0:00 Come now is the time to worship. Come now is the time to give your heart. [Music] 0:19 Come just as you are toship. Come just as you are before your [Applause] stand worship. Come. 0:44 Now is the time to worship. Come. Now is the time to give your heart. Come 1:03 just as you are to worship. Come just as you are before your one day. 1:24 One day every tongue will confess you are God. One day every knee will bow. Still the greatest treasure remains for those who gladly choose you. Now is the time. 1:47 Now is the time to worship. [Music] Now is the time to give your heart. [Music] 2:06 Just as you are to worship, come just as you are before your God. Come. [Music] 2:25 Please be seated, brothers and sisters. Keep [Music] We'll sing our next song. Blessing, glory, and honor. Power, might, and 2:45 dominion. Blessing, glory, and honor and might and dominion be unto thee thy blessed Lord. 3:03 blessing, glory, and honor and might and dominion be unto my blessed Lord. Coming down from your throne on high, you died on the cross for me. 3:21 Rising from the dead, you live to give me the victory. Blessing, glory, and honor. are admired and do obient be unto my blessing. Let's clap and sing. 3:38 Blessing, glory, and honor are mighty and dominion be unto thee, my blessed Lord, coming down, coming down from your throne on high. You died on the cross for me. 3:56 Rising from the dead you live to give me the victory. Oh blessing, glory and honor. Power and might and dominion be unto thee my blessed Lord. He shall reign as king of kings. He 4:21 shall reign as Lord of lords, Messiah, God, the living word. Halleluah. Halleluah. Let earth declare him king. He shall 4:38 reign. He shall reign as king of kings. He shall reign as Lord of lords, Messiah of God, the living word. Halleluah. Halleluah. 4:57 Let earth declare him king. We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. 5:15 We bring sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. And we offer up to you the sacrificees 5:33 of thanksgiving and we offer unto you the sacrificees of joy. We bring we bring sacrifice and praise 5:52 into the house of the Lord. We bring sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. And we offer up and we 6:10 offer up to you. The sacrificees of thanksgiving and we offer up to you. The sacrifice 6:28 is of joy. We sing. Blessed are the Lord, oh my soul. Praise ye the Lord. Blessed are the Lord, oh my soul. Praising the Lord. 6:47 [Applause] Blessed are the Lord, oh my soul. Praising the Lord. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Praise the 7:06 Lord. Bless the Lord, oh my soul. Praise the Lord. I will sing to you. 7:21 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have my need. Myation 7:44 [Music] of shall be sweet. I will be glad. I will be glad in the Lord. Bless the Lord. 8:03 My soul. Praise the Lord. [Music] Bless the Lord. My soul. Praise the Lord. as the Lord, oh my soul, praise the 8:25 Lord. [Music] The Lord, oh my soul, praise the Lord. [Music] Sing our next song, The Splendor of a 8:43 King clothed in majesty. [Music] The splender of the king 9:05 glows in majesty. Let all the earth rejoice. All the earth rejoice. He rises [Music] and trembles and 9:30 trembles and how great is our God. Sing with me. How great is our great 9:48 [Music] [Applause] [Music] Yeah. Heat. [Music] [Applause] 10:07 [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] 10:25 The light and the light and the lamb. How great is our sing with me. How great is our God. 10:43 All will see. How great, how great [Music] is our God above all. You're the name above all. 11:01 You are worthy of all praise and my heart will sing. How great is our God. Let's raise our voices and sing. How great is our God. How great 11:21 is our God. Sing with me. How great is our God. All see how great how great is our God. Name above all names. 11:47 You are worthy of all praise. And my heart will sing. How great is our God. How great is our God. How great 12:06 is our God. Sing with me, how great is our God. Oh, and see how great, how great is our God. 12:24 My God. Oh Lord my God. And I also wonder consider all 12:41 the works thy hands as I see the stars. [Music] I am a mighty thunder to 13:03 the you. [Music] This is my soul, my savior to thee. How great thou are. 13:27 How great thy [Music] soul, my savior God to me. How great thou are. 13:49 How great are [Music] when I think that God is son of Mary 14:05 sent to die. I stand on the cross. My word gladly. 14:25 [Music] He bled and died to take away my sin. [Music] All my heart 14:42 rise out my God to thee. Great is thy love. Great is thy love. [Music] Great is thy love. [Music] 15:01 All my heart rise up my God to thee. Great is thy love. [Applause] Great is 15:20 love. [Music] When Christ shall come, wish [Music] and take me home. 15:43 For joy shall fill my heart. Where shall I ble [Music] 16:03 and still proclaim my God how great thou art. It sings my soul. It sings my soul. 16:18 My savior God to thee. How great thou are. How great thou are. This sings my soul, 16:40 my savior God to thee. How great thou are. How great thou are. 16:58 [Music] We sing Allah last song. Worthy or worthy are you, Lord. Let's all stand up and sing. Worthy, oh worthy are you, Lord. 17:24 Worthy to be thanked and praise and worship and adore. Worthy, oh worthy are you, Lord. worthy to be thanked and praised and 17:44 worshiped and adored. Singing hallelujah lamb upon the throne we worship and adore you. 18:02 Make your glory known. Hallelujah. Glory to the King. You're more than a conqueror. You're Lord 18:20 of every. Sing it from the beginning. Worthy. Oh, worthy are you, Lord. Worthy to be thanked and praised and 18:37 worshiped and adored. Worthy, oh worthy are you, Lord. Worthy to be thanked and praised and 18:53 