0:01 Thank you, brother Zach. Uh, by explaining these truths so clearly and so simply, even I think my seven-year-old can understand. Um, I think yeah, you have some of these truths we have heard. But how many ever times we hear we need to these reminders 0:20 always refresh and challenge us especially the life of Jesus as you explained from birth to death under the grace of God. Um it's amazing and then the acid test for all of us is whether we are living in the old covenant or new 0:36 covenant is whether the sin is ruling over us. Um it's a one uh from Romans 6:14. Thank you for explaining it so well. Uh may [clears throat] yeah may God help us to take these words to a heart and as you said listen to it 0:55 again until these tools become reality in our lives and and even the Lord's prayer I think I I was raised in a Catholic family and I used to recite that prayer so many times but um first three requests about God himself is so 1:14 important to understand um and also it ties very well with seeking God's kingdom and his righteousness first before anything else and then whatever we need God will add uh our daily needs. Um and then thank you for yeah highlighting about the 1:32 importance of humility uh uh even I was thinking about this water rushing to the lowest point. The grace of God is like reservoir is a power of God available for us. But the water will flow to the lowest point. As I humble myself, I have 1:47 always experienced that power of God, the grace of God. And even before I fall into sin, if I can cry out for the grace of God, he has always given that. And that's a testimony of many of us. Um [clears throat] 2:04 um and Jesus being our foreigner and and learning gentleness and humility. And thank you for explaining again from Hebrews chapter 8 the truths of the new covenant from least to the greatest everyone shall know him. Um may God help 2:23 us uh to take these truths and bear fruit in the days to come. Um I have other things to ask but before that um I think one of there is a question posted even before the meeting has started. I just want to start with that as you just 2:40 reminded from the least to the greatest. This is one of the uh younger ones who asked this question. So I want to start there first. Uh prioritize that or anything else. Um, this is a question and in Luke chapter 1 over and over it 2:55 says that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit or Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit came after Jesus ascended, how were they filled with him? I think yeah. >> Yeah. [clears throat] 3:13 The difference is in the old covenant right up to the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was upon people. In the new covenant, the Holy Spirit came inside the heart and the mind and made us to will and to do his good 3:31 pleasure. Whereas in the Old Testament when they say filled with the Holy Spirit is only on the outside equipped to do some work for God. Whether it is to lead God's people, Moses or Joshua or 3:49 David, they all had the Holy Spirit, Elijah, Elisha as prophets, but it was always upon upon upon even John the Baptist. The spirit of God never came inside anyone. The first person who walked this earth with his holy spirit inside was 4:08 Jesus Christ. And the first human beings who walked with the Holy Spirit were the apostles. And if you remember [clears throat] in one of the studies I did earlier for you all, do you remember when the apostles 4:24 received the Holy Spirit inside? >> When he breathed on them. >> When >> when Jesus breathed on them? >> On the day of resurrection. John chapter 20. He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." very similar to 4:41 Genesis chapter 2 where God breathed on Adam and he received uh inward spirit as a human being. New covenant Jesus breathed on his disciples. That is the beginning of the new covenant. The new covenant began on the day of resurrection 4:59 not on the day of Pentecost. that Jesus is the first person of the new covenant to come out and on the day of Pentecost they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. So they received the Holy Spirit. John 20 baptized in the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:13 chapter 2. Some Christians don't believe that. They speak against the baptism of the Holy Spirit. People are brought up in the brethren assemblies like you also have been taught in the past wrongly that when you receive the Holy Spirit 5:28 that's it. I was like that but I was thoroughly defeated. I did not know what it is to be immersed in the Holy Spirit. >> Thank you. >> Everything mentioned in Luke chapter one is the spirit upon upon upon not inside 5:48 any of them. >> Okay. Yeah. Even though the word filled is used, it is basically upon not not the main >> fil in the Old Testament sense. >> It's like a person is immersed in the water but is only on the outside. 6:08 >> But it came the spirit could not come inside any human being. >> Yeah. until Jesus had opened the way and he was the first person with the indwelling spirit that walked on the earth and nobody could have the indwelling spirit till Jesus had opened 6:27 the way I'll tell you why because there's sin unclansed sin in the heart >> and the Holy Spirit could not dwell even in John the Baptist heart because there was sin there and no sin was cleansed until the cross of Calvary 6:46 And once sin was the shed blood was shed on the cross of Calvary then 3 days later after the resurrection the disciples could receive the Holy Spirit within filled with the Holy Spirit 40 days later. 7:03 >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> I mean read the Bible everything is there. is people don't read the Bible carefully and they have all types of ideas and they become so stubborn even though they are defeated by sin. They keep on saying I'm terribly disappointed 7:19 when I see so many believers and leaders defeated by sin in their life and they keep on arguing against the fullness of the Holy Spirit. I said dear me can't they see how defeated they are in their life and the reason is they're not 7:32 filled with the Holy Spirit and they argue against the doctrine. I used to be among the brethren. I used to be in the brethren assemblies and I heard this all the time. >> Yeah. >> Oh, we have received everything and you 7:43 were converted. I say but look at your life. I don't want to live that type of life. >> Yeah. Yeah. I even Acts chapter one when Jesus talks about the before the day of Pentecost wait and you you'll receive the power. I think he has opened the way 8:01 once after the resurrection and he's excited that his disciples also will be baptized with the Holy Spirit um and the church is born and even as you talking about being defeated by sin and still argue one of the test that I also ask 8:16 myself or anyone who argues like this can you control your tongue for a day can that proves that how much Holy Spirit we need to have a >> more than that brother more than that the thoughts in the heart. >> Yeah. >> People do yoga and control the tongue. 