0:01 is my [music and singing] every longing. Keeps me singing [music and singing] as I go. Brother, sing with me. All my life was wrecked by sin [singing] and strife. This filled [music] my heart with pain. 0:19 Jesus walked across the [music and singing] broken string. Stir the slumber again. Turn it. Jesus. Jesus, [music and singing] Jesus, sweetest name I [singing and music] know. 0:36 Fills my every [music] keeps me singing as [singing] I go. [music] Sister singing [music] always looking on [singing and music] 0:56 his smiling face. That is my shus. [music] [singing] Jesus, Jesus, [music] sweetest name [singing] I know is [music] my every long [singing] 1:15 keeps me singing [music] as I go. Congregation singus. [music] [music] [music] >> Amen. 1:39 Jesus, Jesus, [music and singing] Jesus. Sweetest name [singing] I go. [music] Fills my every longing. Keeps me singing [music and singing] as I go. Voice 1:57 soon. [music] He's coming [singing] back to welcome me. Far beyond the starry [singing] sky. I shall wing my flight to [singing] worlds unknown. I shall reign with him on high. 2:14 Jesus, [singing] Jesus, Jesus, [music] sweetest name I know. [music] Builds [singing] why every longing keeps me singing [singing] as I go. [music] There's joy in serving Jesus. There 2:33 [singing] is joy in serving Jesus [music] as I journey on my way. [singing] Joy that fills [music] my heart with praises every [singing] hour and every day. [music] Joy, [singing] joy, joy serving 2:53 Jesus. Joy [music] that grows within my heart. >> [singing] >> Every moment every hour, as [music] I draw [singing] on his heart, there is joy, joy, [music] [singing] joy that never shall depart. 3:12 [singing and music] There is joy in [singing and music] serving Jesus. Join the trials over pain. Fill my soul with heaven's [music and singing] music. Till I join the glad 3:32 there is joy, [singing and music] joy, joy serving Jesus. Joy that flows [singing and music] within my heart. Every moment here as [music and singing] I draw upon his star there is joy joy joy that 3:51 [music and singing] never shall dim. There [singing and music] is joy in serving Jesus as I walk alone with God. Is the [singing and music] joy of Christ my savior 4:11 who the part of suffering [music and singing] draw [music] joy in serving Jesus the joy that [singing] grows within my [music] heart every moment every aron there [music and singing] is joy joy joy 4:34 that never shall >> [music and singing] >> Sister sing [music] Jesus joy in the darkest night for [music] [music] 4:58 there is joy joy joy [singing] serving Jesus joy [music] that was within my Every [singing and music] moment, every ar as I draw [music] upon his heart, there is joy. Joy, 5:17 [singing] joy that never shall depart. [music and singing] [music] The mystery of the cross. I cannot call 5:36 [music] the agonies of Calary. You the perfect [singing and music] holy one. Christ your son 5:54 drank the [music and singing] bit cup reserve for me. Your blood [singing] [music] has washed away my sin. Jesus, [singing] thank you. Father's [music] rock sisfied. 6:13 Jesus, [music and singing] thank you. Once your enemy now sited [singing and music] at your table, Jesus, thank [music] you. By [music and singing] your perfect 6:32 sacrifice I be from you. [music] Your enemy you [singing] made your friend. Pouring [music and singing] out the riches of your glorious praise. 6:51 Your mercy and your kindness. [music and singing] No way. Your blood [music and singing] has washed away my sin. Jesus, [music and singing] thank you. Father's rock completely satisfied. 7:09 Jesus, thank you. Once [music and singing] your enemy now seated at your table, Jesus, [music and singing] thank you for your [music] blood. Your blood 7:27 has washed [singing] away my sin. Jesus, thank [music] you. The father's [singing] wrath completely satisfied. [music] Jesus, [singing] thank you. Once your enemy [singing and music] sited at your table, 7:46 Jesus, thank [music] you. Brothers and sisters, let's draw near to the Lord. Let's seek to give him praise and honor 8:05 and glory. It's due unto his name. Forget about ourselves and concentrate on him. We were once his enemy, but now he's drawn us close to him. Song says, "Behold our God seated on the throne. Come, let us adore him. >> [music] 8:34 [music] >> Who [music] has held [singing] the oceans in his hands? Who has numbered [singing] every [music] grain of sand? Kings [singing] 8:53 and nations tremble [music] at his home. All creation [music] [singing] rises to rejoice. Behold 9:11 our [singing and music] God seated on his throne. [music] Come let us adore [music] him. Behold [singing] our king. 9:28 Nothing [singing and music] can compare. Comeless adore [singing] him. >> [music] [music] >> Who has [singing] given [music] 9:55 counsel to the Lord? Who can [music and singing] question any of his word? Who can [singing] teach [music] the one who goes on this? Who [singing and music] 10:13 can f all his wondous deeds [music] our [singing] God seated [music] on his throne. 10:30 Come let us adore [singing and music] him. Behold our king. Nothing [music and singing] can compare. Come let us adore [music and singing] him. 10:51 [music] Who has [singing] felt the nails upon his hands? 11:11 Bearing [singing] all the guilt of sinful man. God [singing] eternal humble to the grave. Jesus [singing] savior 11:30 risen now to reign. [music and singing] Behold our God [music] seated [singing] on his throne. Come let us adore him. [singing and music] 11:49 Behold our king. [music] Nothing [singing] can compare. [music] Come let us adore [singing] [music] him. You [music] will [singing] 12:11 reign forever. >> [music and singing] >> You will reign forever. You will [singing and music] reign forever. You [music and singing] 12:31 will reign forever. >> [music] >> Oh my God [singing] seated on his [music] throne. Come let [singing] us adore [music] 12:50 him the dark [singing and music] king. Nothing can compare. Come [singing] let us adore [music] him. [singing] 13:08 Just the voices. Behold [music] our [singing] God seated on his throne. Come let [singing] us adore him. Behold [singing] [chant] 13:27 our king. Nothing can compare. [singing] Come let us adore [singing] him. >> Come let us adore him. [music] 13:46 Oh [singing] come let usore him. Oh [music and singing] come let us adore Christ [music] the Lord. [singing] 14:06 >> Brothers and sisters, shall we stand up [music] as we sing that again? >> Oh come [music and singing] let us adore him. Oh [music and singing] come let us adore 14:25 him. Oh [singing] come let us [music] adore him. Christ [singing and music] the Lord. [music] For he alone [singing] 14:44 is worthy. [music] For [singing] he alone is worthy. [singing] For [music] he alone is worthy. [music] Christ [singing] 15:05 [music] the Lord. We'll give him [music and singing] all the glory. We'll [singing and music] give him all the glory. [singing and music] We'll give him all the [music] glory. 15:30 [singing] Christ [music] the Lord. [music] He's [singing] coming soon to take us. He's [singing and music] coming 15:48 soon to take [singing] us. [music] He's coming soon to take [singing] us [music] Christ the Lord. [singing] Brothers and sisters, let's 16:37 continue in this spirit of prayer. Behold, 16:59 I am with you even unto the end of the age. Those of you who seek to obey my commandments, seek to teach others, to keep every commandment. The Lord has promised that he has been 17:18 that he will be with us. Behold, he says, look, I am with you. Brothers and sisters, this is our opportunity. each of us to look up eyes of faith, 17:37 acknowledge our weakness, our inadequacy, our helplessness. Bow before a holy God. This is a God who enters into the 18:04 suffering of man. I want to read from the book of Job. First book, written book of scripture tells us about a man who suffered Job 18:30 chapter 36:22. Eli who is speaking to Job he says behold God is exalted in his power who is a teacher like him. No one can tell him what to do 18:50 or to say him say to him you have done things wrong. Instead let's glorify his mighty works singing songs of praise. Everyone has seen these things, even if only from a distance. 