0:13 We felt that the need to have uh meetings like this. Let me get my phone right where we address 0:35 you know little smaller groups, brothers, young [snorts] married couples, young people from time to time because uh then we can focus on different issues. So that's the main purpose. So it's been ages since we had a brother's meeting. 0:55 Unfortunately, we didn't have one when brother Zach was here. But anyway, we we want to be able to do this in the future to build us together into a body. See, the danger has always been as the 1:13 church has grown uh bigger that we become a congregation. The only way we can prevent that from happening or at least slow it down is that we strengthen the core. 1:32 That's been brother Zach's burden and that's been our burden to strengthen the core of brothers that God has given us in the church. Even among all you brothers here, I think we have probably nearly 100. So at least there's a core if there's a 1:48 core of 25 30 brothers who can really preserve the church from just becoming a congregation. I believe we'll go a long way. I wanted to go back to that word that you know I began the last meeting with. 2:05 It's a word that I often think about. I've when speaking to different ones I've always quoted this one Corinthians 16 you know it's particularly to us who are men 2:22 and we do well to take heed to what uh the Holy Spirit says here through Paul 1 Corinthians 16 13 and he says be on the alert stand firm in the faith Act 2:42 like men, be strong, and let all that you do be done in love. Five things there. It's easy to remember. And you know, we could sort of around all those exhortations to be on the alert, 3:00 to stand firm in the faith, to act like men and be strong. You know, it's it's with love surrounding all these exhortations and how we put them into practice. And 3:21 like I was saying, we particularly have to be alert for our families, those of us who are married, and uh seek to protect them, our wives, our children, sons and daughters, daughters particularly, 3:41 and keeping our eyes open like the Living Bible says for spiritual danger. As fathers, as men, we keep our eyes open for spiritual danger. That is our responsibilities to stand 4:00 true to the Lord. It says the Living Bible, act like men. To act like men means I am strong. That's the next exhortation. Be strong. That's a characteristic of a man. You can't expect a woman to be strong. But 4:17 we as men should be strong. May not may not be physically. It's good of course if you are strong physically to be able to help your wife in the home lifting things and all that. But that depends on one's physique and health and so many things. [snorts] But 4:37 to be strong spiritually that's important and that's the characteristic of a godly brother that you're strong spiritually. you know should not be weak and effeminite you know it says effeminate men don't 4:54 have a part in God's kingdom so I cannot I should not as a man be effeminite I don't have to be like a woman I have to speak up I speak up if I have to correct I correct if I have to rebuke my family 5:10 if I have to uh correct them and give direction. I have to do it as a man, not in an effeminate way. I'm afraid that there are some brothers who are effeminate, lose control of their homes, 5:29 they don't give direction and then all kinds of things happen in the home. As long as the children are small, it's easy to manage the home. Once they grow and become teenagers and then grow up and we have not 5:48 given direction if we have not corrected you know like a plant that's growing if it's tending to go on a on a slant you put a stake in to correct it so that'll grow straight and that's how spiritually that we are to do it but we do it in 6:04 love that's why he says let all that you do be done in love so even in correcting and strengthe and straightening up our children when they go astray. We do it in love and they must see that. And uh so we we have to be alert for spiritual 6:22 danger. We have to be men. Act like men. I said this to many of you and sometimes in personal counseling and we I said you got to be a man. I've said to couples sometimes who meet opposition particularly from non-Christian families. says, "Be a 6:39 disciple. Be a disciple and God will stand with you and honor you." So the same way I say to all of us men, act like a man and God will stand with you and back you up. You can be sure of that. God will help you to be strong and uh 6:58 God will keep you in faith. Stand firm in the faith. You know the things that we stand for in the church to stand firm in the faith. But we do everything in love. Let all that you do be done in love. Let's never forget that we can go around 7:15 trying to do things in the letter just listening to exhaltations and come down heavy on our particularly our families, our wife and our children and it doesn't produce the desired results. It'll always produce the opposite. 