0:00 I thank God for the opportunity God gave me to share the word with you and you may have to bear with me because I don't preach regularly in English. I speak Tamil and I am well-versed in Tamil preaching only, but I will manage because we have fellowship around the word of God and 0:26 around our Lord Jesus, language will not be a barrier. Like Sandeep just now said that we need to learn humility from Jesus and I thought I will just share with you through the word 0:49 how I learned how Jesus lived every day and the secret of his life. If we know and if we follow, we will be also happy and we will be also able to live overcoming life as Jesus lived. Please 1:10 return with me to Luke chapter 18, verse 18. We know this incidence and a certain ruler questioned him saying, good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him, why do you call me good? 1:34 no one is good except God alone. Think of that statement Jesus made. Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 1:58 When I read that verse even today every day, I am challenged. How can a person say who lived a perfect life not even sinned once in his life and if somebody called him good teacher and he immediately said, no, don't call me good. 2:25 And he said, God alone is good. Think about it. Meditate on that statement. And when I did that, I got the answer. Why Jesus had to say like that? Think about it. Meditate on that statement. And when I did that, I got the answer. Why Jesus had to say like that? Is it not he the son of God? And if God is good, he must be good. And why he said like that? Don't call me good. 2:52 And why he said like that? Don't call me good. Yeah. In order to understand that, we may have to turn to James chapter 1, verse 12 and 13 I read. 3:19 Verse 12 and 13 I read. James chapter 1, verse 12 onwards. Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial. For once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love him. 3:39 Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted by evil. And that is the answer to that. God cannot be tempted by evil. 4:00 God cannot be tempted by evil. Verse 14. Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. You know, Jesus was tempted because he had a flesh like ours, in which there was lust and desires, lust to exalt and the lust to seek his own. 4:35 And because he was an ordinary man. And because he had a flesh. And because of lust in his flesh, he was tempted. And the very fact that I am being tempted, I want to say that that is not good. 4:58 And God alone is good. And God alone is good, who is not tempted by evil. And see the utter faithfulness of Jesus. You know, we talk about overcoming sin. And as we sang song and we should not treat the blood of Christ as a tap water. And what is the secret of overcoming sin? 5:26 And Jesus felt very bad when he was tempted. Do you? This is a challenge. When I understood this verse. And the very fact that I am being tempted by evil proves that I am not good. 5:51 And I have to suffer and obey and learn. That is the life Jesus lived. Now you please stand with me to Hebrews 2:18. These are all well known verses. Hebrews 2:18. For since he himself, talking about Jesus, was tempted in that which he has suffered. 6:18 You know, the secret of overcoming sin is whenever, first of all, I must be aware that I am being tempted. Most of us, we don't start right. We ignore when we are tempted. And only after falling into some sin, we are convicted and then we wake up and go to God. 6:47 But please learn from Jesus. The verse says, "He himself was tempted in that which he has suffered." The moment I am aware that I am being tempted, that's all in the thought level, in the attitude level. 7:08 When I seek to, when I am tempted to seek my own in the family situation with my wife and children in the workplace, I am now tempted to shout at somebody because they don't obey me. Something provoked me. And because I am a big man, I am maybe Hachodi and somebody has to obey me, but the way in which they speak, it is not good. 7:41 I am tempted, I am tempted, provoked to use some hard word or harsh words. And in the name of discipline to our children, we become angry or shout at people. It is all because we don't have that sense which Jesus heard. I am being tempted. 8:06 So, we must start right in the inner man, in the spirit, in me. There is nothing what dwells in me. That means, I am proud, arrogant, and I am seeking my own. I am selfish. I am full of myself. That I must be aware. 8:31 I must be honest with myself. Now I am being tempted. And then, having realized that I am being tempted, we must be, I mean, it will be very easy to say like Jesus. I am not good. I am not good. I am not good. God alone is good because He is the one who is not tempted. 