worshiped and adored. [Music] Hallelu upon the throne we worship and adore you. 19:11 Make your glory Lord. Halleluah. Glory to the king. You're more than a conqueror. Oh Lord of Mary, 19:31 [Music] Jesus said in Matthew 11:29, 19:57 well-known verse most of us know Matthew 11:29 he said come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden I will give you rest he invites all the people those who wish to come to 20:17 him so that he can give that is the nature of God. God gives and gives and gives. Like somebody says, God gives and man 20:34 receives and he forgets. Man is not thankful. And he has a tendency to forget very soon. But here Jesus said, "Come unto me all you who all you are weary and are heavy laden." We all came to Jesus when we 20:51 were weary. We were sick with sin. and guilt and condemnation. We were bowed down because of our burdens. Because of the problems that we had in life and maybe financial problem, we came to 21:10 him. Maybe physical sickness, we came to him for healing and he gave. And he still wants us to come to him and receive. And that's the reason why we go to God in order that our needs can be met. 21:29 You know it is good to come to God like that because none can give to us and and meet the deepest needs of human beings like God because he knows 21:49 our frame. Because it is he who created us and he gives us all that we need for life and godliness. like it says and those who trust in him will not lack any good thing. They will get everything 22:07 that they need. God has promised that. Seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness and you don't have to worry about the rest of the things. All these things will be thrown into your lap. Like one translation says, you 22:23 don't have to run after them. they are they will be given to you by God. And there are so many here who have experienced that and can testify to that. And uh when God 22:40 pulled out the Israelis from the slave market of the slavery of Egypt, from the land of Egypt, he brought them out and he took such a good care. I don't think there is any nation under 22:59 the sun which has experienced the miracles and the blessings and the goodness of the Lord like the Israelites. It says here in one Corinthians chapter 10 1 Corinthians chapter 10 I'll read a couple a few verses from 23:23 verse one. For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea. You see, all those 40 years, a cloud was over them. About 2 million people, 600,000 23:42 soldiers who were men of war and their wives, their children, their parents put together must have been more than two million people. God was always, you know, giving a shade to them all the years that they w wandered in Arabia 24:02 that's Mount Si that peninsula and border of what is called today's Saudi Arabia. In that desert they wandered for 40 years. And God had prepared a cloud over their head 24:19 so that they will not be scotched. And the Red Sea that was a hindrance to them to go through God dried it up so that they could walk through it. And all were baptized into Moses in the cloud. That is the meaning of the baptism in 24:38 the Holy Spirit. and in the sea like that's in the water and all ate the same spiritual food that was the food that that is written in the Bible that that is angels food mana when they cried out for food God gave 24:55 them for 40 years from heaven every day mourning for their food and when they were thirsty God split open the rock and rivers flowed behind them. Wherever they went, 25:15 rivers followed because it says spiritual rock which followed them which was the rock the Christ. Nevertheless, after having experienced all these things, cloud during the day and pillar of fire in the night so that they couldn't grope 25:33 around in the dark. They had light in the wilderness. In the night they had heavenly food. And when they were fed up with that, God gave them meat and God gave them water. And their dress didn't 25:50 wear out. Their shoes didn't wear out. Probably like we heard as they grew probably their clothes also grew over them and probably their um footwear also grew perhaps. So, so 26:07 this is the testimony of Israelis when they came out of Egypt. This is how God took care of them. Such good care. But the next verse says verse five, "Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well pleased." 26:26 And you know that later on when they came to the border of Canaan and wanted to go and possess the land and God had told I will be with you. I will give these Canaanites into your hands and they went and spied the land and they came back with a negative 26:45 report. Out of 12, 10 came back the negative report saying that we cannot conquer these fellows. They are like giants and we look like grasshoppers before them. And they were giants actually. They were sons of Anch sons of Nef Nephilim. 27:04 These were giants. I don't know how many feet tall they were. And these people, Israelis, they appeared like tiny grasshoppers in front of them. And they got so scared. it. They didn't believe what God had told that they will be your food. 27:23 Like Joshua and Caleb said, they their protection is removed from them. God is with us. We can we are well able to go and conquer the land. But they got scared and they listen to their fears more than God's promises and God's word. And 27:42 that's why God, it says, was not pleased with most of them. And you know, ultimately all those 600,000 people, men of war, all of them died in the wilderness in those 40 years, the next 38 years. And 28:00 only two of them, Joshua and Caleb, of that generation entered the land of Canaan. Just imagine out of 600,000 people two people were able to make it means what is the ratio and even today people 28:24 are like this God wants us to trust him for the times ahead but we still want to be fed like Babies, you know how babies are. For the first 28:42 few years, the parents have to take care of them right from cleaning, dressing, feeding and teaching and and taking them to school, bringing back from school and putting them to sleep and waking them up 29:00 early morning. For a number of years, children are to be taken care of. But as they keep go going to school, as they keep growing, the parents expect them to be little more responsible and to take care 29:19 of themselves. That when they are 8 years old or 10 years old, they should be able to get up on their own and go to the bathroom, brush their teeth, wash themselves, get ready, dress up, and pack up their lunch. 