7:32 So what I say to us who are married particularly you young brothers who one day will be married act like a man but do it in love and be alert for our families because as I said earlier the strength of this church is [snorts] the 7:49 home. If we have strong homes we have a strong church. We have strong families. We have a strong church. And for that to be true in a family the husband must be the head of the home. The husband must act like a man, not let 8:02 his wife take over. Maybe she may be more spiritual. And uh it's good sometimes if you have a spiritually minded wife who can, you know, who can contribute to us standing truth 8:20 of the Lord. We can listen to our wives, but we don't involve them in church affairs. If you have responsibility in the church, we don't we can listen to them. We can get advice sometimes, but we don't let them give direction. It's 8:36 we as men must give direction in in the church and be on the alert for that. Anything anything that tends to go away from this. And one thing I want you to look at this word in 1 Timothy in chapter 6. 8:56 1 Timothy chapter 6. Now Paul tells Timothy in verse 20. He says, "Oh, oh Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly 9:14 and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and that's gone astray from the faith." So he says that guard what has been entrusted you avoid worldly and empty 9:32 chatter. We don't need to get into empty discussions, empty chatter and there are some things we don't understand. We don't have to go into speculation. We always have a doubt about some verse in the scripture rather than give our 9:48 own interpretations. Always first of all to pray and ask God for revelation. what I do and then if I'm not too sure we have brother Zachs through the Bible a great help for us to understand certain passages of scripture perhaps that we 10:04 don't understand I don't give my own interpretation and then worse still if I bring that out in a meeting I can lead people astray I can cause confusion so I would encourage us that you know what Paul says there's a guard what has 10:22 been entrusted to you avoiding worldly and empty chatter. Empty chatter vain talk and and it says lead to further ungodliness is another in second Timothy. It's interesting to see how much Paul 10:41 speaks about you know empty chatter that leads to further 2 Timothy chapter 2 16 and 17 he says avoid worldly and empty chatter for it'll lead to further ungodliness 11:00 and their talk will spread like gangarine and if you have a margin in your Bible, it says they're cancer. It's like cancer. And he mentions two brothers, Himenius 11:18 and Fatus. He said, "Men who have gone astray from the truth, saying the resurrection has already taken place and they upset the faith of some." As I was just saying, you're not sure what some don't make give your own interpretation. 11:33 Seek God for revelation first. And there are helps. There are messages and thank God for brother like brother Zach whom God has given to us given the gift of teaching that I can get a clear understanding of truths that I'm not too 11:48 sure about. Here are these two brothers. They started saying the resurrection, the rapture already taken place and upset the faith of some. And that's what happens when we get into like it says the worldly and empty chatter. 12:04 It'll spread to further ungodliness. I don't need to always ask ourselves why do I need to discuss this? If it's something that's going to help me to be godly, I can get help. Go to a godly brother and say I don't understand. and 12:18 brothers have come I don't understand I've have come to me or written or called me and I don't understand this and I always encourage us that we seek revel seek for revelation we have John says you have an anointing you don't need anyone to teach it that 12:34 means I don't listen to anyone god has given us teachers in the church but I have an anointing and I trust every one of you sitting here have sought for the baptism of the holy spirit and I trust if you're coming to this church you uh 12:47 have the assurance that you're baptized in the Holy Spirit, then you have an anointing, an anointing that will teach you. And I want to say to you, I've said this many times, if you're in this church, not even bothered about asking 13:01 for your birthright in being baptized with the Holy Spirit, you're sitting as a beggar. You're sitting without an anointing. You're sitting without an covering, with just with just a ticket to heaven that you think, I you know, my 13:15 sins have been forgiven. I repented. I've been baptized in water. And that's all. No, it's not. That's not all, my dear brothers. I trust that every one of you listening have sought for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And I I trust that most of you 13:33 or many of you who are part of this church have an assurance that you're baptized in the Holy Spirit. I'm not talking about speaking in tonesues. They're very clear. You don't have to speak in tonesues. You don't need to speak in tonesues but 13:50 you can you may and 1 Corinthians 14 is very clear in tongues is a gift God gives us that we are edified but the main thing is the love of God Romans 5:5 I always stress that that is a sign I'm baptized in the Holy Spirit the love of God is poured 14:07 into my heart through the power of the Holy Spirit then I can obey 1 Corinthians 16:13 and all that I do I do in love It's impossible otherwise. Yes, coming to meetings, listening to messages, reading all brother Zach's books will not help 14:23 you. It'll go to you. It'll go to you in that direction. But you have to go and ask. That's what Jesus said. If you earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy 14:35 Spirit to those who ask him? And I want to ask every one of you if you're baptized in water and since you've