19:08 God is greater than we can understand. His years can't be counted. He draws up the water vapor and distills it into rain. The rain pours down from the clouds. Everyone benefits. Who can understand how he does it? How 19:25 the thunder rolls from heaven? By these mighty acts, he nourishes the people. He gives them food in an abundance. He fills his hands with lightning bolts and hurls it accurately at each target. 19:42 The thunder announces his presence. My heart pounds as I think of these things. It trembles within me. Listen carefully to the thunder of God's voice as it rolls from his mouth. Rolls across the heavens. His lightning 20:00 flashes in every direction. The tremendous voice of his majesty. The God's voice is glorious in it in the thunder. We can't even imagine the greatness of his power. The wind, the clouds, the rain, the ice, they all do whatever he commands 20:20 throughout the earth. And he makes all these things happen either to punish people or to show his unfailing love. Pay attention to this job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God. We cannot even look at the sun for it 20:42 shines brightly in the sky. So also golden splendor comes from the mountains of God. He's clothed in dazzling splendor. We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty. Even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. No wonder people 20:58 everywhere fear him and all who are wise show him reverence. Brothers and sisters, let's show him reverence this morning. Let's give him praise and thanks from our lips that's due unto his name. Let's lift up our voices and cry out 21:16 >> to a holy God, a mighty God, a God who has stooped down >> and wants us to call him father. Praise you. >> We praise you, King of Kings, Lord of Lords. Who is like unto you, oh God? >> Great, great is your power, Lord. Great 21:34 is your majesty. Wondrous are your works, Lord. >> We don't begin to understand, Lord, but we know that you are in our midst and you love us, Lord. And you've been faithful, and you've been patient and kind and merciful, Lord. Great are your 21:48 works. Great, great is your name, Lord. worthy of all praise and glory and honor. Who is like unto thee, oh God among gods, fearful and praises, doing wonders. Lord, we praise you. We praise you. You're seated on the throne. No 22:04 detail escapes you, Lord. You work everything, every small thing in our lives, Lord, for our good, for the good of those who love you. Yes, Lord. Pour out your love in our hearts, Lord. Even today, soften our hearts, Lord. Help us 22:16 to throw aside our own proud thoughts and listen to you, Lord. listen to you as you speak. We thank you, Lord. You're a great healer. You're a mighty God. You're a loving father. You make good plans for us, Lord. Yes, Lord. You 22:31 rejoice over us with singing, Lord. And you plan for us silently in love. That's who you are, Lord. We thank you and praise you for the privilege of coming to you. So, Lord, all shall know you even from the least to the greatest, 22:46 Lord. That's your invitation. That's your call, Lord, to us even today. We want to come to you Lord with that boldness. Thank you and praise you. We commit ourselves Lord into your hands. Uh speak to us Lord from your throne 22:59 even today. We pray in your mighty name Jesus. Amen. Please be seated with brothers and sisters. Yeah. 23:20 Let's go over our memory verses. Brothers sisters, I want to encourage you to renew your desire to take these words and hide them in your heart. Uh that they will strengthen us at a time of 23:38 need. That the Holy Spirit can bring it uh to bless us in our daily situations. can help us to live according to this word. That is why we memorize it. We last week's word was a promise. 23:56 Uh repeat after me. Isaiah 40:31. >> Those who wait for the Lord >> will gain new strength. >> They will run >> and not get tired. 24:14 >> Not get tired. Amen. We uh will read this week's verse which is a command. Uh repeat after me. Proverbs 1:23. >> Turn to my rebuke. 24:36 >> I will pour out my spirit on you. >> I will make my words known to you. Yeah, we see this is a command and a promise. It's a it's a promise with a condition. 24:53 Let's say it once again. Proverbs 1:23. >> Turn to my rebuke. >> I will pour out my spirit on you. >> I will pour out my spirit on you. >> I will make my words known to you. >> I will make my words. >> Amen. 25:12 Uh we [clears throat] want to listen to a message by brother Zach. Brother John will just come and uh say a little bit more. [snorts] It's such a joy and privilege 25:33 that the Lord has given us to [clears throat] come together like this. I really don't know how long we will have that freedom. We must be grateful that the Lord has given us that freedom and make best use of it. Same time we 25:51 should not forget that enemy is also active working to mislead his people. Jesus said one of the uh clear indication of the last days would be that uh there will be lot of 26:10 deception. We are in those days. Um the message which we are going to hear was spoken about 20 years back. I have heard that many many times over the years. every time I've been challenged 26:30 uh it's like cleaning my eyes or glass so that um we can follow Jesus better or we can see Jesus better. Many times I have mentioned the reason I come to church is 26:48 to have fellowship listen to God's word and um the focus is that my eyes get my eyes of the heart gets clearer to see Jesus so that I can walk in his path. Jesus 27:06 said I am the way. Jesus also said follow me. But um over the years Satan has tried to erase uh or disfigure Jesus his path. Jesus also said have this attitude uh sorry 27:26 Paul was saying about Jesus have this attitude in yourself which was also in Christ Jesus. Um over the years I I've been so thankful to the Lord coming to this church. Uh we have heard pure hygiene 27:43 words of God. It has cleared our eyes to see Jesus more clearer. The real Jesus rather. Today we see that there another Jesus being preached. another spirit, another gospel, a slight deviation which will lead to 28:03 some other path. But Jesus said that listen to me like Jesus himself said that if you abide in my teaching, you will be my disciples. Abide in his teaching, then only I'll become his disciple and then I will know the truth. 28:21 The truth will set set me free, set us free. May the Lord help us to see Jesus more clearer. That's very important. Let's have that hunger and thirst as we hear this word uh so that uh we'll have 28:38 a clear picture of Jesus and that wonderful sight of his and the clarity so that we can follow in those footsteps so that whatever comes in our life will not be surprised to us. See Jesus lived for 33 and a2 years. Uh 28:58 Jesus could have come and died as an adult but he lived a p life of suffering, life of obedience. Um he kept his heart pure. He kept himself in love and peace and joy, righteousness till the very end of his life. That's 29:17 how he defeated Satan. May the Lord help us to see Jesus more clearly so that we will follow his in his footsteps. Brothers over to you. We consider [clears throat] the preaching of Jesus Christ in the 29:35 world today and what the Lord has called us to proclaim and what we have been proclaiming in the church here for many years. I find the the big difference 29:53 very often I see [clears throat] we preach a different Jesus from the ones a lot of Christians are preaching today and that's not new to the 21st century 30:09 we read that even in the first century all preached a Jesus which which was different from the Jesus being preached by a lot of other preachers and um we could say not only it's a 30:28 false Jesus but there is a gospel of the old covenant and there is a gospel of the new covenant and Paul spoke about people who are preaching another gospel that is the essential difference. 