29:36 and go to school on their own. We expect these from our children. But how many of us are still having been born again for a number of years, still looking up to God for blessings and blessings and blessings 29:55 like spoonfed children, always wanting the parents to change their nappies even when they're 20 years old. How do you feel when your son or daughter still wants you to bathe them, 30:13 clean them, feed them, put them to sleep? You are concerned about such children. You need to take them to the doctor and see what's wrong with them. But most Christians today live like that. They 30:32 still look up to God for blessings. Of course, we need blessings, but that is not the only thing that we are here for. God wants us to grow up and face life on our own and also face the giants in life 30:49 like he wanted the Israelites to face the Canaanites. God's goodness is not only in the blessings that we receive. God's blessings are there even in 31:08 adversities. We don't realize that adversities we think, "Oh, it's from the devil and we rebuke it." It's not. So sometimes God allows this allows it. We know of Job's story. When Job was 31:27 tempted, it something was going on behind the scenes. God was working. There was a challenge between God and the devil. The devil challenged God. You have blessed him. Because of that, he is sticking on to you. Take away all these 31:41 things. Let's see. And God said, "Okay." And when everything was removed in one day and he became a popper and even his wife came on top of that and said you are still holding on to your integrity curse God and die. She 31:55 said and you know what Job said in Job chapter 2 he said why are you speaking like a foolish woman? Should we receive only blessings from God and not adversity? Here is a giant of a man in the old covenant even before the covenant was 32:14 given he lived Job before Moses and he knew God and his ways and he knew that blessings are not the marks of God's favor towards me. I hope you know 32:32 that brothers and sisters by receiving blessings from God don't you ever glory in the fact that God is pleased with you. There are so many heathen people who are more blessed than you and me. The richest people on earth 32:49 are not godly people. The most successful people on earth are not godly people. I hope you learn from that. from that. And we read in 33:09 Hebrews chapter 5, Hebrews chapter 5 verse 12 and 13. It it says, "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you still have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of 33:28 the oracles of God. And you have come to need milk and not solid food." What is milk and what is solid food? Milk is nothing but looking up for blessings from God all the time. 33:46 That's a mark of a baby Christian always going to God to receive something. You know when when your father comes back home from a trip let's say what do children expect of the father? First thing they see is what he's 34:05 brought for me goodies and gifts. They just go and ransack his suitcase. That's the mark of a baby children. Well, what does the wife do? The wife is happy to see his face, not his hands. 34:24 Oh, you come back safely. How was your trip? How is your health? Did everything go well? Where's the mark of a mature person? So, there is maturity in adversity. 34:40 When we look at adversity and trials and temptations as something as I mean they have something to give to us. They have something to teach us. There's something to make us strong like we read in Romans 34:59 chapter 5 verse three it says 35:15 and not only this that means it's connected to the previous two verses about how God has made peace with us or rather we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and we have obtained our introduction by faith into 35:33 the grace in which we stand and we exalt in hope of the glory of God. Exalt means we um we rejoice supremely, triumphantly. That's a stronger word than rejoice. exalting 35:52 in the hope of the glory of God. It's one thing to exalt in the hope of the glory of God. It's quite another thing to exalt in our tribulations. Verse three. And not only this, but we also exalt in our tribulation. Why? Why do we why do 36:11 we exalt in tribulation knowing that tribulation is going to you know tear you apart and can put you into so much of problem, inconvenience and pain and sorrow, grief and all that. And it says here we also exalt in our 36:30 tribulation knowing the outcome of tribulation is perseverance. Perseverance means patience and proven character and proven character hope. You know what all tribulation brings? 36:49 It brings perseverance, proven character and hope. And that hope doesn't disappoint us because God, the love of God has been poured into our hearts. You want God's love to 37:07 be poured into your hearts. Go through tribulation, brother. You will not know that God's love is poured into your heart unless and until you come to a place where you are provoked under tribulation, trials and temptations. 