8:33 >> Yeah. >> But not it doesn't change the heart. >> Yes. >> It's a self-control. >> Yeah. Thought life. Yeah. >> Yeah. You know, a person can control the tongue, but the heart can be boiling with anger. >> Correct. >> The Holy Spirit comes within. 8:48 >> You know, there's one verse I want to show you since you quoted it. Acts 1 vers8. Maybe we can look at it. Sometimes we read the Bible carelessly. That's why I'm pointing this verse out to you. Acts 18, [clears throat] 9:01 you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses. [snorts] That is a baptism in the Holy Spirit. And then it does [clears throat] not say, see, do you know the difference between this is a English language test. 9:19 Do you know the difference between bearing witness and being a witness? Bearing witness means with our lips. Being a witness is with our life. >> And he does not say here when you're baptized in the Holy Spirit, you'll bear 9:36 witness. They bore witness about Jesus. Even when Jesus was on earth, the apostles went around and preached, but they could not be a witness with their life. Their life did not correspond with their words. And if your life does not correspond 9:54 with your words, you're bearing witness, but you're not being a witness. You need the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire so that you become a witness and not just bear witness. >> Yeah. >> Okay. What does any other questions? 10:14 >> Yeah. Yeah. So, I have one other question posted right now. Um, what questions would Jesus have asked the teachers in the temple when he was 12 years old? Yeah, let's turn to that passage and read it exactly 10:30 in Luke's gospel chapter 2. Uh, we read towards the end of that chapter that he was in the temple. They had forgotten about him and they went back to looking for him. 10:48 And it says here in Luke 2:46, they found him. Read carefully. Don't read more than what's written here. He was sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his 11:07 understanding and his answers. He was like a professor. sitting there with these grownup white bearded men sitting there and this 12-year-old boy was listening. First of all, he had the patience to listen. 11:25 They they said so so many things and he listened to them. You see a humility there. Even though he knew more than them, he listened to them. I learn I learn about Jesus in little little sentences like this. Even though he knew 11:39 10 times more than them, he listened to them teaching me. Then even if I know 10 times more than somebody, I must be patient enough to listen to them. If you are impatient to listen to somebody, you're not following Jesus. First learn 11:52 to listen. And then he would ask them searching questions like you said this just now. What do you think that means? And they were stuck. And then he said, "I'll explain to you what it means." And they were amazed at the answers he 12:11 gave. He asked them questions they could not answer. Let me read in between the lines. He asked them questions and they could not answer between 46 and 47. And then he gave them an answer and they were surprised at the answers he gave because they were so 12:24 living and they were amazed at his understanding. So the question I ask people is this. How did he know that at the age of 12? He did not come from heaven with his head crammed with Bible knowledge. He was born just like any 12:38 other baby with zero knowledge about anything. He grew up and as I've often said maybe from the age of six onwards he'd go to the synagogue and ask the rabbi please read something in the Bible to me and he would read maybe listen for about 10 15 12:54 minutes and say stop rabbi I can't remember more than that go home meditate on it come back the next day every day imagine going every day to the temple for just even if it's half an hour every day and from the age of six to the age 13:09 of 12 till he became thoroughly well versed in the Old Testament and he could answer and ask questions to these scribes. That's how he learned it. It was hard work but he did it from a childhood. And I'll tell you how that 13:25 encouraged me. I said, "Lord, if you could go to the synagogue for seven years every day, I I remember deciding this when I was in the Navy naval base. I said, 'I want to take up the challenge that in seven years I'll get to know the Bible. I don't need 13:44 a rabbi because I've got the old New Testament in front of me. I got the Bible with me and I've got the Holy Spirit. So, I decided to study the Bible and memorize scripture and know where the verses are and really get to know 13:57 the Bible. And in seven years in the Navy, before I left the Navy, I really got to know the Bible because I studied in my spare time. And that's been the foundation for my entire ministry. And I feel sorry for any Christian who 14:12 says he's a serious Christian and he's not read through and studied the Bible in seven years. I see something wrong with your Christianity. Particularly if you're a man and God wants you to be one who shares the word with others, 14:28 you must really know the scriptures. Okay. >> Yeah. One thing I was as you were explaining, I read read the verse. He sat in the midst of the teachers. I think I Jesus had such a revelation and teachers had lot of knowledge. They were 14:42 amazed at his answers and the expression says both listening to them and asking. Even though Jesus knew everything, he was so humble. He listened first before. >> Very good example. Very good example. He listened. >> Listen first. 