been baptized in water, have you asked Jesus to baptize you in the Holy Spirit? Don't say, "I've asked once or 14:50 twice. Nothing has happened." What are you looking for? Some feeling, some electric current in your body. Look for Romans 5:5. That's what I base my assurance on. I thank God I speak in tongues. Like Paul says, he said to the Corinthians, I wish that 15:08 you all spoke in tongues. But that's the important thing. I'd rather prophesy. I rather bring a word that will help and build up the brothers and build up the church. But I want you want to encourage you. I can't overemphasize this. My dear 15:22 brothers, if you're sitting in this church even for one year and you've not sought for your birthright and you're not baptized in the Holy Spirit, you are a beggar. you'll die a beggar or when Jesus comes if you're there 15:40 you will want to shrink back like it says in Hebrews 10. So I want to say that that we cannot we we cannot understand God's word with our human minds and intelligence. You may know the Bible very well. You may listen to all the messages. 15:58 You may even go through through the Bible, but if you don't seek God for revelation, if you don't ask the Lord, Lord, give me the Holy Spirit to teach me. Jesus said, he will take the things of me and reveal them to you. So, if I'm to avoid worldly 16:16 and empty chatter, if I'm to avoid spreading confusion among the brothers by giving my own interpretation and sharing something clever, I always seek to verify. I don't even I just when I I I want to share something on a word and then I I 16:34 want to make sure that I'm sharing the right thing. Paul says there go before that in verse 15 of 2 Timothy chapter 2. Go back to 14 says remind them of these things. Remind them of what things was 16:51 always good to go back. He says it's a trustworthy statement. If we died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. If we are faithless, faithless, not unfaithful, read it 17:08 correctly. If we are faithless, that without faith, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. Remind them of these things and solemnly charge them in the presence of God, not to wrangle about words which is useless and leads 17:24 to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself or prove to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed accurately handling the word of truth. So much is there [clears throat] but we have had you know through the 17:41 years young brothers sometimes get up and and uh share something in the meetings that has created confusion. We have young brothers who have gone away. We had one young brother who was here part of this church part of the choir 17:54 song leader began teaching it's that we don't have to take up the cross Jesus took it up for us. Can you imagine that? A brother in from CFC and left CFC and started his own group. We don't have to take up the cross. Jesus has already taken it up. I just 18:13 have to follow him. Can you imagine that? This is what happens. That's why you read the exhortation that Paul gives Timothy. You want to be a godly young man. You want to be a godly brother. You want to be a godly husband. read Paul's 18:29 letters and lead read particularly what he wrote to a godly young man Timothy 1 and2 so so much is there he said don't raggle about words which is useless leads to the ruin of the hearers but be diligent present yourself approved to 18:44 god as a workman who does not need to be ashamed accurately handling the word of truth I want to say to all of us brothers those you facilitate in the midweek meetings be diligent to present yourself approve to God not to impress 18:56 your your elders to not to impress your home group people, but to be approved to God. You're seeking God for revelation. You're seeking for the Holy Spirit who will teach you, will open your eyes. You take help and check what you share and what you 19:14 have doubts about. You have, like I said, you have through the Bible, you have so many other helpers. You can listen to other godly men, but you have to be careful. So to since you you know sometimes some uh some need to be 19:28 careful what food they eat. So we say no you can eat anything then you swallow everything that is there on the internet. So you can be safe in in in going going to the website and listening to messages and using through the Bible. 19:45 All I'm saying is get help and uh don't end up with this like Paul says you know those who spread worldly and empty chatter wrangle about words and it spreads like gangarine and uh like cancer and it says it upset upsets the 20:04 faith of some. He says that uh you know if you read further on so much Paul has to say in uh in 2 Timothy 3 when he says in the last days difficult times will come you know all these people that will be there in the church it's not outside 20:24 holding to a form of godliness verse five although they have denied its power avoid such men as these saying it's possible to sit in the church without the power of the holy spirit I'm afraid I don't know how many of you here this 20:38 afternoon are sitting here without the power of the Holy Spirit. You will end up with a form of godliness. And he says that there are such people who creep into households, captivate weak women, weighed down with sins, led on by 20:52 various impulses, always learning, never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. And