30:46 You know, sometimes when I ask people who have gone somewhere to listen to a public crusade or some meeting, I ask them, "You did you find any difference between what you hear in the church here and in those other places?" And 31:06 sometimes they say, "No, it's the same thing." Okay? I never say anything more because then I know how much they have understood. That's all. That's all I wanted to know. How much they understood. When we lack discernment, 31:24 we will think the two are the same. It's like people who are colorblind. I those of us most of us or perhaps all of us are not color blind. So, we really don't know. I really don't know what 31:42 color blindness means. But, um, it's a very serious thing. You know, if you're color blind and you're getting a driving license, you don't know what's red and what's green. You can have accidents. If you're color blind and everything 31:57 looks gray to you. And that's exactly what happens to a lot of Christians. They don't know what's red and what's green. You can't get angry. You don't get angry with somebody who's colorblind, do you? We never get angry with sick people. We 32:13 feel sorry for them. So it's very important in the Christian uh life not to be colorblind concerning what is spiritual, what is soloulish, what is divine, what is human and what is old covenant, what is new 32:32 covenant, what are the things emphasized in the new testament and what are the things emphasized in the old testament. When Isaiah was preaching something in chapter 53, 32:51 he began that chapter with these words. Who has believed our message? Isaiah 53:E1. 33:11 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? The arm of the Lord is the mighty power of God. And he begins by saying, who is going to 33:29 believe what I'm going to say now? That's basically what he's trying to say. Who is going to believe that the true servant of the Lord will grow up? Verse two, the last part with nothing 33:48 attractive about him. A man who suffers and who knows pain firsthand. People look at him and turn away. They looked down on him 34:05 because they thought he was scum. Who's going to believe that? that a servant of God stands up on the pulpit and he's going to be despised, misunderstood, not spiritually attractive because the 34:27 message he preaches is not something which is acceptable to a lot of people and so people think he is scum. Is that a servant of the Lord? Is that 34:44 the one whom God anoints and supports? Uh it says in verse 7, he was beaten and tortured, but he didn't say a word. And uh verse 35:05 8 middle, he died without a thought for his own welfare. Even though verse n last part, he had never hurt a soul. He had never hurt a soul and he never said one word that wasn't 35:22 true. But it was God's plan all along. Verse 10, to crush him with pain. The last part of verse 12, he embraced the company 35:41 of the lowest of people and he took up the cause of all the black sheep. This is the true servant of the Lord. Not the flashy film star type of person who stands 36:01 under the flood lights and runs across the platform and waves and whom you cannot approach like you cannot approach the film stars. That is not the servant of the Lord. 36:17 Such a man is following another Jesus. Can you see the distinction between red and green? Or are you also colorblind? Isaiah says, "Who will believe this report? Who will believe that such a person 36:36 is the servant of the most high God who does not have access to millions of rupees like others?" And I believe that if you don't get light on this type of distinction 36:54 between red and green, you will be deceived in this day. This is a day when even the elect could be deceived. I want to show you another verse in Matthew's Gospel chapter 37:12 16. Matthew's Gospel chapter 16. We read it's the only time the only time and it's very significant when Jesus uses a word 37:29 only once when speaking to a human being. There are only two or three times when Jesus used the word Satan, devil. You know, there are some Christians 37:51 who are always rebuking the devil. Get behind me, Satan. Get behind me, Satan. Get behind me, Satan. They think they're spiritual. I think they are paranoid. Something's wrong with their head. Jesus wasn't always going around saying, "Get 38:02 behind me, Satan. Get behind me, Satan." No, there's something wrong with such people. They are not spiritual people. It says about Jesus in Acts chapter 2, I have set the Lord always before me. He saw his father all the time, not Satan. 38:17 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Those who are impure in heart, I presume they will see Satan. They'll always have to go around rebuking Satan. I don't waste my time rebuking Satan because I follow Jesus. I don't believe 38:38 the devil can touch me if my conscience is clear. Not if we make mistakes. We all make mistakes. But if our conscience is clear and we're really seeking to live a god-fearing life before the face of God, we don't have to spend our life 38:51 seeing the devil everywhere. I see God everywhere. The whole earth is full of his glory. The seraps in heaven said, and that's what I say, too. I see God's glory everywhere because Jesus has conquered. Satan is a defeated pole. 39:07 But Jesus did say, "Get behind me, Satan." In the wilderness when he actually confronted Satan just once. Another time we read in John chapter 6, he referred to Judas's Scariot as a devil. He said, "One of you is a devil." 39:25 But he didn't name him. But there was only one time, only one time when he turned to a human being and said, "Get behind me, Satan." And that was 39:44 amazingly not the Pharisees, but his closest coworker, Simon Peter. Oh, how he must have loved Simon Peter to rebuke him so strongly. Revelation 3:19 says, "As many as I 40:02 love, the Lord says, I rebuke and I discipline." And if he rebukes you strongly, he must be loving you very much. If he rebukes you mildly, it's probably not because he doesn't 40:20 love you, but because he feels you're the type of person who get offended with a rebuke. And if he doesn't rebuke you at all, I just feel sorry for you. God's probably given up on you. God rebukes me all the time. All the 40:43 time. If you ask me today, how do you know that Jesus loves you? My younger days, I'd say he died for me. Today, I say he rebukes me. He disciplines me. That's how I know. He 41:01 hasn't given up on me. And I am so thankful that he does that. He rebuked Peter and he said to him in um uh Matthew's gospel in chapter 16 verse 41:18 23 he turned and said to Peter get behind me Satan. Now we can, you know, paraphrase that and say, well, what he meant was that Peter was being influenced by Satan in what he said. 41:36 Well, Jesus could have said to him, I mean, how would you say that? How would you say that to your closest coworker? Get behind me. See, I mean, Ian and I worked so many years. He's never said me said to me, "Get behind his I've never 41:53 said that to him. I've never said that to my wife who's my closest coworker in life." That's a strong word. I mean, if he he called the Pharisees snakes and vipers, 42:13 but to turn around to Peter and say, "Get behind me, Satan." And the wonderful thing about Peter was he didn't get offended. That's what marked him out as the man who was going to be the speaker for God on the day of Pentecost. 42:32 He did not get offended with rebuke. It was around the same time that Jesus told his disciples, "Will you also go away?" when many people left him in John chapter 6 and uh Peter was the one who said Lord 42:50 to whom shall we go you said just now get behind me Satan these are the words of eternal life boy what light he was not colorblind he knew clearly what was green and what was red 43:09 knew that those words were They were words of eternal life. And blessed is the man who understands that when God rebukes him either directly 43:27 or when he reads the Bible or when he hears a message like this or through a brother who comes to you personally and rebukes you because he loves you so much. If you can say, "Let the righteous smite 43:46 me," like the psalmist said, that is like anointing oil upon my head. These are the words of eternal life. You are a blessed woman. You're a blessed man. You're a blessed young brother, young sister. You're a blessed child. If you 44:03 can receive it like that, but now what I want to point out to you is in what context did he say that? What did Peter say that made Jesus use such strong words? I can think of another time when Peter was discussing am I going to be the 44:22 greatest here after Jesus I mean Jesus just told us that he's going to die. Okay, who's going to take over the leadership? It's like these mission compounds in India when the missionaries were planning to leave. There was a 44:32 great discussion among the uh Indian people there who are going to take over not how souls are to be saved