0:29 e e 1:28 e e 2:28 e e 3:28 e e maybe first song shall we all stand and 4:04 sing our first song we are here to praise you lift our hearts and sing the best that we can bring and it is our love rising from our hearts everything within us cries I Love You Lord we are here to praise 4:23 you lift our hearts and sing and we are here to give you the best that we can bring that it is our 4:45 love rising from our heart everything within us rise I Love You Lord from the we are here to praise you oh we are here to 5:04 praise you lift our hearts and say we are here to give you the best that we can bring and it is 5:28 our Rising from our hearts everything within us father [Music] 5:44 father help us now to give you pleasure and Delight heart and mind and will that say I Love You 6:03 Lord please be seated Speak oh Lord as we come to you teach us Lord full obedience holy reverence true humility test our thoughts and our attitudes in the radiance of your purity stre oh Lord as we come to you to 6:39 receive the fruit of your holy word Take Your Truth planted deep in us shap and 6:54 fion us in your likess that the Light of Christ might be seen today in our eyes of love and our GS of 7:13 Faith Speak oh Lord and fulfill in us all your purposes For Your Glory teach us Lord full 7:36 obedience holy re true humility T our thoughts and our attitudes in the 7:54 r of your Pur CU our F to rise arise to see your maest love and [Music] 8:13 Authority words of bar that can never fail Let Your Truth Prevail over unbel Speak oh Lord and 8:34 renew our minds help us cross the heights of your plans for us Tru un Change from the dawn of time that will 8:52 e down through eternity and by prise will stand and your prises and by faith we walk as you walk with 9:12 us Speak Lord till your church is buil and the Earth is sp with your glory 9:27 [Music] 9:50 let's sing the one more song he is not a disappointment Jesus is for more to [Music] 10:20 me he is not a disappointment Jesus is for more to me then in all my flowing Day Dreams I had fancied he could 10:36 be and the more I get to know him say the more I find him true and the more I long that others should be to know him 10:53 too and the more I long that others should be know him too he's not a disappointment he has saved my soul from 11:11 sin all the guilt and all the anguish which oppress my heart within he is B by his presence and his 11:25 bless a kiss of Peace has assur my heart forever that his love will never cease as assur my heart forever that is love will never see he is not a 11:50 disappointment he is all in all to me savior sanif healer the he of changeing Christ is see he has won my heart's 12:06 affection and he meets my every need he is not a disappointment for he satisfies inde he is not a 12:22 disappointment for he satisfice inde [Music] Brothers and Sisters Let's just pray and come this time to the 12:39 Lord loving father Lord we praise you and thank you Lord from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same your name is to be praised we thank you for this opportunity such a joy to come into your presence and the presence 12:58 of your children we're so grateful Lord for brother Zach and we're so thankful that he's here and we really want our hearts and uh our ears to be tuned to the words of eternal life Lord that we believe you'll speak to us want to put 13:14 aside every distraction Lord and come in faith and trust you that you'll speak to us according to our need that you've done all things well and you'll continue to be the one who builds this this church your church Lord we want to be a 13:26 part of what you're building give us Grace we pray in your mighty name Jesus Amen brother Zach we are privileged happy please come and speak to us it's good to 14:17 see so many of you here on a weekday when we come to the end of our life as all of us will one 14:36 day we should not have any regret about the way we lived from the time we were gripped with the truth maybe you have regret about the days after you were born 14:53 again till you came to CFC and heard about a higher Christian life than just saying I'm going to heaven you know Jesus never asked anybody do you want to go to heaven and I don't ask anybody that also Jesus always said follow 15:12 me and he gives eternal life to those who want to follow him so it's important for all of you to know that the reason we stand for certain things in CFC is 15:30 because there's always been a lowering of Standards from the time of the Apostles and then God raises up different Ministries at different times to raise us back to the level that Jesus gave the apostles always going down and then 15:48 lifting up going down lifting up this has happened for 2,000 years so I believe God Has Lifted up CFC from the beginning not the people because so many different people come but what is preached from the 16:07 pulpit and the leaders who preach are seeking to live a certain quality of life that's why if you read Revelation chap 2 and 3 you'll find that the Lord is not speaking to the church 16:25 primarily he speaks to what he calls The Messengers of the church word angel means messenger and that is the main Elder who preaches God's word in that church 16:43 and he's questioning him what are what is the quality of your church and some churches that started so well have sunk down in a few 17:01 years so even if you have heard it before let me repeat it again in Acts chap 20 one reason I keep repeating my messages well two 17:20 reasons is there are always new people in the church who have come to the church who have not heard when I preached it the first time so I see myself as a class 17:40 teacher you go to any third standard second standard fourth standard first standard every year you go to the school in June when the school year begins and you'll hear the teachers teaching something say in second 17:57 standard you go next year the teacher is saying teaching the same thing you go 10 years later the teacher is teaching the same thing and you say why are you teaching the same thing he says because every year we have new 18:09 students they have not learned it that's how a good teacher is so we have so many new people coming here I mean I don't even know the names of most of you I've not met many of you so that is why we repeat what we have heard again and 18:26 again what we have spoken again and again and those who have heard it before also need not feel bored listening to it because we tend to forget what we have heard and so we must also be concerned 18:43 about the new people that's one reason the second reason is there are children your own children who are growing up in this church that's the second reason they may they may have been here 5 years ago when this a certain message 18:59 was preached the first time but they didn't understand it then now they are they were only 7 years old then they couldn't understand now they are 12 years old after 5 years they are ready ready to understand so if anybody wants to keep 19:17 on preaching new messages he does not take these two factors into account one there are new people and second there are growing up children many churches I know some well-known preachers even in India they have all their points written 19:35 down in a page of one message and they'll write down underneath we have preached this message in such and such a church on such and such a day so if I go back there again I don't preach it I say I go back there I'll preach it again 19:48 because I'm not led by some rules so what is the holy spirit prompt as to what this church needs to hear so in Acts chapter 20 that's how the early apostles preached they did not have a notebook saying I've already preached this 5 20:03 months ago so I won't preach it again they would preach and Jesus preached the same message numerous times so I don't know whether you have heard this but acts chap 20 we read Paul in verse 20:22 [Music] 17 he sent from myus he sent to Ephesus and called for the Elders of the church he said please come to me and when they came he said to 20:39 them you know from the first day that I came to Asia after what Manner I have been with you at all seasons see we read in verse uh that he is in 21:10 31 middle of verse 31 I have been here for 3 years Paul never stayed for 3 years in any town except Ephesus and that's why you read the 21:27 letters Corin Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians you find in Ephesians is the highest standard of Christian Life that he preaches he preaches about revelation of the Holy Spirit he preaches about fighting against evil spirits he doesn't 21:45 mention that in Thessalonians or Romans or any of these others why did he preach these high truths to the Ephesians because he says I've been with you for a long time and I've raised you to a certain standard there are things you hear in CFC you'll 22:01 never hear in another church so he had