0:00 So, we want to look these days at, not like a Bible study, but how we can actually have a pure heart. 0:23 You know that in eating food, if the food is impure, you get sick. We wash our hands before we eat. Because we don't want germs to go into our body. 0:48 Even water, we want to be careful about the type of water we drink. So, when it comes to the body, we are so careful to make sure that we eat and drink only pure things. 1:10 Because we want to be healthy. And sickness can come so easily into our body. And just like sickness comes easily, sin also comes easily into our body. 1:37 So, that's the thing we must always remember. That sin is like sickness. But it's much more serious than sickness. Because with sickness, we can only get affected in our body. But with sin, we can be affected for eternity. 1:58 Most human beings don't think about eternity. Even if you live on earth for 100 years. 2:24 There are very few people who live up to 100. But even if you live up to 100, It is such a small portion of time in terms of eternity. It's not even like one year. 2:49 In eternity, God lives in a different way, in a different system. Let me show you a verse in 1 Peter. 2 Peter. 3:13 In chapter 3. It tells us how God keeps time. For us, 24 hours is one day. We were here yesterday. 3:36 24 hours is another day. Now, with the Lord, it says in 2 Peter, chapter 3 and verse 9, verse 8. One day is not 24 hours. 3:58 It is 1,000 years. For us, one day is 24 hours. For the Lord, one day is 1,000 years. So, if you live a hundred years, in God's eyes, 4:20 you have just lived for two hours. We care so much about this short period of time. We want to make money, and we want to keep ourselves from sickness, and we want to live in comfort, all these things. after we die, 4:50 how we are going to live for eternity, is dependent on how we live now. we can say that our life on earth is like a testing period that God has made for us. All of us are being tested. 5:18 Are you fit to live with God for eternity? And that depends on the choice you make now. See, when Christ comes back, 5:40 we read that all the people in the world are going to be tested in Revelation chapter 20. Revelation 20 and verse 11 and verse 11 and 12 and 13. 6:02 Verse 11, there was a great white throne and God was sitting on it. God was sitting there. And in front of him, he saw the dead, 6:23 verse 12, the great, the small, all standing before him. So, after we die, we will be in the grave for many, many years. And then one day Christ will come back. 6:43 And there will be a throne set up where God sits there. And from the time of Adam, all the people who ever lived on this earth, it says here, are all going to be raised up from the dead and they will stand before him. 7:05 And then it says here, the books are opened. And another book called the book of life. So those whose names are in the book of life, they go into God's presence. But it says here, 7:27 the dead were judged from the things which are written in the books according to their deeds. And again it is written in verse 13. People who died in the sea and in the land and everywhere, they all were raised up. 7:49 And they all stand before God. And again it is written in verse 13, they were judged every one of them according to their deeds. In verse 15, if anyone's name was not written in the book of life, 8:11 he was thrown into the lake of fire. There are two places where we are going to be in eternity. There is heaven and there is a lake of fire. There is a place where there is a place where there is no such thing as hell. 8:51 It is like asking, why do you have a prison in Hubli? There must be some type of jails in Hubli, like in every town there are jails. Would you like to live in a town where there are no police and no jails? It would be very dangerous for you to live because so many people are evil. 9:24 They come to kill people. They come to rob. You know, even these young people on motorcycles go and grab chains from women's necks. They are all out to do evil. 9:45 For such people, there has to be a jail. So that the good people are protected from them. Not only that, even in a hospital, if somebody has got a very serious sickness 10:08 which others can get very quickly, they'll put them in another room. And even father and mother cannot go to that room. See, if your own son has got some very infectious sickness, 10:28 to prevent other children from getting it, you'll put that child in another room. So, even if you love him, because you love the other children, and you don't want the other children to get this sickness. 10:52 So, somebody who comes to your house may ask, why are you putting your child in another room? Don't you love him? Yes, yes, I love him. Then why do you put him in that room? Because I love the other children also. So, 11:12 it is a God of love who separates people like that, even in eternity. Just like you will put your child with an infectious sickness into another room. 11:34 Now, and if you know he's never going to be healed, you'll keep him always in that room. Many sicknesses, it gets healed after some time, then they can come back. You know, 11:55 see, nowadays, there's a cure for leprosy. But, in the olden days, there was no cure for leprosy. And even in India, they would put all the lepers away in some village where nobody is living. Before I got married, 12:20 my wife used to work among people with leprosy. Because she wanted to serve them. And she told me that they were all put into a village which was full of, in fact, full of snakes. All the lepers were put there. 