3:31 We will sing our first song. To God be the glory. Great things he has done. So loved he the world that he gave us his son. Join with us and sing brothers [music] and sisters. To God [music and singing] be the glory. 3:59 Great things he has done. [singing] So [music] lovely the world that he gave us his son. who yielded his life [music and singing] and atonement for sin and [singing and music] open the lifegate 4:18 that all may go [singing and music] away. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let the earth hear his [singing] voice. Praise [music] the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let the people rejoice. [singing] Oh, come [music] 4:35 to the father through Jesus [singing] the son and give him the glory. Great [music] things he has done. [singing] [music] Perfect redemption, [singing] 4:55 the purchase of blood to [music] every believer. The [singing] promise of God, the wise offender [music and singing] who repents and believes 5:12 that moment from Jesus the pardon receives. [singing and music] Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let the earth hear [singing and music] his voice. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let [music and singing] the people rejoice. 5:32 Oh, come to the [music] Father through Jesus [singing] the Son and give [music] him the glory. Great things [singing] he has done. [music] Great [music] things he has taught us. 5:53 Great [singing] things he has done. [music] and great are rejoicing through [singing] Jesus the son. But pureer [music] and higher and [singing] greater will be 6:10 [music] our wonder are transport when Jesus we [singing] sing. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let the [singing and music] earth hear his voice. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. >> [music] >> Let the people [singing] 6:28 rejoice. Oh, come to [music] the father through [singing] Jesus the son and [music] give him the glory. Great things he has. [singing] Holy voices [music] sing. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let 6:46 the earth [singing] hear his voice. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. [singing] Let the people rejoice. Oh, come to the father through Jesus [singing] the son and give him the glory. 7:06 [singing] Great things he has done. >> Please be seated. >> [music] [music] 7:32 >> Great [singing] is thy faithfulness, oh God, my [music] father. There is no shadow [singing] of journeying [music] with thee. Thou changest [singing] not thy compassions [music] 7:51 they fail [singing] on. As thou has been, thou forever [music] will [singing] be. Great is thy faithfulness. Great [singing] is thy faithfulness. [music] Morning by morning, new mercies 8:10 [singing and music] I seek. All I [music] have needed, thy hand has proided. [singing] Great is thy faithfulness, [music] Lord, unto [singing] me. [singing and music] Summer and winter 8:35 and springtime and harvest. Our [singing and music] moon and stars in their forces above. Join [singing and music] with all nature in magful witness to [singing and music] thy great 8:55 faithfulness, mercy and love. [singing and music] Great is thy faithfulness. [singing and music] Great is thy faithfulness. Morning [singing] by morning. [music] Your mercies I see. 9:13 All [singing] I [music] have needed, thy hand has proided. [singing] Great [music] is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto [singing] me. [music] A pardon [singing] 9:33 for sin and a peace [music] that endureth. Thine on [singing] your [music] presence to cheer and to guide. Strength [music and singing] for today and bright hope for tomorrow. 9:52 Blessings [singing] all [music] mine will 10,000 desire. Great [music and singing] is thy faithfulness. Great is thy faithfulness. [singing] Morning by morning mercies [music and singing] 10:10 I seek. All I have [music] needed thy hand has proided. [singing] Great [music] is thy faithfulness. Great is thy faithfulness. [music] Great is [singing] thy faithfulness, 10:30 Lord, unto me. [music] [music] All the way [singing] 10:47 my savior [music] leads me. What have I to ask beside can [music] I doubt his tender mercy [singing] who through life has been [music] my guide. Every peace [singing] divide us comfort. You're [music] my 11:04 faith in him to dwell. For I [singing] know whatever before me. [music] Jesus all things well. For I know honor [music and singing] before thee. Jesus to all things well. On [singing and music] the way my savior 11:26 leads me, cheers each finding path I tread. [music and singing] Gives me grace for every trial. Feeds me [music and singing] with the living bread. Though my weary sense [music] may falter and my [singing] soul and thirst 11:43 may be gushing [music] from the rock before me. Though a string [singing] of joy I see [music] gushing from the rock before me. No a string [music and singing] of joy I see. All the [singing and music] way my 12:03 savior leads me. For the fullness of [music] his love, perfect rest for me is promised [singing] in my father's house [music] above. When my spirit called immortal [singing] brings its flight to rams of [music] 12:21 day. This my song through endless ages. [singing] Jesus led me all the way. This my [music and singing] song through endless ages. Jesus led me all [singing] the way. [music] 12:53 Above all [singing and music] powers, above all kings, above all [singing and music] nature, and all created things, above all [singing and music] wisdom and 13:12 all the ways of man, [music] you were here [singing] before the world began. >> [music] >> Above [singing] all kingoms, 13:28 above all thrones, [music] above [singing] all wonderers the world has ever known. [music and singing] of all wisdom treasures [music] of the earth. 13:47 [singing] There's no way [music] to measure what you're worth. Crucified, [singing] laid behind the stone. [music] 14:04 You live to die. [singing] Rejected [music] and alone like a road. Trampled [singing] on the ground [music] you took [singing] before. thought [music] of me 14:27 above [singing] all. [music] [music] See from above all above [singing] all powers, [music] above all [singing] kings, 14:46 above all nature [music] and all creative things, above all [music and singing] wisdom and all the ways of man, [music] 15:03 you were [singing] here Before the world [music] began, >> above all kingdoms, above [singing] all kingoms, [music] above all thrones, above [singing] all wonderers [music] 15:21 the world has ever known. Above [singing and music] all the measures all the earth [singing] [music] there's no [singing] way to measure what 15:39 your word [music] voices sing crucified crucified [singing] laid behind the stone [singing] you live to die rejected And alone [singing] 15:57 like a rose trampled on [singing] the ground. You took the fall [singing] and thought of me above [singing] all. Amazing 16:27 love. How can it be that you, my king, to die for me? I'm