a burden for this church in Ephesus and he called the elders because the elders are the ones who are responsible just like when you want to speak to the children in a 22:18 family you call the parents okay and when the elders came he said to them you know from the the first day I came here how I have lived with you that's the first thing he says he doesn't say 22:36 remember what all I preached to you that is secondary you seen how I lived here from the first day I came and how long had he been living there verse 31 3 years so he didn't have any wife or 22:56 children he was single and he says you know how I lived among you that's the first thing not how I preached and you know that verse 33 I did not desire any money from any 23:16 of you no silver no gold I did not ask you even to buy me any shirt or pant or anything she says there he says what I needed I worked and supported 23:33 myself all my necessities and he lived very simply and why did I do it like that because I showed you verse 35 that by working hard like that we must support the weak people in the 23:53 church that mean we must help those who are poor and also I wanted to teach you to remember verse 35 the last part the words of Jesus who said it is always more blessed 24:12 to give than to receive so if I ask a person a question do you want to be blessed or you want to be more blessed is there any doubt about what we should ask for do you want to be when you ask a child do you want to be blessed or you want to be more 24:29 blessed so he says to be more blessed then you must learn to give rather than receive it's human nature to always want to receive no matter how much we 24:46 get we want still more that's part of human nature and in the Book of Proverbs turn to Proverbs there's some wonderful New Covenant 25:03 truths in Proverbs is about one book in the Old Testament uh and Proverbs Chapter 30 Proverbs is one book where very 25:27 difficult to find the verse easily there it says in verse 15 first of 25:45 all the horse leech I don't know what type of animal that is has two daughters but they have only one thing they cry out for give me give me give me he's warning you don't be like that and there are three things that are 26:07 never satisfied no matter how much they get they're not satisfied and there are four things in the world vers Proverbs 35 they never say okay that's enough I've got enough and who are these the grave you know that the grave never says okay you 26:25 have buried enough people no we know we want more the baren womb here's a woman who's been married for so many years no children she's not satisfied she want I want one child and even those who have one want one more but completely baren every 26:41 baren mother in the world say I [Music] want and then he says there are four things that never says enough the grave the baron womb and the Earth no matter how much water it gets in the rain says I want 26:59 more rain isn't that true and the fire that never says enough fire that burns says put more in me put more in me in the especially in the fireplace and all people having their house to keep the house warm you put something there to make the fireplace 27:15 and the fireplace is give me some more give me some more otherwise I'll die out so he's saying don't be like that to all believers don't always expect to get and get and get and get and get Jesus said it is more blessed to give 27:33 than to receive turn back to Acts 20 that's one of the things that Paul tells this church you want blessing or you want more blessing if you want blessing receive from the 27:56 Lord but if you want more blessings [Music] then give that's what he says in Acts 20:35 I showed you from my own example that by working hard supporting the weak people to remember the words of the Lord 28:15 Jesus how he said it is more blessed to give than to receive that's a very important lesson to learn I can't say I've learned it 28:33 perfectly because I compare myself with Jesus and I say I'm far behind but I'm trying to learn not to expect people to give me anything but Lord teach me to give and not to receive in a one way it's selfish because I want more 28:52 blessing and it says you get more blessing if you give than receive oh Lord then teach me how to get that way I want definitely I'm not ashamed to say that I want to be more blessed by the Lord than I'm already blessed anybody here who's already satisfied 29:09 with the amount of blessing God gave you you should not be you should be pressing on to receive more blessing from the Lord is a good thing but I should not be expecting more from people around me to them I must give what God has given 29:26 me so we have to receive receive first before we can give to others and that's why we must all develop the habit of receiving from God first but not just keeping it to ourselves whatever God has blessed you with share it with others especially 29:45 some spiritual lessons God has given you I don't mean Bible knowledge the world is full of Bible knowledge but some practical things God has taught you in your life share it with others and you'll be doubly blessed it is more blessed to 30:04 give than to receive see what you're doing now is not giving what you're doing now is receiving and is there a blessing in it of course it's a blessing you hear the word of God and it blesses you but if you keep it to yourself it can stagnate like you get 30:26 some meat and you keep it it gets spoiled after some time you have to give it out so that you get fresh and if you give it out God will 30:44 give you something fresh okay and the important thing I want you to see here is that Paul was been this place for 3 years vers 31 in 31:01 Ephesus he says night and day I preached for 3 years so calculate that in one year there are 365 days and if he preached in the morning and at night that means morning meeting before people went to work evening after they 31:21 came back from work John Wesley used to do that he used to get up in the morning at 5:00 and ride his horse to some place where workers had gathered together those days it were not office workers there were workers who worked in Farms 31:35 or factories or something like that not even factories Some Farms or hand labor it's how they earned their living so he would call them together those who wanted to hear the word of God and preach to them and then he would go home 31:49 and in the evening he'd come out again at after 6 or 7:00 and call these people again to preach every day he preached two messages morning and night Paul did the same thing day and night he preached for 3 years so if he one year itself it will 32:07 be 365 into two messages 730 and then in 3 years it'll be nearly 2,200 messages can you imagine if you had 2,200 tapes of the Apostle Paul Bo I'd be listening to it every day imagine having tapes of the Apostle 32:26 Paul if you're really anybody who's really hungry for God would say boy I want to listen to that anointed man and those who seek for God like that will become rich spiritually and be able to bless others and give to others and what they give 32:46 will be fresh not stale old food I want to encourage all of you to learn to share God's word with others I don't mean it from the pulpit sometimes that can be honor seeking to preach from the pulpit but when you talk to people you 33:05 speak on the phone when you meet with one another in a home or somewhere you can always share something God shared with you you probably heard me say the story of two discouraged believers who were so discouraged one day they walking down the road and they 33:22 met each other and they talked a little while and then after they went home one of them called the other and said brother I'm so happy I met you because I was so discouraged and I met you and I got encouraged and the other person said hey 33:36 I I was discouraged and you encouraged me two discouraged Brothers met each other and they got encouraged how is that cuz the Lord was in the Middle where two are gathered together I'm in the middle so if you're a discouraged person 33:50 just by sharing with another person you'll be encouraged so he preached all these messages and it must have been a very spiritually Rich Church to listen the Fantastic messages of the Apostle Paul as he explained scripture in a way that 34:08 nobody else could explain and Paul was never boring I heard a lot of boring preachers in my life nowadays I just turn off after if I find it's going like that I just switch it off and say I don't want to hear anymore it's just waste of time but then 34:27 I heard also a few preachers who were the anointing of God upon their life they gripped my heart and I would not want to stop listening they blessed me and always seek to whenever you share anything even I'm not talking about preaching I'm 34:46 talking about ordinary conversation see Hebrews 3:13 Hebrews 3:13 exalt one another 35:04 daily lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin so if you get an opportunity exalt means encourage challenge so encourage and challenge others every 35:22 day because you can be hardened so those those days there was no printed Bible when this book was written nowadays you don't need to get a brother to exalt you every day you can have the Bible you can have the Apostle Paul exalting you every day from the 35:40 letter to the Ephesians or the letter to the Romans I seek to get an exaltation every day sometimes Paul preaches to me sometimes Peter preaches to me sometimes John reaches to me sometimes one of the Old Testament prophets Ezekiel preaches to me but 35:56 every day exalt one another every day and I seek to receive an exaltation every day from some prophet and they they're in the Bible and if I listen to them I will not be hardened because sin is a very deceitful 36:15 thing that seeks to harden us but if I listen to the prophets every day I will not be hardened and you can do your part when you meet with the some brother that you 36:33 can or a sister that you can share something which the Lord laid on your heart maybe one sentence that may be enough to encourage somebody so when you meet one another if some thought was in your 36:50 mind don't hesitate to share it with your brother or your sister you never know whether it will protect that person from being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin exalt one another encourage one another every 37:08 day encourage one another see there's so much of discouragement in the world in the office Family Life from relatives the world is full of people who are saying something or doing something to discourage you so in the midst of such a 37:24 world isn't it wonderful if you each of us here say Lord I never want to discourage anybody by what I share even on a phone call or if I can't say anything let me keep quiet but let me never discourage anyone let me say things that will 37:41 encourage people so I think that's what the Apostle did Paul did for 3 years turn with me again to acts of the Apostle chapter 20 uh it says 38:06 here what was the content of what he preached what is the subject Acts 20 verse 21 the main subject of what he preached in all those three years that he was there three years means what 2,000 and 38:25 more sermons so as I said if you're listening to 2,000 vide tapes of the Apostle Paul what a fantastic blessing and he says here the main subject of what I preached acts 20: 21 38:42 is repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ two things repentance means you're facing sin your back is towards God you turn around face God and your back is toward sin in the military there's a command 39:01 called about turn so that is what repentance means all of you who never taken it seriously please understand repentance is not turning away from sin halfway many Believers have done only that much they're facing sin their back 39:20 is towards God and they turn halfway one eye is looking at sin one eye is looking at God this is the way most people repent and they have problems it's like getting married you're a single man and you get married and you don't think of only one woman 39:39 you come halfway and you think of the woman you're married and then you got another ey for some other girl in your office or somewhere else and those are the most unhappy marriages in the world the happiest are those who turn around 39:53 and say I got eyes only for you my wife can all husbands say that I have eyes only for you my wife can all wives say that I have now want to submit to you and not to my 40:12 parents I was under them once but now the Bible has asked me to submit to you those are the really happy marriages I don't want husbands to take that word and tell their wife see what brother Zach said that you got to submit 40:29 to me when you speak like that you're taking a hammer and hitting her on the head saying you to submit to me listen to what brother Zach said that is you're quoting me but you're quoting in the wrong Spirit I've been married 56 40:45 years and we have a very happy marriage I'll tell you honestly my home life is a foraste of Heaven that is the honest truth we never shout at each other or raise our voice at each other and we never get upset with each other we have 41:02 no demands on each other but we did not start like that we worked our way towards a Godly marriage where we can be an example so don't be discouraged if you're not like that on day one but work towards it work towards 41:19 a life where you have no demands on each other no demand that you must behave like this towards me or you must behave towards like no we want to just love and forgive and be patient and when you get an opportunity encourage no 41:38 demand many husbands and wives have a demand on each other if one day the food is not up to the mark forget it forget it maybe your wife was busy or some 41:57 problem with a child or something she didn't could not look carefully into the food don't make food your God my wife is not the best cook in the world but I'm very happy with what she makes because she's trying to help me 42:14 taking care and has kept me healthy up to this age why should I complain it's not tasty food that keeps you healthy is good food very simple food keeps you healthier than sometimes a lot of tasty food which adds so many things 42:33 which is bad for your health a lot of restaurant food is has got added things in it which may make it more tasty but it's not good for your health my wife and I hardly ever eat any restaurant food God has kept us healthy I don't want to live a long life 42:53 because I love life on this Earth not at all but but I want to live a long healthy life because I want to be useful to the Lord and I don't want to shorten that life by some lust in my own heart for food that is an important thing 43:08 sister we haven't spoken brothers sisters because we haven't spoken much about eating habits but I want to mention something now that I'm on that subject please turn to Philippians chapter 43:25 3 verse 18 18 and 19 Philippians 3:18 and 19 Paul says many people 43:43 walk of whom I have often told you first of all he says in verse 17 look at me Philippians 3:17 be a follower of me and Mark all those others who are walking like I'm walking I'm not the only 44:02 one and make us your example because in contrast to the way I'm walking Paul says there are some others who are walking another way and he says I'm not criticizing them I'm weeping while I'm writing this 44:19 letter boy what compassion that man had that he's writing a letter and he's weeping because he feels that these Christians may not take seriously what I'm saying what a heart he had for God's people that as he wrote I can imagine 44:37 the tears falling on the paper and the ink spreading because Tears are Falling on that ink amazing man he said I'm telling you something and I'm telling you weeping that some people are enemies of 44:55 the Cross of Christ and who are these enemies not people who are going around attacking Christians not the non-christians Who attack Christians but Christians verse 19 whose God is their belly who are the enemies of the Cross 45:12 of Christ read Verse 18 and 19 together a man whose God is his stomach is an enemy of the Cross of Christ their mind Earthly things so he said even in a simple thing 45:33 like eating and drinking be disciplined and don't make your stomach your God those are the people who clash with their wives saying the food is not tasty enough or not good 45:51 enough and he says if God is your belly verse 19 then your end is destruction and you're minding Earthly things so there are many things we have to repent of repent means turning away 46:08 from something displeasing to God so even in the matter of discipline of our eating habits we have to be careful that we don't make our stomach our God 46:27 many people don't think of that as idolatry you see somebody else bowing down before some Idol made of brass or stone and say look at those blind people what about a brother in CFC or a sister here who is so crazy about good 46:42 food that they get upset with their wife when someday the food is not up to the Mark or there not Variety in all the things that the wife cooks I say that person is just as much as an idolator as the other person bowing down 46:59 to those bronze and silver Gods whereas here doesn't look like an idolatry but it is whose God is their stomach we read so Acts 20 come back to Acts 20 repentance toward God verse 47:23 21 and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ that means I turn away from everything that God has make that dishonor God in my life an absolute trust in 47:38 Jesus I lean upon him I'm confident in him and he says that and also he says in verse 20 I did not keep back anything that I knew would be 47:56 profit itable for you but showed