37:25 Then you know what is there in your heart. Whether there is love or there is hatred. When Jesus was being beaten up and taunted, mocked, whipped 37:43 and crucified, there is not a smell of hatred in his heart. And if you want to know whether you have this genuine love from the Holy Spirit which has been shed abroad in your heart 38:02 then you have to go through tribulation. Only then you know whether you are able to forgive and love those who hate you and those who harm you. 38:18 God wants us to take to a higher plane. He wants us to go up higher. God doesn't want us to remain like babes all the time. He wants us to go through all these things so that we become more and more 38:38 like him. That's the ultimate goal of Christianity. That's the ultimate plan of God. Romans 8:29 it says those whom he predestined he called them, justified them, 38:56 sanctified them so that they can be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Paul said in Galatians, I travail even now until Christ be formed in you. 39:14 That's that's the intention with which God calls us. God wants us to reflect his eldest son Jesus Christ so that we his followers can be 39:32 his younger brothers and sisters. That that is the calling with which God calls us. And we read here in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 Mark of a baby Christian 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse one 39:50 onwards he says this Paul speaking to the Corinthians Corinthians by the way they were not unbelievers they were not pagans they were born again believers you read in the first chapter to whom he is writing He's calling them sanctified people. 40:10 He's calling them saints. He's not calling them sinners. And to such people he's writing, I brethren, he's calling them brethren, his brethren in Christ. I could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as 40:28 to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. What are the characteristics of babes? I gave you milk to drink, not solid food. For you were not able to receive it. Indeed, even now you're not able to receive solid food because you are still fleshly 40:51 since there is jealousy and strife among you. You see, these are the characteristics of baby Christians. If you are still fighting with human beings, if human beings are still your enemies, 41:10 that means you are still a baby Christian because you have jealousy and fightings or strife among you and you are are you not fleshly and are you not walking like 41:27 mere Men, these are the marks of a baby Christian. Jealousy and fighting fighting for your own rights. Sometimes perhaps you know once somebody came to Jesus and said Lord 41:45 please tell my brother to give um my share of property. He was not asking for his brother's share of property or a little more than what was his share. He said my rightful share asked my brother to give it to me. Probably he was more 42:00 greedy. And Jesus said who made you who made me an arbiter over you? He said you have come to the wrong person. You could have you should have gone to the Pharisees. They would have helped you and they would have probably got a cut out of 42:17 that also. But he came to the wrong person. And Jesus told him who made me an arbiter oh you. And you know what he said the next verse he said beware of covetousness beware of greed. He said to whom he is 42:35 telling that to the one who is asking for his rightful inheritance rightful share of the property. Jesus is calling him calling that as greed as covetousness. 42:52 Do you see that you are supposed to get your part of the property from your parents and your brother is not giving you and you go to Jesus and Jesus said be careful 43:09 about covetousness. How do you take it Lord? This is my share. Jesus said, "If you're my follower, your kingdom is not of this world. Your citizenship is in heaven. 43:27 You're not going to live here forever. You're not going to enjoy that property all the time. One day you have to leave everything here. You can't even carry one thread with you on your back. As you 43:44 came, so shall you go. From dust you came to dust shall you return. That is that is how fleeting man's life is. And God expects us to 44:03 be what he wants us to be. In Romans 13, Romans 13 it says from verses 12 onwards or 11 I will read 44:21 or probably from verse 10. Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. Like we read the love of God has been poured into our heart. If it has been poured into our heart then we know 44:39 that it becomes very easy for us to love our neighbor who does harm to us who is not in talking terms with us. And because of that that love that is the fulfillment of the 44:57 law. And this do knowing the time that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep. And for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. Let us behave properly as in the day not in carousing. Carousing is 45:16 extreme drinking and partying. and drunkenness and not in sexual imromise promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. Again, those two words, strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the 45:35 flesh in regard to its lusts. So as followers of Jesus, we are to abstain from these things and seek after those things which we are called to. Those are written in 45:53 Ephesians chapter 5. When Jesus gave an invitation to the multitude, he said, "Come to me." But when he called the disciples, he didn't tell disciples to come to me. He told the disciples, he gave another 46:12 invitation to them. He said to them, follow me. Following is something different from coming. Coming we come to get benefits. Following we come to follow someone who 46:29 is going ahead of us in his footsteps. Chapter 5 of Ephesians, it says, "Be followers of Christ. Be followers of God. If God has called you to be a disciple, 46:46 not to be a baby Christian and live all your life like a baby Christian and go. This is not for you, brother. This is for those whom God has called to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. 