he speaks about these two magicians, Janice and Jambers, who also did things like Moses and Aaron. They did the miracles but they came to a 21:07 place where they could go no further and then they had to say this is the finger of God. The finger of God is the spirit of God. And that's how if you do not have the Holy Spirit that's exactly what will happen to you. You'll come to a 21:21 place where you don't make it says there you'll not make further progress in verse 9. and they will not make further progress for their folly will be obvious to all just as Janice and Jambers's folly was also Janice and 21:34 Jambers if you reading if you read the Old Testament uh Pharaoh's magicians they also did things and that's what we see in Christendom today but such people don't make further progress it's possible to sit in CFC sit without the 21:49 power of the Holy Spirit have a form of godliness very few people can can see think you're a god ly brother but you have the form without the power and the holy spirit is warning us through Paul he says avoid such men and he says the mark of such 22:07 people they don't make progress so that's how you know if you're making progress then the holy spirit is leading you on otherwise it's good to ask yourself why am I not making progress and then I can help build others and in 22:24 that context you know Another thing is what we have to watch against is gossip. Gossip. And where does it begin? It begins in our homes. We can't purify the church of gossip. 22:41 If we are not acting like men in our homes, I want to say that and I can say before God that every time right when my children were growing, I never entertained gossip. They they came when somebody said 23:00 something to them and and they were got upset or got offended and they came I would never take their side. There are sometimes some something was wrong, the other person was wrong. Still, I would turn their hearts to the church. I would 23:17 not take their side and say, "Yes, that sister is always like this or that brother is always like that." I always tell them, see what has been said to you. There's something that you can take of it and correct yourself in your own 23:33 life. Don't have a wrong attitude. God is my witness. Whether it's my wife or whether my children, I always turn their hearts to the fathers. I turn their hearts to the church. And that's why they can grow up, you know, with a good 23:49 attitude. Even if they're not part of CFC, they are always thankful for all that they have seen. So gossip. I want to say to you men, I want to say to you brothers, husbands particularly, act like men. Stem it, stop it, kill it in 24:05 your house. in your family at the dining table when there's when you're just talking and the conversation wanders about and get into somebody else's affairs, you know, someone else's family. What has happened to that one? 24:20 What has happened to this one? Why is this one disciplined? What has he done? What has she done? All these things, where does it begin? In the home. What business? I tell my wife many times, none of your business. It's not 24:36 our business. Jesus said to his mother when his mother came and told him they run short of wine. Read it there in John chapter 2. He said this woman that's not our business. My time has not yet come. They run short of wine. That's not my 24:51 business. The father has not told me anything. And if we maintain that, my dear brothers, act like men. It's not our business. Dear wife, my dear child, it's not your business. You don't have to have the answers. You don't have you don't need an 25:11 explanation. I tell my wife, your boundary is very small. I tell my children when they were with me, your boundary is small. You don't have to to give you can give your suggestions. You can not that you can't talk but you 25:27 can't influence me in such a way that uh that I have to give direction in the church. We act like men. We can listen to our wives and there are sometimes they can speak sense to us. 25:44 I believe that. And uh Abraham also at one time if he had listened to his wife, he could have been kept from sinning when he had to when he went down to Egypt. So there are times we can listen to our wives. There are times when we should not listen to 26:02 our wives when we need to listen to what God is saying particularly when it's matters uh relating to spiritual direction in the church. So in this matter of gossip, we need to be radical. We need to act like men. You read Proverbs 20:9. 26:21 It says that he who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets. Therefore, do not associate with a gossip. Very clear word. Gossipers slander other people's reputation. 