forgiven. [music] I'm [singing] forgiven. Because you were forsaken. I'm accepted. [music] 16:46 You [singing] were condemned. I'm [singing] alive and well. Your spirit is within [music] me because [singing] you died and rose [music] again. From the top again. I'm forgiven. And I'm [music and singing] forgiven 17:08 because you were forsaken. And I'm accepted. [music and singing] You were condemned. >> [music] >> I'm alive and well. Your spirit [singing] is within me [music] 17:26 because you died and rose [music] again. Amazing love. Amazing [singing and music] love. How can it be that you, my [music and singing] king, 17:44 would die for me? Amazing [music] [singing] love I know it's true. [music] It's my [singing] joy to honor you. [music] 18:03 In [singing] all I do I honor you. You are my king. [music] You are my [singing] king. You [music] are [singing] my king. 18:27 You [music] are my [singing] king. Jesus, [music] you are [singing] my king. Holy wise to sing. Amazing love. Amazing [singing] love. 18:46 How can it be [singing] that you, my king, would die for me. [music] [singing] Amazing love I [singing] know is true. 19:05 >> And it's my [singing] joy to honor you. >> [music] >> In all [singing] I do, I honor you. >> [music] 19:36 >> What gift of grace [singing] is Jesus my redeemer [music] and by [singing] his power I have all I need to live. [music and singing] He is my joy my [music] righteousness 19:54 and freom. [singing] My steerous love, my [music] deep and boundless peace. To this [singing] I hold. [music] My hope is only Jesus. For my life [singing] 20:12 is [music] wholly bound to him. Oh how strange [singing] and divine. I can [music] sing. All is mine yet not I. But through [music and singing] Christ in me [music] 20:39 only sisters sing but I am not forsaken [music and singing] for by my side the [singing] savior he will stay. I labor [singing and music] 20:56 all in weakness and rejoicing for in my [singing and music] power is join and sing. To this I [music and singing] hold my shepherd will defend me 21:16 through [music] the deepest [singing] valley he will lead. Oh, the night [singing] has been one, and I shall overcome, yet [music] not I, but through [singing] 21:32 Christ in me. Now, brothers, [music] no faith I [singing] dread. I know I am forgiven. 21:51 [music] The future's sure. [singing] The price it has been paid. For Jesus [singing and music] bled and suffer for my pardon. And [music and singing] he was raised to 22:10 overthrow the grave. [music and singing] Together join. To this I hold. My sin [music] has been defeated. [singing] Jesus now and ever [music] is my peace. 22:28 Oh, the [singing] chains are released. I can [music] sing I am free [singing] and not I but [music] through Christ in me. With [singing] every [music] breath I 22:54 long to follow Jesus, [singing] for he has said that he will [singing] bring me home. And day by [singing] day I know he will renew [singing] me 23:13 until I stand with joy before the [singing] throne. To [music] this I hope my hope is only Jesus. [singing and music] All the glory 23:30 ever more [music] to him. [singing] And the race is complete. Still my [singing] left shall remain. [music] Yet not I, but [singing] through Christ in me. [music] When the race is complete, when the race is complete, 23:49 [music] [singing] still my lip shall repeat. Yet not I, but through Christ indeed. [music] Yet not [singing] I, but [music] through Christ in me. 24:07 Yet [singing] not I, but through [music] Christ in me. Shall we all stand? All hail the lamb. He reigns victorious, 24:26 forever glorious. His name [music] is Jesus and he is the Lord. All [singing] hail the lamb [music] enthroned [singing] 24:44 on [music] high. His [singing] praise shall be [music] our battle. [singing] [music] He [singing] 25:03 reigns victorious [music] [singing] forever. Glorious. [singing] [music] His name is Jesus. He is [singing and music] the Lord 25:26 from the joy of his all [singing and music] the land [music and singing] on high. [music] 25:42 His [singing] praise shall be [singing and music] our battle. [music] [singing] He reigns victorious [music] [singing] 26:02 forever. Glorious. [music] His name is [singing] Jesus. [music] He [singing] is the Lord. [music] As we remain standing, shall we bow our 26:57 heads in prayer? as we just sang. 27:26 All glory to the lamb enthroned on high. His praise shall be continually in our mouths as our battle cry 27:43 because he reigns victorious forever and ever glorious. His name is Jesus and he is the Lord. The Lord says, "I know the plans that I 28:09 have for you." That's for each one of us this morning, declares the Lord. Plans for welfare and not for calamity. to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and 28:30 pray to me and I will listen to you and you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart and I'll be found by you, 28:49 declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and will gather You father in heaven, we 29:21 come before your throne room with reverence. and gratitude and praise because you live upon the praises of your people. You are enthroned on the praises of your 29:41 people. We want to make a throne for you this morning and we want you to be enthroned upon the praises of your people. Lord God Almighty, 29:57 we worship you because you are holy, you're almighty, you're awesome, and you're majestic. We bow down before you with the hosts of heaven 30:15 and worship you, thanking you for sustaining us from when we were born up until this day. carrying our burdens, providing for our needs, 30:32 sustaining us, preserving us, protecting us from all harm, danger, evil, accidents, and for giving us good health and strength that we can stand among your people this morning 30:49 and come together and worship you and praise you and expect a word from your mouths this morning. Dear Father, we are anxious. We are hungry. 31:07 We are needy. We are thirsty. We believe that you have something good in store for us. We come with expectancy, that you will meet our needs. We thank you, Father, that you will 31:25 never send anyone empty who comes to you. And you said, "He who comes to me, I will in no wise cast him out." Father, we thank you that you loved us even when we didn't deserve it. Bless you, Father, this morning. Brothers and sisters, take this 31:45 opportunity to give glory, honor, praise, adoration, thanksgiving, worship that belongs to him and him alone. >> Bless the Lord, oh my soul. 32:13 and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Far above all, far above all, God has exalted Jesus Christ far above all. 32:31 given him the name that's above every name at which every knee shall bow and every tongue confess one day that Jesus Christ is Lord indeed 32:49 for the glory of God. Thank you, Father, this morning for your steadfast love, your loving kindness that endures forever. Even this morning as we come 33:08 as your people, Lord, we pray that you will open up the scriptures, open our hearts and our minds, our eyes to see wondrous things out of your word. Pray that you will bless your servant. Speak through him to each one of our 33:28 hearts that we will yield to your word and let your word have its way and be transformed by the same from glory to glory every day. pray that you'll fill each one of us with your 33:46 Holy Spirit this morning. That you'll be glorified, honored, and praised in our midst. Thank you once again for this time. Bless you in Jesus name. Amen. 34:05 Amen. Please take your seats. We will look at our memory verses. Last week we had a command from Psalm 20 verse7. 