47:03 Be imitators of God or be followers of God as beloved children and walk in love. Again, walk in love. This is the main thing in the Christian life. The love of God that is shed abroad in 47:21 your heart will make you do things that you were not able to do. Like love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you and be good to all men. Just like our heavenly father sends rain on the field of the good man and 47:38 the bad man. Makes his son shine on the good man and the bad man. He's good to even unbelievers when they pray. He answers their prayers, heals them, gives them what they need because he is the one who created them. Probably don't 47:54 they don't know who he is. They think he's some stone or idol or something like that. But still, God answers their prayers because he's good. He gives to his children as well as those who hate him. Even to those who don't believe in 48:11 his existence, atheists. There are so many rich atheists who have written books and made millions of um dollars, millions out of books that they have written against God, 48:28 proving that he is not there. And it says, "Let verse three, do not let immorality or impurity or greed, again that verse greed, even be named among you as is proper among saints." And there must be no filthiness and silly 48:48 talk, young people, silly talk, gesting, coarse gesting, silly talk, flippant talk. Careless talk, jokes all the time. You want to be 49:06 called a joker? Why do you want to be called a joker? If you like jokes and you want to crack jokes all the time, brother, you should find a circus company. That's the best place for you. They will 49:25 pay you for it. Of course, gesting which are not fitting but rather giving of thanks. You want to be a joker because you want to be popular and famous in your friends circle. What will it matter after you leave this earth and go? 49:44 Will your jokes and popularity follow you? And for this re for this you know with certainty verse five that no immoral or impure person or covetous man again who is an idolator 50:03 it says covetousness is like an idolatry. You may not know it but deep down in your heart you're hankering for somebody else's property or money or something else. Brother, you're not a Christian. I might as well tell you that. God's word says 50:22 that. It says you are an idolator. You better set up some idol in your home and worship there, which you're already doing it without knowing it. You're an idolator. You don't have any inheritance in the 50:41 kingdom of God. It says the next line. You want to continue to be like that. Be prepared for this consequence. Let no one deceive you with empty words. Let no one say no. That is how it is. Everybody, 51:00 you know, we live in this world and we need this and that and the other. You fight for it. Yeah. You go where they go. You follow them. Because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with 51:19 them. For you were formerly darkness, but now you are the light of the Lord. Light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For the fruit of light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truths. Try to learn what's pleasing to the 51:38 Lord, and do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them. First of all, expose it. Bring it to light to God and confess it. When you confess it, 51:56 you're bringing it to light. You're confessing it to God and saying, "Lord, this is what I have deep down in my heart. this covetousness, this immorality, this silly talk and all these things named here, 52:16 deeds of darkness. Lord, I bring it to light before you that you can cleanse me. If you don't do that, God will bring it to light so that others will know about it. And it will be such an embarrassment for you when others come 52:32 to know about it before it is too late for your own good. Bring it to light before God and walk in the light as he is in the light. Then you'll have fellowship with him and with one another as 1 John 1:7 says. And then it says, "Trying to learn 52:51 what's pleasing to the Lord and do not be partakers of unfruitful deeds of darkness. instead expose them. For it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done in secret by them. But all things become visible when 53:08 they're exposed by the light. And everything that becomes light is visible. Brothers and sisters, this is God's will for us that we get rid of all these things, the deeds of darkness and come to light 53:26 quickly and walk in the light and grow into his image towards his likeness towards his stature so that we become like him so that 53:44 Christ is formed in us that we radiate his glory that we become his anger brothers and sisters and don't you think that blessings are 54:00 the marks of God's favor towards you that's not because we already know and we heard that those who are more blessed than us are not God's children and that is not the mark of God's 54:17 blessing. You know what is God's mark? You want to know that? Turn with me to Psalm 41. Psalm 41 verse 11 it says by this I know that 54:43 thou art pleased with me or in other words by this I know that I have found favor with you Lord. What is this? Because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me 55:01 here. It is not talking about the physical enemy. I hope you know that. I hope you don't have any human being as your enemy on this earth because Paul says in Ephesians 6, we fight not against flesh and blood. 