8:56 The very fact that I am now being tempted proves that I am not good. And then, I must be willing to suffer. Jesus was tempted. Jesus was tempted and He suffered. Now, turn with me to Hebrews 5. 9:18 Verse 8 and 9. Verse 8 and 9. Although He was a son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. Although He was a son, how it applies to me. Although I am born of God. Although I am a child of God. 9:48 I have entered into born again experience. The seed of God is within me. The spirit of God is within me. Okay, whatever it is, I must be honest with myself. From the very outset, from the beginning that I am tempted now. And what is the way Jesus gone? He suffered. 10:20 And the remaining verse we read. He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. You know, people talk about Jesus finished everything. I don't need to do anything. Salvation is purely from above. I am a sinner. Wretched sinner. I can do nothing. 10:44 No. Read the scripture. And know and understand the way Jesus went. He was tempted. He suffered. And learned obedience. So, even though I am born of God. Even though the spirit of God is in me. And even though I am a child of God. His seed, the word is in me. I know the scripture. I know being angry will make me a son of hell. 11:14 All those ideas are there. All those ideas are there. Knowledge is there. But do we realize, as Jesus realized, when I am provoked, I am not good. I am now being tempted. Then, what Jesus did when he was tempted. Now turn with me to John's Gospels, chapter 6. 11:53 We know the incidents here. We know the incidents here. Jesus did a great miracle of feeding 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes. And what happened? Verse 15. John, chapter 6, verse 15. 12:15 Jesus, Jesus, therefore, perceiving that they were intending to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself alone. The reason four gospels are written is to compare one scripture with the other. And we have to know what made Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself alone. 12:47 And if you read the same incidents in Mark, Mark, Mark chapter 6, Mark 6, 45. We read it, Mark 6, 45. 13:16 And immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself was sending multitude away. In Tamil, it is written very clearly. 13:37 Jesus urged them, he urged his disciples, go go go go please, quick, quick, quick, quick, get into the boat, please go away. And he dispersed the crowd and he ran away to a mountain stop. For what? To pray. 14:00 What made him? You know, in Hebrews, the very verse we read, you read one verse above. He in the days of his flesh, we read. And it is not one day, every day. And when Jesus felt that now I am being tempted, what was the temptation? 14:23 They wanted him to become a king. Oh, this is the man we waited for so long and now he is enough. He will feed us every time. And let us make him a king. And he went to the mountain top and he poured out his spirit. And Father, the glory is to you. Let your name be glorified. 14:55 I am a son of man. I am now tempted to exalt or I am tempted to seek my own and accept the glory. You know, we don't receive the sustained grace. We humble ourselves and we receive grace and God exalts us and then it is not true as it is written in the John Gospel that through him we receive grace upon grace. 15:23 That means, Jesus received grace and having done a great miracle and having received the grace, he went to the mountain top and he poured out his heart and spirit and the grace which he received made him more humble. 15:46 Dear brothers and sisters, this is the secret of Christian life. When we receive grace, it should make us humble so that we will receive grace again. That is grace upon grace. This is the way Jesus walked. 16:06 But if you are honest with yourself, you will understand or agree with me that God gives me grace. Okay, I overcome some sin and then I lift up my head and look down on others. Maybe I will look down on my wife or my husband. 16:29 Yeah, I kept quiet. I could control my anger but poor wife or husband lost her temper and I lift my head and I am a man who has experienced the grace of God. And you know, the next time I will not receive grace and by his law, the universal law, God has to oppose the proud and then I fail to receive grace next time. 17:01 And so my life is this way, up and down, up and down, but that is not the way Jesus walked. Because he said, I am not good. I am being tempted to exalt myself, to seek my own and I have nothing good in my flesh. 17:27 Pride and selfishness is there and whenever I am tempted, I have to run to my father and receive fresh grace and that made him to receive grace upon grace and that is the way Jesus walked. 