08:33 you know well Jesus gave a master gave to his slaves talents or gifts and the first thing to note in this is that every one of the slaves received a gift. Every one of them received 1:08:51 something they had to do something with. They all received talents. They all receive the gifts. And dear brothers and dear sisters and dear children, every one of us in the body of Christ has been given gifts. I believe that or God has 1:09:08 planned for us to receive gifts. And sadly, most people sitting in churches think about the visible gifts like the elders or those who preach the word, those who lead the singing, those who serve even in visible ways, facilitators or uh elders, whatever it 1:09:27 might be, the visible ministries. But if you don't have a visible ministry in the church, it's possible that you might think that that you might not be exercising your gift. Um, and that's that's a warning. And so there are fools sitting in churches who 1:09:46 who are fearful and jealous and lazy with their spiritual gifts. Because here we I would summarize this story again this way that this is a story about people sitting in the same church all of whom were given gifts and that's true 1:10:04 about us. And the fool in this case was the person whom we read about in verse 18 who received one talent and went away and dug a hole in the ground and hid it. That's a warning for us that God has given us a gift. But what I do with it 1:10:20 is that I go in secret on Monday after the Sunday meeting. Maybe I have God speaks to me. I have an encounter with God. Maybe I receive an anointing from the Holy Spirit and I re and he shows me a gift. Or I'm lazy to not seek what 1:10:37 that gift is. And then on Monday, I just bury it. And then throughout the week, I do nothing with that gift. Every one of us has been given a gift or some gifts, spiritual gifts we're talking about here by the Lord. Every 1:10:51 one of us, if you're born again, you're a member of Christ's body. We've been given gifts. And sadly, many of us may be hiding that because it's not my turn to speak or I don't have to do this in front of the church. I don't have to do 1:11:06 that. Uh but when we see that every one of us has been given a gift, then we ought to take that seriously. So this fool sitting along s again I talked about fools who are sitting in churches went and hid that gift in the ground doing 1:11:23 nothing with it digging a hole and hiding what they've been given. And you skip down to verse 24 you see that he says this. He says when the master called him up, "Master, I knew you to be a hard man, 1:11:42 reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed." Why did this slave think like that? I believe that that's because he looked at the gifts that the others had been given. He saw that he had been given 1:11:57 only one talent. And he saw that other brother got two. That other sister got three. That other brother got five. I only got one. And they were jealous. They wanted the ministry that somebody else had. And they thought, "Oh, if I 1:12:12 had that ministry, then I would function in it. I would take it seriously. If if if I was an elder or if I had to preach the word or if I was this or if I was that. but I'm just I'm very shy or I have I don't have any visible gift like 1:12:28 that. And so they buried their gift in the ground. They didn't do anything with it. But they still came to the church meetings every Sunday and they attended every meeting and were there for all the gatherings and the fellowship and they 1:12:42 had good conversations but they didn't do something with their gift. They were jealous of other people who had other gifts. Jealousy, my dear brothers and sisters, will cause us to hide our gift into the ground because I compare myself with 1:13:00 somebody else and I'm jealous that I don't have his personality or her gift or this thing or that thing. God has planned a specific gift for each of us exactly according to your temperament and your personality. You don't have to 1:13:15 be an extrovert and outgoing and happy golucky or and and it doesn't always have to be a public publicly visible ministry but every single member of the body of Christ has a gift and a calling. Every member of our physical body has a 1:13:29 function. Not even one has no function. Even you heard my dad speaking about the fingernails or the skin. Every even even hair every hair has a purpose. So think we don't fully understand all of that and you don't have to fully understand how it fits 1:13:45 together in the big picture. But ask God to show you what is my gift, Lord. What is my purpose? What is my calling here? How can I be a blessing in this church to build up and edify the body and help me to fulfill it? Help me not to be a 1:13:59 fool in the church by simply burying my gift, showing up every Sunday, showing up for all the weekday meetings, but not functioning, not fulfilling my calling. And it says, he says, "I was afraid." That's another thing that some people 1:14:15 are fearful about exercising their gifts. God wants them to have a gift, but they're afraid of using it. Maybe they're shy. They don't seek for boldness, and they're very timid and very quiet. They don't ever want to come up and and serve and 1:14:32 be used by God. Fearful. And the master tells him um in