14:57 >> Thank you, brother. And there's another question posted. A recent daily devotional I've heard talks about how a church can be built by offering that which is costly. Can you please share some practical guidance on how that 15:12 looks like for a member of the church? Yeah, first of all, let me that verse is in 2 Samuel chapter 24 and verse 24. It's easy to remember. 15:27 2 Samuel is the last chapter 24:24 where David said, "I will not offer to the Lord that which costs me nothing." [clears throat] This is what revolutionized my life in 1962 when God spoke that word to me. 62 63 15:51 and the Lord said to me from this verse 62 63 is I was what I was just about 23 years old and the Lord said to me then you must never in your life 16:08 give me that which cost you nothing. It was a strong word to my heart. Never give me that which cost you nothing. From 2 Samuel 24:24. And I said, Lord, to the best of my ability, 16:27 by the power of the Holy Spirit, I'll obey that word that I will not offer to you that which cost me nothing. If I present a sermon to people, it's an offering to God. It must have cost me something to 16:45 produce that sermon. I don't mean just a lot of study. And I don't mean just the day before the meeting I prepare for it. I'm not talking about that. But that 20 years before I speak, I've sought to walk with the Lord and 17:05 understand his word, obey it, and paid the price and then speak out of my life. So I decided from then onwards that I will only speak from my life, not theories. Many people preach theories. The 17:25 theories may be true, but they've not experienced it. So I decided that I will speak out of that which has cost me something to produce a message. It's just like [clears throat] if your if your wife is cooking a grand meal for 17:44 an honored guest who's coming to the house. What a lot of trouble they'll take sweating away in the kitchen preparing and probably days before one or two days before prepared because I'm preparing a meal for an honored guest. 18:03 I don't know how many preachers believe that they are preparing meals for honored guests when they preach their sermons. Many preachers don't value the people sitting in front of them. Well, then you won't have if you treat 18:22 the people sitting in your church as the homeless beggar sitting on the road, you'll just go and drop a coin in their tin can. And that is how many people preach. Yeah. All these stupid fellows sitting here, they don't know the Bible 18:38 like me. I can go there and just waste their time. Ramble. A lot of preachers are like this. Ramble from this subject to that subject to the other subject. That sermon cost them nothing. And they have the audacity to offer that 18:54 to God. I said, "Lord, I'll never do it. I will not offer to the Lord a sermon that cost me nothing. Every sermon that I preach to others is a sermon that I'm offering to God. And if it has not cost me, I don't mean just for that particular sermon, but if 19:12 it has not cost me in my life really seeking to labor to understand the scriptures and obey it, I'm offering to the Lord that which cost me nothing. I tell you, if every preacher would take this seriously, there'd be a great 19:27 anointing in their preaching. But very few take it seriously. And even some who hear me, they may forget it by tomorrow. But I would encourage you all even sisters don't offer to God that which cost you nothing. You can be a blessing to your 19:46 children then. Amen. >> Yeah. Thank you brother for that clarification. Um it's also we I think in one of your books you mentioned I guess uh but the primary way we build our church is by our faithfulness in our 20:04 private life through our obedience >> and where we pay this price the hidden sacrifices where nobody can see and out of that we build the church not on the Sunday but primarily through the week. >> Yeah. 20:20 Yeah. So for that I'll begin with Acts 1 vers1 Luke is the one who wrote [clears throat] Acts of the Apostles because he writes to writes it to 20:37 Theophilus verse one just like in Luke's gospel also he addresses in the first chapter he addresses Theophilus. So both these books Luke and Acts were written by Luke for somebody called Theophilus and the Gospel of Luke he describes in 20:53 Acts 1:1 in this this is Paul Luke's title for his gospel. Luke's title for Luke's gospel is Acts 1 vers1 all that Jesus began to do and teach. He calls that the first account I composed. So learn something from that. 21:12 Very simple. When you meditate, you learn something from that. What do you learn? Jesus did not teach what he did not do. He first did and then taught. I'm just teaching you how to meditate on God's word. He did and taught. Then he did 21:31 something more and taught. Did and taught. And for 30 years he did without teaching. >> Then he taught for three and a half years. and he never taught what he hadn't done. So I say if [clears throat] you want to follow Jesus, 21:48 don't teach what you haven't done. Don't teach what you haven't even even attempted to do. Then you're teaching theory. Well, teaching theory, the devil can teach much better than you and me because he knows the Bible better than 22:04 you and me. But what is the advantage we have over Satan? Not knowledge of the Bible. His knowledge of the Bible is so powerful that he could even quote a verse to Jesus in the temptation. But there's one area where I am superior 22:20 to the devil and that is I do first and then teach. The devil doesn't do. So if you teach without doing, you're following Satan. He can preach wonderful sermons, but he doesn't practice it. And there are multitudes of believers today, preachers 22:37 who are following Satan and not Jesus. Why do I say that? They are preaching what they have not practiced. Satan does that but not Jesus. Here verse one, Jesus preached what he had 22:54 practiced. He did and taught. The devil just teaches. So every preacher falls into these two categories. Either like the devil they only teach or like Jesus they first do and then teach. So that is how we are to do our 23:13 preaching and teaching and sharing God's word with others. Even if a mother is sitting at home and sharing with her children, she must teach what she has done or attempted to do. >> Yes. But if you have not even attempted 23:26 to do something in Bible, I'd say brother don't teach it. Just say, [clears throat] "I've not climbed Mount Everest yet. I've not even attempted to climb it, but I believe there's a wonderful mountain there, 29,000 ft high. I haven't even climbed one foot of 23:43 it. But if I have climbed even a 100 ft of Mount Everest, I can tell people follow me. I've not reached the top but I'm 100 ft ahead of you. You can follow me at least in these 100 ft that I have tread >> trodden. 