17:55 You know, in Christian life, we are hesitant to speak about our goal and if I speak a life that I can live like Jesus and I am called to be perfect. You know, even when I was a young man, in 30s, I decided like that. 18:20 My goal is not to become a preacher and people talk about ministry and all, but I had a very, I mean, deep conviction in my heart that I must walk with Jesus and I must finish the race and I must end life in faith. Like Paul, I finished the race and kept the faith and that is the only goal. 18:45 And when you reach that goal, at the end, like in any university, you will be given a degree and that degree is you are a perfect man, woman. You please stand with me to Hebrews, the same word which we read in Hebrews 5 verse 9, Hebrews 5, 9. 19:16 And having been made perfect, he became to all those who obey him. So that, we all can be, you know, the source of eternal salvation. If we read eternal salvation, then we will be tempted to meditate and say or know what is eternal salvation. 19:42 Please, now, with a simple mind and like a child, you can read this verse like this. Having been made perfect, he became to all those who obey him so that we all can be perfect. It is like 2+2=4 to me. 20:03 My goal is to become perfect as Christ is. There is no other interpretation and why do we hesitate to say, "My calling, Jesus called me to make me perfect as he is." 20:23 And we should not hesitate to confess that hope. My goal of Christian life is not to do this and that. My goal in Christian life is to become perfect as Christ is. And if you are in doubt, you can now read from 1 John, letter of John, 1 John, the all well-known verses, Chapter 3, that we must purify our lives. 21:06 Verse 3, "Who has this hope fixed on him, purifies himself, just as he is pure." Okay, what is the goal of that purity? How pure you want to be? Okay, let us not answer ourselves. 21:32 Please read further and understand from John, the Apostle, what was his goal. He says, verse 5, "And you know that he appeared in order to take away sins and in him there is no sin. So, to me, it is 2+2=4, that means I want a perfection where there is no sin in me." 22:02 How long we need to purify till we reach a stage where there is no sin in me. And we must be bold enough to confess that. Because every day our goal is to live like Jesus means that every day I should judge my life, not by outward testimony. 22:32 Okay, I gritted my teeth and controlled my temper, I did not shout at people in my workplace, thank God. But do you know that there is something boiling in you and are we honest enough to run to God and seek further grace? 22:53 When we were tempted by someone's word or action and something provoked in me and I may control my temper, but anger is residing in my heart. The Bible says, anger resides in the bosom of the fool. 23:15 Are we honest enough to run to Jesus and say, "I am a fool because anger is resting in me, though I have successfully controlled my temper." If I live every day like that, not only that I will have a testimony that I am a peaceful man, but more and more I will cleanse myself and I will become more and more pure. 23:42 And not only that, that word will be true in my life, verse 7, 1 John 3:7. Recently I noticed this that, you know, we all talk about righteousness, but what is the standard of righteousness? Read the verse, "Little children, let no one deceive you. 24:03 The one who practices righteousness is righteous just as he is righteous." It's a challenging word. How Jesus looked at the woman, even at this age of 63, I am honest to tell you that I am being tempted. 24:28 I am not ashamed of saying that. I have learned from Jesus that I am not good. I am not good and I am aware that I am being tempted and so what? Not that I have not divorced my wife, I have lived with my wife for 40 years and I am a righteous man. 24:52 No, my righteousness is as God is righteous, as Jesus was righteous. So, in other words, I must be honest enough to admit that I am evil and I am being tempted when I look at a computer screen or a cell phone or a wall post. 25:15 And whenever I am conscious of that or whenever, like I said that having the same thought as Jesus is, that low thought that I am in the flesh and there is nothing good in me and I am being tempted. I will suffer and I will suffer and I will learn obedience and if I learn obedience like that every day and I will experience that word that I am as righteous as Christ is and if I go on live like that, one day I will be like him. 25:55 And my sinful body will be transformed and I will be transformed and I will be made perfect. Not otherwise. No, the whole Christian world thinks that the day will come, Jesus will come and fetch us to heaven and we will be transformed. 