55:20 If you're still fighting with your flesh and blood, brother, you are not fit for the kingdom of God. I don't think you will ever be able to make it there. Our enemy in this world for Christians, for God's children, is the lusts in our 55:39 flesh and the principle, the principalities and powers of darkness. That is that's demon powers. and Satan and his hosts and the flesh and the sin that dwells in our flesh. That 55:57 is our enemy. Full stop. Not a single human being. And it says because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me. By this I know that I have found favor in you in your sight or that you are pleased with me because my enemy does 56:17 not shout in triumph over me. That means sin shall not have dominion over me. 2 Corinthians 6:14 because you are not under law but under grace. Because of that sin has lost its hold on you. Sin shall not have any dominion over 56:35 you. You have become an overcomer. You are more than a conqueror to Christ who loved you. And that is the calling with which God has called us. And that is what God wants us to be. You see, when we come to God 56:54 first, God forgives us. He has to do that because we cannot do it. And we can't expect God all the time to cleanse us like little children. We can't all the time go to the bathroom and call mommy to wash us. 57:13 No. After certain age, you should be able to go and wash yourself. one 1 John 1:9 it says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all iniquities 57:32 that God does, then after that God expects us to be responsible people and to cleanse ourselves. There are number of verses but I'll just give you one in 1 John 3. 57:50 1 John 3 verse two it says beloved now we are children of God and it has not yet appeared as to what we should be what we shall be but we know that when he appears we shall be like him because we shall see him just as he is. If you 58:08 want to see him when he comes and want to be like him like what he is then do what next verse says. And everyone who has this hope of seeing him as he is fixed on him purifies himself 58:26 just as he is pure. This is one play another place where God says that you need to purify yourself. We need to purify ourselves just as he is pure from all lawlessness 58:46 and everything that goes with it. In 2 Corinthians 7:1 it says in view of the promises of God that are given in chapter 6 towards the end of that says let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 59:05 perfecting holiness in the fear of God not in the fear of man in the fear of man. If I try to be um try to perfect holiness then it becomes fake. But if I try to perfect holiness in the fear of God that 59:25 means in God's presence in God's face then my holiness becomes pure and genuine and that is what God expects us to be. And one last thing I would like to close 59:43 with. And you may wonder how how do I know that I'm growing spiritually that I'm not a babe in Christ. If you have the desire to come out of your babyhood, childhood, you want to come to 1:00:01 be a youth spiritually speaking and also to become a father. Like John says, I'm writing to you little children. I'm writing to you young people. I'm writing to you fathers. You want to be like a father spiritually. 1:00:17 Then let this be true in your life. First of all, let God fill you with his love, divine love. Let the love of God be shed abroad in your heart so that you'll be able to love all those 1:00:36 whom you could not love before. And also 1 Corinthians 13, that great chapter on the excellence of love. This is the mark of a true growing Christian. Verse four onwards, I become more patient. 1:00:58 I become more kind. I am not jealous anymore. I do not brag. Arrogance is gone out of my life. I do not be act unbecomingly. I don't seek my own and I am not so easily provoked 1:01:21 and I do not take into account wrongs suffered that be that means like somebody says love is a poor accountant that I become very poor in accountancy in bookkeeping in recordkeeping I do not take into account a wrong 1:01:39 suffered I do not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoice ices. I rejoice with the truth. I will bear all things, any inconvenience, any um anything that crosses me, 1:01:58 any inconvenience, I believe all things. That means I believe the best in everybody and I attribute the best motive to them. And I hope all things that it'll turn 1:02:17 out to be for our very best for that brother for that person. And I endure all things and this is the one that it says next verse love never fails. You don't want to fail. 1:02:34 You don't want to be a failure. Ask God to fill you with your Holy Spirit which is nothing but the spirit of love. Then you will be able to say with this writer like Paul, I am patient. I am kind. I bear all 1:02:54 things. I don't keep account of wrong suffered and so on and so forth. May God fill us so that we come to a place where God will be able to testify and say, "This is my beloved son or daughter in whom I'm well 1:03:13 pleased." May God help us grow more and more into his knowledge and likeness. Amen. We'll sing a song now and afterwards we'll hear John Pereira. [Music] 1:03:46 [Music] Uh, the junior church can go ahead 1:04:04 upstairs. We sing once it was the blessing. Now it is the Lord. [Music] 1:04:20 Once it was a blessing, now it is the Lord. Once it was a feeling, now it is his word. 1:04:40 Once his gifts I want, now the ger. Once I sought for healing, now himself alone. All it forever, 1:05:04 Jesus will I sing. Everything in Jesus and Jesus everything. Once was faithful trying, 1:05:26 now is perfect trust. Once the heart of salvation, now the other most. 1:05:41 Once was ceaseless holding, now he holds me fast. [Music] Once was constant drifting. Now my anger comes. 1:05:59 [Music] All on forever. Jesus will I sing. Everything in Jesus 1:06:15 and Jesus everything once was busy planning [Music] his trustful prayer. 