24:02 So we don't have to reach the top of the mountain before we start teaching all of us as far as we've gone. We can but you can't teach people who are ahead of you. No you can teach people who have not yet reached as far as you've and 24:16 that mountain is the mountain of Christlikeness. One day we'll be totally like Christ. We'll reach the top of the mountain. But until then, as far as you've gone, you can tell others, follow me as I am following Paul and following Christ. 24:31 That is how we teach. Yeah. Thank you, brother. Uh while I wait for other questions to be posted, I want to go back to the message you shared. The new command life, >> it's like the new wine. Uh but new wine requires a new wine skin. uh to hold. 24:51 >> Uh so can you please talk about the new covenant church where this life can be experienced the way God intends us to experience not just individual holy life but in the context of a new covenant church uh which is not just a building but people 25:08 who have the desire who are gathered by the holy spirit and becoming one into a body of Christ. Can you please uh explain on that, brother? >> You're talking about being incorporated into the church. Is that what you mean? 25:22 >> I mean the the new covenant church. We talked about new covenant individual life, but the >> how to become a part of the body of the church. Yeah. How? Yeah. What God's purpose for the new covenant church and how it functions. 25:38 >> See, God's purpose is in the old covenant everybody I'll put it in a simple way. In the old covenant, everybody lived an individual life. Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Elisha. But in the new covenant, there is no such thing 25:51 as an individual life. As soon as you turn to the gospels, he sent people two by two. Never in the Old Testament do you find two prophets working together. In Jeremiah's time, there were prophets. 26:09 Hula was one of the propheticistes but he never worked with her. She worked [snorts] somewhere else and he worked somewhere else. Two people could not become one in the old testament. That is the significant difference in 26:22 the new covenant. That is the baptism in the holy spirit. Like it's like in the day of pentecost 120 pieces of iron all individual pieces of iron were thrown into the furnace and they came out as one piece melted together. That's what the baptism of the 26:39 Holy Spirit did. And so that's what a church should be. If there are 10 people in a church and they thrown into the fire, 10 pieces of iron, they come out as one solid piece. That is the goal. And that is what the baptism and fire does. 26:55 But I must be willing to let that fire burn me up inside whatever is contrary to Christ. And you must be willing to let whatever is contrary to Christ be burnt up in you. then we can be we can melt together and become one. 27:11 [clears throat] And so Jesus said, "All men will know you are my disciples when you love one another, not just when you preach." So [clears throat] the way I can do my part in being a part of the body of Christ is 27:28 in my daily life. Any temptation I come face in the daily life and we all will face many temptations at home in the office I have to say no to myself and I deny myself and I seek for the power of the Holy Spirit to be an overcomer there 27:47 [clears throat] and somebody living in another part of the town is also doing that then when we come together on Sunday in church we are one with each other because we have spent the week denying ourselves and partaking 28:04 of the life of Jesus. [clears throat] So turn with me to uh one of the clearest passages that explains this is 2 Corinthians in chapter 4. 2 Corinthians 4 says how we should live 28:21 each of us. 2 Corinthians 4:10 to 12 is a very important passage. It is one of my favorite passages in the New Testament of how I must live my daily life because it begins with the word always. 28:39 Always means 24/7. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, I have to carry in my body the dying of Jesus. The dying of Jesus means saying no to my own will. That's what it means. Jesus died to his own will all the time and I will 28:59 get a 100 opportunities to die to my own will in one day. Some situation arises and is my will or the other person's will, my will or God's will. And I say Lord, not my will but yours. I die to my own will 29:16 and what will be the result? The life of Jesus will be manifested in my body. If I'm carrying the why is it called the dying of Jesus because he was the first person who walked this way. So it's called the dying of Jesus 29:36 and the life of Jesus will be manifest in my body. And that is why God allows it says in verse 11 constantly every day many times a day he delivers us over to death. how you may not die. You can resist. 29:55 You know when Jesus was being baptized by John the Baptist, he could have resisted it. You can say, "No, I don't want to go under the water." But he submitted, giving us an example. And when you got baptized, you did not 30:09 resist the guy who was baptizing you. Otherwise, you would never have gone underwater. And as you submitted to the man who put you under water, as it were killing you, now submit to somebody who was killing you in some other way, die. 30:26 And as certainly as in your baptism, you came out of the water, you can be absolutely certain that God will raise you up from the dead and give you the resurrection life of Jesus because you chose to die. That's what it says here. 30:41 We who verse 11 are constantly delivered over to death for Jesus' sake. Why? So that the resurrection life of Jesus will be manifested in our flesh. Wherever there's a death, there'll be a resurrection. That you can be sure. And 30:57 so not only in us, the wonderful thing is from there you graduate. That is school lesson. Then you go to a college lesson which is verse 12. As death works in us, life works in other people. Verse 10 and 11 is the life working in me 31:13 because I chose the way of death. But then you graduate from there to the place where as death works in you, other people