34:21 Psalm 20 verse7. Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord our God. It was a command and this week we have a 34:42 promise from Proverbs 29 verse 23. A man's pride will bring him low but a humble spirit will obtain honor. 35:03 Proverbs 29 23. A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor. Yeah. This morning 35:25 we are happy to have brother John Pereira with us. and he will bring us God's word. May we be receptive to not only to listen but also to let 35:43 the Lord open our hearts and our minds and our ears and our eyes to the word of God that we may receive as we should. Brother John I'm happy to share what the Lord has 36:14 encouraged me. [clears throat] The Lord will restore honor. It's a promise from the Lord. [clears throat] What is that honor? The Lord will restore Just a second. Yeah. Sorry. What is the honor the Lord 36:46 wants to restore? The honor which God gives us is that his relationship with us. See, God wants to have relationship with us despite of us. 37:03 That's a great honor a man can have. God wants to have relationship with us. God desires relationship. The whole book, this Bible from the beginning till end, it reflects only one thing. Restoration 37:22 of our relationship with God. which God in his mercy wants to give it to us. But uh we deserve hell, we deserve separation, we deserve punishment. But God says no, I want to have 37:42 relationship. I want to restore relationship with uh each one of us. That's the greatest honor. You know Bible says Christian life is exciting. Am I misquing the verse is Christian life exciting? Bible says in [clears throat] Proverbs 38:04 14:14, godly man's life is exciting. Godly woman's life is exciting. Why? That is because he is restored to God. He has a relationship with God. That is the excitement for us. Nothing else. If 38:23 we think about all those godly men in the Bible or besides that, we see that people had relationship with God and they were excited. They lived an exciting life. Not the way the world sees the external things 38:41 um blessings of the world and things like that. No, not really. Ultimately uh this was written by David the psalm. David enjoyed his relationship with God. He lost it and he cried unto God. Lord restore unto me the joy of salvation. 39:00 What is that salvation? I I lost relationship with Lord save me back to that relationship. That is exciting. That's what he was yearning for, hungering for. I hope all of us are hungering for that. That is 39:19 what our goal should be. Nothing else, nothing else, brothers and sisters. Why we see godly men living a a powerful um and a profitable, fruitful, a better life. That is only because they have a 39:39 restored relationship with God, a strong relationship with God. And then God delights. The God created Adam. God was self-sufficient but still he created Adam. God wanted to have a relationship. Then God looked at Adam and said, "Hey, 39:59 he doesn't seem he seemed to be lonely. You know, I don't like that." God said looking at examining his own creation God said this is not good and then he gave a partner oh I want you to have a relationship see God wants to have 40:16 relationship that's why u he created us but uh we lost it but God did everything possible he went out of his way to restore the relationship that's what excites God God takes delight in that. 40:35 Would like to read a verse uh in Acts chapter [clears throat] 17 verse 26. I was thinking about this yesterday. He made from one every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth 40:54 having determined their appointed times and boundaries of their habitation. And they should seek God. Why? Why he ordained or rather he appointed times and boundaries, habitation where they should live and circumstances, 41:13 situation, difficulties, sufferings. These are all arranged by God for what? So that they should seek God. That is the purpose. That's what I I see. Lord, give me that hunger to seek you and come 41:30 into a better relationship with you. Is there something? See, that's that prompted uh um David to write that, Lord. Point out anything that makes you sad. Lord, restore to me the relationship. Point out. I think that 41:47 should be our uh ultimate goal. We're so excited today. Why? Why that excitement? Why we are we should be happy today? We have some baptisms. But I look at them those six brothers and sisters. Wow. The relationship is 42:05 restored. And they come into a joyful relationship with the Lord. And now they are not divided between this and that. Nothing. They have got they got the focus right. Not only we that the whole heaven rejoices. That's what it says. 42:23 Jesus kept on saying the joy heaven rejoices. Jesus himself himself said he's the only one who came from heaven. He he can tell us what's heaven like when a sinner repents somebody's restored to a relationship with God. 42:42 Every time when I read kingdom of God where Jesus said in Matthew 6 where he says seek his king uh seek first his kingdom and righteousness. That means what? That means come into a relationship with God. Do what is right. 42:58 Doing what is right is righteousness. What is right in God's eye and then come into relationship. That's he is the king. You have a relationship with him. That if you do that, what is the outcome? Outcome is all that you need 43:13 will be provided to you. A marriage don't struggle for it. Marriage will fall in place. Don't try to look for the right person or right circumstances, right situation or right job at this, right? That right. No, no. Be the right person. I was 43:32 blessed by that. Read that somewhere. I read be the right person. That's what the whole Bible if I read they say be humble. Be humble. Then the Lord himself come and revive you. I'm quoting Isaiah 43:49 57:15. The Lord says, "I God longs to revive whom?" The right person. Who is the right person? The humble unbroken, contrite. And God says, "I I'm waiting to revive the humble." But don't look. Oh God do this, God do that. See, most 44:09 of our prayers are God do this, God do that, do this, do that. No, it's not do this, do that. And God, we are telling God, oh, you should be doing this, you should be doing that. Not really Lord. Am I the person? Am I the right person? 