0:00 Dear brothers and sisters, I want to ask you a question. And you don't have to answer me, but answer yourself. What is your definition of eternal life? 0:18 We know in the Bible eternal life is not an Old Testament concept. There's no such thing as eternal life in the Old Testament. Nobody knew about anything about even the fact that God is a Trinity was unknown in the Old Testament. 0:33 Those are all revelations that came through Christ and the Holy Spirit. Eternal life is also a New Testament phrase. And we say we have accepted Christ and we received eternal life. So, what is your definition of eternal 0:48 life? I would say 90% or more, maybe 99% of believers will say eternal life means to live forever. Now, if that is your definition, that is a dictionary definition, 1:07 not the Bible definition. If you'll go to the dictionary, they may say eternal means forever. But in the Bible, it's that's not eternal life because uh living forever means people who go to hell also live forever. So, they also have eternal life if that 1:26 is the definition of eternal life. So, that is it. You know, we must think about these phrases we use. The gift of God is eternal life. The wages of sin is death. The gift of God is eternal life. Romans 6:23. When you read something like that, 1:43 if you're a serious Bible student, I'll tell you what you'll do. You'll take a concordance or if you have a phone, search for the word eternal in the New Testament. And you you'll discover the answer in no time at all. So, 2:01 eternal life Jesus himself defined it. John chapter 17 and verse 3. Now, if you don't know that verse, please look it up. John 17 verse 3. If you look up these verses in your Bible, you'll become familiar with the Bible. 2:19 So, John 17 verse 3, Jesus says, "This is eternal life. That they may know you." He's praying to the Father. And that whole of John 17 is a prayer. This is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." 2:39 So, what is eternal life? Eternal life is to know God the Father and to know Jesus Christ personally. That is through the Holy Spirit. That is why it is so important to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And to seek to be filled with the Holy 2:54 Spirit every day, all the time. Because the Holy Spirit will show us God the Father, knowing God the Father, and knowing Jesus Christ. Knowing doesn't mean knowing about. That's the next thing I want to ask you. 3:14 Do you know the difference between knowing about God and knowing God? World of difference. You may know the governor of your state. You may know about him, but you don't know him. You know the difference between knowing 3:32 about a person, knowing a person. You may You may know the president of your country, know about him, but you don't know him. It's the same way with God. Most people, even many Christians, they know about God. They know about 3:46 Jesus, but they don't know Jesus. And in the Old Testament, the word know is used in relation to the husband-wife relationship. 4:04 It says, "Adam knew his wife Eve." It's referring to that intimate relationship, the most intimate physical relationship between a husband and a wife, which gives birth to a child. Adam knew his wife, and they got a son. 4:22 So, knowing in the Old Testament is referred to a very the most intimate relationship uh there is is between a man and a wife when they are physically united. And that is the word used to describe eternal life and our knowledge of God. 4:40 The thing is our knowledge of God and Jesus is in the spirit. But it is the same union like a husband and wife have been physically that we are to have with Jesus in the spirit. Think of that. Such a oneness. The Bible says, 5:00 "When a man is joined to his wife, they are one. They are no longer two, but one," Jesus said. So, it's an amazing thing that the Lord has given us this type of relationship with him where I'm one. I mean, even the illustration of the 5:20 church being the body of Christ. Christ is the head. And if I'm a member in the body, member is not detached somewhere else. Every member of my body is connected to the head, even the small little finger is connected to the head just like every 5:34 part of the body. So, it's a living connection with Christ. Very intimate, inward intimate connection. This is the type of Christianity that we all need to have. And if you don't have that type of 5:52 Christianity, you know what you need to do? You need to first of all go before the Lord and ask him to show you if there's any sin in your life that you have not confessed and not forsaken to the best of your 6:10 ability. You may not have overcome it, but you've turned your back to it. You say, "Lord, I don't want that. I want to give up that sin." And you've confessed every known sin, any sins that you've committed. If you confess it, he'll forgive you. 6:29 If you don't confess it, he will not forgive you. Or I'll tell you another thing. If you blame somebody else for what they did to you, you can't be forgiven. One of the masterpieces of the devil 6:46 is to keep believers always having a grudge against somebody else. That is the surest way the devil can accomplish his purpose in your life without even coming to trouble you. He doesn't have to come and attack you. 7:06 He just ensures that you keep a negative attitude towards some other human being. And if it is a negative to a brother or sister, the devil is even more delighted. Because then not only is your relationship with the Lord broken 7:23 immediately, but your horizontal relationship with the church is broken, also. And that's exactly what the devil is after. What did the devil want to do in the Garden of Eden? He wanted to break the connection 7:42 that Adam and Eve had with God and what they had with each other. See, Eve was taken out of Adam's rib. Made