get the life of Jesus. This is how we build the church. >> And this is how every brother and sister 31:27 must offer themselves every day to the many opportunities they get to the dying of Jesus to follow Jesus in death to self. The result will be first of all the life of Jesus will be manifested in your body to your husband to your wife 31:42 to your children to your colleagues in the office and then second it'll be manifested in life being produced in other people verse 12 to whom you minister God's word. There's a difference between a man who's preaching without walking the way of the cross and 32:00 a man who's preaching with the way of the cross. A man who's preaching without walking the way of the cross will communicate knowledge, accurate knowledge. But the man who's com preaching walking the way of the cross will communicate life. 32:17 >> Death works in us and life in you. Very few people do that. A lot of preaching is communicating knowledge. New Testament preaching is communicating life. And that comes because I bear the dying of Jesus within me. 32:37 These truths are hidden from the clever and the intelligent. But they are revealed to babes. If you go down and humble yourself, God will make you a blessing to others. I'll tell you when I started my ministry the thing that disturbed me is I say 32:56 Lord I see so few churches being planted like the apostle Paul planted wherever I see great evangelists who go around preaching how wonderfully so many thousands of people were converted but where are the churches you ask the evangelist where are your 33:12 converts I don't know I hope they join some church not some church I want a new testament church to be built through the people who are converted but if you had gone to the apostle Paul and told him, "Hey, Paul, I heard that you went to 33:23 Philippi and brought some people to Christ. Where are they?" He says, "Come, I'll show you." He'll bring you to the church in Philippi. And he said, "Do you see these hundred people sitting here? These are the people I brought to 33:33 Christ." Which evangelist today can say that you tell me that you went to this country and brought thousand people to Christ. Where are they? Every evangelist will say, "I don't know. I hope they join some church." But not Paul. 33:49 Paul will say, "Come to Thessalonica. I'll show you all the people I brought to Christ. Come to Colasse. I'll show you the people I brought to Christ." Which evangelist can say that today? That's the tragedy of today's evangelism. 34:02 I say, "I don't want to do that type of evangelism." I say, "You come with me to the different places I've gone to and I'll show you the people I've I've brought to Christ and to the church." That is what Paul did and that's the 34:15 example I want to follow. I don't want the honor of saying I preached to 50,000 people and 10,000 people accepted Christ. I don't want that honor. Thank you. You can keep it. I want to say I went and 10 people were converted and they are meeting in a 34:32 church there. Now I asked one of the brothers to be the elder there. Come I'll show you those 10 people. You come back after 5 years it has become 50 people or 100 people. That is how the New Testament church is built in those days. 34:49 >> Yeah. Thank you for uh highlighting these verses. I was thinking if everyone in the church lives this kind of life basically when we are constantly being delivered over to death and we seek the life we seek the way of the cross and 35:04 the life of Jesus is manifested and every member in the church walks this path. I think what a wonderful church it would be. Uh >> everybody should walk in verse 10 and 11. And if you continue to walk, >> God will use them even to verse 12. 35:19 >> Yes. >> They're they're dying to themselves will bring life in others. >> Others. >> Yeah. That that also brings me to this topic of the comparison between uh universal church. I mean everyone whatever truth we just heard about uh 35:34 coming under the grace of God and living a holy life but that and then just being say I'm connected to a universal church but not being part of a local church. This local church is where we where we experience the fullness of god and uh 35:48 along with the saints we understand the breadth, depth, height and width of god's love and all of that. Uh so can you please talk about that? uh brother the local >> it's a deception to say I'm part of the universal church but not part of a local 36:01 church >> because [clears throat] all men will know you are my disciples when you love one another it's easy for me to love the brothers and sisters in Argentina I love them with all my heart I love the brothers and sisters in China 36:15 fervently it's easy what about loving the brothers and sisters in your own local church ah that's another story but that is where your love is tested. >> That is where I manifest the life of Christ. And so many people are thinking 36:33 of loving people in other countries. First of all, love not even in your own city, but the ones in your own local church. Manifest the life of Christ there. Even if there are only 10 people in your church. Be a church where the life of Christ is 36:49 manifested. Where you love one another. You live holy lives. You don't seek your own. You seek the glory of God and then God can do a miracle there and little by little that church can increase in size. This is the New Testament pattern. 37:03 It can it'll progress only as everyone in that church chooses the way of death to self. >> Yeah. But I thank you brother. I also have one question about from Zechariah chapter 2 37:22 where God Zechariah Zechariah. >> Zechariah chapter 2. >> Oh, Zechariah chapter 2. Yes. >> Uh, for I declares the Lord will be a wall of fire around her. I will be the glory in her midst. Uh, can you please expand on this verse in the context of 37:40 church that God himself being the wall of fire and his glory in our midst? Yeah. I think it's referring to, [clears throat] you know, the Old Testament, it's talking about Jerusalem in verse 4. >> Yeah. >> Zechariah 2:4. 