26:39 They get into somebody else's business and they slander somebody without knowing all the facts. A lot of things happen in a church that's grown so big. A lot of things happen. You don't need to know all the answers. You don't need 26:52 to have an explanation. Why this was done that way? Why have the elders done things that way? Why was that family asked not to come to the meetings? Why do you need to know? If you need to know, we will tell you. A lot of things 27:05 we don't tell because we want to protect the privacy and the reputation because every man, every family has a dignity and we want to protect that. We don't want people to be talking about it. So we don't give all the facts. If 27:19 necessary, we we have to say certain things, we say it. But don't entertain gossip in your home. My dear brothers who are husbands and fathers we have a responsibility there and say no that's not our business what is what the elders have explained 27:38 or whatever has been announced that's enough for you to know why do you need to talk about it we end up slandering people's reputation we end up putting other families into more difficulty than they already are in when they are 27:54 disciplined or for whatever reason, you know, things have to be done in the church. So I cannot uh I don't think I I I can even say it's strong enough that if we don't kill it in our home, we'll never address it in the church. It's very important how we 28:13 avoid people from gossiping over [snorts] lunch. I believe that a lot of gossip happens over lunch. we are not there but I hear sometimes that there's gossip and maybe you brothers are not involved in that but then our wives if we have not 28:32 stemmed it if we not killed it in our home then we can't stop it in the church so it's very important and there are a lot of exultations about gossip Romans 1:29 2 Corinthians 12:20 look it up in your time 1 Timothy 3:11 28:50 1 Timothy 5:13 he speaks about malicious gossips that's another title the Holy Spirit gives malicious gossips talks about older women you know not being 2 Timothy 3 you can look at this word 2 Timothy 3:3 it's there 29:09 it says there unloving irre irreconcilable malicious gossips malicious means you're out to put somebody in a bad light. You have malice. You have you have a problem with that brother, with that sister, with that family, some jealousy, something 29:27 like that. So, you say something in [snorts] in your in your own little group and you listen to it in your home. You don't kill it there. Militious, gossip without self-control and all that list there. People who have a form of 29:43 godliness. You know that a malicious gossip can have a form of godliness and it's not just sisters. Sadly sometimes it's among brothers also. So if we really want to preserve ourselves we want to we need to be alert to this 30:01 my dear brothers that we don't give room to gossip in our home. We encourage our our partners our wife our children. It's not our business. Let's mind our own business. Peter says, "Don't suffer as a busy body." And he 30:19 clubs that, as I said last couple of weeks ago, together with thieves and murderers. One who busy body and somebody else is as good as a thief and a murderer. You're murdering somebody's reputation because you don't know enough and you you speak 30:36 and you're stealing somebody's reputation. That's why the Holy Spirit clubs busy bodies together with murderers and thieves. Remember that my dear brothers and let's really act like men and be strong in this area particularly and see 30:53 that [snorts] in the home we don't give room to gossip. There are lots of other things we can talk about and you don't need to talk about the Bible all the time. We don't a lot of other things that you can talk about which is not gossip 31:07 and you don't find anything you can talk about the weather if you don't know what to talk about. So when I say that we have to act like men and be strong. It's like the picture that comes to me, you know, when a little fire is starting, you know, I 31:24 believe that if you take a blanket and put over it, it kills it because it deprivives it of oxygen. So they say when when a fire is starting, you can just put a put a blanket over it and kill it. Kill the supply of oxygen. 31:40 That's what we have to do as men. Kill the supply of oxygen for gossip in our homes. But our wives particularly because wives women tend to be curious and if we have daughters they are curious and they make their comments they give 31:57 their opinions but we have to be alert there where is this going to where is this leading to kill it put a blanket over it deprive it of oxygen that's the way that we can be strong we can act like men and uh like I said you know all that we 32:14 do we do it do it in See the danger that in hearing all such exhortations we do it in the letter. We can go about and go back to our homes and and become Pharisees and legalists 32:31 and that is there also sadly among some brothers. Let all that you do be done in love. We are called to be servants of the new covenant not of the letter. It's a word that often reminds me that I am a servant of the new covenant, not of the 32:51 letter. The old covenant, they were servants of the letter, but under the new covenant, I'm called to be a servant of the spirit. It says there in uh second 2 second Corinthians and chapter 3 verse 5 it says not that we 33:09 are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves our adequacy is from God who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant not of the letter and listen to this but of the spirit for the letter kills but the 33:26 spirit gives life and I you know we hear exhortations and I've seen this in the church through the years that brother Zach speaks strongly on some things and we can go home and come down heavy on our wives and come down heavy on our 33:40 children. We are servants of the letter. We are Pharisees. We cannot help them. We'll only turn them away from the church. We'll turn them away from the brothers. Ask God my dear brothers all of us ask