26:13 But when you are transformed, you will be naked. You will be ashamed of your life. But if we are faithful like Jesus, honest like him and our attitude to people and to God and if we humbled ourselves, we will purify our lives and we will walk towards that perfection. 26:34 And that perfection is as righteous as he is, as pure as he is and I will not be ashamed at the end of my life. That is Christianity. People are afraid of using that word. 26:57 Do you mean to say that you are speaking perfection, sinless? No, if you claim that Jesus your Lord and your master and the word says that everyone, every disciple, every apprentice trained will be like his master. And you know what Jesus said in John Gospel 8, chapter 8, John's Gospel, chapter 8. 27:33 Verse 46, which one of you convicts me of sin? Can we set up a goal like that? My goal in Christian life is no one should convict me of sin. 28:03 And if I have not set that goal, then I am not a Christian because Christian is a disciple who has joined as an apprentice to the master. And the more and more I learn from him and my goal is that which one of you convicts me of sin? 28:26 That must be my goal in the home, in the workplace. And anything less than that is not Christianity. And I am not ashamed to say that I am a Christian, I am under training and my goal is to become like Jesus, as pure as he is, as perfect as he is. 28:46 And my whole battle on this earth is to overcome sin. Okay. We have to work out our salvation like that. But one more thing. There is another facet for our salvation. And we, you please turn with me to John's Gospel, chapter 13, verse 33. 29:20 Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You shall seek me. And as I said to the Jews, I now say to you also, where I am going, you cannot come. You know, he had to tell to his 12 disciples at the end of his life. 29:42 As I told the crowd that you cannot come unless you believe me that I am being sent my father and I am from above and you are from below and you will die in your sins. So, according to Jesus' teaching, if I don't overcome sin, if I have not learnt like my master under the apprentice training, 30:12 if I have failed to learn how to overcome sin, then I am not fit for the place where he is. He cannot take me to the place. And he said at the end of three and a half years of training to his disciples, as I told the crowd, I tell you also. 30:34 Now, if Jesus is here, he will tell wherever he is the head of the church to his disciples, to the families here. You cannot come. You know, the next word read in the Living Bible, and so I am giving you a new commandment. 30:56 I said that another facet of salvation is to learn like Jesus loved Judas Iscariot. That's what you read the next word like that. In the Living Bible, it is written, okay, you cannot come. 31:19 As I said to the crowd, I tell you, so and so, and so, a new commandment I give to you, verse 34, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. If you meditate the scripture in context, just now, I demonstrated to you, 31:44 how I loved the person, Judas Iscariot, who was not faithful in money matters. And I endured with Him, and now He is going out to betray me, and yet, I honored Him by giving 32:04 the broken bread. And I remained in love, and that verse which we read in John 13, verse 1, last part, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 32:30 And that is the another facet of our Christian life. I am here, God has given me breath in my nostril to learn how to love others, even if they betray me. And that is why Jesus gave me a new commandment. 32:51 And as long as I live with my wife, I must learn to love her, not according to her behavior, but according to the standard of Christ. Christ could love a person who betrayed Him, and I should not seek any qualification 33:16 of, I mean, how can I love such people? No, don't think of the qualification of others. Qualify yourself, whether you have the love of Christ, and if you claim that I am your master, I am giving you the training now to love others, even if they don't deserve. 33:44 I am greatly challenged. And every day, God gives me grace, and I have a life on this earth. I have decided to learn this life, this love. So, dear brothers and sisters, Christian life is this, the goal. 34:05 I should learn the life of overcoming sin, and we must all start right. When we are tempted, our, when we, we must be honest enough to know that my attitude is not right. My attitude to money is not right. 34:27 I may not run after that. I may not be caught in some law or people like Judas Iscariot. But I must be aware that I am, my attitude towards this world, money, 34:49 my heart is inclined more towards this world. What I can enjoy in this world? Lord, help me. First John, recently I meditated on this verse. 