you publicly and from house to house that's what he did for 3 years and you would have thought that is the most Spiritual Church of all and it was because in all the letters of Paul 48:14 the highest standard is proclaimed in Ephesians these people are in Ephesus the church the letters to the Corinthians there's a lot of Correction you guys are all carnal and baby like to the Galatians he says you're worshiping 48:28 so many other things your rebuke there and even among the Philippians there are two sisters who are quarreling with each other and there are problems in every church but to the Ephesians you read Paul's letter to the Ephesians there's hardly anything he's 48:45 correcting there what a wonderful church it was can you give me a glass of water somebody if anyone has in the back thank you uh I didn't want to take your water thank 49:03 you can somebody turn on this fan please I usually keep it turned off but once in a while thank you so 49:27 but what I want to show you is this wonderful Church in Ephesus the Lord Paul had to tell the elders please see Acts chapter 20 again Acts chapter 20 49:57 I have spoken to you verse 31 for 3 years day and night warning you but I know something's going to happen after I leave I know that after I leave verse 50:23 29 wolves will come into the flock he's telling the elders he's not talking to the church he's telling the elders you guys are the Shepherds and so don't think of just the four Elders sitting 50:42 here if you are an older brother or sister to somebody else you are in a sense an elder then you have a responsibility towards that other person to make sure that this doesn't happen to 51:00 you I'm afraid that wolves will come in and you're not stopping them what is the job of a Shepherd to stop the wolves from coming in and we have been very strict with that many of you may not 51:18 know but the elders have been very strict in every church that I have responsibility for and now there are many in 16 countries God has established CFC so many nearly 100 churches and 300 51:37 Elders nobody takes a salary nobody takes an offering in any of these churches and we warn everybody be careful don't let the wolves come in and I thank God for elders who are 51:55 not seeking for a reputation for gentleness see a person who seeking a reputation that I want to be known as a gentle brother who does not correct anybody rebuke anybody that is the type of person who will allow a wolf to come 52:11 in and the Wolf you know there are wolves all around in the first century there were wolves now also there are wolves seeking to come into the church we not interested in godliness you know there are people who come to the 52:25 CFC they they're looking for some sister young sister to get married for their son they are not themselves interested in being Disciples of Jesus but they say oh in CFC they teach submission wives would submit I want a wife like that for my 52:44 son they have no desire to be the type of husband they they have not taught their husband to be the type of husband who lay down his life for his wife like Jesus laid down his life for us no they haven't taught that to their husband to 52:56 their son but they want their son to get a wife who will submit like the church submits to Christ if I have anything to do with that I'll never allow such a young man to get a wife from our church we are 53:14 not producing slaves for Covetous greedy men so Elders have a great responsibility to protect the flock the Lambs the young people in our church are like the Lambs they don't 53:33 have much wisdom we have to protect them and not only three or four elders but many of us must be Elders too and guide these people and many of you are married and you have experience and you know what CFC stands for don't think only of your own 53:50 family think of all these young people here some of them here are do not have Godly Parents you may be a Godly person your children are very fortunate to have you as a parent but think of some people here I always think of the young people you 54:08 know sometimes I look through the CFC matrimonial column and I tell you my heart begins to weep it's the truth I say Lord all these young brothers and sisters some of them in their mid-30s and where can we find 54:25 Godly Young people who will marry these men and women and live a Godly life please have mercy on them and find good partners for them please link them up that is one of my biggest burdens nowadays that another generation will 54:42 grow up of godly people who are not here to take advantage of one another and then there are some others who come to CFC because they say the children here are so well behaved and there's a good Sunday school that's not 54:58 the reason to join a church that you want your children to grow well that is utter selfishness you're a thoroughly selfish person you don't want to give anything to the church you want to get all the benefit of your children growing up 55:14 well no wonder you don't progress spiritually true spiritual progress is where you think of others first not yourself you heard that expression of how do you you get joy in your heart j o y Jesus first oh others next why 55:33 yourself last one way of getting Joy Jesus first others next yourself last Jo y That's The Secret of true Joy seek to serve the Lord like that I thank you know you don't you need to be thankful for these wonderful Elders who 55:49 are sitting here and not many churches that have Elders like this you have to be extremely thankful these brother sacrifice a lot to serve you what do they get out of it the joy of serving the lord that's all nothing else they're 56:03 not seeking your money they're not seeking your honor so they are keeping away the Wolves but all of us have a responsibility to Keep the Wolves what is the difference between a sheep and a wolf a wolf is coming to get something for 56:21 itself I want a husband for my daughter I want a humble godly man for my daughter and I want a wonderful submissive wife for my son or I want my children to grow up nicely everybody wants their children to 56:41 grow up nicely you want Christ to be Lord of your home those are the people we invite to the church those who are quick to acknowledge their mistakes and their failures so these Elders listen to it and Paul 57:00 warned them I'll tell you what will happen after I leave verse 29 wolves will come in and will destroy this flock and not only that some of you Elders will try to get followers for 57:19 your own self thank God that has never happened here we've always and pushed out some Elders like that we had one or two in the past who wanted a following for themselves and theyve been [Music] removed and wherever in any church we 57:39 see a person who's trying to get people to follow him we'll remove him we we are encouraging people to follow Christ so you have to be extremely thankful dear brothers that none of these four Elders here are seeking anything for themselves they not 57:53 only don't want your money they don't want anybody to follow follow them they want you to follow Christ don't take it for granted be extremely thankful for the elders you have because there are not many churches that have Elders like 58:07 this so in Ephesus as I've often pointed out can you turn with me to the second letter to the Ephesians you know where that is one Ephesians and two Ephesians the second letter to the 58:26 Ephesians is in Revelation chap 2 that could have been called second Ephesians like one Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians one Corinthians 2 Corinthians we could have one Ephesians 2 Ephesians this is two Ephesians Revelation Chapter 2 to the 58:46 angel means the messenger that's the Elder of the church in Ephesus say I know your Works your labor was to you're all a very wonderful what all you're doing doing and you have stood up for my name but verse five you have 59:04 fallen you have fallen from your first love verse four you have left your first love that means the way you Lov me once Jesus 59:22 says it's gone you don't love me like you did in those early days now you're taken up just going for meetings reading the Bible and going through the RO ritual but that fervent love for Jesus has gone so the most important thing that 59:41 should remain in a marage is not the quality of the food or the size of the house but the quality of love between the husband and wife that is the atmosphere in which God wants children to grow up that they see how their parents love 59:56 one another forgive one another don't criticize or yell at each other or blame one another that is the atmosphere of love in which children can grow up healthy and the same way in our relationship with the Lord he's talking about not what he do 1:00:14 for the Lord but that love relationship he had with me in the beginning where I was number one in your affections that means like I often