44:24 I I desire relationship with you. Then automatically God will do everything. He He knows what to do. In fact, I think brother was quoting that verse. He has a better plan. He has a wonderful plan. He he has a exciting plans which really 44:42 surprises. If I look back my own 30 years of life, I am surprised about everything like brother Zach was mentioning I I I thought I should start writing that Zach was mentioning on fourth you just write down what God has 44:59 done. That is when you are in a good relationship with God, he will do it for you. He's excited to have a relationship with you. Jesus came to restore that relationship. See what it says here. They should seek God if perhaps they 45:15 might grop for him. Yes. Are we groping for him? We are in dark and here it says grow for him and find him. That is the purpose. He's not far from us. We have to grope for him. That means it's not that he is somewhere. No, it 45:31 says he's close by. But the problem is with you. I am the problem. My heart and priorities. I'm not seeking for relationship. I'm seeking for some blessings. Give me this, give me that, give me this, give me that. Any father 45:46 will say in fact we'll see that uh father wants to give. Okay, I'll give but you want only that or you want relationship? We look into that. Um, Acts chapter [cough and clears throat] Acts chapter 15 46:10 here [clears throat] verse one uh tax collectors and sinners were coming near him and listening to him. See these are the right people. Jesus uh felt that they are these are the right people and they also felt that yes Jesus 46:26 is someone who who is right person to help us rather he likes our company. Jesus likes our company. Who are the the tax collectors and sinners? And both the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble 46:45 and saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." See, they they didn't recognize Jesus. Jesus said, "I am here for the right kind of people. I'm looking for them." Even in CFC, God is not far from us. He's looking for the 47:04 right people. Not those who behave nicely outside. No, not the educated. I'm not saying not only the educators, God doesn't look at external achievements and success or nice behaviors and all that. No, God looks at 47:20 the heart. Is this heart is good? Is this heart humble? I will come and stay in this heart. That's why the receiving the Holy Spirit, it's to do with our heart. What is our heart like? you try to do see like Judas went he 47:39 also thought that oh yeah I know some ah yeah yeah yeah it's good to give back the money Judas's scariot goes and uh take this money back and he tells confesses to the priest um oh yeah I did wrong but not that 47:57 Jesus expected or God expected Judas to come to the right person against whom he committed ed that crime and say sorry to him not giving back the money. See this is the he was pride he 48:16 had he was a proud person his eyes were blind he could see only that he was going by head and oh this I I've done this but no the res the restoration has not happened happened the relationship is not restored God desires relationship 48:33 not all this giving back money and all yeah it's good to give back whatever need to be done need to you we have to do that but the thing is the focus Focus is not that I gave this uh this exact calculation. No, no, not this. It's a 48:49 desiring for a loving relationship. Here [clears throat] verse three, he told a parable. Uh what man among you if he has a 100 sheep and lost one of them does not leave 99 49:06 and uh he goes after that one and finds it. Then verse five, when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulder rejoicing. See, rejoicing. See, joy is the mark [clears throat] of a Christian. Christian life. The main mark is joy. 49:26 Not smiling or not external [clears throat] appearance. Jesus, he was on the cross being killed, but he had full of joy in his heart because he was in the presence of God. He was in the will of God. God 49:44 was very close to him the time. He was going through sufferings. Here he said rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was 50:01 lost." See what an excitement Jesus was trying to convey something here to the Pharisees and scribes and said, "See, you're thinking about all these external things. Yeah, they are sinners. Yes, they are sinners. They are tax 50:16 collectors. They're violators. They're prostitutes. But no in fact on another place Jesus said see you may be thinking that you have lot of knowledge understanding and all that but before you these prostitutes and tax collectors 50:31 will enter the kingdom of god that means what is kingdom of god relationship they will enter into the relationship with god not you you are calculating you are seeing god in a calculative manner you think calculates no god looks at the 50:48 heart. Your heart is not right. Then it says that this [clears throat] is what verse 7 said. Yeah. He he he's rejoicing. Verse seven, I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one 51:07 sinner who repents than over 99 righteous person who need no repentance. Yes, 99 are in the relationship but one was lost. That is what I have come to seek and find. And these are the people who are lost and they have honesty to 51:24 come before God and acknowledge their sin and they desire relationship with God that will be restored to them. That's what Jesus is saying. That's why heaven rejoices. Heaven every soul but enemy is there in this world. Enemy is 51:39 there. He is trying his best to destroy relationship, husband and wife relationship, parents, children relationship, brother's relationship, sister relationships. No, he's putting fire everywhere, oil everywhere to destroy relationship. 51:56 It's like the body body parts when there are united it's working well. Once it start disintegrating, then the body collapses. Whole body dies. But Satan is trying his best to do that. But we have to be careful. We have to guard our heart and we should be 52:16 restored to a joyful, wonderful, exciting relationship with the Lord. That is what God desires. God God wants. We were praising, thanking. I was thinking, Lord, how will that be in heaven? Wonderful 52:32 heart of joy in heaven. Everybody praising with total joy, total excitement. We we have not come to that place. It's a restored relationship. Then verse 8, then he talks about 52:51 another uh parable that the there's a what woman if she has 10 silver coins and loses one coin and does does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it. You see, he's talking about relationship. 53:11 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost." See, he's Jesus is talking about relationship. Here again, see, he's saying this excitement. Are you excited? 