out of Adam's rib. It's such an intimate relationship. Right from the beginning, God demonstrated that a 8:00 man's wife must be like the rib of a man. And that is the type of relationship Jesus wants to have with us. And the devil's aim was to break that relationship that they had with God and thus it'll break the relationship 8:16 with each other. So, he succeeded in making them disobey with the one commandment that God gave them. He didn't give them 100 commandments. He gave them one commandment in Eden and they broke it. 8:32 And then the very next thing is that when God comes to Adam and says, "Did you eat this?" Immediately he points his finger at his wife. This pointing of the finger 8:51 started in Genesis chapter 3. That is always the result of sin. When your connection with God is broken, Adam's connection with God is broken because he disobeyed God and ate from that tree. Immediately his connection with 9:08 the one whom God gave to be his partner is broken also. And the first thing you see there is Adam pointing his finger at his wife. I wish I could get a painting of that, man pointing his finger at his wife and put it in every home. 9:28 And the woman pointing the finger at the man. And said, "That is how your relationship That is the proof that your relationship with the God is broken. How do I know Adam's relationship with God is broken? If I went into the Garden of Eden not 9:45 knowing that they had taken part in that tree. I just go into the Garden of Eden after they have taken part, but I don't know they have taken part. And I don't know what God's commandment was about the tree. I go there and I see Adam pointing his 10:00 finger at Eve. I know immediately his connection with God is broken. I don't need to know what happened before or anything. I don't know what to know what the commandment was or what happened or what Adam did what he did. I 10:12 don't need to know at all. The very fact that he's pointing his finger at Eve shows the connection with God is broken. Now, apply that to your life, my brother sister. If you find in your heart a blaming 10:32 of your wife or your husband for saying anything. Anything, it doesn't matter what it is, small thing or big thing. He's like this. He's always like this. And she's always like this. Number of husbands and wives who say that. I've 10:47 heard so many in my lifetime. She does this and he does this. They never listen no matter how much I say. And even if we are overcome that pointing finger and verbally you can have that attitude inwardly. 11:05 That inwardly I have a accusative spirit. See, the Bible says the devil is the accuser of the brothers. And this pointing of the finger >> [clears throat] >> is a physical demonstration of the accuser of the brothers. This is what the devil is always doing. 11:24 He's pointing at different people to God. The Bible says in Revelation 12 he accuses the people day and night. When we talk about [clears throat] full-time workers, there is a full-time worker mentioned in Revelation chapter 12. 11:39 That is the devil. Full-time, day and night, you read there, he's accusing brothers and sisters. And he's got a lot of co-workers. How do you become a co-worker with Satan? You find out what he's doing. And you help him to do it. Like, you 11:57 know, >> [clears throat] >> if you're watching a football team, uh >> [clears throat] >> supposing they're all wearing the same color shirt. We distinguish two teams by they wear different color shirts. But, supposing there's a football match where 12:14 everybody's wearing white. How will you find out which player is on which side? I'll tell you. Who is he passing the ball to? He's on that side of that person. I just have to see, who is he passing the ball to? 12:33 Who's he receiving the ball from? That is his team. So, if you receive an accusation from the devil, you are on his team. You're cooperating with him in accusing somebody else. He's trying to kick the ball towards that goal 12:51 of accusing somebody, and you're also helping him. Yeah, yeah, come along, Satan. We'll all score that goal. We'll accuse that guy over there. That is scoring the goal. You are on his side, whether you know it or not. Why don't you get rid of it? 13:07 When are you going to leave the devil's team? There's something that Jesus also does all the time. Anyway, let me show you those verses. First of all, Revelation chapter 12. >> Revelation 12 13:34 and verse 10, the last part. It says about the accuser of the brothers has been thrown down. This is speaking about the future when the devil is going to be thrown down. He till then what is his full-time job? 13:51 The devil is a full-time worker. He accuses believers before God day and night. Always pointing the finger, accusing, accusing, accusing. He did this, she did this, he did this, 14:08 she did this. It never stops. And then it says here that you can overcome that in verse 11. Believers overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony. That means if they've got that spirit of accusation, they say, "Lord Jesus, 14:27 please cleanse me with your blood and I will tell the devil word of my testimony to Satan." How many of you have given your testimony to Satan? That means how many of you speak directly to Satan? And tell him he's a liar. 14:43 Tell him he was defeated on the cross. That's the one thing the devil doesn't like to hear. And we need to tell him that. It says the word of their testimony. This is not giving testimony in a church. The context is they overcame Satan. 