God to make us servants of the new 33:58 covenant of the spirit not of the letter. That is why as I said we need the holy spirit. And in that same chapter it says whenever a man there it is there 2 Corinthians and chapter 3:E1 16 whenever 34:15 a person turns to the Lord the veil is taken away and lest we wonder who that Lord is is the third person of the trinity verse 17 the Lord is the Holy Spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 34:33 that's how I know that my family I can live freely. I don't put a burden on them. I don't put a weight on them. I don't give them come down heavy on them just because I heard something in the church just because I heard something in 34:45 the brother's meeting. I said, "Lord, I want to do this in the spirit. I want to help. I want to turn to the Holy Spirit. How do I do this? How do I speak? If I have to correct something in my home, I want to do it with the Holy Spirit's help. not 35:02 listening to my reason and my mind that tells me oh you got to you know that's a tendency that many of us have had to speak to brothers don't try to be like brother Zach that's a special ministry God has given him we don't need too many 35:18 brother Zachs one one is enough for many churches but I'm afraid that through the years I've had to say to brothers don't don't go that way that's not your ministry to come down hard that all that you do be done in love. I'm not saying 35:32 that we have to be flabby and you know just let things uh go out of hand. That's not it is I can act like a man. I can be strong but I can do it in love. Leave all the strong exhortations and corrections and rebukes and reproofs for 35:49 a brother that God has given us in the church. I don't think many of us have that and have that grace. We need we need to be encouraers. We need to encourage our wife. We need to encourage our children, not come down hard on 36:03 them. And I'm afraid that's the mistake uh we make sometimes. And then one last word, you know, in in James in chapter 3, always, always, always 36:19 seow a seed when there is peace. I've always thought of this word. When there's a storm, if you sow a seed, it will be blown away. James 3, I'll stop with this and then brother Charles can share what is on his heart. James 36:38 chapter 3 said, "The seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." Memorized that word. I I have memorized it and many times it comes to me in a home situation. 36:58 Righteousness of God, you know the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness. Getting angry, getting upset will not bring the righteousness of God. Remember that my brothers, God has spoken to me in numerable times. 37:11 Particularly when I had a problem with anger and through the years God has really worked in my heart. I I went to God and said, "Lord, I'm an angry man. I went into the bathroom and cried and said, "Lord, I'm an angry man. 37:27 Free me from anger." My children will testify to that. Then see that the work that God has done in me and they say that is not the same. There were days when I would be so angry that I would not be able to control 37:45 myself. But I cried out to God. I said I'm not going to be a slave to anger. The anger of man cannot achieve the righteousness of God. God has spoken to me many times on that. If I want to see the righteousness of God, James 3:es 38:03 13 to18, I made this my prayer many times. I said, Lord, I want to be wise and understanding. Let him show by his good behavior, his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bit bitter jealousy and 38:23 selfish ambition in your heart, you know, if you're getting into competition, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, soish and demonic. Remember that my brothers and sisters, 38:39 the wisdom from below is earthly, soish and demonic. But for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, listen to this. There is disorder and every evil thing. Like I said, we are so many families now. We're not going to be competing 38:58 competing with other families, comparing oursel with other families. That brings jealousy and selfish ambition. And I am contributing to disorder, to confusion in my home. That's what it says. every evil thing but the wisdom from above. I 39:15 want to encourage us men. I want to encourage us. Every one of us, married and unmarried, seek for this. I seek for this. I pray this prayer. Lord, in many, many situations, particularly through the years with my children, I want 39:28 wisdom from above. Lord, I've used the wisdom from below. It's brought confusion in my home. I want wisdom from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable. Reasonable means willing to yield. That's a good thing to keep in mind. 39:45 Willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering without hypocrisy. And here's this word, the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 40:02 If you're a man of peace, you can sow seed. Oh, that'll bring peace. You'll sow a seed whose fruit is righteousness, but sow it in peace. Don't go home and you hear something in the church and you see, "Yeah, that's the problem with my 40:20 family. I'm going to come down hard on this." You'll bring disorder. You'll bring confusion. But you say, "Lord, I want to be a man of peace and I want to." So sometimes there are things that we have to say and correct causes a little storm but it