1:06:33 Once was anious caring. how he has a care. Once was what I wanted. Now what Jesus says 1:06:52 once was constant I see now he sees this praise all and on forever Jesus will I sing 1:07:12 everything in Jesus and Jesus Jesus every day. [Applause] Once it was my working 1:07:29 is it hand shall be once I tried to use him. Now he uses me. Once the power I wanted, 1:07:49 now the mighty one. Once for self I now for him alone. Hold it and on forever. Jesus will I say 1:08:14 everything in Jesus and Jesus every day. [Music] Praise the Lord for his word. 1:08:43 As we read in James 4:E 5, he jealously desires our spirit. That is the spirit which he has made to dwell in us. I was thinking about this verse 1:09:03 and also I was thinking in connection with this verse to 1 Samuel chapter 16 where um God the Lord's told to Samuel in verse 7 1:09:21 it's a well-known verse God uh was trying to reveal his heart to Samuel. Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature. when Samuel was trying to see whether 1:09:43 Eliab was to be an anointed and the Lord says because I have rejected him for God sees not as man sees for man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the 1:10:01 heart. Here when I see these two verses there is clarity on what God is interested in us. The Lord is interested in our heart. It's also we can say he's jealously 1:10:19 desires our spirit our heart is more concerned about our heart. What's happening to our heart? Is it growing? Is it maturing? When we read uh a verse like uh by this time you should have been teachers 1:10:39 not necessarily by our words in our life we should be teaching somebody I should be teaching somebody who is younger to me in Christ I should be able to be an example to somebody who is younger to me in Christ. So that's the will of the 1:10:56 lord and it's very good because even all parents desire uh maturity and growth in their children. If five children are growing in the home uh initially it is uh it's a burden. It's responsibility. It's too much of a work for parents. But 1:11:15 as they grow, once they start taking responsibility, they become source of strength and uh backbone of the home. That's how that's what God is expecting. That's why Paul wrote to Timotei, take 1:11:32 pains, consider what I say, do not neglect, pay attention uh so that your growth be evident to all. That's what uh the Lord is trying to tell us even now and today and uh I I in 1:11:51 my own life personally um I have tried to examine my own life my own heart's condition uh whether I'm receiving the grace from the lord and growth from the lord I just would like to share a few verses just three verses rather three truths rather 1:12:11 uh that has helped me to examine my own heart. The first one as we as brother mentioned this verse in Romans chapter 14 uh sorry not 14 Romans 6. Romans 6 verse 14 1:12:30 it says for sin shall not master over you for you are not under law but under grace. This as I came to CFC this was almost the first verse which I heard in the beginning and also in connection with this verse always we are encouraged to 1:12:48 look at 1 Peter 5 5 and 6 u God gives grace to the humble in a situation if I'm not getting grace um as we were hearing when I go through tough time difficult situation 1:13:08 or against sin. If I don't get grace, that is the proof that the Lord is not uh really happy with me. Lord is telling me indirectly that you are not humble. I I want to give you grace but I'm not able to give you grace 1:13:26 because your heart is not good. Your heart is not humble. So I have to look at my heart condition and ask the Lord Lord help me humble myself and see my own situation and uh um maybe honest with myself and uh set 1:13:45 things right before God and get grace from God. This this has really helped me in many many situation over the years uh to examine my own heart whether am I getting gra am I getting grace that's the mark of growth which I have seen and 1:14:01 also Romans chapter 14 verse 17 this is also well-known verse the kingdom of god is not eating and drinking but righteousness peace and joy in the holy spirit is this what my heart's condition is god is concerned about my heart. He zealously desires for 1:14:21 my spirit. It's a welfare of my heart. And is this what my life is? Is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit uh is dwelling in my heart immaterial, what my situation, circumstances, who against me, what what 1:14:39 is the misunderstanding? Then I I can examine my own heart and go to God. Lord, am I in the kingdom of God? This has really helped me to see my own condition and my own growth to see God and get grace from God, 1:14:58 get his peace, get his joy and uh and also one more verse uh Isaiah chapter 58 here in fact verse one onwards but particularly particularly I was thinking about this verse verse 11 1:15:16 we can read when we have time from verse one but verse 11 I was thinking the Lord will continually guide you really it's a great blessing many times when I talk to different ones I see that they they say how do I know what do I do how do I 1:15:33 choose uh life partner or job or what do I do at this situation this is a great blessing we we all really desire to have this blessings Lord will continually guide you we want God to guide us in every situation. That's the great 1:15:52 blessing. That's how Jesus lived. Jesus was led continually every moment of his life by by God his father and uh satisfy your desires in scorch places as we heard before you maybe situation in the 1:16:09 office and neighbors anywhere they I may be going through very tough time work situation and somebody misunderstanding and many many situation like that and 1:16:24 sin uh trying to beat me down many sins. I'm finding it difficult and uh the the promise is he will satisfy your desire in scorched places. Is the scorched places beating me down 1:16:42 and putting me down? But God's God's promise is that he will satisfy with his grace. He will give me grace to my heart. My heart will be strengthened by his grace in the scorched places. See in fact if we compare the first verse and second first 1:17:00 line and second line the Lord will continually guide you and he will satisfy I think of Jesus. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then next the Holy Spirit led him to the wilderness to be tempted and the Lord was with him and uh gives strength to 1:17:18 your bones. He will give us strength to our bones physically, spiritually and also then it says you will be like a watered garden. Watered garden. water. We we we see Paul saying as we read in 1:17:36 one one Corinthians 3 where Paul writes Apollos uh watered I planted but the Lord is the one who gives growth and such growth the the Lord will water me and such growth will come my my life 1:17:55 will be fresh that's what it is saying my spirit will be fresh my heart will be fresh and uh like a spring of water whose water do not fail and in fact we can say it as like I'll be blessed my heart will be blessed and I'll be a 1:18:13 blessing to others when I see this this blessing I have to watch over my heart because God wants to bless me but I when I see the previous verses u maybe verse 9 I see there the Lord 1:18:29 will see If we ask the Lord, Lord will answer. That's what it says. You will call and the Lord will answer. You will cry and he will say here I am. This is what we need. Whenever we are in a situation, we are not finding life like 1:18:47 this. We can call. But there is a condition. If you remove if you remove the yoke from your heart again heart, I have to do this. The Lord wants to help. Lord wants to make me a watered wellwatered garden. But I have to remove 1:19:07 the yoke from my midst my in my heart which is blocking me. Uh there is a block between me and God. I have to remove that because I want blessing to come into my heart and the pointing of the finger. I may be blaming my boss, my 1:19:25 situation, my circumstances. Maybe Satan and people my wife children there's a tendency when I go through tough time to blame point finger God says no you cannot blame anyone just blame yourself and remove the pointing 1:19:45 of the finger and speaking wickedness don't talk that so and so did even Satan did anything remove these things and then the next one I was thinking if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desires of the afflicted. This really spoke to me 1:20:04 as I was hearing brother that uh see I am too much occupied with myself. Self-indulgence is an idolatory. This is what God is expecting. You're not concerned about the hungry in your in your midst and you you're not concerned 1:20:20 about the afflicted among you and you're not giving yourself to somebody who is hungry. You are too much occupied with yourself. That's what happens. The mark mark of immaturity is that I'm more concerned about my own need. Me and I am 1:20:36 not concerned about the people around me. Hungry and afflicted. God wants me to be delivered from this. Remove the yoke. Pointing of fingers speaking wickedness. Then be concerned about the hungry and afflicted around me. Then it 1:20:53 says your your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. And the next verse as we we read the promise Lord will continually guide you. And uh what I am saying is the Lord is so much interested in my heart. Like we 1:21:11 read there God told Samuel, I look at my heart when I see the church. So what God is really looking at God will meet our need if we seek his kingdom and his righteousness. God is not too much bothered where we work, how much we earn, what kind of 1:21:28 house we live in. But God is more interested in our hearts and he has brought us bringing us together. He's building his church. When I when I see the Lord is building his church. What is he building? He's building our hearts. 1:21:43 Our hearts he's bringing us together. He's strengthening our heart with grace so that we will be wellwatered garden. Then he is building one another with uh in unity and he's building the hearts here. He's more concerned about the 1:22:00 hearts. That's what strongly came to me. And uh I want to examine let's uh uh examine our hearts brothers and sisters that uh how we present our heart before go before the lord. The only one answer is Lord please fill me with your spirit. 1:22:17 Strengthen my heart with your grace so that I'll be wellwatered garden so that I'll be spring of life to others. May the Lord help us. Amen. Shall we bow our heads in prayer and 1:22:40 respond to what we heard? Our father, we thank you that time and again you 1:23:00 exhort us. You warn us of the consequences of disobedience and taking things lightly. Lord, we ask you to help us, Lord, 1:23:17 that we may not be stagnant in our life, but rather that we will grow from strength to strength and from glory to glory. That we will come to know you 1:23:35 in a much better way every day through different circumstances and situations. that you send across our life. We pray that you will open our hearts, open our understanding, 1:23:51 open the open our minds that we may be able to look at things and people from your point of view and that we will follow you wherever you go in your footsteps. 1:24:10 Lord Jesus, we are helpless. We need you. We need your power. We ask you to anoint us and fill us with the Holy Spirit that we may be all that you want us to be on this earth. We want to thank 1:24:27 you and praise you for this time. Be glorified in our lives and in our family, in your church. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