15:01 Revelation 12:11. Overcame what? This Satan is called the accuser of the brothers. And they overcame that spirit of accusation that Satan had by the blood of the lamb. That means they say, "Lord, please cleanse me first 15:17 of all in your blood from all the years that I have accused other people." How many of you are willing to do that right today itself? A simple prayer. Lord Jesus, I have spent many years holding hands with Satan 15:35 and accusing so many brothers and sisters about this thing and that thing, the other thing, the other thing, brothers who are in my church and other brothers and sisters. Lord, I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was holding hands 15:49 with Satan and all that. I want you to cleanse me in the blood. And then give your testimony to Satan. Satan, you have no power over me. The blood of Jesus has cleansed me and you were defeated on the cross. 16:09 Satan does not like to hear that. I remember once when one sister brought a friend of hers to our home. My wife and I were sitting there and this lady was sitting there wanted to me to give her the gospel. 16:28 So, I told her to accept Christ. And then, as I usually tell people when they accept Christ, I told this lady, "Now tell the devil, you were defeated on the cross. You have You said, 'Lord Jesus, come into my heart.' Now Satan, you were defeated on 16:46 the cross." And this lady turned around and looked at me and said, "I was not defeated on the cross." That was the devil speaking through her lips. So, when the devil speaks to me, I speak to him. I said, "Satan, 17:05 it's the Satan the demon that was inside that woman." I spoke to her, that demon. And said, "You wretched demon, Satan, you were defeated on the cross. Get out of her right now in Jesus name. And the demon left. 17:22 So, I said to her, "Now, tell the devil you were defeated on the cross." And he she could say it. Up till that moment, she could not say it because the devil was inside him. Once the demon went, you know there's one thing the devil does not like to 17:37 hear that he was defeated on the cross. If two teams are playing football and one team lost, would they like to hear people coming in telling them that they were defeated? No. They'd like to keep quiet about it. It's the same with the devil. He doesn't 17:53 like to be told that he's defeated. And I decided I'm going to tell the devil as often as possible that he was defeated on the cross. Have you ever told Satan "Satan, you were defeated on the cross. You can't touch me. I belong to Christ who defeated you on 18:05 the cross." That is a weapon. The They overcame him by the word of their testimony. Did you read Revelation 12:11? By the word of their testimony they overcame Satan. But if you want to exercise that word of testimony 18:24 powerfully you must make sure that you don't have the same spirit that Satan has. What spirit is that? Accusing the brothers. Accusing the sisters. So, if you have the same spirit that Satan has, accusing somebody and put 18:39 putting the blame on somebody in your church or in some other church or some brother some sister then you have no power over Satan. Satan says, "You don't have any power over me. You and I are on the same team. You're kicking the ball to me and I'm 18:51 kicking the ball to you. And we are both scoring the same goal. What is the same goal? Accusing somebody in the church. Satan is doing it and you're also doing it. You and Satan are kicking the ball towards the same goal. 19:06 Change around and join the other team. Jesus is on the other team. He's got another goal and that goal is to pray for people. That is the opposite. One goal is accusing people, the other goal is praying for people. Think of football 19:19 field, where one goal is accusing people, and the other goal is praying for people. Which direction are you kicking the goal? We read here Satan is accusing people day and night, 24 hours he's kicking the ball towards that goal. 19:35 Accuse, accuse, accuse, accuse. What is Jesus doing? So, see turn to Hebrews in chapter 7. In Hebrews chapter 7, verse 25, we read something that Jesus 19:53 is also doing day and night, 24 hours. We saw that the devil is accusing people day and night, 24 hours accusing, accusing. That's the his goal. Always go to put the ball into that goal, and Jesus is kicking the other way. 20:10 It says in Hebrews 7:25, the last part, he is interceding. Verse 25, the last part, he makes intercession for us always. Always means day and night. This is the opposite of what we read in Revelation 12:10. 20:29 So, think of this as a football game. Two goals, one goal is praying for people, the other is accusing people. And the devil is always kicking towards that goal, and Jesus is always kicking the ball towards the goal of praying for 20:43 them. Now, now that you've understood these two goals, I want to ask you, which team are you on? You can know that by asking, which side are you kicking the ball? You ask yourself. 21:01 And you know it. Right now you know it. While I'm talking to you, you know it. Which way been kicking the ball in the last 1 week or the last 1 month? You know it. So, I'm not saying this to condemn you or to accuse you. I'm not an accuser of 21:21 the brothers. And I don't want to ever preach in a way that accuses people. I want to deliver people and turn them around and say, "Face the other direction, man." And kick the ball in the other direction. Jesus is kicking the ball in the other 21:34 direction and you're kicking the ball in the opposite direction. Do you see how you become an enemy of Jesus by doing such a thing? It's like in some game where some football player has been given a bribe to kick the ball in the 21:49 other direction. And they're playing such a way that the other team wins because they've been given a huge bribe, thousands of dollars. So, there are people in the Christian church, also, 22:06 who've been bribed by Satan in some way to don't pray for people, accuse them. So, shall we change sides today and determine that from today onwards, I'm never going to 22:25 kick the ball in that direction