verse 26, you are lazy. You are lazy. I gave you a gift and you were lazy with it. Wouldn't that be 1:14:49 really sad, dear brothers, dear sisters, that God gave us a gift and we were lazy with it because and one reason that we can be lazy is because we see that the church is doing so well because there are so many other people doing serving 1:15:03 so well. And I praise God every time I come there I see how the the church functions so smoothly. I remember from my earliest memories of being in CFC Bangalore that the churches would the meetings and everything in the church 1:15:17 would function so well. We recently had a conference here and I praise God that we're following the example that you all have set for us where in a in a smaller measure things just worked so well and smoothly because so many people stepped 1:15:31 up and served. But the danger is that when we see so many people serving, we can think, "Oh, it's all covered. I don't have to do anything. Look, everything went so smoothly. All I had to do was show up and we had a good time 1:15:43 together." And they'll get the reward. But the Lord will call me up and say, "You lazy person. Yes, everything happened, but I had a purpose for you to fulfill and you failed that." And again, I see the urgency to be ready 1:16:02 today. If Christ was to come today, if I really loved his appearing, that means today, I could honestly say, Lord, yes, I've met these conditions. I haven't been lazy. I haven't been fearful and uh jealous with the gifts you've given me. 1:16:17 I have been seeking for the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and I have been taking up my cross and denying myself in secret. I'm ready to meet you, Lord. But if not, if even on in any of these areas there's a there's a lack of readiness 1:16:31 and say, "Lord, I'm sorry. Thank you for allowing me to hear this from today onwards. I want to take it seriously. Thank God that he's given us time, but let's redeem the time. Let's be ready. And uh let's make sure that when Christ 1:16:46 comes, which could happen at any day, it'll come when we least expect it. We must be ready. But whenever Christ comes, we can be ready if we follow this way. These are areas of the secret, the inside. You know, there's a phrase. Let 1:17:02 me show you this before I close. Ezekiel chapter 28. This is the passage that speaks about the devil, how he became the devil. He was the highest archangel. 1:17:20 And something happened that immediately caused him to become the enemy of God, the exact opposite of God, the devil. In Ezekiel 28:15, you read here, it says, speaking about the highest archangel who became the devil, you were 1:17:36 blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you. And in the next verse you read that that unrighteousness was found. It says literally by the abundance of your trade. Verse 16, you were filled with 1:17:54 violence in your midst. In the middle of you is the literal word there. That in the middle of you was found some pride. And that phrase recently came as a warning to me that what does it mean in the middle? That means you know to get 1:18:09 to the middle of something you have to dig quite a ways down. Like if you want to go to the middle of the earth, you have to go all the way down. What's the middle of Santosh or the middle of you? That means that outwardly people have a 1:18:22 testimony of you. They see your smile on Sunday morning and they see that you're there. You're a regular member. You serve and maybe you have some gifts and you use those gifts and but you keep digging, digging, digging, digging, 1:18:36 digging, digging, digging. When you get to the middle in that's where it was for this highest archangel the upper levels the higher levels he was blameless it says it was blameless blameless blameless but in the deep area some little bit of pride 1:18:55 started and it exploded from the inside out as it were and then he became the devil and that's how it will start with us that that God is going to dig all the way to the middle and deep down in secret where absolutely nobody was watching. Did I actually take 1:19:12 up my cross? Was I seeking to continually be filled with the Holy Spirit? Was I using the gifts that God had given me faithfully and without jealousy and fear and uh without laziness in the middle? God is going to dig into the very middle of me one day. 1:19:29 And that's going to be where he reveals who we really are. Thank God for the Holy Spirit in the church and the prophetic word that digs all the way to the middle now. I would rather God tear me up and show me what's right in the 1:19:43 middle now so that I find out now rather than at the judgment seat of Christ. By contrast, show you one more verse. 1 Timothy chapter 3. 