37:57 Jerusalem in the Old Testament, they always built walls around it because they didn't want the enemy to come in. >> Mhm. >> And even now there's a wall around Jerusalem, the old city, >> right? >> They always built Jericho had a wall 38:11 around it. That's how the cities in the old days protected themselves. They built a wall right around and everybody lived inside it. And the Lord says, "Now I'm going to build a new Jerusalem without any walls because I will be a wall of fire round 38:29 about it." That means I will protect this church from being invaded not by human enemies but by the devil. That's the only enemy we fear. And if you the de if the lord is a wall of fire round about you let's 38:45 begin with me each of us the lord wall the devil the lord is a wall of fire round about me the devil can't penetrate that if the lord is a wall of fire on my home that's the next area where has to be a wall of fire first me then my home 39:02 the devil won't be able to enter my home and then the church so let's think of me and my home what does it mean to have a wall of fire around me. Anything that comes through must come through the fire otherwise it can't reach me. So if I 39:19 allow things to come into my life which have not come through the purity of the fire stands for the purity of God and we don't allow we allow things to come into our life which don't stand the test of God's standard of purity. 39:36 we are opening the door for the devil in some way. So in the same way in a home or a church if we allow the devil to 39:53 sort of get an advantage somewhere then we made a gap in that wall of fire. The Lord wants to be a wall of fire around us all the time. Then he can be the glory in our midst. Mhm. >> But if we don't allow the Lord to be a 40:07 wall of fire, in other words, everything I allow in my life must come through the wall of fire. >> Mhm. >> Let's make it practical. Every book I read, every magazine I look at, does it pass the test of the wall of fire? 40:21 >> Everything I do when I fellowship with people, everything I talk about and everything, there must be a wall of fire around about me. The test of the wall of fire, then the Lord will be the glory in the midst of my life. 40:34 If I allow everything to go through the fire. [clears throat] >> Yeah. Thank you, brother. And the most important uh important part of a church is God's indwelling presence in our midst. If that is not everything else is 40:51 vain and >> so he will take care of that. If I allow if I make sure that everything goes through the wall of fire, he says he will be the glory in the midst of my life. >> But so often we are careless about a lot of things. we allow in our life and in 41:05 our home and what we allow our children also to read and look at. There must be a wall of fire round about us. If you want the Lord to be the glory in your home, >> you must let everything go through that wall of fire. Don't allow anything in 41:22 your life or in that home which has not gone through the wall of fire. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Thank you brother. Um I have few more questions but I will pause here but if anyone has questions please uh post 41:40 it in the chat and I will read that out uh so that brothers I can answer. Uh please I encourage all of you to make use of this opportunity. Any any any question based on what you just heard uh based on uh the message brother Zach 41:54 shared or any of these interactions please uh if you have any follow-up question please uh post it in the chat. >> [clears throat] >> again I think in the same book uh 42:11 chapter 3 uh there's a beautiful story about Joshua the high priest and also I was thinking the context of the church uh interceding and accus acc accusing um it is I I think it is so important uh where I 42:31 was reading I think a book from uh brother Santo about club congregation church where either you're building or tearing it down building through interceding or tearing uh by accusation. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's a very important passage. 42:49 Zechariah chapter 3 and where Joshua verse three is clothed with filthy garments >> but he is God's servant teaching us that we are none of us are perfectly pure the best of us has got some uncristlikeness in us but we are still accepted by the 43:09 Lord and the Lord is constantly saying remove the filthy verse 4 Zechariah 3:4 remove the filthy garments and take away iniquity ity. I'm putting on the righteousness of Christ on you to paraphrase to explain verse four. And 43:26 then Zachchariah who's watching the whole thing, he joins with Jesus as a coworker and say not only a robe, Lord, put a turban on him. >> This was what I call making my brother glorious. It's a tremendous ministry. There are so 43:43 many people who are tearing down their brothers and sisters by accusing them. Here's a great example that when you see a brother growing spiritually, you want to make him even more spiritual by saying praying for him and saying, 43:57 "Lord, let him have more of your glory." It's a tremendous ministry to pray like that for our fellow believers. And then the Lord says because you have when you when you have that type of attitude towards your fellow believers 44:12 that Lord, that's not enough. I want to see him. I want to see my brother as more glorious than he is right now. We pray that for ourselves. But to pray Zechariah is praying for Joshua here. Lord, make him more glorious than he is 44:25 right now. >> Mhm. >> Then we are co-workers with the Lord. >> Yeah. Yeah. That also ties in with uh the I was thinking about prodigal son story. The elder brother was not happy. But if elder brother has come and say father do 44:45 more to my younger brother who has come back >> he would have >> he should have said that okay let's let's add some more I I'll go to the market and bring some more to celebrate with >> yeah yeah unfortunately don't attitude 45:01 absolutely right >> and also such makes a point about uh the builder sorry yeah givers and takers in the church where it's some people give and some people take but you be the 45:19 giver I think we talked about uh giving sacrificially uh but there are a lot of things that to meditate on in that uh in the context of the church >> yeah sure in fact I would encourage everyone to read Acts chapter 20 where there's a word that Jesus spoke 45:41 book which is not mentioned in the gospels. Do you know there's something that Jesus said which is not mentioned in the gospels but which Paul heard. Acts 20:35. I don't find it anywhere in the gospels. Paul says in Acts 20:35 to the Ephesian 46:03 elders, I showed you by working