Obeying God's Word Exactly - Zac Poonen
Pondicherry Conference : You Are The Light Of The World
Summary
The sermon emphasizes that when building the church, one must adhere strictly to the whole purpose of God, much like an artist coloring within a defined circle or assembling a puzzle. Paul exemplified this by proclaiming everything within God's purpose without omitting any part. The speaker urges the congregation to be meticulous and careful in honoring God and His Word above all else, as even small omissions can compromise the whole picture.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Proclaiming the whole purpose of GodPaul proclaimed the entire counsel of God without missing a single part, which is the exact standard for building a true church today.
Why every detail of God's word mattersJust as people demand perfection and exact measurements in earthly architecture, clothing, and photography, we must respect God's word without omitting small details.
Obeying commandments brings exact promisesTaking God's word seriously and obeying His commandments radically transforms a person's life, allowing His promises to be fulfilled precisely.
Following the original pattern from the beginningWhen addressing marriage and church order, Jesus always pointed back to how God designed it in the beginning rather than adapting to human traditions.
The first commandment given to humanityThe first commandment given in scripture regarding marriage requires a man to leave his parents and cleave to his wife, a principle Christ demonstrated and fulfilled.
Obeying God without demanding reasonsGod expects absolute obedience to His word without requiring human explanations, just as parents expect children to obey simply because they were told.
Knowing God's explicit will to give thanksEven when many decisions in life are unclear, God's will is explicitly revealed: we must give thanks in every situation and do all things without grumbling.
God uses the humble who tremble at His wordGod builds His church through those who are humble, recognize they are nothing, and tremble when they fail to obey His word.
The two trees: deciding good ourselves versus depending on GodThe tree of knowledge of good and evil represents relying on human intelligence to judge what is right, whereas the tree of life represents depending entirely on God.
A personal testimony of seeking God's will over worldly successTurning down a prestigious, well-paying American organization offer in early life proved that seeking God's will through dependence on Him prevents missing His true calling.
Testing our choices against God's standardsBelievers constantly face choices between worldly definitions of good and discerning God's will through prayer and obedience, avoiding subtle modern deceptions.
