Judge Yourself, Pray With a Burden, Forgive - Santosh Poonen - February 4, 2018
http://rlcfchurch.org/judge-yourself-pray-burden-forgive River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The speaker strongly encourages the congregation to bring and actively use their Bibles during services, emphasizing that physically turning to scripture references aids in 'scriptural absorption' or osmosis. He warns that relying solely on the speaker's reading can be a weakness exploited by the enemy. Furthermore, he uses the analogy of a burning heart to illustrate that the Word of God should ignite passion, contrasting this with the distraction that comes from a lukewarm heart.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Remembering the Lord as our steady helpWe must remember that the Lord holds us by the hand and watches over us in the middle of our daily routines.
Why we encourage turning to scripture physicallySpeakers do not put full Bible text on slides so that believers develop the vital habit of turning to references in their own Bibles.
What happens when your heart is on fire?Believers are convicted about spiritual distraction and challenged to have hearts that burn with urgency for God rather than drifting through life.
God's word as fiery arrowsEvery word of God is designed like a fiery arrow to set our hearts ablaze, but we often extinguish them with worldly shields of ease, worry, or unbelief.Matthew 4:4
Living with the love that brought Christ to earthBeing Christ's body requires us to have the same passion and motivation Jesus had to save that which is lost.Matthew 18:11
Going after the straying brotherJesus outlines the context of caring for a brother who is sinning and straying, showing our responsibility to address it rather than ignoring it.Matthew 18:11–20
Having both the foundation and the houseThe love of God is the essential foundation, but we must also build the house by handling offenses and sins properly instead of staying safely distant to avoid being hurt.
Step 1: Judge yourself firstBefore addressing sin in someone else, we must recognize our own nothingness and examine our own work so we do not act out of self-deception.Galatians 6:3–5
Step 2: Pray with a burdenWe must spend deep secret time in prayer and fasting interceding for those we wish to help, rather than relying on our own worldly ideas or psychology.
Step 3: ForgiveWhenever we stand praying, we must forgive anyone who has sinned against us so that our heavenly Father will also forgive us.Mark 11:25–26
How often must we forgive?When Peter asked if he should forgive up to seven times, Jesus answered seventy times seven, showing that forgiving repeatedly requires the divine life of Christ.Matthew 18:21–22
Restoring such a one in gentlenessThose who are spiritual must look to themselves to avoid temptation and restore an erring brother in a spirit of gentleness.Galatians 6:1
Showing faults privately and gentlyWhen a brother sins, we are commanded to go and show him his fault privately and with a soft, liquid, malleable heart of gentleness.Matthew 18:15
