A Tale of Two Cities - Santosh Poonen - March 10, 2019
http://rlcfchurch.org/tale-two-cities River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The central message emphasizes that true knowledge of God is a divine gift received personally, not something taught or transferred. The speaker urges listeners who feel distant from God to not give up, assuring them that God is near the brokenhearted. He stresses that genuine faith requires an inner surrender and brokenness, comparing this to falling on the stone rather than being crushed by it, and applies this principle to marriage, family, and the church.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Why keep speaking about brokenness?The speaker addresses why the church continually emphasizes brokenness, noting that just as people must be born again, they must also be broken.Matthew 21:44
Circumstances versus responseDifficult circumstances happen to everyone, but what distinguishes the broken person is their inward response of choosing joy, love, and righteousness over bitterness.
Falling on the rock willinglyFamilies, marriages, and churches must either fall on Jesus to be broken in surrender or face being scattered by His judgment.
A Tale of Two Cities in the BibleThe Bible presents a tale of two spiritual cities—Babylon and Jerusalem—which represent attitudes of the heart rather than physical locations.
Characteristics of BabylonBabylon represents the world system mixed with religion and politics, influencing people with the wine of immorality and persecuting true believers.Revelation 17:2
The seed of Babylon at BabelIn Genesis, the builders of Babel declared 'come let us' make bricks, build a city, and make a name for themselves to avoid being scattered.
God scatters human ambitionDespite their plans for unity and self-made religion, God confused their language and scattered them, serving as a warning against man-centered ministry.
The call of Abraham and New JerusalemGod called Abraham out of Ur, establishing a pattern where God initiates the city rather than human effort.Genesis 15:7
Leaving relatives and earthly tiesGod tested Abraham by telling him to leave his country and relatives, reflecting Jesus' words that disciples must hate their relatives compared to their devotion to Him.Luke 14:26
Abraham built altars instead of citiesWhile Babel builders constructed a massive tower to make a name for themselves, Abraham built small altars in secret and called upon the name of the Lord.Genesis 12:7–8
Living as aliens looking for a heavenly cityHebrews 11 describes Abraham living in tents as an alien because he was looking for a city whose architect and builder is God.Hebrews 11:8
Trusting God to build His churchThe elders desire that the church remain free from earthly lobbying or man-made unity, trusting God to knit hearts together through genuine brokenness.