have taught now is as soon as you get up in the morning you must first think of 1:00:36 Jesus not of anything else everything else will fall into place you'll be able to do your work better you'll be able to do everything better during the day if you start with Jesus Christ and if that's not your habit I want to 1:00:48 encourage all of you sitting here even young people children grown-ups when you get up in the morning before you get out of bed please spend at least 5 minutes or if more if you have time 15 1:01:07 minutes but whether you lie down or sit up talk to Jesus I do it that's how I begin my day there's a lot of important work to be done that can wait I can get up 15 1:01:24 minutes early and just talk to the Lord as a personal friend thank him for protecting you for caring for you begin your day like that and spend a few minutes meditating on his love for 1:01:43 you Jesus said man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from God's mouth shall I tell you how Jesus began his day every morning that is written in a prophecy 1:02:02 in Isaiah and chapter 50 if you have heard me speak about it before please listen again if you've never heard me speak on it before listen now Isaiah 50 we read and verse 1:02:37 five this is a prophecy about Jesus many verses in Isaiah are a prophecy of Jesus Christ and he says the Lord God the father Jesus is speaking here has opened my ear to and I did not turn or turn 1:03:01 away but what did he do opening the it says in the last part of verse four he wakes me up morning by morning to hear my ear that's the meaning of saying he opened my ear how did he open my ear verse four 1:03:19 last part he woke me up every morning to listen to what he has to say this is how Jesus lived so when you wake up in the morning dear brothers and 1:03:34 sisters it's good to think ah my father has woken me up Jesus has woken me up today he wants to speak to me that's why he woke me up I got a few more minutes before I start my 1:03:54 work and said Lord please speak to me I want to listen so the Lord God has opened my ear and he wakes me up in order to hear what he has to 1:04:11 say and when I hear it verse 5 I will not be rebellious and turn away and say oh no no I can't do that and if he tells me to give my back to somebody who smiting me me or to my cheeks to somebody 1:04:30 who's that pluck off my hair and or wants to spit on me I'm willing to suffer anything and the Lord God verse 7 will help me so I've been quoting this verse to many people the last few years please 1:04:50 let this be true in your life that you when you wake up you can say the Lord God has woken me up and I want to listen what he has to say to me isn't that a wonderful way to wake up I find that it's become a precious reality for 1:05:09 me now that my wife may be sleeping and I'm awake and I say the Lord has opened me wakened me up to here or your husband may be sleeping and you're awake and the Lord says i w on your year to listen to 1:05:27 me don't turn away I've got something to say to you man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God it'll change your life I tell you if there's one thing that has changed my life in the last 65 1:05:44 years it is listening you know many people say how long do you pray they tell me stor stories of somebody who prayed for 4 hours or 5 hours and I say you want me to know tell 1:06:03 you how long I pray please turn to Luke chapter 18 I'll tell you exactly how many hours I pray I obey 1:06:18 God who has told me in Luke 18 verse1 we must pray all the time 24 hours and must not faint so what does it mean to pray 24 hours obviously not being on our knees 1:06:37 24 hours because Jesus was not on his knees he worked as a carpenter for so many hours his prayer like I told you earlier he awakens my ear and while I'm doing my other work my ear is open to hear what the Lord is saying it's a wonderful habit 1:06:56 and you get up in the morning you hear something and you respond to it and then throughout the day say Lord my ear is open one of the best pictures I have seen is uh in some countries they have these policemen who drive cars and go 1:07:11 around immediately to react to some situation where there's problem and they have a walkie-talkie in their car connected to their headquarters and it is on all the the time because anytime the message may 1:07:29 come to this off police policeman who's in this car sometimes it may be to another policeman the car but the this this set must be open must be kept open all the time and they'll call one particular policeman and that man responds to it 1:07:47 sometime may come to you sometimes the whole day this man is not called at all cu the problems are in other parts of the the country of the city but his his walki talkie or not walki talkie that transmitting radio must be there open 1:08:03 all the time and that has been my example I must have a year that's always open to the Lord is the Lord saying to me all the time I'm not listen I'm doing many other things but with a heart that is open to listen I'm trying to 1:08:18 encourage everybody here to live by the highest standard of the Christian Life what I'm telling you is the highest standard of the Christian Life and every one of you can live by that I wish somebody had told me this when I was 19 years old when I got 1:08:34 converted but I had to learn it myself so what does it say men ought always to pray that means 24 hours you wanted to know how many hours I pray here it is 24 hours a day not on my knees but with the heart that's opening because I believe when it 1:08:51 just Jesus went into the Wilderness to pray I remember telling the Lord I said this there's no Wilderness in Bangalore which is the nearest Wilderness have you found any Wilderness near your place I lived here for 50 years I never found a 1:09:09 Wilderness and the Lord said your early morning bed your bed can be a Wilderness what did Jesus go to the Wilderness to do he wanted to be quiet to listen what is my father saying to me and every one of us can do 1:09:28 that every day when you get up either while lying down or sit in your bed and say heavenly father Lord Jesus speak to me please let me here God is a God who speaks what do we read in the first page of the 1:09:48 Bible first day God said something something happened second day God said something something happened the third day God said something something happened like that all 6 1:10:07 days he said something and something happened that shows us couple of things one that every day God wants to speak to you that is written in the first page of the Bible every day and the seventh day they sat the whole day listening to God 1:10:24 not just in the morning Adam and Eve had been created on the sixth day and the seventh day was a Sabbath they listen to God the whole day and as I said when God spoke something something happened because the word of God will 1:10:39 never return empty it'll always accomplish what it went for have you read Isaiah chapter 50 Isaiah 1:11:12 50 I'm sorry Isaiah 55 and verse 11 so shall my word be that Goes Forth from my mouth it will not return to me 1:11:31 empty that means it will not return to me without accomplishing it will accomplish something that which I wanted it to accomplish by speaking that's what you read in the first page of the bible let there be light ah Light 1:11:46 Came let the heavens be separated from the beneath part separated let there be a sun and a moon separated let there be fish in the waters Let There Be animals on the Earth something happens when the word of God is spoken and that is the first message on 1:12:03 the first page of the Bible every day God is speaking people may not listen but if you listen something will happen I'll tell you a recent example you know I was speaking a few days ago I 1:12:22 think on Saturday last to some people and I was quoting to them do you know that God's way of thinking is very different from yours it says here in verse 8 my thoughts are not your thoughts my ways are not God says my way 1:12:39 of doing things is not your way by the way and what is the difference as high as the heaven is from the earth that is a difference between my way of thinking and doing in your way and so so I read that and shared that with 1:12:56 somebody it was on my I I think I shared it from my Bible on my phone and I shut down the phone and Sunday morning I got a message from Robson family that brother Ian has 1:13:15 gone to be with the Lord it was morning in America but it was evening here and I heard he's gone to be with the Lord and as I said I did not cry because all the previous week I had cried a few times when I thought of the 1:13:30 way he was suffering but now is the time for rejoicing most people cry when they hear of a death I was rejoicing that he's in heaven he's met with the Lord and I told him what to tell the Lord that I was thankful for allowing him