53:29 Are we excited? Are we just, oh, God wants me to read the Bible a little bit? I'm not finding for time for that. I'm not finding time to pray. I am not finding time for church or fellowship. No, God God is grieved. That's why God 53:45 loves the cheerful giver. If if you give one rupee cheerfully, that's much more excites God than you give 1,000 rupees or 10,000 rupees grudgingly. That's what God is trying to say. Are you interested in relationship? That's what God is trying to Jesus is 54:04 trying to communicate here. that what I want to see here is God is excited. We need to see that God excited. Every time I I'm eager to settle u something to come back to relationship with God, God is excited. We have to see that excited 54:24 God. Sometimes we are so kind of sometimes we I don't know Satan also works there to see God frowning at us always like an inspector. I sometimes some some come and talk to me. I have to tell them no no no I think you are 54:43 misunderstanding God. God is not a policeman. I think you have a picture that God is a policeman sitting with a stick and trying to um catch you. No, but the thing is if my heart is not 54:58 right then God is a judge. But if heart is my heart is right, God is a father. Then then very importantly the verse 11 a certain man had two sons the younger one and older one. I don't have to go 55:16 into the details here again see the the father didn't have to give son anything. Father could have said get lost man. See you are not right with me. Why should why should why should I give you anything? See you know all righteous and 55:35 unrighteous people in the world are treated equally when it comes to earthly blessings. In fact uh unbelievers don't they don't have any relationship with God. They have more blessings of this earth but you know God says no no no no I give 55:54 them that. That's how God gave this prodigal son. He said I want it my share. Okay, take it and go. Go. You enjoy whatever you want to do, do. But still, you know, I want to see that verse, that verse 31. That is the statement of God when he 56:12 looks each one of us. Verse 31. My child, you have always been with me. That this is this he's talking about the older son. And all that is mine is yours always. But uh you seem to have missed 56:29 my uh to understand my heart. But we had we had to be merry and um rejoice for this brother of yours was dead and has be begun to live. He was dead. 56:46 He was on his own and now he's come back to restore relationship. Are you not excited about it? You're more calculative what you get, what you don't get and all that. Oh, you took and wasted. Why you still give him something? No, no. He's not come to take 57:05 anything here. See that is the picture of all of us. That prodigal son who came back to relationship, you know, he wanted to be a servant. He I think he was not even expecting to be a servant. If we have that kind of a heart, Lord, 57:22 uh I don't want anything. I I'm not seeking for marriage. I'm not seeking for this and that. I'm not saying you should not plan for marriage. See, the thing is everything will fall in place. Lord, I want relationship. I'm not I'm 57:36 not seeking for comfortable life. Yeah, it may come and go. I that my joy is not there. But Paul said Paul was an a classic example. Philippians 4, he says, "I learned to be content in every circumstances. I'm in jail. Fine. I don't have anything 57:55 to eat. Fine. I'm hungry. I'm fine. I'm sick. I'm fine. I am fine. I have learned to be content. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." That means Jesus, I look at Jesus. Jesus was content with a 58:13 relationship with God. That was the most exciting thing for Jesus. I have relationship with my father. I don't care what comes. But that's exactly what Paul was saying. He said, "I'm content." It means who can take away my joy. Nobody. Even death 58:32 cannot take away my joy. I can die joyfully. I can go through sufferings joyfully. Nobody can take away my joy because my joy doesn't come by these things. My joy doesn't come by all these external things. No, I'm not seeking for 58:48 this. If it comes, okay. If it doesn't come, okay. But my joy is the foundation of my joy is relationship with the father. That's what uh he is seeking for. [clears throat] Just maybe I'll end with this. Um 59:04 see we have a book by Brazak [clears throat] a good foundation. You know what? What do you understand by that good foundation? There are chapters like repentance, faith, election, justification, disciplehip, baptism in water, baptism in the Holy Spirit, 59:21 sanctification, God's word, prayer, fellowship and church, the end of the age. You know, when I look at all of that, it is all to restore our relationship with God. That's the foundation. See God has a 59:40 condition. See God cannot just be uh having relationship with us when we are not cleansed. We have to have an hunger and thirst or desire to cleanse our own heart. That's why though we have to repent. 59:59 If I don't have a heart of a repentance, it's like uh I slapped my mother and I don't want to say sorry to her but yeah mommy give me food. She has to give me food but do you think the it's restored? The relationship is restored. No, it's 1:00:17 not food. She may give food. Ah she gave me food. Okay. Okay. Mommy take 1,000 rupees. Okay. H now everything is okay. Do you think everything is okay? Oh, I gave money. Mommy gave me food. It's restored. No, it's not restored. 1:00:31 There's a deep repentance is required. I have to go and touch the point where the error has happened and be mourning about it, loadful about it and then only it is restored. That is repentance. If I don't have a heart of repentance, I can't be 1:00:50 restored. means changing my mind. How can I have a relationship like James says I think 4:4 he says if you have the relationship with the world you're an enemy of God no I can't have a relationship with the world uh with God 1:01:04 I can't balance that relationship like exactly like in a marriage you cannot have a relationship outside and you can have a relationship with wife no it is it doesn't work like that so that is repentance then faith we have to see 1:01:18 what god wants to do for me and believe his love and faith means when I believe I give myself totally to him and faith is the total confidence in God and even Bible says Hebrew 11:6 that if someone comes without faith it is impossible to 1:01:37 please God if someone come comes he must believe that God exists you know that's how we get the fear of God exists God is watching me Joseph said no how can I do this in the sight of God that is the faith Though without faith I cannot restore 1:01:54 this rel relationship. See it's not the book and chapters and some explanation some teaching some doctrine. No it is all the truth God says yes baptism in the Holy Spirit. How can I continue that relationship? I cannot continue my 1:02:12 relationship with God without the presence of the Holy Spirit with me in me. I can't I can't do that. So it's all required. Sanctification is required. Ultimately the goal is God looks at people who lived only for the 1:02:32 relationship with God. God is so excited and God ultimately sees that wow this person despite of all his limitation imperfection temptation pressures of life sufferings of life and he comes out 1:02:49 like a gold like Peter says in 1 Peter 1:7 it says your faith is so precious and gold and silver it's not gold and silver comfort no it's those who desire relationship with God that That's the goal of life brothers and sisters. 