0:12 Good morning dear brothers and sisters. It's a great privilege that God gives us opportunity to come together and to listen to God's word and to have a fellowship with one another and uh it's a great joy when we come together and uh 0:29 but I was remembering what Jesus told our joy should not be depend on what we do for the Lord but primarily on what he has done that our names are recorded in heaven and I believe uh all of us seek for that assurance and we have that assurance I 0:48 believe many of us that my name is recorded in heaven no matter what happens on this earth may go through some difficulties or struggles but ultimately I don't belong to this this world and this is not my home we have a 1:02 eternal home there is a place Jesus prepared for each one of us and that's where ultimately we will all want to go and uh I'd like to share a few things in my heart one of of the uh maybe some of the greatest battles in my own life is 1:19 about discouragement and condemnation. And uh as I try to overcome these things, I realize um many times and the impact of these temptation happens to us not because of the lack of 1:37 uh doctrine or not because of uh lack of uh understanding of God's word but often the lack of uh seeing God's heart, how God's heart is like and how to have that personal knowledge. This is my father. He loves me. He's not the one who calls 1:57 me for a while and leave me halfway like how Israelites thought. They thought they were taken out of Egypt and they're going to be buried in the midway. But they didn't trust God's plan. But we should not be like that. We must learn 2:13 to trust the Lord with all our heart. no matter what he feels or what he the devil uh speaks to in in our ears. So we'd like to turn to few verses from John 10. John 10 verse 10. The thief comes 2:32 only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that Jesus came to give us life, not just to have life, 2:52 abundant life. And verse 14, I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own knows me. Know me even as the father knows me and I know the father and I lay down my 3:09 life for the sheep. He's a good shepherd. He lays his He laid his down life for his sheep. And verse 27, John chapter 10 27, my sheep hear my 3:26 voice and I know them and they follow me and I give eternal life to them and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is 3:44 able to snatch them out of father's hand. I and the father are one. I sometimes I heard this expression that God gives and forgives but man man gets and forgets. So we see a picture where the thief he 4:04 comes to steal and destroy to take away the joy, the peace and all that which we receive from the Lord. But Jesus came to replace and he came to give that abundant life. The life which can overcome the life which has a potential 4:22 to grow and overcome all our human limitation. all the powers and all the darkness of hell can be overcome by the power of God's life. And uh I thought of like this and God points me some very 4:39 good picture and uh or some place where I can go but uh he won't give me the grace he won't give me the ability to go to that place so that I can look at this side and I can always think oh what a wonderful life wonderful place but I 4:56 it's uh it's pathetic if the devil we succeeded to put that kind of thought into our heart that others can you know some others can follow the Lord but not you. How much you failed, you dishonored the name of the Lord. No, it is 5:12 unthinkable. I always encouraged by the uh testimony of brother Zach being filled with the Holy Spirit uh the brother who led him to that told him like it is unthinkable that God can call you to serve you and serve the Lord and 5:29 do not give the power of the Holy Spirit. So it is unthinkable brothers and sisters that God can call each one of us to a new covenant life and hear the words of uh here about disciplehip and then he won't give us the power to 5:45 be a disciples. So we believe that god gives the desire to do his will but he also give us the ability to do our will. Nothing is difficult with the Lord and uh he can do all things to work together for good for his glory. And uh we were 6:04 singing singing singing even this morning the song to this I hold my shepherd will defend me through the deepest valley he will lead me. I hope we have that assurance not only when singing the song but when we actually walk through the valley and uh that is 6:23 the time the testing the real testing comes think of Jesus experience he was uh baptized with the Holy Spirit and uh he heard at the time of his water baptism he could see the heavens being opened and a voice came from heaven this 6:41 is my beloved son and and and the Holy Spirit came upon him and rested him. What a wonderful experience. But where did the Holy Spirit lead him after that to the wilderness for 40 days to be tested? There is no open heaven. There 6:57 is no voice coming out of heaven. All that he has to go through is testing and lie of the devil. You know the the word he heard from heaven is that this is my beloved son. And the devil tested him. Are you the son of God? if you're the 7:13 son of God. But did Jesus look back to his experience? He said, "No, I had an experience 2 days back." No, he had the courage. He trusted in God's word. It is also written his uh faith was not dependent on the past experience, but it 7:27 was on the Lord. Yes, we should find a strength. When I look back, the way the Lord led me, it should give us great courage. Uh but our faith should be present. It should rest upon God's word and his promises. So in John 17:3 it 7:44 says