to 1:13:43 be my coworker and I said wonderful he's told Jesus already about it and he's so happy when he's happy why should I be unhappy if your husband is Happy should the wife look sad if your coworker is happy you also be happy I was honestly 1:14:00 happy but then I heard also from the family that they're going to have the funeral on Tuesday 10:00 now Tuesday on 10:00 is Monday night 10:00 in America so here is there Sunday 1:14:18 morning I hear that Monday night is the funeral Halfway Around the World and Santos also felt we must go he didn't tell me to go he said he's going so I said Lord do you want me to 1:14:38 go I'm a little older than SOS and it's not easy to travel halfway around the world I made a mistake by the way the other day when I was speaking I said I was looking at my in the plane they tell you how much distance you have Trav 1:14:55 traveled on the screen and it was written there 8,500 kilm you have traveled arrived Bangalore I said wonderful but then I discovered after the next day after I came here that that is only from 1:15:13 London because we came in two stops first was Denver to London and then London so London to Bangalore was 88,500 from Denver it was 20,000 some huge number and uh or I don't know 18,000 or 20 1:15:35 something like that so I say Lord that means coming and going what is it some 40,000 km it's like going around the world once this trip up and down so you want me to go or not I said okay I don't have any clear 1:15:54 voice from you let let me open my phone Bible where did I stop reading the previous day I was showing somebody I stopped by showing him my thoughts are not your thoughts and the like the rain from [Music] Heaven 1:16:13 uh I was telling him and then I came to I was I opened my Bible and I came to the next verse after that my word goes out of my mouth verse 12 you shall go out with 1:16:31 joy and be let forth with peace Lord that's fine I'll go out with joy and I know you'll Lead Me forth with peace but you have to get a last minute ticket to travel halfway around the world and you must reach here before 1:16:48 10:00 morning time here and it's amazing how SOS was a ble to get that ticket for us both of us and it was wonderful that we could be here I say when do you come after he 1:17:09 he's gone to be with the Lord when did you come before well I didn't know when he's going to be with the Lord we don't know the future I thought maybe if I come in December I'll see him but Lord always 1:17:27 perfect and anyway I felt okay he said I shall go forth with joy and let for Peace So I say I'll come and I came here SOS and 1:17:46 I to show to all the people and came for a funeral that for a man like this who who served with me for 50 years we never broke Fellowship for one day in those 50 years Barnabas and Paul broke 1:18:03 Fellowship after 2 years but Ian and I never not even in 50 years and I must honor such a man that people who come for the funeral must see that I'm willing to travel Halfway Around the World to honor 1:18:23 such a man just come for one day and then I'll go back I'm going back tonight and I believe that many people saw that and that made I'm sure that made people appreciate brother Ian even more that brother Zach will travel 1:18:40 Halfway Around the World to come to honor this man yeah I don't hesitate to say that so we're thankful for such leaders that we have had I want to say that God speaks to us the sad thing in Ephesus was this you 1:18:58 know the Paul said wolves will come in so here is a young 35y old Elder sitting in Ephesus listening I think some of those Elders may be 35 years old listening I was 35 years old when I became an elder in in 1:19:17 CFC in 1975 so here's this young Elder listening to Paul 35 years old in St Paul's warning wolves will come in here be careful and he says no no no I'm all right I'm wholehearted the Lord will take care of 1:19:34 me 30 years later in second letter to the Ephesians we read in Revelation 2 the Lord says to the Elder in the messenger of the church is the elder in Ephesus he tells him you have left your first love verse 4 Revelation 2:4 exactly like Paul 1:19:54 warned you 30 years ago when you were a young 35y old man now you Elder you're 65 years old and it has been fulfilled should not you didn't take Paul's exhortation seriously Paul kept the church pure as long as he was 1:20:13 there but he said once I'm gone you guys will not keep this church pure you will not be radical you'll seek your popularity and you'll seek to be accepted before people and you won't tell them what they should hear and so the Wolves will come in and 1:20:30 Destroy This flock and you yourselves will try to get followers to follow after you that's what he said in Acts 20 and that's exactly like that it happened the Wolves came in and tore up that church and the Lord says in 1:20:45 Revelation 2 I will the last part of verse 5 I will remove the lampstand from your midst that means I will not be in your your midst anymore you will still have your meetings and sing 500 people singing wonderful songs and all that but 1:21:01 Christ is not there and there may be five or 10 people sitting in that church who say oh the bridegroom doesn't seem to be here now that sense that we had of the Lord's presence in those days when Paul was here it's not there that sense of the 1:21:19 Lord's presence is not here it's not a question of the type of preaching it's not clever preaching not talking about that the sense of the presence of the Lord Jesus in the midst of the church the sense of the love of God in 1:21:34 the midst of the church they see it's not here the elders are just seeking their own and so five or 10 people say when the bridegroom leaves the wedding hall what should the bride 1:21:52 do still sit there no no if the bridegroom has left the bride says I'm going too I want to go where the bridegroom is the bridegroom has left the wedding hall and gone to somewhere else and the bride says I'll go there so five or 10 people in that 1:22:07 church who have the spirit of the Bride leave that church and go and meet somewhere else in a little house cuz they say the Lord is not here it has become just a big church with a lot of pump and show and they meet there and the elders 1:22:22 the new Elders of the old Elders of backslid and get up and say look at those 10 rebellious people who left don't follow their example they backsliders they are not backsliders they are the people who really love the Lord and they were fed up with the 1:22:37 carnality and the honor seeking there and because the elders did not love the Lord and they'll be called Rebels but they were not bothered what they were called Jesus was now there like it says here the Lord took away the 1:22:53 lampstand from here and planted with 10 people over there my dear brothers this is what is sisters this is what happened in many churches in the world they just increas in numbers the presence of Christ is not there see so much of so you go all these 1:23:12 YouTube there are so many songs of worship and all that they're not singing to the Lord It's singing Maybe Christian words but it's singing the presence of Jesus Christ is not there they're not worshiping the 1:23:27 Lord there's no reverence and awe awe or in the presence of Christ I I remember years ago the Lord spoke to me very strongly through John chapter 4 John chapter 4 the Lord said to the 1:23:52 Samaritan woman something that God is eagerly seeking now you good wives many of there are many good wives here supposing you feel that your husband is eagerly seeking for some particular type of food one 1:24:12 day not every day but one day he says I'd be very happy if I could have this particular food today I believe a good wife will do everything possible to make that food for him he's not asking every day once in a year he said 1:24:26 something and when you hear that the heavenly father is seeking for something a good Christian you say Lord I want to give you that what you're seeking John 4 it says in verse 23 middle of that verse the true 1:24:45 worshippers will worship the father in spirit and truth because the father is seeking for such people to worship Him and the way it came to my heart is heavenly father from Heaven you're seeking for some people who will worship 1:25:00 you from their spirit and in reality not just clap their hands and sing a song and have a good time and go home and some people try to Rattle off a few words in tongues and impress people and all that then fool people that they are 1:25:18 filled with the Holy Spirit you go home they find it's not the Holy Spirit they fight and Shout at their wife that's not the way they come to the church and speak in unknown tongues and in a known tongue they'll shout at their 1:25:31 wife at home that's not Christianity so I said Lord if you're eagerly seeking for True worshippers please make me one there may not be many on the