1:03:06 That's why Psalm 16:11 uh David says that you make known to me the path of life. What is the path of life? In your presence there is fullness of joy. Where the joy comes in your presence that means relationship. When I have 1:03:20 relationship with you, I have the joy. In your presence at your right hand are the pleasures forever more. You are my pleasure Lord not anything else in this world. that that's that's what it's restored. That's a son, prodigal son. He comes 1:03:37 back and says, "Dad, I want to be with you." He was trying to say that I want to give me a some small place in servants's quarters. That's enough. I'll just want to be just with you. But that's how he came. God was so excited. Jesus was saying 1:03:55 this in John 15:10. If you keep my commands, commandments, you will abide in my love. See God's why God's commands are given that we will be rescued from the evil of this world. God says don't touch it. Better I don't 1:04:15 touch it. If I touch it, I lose my relationship. That's the big problem. It's not that oh nothing happened. Nothing happened. Nothing happens externally. But what happens internally? I lose my relationship with God. And 1:04:28 just as I have kept my father's commandment and abide in his love. See Jesus is talking about relationship. He's saying I keep the commandment not that this this is right wrong. No no no not analyzing all that I he saying that 1:04:46 I abide in my father's love that that's the goal for me. And in fact verse 11, these things I have spoken to you so that my joy may be with uh be in you and that 1:05:01 your joy may be made full. See if you want the continuous joy if I want exciting Christian life the only focus I should have is relationship with God. That's what Jesus is trying to communicate. 1 John 1:4 and we are 1:05:21 writing these things so that our joy may be complete. See he talks about we have fellowship with the father and fellowship with the son. If you have this then we'll our joy will be full there. He's talking about relationship. 1:05:36 One John he wrote when he was maybe 86 years sorry 96 year old very old he said you do you have a joyful relationship with God. Do you really desire only that or are you seeking something else? uh you seek, you find it. You seek 1:05:54 everything, you find it. But uh be careful that uh at the cost of relationship with God, you find something. And even Jesus spoke about the pearl of great price. And that man sold everything and said, "I am ready to I am I want this pearl." What is that 1:06:12 pearl? Relationship with God. Jesus kept on talking about relationship with God. And James 1:2 says that count it all joy my brothers when you meet trials and various kinds. Yeah, count it all joy. It's okay. No problem. We go through we 1:06:29 have to go through the struggles and difficulties. But finally I want to end here end here uh what David said. I quoted that earlier also. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. See Paul uh sorry David realized 1:06:46 more than all these things I have lost relationship with you God I please restore that to me restore to me I have lost the joy I have lost my relationship with you and that's the problem Lord I'm struggling 1:07:05 verse 21 Jude 21 I would like to read and end u in living Bible >> [clears throat] >> Stay always within the boundaries where God's love can reach and bless you. This is the proper relationship with God. 1:07:22 Always we should have a desire to stay all with bound within the boundary where God's love can reach. I have a good relationship with God. God's love can reach. I want to be close to him and then he will help us. He will 1:07:41 keep us from stumbling. May the Lord help us. Uh brothers, I have a video clip, 12 minute video clip of brother Zach. We can play that. After that we can have a song. Thank you. The tragedy today in the world is people 1:08:04 have not been convicted of sin and they're being told to believe in Jesus Christ. Are any of you sitting here today in that condition? You you started your Christian life just with faith in Christ. Christ died for your sins. 1:08:18 Believe in him. My dear brother, sister, you got a wrong foundation. And you know if you see a crack in a three-story building, you see a crack on the third floor, a crack on the third floor, a crack in your life 30 years 1:08:35 after you're con became a Christian, the problem is with the foundation. A crack in the third floor or the fifth floor, the problem is very often with the foundation. And when you find yourself having a serious problem 15 years after you're married 1:08:55 [clears throat] or 20 years after you first accepted Christ, don't think the problem is there. The problem is an improper foundation in your life. Right? When you started out your Christian life, you did not start with repentance and faith. 1:09:14 So it's very important to begin there. Now I want to say everyone who's here who's not come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ I want to urge you repentance means turn around. It's a 180° turn. Here I was facing the 1:09:32 devil and the world and I turn right around 180°. Some people turn around only 90°. They give up part of their sin but they keep some of it. Well, it's like a cracked foundation, an incomplete foundation. It's like half your building 1:09:48 having a foundation and half your building not having a foundation. Make sure your repentance is a 180°ree turn completely around. You were facing the world and sin and your selflight and you turn around from that and say, "Lord, I'm 100% not 50% 1:10:05 100% yours now." It's like marriage. Is marriage a 50/50 relationship? No, a 50/50 relationship in marriage will never survive the trials of married life. Marriage is a 100% 100% relationship. Both must be committed to 1:10:25 each other. A good wife or husband will not want to be with another partner even for one day in a year. That's marriage. 