anymore? And anytime you're tempted to do it, remember this message you heard today. And say, "Lord, I'm sorry. I'm I'm accidentally kicked the ball in the wrong direction. I want to turn around and I'm on your 22:40 side." We all say we're on the Lord's side. What does it mean to say I'm on the Lord's side? That means you're interceding for people, not accusing them. Please remember that next time you say, "I'm on the Lord's side." 22:53 That means you're interceding and accusing. And okay, if you don't have the ability to intercede, at least be a spectator. sit outside the field and just watch it. That is second best. At least you are not joining the enemies 23:10 team and kicking the ball towards accusation. You don't have the ability to pray for them. Okay, then at least sit down outside and be a spectator. There are three things. Either you are playing for the devil or you're playing 23:23 for Jesus or you're sitting and watching the watching is better than accusing. The best, of course, would be if you join Jesus who's interceding for people all the time. So, I told you that eternal life is to know God and to know Jesus Christ. 23:40 So, I hope you learned something about Jesus today. That he's always interceding for the people. Turn with me to another verse. 1 John chapter 2. That's the other contrast. You know, in 24:03 Revelation 12 we saw that the devil is called the accuser who accuses. Now, in a court you'll have a judge sitting on the judge's seat. You'll have a criminal there or some man standing there 24:22 and you'll have an accuser. Well, who's accusing? This guy did something wrong and they're accusing him. That is what the devil does. And the opposite side opposite side there'll be a what we call an advocate. A lawyer, an attorney. 24:38 And we read here in John 1 John chapter 2 verse 1. My little children, I'm writing these things to you that you don't sin. If anyone sins we have an advocate with the Father. We have an attorney who is there on our side. 24:57 He's pleading for us. That's a wonderful thing to know. As God sits on his throne as a judge and the devil is on the other side accusing me of so many things. I have an advocate. I don't have to fight by myself. I have an advocate 25:14 before the Father and who defends me and supports me and protects me from all those accusations and if you allow him to have his way with you, he will always win the case. Jesus is an advocate who has won every 25:32 single case wherever people accept him as their advocate. So, I want to invite all of you to accept Jesus as your attorney today. And don't kick the ball in the opposite goal because then you can't say that you and 25:51 Jesus are on the same side. So, decide from today, Lord, I've learned today what eternal life is. Eternal life is to know you and I've learned something about you today that you're my attorney in heaven. And you're not only my attorney 26:10 or my advocate, you're the attorney for all your children who are also being accused. Some in my church, some in some other church. We have to be very careful about this. You know, in CFC churches we stand for certain principles. 26:27 We are different from many other churches and many people have left other churches and come to CFC because they are fed up with the corruption and the money loving and immorality that goes on in so many churches. And so, they come to us. 26:42 So, when we encourage them and help them, we don't want to encourage them and help them by just speaking evil of other churches. That doesn't help because some of those people sitting there are also God's children. For example, God has his children in the 26:56 Methodist church. >> [clears throat] >> God has some children in the Baptist church. God has children in the Brethren Assembly. God has children in the Pentecostal church. And believe it or not, there are a few believers even in the Catholic church. 27:09 Not many, but there are some. They've got a few wrong doctrines, but some of them are born again. >> [clears throat] >> So, I don't want to spend my time speaking evil of all of them. I can say I disagree with them. That's different from speaking evil of 27:24 them. I openly say I disagree with the Roman Catholic church. I disagree with a lot of things that the Baptist and the Methodist and the Brethren preach in their churches, sure. But I'm not going to be an accuser. Disagreement does not mean accusing. 27:38 No. We have to have certain convictions. If you're without a conviction, you're like what they call a zombie. A zombie means a mindless man. You must not be a mindless Christian. You must have some convictions. That conviction makes you differ from 27:52 other people, and you will say graciously and gently, I disagree with you, brother. You're my You're my brother in Christ, but I disagree with you. For example, all the people who sprinkle babies and call it baptism. To begin with, 28:07 you know, Presbyterians and Anglicans and Catholics, they all sprinkle babies. And then some of them may be believers, and I say I would I disagree with you. I'm sorry, I don't agree with you, but I'm not going to accuse you. 28:19 I just say, maybe you're ignorant of the right way when God has given me light on it. So, we must distinguish between standing against something and accusing them. I don't want to be as accuser of any church group or any believer. I want 28:35 to say I disagree with them. And I believe that's not according to God's word. And we want to follow God's word. So, I'm not saying I'm better than them. I'm saying this is what God's word says and I want to try and follow it. 28:49 And okay, maybe they are ignorant of it. When I seek to share with them, and if they don't want to accept it, okay, God bless them. But I'm not here to accuse them. So, be very careful because we do take a stand in CFC against 29:03 corrupt Christendom. And there's a 90% of Christendom is corrupt. I don't mind saying that. They don't even preach about being born again. All of you who are listening to me, you probably came out of churches that you never heard about being born again 29:17 there. And you left some church because you say that they're not preaching being born again. They're not preaching holiness. Oh, they're only after money or something like that. Thank God that you got light on it and came out in order to follow the Lord, 29:32 but I hope your aim was to follow the Lord and say, "Lord, I want to do it your way." I remember when we started CFC, one thing we decided was that we never take a collection. We won't pass a bag around or anything around to collect money. 