but who's going to take over as the leader well that's not new that's not old that that's not a new thing it is it's an old thing it happened at the 44:49 last supper where the disciples discussed who's going to be the greatest I mean if Jesus had told Peter get behind me Satan don't talk about who's going to be the greatest that's a satanic attitude always want to go up like that's what made Lucifer a devil 45:07 that I can understand and you can understand that when people want suppososing for example there's a fight going on in this church to be the leader of the church and it's never happened in 30 years and I don't believe as long as we preach 45:19 this message it'll never happen uh till Jesus comes but supposing in some church there's a fight as to who's going to be the leader to turn to such a person and say get behind Satan and is okay cuz that's the spirit of the devil 45:34 wanting to exalt himself. But what did Peter say? Peter said such words of consideration. I mean it's a one place in the New Testament where we would think boy how much Peter loved Jesus to say such a 45:51 word because notice the context. Jesus told them from that time, verse 21, Jesus began to show his disciples how it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer at the hands of the religious leaders and priests there and be killed. 46:10 And the third day he'd rise again. And Peter said, "Never, impossible. God forbid it. This will never happen to you. As long as I'm around here, I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen to you." What do you say to such a man? If I 46:25 mean, if you you one day announce, "Brothers, I think I'm going to be arrested tomorrow." And some brother gets up and says, "Brother Zack, it'll never happen to you as long as I'm around here, I'll make sure it doesn't 46:35 happen." What do I turn around to him and say, "Get behind me, Satan." Is that what I say to a guy who's trying to show me his loyalty, who loves me so much? He'd get offended immediately. Jesus says, "Get behind me, Satan. 46:55 You're a stumbling block to me." What words? Oh, how he loved Peter. And oh, what light Peter had. But that was a green light God gave him. He was not colorblind. And the reason is, and this is the point I want you to notice because this 47:15 affects you and me. You are setting your mind on man's interests, not God's interests. Your mind is thinking in terms of human interest, 47:32 not God's interest. Human interest is how to escape humiliation, how to escape suffering, how to escape difficulties, how to escape problems. All human beings in the world from the 47:52 beggar to the king, their mind works like that. Show me a man on earth whose mind doesn't work like that. A man or a woman. How to escape humiliation. How to escape trials? How to escape suffering? How to escape any difficulty, financial 48:10 difficulty, physical difficulty? How to escape sickness? How to escape poverty? How to escape? This is the thinking of man. You don't have to be spiritual to think like that. All children of Adam think like that. And not only children of Adam, even 48:27 animals. Why does a lizard run away when you try to catch it? It's thinking the same way like all human beings. How to escape suffering? If this guy catches me, I'm finished. What's the difference between that lizard and a human being? 48:44 Absolutely nothing. Snakes, dogs, they all Have you seen how these dogs around here when the truck comes to pick up these stray dogs, they know they're amazing. They disappear. And once the trucks go away, they come 49:03 back. Fine. I've been amazed at the intelligence of these dogs. They know how to escape suffering. Their interests are on how to escape anything that's difficult, suffering, trial, you know, confinement, and everything like 49:18 that. And here Jesus was saying, "I'm going to be killed. I'm going to be humiliated. They're going to spit on me. They're going to treat me badly. They're going to kill me. And Peter says, "Rubbish. It's not going to happen. Not as long as I'm around 49:34 here. You sow a seed to our ministry. But this man, we won't mention his name. He's going around preaching that this is not the gospel. This is troubling us. What shall we do with this man who is going around 49:50 preaching that that is not the gospel? Let's try and get rid of him. stop him from preaching. Don't let him come on television or any such thing because our prosperity depends on this business that we are 50:05 promoting. It's the same old story. 2,000 years go by and history is just being repeated. Dear brothers and sisters, those are the only two occurrences of the word prosperity in the New Testament. Other preachers won't tell 50:23 you that. I'll tell you that. Even a concordance will tell you that you don't need a preacher. What did Jesus say to Peter? Your mind is set on man's interests. Man's interests are always what will help me, what will make me rich and what 50:40 will make me more comfortable and better car and a better house and a better this and a better. Whose interests are these? Do you think Jesus was always thinking how can I get a better house and can I get another better clothes? And was this 50:54 what he was thinking of all all the time on earth? He wasn't even thinking of his food most of the time. Once when he didn't eat at all and he got his soul saved, one soul saved, he said, "I've already eaten." He said to his disciples in John chapter 4, 51:08 "I've eaten food which you fellows know nothing about. My food is to do the will of him who sent me." All the time his mind was revolving around how can I do the father's will? How can I do the father's will? How did he know when that day that there's a 51:26 needy soul in Samaria? There's a five times divorced woman there whom you got to go and help because nobody goes near divorced women. You got to go and help. The Holy Spirit said and Jesus heard it. How did he hear that voice? because his mind was attuned 51:45 always to thinking what is the father's will what is the father's will what is the father's will his mind was not thinking of where can I buy some better clothes and where can I get some better food which is the best restaurant in 51:55 town and which is the best place to buy clothes and which is the better house I can move into that's his mind wasn't revolving around those things his mind was not revolving around better bathroom fittings and better t better 52:08 tiles for his floor and these things were all secondary. I'm not saying he lived on the streets in Nazareth, but they were secondary. We read in Mark's gospel how once in Jesus' house, you know, Jesus moved his 52:26 house from uh Nazareth to Kapern when he uh started his ministry. We read that and in the in his house, we read one day somebody broke open the roof and lured somebody to Did you know that was Jesus' house? Yeah. how you read that in Mark 52:44 chapter 2. I think um I I can understand that because nobody would dare to break somebody else's house roof. But uh when they thought about getting into Jesus' house, this these four folks who were brought this paralyzed man and 52:59 said, "This is Jesus. He won't mind roof and all being broken up because he loves people. He doesn't love property." So he won't mind. I tell you, he won't mind. He said the other fellow say, "Are you sure?" He said, "I'm positive. He won't 53:10 even ask us to pay for it. He'll pay for it himself cuz he loves people so much. He loves to help people so much. And they broke it open. THEY WOULD NOT HAVE DARED TO do it in anybody else's house. But Jesus' house, they broke it open. 53:26 And then he wasn't concerned. Hey, who these fellas broken up my How much is that going to cost me? He wasn't even thinking about all that. He saw this man who needed healing. He healed him. And then he saw him needing forgiveness. He 53:37 said, "Okay, you're forgiven." And then he walked away and he may have told one of his get somebody to fix that. Here's the money. Don't go and ask those people why they broke it up. His mind was that shows me, you know, 53:52 you read these stories in the gospels and you understand what was going on in Jesus' mind and I say, Lord, you know, all of us say, I want to be like Jesus. You want to be like him. Set your mind on God's interests. Otherwise, 54:06 get behind me. Satan is a word we hear. It's Satan who makes a man of God set his mind on earthly interests. Peter was a man of God. There was a time when his mind was set on fishing and how to make more money fishing. Okay. But one day God called 54:26 him. One day Jesus called him and said, "Come and be my disciple. Go and preach the gospel." Peter. There was no time for him after that to set his mind on human interests. Paul says that in 2 Timothy 54:45 and chapter 2, 2 Timothy chapter 2, he says in uh verse three, suffer hardship with me. He said, "I'm not telling you to suffer 55:03 something I haven't suffered myself." Timothy, remember that suffering which is not found in the Old Testament is a major part of the New Testament gospel and it's something which if you are a servant of God you have to go through. 