hard how you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that Jesus himself said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. >> I don't find it in the gospels but 46:21 somehow the Holy Spirit revealed it to Paul somewhere that Jesus said that it is more blessed. There is a blessing in receiving. All of us know when we receive something from the Lord, there's a blessing. >> But there's a greater blessing in giving 46:37 than in receiving. So he's referring to his own example. He says, you know, with my own hands, verse 34, I worked, supported myself. And why did I work and support myself? Even though as a preacher, I could have asked you to 46:57 support me. The laborer is worthy of his hire. I could have quoted the verse, the laborer is worthy of his hire and asked you to support me. But I didn't do it. I showed you by working hard how you must help others because the 47:11 Lord said it is more blessed to give than to receive. That mean Paul is saying that even when he's got nothing >> and he's working hard [clears throat] to support himself, he still says it's more blessed to give than to receive. 47:23 Sometimes when we have little, many believers have little, they think, "Oh, I have so little. I must only keep on receiving." No. Paul had less than you. But he says he wants to give cuz that's the way to receive from the Lord. When 47:38 you give, you will receive. >> Yeah. Yeah. The verse that comes to my mind is he who waters others, he himself will be watered. >> Absolutely right. Proverbs 11. >> Yeah. >> He who waters others will be watered also himself. It was a great verse to 47:53 remember that you pour water on other people and God will pour water on you. >> Yeah. I think >> the the Lord's bucket has got more water than my bucket has. >> Yes. Yes. Yeah. Even in the context of uh seeking the gift of prophecy or 48:12 blessing. I want to bless my church. I want to edify the church as you seek to give and bless. I think the blessing is you go to God. We go to God and ask him more. I think we have that fellowship and communion and leaning on God. That's 48:25 a blessing I think I see is because you pour out to others. >> There's something more I add on to what you just said and that is when we are giving a sermon think of this verse. I should not be thinking how much are they going to appreciate me for the 48:43 sermon I preached. >> Then I'm not giving I'm receiving. I'm receiving some honor and I'm preaching in order to receive some honor. But if I'm really preaching, it'll be giving. I want to give this person something. I'm not trying to receive 49:00 anything from him for my sermon >> or my service. I want to give >> then it is more blessed. >> Yeah. And the best thing to do, the way to do is if possible is to do it in a hidden way where you give but you are. 49:17 >> Absolutely. Absolutely right. >> Brother, I also want to ask one thing about um what does commitment to a local church look like? Uh because in this season we are going through uh uh like like reflecting on that commitment to a 49:34 local church. What does it mean practically? Uh can I come and go? I know you you explained that in the illustration like a restaurant and a family uh but can you please expand on that what does commitment >> but you you what you just mentioned 49:48 about restaurant and family is exactly right in a restaurant I just come I pay my fees like in churches you go and put your money in the offering box that's the fees for the sermon you heard and uh you have no sense of respon you don't 50:03 have to clean up in the restaurant or do anything there >> you have no responsibility there you came to collect something and you paid for it. >> So people come to a church, they got a sermon and they paid for it in the 50:13 offering bag and they go home. What have they given? Nothing. Whereas we believe that when we come to a church, we must come with the spirit of giving. It's like a father and mother don't live in a home to receive. 50:31 They give and little children receive. That I can understand. But as that little child low grows up from suppos supposeding that child is now 20 years old then he's not keeping on receiving. He's giving even to his younger brothers and sisters. So 50:48 in the church we must grow up to the place where we are not. Initially we came to receive but as we grown up we learn to give. I mean, I've seen homes where when I'm in Santosh's home, my son Santosh's home, I see the even the 51:07 little children are made to work to help in washing up the plates and putting it in the dishwasher. And I so encouraged to see every single one of those children of work. And they're not just receiving food. They go and clean up and do some service 51:26 and sweep the floor and great. I say that's the way we our children must grow up to. They must do something for the house. The same principle in the church. Even if you're a new believer, think of what you can do for the church, not just 51:39 what you can receive and receive and receive. >> Yeah. Yeah. Thank you, brother, for that. Yeah. That's that I think those illustrations that you have I think mentioned in your books about the church is like like the family and restaurant 51:56 and even the loose bricks or bricks built into the building >> and even apostle Paul explained the church being the head and the living body one body of in Christ uh I think helps us to understand what the church should look like. 52:13 >> You know the way of Jesus preaching was always with illustrations. Mhm. >> And those illustrations, see, you can explain to a person, God welcomes repentant sinners. >> Yeah. >> One sentence. But you just tell the story of the prodigal son, that explains 52:30 it much more than one sentence that God welcomes repentant sinners. Or to say that if you gone if you gone astray, the Lord will come after you. Then you a story like the lost sheep being picked up and carried on the shoulder explains that much better. So 52:45 Jesus was a master >> at explaining things with stories and I believe that every preacher should seek God's help to explain everything he says with some illustration. I've tried to do that myself and I I had to meditate on myself for my own benefit 53:04 first. So how does this apply? Like you know I've spoken about this very difficult verse Luke 14:26. If you want to be my disciple, you got to hate