12:48 And even if you had a son who had leprosy, he would be put there. Because if you keep him in the house, everybody else in the house will get leprosy. So, it looks as if it's, oh, we don't love them. That's why they put him there. 13:12 But it's not like that. You love all the others in your family. That's why you put that one there. It's a God of love who separates people in eternity into heaven and hell. 13:32 See, if a man lives 40, 50 years on earth and he doesn't want God, he's saying, I don't want God. And God says, okay, then don't come to heaven. You can go to hell. So, God doesn't send anybody to hell. 13:55 They go there themselves. But see, Jesus said, in Matthew chapter 7, He said to people, in verse 13, enter through the narrow gate. 14:21 Because there is another wide gate and broad way that leads to destruction. And many are going that way. But the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life. 14:45 And very few are going that way. Most people are going the other way. So, see what Jesus said. Think of this, you're going down a road and then you see two ways. 15:09 And now you have to choose. Want to go this way or that way? And this way is very narrow. and very few people are going this way. And the other way is so broad and so comfortable to walk and many people are going that way. 15:32 Which way will you choose? That's the choice you have to make now. Every day, you're making that choice. You're making a choice to go this way or that way. But Jesus said here, 15:52 this broad way, it looks very comfortable and all but it goes to destruction. And this narrow way is so narrow that only one person can walk on it at a time. 16:17 Two people can't walk on it. It's so narrow. Even you can't hold your wife's hand and walk on it. She has to come behind you. You can't pull your children there. They have to come one by one. 16:40 It's a very narrow gate that only one person can go through. And thereby we learn that every person must make a personal choice do I want to go this way or that way. 17:03 Those are Jesus' words. And Jesus is the only person who came from heaven. All of us were born on this earth. Our fathers and ancestors were all born on this earth. 17:25 Right from Adam. But into this world one person came from heaven. That's God almighty became a man and came to earth. As Jesus. And he came to show us how we can go to heaven. 17:48 How we can live with God forever and ever. So I would rather believe somebody who came from heaven than somebody who's never been there. See, somebody who's lived in Bangalore 18:11 can come and tell you how Bangalore is. And he came from there and he can show you how to go there. and he can tell you how to go there. Supposing somebody drove a car from Bangalore to Hubli. And nobody's ever gone to Bangalore 18:32 before. He can tell you how to go there. He can tell you how to go there. So somebody came from heaven can tell you how to go there. No one else. 18:52 That's why we believe Christianity is the only way. We don't say our religion is better than other religions. We say there's only one person who came from heaven. 19:13 So he's the only one who can tell us how to go there. You may have your idea I may have my ideas. So many other religious leaders may have their ideas. But when I ask them did you come from heaven? 19:37 No. Then how do you know the way there? And the head of your religion did he come from heaven? Maybe he was a good man but he didn't come from heaven. But we are trusting somebody who came from heaven who shows the way there. 20:01 And he says you can go only one by one. You can't take your son you can't take your wife you can't take anybody else. each person must make a choice. And the way is narrow and very few people 20:22 find it. So if you think I'd like to join a church where there are many many thousands of people I'm not looking for that. I'm looking for those who 20:43 have chosen this narrow way. and it says here about few who find it. They found it because they were searching for it. 21:04 And Jesus told us in Luke chapter 9 how this way is. Luke chapter 9 in verse 23 Jesus said if anyone wants to come after me he must 21:25 deny himself take up his cross daily and follow me. Jesus Swami said he is telling us about his way to go to heaven. Remember he is the only one who came from there 21:45 he is the only one who can tell us how to go there. And he says if you follow me you will come there. Because Jesus went back to heaven and he says if you follow me you will 22:06 come there. But how to follow him? The first thing he says you got to say no to yourself. Say no to yourself. There are so many things we 22:26 want for ourselves. We try to fight for ourselves when somebody hurts us. I must say no I am not going to fight back. Somebody gets 22:47 angry with you. There is a great temptation to say something back. The world is full of people where people are fighting with each other and one trying to show that I am better than you. 23:11 And all such situations if you want to follow Jesus you have to say no I will not fight back. That's denying yourself. Taking up the cross means I die to my own choice. 23:35 See Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world. But here it says about taking up the cross every day. Now you don't find many churches preaching this message today. 