this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 17:3 this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God. Knowing is an 8:02 expression. Most of us know, you know from your Bible that knowing is a great uh expression which is used in the Bible to show an intimate relationship. When the angel came to Mary and gave the promise that you shall 8:19 be with a child, she asked how can it be because I never knew a man. That know knowing man is showing that intimate relationship and the eternal life is knowing God. It's not knowing about God. It's not about knowing truths about God. 8:39 It's having that personal knowledge and that personal experience and relationship with him and that is eternal life. And whom the God whom God wants to give the eternal life. We can turn to Jeremiah chapter 8:58 31. Turn to Jeremiah chapter 31. Jeremiah prophesied 600 years before Christ about the new covenant and the the Lord's coming. And uh the same was quoted in Hebrews chapter 8. But we can turn to Jeremiah chapter 9:16 31 verse 31 onwards. Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers. Coming to verse 9:34 uh 33, but this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put my law within them, and on their heart I will write it. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. They 9:51 will not teach again each man his neighbor, and each man his brother, saying, "Know the Lord, for they will all know me. From the least of them to the greatest of them, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin, I 10:09 will remember no more." It says the least of us, the least of us can know God because God wants to reveal himself to the least of us. He didn't mention from the great to the 10:26 least. He mentioned the least to the great. Brothers and sisters, I hope you will see that very clearly that when you come to the church, I don't know how you feel. Maybe you never open your mouth but come with doubt and insecurity 10:43 and fear but remember the Lord cares for you. I I remember I coming to the church in the initial years and um I went to brother Ian for some practical help and uh I wanted him to pray but what he did 11:01 he asked me the details of everything and he came with me and it was some business which involves some money so he made sure that uh I you know I was able to come through that peacefully without any trouble. So there is a principle it says 11:18 someone asks you to go one mile walk with him two miles that is the teaching of Jesus in the new covenant and uh it's not that to put a you know love for us but to be led by the spirit if someone helpless come to us we have a heart we 11:35 the lord leads us to help that god cares each one of us brothers and sisters I've seen that in brother Zach and brother Ian I I'm surely I is blessed by the ministry of the life ministry of the brothers here but more than that it is 11:51 the life which challenges me when I see them close it is the life it is the life the way they love the church and the care for each the least of these members so I want to have that same passionate because I see that is God's heart god's 12:06 care for the least of us and then you know the same promise in Ezekiel if you turn to Ezekiel chapter 36 6 Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will 12:25 remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will remove a heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and 12:42 you will be careful to observe my ordinance. And this is what happens when we know the Lord. When we are born again, his kindness leads us to repentance. He gives us new life, new hope, new desires, new 12:58 direction. And then but it's quite possible that we can walk through this way and slowly our heart can get hardened sometimes. It happens to with us but do you think the Lord will give us up in the state of that hardness? I believe God want to come to 13:18 us every day with expectation even when we meet together. It's not God's will that we come with a lot of fear and self- condemnation. But to come with that faith, Lord, you will speak to me. Think of Samuel. How many times God 13:35 called him in that single night? Four times he called. First time, second time, third time. Four times God called him. I don't know how many times previous nights God called him. But I know he will call us till we respond. 13:52 And uh I believe till our last breath we have hope. So he is not going to give up. There is one verse in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 18. Ephesians chapter 1:18. Paul is encouraging them writing them. I pray that the eyes of your heart 14:10 may be enlightened so that you will know what is the hope of his calling. What are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints? And what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who 14:28 believe? I don't feel that there is a great power over my life and God is protecting with his mighty hand. God is sitting in the throne, sitting on the throne and he's controlling everything. I don't feel that way, but I believe it. 14:46 It's true because God has given us in its word that he cares for the church. He is like the mountain surround Jerusalem. God surround his people. So this is those who are sincere, those who come through the gate, who came with the 15:03 repentance and faith. There is great protection, there is great care. It is the for the sheep who hears God's voice and those who seek to obey him and those who seek to follow him and for them there is security there is protection 15:19 and we're thinking about eternal life and and I don't want you to uh my desire is not to define eternal life but to see that this life is available for us