365 days in a year, 366 days in a leap year. I'm committed to my marriage partner. That is true Christianity because the Bible 1:10:44 says that Christianity is like a marriage and that cannot take place if repentance and faith of turning around. Turning around does not mean I've given up sin. Let me clarify that. No, it takes time to overcome sin. It means 1:11:03 I want to give up sin. It's a want to. Repentance is I hate that what I've been doing. I want to give it up. I don't have the power to give it up. That will come later. But I want to give it up. [clears throat] So that's where he 1:11:16 begins. That's what I would ask even those who are not sure here children and others sitting here. Do you want to give up that bad those bad habits and the bad life that you've inherited that we've all inherited from Adam? 1:11:31 If you want to say, "Lord Jesus, I want to turn towards you and I want to trust you that you died on the cross and you rose again from the dead. come into my life and forgive me. That's why you begin the Christian life. But then you 1:11:45 move on from there. And you have to come to a place of assurance. You need to be sure that God has accepted you. That's the place where the devil puts people in doubt. You have repented. You have trusted Christ. Then it says, let me turn you to Romans 1:12:04 chapter 5 and verse one. I'm going to make sure that everybody sitting here who's in the kindergarten all the way to grade 10 or grade 12, everybody understands. Romans 5:1, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through 1:12:21 our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, there was no such thing as being justified before God. Justified is more than forgiveness. Forgiveness is when I've repented and I trusted the Lord. I ask him to forgive me. He 1:12:34 forgives me. Justification is God now looks at me as righteous. Even though I'm not perfectly righteous inside, none of us have overcome sin completely. To say that you overcome sin completely is like saying I've become 100% like 1:12:51 Christ. I have not become 100% like Christ. I'm pressing on. I've been along this [clears throat] way for more than 60 years, but I'm still pressing on. One day I will become like Christ when he comes again. But until then I cannot 1:13:06 say I'm perfectly righteous. But God is so holy that no one can come to him unless he's perfectly righteous. So what does God do? He clothe me with the righteous Christ himself becomes my righteousness. That's what we read in one Corinthians 1:13:21 1. And that is the meaning of justification. Just as if justified means just as if I'd always been righteous from day one. Not only just as if I had never sinned, but there's a difference between being righteous and never sinning. Never 1:13:40 sinning is a negative thing. Being righteous is a positive thing. So just as if I had never sinned and just as if I'd been righteous all my life, that is being justified. I'm sorry to say many Christians have 1:13:57 not been taught that. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. When you are sure that God has declared you righteous in Christ, the day you gave your life to Christ, God clothed you with Christ and he sees you in Christ. He does not see you as 1:14:16 your yourself. Then you will have, it says, it says you're peace with God. Otherwise, you'll always be at unrest. Has God accepted me? Has he not accepted me? And you know what else he says at that time when you come to him? Let me turn 1:14:32 you to Hebrews in chapter 8 and verse 12. Hebrews 8 and verse 12. I will be merciful to their iniquities or their sins and I will remember their sins no more. [clears throat] That is 1:14:49 the most amazing promise. I'm sorry to say that in my case, I understood it only about two years after I accepted Christ because nobody told me these verses. Nobody told me these blessed truths that you need to know the 1:15:02 day you're converted. God says, "I will not remember all the wicked, wretched things you did in your entire life. Not only are you forgiven, it's blotted out. Completely blotted out." God says I will not remember anymore. 1:15:22 But I want to tell you about one condition [clears throat] and that is very very important. Jesus said in Matthew 6, I have to rush through these things because you know I got to go through 10 grades in this one session. 1:15:40 Matthew [clears throat] 6 verse 14 and 15. If you forgive others, your heavenly father will forgive you. This is a condition for forgiveness. Many people think condition for forgiveness is you confess your sins. They know 1 John 1:9. 1:15:59 If we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Correct? But there is one more condition. Matthew 6:14, you have to forgive others who have hurt you and harmed you in your 1:16:15 life. And if you're more than four years old, somebody has harmed you in your life. And those of us who are so much older, you have a history in your life of people who have hurt you, harmed you. Maybe your relatives, maybe your 1:16:30 marriage partner, maybe your children, maybe your parents treated you badly or so many people, maybe your boss, others, many we have all experienced some type of harm to a greater or lesser degree from others in the world and you must 1:16:45 forgive them. [clears throat] We cannot remove from our mind the memory of what they did. That is impossible because memory remains with us forever. But forgiveness is an act of our will. I say Lord before you [clears throat] 1:17:00 I forgive that person and that person. So if you can remember right now, let's do a little homework right now while you're sitting there. I'm [clears throat] sure as I speak you can remember maybe two or three people at 1:17:14 least or at least one who hurt you really badly or hurt your family or did something that made life difficult for you. Maybe your boss, maybe someone I want to ask you in Jesus name, 1:17:32 have you forgiven him? I'm not asking you have you whether you can remember what they did. I'm asking you have you forgiven him. Have you forgiven her? Whatever it may be, the sins that we've committed against Christ 1:17:51 are billion trillion times bigger than anything that other people could have done to us. And if I have been forgiven a trillion sins by my savior, can I forgive that two or three things that person did against me? It is a condition. Matthew 6:15, 1:18:10 here is the warning. If you do not forgive others, then no matter how many times you confess your sin, [clears throat] your father will not forgive your transgressions. Let me repeat it. No matter how many times you have confessed your sin and 1:18:30 quoted one John 1:9, if you do not forgive others, your heavenly father will not will not will not forgive your transgressions. That's another thing that is not being preached in Christendom today. I want to complete the picture of this beautiful 1:18:48 face of Jesus. And there are parts of that face, the truth of Christ which has been blotted out, torn out by the devil. And I want to present you the full beautiful picture of our savior, the full truth of God. And one important 1:19:03 part of that truth is you must forgive others. You remember that story Jesus said, you can I don't have time to turn to it right now. You can read it in the last half of Matthew chapter 18 21 onwards. How there was a king who forgave a man 1:19:17 millions of dollars which he could not repay. And that man went out and caught somebody by the throat who owed him $10 and say pay up or I'll put you in take you to court. And he took him to court because the guy could not pay that $10. And