29:47 Because I say when Jesus had a meeting, he never passed a bag around to anybody. He preached and he went away. I say, "Why can't we have a meeting like that if Jesus is speaking in our church? You think he'll pass a bag around first? 30:02 Or even after he preaches? No. You never see him doing that in the gospels. People voluntarily gave him. When he told Judas Iscariot to keep it, he was a treasurer. But he never passed a bag around cuz he never asked people to give to 30:19 his ministry. Never. He said, "Always give to the poor." Give to the poor. That's what we also preach. So, it's very important that we see these things very clearly that in our standing against another church system, we don't become accusers. 30:39 We say we disagree with them. Uh we cannot work with them they don't seem to be going in the same direction. And we want to obey the Lord 100%. There are people who are born again who don't obey the Lord 100% and we want to 30:53 be among those who obey the Lord 100%. That is our desire. That's why we are different. So, we need to understand what God is like. You know, there's a verse in the book of Psalms which I want to show you. 31:09 Turn with me to the Psalm 115. I don't know whether you have noticed this Psalm. Psalm 115. It says here about idols. 31:34 Verse four. The idols [clears throat] of the nations He's talking about the nations in verse two. Their idols are silver and gold and their mouths where they can't speak. Their eyes where they can't see and so on. And then their hands where they 31:48 can't feel, their feet where some where they can't walk. And then listen to this. Verse eight, very important verse. Those who make them will become like them. Think of that verse. Those who make an idol 32:06 will become like an idol. >> [clears throat] >> So, from that verse I make this statement. Please listen carefully. You will become like the God you worship. The type of God you worship, 32:27 that's what you're going to become like. If you're going to worship a God who is very strict and unmerciful, you know what will happen? After some time you will also become strict and unmerciful. If you worship a God who is very kind 32:44 and loving, you'll become kind and loving. They become like the God they worship. Psalm 115 verse 8. So, you have a certain concept of God, you'll become like that. If you have a concept of God as a very 33:04 strict person who's always condemning, criticizing, condemning, criticizing, you'll become like that. And it's because your idea is that God is always criticizing. Everything in the Bible is to point out sin and point out 33:18 everything wrong with people and there's For example, on the other hand, if somebody sees that God is a God who's always encouraging us, encouraging, encouraging, encouraging, you'll become like that. Your words will encourage people. 33:30 Remember this phrase from Psalm 115 verse 8. You will become like the God you worship. And the God who's always criticizing and accusing is an idol. It's not a real God. It's not the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God so loved the world that he gave his 33:51 Son to deliver us from sin. That is the God we worship. One who is willing to lay down his life to save others from calamity and sin. Think of all the missionaries. I spent many years reading missionary biographies, 34:09 at least 60 years reading. Whenever I get a missionary biography of someone who really sacrificed for the Lord, I pick it up and read it. Even now I'm reading it. And I read it right from the time I was young. And that's what challenged me. 34:25 It's what challenged me first of all to quit my job and serve the Lord. It was these missionary biographies. I said, "Lord, these people have done something. They sacrificed so much and accomplished something for you on this 34:36 earth before they left this earth. I don't want to just talk about it. I want to do something for you before I leave this earth." Now, God doesn't call everybody to leave their jobs. Those the the the missionaries who accomplished the maximum for God were 34:50 those who were called by God and went. Not those who just heard there's a need there and when they see I've lived all my life 80 years in India and I've seen all types of missionaries. And 95% of them were useless. I wish that they'd never come to India. 35:09 They brought such a bad name to the Lord. And so many of people they they converted the Hindus into money-loving people in India. I'm not criticizing them. I'm telling you the truth. But on the other hand, there were some 35:22 really godly people. Think of someone like Amy Carmichael who came to India. What a godly woman she was. She came and she never went back for a vacation ever once to her home in Ireland. And she was resulted in saved so many 35:37 lives and brought so many hundreds and probably thousands of people to Christ. Praise God for that. And she was a woman. And she was not a great preacher. She's just person who loved people and wanted to bless them. So, 35:54 they I I praise God for such people who wanted to reach out and bring people to the Lord. That that is the spirit of Christ, you know. He came all the way from heaven to save us and those who worship such a God who God so loved the world that he gave 36:11 his son, willing to sacrifice anything in order to save. Think of Christ willing to sacrifice anything in order to save people from hell. That's the spirit that Amy Carmichael had. And that's the spirit that true missionaries have had 36:25 who sacrificed anything in order to save people. And you don't have to be a missionary. You can live here in this country and you can have that spirit which is Lord, I'm willing to pay any price to bring somebody to Christ. 