23:56 I think CFC is one of the very few churches that preachers take up the cross every day. Because the devil has hidden this message from most Christians. He doesn't 24:18 want people to go to heaven. But all these Christians they have got a Bible. If they want to know the truth they can read it. All these Christians who believe the devil they have got a Bible and they don't read it. 24:42 So if anybody reads the Bible they'll preach the same message. This is not something written in only our Bible. Every Christian's Bible has got this verse. And it's 25:02 been there for 2,000 years. But people don't read it. The only thing can God heal me? Can God bless me? it's possible many of you sitting here are also like that. 25:22 I want God to bless me. I want God to take care of me. I want to heal me and my children keep us healthy and provide us enough for our financial needs. That's all. But Jesus 25:43 said if you want to follow me you have to deny yourself every day. Then only you can follow me. So that is what we must take very seriously. And even if it takes time to 26:03 understand it you say Lord I want to understand it because this is so important. You know how hard your children study for an examination and if one subject is very difficult 26:23 for you you will really work hard to understand that subject. If our children are poor at mathematics we will make them keep on doing some mathematics problems until they learn it. 26:47 Everything we learn by keeping on practicing so here is another area where we need to learn something. How can I follow Jesus? How can I be in that narrow way that leads 27:08 to life? This is the way of purity. I want to show you another verse which is found in Isaiah. 27:31 Isaiah chapter 35 it's called here Isaiah 35 in verse 8 it says here a highway will be there and a road way it 27:52 will be called a highway of holiness that is this narrow way and it says here anyone who is unclean will not be able to walk on it it is 28:14 so clear if you have an unclean heart you will not be able to walk this way it's called the highway of holiness and it says here a 28:35 foolish person will not be able to walk on it a foolish person is one who thinks he knows everything a foolish person is actually a proud person a 28:55 proud person cannot walk on this only humble people can walk on it that's very very important to understand the reason why many people go to hell is because of pride we 29:23 have to hate pride more than you hate leprosy or cancer or anything i must hate pride like i hate the worst disease in the world in the 29:50 christian life humility is health the most humble person is the most healthy person in christianity and the more pride you have the more sick you are and 30:14 i want to say there are a lot of sick people in the church something or the other they are proud of you can be proud of your education you can be proud that you're cleverer than others or 30:36 you can be proud that you're more good looking than others you're from a high class family not a low class family or you can be proud of your house you can be proud of your scooter car anything you can 30:59 be proud of your bible knowledge you can be proud that you play something or you play some musical instrument it's so easy to become proud anything that makes you better than somebody else pride 31:22 is what corrupts our heart you cannot see God the pure in heart will see God and the pure in heart are those whose hearts are humble that is why I urge you always seek for humility 31:43 just like you seek for health supposing you found in some situation you suddenly became proud about something you say I've got a sickness now that's a sickness Lord I'm 32:03 sorry I've got a pride in me about something I did please forgive me Lord I'm comparing myself with somebody else and I think I'm better than him please forgive me I've said that so many 32:24 times to God because God shows me that's pride you're comparing yourself with that person I say Lord forgive me forgive me I don't know how many hundred times I've said that in my life but every time I say 32:44 that and repent you know what happens I become spiritually healthier healthier healthier and you get closer and closer to God if you want to get closer to 33:04 God you've got to humble yourself go down go down so it says here the proud foolish person will not walk on this way and the one wonderful thing about this way is the devil 33:27 cannot come there he's on the broad way it says here in verse 9 no lion will be there no vicious beast will be found there only those who are redeemed 33:47 will be there it's called the highway of holiness and anyone with uncleanness verse 8 will not be able to travel in it that is the way that leads to God so 34:09 how can we walk on it 1 John chapter 1 1 John 1 verse 7 walking this narrow way is also called walking in the light 1 John 1 7 if we walk 34:33 if we walk in the light as God is in the light we have fellowship with one another and any sin there is in us the blood of Jesus will cleanse us immediately so this narrow way has got many names 34:53 it's a high way of holiness it's a way of walking in the light and it's a way where 1 John 1 7 we are cleansed all the time all the 35:16 time free it's like saying always being healthy free from sin means spiritually healthy so if we say verse 8 that we