to the least for us least of us and uh this can transform us I would like to turn to 15:36 the story of Luke 15 the prodical son story. Most of us know the story. I'd like to little elaborate on the story. Luke 15:17. When he came to his senses, he said, "How many of my 15:53 father's hired men have more than enough bread? But I am dying here with hunger. I will get up and go to my father and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight I am no 16:11 longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired men." So he got up and came to his father. So he was at his lowest point or rock bottom and but there his eyes were opened. He got his first 16:29 revelation and then he went up to the father. Now there is something which you need to pay attention here brothers and sisters. There is he came to his senses and he was convicted. He's a sinner and he's convicted his father is 16:47 a good father and he made a decision. I will get up and go to my father and I will say to him, father, I've sinned against heaven. He have taken a decision. He'll get up and confess. And verse 20, it says he he got up and came 17:03 to his father. So up to verse 19, I think the devil may agree with you sometimes. He will allow you to be convicted. He will allow you to be feel that you are a sinner. He will allow you to think that your father is good. But 17:21 the moment you decide to get up and walk towards the father's house there you will experience the whole hell is against you and uh you will see a lot of reasoning coming into your heart and uh you know I there is this little expression in u incident in the 17:40 pilgrim's progress uh book. The pilgrim met a evangelist and evangelist shows him the path and uh tells him that you need to repent and faith and he points uh the pilgrim to the wicked gate and he tells him you have to run and you have 17:59 to go there and as the pilgrim decide to run his wife and children coming out and crying to return return then he's closing his ears and running towards the gate crying life eternal 18:17 life life eternal life. So as we decide to get up and walk to the father, as we decide to get up and go to God and a lot of condemnation and guilt as we heard from brother 18:32 Sur, the the pull pulling back emotional attachments from the desire of our relatives can come but we must not take heed to these things. we must run for eternal life. And 18:50 uh what was he expecting when the son going back to his house? He was not expecting a place there. He was willing to do any job. He said, "Father, I I'm not worthy to call be called a son, but I'm willing 19:08 to do any job. Give me little food." something like he's telling his father cut my name from the ration god I'll I'll do any work I'll do the cleaning job but give me a little food it's wonderful when our need can grow above our 19:28 pride many times what hinders us from receiving the blessing from our Lord it's not that we don't have a need but our pride is greater but the Lord can bring us to a place where need can grow above a pride 19:45 then we will not be like uh the story of Martha we know his her brother was in the tomb and he was ashamed and when Jesus said remove the tomb she was trying to prevent no don't remove it Lord there'll be a stench but when our need is great we 20:04 don't worry about what people think about we somehow we want to get rid of the sin Lord I want to come with all my heart. I don't care what people think about me. I don't care what others think about me, Lord, but I want to receive 20:18 the help. And I believe God can bring us brothers and sisters. And that's our deliverance. And and he came up to his father. You know the story. And and he had a first revelation of the father and second he comes to his home and 20:35 then he saw his father running to embrace him. He's not even the father is not even allowing him to completely confess his sin and asking his uh slaves to put the best robe and bring the ring and sandal 20:52 for this son who has come back home. Psalm 51:7 it says the sacrifice of God are a broken and contrite spirit. The sacrifice of the Lord are a broken and contrite spirit. Brothers and sisters, this should not depart from our 21:08 heart. This picture, the prodigal son coming back and father is running to embrace him. I don't want to lose that picture even when I'm old. And uh as he gets home, this is the surprise he get. He get a second revelation of God's 21:25 heart that the father loves me. He's not going to give up on me like that. So it's wonderful. But what about his uh elder brother? What is the condition of his elder brother? Now I would like to read from verse 21:41 25. Now his older son was in the field and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring him what these things could be. And he said to him, "Your 21:58 brother has come and your father has killed the fattened calf because he received him back safe and sound." But he became angry and he was not willing to go. You know if I can little bit of elaborate on that the older son coming back from the 22:16 field with the hard work sweating and thinking in his heart oh father must have been very happy to have me. I'm always here to help him. It would have been very difficult for father without me. I do a great 22:36 job. And then he come home and he see the sound something happening in his house singing and a spirit of celebration. And he calls the servants. Come here. I want to ask you something. I was wondering this is his own house. 