36:39 I want to draw people to the Lord. Please use me. You don't have to go to India for that. You don't have to go to Africa. There are plenty of heathen right in the very town you live in. Heathen. Why do you have to go to India to look 36:53 for them? Say Lord, make me a missionary. Make me one who is available to you in my place of work. There are people who are in need. You don't have to go to India to find needy people. They're right in your office. And they're in in your surroundings. 37:09 Say Lord, please. I don't have the ability, Lord. Please anoint me with the Holy Spirit. I want to be a I want to cooperate with Jesus in kicking the ball in the right direction. Kicking the ball towards a goal that Jesus is kicking the ball towards, 37:23 bringing people into God's kingdom. And that's what we seek to do in the CFC. To hold up God's highest standards because Christendom has compromised those standards so much. You know, the Old Testament prophets one of the main ministry of the Old 37:41 Testament prophets think of Elijah who slew all the prophets of Baal, killed them. Because they were leading people astray. Now, we don't kill people today, but we expose the false prophets. And say that's that's not what the Bible 37:56 teaches. I spent 50 years telling people that is not what the Bible teaches. This is what the Bible teaches. That is today's way of exposing the false prophets. There are many false prophets in Christendom. We stand against them. 38:10 So, to be a co-worker with Jesus in this great ministry of bringing people not only s- s- bringing them to salvation but help them helping them to grow into the likeness of Christ. And that can happen as we ourselves seek to grow into the likeness of 38:29 Christ. So, what is eternal life? It is to know the Father and to know Jesus Christ. And that takes a lifetime. I believe in all eternity I'm going to know God and the Jesus Christ more and more and more, but it is already 38:46 started. It's like an education. When we When your child goes to school, he's learning. He's learning languages, he's learning mathematics, he's learning science. He's learning all the time. And a true Christian should be learning more and more about 39:05 God. I I've learned so much about the Lord even in the last one or two years. And yet, I gave my life to Christ 67 years ago, but I'm learning. I'm still in in school. It'll never finish till Christ comes again, and I'll be learning a lot more 39:21 in eternity as well. Are you learning, my brother, more and more about Jesus? Eternal life is to know God, and I would say know God better and better and better. Because you will become better if you know God better. Turn to 1 John and chapter 3. 39:42 >> [clears throat] >> I often ask people this question. What is the What is the What are you looking forward to? What's your hope? And many say, "My hope is that I'm going to see Jesus face-to-face." 40:01 Well, that's great. But in 1 John, we're told something more. Our hope is more than just seeing Jesus face-to-face. In 1 John chapter 3, we read like this. 1 John chapter 3 40:20 and verse 2. What does it say there? The last part of verse 2. When he appears, we will be like him. Because we'll see him as he just as he 40:36 is. So, notice two things there. One, we will see him and we will be like him. When Christ appears, we will see him, we'll be like him. Now, if you ask most Christians, "What are you looking forward to?" They'd say, "I'm looking forward to see 40:52 Jesus. He's going to come back." Agreed. That is one part of the hope. And hardly anybody talks about the second part of that hope, which is, "When I see him, I'll be like him." So, remember that hope is twofold. Most Christians think only of, "I'm 41:10 waiting to see Jesus when he comes back." I'll tell you honestly, I've been looking to see Jesus for many time many years, but the last 50 years, I've been not only looking to see him, but I want looking forward to be like him as well. 41:23 And that's made all the difference in my life. Because in the early part of my Christian life, I was not taught that I'll be like him. I was told, "We're looking forward to Christ coming back. We'll see him." But here it says, "We will see him, 41:35 we'll be like him." 1 John 3:2 last part. So, it's a twofold hope that we have. And if you have this twofold hope, this is what you will do. This is the proof that you've got a double hope. That if you have this hope, double hope, 41:53 you will keep on purifying yourself, verse 3, until you reach his standard of purity. You will cleanse yourself till you become 100% like Jesus Christ. When we start the Christian life, we're not like Christ >> [clears throat] 42:14 >> Every year we should become a little more like Christ. Just like your children, you want every year you want them to go to higher class, right? You'll be very disappointed if your child stays in the same class for the next 42:26 year. Even if they're gone all the way up to the 10th grade you'll want them to go to the 11th grade. Even if they have finished school and joined college you they finished one year of college, you want them to go to the second year 42:40 of college. When do you want your children to stop? Even if they're studying for PhD they finished one year, you want them to go to the next year. That's how it is in the world. And that's how it must be in our life, too. 42:57 Have Have you become like Christ in certain areas? Praise the Lord. Make sure that by next year you'll become a little more like Christ. That is spiritual growth. >> [clears throat] >> That will happen if verse three, you purify yourself. 