55:18 What type of suffering leave it to God to decide that. One thing you can be sure, he'll never allow you to suffer more than you're able to bear. I praise God for that. He'll never allow me to go through a trial or a suffering which is 55:32 too much for me to bear. But he will allow me to go through suffering. All the apostles were killed. They did not die natural deaths. Perhaps John did. We don't know. He lived up to a good old age of 95. But most of the 55:52 others died in their 60s as far as we know. Many of them much younger. James when he was 31 or so, 31 years old, just beginning to serve the Lord and his head is chopped off. We read in 56:10 Acts chapter 12. Why? Was it because there were thousands of apostles that we didn't need one fellow like James? No. Those were days when there were hardly any apostles. Was it because God couldn't deliver him? A few days later, God delivered Peter. 56:28 Just a few days later, from the same prison, you read in Acts 12, the angel came and released Peter and took him out. Why didn't the angel come and release James a few days earlier? God wasn't asleep. And I've thought about Peter going that 56:48 it says in Acts chapter 12 he went to the house of Mary where they having a prayer meeting for him. They were all praying, "Oh God, release Peter, release Peter from prison." And he knocks at the door and the maid servant goes and opens the 57:04 door and says, "Hey." And she runs back and SAYS, "HEY, THE PRAYER'S BEEN ANSWERED. PETER'S HERE." NO, THEY SAY it can't be Peter. You know, they pray just like we pray. We don't expect an answer. It's like that uh old black preacher who once uh 57:21 in a very dry area of the United States, he called everybody saying, "We're going to have a prayer meeting for rain." Sunday morning prayer meeting. We're not going to have a regular service. Going to pray for rain because it's been so 57:33 dry here. Then he got up and said, "Hey, you fellas come here to pray for rain and none of you brought an umbrella." What type of faith is that? [laughter] So it's like that. Most of our prayers are like that. We can't blame those 57:47 people or we can't blame these people who prayed for Peter. But he came out and I thought when he came in it says he gave us testimony how the angel came and knocked off his chains and opened one door after the other and here he is. And 57:58 who is sitting there? The mother of James. I think her name is Salomi. the mother of James and John. Their father Zebedee, he was sitting 58:16 there and amazed. Hey, two days ago our son was killed. Why did God allow that? And here the same prison, same guards, 58:35 the angel comes and delivers them. Sometimes we can't understand God's ways. I tell you many things that happen in the world. People ask me, why do all these people suffer with starvation in Africa? And why are all these 58:52 Christians in Sudan being persecuted and sold as slaves? And I say, brother, I don't know. Why does God allow um his most faithful servants, just by the way, some of God's most faithful servants are not the ones you 59:12 see on television or who stand on platforms today. They are in Chinese prisons. They never come on television. We don't even know their names. I was reading of a man the other day in a Chinese prison recently who was in 59:28 prison for four or five years and what I read was out of 800 prisoners there 600 got converted because this guy went in there and the police didn't know what to do so they put him in solitary confinement for 59:47 3 months in in a room where there was no light 4 ft high. He couldn't stand. Only 4 ft long. He couldn't sleep. All he could do is sit down there just 2 and 1/2 ft wide for 3 months. 1:00:04 Teach you a lesson. These are some of God's greatest men. Make them your heroes. Not these people who stand under the spotlight and ask you for your money. So 1:00:25 we wonder why does God allow that? Why does God allow one of his faithful servants to sit in this little cell 4 ft high and 4 ft long and 2 and 1/2 ft wide for 3 months? Is it the same God who delivered Peter from prison? Doesn't he 1:00:38 send angels today? It's the same God who allowed James to be beheaded two or three days before Peter was released. All these things teach me one thing. Lord, your ways are not my ways. 1:00:56 I bow and say I'm a human being. I don't understand your ways. And sometimes we try to use our logic and tell every sick person, you got to be healed. Jesus wants to heal you. I don't know what's the next thing they're going to say, whether they're going to 1:01:13 tell every dead person, you shouldn't die. You should be raised from the dead. What all crazy things people will say, I don't know. It's all because man tries to explain God by logic. Instead of humbling himself and saying, 1:01:28 "Lord, your ways are not my ways. Your thoughts are not my thoughts. I've got a teaspoon of wisdom. You've got an ocean. Where is a teaspoon and where is an ocean? As the heavens are high above the earth, so a higher are God's ways than 1:01:45 mine. and they are better. And like we sing in that song, one day when I stand in glory, I will say above the rest, this note shall swell, my Jesus has done all things well. We may not be able to understand it now, 1:02:02 but we'll be able to understand it then. And we'll be a many things of suffering and trial and discipline and even sickness that God permits like he permitted a thorn in the flesh for Peter for Paul which he never removed despite 1:02:17 Paul praying a number of times. I don't know. I've seen a lot of godly people in the world suffer. I can't explain it. I wouldn't tell them like Job's comforters. Hey, that must be because of some sin in your life. There are 1:02:32 preachers today who say Paul didn't have enough faith. That's why he couldn't come out of prison. Thank God he stayed in prison. Otherwise, we wouldn't have got some of these episodes. God's ways are not our ways. Don't be fooled by all these preachers 1:02:48 who talk about a faith which has only got to do with physical comfort, physical healing, financial prosperity. And there are multitudes of people around the world who are being deceived being told if you want to get out of 1:03:03 debt give money to God to our ministry or something like that. Pay your tithes and you'll get out of debt. And there are people who do business with God like commercial street business. You give me this, I'll give you this. You want to 1:03:14 buy the suitcase, pay so much. The Lord says, you want to get out of debt, give me so much. And these stupid believers who don't read the New Testament go and do that. What what is the end result? what they deserve. They they'll get more 1:03:26 into debt. Don't be foolish. I believe we must give to God. But I don't believe if you're in debt, you should give to God. I'll tell you why. 1:03:44 Because if you owe Mr. X some money and you give God money, you're actually stealing from X. What you could have given him to clear your debt, you're giving to God. God says, "I don't want Mr. X's money. I want your money if you 1:03:59 want to give it. And if you don't have any, don't give it. Go and clear that fellow's debt." Supposing you have to pay Caesar and you have to pay God. Who should come first? Tell me. God first or Caesar first? That's a tricky one, isn't it? 1:04:15 If you don't know the answer to that, read in Matthew 22. Jesus himself said, "First render to Caesar what is Caesars's and then render to God what is God's." Why didn't he put God first? Because it's so sensible. If I owe 1:04:30 Caesar money and I give to God, how can I give Caesar's money to God? God says, "I doesn't I don't want Caesar's money." You first clear your debt to Caesar and then give to God. Supposing I cheat the government of income tax and I say, 1:04:43 "Lord, I'm going to give this to you." You think he'll take it? No. And here you are expecting me to repay my debt to you. And I tell you, hey Corban, I've given that to God. Say, God or not God, you better pay up my money and say, and supposing when the 1:05:03 Jesus comes to rapture us and he's going to take us and you say, "Hey, wait, Lord. This fellow hasn't paid his debt. He gave all his money to you. You deserve to be left behind in that day to pay your debt. So don't be fooled by all this. 1:05:20 God is a good God. Paul says here suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life so that he may please him who's enlisted him to be a soldier. You know that here 1:05:40 is a man who's fighting for India in Kashmir. He's not thinking about, hey, that roof roof is leaking in my house in South India. How am I going to fix that? I tell you, he'll get shot if he keeps thinking about those things. 