have no sin we are just 35:36 deceiving ourselves is there anybody here who is foolish like that to say I have no sin you know what it means to say I have no sin I am 100% like Jesus Christ I cannot 35:59 say that I am not sinning consciously but unconsciously there are so many areas in my life I still don't know I am not like Christ see growth in the Christian life is like 36:20 going to school when you are born again it is like you joined the kindergarten you got admission in the school but that doesn't mean you have finished your education you are 36:43 just born and you are starting and every year you go higher higher higher higher higher higher so somebody here may be in first standard somebody in sixth standard all of us are not in the same class and some 37:04 have gone even to college those who are very faithful are going higher and higher and higher it is not bible knowledge it is being faithful to deal with any sin you discover in your life that is 37:29 where a 25 year old young boy or girl here may be in college while the 50 year old person is still sitting in kindergarten because 37:49 that 50 year old may be very proud and full of sin see I'll give you an example of that in revelation in chapter 3 the lord 38:10 sends a message to the leader of the church in sardis he was an elder think of somebody who was an elder in a good new testament church planted by an apostle I don't 38:33 know who planted this church in sardis but one of the apostles did and he appointed one man as an elder in that church and he must have been a very good man when he started but you know what happens to some people when they 38:52 become elders I've seen that after some time they become a little proud oh I'm somebody special and because they are preaching all the time their head becomes bigger and bigger and bigger and they 39:12 think they're very important and then spiritually they go down after that they have only a name that we are spiritual see verse one last part you elder 39:32 brother you have a name that you are alive but you are spiritually dead so here is a church in the first century where the elder was spiritually dead I don't 39:53 believe all elders are spiritual if they walk with the Lord in humility they'll really be spiritual but if they become proud I'm an elder brother and I'm an important person then they 40:14 go down but they are still elders and I'm not only talking about elders I'm talking about anyone who's older than others for example father or mother may think I'm more spiritual than my children your children 40:37 may be more spiritual than you he says now verse one you've only got a name that you're alive but actually you're spiritually dead see verse one you have a name that you're alive but you're dead but 41:00 there are a few young people in your church verse four you've got a few people there who have kept themselves pure and Jesus says they will walk with me on the narrow way the elder 41:24 brother is on the broad way but these young brothers are with Jesus on the narrow way so don't think because you started off well you will end well so some 41:47 of you may have become believers ten years ago but maybe you've become careless in your life you don't keep your heart pure then you very slowly you drift away from the narrow way to the broad way you know 42:07 you can start in the narrow way and end up in the broad way because all along the narrow way there are some by-paths to the broad way if you want to go there no sign there if you find this way too difficult take this 42:27 way you'll find it easy all the time the devil is saying here shortcut be careful we have to be steadfast until the end Hebrews 42:47 3 my dear brothers and sisters believe what the Bible says and not what any preacher says that is why in my messages I'm always quoting the Bible here 43:10 is a very important verse Hebrews 3 14 how can you become a partaker of Christ if you hold fast the beginning of your assurance firm until the end that means 43:32 if you start in the narrow way and you keep on in the narrow way till the end you see all those side roads saying if you want to find an easier way turn here turn here turn here turn here and so 43:55 many people take those ways and they end up in the broad way every temptation the devil gives you is to turn away from the narrow way into the broad way some of you when you were first born again you never went to 44:15 watch the movies and now you're watching all types of filthy movies that is a shortcut you end up in the broad way along with all those 44:35 worldly people or you develop certain habits in your life which are habits that lead you into sin it's not a narrow it's not just a narrow gate but a narrow way see 44:57 Matthew 7 verse 13 there is a narrow gate verse 13 and that leads to a narrow way you may have come in through the narrow gate but you 45:19 have to walk this 10,000 miles in the narrow way to reach the end then only you can reach the end and the Holy Spirit is there to help you every day to go this way so all 45:41 of us sometimes we sometimes drift a little bit and take side roads into the broadway but we must repent and come back and that's why we have a conference like this repent come back 46:01 keep your heart pure our aim is to see God what is your aim not to make more money but to see God finally let's pray heavenly father help us to remember these truths always pray in 46:23 Jesus name amen