43:12 Don't say, "Lord, you purify me, make me like Jesus." What does it say here? If you have this hope which hope? Not of seeing him alone of seeing him and becoming like him, verse two. Who If you have this hope you will purify yourself. And every year, let me 43:30 tell you this every year you'll become a little more like Christ. And if that is not happening then let me tell you in Jesus' name you don't have this hope. You do not have the hope of Christ's second coming and you 43:48 becoming like him. Decide from today onwards to have this hope. Say, "Lord I want to have this hope burning inside me that I'll that I'll be like you one day. And so I want to be a little more like you 44:07 every year. Not every day. We children don't get promoted every day. Once in a year they get a promotion. So, once in a year we should have examine ourselves. Have we Have I become a little more like Christ? Have I stopped kicking the ball in the 44:20 other direction accusing people? Have I started interceding for people and praying for them? That's the That's the direction in which Jesus is kicking the ball. Let me join that. Let me stop kicking the ball in the other direction. 44:34 Let me not anymore join the enemy in accusing and kicking the ball in the other direction. And I'll tell you it is very often in a close-knit church like yours, like all our churches, it's very easy to have spirit of 44:53 accusation against each other. You got to die to that because I'll tell you you're only hindering yourself. You accuse X, Y, and Z. You you accuse all those A, B, C, X, Y, Z people. You will not harm any of them. 45:12 You'll harm yourself. Have you understood that? It's like taking a knife and hitting yourself. Okay, I accuse this person, I accuse that person, I accuse this person. Who are you stabbing? You think you're stabbing them? Not at all. 45:28 They continue to live the way they want. But you're stabbing yourself. My dear brother, sister, please finish with it. I'm giving you some practical advice. Stop stabbing yourself. Finish with it. What delight you got in past, think of 45:45 it. Many of you have spent much time in the past. Be honest. Accusing people. This person did this, this person did that. What did you gain out of it? Now, if you feel something is if something is wrong in the church, you must go to the 46:04 elders and tell them. This person is doing something wrong. That is a very righteous thing to do cuz that's how you keep the church pure. If I see some brother doing something wrong, I would say to the elders, "Brother, please check up on this 46:21 brother. Something he's doing something wrong." There is nothing wrong with That is not accusation. That is you're helping a person. Helping the church to be protect the church from impurity. Is the motive that determines 46:38 whether you're accusing or helping. If your motive is to tear down that person somehow or the other, that is accusing. If your your motive I want to keep the church pure, that is helping. So, please distinguish between that. 46:58 There may be times when you need to go up to an elder and say, "Brother, I think there's a problem with this particular person. I'm not going to intervene in that. I'm not an elder, but please look into it. There could be 47:10 a problem there." So, this is the thing we need to ask ourselves, am I constantly purifying myself every day? And at the end of a year, I need to ask myself, have I progressed a little bit in the direction God wants me to go? 47:27 Many people seek to preach better and understand the Bible better and so many things like that. But I say the only mark of spiritual growth is you become a little more like Jesus Christ this year than you were last year. 47:44 And one of the areas where we need to be like Christ is in the matter of forgiveness. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 4. I told you one area where we have to be like Christ is interceding. When the devil is accusing, we don't 48:03 accuse, we pray for that person. But here is another area where you have to become like Jesus. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 32. This is eternal life that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. You must know Jesus Christ 48:23 better. I told you Jesus Christ is praying for his people, so that's one area we know him. Here's another thing. It says in Ephesians 4:32, be kind to one another, tender-hearted. These are words worth meditating on. Lord, 48:42 am I kind to others in this church? Am I tender-hearted? Forgiving each other in exactly the same way as you were forgiven in Christ by God. Forgiving each other in exactly the same 49:02 way as God forgave you in Christ. What a wonderful thing that is. Somebody's done something wrong to you. Forgive them. If it's affecting the church, go and tell the elders. 