1:05:54 He's thinking about the enemy coming over this side and that side. He's got no time. Think think about his leaking roof or whether he's going to get a new pair of clothes, which shop he should go to tomorrow in Kashmir. He's got no time. 1:06:07 if he thinks that he won't be going to a shop tomorrow because he'll be finished before he gets there. He's got to keep his mind concentrated on the enemy and he says no man entangles himself in the aware affairs of everyday life. Now 1:06:22 supposing you do see a soldier who's entangling himself in leaky roofs and buying uh clothes and all that. You say ah this guy is a retired soldier. He's not a soldier like it says in active service. Retired soldiers can do 1:06:38 anything. And lot of Christians are like retired soldiers. I mean they haven't finished their full service. They retire as soon as they join. [laughter] This is amazing. Soon as they join, they've retired. I mean if you spend 40 years in the 1:06:57 military serving God and then retire. Okay. But these guys they born again they retire. As soon as their mind is immediately on affairs of everyday life and Paul says, Timothy, are you going to be an active soldier? Paul says, I'm 65, 67. I'm I'm 1:07:13 not retire. I don't plan to retire at all. I'm going to go straight from here to heaven and I'm not even going to retire there. I'm going to serve God there. I'm not going to retire. Never. There's no retirement age for me now or in 1:07:29 eternity. The joy of the Lord keeps us going. There's nothing like serving the Lord. It gets better and better every day. So he says no soldier in in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life because he's one goal is 1:07:49 to please the one who has enlisted him as a soldier. Now all those soldiers fighting in Kashmir may not be so interested in pleasing that general but we are interested in pleasing our general. And he says, "If you want to 1:07:59 please your general, Jesus Christ, the captain of your salvation, you better make sure that your mind is not all the time revolving around better clothes and better houses and better this and better that and life on earth and he doesn't 1:08:13 think about how to promote God's interests." That's what the Lord told Peter. You want to serve me, Peter, and you want your mind to be on man's interest? You are a stumbling block to me. You better get out of my service if you want 1:08:27 to be like that. And I tell you, a lot of people who are doing Christian work today, God's word to them is get out of my service. You're a stumbling block to me. You don't allow people to come into God's kingdom. You're a stumbling block. 1:08:40 You're lying on the roads making them all stumble by your life. I tell you, a lot of preachers are causing sincere people to stumble over them instead of showing them the way into God's kingdom because of the way they live. 1:08:55 Also he says if anyone competes as an athlete verse 5 he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. Then he goes on to say in verse 7 consider what I'm saying. Just think about what I'm saying. God will give you understanding. 1:09:14 God will remove your color blindness if you just meditate a little on what I'm trying to tell you. And I want to encourage you my brothers and sisters. Meditate on what you're hearing now. God has to give you understanding. Do 1:09:27 you think Paul could not give Timothy understanding? He could not. Can if you're color blind, do you think man can make you healed of color blindness? No. Only God can do that. It's the same here. Paul says to Timothy, "I've been gripped by this 1:09:43 truth, but I can't explain it to you. And I say to you brothers and sisters, I cannot explain it to you. I want to, but I cannot. But if you think about it and meditate on it, God will give you understanding about what I'm going to say. Verse 1:10:03 eight, remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, seed of David. He's emphasizing the fact that Jesus Christ came in the flesh of David, the seed of David, 1:10:23 tempted like us in all points, yet did not sin. Remember him according to my gospel. My gospel concerns a Jesus who became a man and was tempted like us in every way and did not sin. That is my gospel. That's what gives us hope that we can 1:10:42 also walk as Jesus walked in an overcoming life. But that gospel is not being preached much today. It's another gospel that is being preached. He said this is my gospel and because I preach this gospel, what happens to me? I suffer. 1:11:02 You won't suffer if you don't preach this gospel. I suffer. at the age of 67, probably 35 years of serving the Lord, he says, "I'm still suffering. I'm locked up in jail like a criminal. They've locked me up in jail. I'm 1:11:21 sitting in jail right now because I preach this gospel." And why? He says, "But the word of God is not in jail." Ah, praise God. I'm in jail, but the word of God is not in prison. That keeps going. He says, "For 1:11:38 this reason, I endure everything. I stick it out so that everyone God calls will get in on the salvation of Christ with eternal glory." He says, "I don't want people just to be saved. I want them to get eternal glory. And if that to for them 1:11:58 to get eternal glory, if it means I have to go through suffering, I'll do it." Now, he didn't realize fully what a tremendous glory millions of people were going to get because he was in prison. In prison, he wrote some of these finest 1:12:17 epistles which have brought mi eternal glory to millions of people. He didn't know that. He didn't even know that what he wrote would be preserved beyond the church he sent it to. He didn't know that for 2,000 years people would be 1:12:29 studying it and meditating on it and coming into eternal glory. He never knew that. And sometimes the suffering we go through, we don't realize what God is going to bring out of it. I'll never forget 1:12:44 many years ago, more than 20 years ago, I had to go into hospital for a little minor surgery. I had prayed many times concerning that minor problem that God would heal me, but he didn't. 1:13:02 Anyway, he didn't do it miraculously. So, I finally went to the hospital and I was as I was lying there in bed for 10 days, I still have it written down what the Lord spoke to me at that time. I read it the other day. The Lord said to me so clearly, 1:13:20 I could have healed you in a moment, but I didn't. You're running around so much that I don't get time to talk to you. Now you have to lie down with your head up all the time looking 1:13:36 at me. I'll talk to you. And he did for 10 days. He spoke to me. Among all the articles I ever wrote in my life, and I've written perhaps hundreds of them, the closest to dictation, 1:13:57 writing down exactly word for word what God spoke was only one article of mine. See, a lot of articles are messages like this that I speak. I It's not dictation. I mean, I'm not speaking every word that God gives it to me. It's not true. I'm 1:14:12 just speaking what's in my heart but in my own thoughts. But that one article was different. I sat and I wrote as lying in the bed. I wrote God what God said to me. 1:14:28 This is the type of man I need. It's a little six-page tract called God Needs Men. And I wrote point by point by point about 50 of them. and I saw why God put me in bed. Sometimes 1:14:48 it's in our times of suffering and difficulty that God gives us the maximum revelation and the maximum blessing to others in the days to come. And that little track's gone all around the world now published in various magazines and 1:15:05 different places. I remember Leonard Ravenh Hill who is a very godly man wrote why revival tries. I got a letter from him once when he was alive many years ago. That was I think about a year after I wrote this 1:15:24 and he said, "Dear brother Punan, it's in his own handwriting, simple man." He said, "I have just read this article of yours and uh" he said, "I've been so blessed by it. Can I use it somewhere?" 