Earth but I want to be one the father is eagerly seeking for True worshippers in the 1:25:51 spirit and Truth and I said Lord I want to be one in that number more than being a preacher I want to be a worshipper there's a beautiful story in the Old Testament Isaiah chapter 6 when you get time read it 1:26:10 how he saw the glory of the Lord and He Saw himself so corrupt he said oh Lord there's so much sin in me please cleanse me and he says an God sent an angel with a fire from heaven and it touched his tongue and told him you're cleansed 1:26:30 and the fire of Heaven came upon his life and he worshiped God and he said now go and tell other people so that is a great challenge to me Lord I want to be like that a worshipper I don't want to be a preacher first I want to be a worshipper it 1:26:47 doesn't say God is seeking for preachers he's seeking for those who will worship Him dear brothers and sisters have you read that verse how do you feel when you have of somebody you love very much says I wish somebody would give me 1:27:06 this there's an Old Testament story of David when he was running away from King Saul if you know the story in book of Samuel 1 Samuel he was running away from Saul was to trying to kill him and David was had a few friends and he was running away 1:27:23 running away in the caves and all he was hiding see David was born in Bethlehem that was his hometown and exhausted one day he just made a statement like that oh I wish I could get some water from that wonderful well in 1:27:37 Bethlehem he just made a statement like that and Bethlehem was under the custody of King Saul who was trying to kill David you know there one or two people David's uh fellow soldiers heard that and said our leader wants some water 1:27:53 from The Well of Bethlehem maybe it's this particularly tasty water he drank in his younger days it's very dangerous to go there because it's under the rule of Saul and if he go there he may kill us but they went and they went to that well of 1:28:11 Bethlehem taking a risk of their lives and took I don't know how much of water and they brought it to David and I'm sure David wept when he saw what wonderful Brothers I have that they're willing to take a 1:28:28 risk to get me this water and he said no I can't drink it they risked their lives to give me this water he just poured it out how can I drink water these people risk their lives but look at the devotion they 1:28:47 had the Earthly leader he just expressed a desire I wish I could have some water from my hometown and here I see God saying I wish I had somebody who will worship me in spirit and Truth how do you 1:29:07 feel you feel like David soldiers oh Father I want to satisfy you I want to be one of those I maybe I don't understand what it means but I want to do I want to satisfy your heart because you've done so much for me I'm more devoted to you than 1:29:23 those soldiers are to David the relationship I have with God must be a love relationship not like a master saying you do it he just expresses a desire I wish I could have some water from Bethlehem he said okay I'll go and get 1:29:41 it and I hear a desire expressed God is eagerly seeking for someone who will worship in spirit and truth I say yes Lord I want to be one of those please say that to the Lord you will never be a backslider then you may never be a 1:29:59 preacher to tell you honestly my desire is not to be a great preacher or a famous preacher I want to be a worshipper that doesn't mean raising your hands and singing I do all that mostly alone particularly alone in my bed when I get up in the morning 1:30:18 sometimes in the middle of the night my wife is asleep she probably also worship when I'm asleep and I say father in Heaven that eager desire you have I want to satisfy you I'll tell you something 1:30:35 my brothers and sisters seek for that it'll change your life and there'll be such a Radiance in your life and an atmosphere of Heaven in your home that your children will say this is the god I want to follow the god of my 1:30:53 father father and my mother they were not just run of the M Christians who just went to church like a routine they had a passion for God let's pray let's pray yeah there are many things we have 1:31:14 heard today please take them seriously you won't reach the PHD in one day start with the kindergarten say Lord I'm in the kindergarten I want to learn the ABC first of this 1:31:33 life I'm willing to if it takes a little time I'll work hard and learn the ABC then I'll go to the next stage to learn C is cat and B8 is bat little by little one day I'll get my PhD also but I want to work towards it is 1:31:49 not going to happen in one day but I'm going to start there's a old proverb which says the journey of 1,000 miles starts with one small step how do you walk 10 1,000 miles with 1:32:05 one step and then another step and after some time you reach the end of that 1,000 mile Journey this way is open for everybody here if you have a willing heart you can become a man of God a woman of God 1:32:24 Heavenly Father please help all of us we pray to Walk This Way and satisfy your heart preserve this church that it'll never become a backslid in church that the Wolves will never be able to come in here never never 1:32:43 never but it'll be church that is loyal and true to you until the day Lord Jesus you come back we pray in Jesus name amen I'm very thankful that God allowed me to 1:33:27 come um even for this short trip my heart is very filled up by being here I I stood up here yesterday and even as I was walking up I was very encouraged to see so many here even on a Wednesday 1:33:46 meeting um and I hear that on Sundays it's this Hall is quite full sometimes to overflowing and I wonder what does Jesus think when he sees such a large group of people I think many of you despite the fact that 1:34:04 CFC upholds such a high standard and has not lowered the standard I see God drawing many CFC has never been about numbers and still is not and yet many are drawn not only in 1:34:22 this place and God has allowed the River of Life That's flowing out of CFC to touch many people around the world many on YouTube and other places and I wondered what God what Jesus thinks about it and I see a little 1:34:40 example in Matthew 9 you'll turn there with me I won't keep you long just briefly share something on my heart Matthew 9 we read in verse 36 that when Jesus saw the crowds Matthew 1:34:58 9:36 he felt compassion for them and I believe Jesus feels compassion for you I want to just say that for a moment dear brother dear sister dear child in the midst of the highest standard of Holiness that is preached in this church 1:35:17 from this pulpit and even what we just heard remember Jesus is a compassionate friend to you he knows your struggle if you are really serious about being freed from sin and living a life that's pleasing to him if you really mean it he knows your 1:35:36 struggle he knows your failure he knows your heart and he has compassion on you he feels compassion for you and he sees that you all could pick any number of other churches to go to to make your home 1:35:54 but if you choose this place despite the fact that it is an uncomfortable place to be in to call a home as a church it's because you're after something you're hungry for something and he feels compassion for you but the compassion he 1:36:10 felt was not because of all their needs which you read about in the previous verse there were all kinds of sickness and disease and demon possession and all that but his compassion for them and he was distressed and dis because was they 1:36:25 were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd and that's been the and then he goes on to say pray that the beseech the lord of the Harvest to send out 1:36:41 Shepherds 37 and 38 into his Harvest and my encouragement the word that the Lord has given me for myself and I want to encourage each of you with dear brothers and sisters is what God is looking for is people who have the heart of a 1:36:57 Shepherd if you've been here for let's say a year and you've seen around you more people coming what do you think about what goes through your mind is it wow we've become a good church a big church there's more children maybe for your children to be 1:37:16 your friends for them there's more people for you to socialize with or do you have the Heart of Jesus are you in tune with the holy spirit that it produces within you a longing to be a shepherd and by Shepherd here I don't 1:37:36 believe he just means Elders the elders are our Shepherds and a wonderful example in that but what God needs and I believe what CFC Bangalore needs and I don't stand here as one to tell you what you need but I believe this for all my 1:37:49 heart for the local church that I'm a part of and I believe for this church as well is people with the heart of a Shepherd I believe that if you've been in this