5) A Concern For God's Name by Zac Poonen
The Foundation and the Building: 5) A Concern For God's Name by Zac Poonen
Summary
A balanced Christian life requires looking in three directions: upward to the Lord in worship, inward to recognize personal sin and need, and outward to concern oneself with serving others. The speaker emphasizes that true spiritual awakening comes from seeing the Lord's glory, which leads to self-examination, and this process must culminate in a desire to be a witness for Christ. Neglecting the outward focus, even after achieving inward conviction, leads to spiritual imbalance.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
The three directions of a balanced ChristianA spiritual person looks upward in worship, inward to see their own need, and outward to help others.
Isaiah's vision and awareness of sinWhen Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord, he immediately became aware of his own unclean lips and sin.
The outward look to other peopleAfter looking up and looking inward, the spiritual person looks outward to answer God's call and serve others in the world.
The true purpose of the Holy Spirit's powerJesus said believers receive power through the Holy Spirit to be witnesses to the ends of the earth.
Thirsting for the power of the Holy SpiritJesus used the concept of deep thirst in John 7 to describe the desperate longing required to experience rivers of living water flowing from within.
Asking, seeking, and knocking persistentlyJesus taught through parables and direct commands that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who persistently ask, seek, and knock.Luke 11:13
Starting prayer with hallowed be thy nameThe first prayer Jesus taught us is to pray that God's name would be hallowed, which brings us face to face with our own failure to glorify Him.Luke 11:2
God's name blasphemed because of ordinary livesThe name of God is often blasphemed among nations because Christians make extraordinary claims while living very ordinary lives.Romans 2:24
Giving glory to God's nameThe psalmist pleads for glory to be given not to us, but to God's name, contrasting the living God with powerless idols.
Being witnesses to the resurrectionThe primary witness of the early apostles was not speaking in tongues, but testifying that Jesus Christ conquered death and is alive.
Freedom from the fear of deathJesus came to deliver humanity from the slavery of the fear of death through His own victory over the grave.
The challenging standard of the Sermon on the MountGod left the high standards of the Sermon on the Mount without a printed manual on how to attain them so we would seek Him directly through the Spirit.