22:56 Why he has to call a servant there? He don't have a relationship with the father. He don't have a freedom in that house. And he calls the servant, hey, what's going on there? And the servant tells, hey, there is a that brother, 23:10 your brother who went, he came and your father is cutting a a calf for him. What about you? He's not cutting anything for you. So you know the that uh the story of 23:27 uh this man who went to Elisha for healing he was very much offended that Elisha didn't did a mighty thing and healed him in a dramatic way but uh one of the servant with him the servants helped him he said sir please do what 23:45 the prophet says please do it cool down so I'll adjust mi So husband, brothers and sisters, I think I believe uh sisters can do a great help to the brothers. When brothers come home offended about something with a boiling heart, you can 24:02 cool down. Don't put don't poke into the wound but put oil and heal like this good servant. But this man, this older son, he came home and he was offended. He used to think like Hammond. You know 24:20 the story of Hammon when when king asked I wanted to honor somebody. I want to honor a man who did many things for the kingdom. What did he thought? What did he think? Oh, it must be me. It's about me. Don't feel discouraged brothers if 24:39 you think like that. We can have all all of us can have a temptation to think that way but we must die to that thought. So he came and he recognized it was not about me, it was about somebody else and he got offended. Now if you ask him about the 24:54 father's house, the every detail of his house about the work, he will have a clear account. But how much eternal life he has? Zero. The son who was in the pig's farm who came home yesterday, how much eternal life he 25:11 has? He has he know his father's heart. He has full of eternal life. His capacity may be small but he has full of eternal life. Eternal life is to know God, know God's heart, not knowing about 25:29 doctrine. You know I often I remember brother Zach once said the reason why many churches started by godly men they backslid. The main reason is that the founders knew God and those who follow they knew 25:47 the doctrine. That's the reason many churches backslide. I don't want to be in that place. My desire I want to know the Lord. I don't want to be satisfied when I come to church. Here everybody can be very polite and I can be protected and I 26:07 can get a sense of being welcoming. But we never get a light sometimes what we really are. I remember a brother and sister maybe in their 60s couple of times they came they came here to meet us and they spoke to us very polite and 26:24 pious respectable way but later we got to know that they were fighting with the brothers in the parking. So all these external things can deceive us. We may not get light but we get light outside. When we face the trial and temptation outside the 26:43 pressures of life there we get light. Who really am I? And then but if you're honest the Lord will give us life. All these our failures should lead us to Christ not away from him. It should drive us to the Lord. It should drive us to his 27:02 feet not away from the Lord. and and we saw that self life how we can hinder how it can hinder us from partaking that divine nature or eternal life and and I would like to point to apostle Paul we know his conversion he had a great 27:21 revelation of the Lord he met the Lord and he was persecuting the Christians but he had an encounter with the Lord and he realized he was running against God and he repented and came and what is his attitude what is the one desire he 27:36 has many things what he was doing he was building the churches God did a mighty job through his life and ministry and we are reaping the benefit of his labor what was his one attitude it's there in Philippians chapter 3 Philippians chapter 27:55 3 7-4 I'd like to just read from verse 10 Philippians 3:10 maybe 9 and 10. Maybe I'll read from 8. I count all things to be loss in view of the 28:13 surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. You ask Apostle Paul, brother Paul, do you know God? Don't you know God? You he did mighty thing in your life and that's not enough. He said, I want to know. There is a surpassing 28:31 value of knowing Christ and for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them all mere rubbish so that I may gain Christ and may be found in him not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law but which is through the faith in 28:51 Christ the righteousness which comes from God through the basis of faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. being confirmed to his death. So he found the secret. He found the secret to the 29:06 partake to that life. The way is through death. The way is through suffering. What a privilege brothers and sisters when God calls us to walk this way. Get to know him. Not only know him but to knowing in that knowledge, 29:24 increasing knowledge. I get to know his thoughts and heart more deeper. And no wonder why Apostle Paul, God filled him with the Holy Spirit again. And that promise in Isaiah chapter 44:3. Maybe it's good to look at that 29:41 promise. Isaiah 44:3. Why God used Apostle Paul. I will pour out water on thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I'll pour out water on the thirsty land and stream on the dry ground. You know in 29:59 summer it's you go out around 12:00 and you pour out little water on this dry land it will get evaporate in few seconds. I see if I can see my heart like Lord I want to I want to know you Lord. My heart is dry. I want to receive 30:16 the knowledge not knowledge of scripture but about you. I want to know you. I want to know your heart. I want to know how you want to treat the people. I want you treat the sinners