church for a year even 6 months we ought to have the heart of a 1:38:05 shepherd and that could be for you children as well because if you've been here for 6 months and you taking your life seriously you're walking after following Jesus taking up your cross and following him you can be a Shepherd to somebody 1:38:21 who's newer you see a visitor you see somebody else that's come here newer than you somebody else that looks distressed and dispirited somebody who looks like they're defeated in some way you can be a Shepherd to them and 1:38:40 you may never get up here and speak you may never have any prominent Ministry but you can be a Shepherd a Shepherd is one who has a longing for the needs of others and is willing to to be inconvenienced I've thought of it like 1:38:57 this if any of you was a Shepherd the people sitting around you would know it cuz you would smell like a Shepherd you would smell like you've been around sheep that that stink from the Sheep is on you now and I've prayed many for many years 1:39:16 now I say the last few years I say Lord I want to have the smell of a Shepherd I want be one in my spirit is carrying the burdens and the needs of others and it's not just the elders I don't mean it as as an elder but as a 1:39:33 member of the church this is how you know you are a member of the church here truly not because the elders have a list or anything like that but that you have a Shepherd's Heart a care for those around you and you smell like a Shepherd what 1:39:50 does that mean doesn't mean you have to protect that you have do a lot of counseling for people or anything like that like we heard it could be a simple word where you are listening in the ear you have the ear of a disciple in verse 1:40:06 four and 5 he says therefore you have the tongue of a disciple to encourage the weary to say one word of encouragement to somebody that encourages them that lifts them up that sustains them and 1:40:24 I think of how Jesus began jesus' whole life was a life of inconvenience you read that in Philippians 2 for example when it says that he we turn there briefly Philippians chapter 2 1:40:47 verse five have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus who although he existed in the form of God or I would paraphrase that who although he had the most convenient 1:41:05 circumstances imaginable he was God and had that position as God all the Angels worshiping him had no lack no need at all although he had the most convenient life possible inconvenienced himself all of the things that goes on 1:41:23 to say after that is inconvenience he chose inconvenience for the sake of me and you he chose that and that's the head whose body we are and you know that you're 1:41:41 really a part of Christ's body if you like the head are choosing the way of inconvenience another you know the story of the in Mark chapter 2 of those men let me turn there briefly Mark chapter 2 those men who brought their 1:42:00 friend to Jesus for healing Mark 2: 1 when he had come back to Capernaum several days afterward it was heard that he was at home and many were gathered together so that there was no longer room not even 1:42:20 near the door and he was speaking the word to them and then we read they we not even told their names they came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men here were 1:42:37 four men who were willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of their friend they had a friend who was in need they didn't have any need they were they could walk fine but they knew a friend who was in need and they were willing to 1:42:53 inconvenienced and I can imagine that imagine if you have to walk a long distance carrying this man four of you walking and then you come to this house and there's no room to even enter the door because it's so many people and 1:43:08 they could have thought okay let's come back another day can't get into Jesus no they had a desperate desire and so you read the story they climbed up on the roof with this man this these for men lifted that man up and climbed up on top of the roof and 1:43:26 then broke a hole in the wall you can read that story and lowered him in and it says there in verse 5 that Jesus saw their faith how I ought to come to the church meeting this is how I ought to consider coming here like we heard even 1:43:49 just now I'm not coming here to gain something out of it I'm not thinking of myself I'm saying Lord I want to be a functioning member of your church I don't want a good place for my children or a place where I can find a 1:44:02 wife or a husband or nice Sunday school or they have picnics now and then that's for clubs but our church ought to be a place where we come here with a burden for others Lord I want to see your name glorified and if your name has been 1:44:18 glorified in my life that's wonderful now I want to see it glorified in the life of that brother who's struggling that backslidden young teenager that backslidden person in their 20s that other child that's lonely that other brother that sister that's lonely 1:44:34 I want to see your that paral spiritually paralyzed person Lord I want to see your name glorified in their lives and if you come with such a faith Jesus will answer and and move in our midst so having the heart for others 1:44:52 maybe I'll show you one one more verse where that can a simple way Matthew chapter 18 A very simple way in which we can carry the needs of others I think in 1:45:13 prayer when throughout the day if you're not sure what to pray for pray for somebody in the church allow yourself to be integrated with the brothers and sisters in the church so that God is able to plant in your heart a burden to 1:45:28 pray for Somebody Pray for somebody during the week and then you'll find you may not know what they're going through but you allow the Lord to remind you of somebody's name during the week in this local church and pray for 1:45:43 them in Matthew 18 we read in verse 11 the son of man has come to save that which was lost you also read it in Luke 19 but here it's interesting the context in which Jesus says the son of man has come to save that which was lost who you 1:46:01 know who he was talking about children he says in verse 10 see that you do not despise one of these little ones for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of my father who is in heaven let me give you 1:46:16 a little way in which you can be a Shepherd there's so many children I see so many children in this church you can be a Shepherd to them if you think ah Lord I don't know what to say spend some time with the children see to it that you don't 1:46:33 despise many churches people are interested in having conversations with the famous people and the important people and they want to have uh be in the group of cool people people who are popular and gifted and 1:46:51 Rich and all that find those who are lonely find those that are despised the children take a little time to talk to one of those little boys or one of those little girls and ask them what class are you in what are you studying or what do you like to 1:47:08 do don't despise the little ones because Jesus has come to save the Lost among us and what a harvest we have in our church even here in Bangalore brothers and sisters of children whom God wants to use for his 1:47:26 kingdom let the Lord make us Shepherds to everybody around us I believe that a truly Christ pleasing church is one in which he has many Shepherds many Shepherds if everybody is a Shepherd that's a wonderful church I don't know 1:47:42 if there is even such a church but we certainly want to come as close to that as possible and if all of us can take that to heart be a Shepherd to anybody somebody around us even the little children what a blessing it will be 1:47:54 thank you for the two days of richness I've experienced among you all dear brothers and sisters and children you brought joy to my heart you were a Shepherd to me thank you God bless you and we are so thankful to you brother 1:48:28 Zach for taking the trouble in Santos taking the trouble to come and be with us and minister to us we are so encouraged by your visit I think God planned it 1:48:45 and we will commit them to the Lord and God will give them safe journey back home and give them good rest and refreshing and we are so thankful to you for ministering the word and spending 1:49:03 time with us shall we just pray and close the meeting father we thank e 1:49:55 and be a blessing wherever you place them we thank you for all the families represented here pray that you will be with each one of us even as we go away from here help us Lord to be all that 1:50:11 you want us to be and find worshippers in us in our midst we thank you once again we bless you in Jesus name amen amen brothers and sisters the meeting is over a simple lunch dinner is 1:50:30 arranged so we can have and then go home thank you 1:51:21 e e for