1 Timothy 3:16, we read about the 1:20:02 mystery of godliness. This is a wonderful contrast with the devil where in heaven, God probed all the way into the middle of this highest archangel and found pride and kicked him out of heaven. And then Jesus came to this earth and the same probe, the 1:20:22 spirit of God probed into the middle of Jesus. That's what we read about here in 1 Timothy 3:16. By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness. He who was revealed in the flesh, that's Jesus, when he came down to this earth 1:20:39 in in flesh like ours, he was vindicated. That means the probe went all the way to the bottom, vindicated in the spirit or justified or found right. So the probe of the same probe of the Holy Spirit went into the middle of 1:20:55 Jesus and found all the way in the middle. It's just, it's righteousness. It's humility. And what a wonderful testimony. That's our example. That's the captain of our salvation, the leader of the church. And this is the way he's leading us. We're 1:21:10 not fish that are following other fish. We're fish that are following our captain, Jesus Christ. And the way he's leading us is saying, "Santo, put your name there. Let me probe into the secret most area, the deepest area of your 1:21:23 life. Let me find life there. Let it be that the spirit can vindicate you, can justify you and say, "Yes, here is somebody who is in secret actually denying themselves every day. Here's somebody who in secret is actually 1:21:37 seeking and receiving the power of the Holy Spirit every day. And here is somebody who in secret is actually using their gifts to build up the church, not just on Sunday, throughout the week. And they're not operating in jealousy or 1:21:51 fear or laziness. This is the church, dear brothers and sisters. And I praise God that he's allowed me to be a part of it. May the Lord preserve us in the days to come. Not collectively as a group, but as individuals who are following the head. 1:22:09 And through that commitment to following Jesus, we are all moving in the same direction. Let's pray. Dear father, I pray that you will help me and help each one of us to experience a life, Lord, that you plan that you planned for us and you 1:22:28 want to give us. That's why you sent Jesus. Fill us Lord with the Holy Spirit. truly pour out your spirit aresh on us even today as we sit here seeking that this life will be a reality and I pray for every one of us even those who 1:22:41 may be discouraged or um look back on the past and think that this they missed out Lord thank you that today is the day of salvation today if we hear your voice we don't want to harden our hearts but we want to come to you and say Lord we 1:22:54 believe in faith and expectancy that this will be the day that you'll save me you give me the life that you want me to live and help us Lord Lord, to be ready and to persevere and endure until the end. Bless this church. Bless the 1:23:07 elders, Lord. Thank you for the blessing they are to millions around the world. We thank you and believe that you will preserve us in love and purity and holiness and unity until your coming in Jesus name. Amen. Well, Santos, thank you so much on 1:23:39 behalf of the church for a really a blessed word and it's it's a word that all of us need. I mean even the youngest member who's here can can think about this and take it to heart and be blessed by this. Uh 1:23:58 yeah brothers and sisters you know there's a book by by Awtoser called Born After Midnight and uh the time right now where brother Santosh is is exactly 12:00 a.m. Right. It's, you know, Saturday night. He's been speaking to us from 11:00 p.m. to 1:24:17 12:00 a.m. his time. Thank you, brother Santos, for the burden that you have for us. I Yeah. Let's let's all let's all give him a hand. You you you 1:24:40 you exemplify the things that you spoke and it's an encouragement for each of us. Brother Santos, thank you so much. Brothers and sisters, let's let's sing a song. Um let's sing this song that says talks about the spiritfilled life. 1:24:59 Brothers, if you can come up this this verse that says, "Be filled with the Holy Spirit says, don't be foolish. Awake sleeper, rise from the dead. Christ will shine on you. [Music] 1:25:49 Oh, the spirit fil. Is it thine? Is it thine? Is thy soul holy fil with the spirit divine? Oh thou child of the king, has he fallen on 1:26:07 thee? Does he reign in thy soul so that all men may see that your blessed image reflected in thee? As he swept through thy soul like the 1:26:29 waves of the sea, does the spirit of God daily rest upon thee? Does he sweeten thy life? Does he keep thee from care? Does he guide thee and 1:26:47 bless thee in answers to prayer? Is it joy to be led off the Lord anywhere? Is he nearly 1:27:04 char? Does he stand at thy side? Does he guard thee with strength as he comes to abide? Does he give thee to know that all things may be done? Through the 1:27:22 grace and the power of the crucified one. Does he witness to thee of the glorified son? As he burns thee of trust with the fire 1:27:40 from above. Is he first in thy thoughts? Has he all of thy love? Is his service thy choice? And his sacriice is the doing of his will. Both thy drink 1:27:59 and thy me. Dust thou run at his fitting with glad eager feet? Has he freed thee from cell and from all 1:28:17 of thy grief? Dust thou hasten to sucker thy brother in me? As a soldier of Christ, does thy hardness endure? Is thy hope in the Lord everlasting 1:28:37 and sure? Has thy patience and meekness are tender and pure. Oh the spirit life may be thine may be thine in thy 1:28:57 soul ever more the shina may shine. It is thine to live with the tempest still. It is thine with the blessed holy 1:29:13 ghost to be filled. It is thine even th for thy Lord has so will. Amen. We'll have the announcements, brothers and sisters.