who repent. I want to treat others the way you led you know 30:35 others those who are Pharisees how you treated them. I want to have that same [Music] attitude and and that's I believe one of the reason we must know that that great assurance that we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Our circumstances may not 30:53 change but the way we look at our circumstances will change when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit. So God gives eternal life. It is through the Holy Spirit. But as we yield and we can increasing in the knowledge of that and 31:09 I want to turn to Acts chapter 5 where how the difference we can see the difference in their life the disciples life they we know that they had to face persecution and then acts 5:41. So they went on their way from the 31:28 presence of the council rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name. This is the way they went back. They were threatened by the officials or the Jews there. But it says they went 31:46 rejoicing because they were counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus' name. I believe brothers and sisters we need this strength and courage in the days to come that if God allows anyone of us to suffer or being 32:06 persecuted we don't have to worry we don't have to think we will not be led to that place until the Lord see that we are ready and I believe that's why the Lord is training us little little things little mosquito bites here and there 32:20 from our families of friends but I believe As we endure and take courage in these little things, God will prepare us for the future days. And that's what happened to that is what helped 32:38 Stephen. I don't know uh how old Stephen was. I believe he was a young Christian. It was a new church. There is a greater blessing of the brothers who are matured with us. There is a spiritual maturity and wisdom and 32:57 discernment. But if I want to challenge the young brothers, young sisters, look at the example of Stephen. He was a young man and the the church was new and he was a new brother there. Maybe he was converted recently but says it says 33:13 about him he was the full of the Holy Spirit. He was full of Holy Spirit and wisdom. And it's good to look at his end in Acts 7:54. Maybe we can look at 59. They went on stoning Stephen. And he called the Lord and said, "Lord, receive my 33:32 spirit." Then failing on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Having said this, he fell asleep. His eyes was not fixed on the stone. His eyes was not fixed on the angry mob. But his eyes was 33:49 fixed on the Lord. I believe we must learn to look at our Lord, his face. We were singing, singing this morning, Lord, you're beautiful. I don't know how many of us felt during this week at least once. Lord, your face is so 34:07 beautiful. Or you keep on looking inside thinking it will make us spiritual. No, in his light, we see light. We don't become spiritual by looking inside. Brothers and sisters, we change when we see him, when we see his face, when he 34:22 see his shining loving face, our life will change. And then that will give us the motivation, that will give us the courage, that will give us the strength to transform. I'd like to end if you turn to the book of Revelation, 34:36 Revelation chapter 19. We heard last week about from brother John was mentioning not just to remain as a believer but disciple. There's a difference between a a nominal believer and a 34:53 disciple. So chapter 9 verse 7 we read in the beginning of the chapter about the judgment of Babylon and there we read about this beautiful picture of the marriage of the lamb. Chapter 9:7. Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to 35:08 him. For the marriage of the lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready. There's a picture of bride of Christ. And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean. For the fine linen is righteous 35:25 acts of the saints. Then he said to me, "Blessed are those who are invited for the marriage of the supper of the lamb. There were there was Babylon, the false religion which was judged and there was this bride, beautiful bride adoned with beauty and 35:44 glory and then there was those who were invited. There is there are different categories brothers and sisters. I don't know how many of us really believe it'll be like that in heaven. You can be part of bride even if you 35:58 never stand on a pullpit. Even if you never stand and sing or do anything for the Lord. But if you are faithful in your heart, what the Lord is giving you light in your heart, if you obey that, I believe you can be part of that 36:13 bride. And it's not that we look down or it's blessed are those who invited. Being freed from hell itself is a great great bonus. What a joy that we can be part in that crowd. I you know read this 36:31 about William Booth the the man who found Salvation Army. He had a dream one. He was once he had a dream. He was a a nominal Christian. I mean he was a believer. He was saved and he accepted the Lord and as a savior. But he once 36:47 had a dream. In the dream he's he died. he's dead and his spirit goes to heaven and there uh he's happy that he's there he could meet the lord and but over a period of time he could see some others walking in 37:05 heaven and uh as he looked at them he was started getting a little disappointed he looked at them there is a more joy more tenderness and love in their relationship with the lord and there seems to enjoy a more satisfying 37:24 fulfilling place in heaven and he was disappointed and he saw the Lord is coming to him and saying see you can't now you cannot have this