1:15:43 I was so humbled that this great man of God should write to me and ask me whether he could use that article, but it's amazing how God allowed it to get into his hands 20 more than 20 years ago. So I I don't know how he used it. He 1:15:58 probably did in some way. I said, "Sure, brother. You're welcome to use it. I consider it a great honor cuz I have a lot of respect for you." Yeah. He was one of those rare prophetic voices. But brothers and sisters, what I want to 1:16:15 say is when Paul was in prison, God was accomplishing far more than he himself thought. And with these Chinese believers in prison and think of men like Richard Wrand who were in prison Romania and many others who've gone into 1:16:29 prison. I tell you those are my heroes today in the 20th century. More than many of these more than these people who stand on platforms and appear on television watchman knee who spent 22 years in prison he's my hero these are the people 1:16:46 who suffered for the gospel suffering is a major part Peter understood that you know after the lord told him get behind me Satan your mind is set on human interest not god's interest Peter understood it because later on you read 1:16:59 in John chapter 12 John chapter 12 Jesus saying these words concerning his own suffering in John 12 27 28 and the disciples heard that and they understood what God's interests are John 12 verse 27 1:17:19 you know he was going approaching the cross and he said now verse 27 of John 12 now my soul has become troubled and what shall I say father save me from this power. 1:17:37 No. See, this is man's interest. The way man thinks is when you're in trial, oh father, save me from this. But shall I say that? No. What shall I say then? Father, glorify your name. In those two sentences, you see man's interests and God's 1:17:57 interests. What is the way human beings think? Father, save me from this problem. Save me from this difficulty. Save me from this trial. Save me from the suffering. Save me from this imprisonment. Save me from this sickness. Save me from this. 1:18:09 Save me from that. And save me from the other thing. And what is God's interest? Father, glorify your name. Our Father, who art in heaven, save me from this trial. No. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will 1:18:28 be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us bread enough to eat even if we don't have much enough for the day so that I can live to serve you to do your will on earth as it is in heaven. And Lord, forgive me all the sins I've 1:18:45 committed because we sin every day. My brothers and sisters, whether you know it or not, unconsciously anyway, we are sinning. There are 90% of our life we don't see. There's uncristlikeness in our actions, words. We hurt people without 1:19:04 knowing it. We sin. We got to ask God to forgive us. We can get victory only over conscious sin which is only 10% of our life. We need to say forgive us as we have forgiven all the people who have hurt us perhaps unconsciously. 1:19:23 Assume it is unconsciously. Please assume that they don't know what they do. So say, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." That's how it is to follow Jesus. And Lord, once you've done that also, please 1:19:41 deliver me not from trial, but from evil. Deliver us from evil. And Lord, this is not a prayer only for me. I'm saying, give us our daily bread. me and my brothers and sisters. Forgive us our sins. Forgive that person his 1:19:59 sins and deliver all of us from evil. What shall I say then? Father, save me from this hour. No. Father, glorify your name. And a voice came from heaven. I have glorified it and will glorify it again. I'll tell you something. 1:20:18 If you want to hear a voice from heaven, pray this prayer. Father, glorify your name. You'll hear it in your heart. Many of us don't hear a voice from heaven to encourage us in life's battles because we're always praying, "Father, 1:20:34 save me from this, from this problem, this sickness, this poverty, this thing, that thing." I'll tell you this. Pray, "Father, hallowed be your name. Glorify your name." That's to follow Jesus. He will never allow you to 1:20:52 suffer beyond your ability. Don't believe the lie of the devil who tells you that God is a spoiled sport. He hates you. That's what the devil says. If you say, "Oh no, I will never I'll only pray, father, glorify your name." 1:21:06 He will send me to the most difficult place on earth to live. And if I've got three jobs open to me, he'll tell me to take the one with the lowest salary. And if he I've got three places to go to, he'll tell me to go to the Timbuktu or 1:21:17 some place where there's not much civilization. He'll tell you to marry the ugliest girl you can ever find on earth. Who tells you all these stories? The devil. What a fool you are to believe that. All the demons whispering all this 1:21:31 in your ear and you believe it. No. My father is a good father. He loves me a million times more than my earthly father loved me. He loves me a million times more than any human being. Loves me more than my wife, more than your 1:21:45 husband, more than anyone. He's a loving father. And if he allows you to go through some difficulty and trial, it is for your good. If he does not allow you to marry Miss Universe, it's to save you from headaches that you will have marrying a 1:22:07 woman who's always used to attention. Oh, thank God you didn't marry Miss Universe. If he doesn't make you a millionaire, it's so that he does he saves you from all the problems that they have. God is a good God. He's a loving father. 1:22:26 He saves us from many things. He doesn't answer many of our prayers because it's not good for us. He gives us what is best for us. And Peter understood that one. He understood it. He heard get behind me Satan. He accepted it and said 1:22:41 those are the words of eternal life. And then he wrote his letters. Now listen to his letters. 1 Peter chapter 2. He's really gripped now. He's straightened out. And he says 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 20, 1:23:00 what credit is there if when you sin you're harshly treated? I mean, if you get punishment that you deserve, there's no marks for that. But if you're treated badly, 1:23:17 even though you did what was right or it was a mistake, it was not deliberate evil and you still suffer and you suffer patiently, endure it. This finds favor with God because you have been called for this purpose. Which purpose? 