35:13 You know, people say we are not called to love the world, love, love not the world, love not the world. What it means? We are trained to say things in a negative way only. Don't do that. Don't do that. That is world. That is sin. 35:32 But why not we listen to Apostle John, 1 John, chapter 2. Verse 15, do not love the world nor the things in the world. 35:56 If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. In other words, if I love my father, then I don't love the world. That is the right way to say it. 36:18 People ask many questions, how to find out the will of God? What is the will of God? Where should I work? Where should I live? Whom should I marry? The answer for young people here is, love the Lord with all your heart. 36:38 And if you love the Lord, then it is very easy to find out all these other specific things in your life. We don't say or we don't realize that my calling is to love God. Love not the world. 36:59 And if I love my God enough, then I know how to choose my life partner. How to love my life partner. How far I can earn money. How far I can live on this world without getting defiled. All those things I will know. 37:19 So, have a positive attitude in life. I have decided to love God. So, I will not love the world. Such person will find out or will know what is the will of God. 37:40 You know, even at this age, 63, I am earning. I am doing a part-time job. But constantly, I am asking myself, am I earning at this age, out of love of money? All my five children are married and settled, why should I earn money? 38:04 And I ask God also, I am honest with myself and I go to God. And He says, when you go to some village in Tamil Nadu, maybe in your car, because you are a retired person, they should not give you 500 rupees for petrol or diesel. 38:24 And I can refuse that and say, I am earning still, I am not yet retired. So, you don't need to give. So, that is my attitude. I have no guilty conscience. I am a disciple and I know what is to love the world. 38:44 And whenever, like that, in every area of our life, we can judge our life and we can know the will of God. The one who does the will of God abides forever. Very practical, down to earth practical. 39:05 I can know the will of God and the one who does the will of God abides forever. That is eternal life. So, Christian life is easy, brothers and sisters. We must start right. Jesus was like that. He was conscious. 39:25 He was aware. Somebody called Him good. No, no, no, I am not good. God alone is good. Reason, the very fact that I am being tempted proves me that I am not good. I am working out my salvation. I am marching towards perfection. 39:43 And He became perfect and He became the author of our faith. And this is Christianity. Anything less than that is false Christianity. I am proud of this gospel. And I learned this gospel from brother Zakpunan when I was 24 years old as a bachelor. 40:03 And this gospel I am practicing. Not that I have achieved or I have attained. I am a preacher now. Better listen to me. No, I am all, as I said, I am learning. Even today at the age of 63, I am learning how not to look lustfully at a woman. 40:27 And I want to do the will of God. I don't want to get defied by the world. And I want to earn and I want money. Not because I want to save and accumulate and leave properties to my children. But I want to be useful to God. 40:45 And I don't want anybody to feel pity for me. I am well-off person. That is the goal. That is the goal. And let us walk in this way, brothers and sisters. And in one way, it is easy. It is easy. As long as you are humble. 41:04 And as long as you are able to see Jesus on the other side of the yoke. And he said, learn from me. And if I can look at Jesus and learn from him, then I will not lift up like he did. I will run to God and say, I am being tempted to exalt myself and to seek my own. 41:27 God help me. God will give me grace. And then our life will be up and up like Jesus. And we can also receive grace upon grace, grace upon grace because we remain humble. That life is available abundantly in Jesus. He came to give life to us and that life abundantly. 41:52 I praise God for this gospel. I am greatly inducted to CFC and to my elder brother. You know, Sandeep said, you look at us as your own children and share the word. No, I don't think like that. I am your fellow believer. 42:12 I am struggling every day to walk this way. And I am thankful to the church and thankful to my mentor. And if you respect him as Paul, I am your Timothy. I want to be your companion and I want to encourage you all. Amen.