49:22 But if it's only affecting you, forgive that person. And say, "Lord, as you have forgiven me, I forgive." It says forgiving as God has in Christ 49:42 has forgiven you. Jesus never tolerated sin in anybody. He rebuked sin And the clearest example of that is when Peter told Jesus not to go to the cross. You 50:01 know what Jesus called Peter? Satan. You read that in Matthew 16. When Jesus said there for the first time he spoke about the church and he said the son of man will go to the cross. Peter said, "No, Lord, that I will not 50:18 allow that." And Jesus turned round and says, "Get behind me, Satan." Amazing. In In the temptation in Matthew 4, he rebuked Satan himself like that. When Satan said, "Fall down and worship me." 50:35 And Jesus' words to Satan was "Go. Get lost, Satan. Go away." Those are the words he spoke to Satan when in Matthew 4: 10. Matthew 4: 9, he tempted He asked Jesus, "Will you worship me?" And Jesus said, 50:55 "Get lost, Satan. Get away from here." And the same words he uses to Peter in Matthew 16 and verse 23. Get Get away, Satan, from here. 51:11 He called Peter Satan. Because Satan was prompting him. Satan was prompting Peter and saying, "Don't go to the cross." Every What do I learn from that? Every word I hear in my mind 51:28 which says, "Don't go to the cross." "Don't die to yourself here." You have to say, "Get away, Satan." Cuz that's what Peter was saying, "Don't go to the cross." And Jesus said, "Get away, Satan." And every time you hear a word in in 51:45 mind which says, "In this situation, don't die to yourself. Stand up for your rights." Which word do you listen to? Jesus says, "Take up your cross and die and follow me." And the devil says, "No, no, no, no, no need to go to the cross. Don't die." 52:01 Christendom is full of believers who do not die every day. Paul said, "I die daily." In 1 Corinthians 15. That's how he lived. And that's the way we are supposed to go as well. And if you go that way, that hope 52:21 your hope is a living hope because it says, "He who has this hope will purify himself as Christ is pure." And one one of the things we need to do when you take up the cross, forgive others. And it's a very serious thing because 52:36 the Bible says that if you don't forgive others, God will not forgive us. I don't care what the crime is. You don't forgive others, you won't God will not forgive you. If somebody has done something against the church, go and tell the elders. 52:53 If it has affected only you personally, it is not affecting anybody else. Forgive and take the matter to God. So, this is something that we need to If somebody's taking advantage of you, I've seen that also happen in some 53:09 churches. It happens many times. Even in some of our CFC churches, we have seen that. Somebody comes in there and takes advantage of a brother or sister. I say, "You must go and tell the elders immediately." For such a person must not be kept in 53:25 the church who's taking advantage of others. Because the church is a nice loving church and people are taking advantage of them. Could be financially, could be in some other way. We must be very strict. That is how I have sought to 53:41 keep the CFC Bangalore pure for 50 years. Wherever I've seen something, I will immediately come down hard on it. So, yeah, people think that Zach is a very hard person, but I'm hard against sin, not hard against people. 53:58 Wherever sin comes cuz that's the only way we can keep the church pure. So, eternal life is to know God and to know Jesus Christ and to know the standards God wants in his church. Lord, I want to preserve those standards 54:12 and I want to say to all of you, my dear brothers and sisters, you have a responsibility also to keep your church pure. Anything that brings impurity in your church, fight it. Go and tell the elders about it. If it is in your own life, judge yourself in 54:29 it. Say, "Lord, I want pure purity." Anything that is contrary to the spirit of love, an unloving thought, a critical thought, judge yourself. Say, "Lord, I want to keep my heart pure in love." Love doesn't mean that we tolerate evil. 54:48 Jesus never tolerated evil. That's what you see in the case of Peter. If Peter says, "Go don't go to the cross," Jesus calls him Satan, "Get away from here." And he was very patient even with Judas Iscariot. For 3 and 1/2 years, he bore with Judas 55:06 Iscariot. And so, I believe that God has a great plan for CFC Austin. And the very fact that he's purified it in a way shows that God has a wonderful plan for this church. 55:25 If God had not done any purified it, I'd have said, "Why is God allowing this church to go down the drain into the ditch?" But God stopped it and turned the direction of the church, so I believe God's got a great plan for 55:42 your church and he's given you some wonderful elders. I know them and I know they are wonderful brothers. Learn to respect them. The Bible says we must respect godly elders, especially their life is a God-fearing example, we must 55:59 respect them. And I believe God has got great plans for this church. So, let me repeat again. Our idea of God, what is he like? We will become like him. Those who worship idols become like idols. 56:18 And if you know what God is like, you will become like him. If you know what Jesus is like, you'll become like him. That is why eternal life is to know him. To know God and to know Jesus. Pursue that. Lord, I want to know my father 56:30 better. I want to know Jesus better and better because then I can be like him. Loving like him, forgiving like him, strict like him, holy like him. In every aspect, like him. May God help us. Let us pray. Now, I don't know in what area the Lord 56:55 has spoken to you, but whatever area the Lord spoken to you, say will you pray say Lord, please help me to remember what I've heard. That I won't forget it. Please remind me regularly through the Holy Spirit. I want to really make a progress that 57:15 before the end of this year, by the time I come to the new year in January 1st, I made real progress in my life to become a little more like Christ in my conversation, my behavior. I want to stop kicking the ball in the wrong 57:29 direction. I I to kick the ball in the right direction from now on. Cuz I'm on your team, Lord. Help me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