1:23:37 To suffer when you do what is right. Please read verse 20 and 21 and tell me what does it mean when it says you are called for this purpose. Read it. It's plain English. This is why you have been called to suffer for doing 1:23:54 what is right. He says that's your calling. How many people have understood it? Peter understood it because he accepted that rebuke because Christ also suffered and he has left you an example to follow in his steps. I have to follow in the 1:24:11 steps of a Christ who did not become wealthy or healthy but who suffered. Now a lot of people say he suffered so that I can be wealthy. But read what it says here. Christ suffered leaving you an example to follow in his steps. Peter 1:24:26 understood that. Don't be deceived by all these demetriuses going around saying this man's preaching is ruining our business. Our prosperity is dependent on preaching this gospel. Don't be deceived by these Demetriuses of today. Listen to the word 1:24:45 of God. Christ suffered for us and he did not sin. When he was reviled, verse 23, he did not utter, he did not revile again. when he suffered, he did not utter any threats. He did not call them names back. 1:25:04 And so he says later on in chapter 3 and verse 13, if you do what is good, who can harm you? But even if you suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. Don't be afraid. Don't be intimidated by people try to 1:25:22 intimidate you. Oh, if you preach the gospel here, you stand up for Christ, you won't get any promotion. We'll sack you from your job. Okay? Don't be intimidated. Don't be troubled. Sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart. Always be 1:25:36 ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you. I'm not asking you to go and give tracks to everybody in the office and use their office time to do such things. But when somebody asks you a question, give an answer with gentleness and 1:25:50 respect. And if you suffer because of that, well, that's okay. It is better. Verse 17, if God's will is that you should suffer because you did what is right than doing what is wrong because Christ also died. Again, he says Christ 1:26:04 is the example. Or you go to chapter 4 and he says in the last few verses of chapter 4, um he says in verse 19, if you find life difficult, it's because you're doing what God said. Take it in your stride. 1:26:23 Trust the Lord. Commit your soul to him. Don't suffer verse 15 as a busy body in other people's matters. But if you suffer as a Christian, don't be ashamed because chapter 4 verse one, Christ also suffered. That's the point. Right 1:26:40 through Peter has been gripped by that message. I followed Jesus who suffered. Okay. In conclusion, let's look at the last book of the Bible and see what Jesus has to say to a church there, one of the two faithful churches, 1:27:00 Revelation 2 verse 8, to the church in Smyrna which is suffering. He says in verse 9, I know your tribulation, your pain, and your poverty. The most faithful church in the seven churches in Revelation had 1:27:18 suffering and poverty. And the unfaithful backsliden church of Leodysia in chapter 3 had prosperity and health. You got an idea which is the true gospel. I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews. Don't fear what you're 1:27:36 about to suffer. The devil will cast some of you into prison and you will be tested. But I will make sure it's only for 10 days. Huh? He's the one who decides how many days the judge writes on the verdict. 1:27:54 100 days. No, the judge says, I think 10 days. Who put that thought in his head? God. He will not allow you to be tested beyond your ability. Whether it's your boss in your work who gives you extra work or the judge who 1:28:11 writes something down, it's God who decides. Praise God. We serve such a wonderful father. There's a spirit of triumph in us all the time. Let's bow our heads before God in prayer. When we cons 1:30:11 see you clearly, follow you nearly, love you dearly, Lord. Thank you and praise you for the example of the Apostle Peter, how you changed him, gripped his heart, and you can change us, Lord, and grip our hearts. We commit ourselves into your hands. We 1:30:30 thank you Lord for meeting with us, for speaking to us. Yes, Lord, we want to follow in your footsteps. Sustain us, Lord, with a willing spirit. We praise you and thank you. We ask in your mighty name, Jesus. Amen. 1:30:45 And sisters, we'll we'll sing a song. >> [music] 1:31:44 >> You want to sing the song servant king. It's a song we sing to the Lord. There are some songs that we sing to each other. But this is a song that we sing 1:32:01 to the Lord speaking to the Lord saying you're the one who came from heaven who entered our world. And the chorus is a song is something that we encourage each other. He calls us now to follow him to bring our lives [music] in an offering 1:32:17 of worship to the servant king. From heaven you [singing and music] came helpless. [music] 1:32:37 Enter [singing] our world. Your glory vain. Not [singing and music] to be so Praise the Lord for what we have been 1:33:35 hearing. [clears throat] We are really glad to be here in in the midst of God's people. [clears throat] While I was hearing today, I felt it is necessary to examine in these last days 1:33:52 where does we set our mind either on God's interest or man's interest. See that is one of the areas that Satan 1:34:09 tried to deceive believers. Paul says in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 3, "But I'm afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftness, 1:34:28 your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." See Paul was afraid of the Corinthian believers that their body will be very active in the church. They will remain 1:34:45 as Christians. They will do all spiritual activities. But Paul says he was afraid that their minds may be led astray from the pure devotion to Christ. So it is very important to examine today 1:35:04 where do we have set our mind. Again a good church a philip the Philippian church Paul says some people have already been led astray. Chapter 3 Philippians chapter 3 1:35:23 and [clears throat] verse 18. First he said, "Brethren, join in following my example and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk of whom I often told you 1:35:43 and now tell you even weeping that they are enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their appetite and whose glory is in their shame who set their minds on earthly things. 1:36:02 See how clearly once upon a time this church the whole people of the church was devot devoted to Christ. But when the time passed by some people not all of them some people. 1:36:18 So we need to examine where our mind is set. He says some people are walking as enemies of the cross. Paul says even I'm saying with a weeping whose sent [clears throat] is destruction whose god is their appetite 1:36:36 means they are always thinking of how to make their life comfortable on this earth and whose glory is in their shame who set their minds on earthly things. 1:36:53 Brothers and sisters, what we have heard today, Peter was rebuked by Jesus because he set his mind on man's interest. 1:37:10 So we we need to examine what is our interest in our mind. Is it fully our mind is fully devoted to Christ or to fully devoted to man's interest? See, [clears throat] see the the the god of this world. Why? 1:37:30 Why that happens? When we [clears throat] turn to uh 2 Corinthians, there's a word in chapter 4 because they did not believe. 1:37:45 Chapter 4 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse [clears throat] 4. The God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving because of 1:38:04 they do not believe the true gospel true Jesus. God of this world has blinded their minds. When the god of this world minds blinds the mind, people will start thinking of 1:38:24 the present life. See [clears throat] minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. See, can we see the glory of Christ in our 1:38:42 life daily or are we seeing the glory of this world? See, finally, Apostle Paul exhorts us in Colossians, we we can come back to Colossians chapter 3. He says, 1:39:04 "Therefore, if you have been raised up with the Christ, if if we have been raised up with Christ, we all claim to have Christ up with Christ." How do we prove it that we are raised up with Christ, we are born again, we are not of this world. How do 1:39:22 we prove it? It's not by singing good songs or listening to the message or coming to the church. How do we prove it on our daily life? It says Paul says if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above. Keep on 1:39:39 seeking. Are we the seeker of things above? Keep on seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Then set your minds on things above, not the things that are 1:39:57 on earth. This is how we have to prove that we are raised up with Christ. We belong to Christ. We are truly born again. We are not of this world. We keep on seeking daily day after day 1:40:14 better than more than yesterday. Seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth. See, that is what will prove who we are, 1:40:33 what are we seeking, where our mind is set. So, uh thank you for the time granted and uh we are very glad and I I I I give the greetings of our church in Kimbatur. Uh thank you for the wonderful 1:40:53 fellowship here. God bless you all. Thank you.