should not 40:39 affect me but still I have to keep myself in love and sew in peace. So don't sow seed when there's a storm when your wife is agitated when your children are upset when they come come home with especially in their teenage years with all the 40:58 problems the peer pressure don't try sewing a seed wait for the storm to die down then sew the seed and see the the fruit of righteousness that will come forth in their lives I've done this and I can say 41:17 it has brought results whether it's with talking to our wives correcting something that we see with them correcting like I said gossip in the home so a seed in peace all we have to say my wife my children 41:36 this is not not our business let's judge ourselves that's all we called to do judge ourselves we don't have to have opinions about others we don't need explanation s and uh we don't know we don't need to know let's concentrate on ourselves in that 41:55 way I want to say that we can act like men and be strong and stand firm in the faith and then everything that we do we can do in love I pray that God will raise up such godly brothers in this church who can really stem all 42:15 these evils that we nip it in the bud in our home. I I believe that will be the beginning of a revival, not for some feeling, a revival of the fear of God among us in the coming days. Amen. I would like you to turn with me to 42:34 Luke chapter 12 verse 35. There's a verse here. It says this is Jesus telling his disciples to be ready, 42:50 be in readiness, be dressed in readiness and keep your lamps alike. You know there was another passage where Jesus said about um the 10 virgins. 43:08 Some five were wise and five were unwise. And one group had their light burning. The other group's light went out. And this is speaking in connection with the 43:26 Holy Spirit. What brother already shared. It's so good to hear. And the next verse it says, "And be like men. You have your life lamp burning. Let it be a light 43:47 and meanwhile act like men." See this word gossip doesn't belong to men. You know that it is it is the weakness of women. It's not belonging to men. If there is anybody who is indulging in 44:06 that like many years back brother Zach said you need to wear a sare and come. It's as serious. If you are a brother who likes to enjoy 44:23 gossip and you have an opinion about everything and about everybody under the sun, then you should have been a prolific writer on every subject because you have an opinion about 44:39 everybody and every subject. You need to humble yourself and say Lord when was the last time you said I don't know when somebody asked you something you gave your opinion because you know whether good or bad whether it helps or 44:58 not whether it is edifying or not you just mouth your opinion big mouthed people you are in great danger of falling into sin. Prob says where there are multitude of words sin is not lacking 45:17 and a person who is talkative talkative talkative and all the time wants to wants others to hear him only without giving any chance to others to speak is a high 45:34 highheaded man arrogant proud he doesn't know, like Jesus said, you think you have everything, but you don't know. You're blind, wretched, miserable, naked. They walk about naked, 45:53 and they think that they're wearing the dress. And those who have insight can see their nakedness through and through. And act like men. How many times it says act 46:09 like men, act like men, be a man. You see, we have a perfect example in Jesus about how to be a man. He was he is called the lion of the tribe of Judah and he is also called the 46:27 lamb of God. He has both. He is neither a Hitler nor an effeminate. He is a balanced person. When it came to the devil, he was like a lion. But when it came to human beings, he was tender. 46:47 He was gentle. But with the rough, he was rough. But with those underdogs, those who were already beaten down, he was on their side against the devil. We are called to be like that. Brothers and sisters, 47:07 the Bible says in Eph in one Peter in 1 Peter 3:7, I want you to go home and read this second part of this 47:23 1 Peter 3:7. You husbands likewise live with your wives in an understanding way as with a weaker vessel since she is a woman and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the 47:40 grace of life so that your prayers may not be hindered. Brothers, you want your prayers to be answered. Here is the here is the secret. You want your prayers to be answered. live in a proper 47:58 right relationship with your wives. You treat her like a slave. You put her in her place and you always have the last word and you act like a Hitler at home. I I doubt whether God will ever hear your prayers. I don't think they will 48:16 ever rise above the ceiling. You may be praying praying praying. You may be having set time of prayer. But check whether anyone of them have been answered. If you're treating your wife like that, repent of that. 48:35 Don't ever expect that your prayers will be heard. It's very clear here. The Bible says, "If you want your prayers to be answered, live in a proper relationship with your wife, knowing that she is a weaker vessel. There may 48:50 be lot of lot of um imperfections and weaknesses in her which you may not have and you come down heavily on her but you forget to remember that she is a 49:07 woman and you need to grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life. You know it is like a joint account in a bank. You and your wife have a joint account let us say and you want to go and encash 49:25 something and you only sign and give your check will not be honored. You cannot encash it unless your wife also signs on it. So it says your fellow heir like you have a joint account with your wife only if she also signs then your prayers 49:45 will be answered where two or three are gathered together in my name in one accord then Jesus said I am there in their midst. If both of you are not in one accord and you 50:04 have an Atlantic between the two of you, even though you sleep on the same bed, your prayers will not be heard answered. Go home and read that chapter. It says so many things about your tongue, the 50:21 way you speak. To sum up all, let it be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind-hearted, humble in spirit, not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead. For you were called for this very 50:39 purpose that you might inherit a blessing. And now he speaks from Psalm 34 number of verses. He says, "Let him who means to love life and see good days refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from 50:57 speaking guile and let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it like we heard just now. Seek for peace. Hunt for peace. Like you know another 51:14 translation says, "Hunt for peace. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and he hears and his ears attend to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." 51:31 There is lot to do with your words my brothers and do not be a gossip going around carrying tales telling about this person that person 51:50 don't you have anything better to talk you have to talk only about people many years ago I shared this I don't mind sharing Saying it again they said there are three types of people in the world. One is 52:08 uh the very in inventive kind of people very creative they always think about ideas creative and there are there is another kind of people who are moderate. They talk about events as to what happened yesterday, 52:28 what happened in such and such a time or what might happen and things like that. And there's another third category who is always talking about the others. So these are the third category people. 52:47 So whenever you find yourself talking about somebody else at your dining table or with another brother, remember in which category you are the smallminded people, average-minded people and the great-minded people. Examine yourself where you want to be 53:11 and decide and be there. It's better to talk about some like brother said about weather or current events or cricket or some general knowledge. That way at least your GK will increase. But if you keep on talking about this 53:30 family, that family, your sin will increase and you'll be adding more and more to your burden. Don't you ever do that. And one last thing, brothers, be a brother. 53:49 And may m y o b like we heard the other day, learn to mind your own business. That means be within your boundary. 54:05 Don't go like sisters from home to home. You have no business visit somebody else's house when the head of the home is not there. This is being preached in this church for more than 30 40 years 54:25 and some have taken it, some have not taken it. Some even though they have been here for decades, have heard all these things, still have done it and destroyed families. You have no business to go to somebody's house when the head of the home is not 54:43 there. If the head of the house is not there, just say goodbye or say I'll come back later when he comes home and come away. Don't say it's my sister. The sister business has led many people into 55:00 grievous sins. Greater men than you and me have fallen in this area. Be extremely careful about your your behavior with the opposite sex. You are interested in talking to somebody else's wife rather than your own. 55:19 You're interested in appreciating somebody else's dress rather than your wife's. You are just one step ahead away from adultery. Remember that sooner or later it'll be revealed. Nothing will be hidden that will not be 55:37 revealed. Jesus said anything that is whispered in the room will be broadcast on the housetop. Don't think that you can cover up your sins. Like Paul tells Timothy, 55:54 some people's sins are already manifest and some people's still not manifest. It'll come one day or the other. It will be made manifest to all. Some people's folly also will be made manifest to all. Be 56:11 very very careful about the way you behave with the opposite sex. You may be married man but don't think that marriage is an answer to this. Even many married men have failed in this area. Learn to fear God 56:32 and keep your mouth shut when it should be shut and open when it should be open. Many a times we open it when we should keep it shut and we shut it when we should open it. 56:50 But ask God that God may grant us wisdom and discernment as to when to open our mouth and when to shut so that our families are preserved, our children are preserved and love your wives, 57:07 brothers and sisters. If not somebody else will love and it'll be too late and there's no point in crying or spilled milk and much damage has been done and 57:27 sometimes it may be irreparable. Wake up before it is too late. Amen.