father, mother, brother, sister, wife, children, and his own life to be 53:19 my disciple. So I said, what does that hatred mean? I said to me, it is like it's not that you don't love them. You love them, love them, love them. But when compared to Jesus, your love for them disappears. And I use the example 53:31 of the stars. >> If you think of your love for all your relatives and parents and wife and everything as a life light of the stars, very bright. The stars are supposed to be very bright. if you get close to them. But when the sun comes up, the 53:47 stars disappear. >> So when I come to loving Jesus, all my love for other people almost disappears. They're there. It's not that they have died. I still love them, but the sun has sort of taken over completely and then I'm able to love 54:04 them better than without the light of the sun. >> Yeah. So I've always found illustrations have helped me tremendously in my own life and that's why I always use them in my messages also. >> Yeah. That that helps us to understand 54:19 complex truths in a much simpler way. >> Yeah. Yeah. And even the prodigal son story in August when we met you and the eldest meeting you were explaining about the prodical son story you highlighted one point where the they used to wear 54:34 the long robes in the rural area and normally old people don't run uh dignified people they don't run but when he saw his son repentant son coming towards him he lifts up his robe and runs towards him even though it's not 54:48 mentioned but we can uh read between the lines and I meditated on that a And I was so blessed by the way my father runs towards me when I whenever I repent. >> You know, it's a it's a bit of a shameful thing for those people to lift 55:02 up and even show the lower part of their legs. >> Right? >> But he didn't bother about that. My son has come. I'm going to I don't care what it is. It shows the amazing love of God. >> The other thing you see in that story is 55:15 how did the father know that the son was coming that day? Did the son send a telegram or something? >> No. That means the father was looking out for him every day. >> Yeah. >> Looking out of the window. Looking out of the window. And one day he saw him. 55:30 >> I don't know how many years he looked out of that window. It shows that when you meditate on it, you show the tremendous longing that God has for a thoroughly backsliden child of >> Yeah. >> It's absolutely amazing. >> Yeah. I don't know any father in this 55:49 world would treats a son like that who wasted 50% of his wealth. >> Yeah. >> Throw a feast for him and he comes. >> Yeah. >> And for people to think that God does not love them when such expressions of love. It's amazing. 56:06 >> The devil always tempts us saying God doesn't love you. He doesn't love you. Why did this happen? Because he doesn't love you. I say he threw a feast for me when I came back as a dirty sinner. And that is what I'll always keep in mind. 56:20 >> Mhm. >> He does love me. >> And the son doesn't even have a chance to complete his repentance speech. He just started. [laughter] >> He does not complete his sermon. Yes. His repentance speech. He does not complete it. Right. 56:35 >> Praise God for this. I think I'm tremendously blessed by this prodical son story as I meditate on that. Um even the sheep that you mentioned the lost sheep I think if the for shepherd to carry the sheep sheep is very heavy and 56:49 uh also he is so much joy over one sinner who repents and he brings back but he brings back to this I think you also mentioned this point in that conference 99 righteous persons who need no repentance the sheep lo should be 57:02 brought back to people who are not judging others but who who are judging themselves who are who don't need who don't need >> that is the definition of the church. Your church may not be 99 people. Maybe 40 people in your church. 57:17 >> Mhm. >> Must be described as 40 people who need no repentance. How in the world can a human being on this earth need no repentance? Only one way. >> They are repenting every day. >> Yeah. >> You know, it's like saying this, these 57:31 are people who don't need a bath, don't need a shower. Why don't they need a shower in a dirty world? Because they're showering every day. That's the reason. Why is it they don't need repentance? Because they're repenting every day. And a church which 57:46 does not have people repenting every day is not fit to be called a church of Jesus Christ. >> And they must be taught to repent every day. And the preaching must be such that the people are challenged to repent of something to cleanse themselves of some 58:03 dirt. >> That's how you keep the church pure. >> Yeah. Yes. Thank you very much. Uh I'll pause again here and if anyone wants to maybe even unmute. I think brother Augustine maybe can give a permission to unmute and ask a question or post a question in 58:22 the chat. Uh I've been asking a lot of questions. I've been talking a lot. Please uh make use of this opportunity. >> [clears throat] [snorts] 58:45 >> I know it is a little awkward to speak over Zoom but you know it's it is okay. Uh yeah if you want to speak please unmute or post a message. 59:08 Oh yeah, unmute option is on now. So you should be able to unmute now. Brother Zach, I heard about I heard the seminary you shared in NCCF about how 59:28 God preserved the church for generations and the importance of teaching the next generation. I was very challenged by that. I think that happens in the context of the local church uh raising >> I think every brother in your church 59:41 brothers and sisters should really listen to it. >> Yeah. Yeah. We apply >> it's on the YouTube. >> Yeah. It's u Yeah. passing raising the next generation is so important, so critical. Uh many churches die down because they 59:58 stop there. They're they're not passing, they're not raising, they're not investing in the next generation. >> Even in the world, they say success without a successor is a [clears throat] failure. >> Yes. Yes. >> And I saw that in many churches in 1:00:12 India. some outstanding man of God does a great work of preaching and when he's dead there's nobody to carry on that work. >> I saw that so much in churches. >> I said, "Lord, don't let me do a work like that." 1:00:32 >> Paul was concerned about Timothy and the next generation and the next generation. >> Yeah. Okay.