life because on earth you are not like them they are those they are those who counted their life as 37:42 nothing and they they surrendered their life to me without any reservation they were fully committed themselves to follow me. And he was disappointed and praise Lord it was a dream. He woke up from the dream and you know the rest the way he 38:01 changed. Brothers and sisters we should I believe we should really really have a vision of heaven. It should wake us up from all the all the you know silly thinking the way of this world. And I believe the Lord can do us do do that in 38:17 our life. Long if we long for it. If you're thirsty like a thirsty land, Lord, I want to know you Lord in a deeper way. The Lord will fulfill his promises in in our life. And remember, the least of us can experience the Lord. 38:32 The least of us can experience the Lord. May God help us to trust him. Amen. I want to be thankful to the Lord uh for the word that we heard about the eternal life and uh the Lord is ready to give 38:47 us. Um and I I want to respond uh you know but how I how do I respond to this call of you know God when God offered this eternal life how do I respond? Uh there is something that I was uh reading 39:05 from uh one Timothy uh chapter 6 verse 12. Brother Danish mentioned about Apostle Paul. Um he mentioned in Philippians uh Apostle Paul what he had laid everything aside to know the Lord 39:23 Jesus Christ. He had known but he still want to know. He lay hold of that and uh now he is encouraging uh antimote to do the same thing. You know it says here fight the good fight 39:40 of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you are called and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. He's staying uh he's talking to the sanctimoti saying you take hold of this eternal life don't deviate from 39:59 it. Um we know this uh this conversation between um another ang uh gospel of Mark chapter 10 verse 6 uh not verse 6 40:16 uh chapter 10 uh verse 17 onwards. This conversation is also mentioned in other gospels like Matthew and Luke. But here it is little detailed. Uh verse 17 it says as he was setting out on a 40:33 journey a man ran up to him and knelt before him and asked him good teacher what shall I do to inherit the eternal life? Uh I can imagine that you know Jesus is ready to go to somewhere and 40:51 then this young man he felt some lack in his life. He thought I have to do something for it and I heard okay there is uh this man Jesus would help maybe let me go. On the way he come across a person and then he asked uh where are 41:09 you coming from? Yeah I'm coming from Jesus. Hey is he there? Yes. Yes, he is there. But you know he's ready to leave. Oh really? Then let me run. So when I see this he ran up to him that means he is coming with a sincere heart and then 41:28 he is rich he's young. You know when we are young we are full of our self and so much okay I know it all kind of an attitude. But this young man is not like that. He knelt before him. He didn't think of what others will think because 41:44 I'm a ruler. I'm a rich person. But he didn't bother all that uh at that moment in his time of need. He knelt before him and asked the question. And then Jesus said that he told the answer but this young man also replied that I'm keeping 42:02 all these commandments from my childhood. probably perhaps this young man grew up in a god-fearing home. And uh now Jesus replies in verse 20, he said to him, "Teach um 42:19 um yeah 21 verse 21." Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack. go and sell all you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come 42:37 and follow me. So Jesus looked at him and in love he pointed out only one thing you know when I go to the lord he's not ready to give n number of list you know we use this n number thinking 42:56 it's a you know so many things but Jesus want to point out only one thing that which I possess you know when I if you see this young man his hand is full. He's already holding on to something. That is why when Jesus pointed out, hey, 43:13 you leave that and then you hold on to this. But he didn't choose that. Many times when we we all came to you knowh Jesus with a sincere heart and uh want to follow him but when the Lord Jesus Christ points out only one thing which 43:33 is the root cause of many other things. So to fix this alone but uh how do I respond? So the Lord Jesus want to respond as you know to hold on to the eternal life the one thing that you leave it that one thing that you uh you 43:50 know free up your hands so that you can hold on to this uh uh eternal life. I remember in the olden days in my childhood we used to go to ration shop and uh the ration shop you know it was run by government. So they used to take 44:06 only one rupee but they used to give kg of rice you know based on the family members. So it is like that when I come to the lord the lord is only asking you give that small penny I'll give you this abundant but here I am thinking who 44:24 will you know that's what because uh this relationship is you know run by the government right so here the Jesus is wants he's promising us the eternal life which is run by the heaven government of heaven so let us uh come to the Lord and 44:44 may the Lord help us to leave that the one thing and take hold of this life. Amen. We heard of eternal life and when we think of eternal life, the first verse that comes to our mind is John 3:16. Most of us know that by 45:02 heart. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting eternal life. And we read it so casually and we 45:20 don't think about that sufficiently. It says that God loved the world so much so like verse 14 and 15. As Moses lifted up 45:37 the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. And then it says, "For so in that way God loved the 45:57 world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes, not whosoever believed once upon a time in the past that they have eternal life, but whosoever believes, you know the 46:16 difference believed and between believed and Believe. Believed is sometime in the past you and I, we all believed. But it is not speaking about that. It says about whosoever believes 46:33 that is a present simple present tense that I believed yesterday, I believe today, I'll continue to believe tomorrow also and till the end of my life. That's the meaning of that. so that should not 46:50 perish but have eternal life. And we take this word believe as something you know trust or faith or some mental ascent. But we need to 47:06 see the true scriptural meaning of what faith or belief or believing is. So here we read whosoever believes in him then continues to believe in him yesterday, today and in the future he 47:24 has eternal life. And what is the meaning of belief? The other meaning of belief is in the same chapter the last verse you come to verse 36. He who believes in the son has eternal 47:41 life. But he who does not obey the son. See here it doesn't say he who does not believe. That means believe means in other words obey. Jesus said that very clearly in 47:58 Matthew 28 19 and 20 when he was giving that great commission to the disciples. He said, "Go and preach the gospel to all creature, all creation, and make them my 48:14 disciples, teaching them to observe or obey all that I have commanded." That is what he meant here. He who believes in the son has eternal life and he who does not obey the son has not does not see 48:33 life. But the wroth of God abides on him. So brothers and sisters, it is not just that I believe like many people in the world they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and they say according to that verse I have eternal life. Is that 48:49 really true? Turn with me to that verse that brother Danish read in John 10 verse 20 verses 27 and 28. Here Jesus is saying verse 26 also I'll read Jesus said but you do not believe because you are not of my 49:08 sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and and I give eternal life to them and they shall never perish. Okay. Many people take that 49:27 verse and say see here is the eternal security. No doubt it is but it is for whom we believe in eternal security but there is a condition for that. Every 49:45 promise in scripture has a condition. Whosoever believes or obeys has eternal life. is a condition for every promise in scripture. And Jesus said 50:00 here, "My sheep hear my voice, not outsiders, because I know them and they follow me. I know my 50:16 sheep and my sheep know their shepherd. If I only say I know so and so and you go and ask that person whether he knows me and he says no I don't know who he is. So knowing is something it is 50:36 two-way it's not just one way that I know somebody and he also should know me only then our connection is established. I can't say that I know so and so when he doesn't know me like for instance the president or the prime 50:53 minister of the country we all know who they are the whole of India know knows who is the prime minister and who is the president but do they know you each one of us 51:09 individually no but the lord knows we saying that he has number the sand on the seashore and even the stars in the skies and the hair on your head. 51:26 He not just doesn't he he doesn't just know them the number of them but he has numbered them means number one number 999 number 10,0002 all those hair follicles on your head it's not just he knows that there 51:45 are about 100,000 or 120,000 hair follicles but he knows which one fell today morning on your pillow. So the Lord says here, I know them. They hear my voice. I know them and they know me and they follow 52:05 me. And you see that word there and that conjunction that connects verse 27 and 28. I was checking about that verse whether it is there in every translation. In every true translation that word is there even in the original 52:22 and it is connected to verse 27. And I give eternal life to whom? To those who hear my voice, who know me, who follow me, and they shall never perish. And if 52:41 my faith does not lead me to obey, then my faith is a fake faith or a dead faith. Like James says, faith 52:56 without works is like body without spirit. When the spirit leaves the body, you know how it is. It's only a matter of time before it starts integ disintegrating. And turn with me to 53:15 Romans chapter 1. I close with this. Romans chapter 1 verse 5. Here Paul is writing to the church at Rome. He is telling through whom we have received grace and apostilhip to bring about the obedience of 53:33 faith among the Gentiles for his name's sake. Obedience of faith. And the same thing you read again in the same book in chapter 15 verse 18. For I will not presume to speak of 53:52 anything except what Christ has accomplished through me. resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed. And again in the last chapter second last verse 16:26 he 54:11 says now it's manifested by the scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment of the eternal God has been made known to all the nations leading to obedience of faith. Many people just think that faith is 54:30 enough. But faith without works is dead. And if it doesn't lead to obedience of faith in word and in deed, then indeed our faith is 54:48 dead. May that never happen. Shall we close in prayer?