he 1:19:32 imprisoned him. And when the king heard about it, he called this slave and said, "Hey, I forgave you millions of dollars and you could not forgive that guy $10. Well, you're going to go back to prison and not only prison, I'm going to put 1:19:45 the torturers on you." Matthew 18:34. And that is allow that I'll allow the demons of hell to attack you because you are not willing to forgive that man $10 when I forgave you trillions. I hope the Lord does not have to say 1:20:02 that to any of us. My dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you, be very very careful to instantly forgive as soon as somebody has hurt you. We'll sing this song. 1:20:59 Oh, the love that sought [music] me in tenderness. He sought me where she [music] can sin. [music] [music] In tenderness [singing] 1:21:22 he sought me weary and sick with [music] sin. And on his [singing] shoulders brought me back to his fold again. While angels [singing and music] in his presence rang until the courts of heaven 1:21:40 [music] breath. Oh the love that sought me. Oh the blood [singing and music] that bought me. Oh the grace that brought me to the [singing] [music] wondous grace that brought me to the 1:21:59 phone. [music] He washed the bleeding [singing] sin bones and poured in oil and wine. He whispered [singing and music] to assure me, "I found the thou art mine. [music] I've never heard a [singing] sweeter 1:22:17 voice. It made my aching heart rejo. [music] Oh, the [singing] love that sought me. Oh, the [music] blood that bought me. Oh, the [singing] grace that brought me 1:22:34 to the full. [music] Wondrous [singing] grace that brought me to the full. He pointed [music and singing] to the nail prince for me. His blood was shed. [singing] 1:22:51 The [music] mocking crown so thorny was placed [singing] upon his head. I wondered what he [music] saw in me to suffer such badly. [singing] [music] 1:23:07 Oh the [singing] love that sought me. Oh the blood [music] that bought me. Oh the grace [singing] that brought me to the full. wondrous [music] race that [singing] brought me to the four. 1:23:26 [music] I'm sitting in his [singing] presence, the sunshine of his face. [music] While with adoring [singing] wonder, his blessings I retrace. It [music] seems as [singing] if eternal days are far too short to sound his 1:23:46 praise. [music] Oh, the [singing] love that sought me. Oh, the [music] blood that bought me. Oh, the [singing] grace that brought me to the full. [music] wondrous [singing] grace that brought me 1:24:05 to the four. Yeah, we are happy to have brother Allan 1:24:29 with us. Uh, brother Allan. Yeah, there there he is. Uh, brother Allan was with us in Bangalore for many years and now he's in RLCF. Uh, brother Alan, can you please share a word of greeting with with the church? Yeah, [clears throat] 1:25:08 it's good to be here, brothers and sisters. Good to see all of you. And uh even though I wish it were um under better circumstances, as some of you or maybe all of you know that I'm here for my dad's, I was here because my dad passed 1:25:25 away just about a little over a week ago and I came here for the funeral. But um even as brother John was sharing this morning, I was so encouraged to know that nothing can take away our joy. Nothing. Not even death. Nothing can 1:25:39 separate us from the love of Christ. Not even death, not even an angel. Um, and I and my mom and my family have experienced that. This week I was thinking right in the middle of what was supposed to be the saddest book in the 1:25:54 Bible, the book of Lamentations comes the most encouraging verse, probably the most popular encouraging verse. Lamentations 3 and verse 22 and 23. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. 1:26:12 His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. And great is your faithfulness. In the context of the book of Lamentations was literally Jeremiah weeping. Everything that he feared. Everything that he hoped wouldn't happen 1:26:26 happened. Judgment came. His people Judah were taken into captivity. And I can imagine him literally recording these words while grieving, while weeping. But somehow in the middle of that, in the middle of the saddest book 1:26:40 in the Bible, comes the greatest encouragement. Something that can encourage us, something that encourages me. Almost every single day, I wake up and I see the sunrise and it's a reminder God's mercies are new this morning. And that's 1:26:54 how it's been for me this past week. The darkest week of my life. I've never faced a trial this uh that's that's that's been this hard. But the Lord's encouragement and his fellowship has been the sweetest. My favorite, one of 1:27:07 my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians chapter 13:14, the last last verse of that book. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Now Paul had a lot of um 1:27:22 rebukes, a lot of correction, a lot of teaching all through this letter, but he ended with that almost as if to say, I've taught you a lot of things. I've instructed you. I've rebuked you. I've encouraged you. But if you forget all of 1:27:36 that, just remember this. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. If you have this, if you have the Trinity, God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit with 1:27:48 you, then there's there's nothing more that you need. There's no trial that's that's too great. There's no temptation that's too great that can knock you off because you have the love of God the Father. You have the grace of our Lord 1:28:01 Jesus Christ and you have the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The fellowship of the Holy Spirit has been with me right through even in my um quiet moments, private moments of grieving, he's been with me. He's encouraged me. He's lifted me up. 1:28:15 [snorts] And Jesus when he was just about to go to the cross in Matthew 26 and the parallel passage in uh Mark 14, it says he sang a hymn with his disciples. And as far as I know, that's the only recorded only time in in the 1:28:31 gospels that it's recorded that Jesus sang a song. And I learned from thing something from that that Jesus took encouragement from a hymn before his darkest hour before Gethsemane and before Calvary. He sang a hymn. And the 1:28:43 Lord has brought this past week hymns that I've loved, hymns that have encouraged me in times past. He's brought that to my memory um so many times. Uh earlier this week, I was thinking of the hymn Dayby Day. Um, and just four weeks ago, I celebrated the 1:28:59 the birth of my third son. There was so much joy. There was so much pleasure. And then just last week, I had to um experience the loss of my dad. But in pain or in pleasure, I have a father. His mercies were were his mercies came 1:29:15 to me in the darkest moments. And his grace was sufficient for me right through it. Um, and I'm encouraged. There was another song that he brought to my mind a couple days ago and the song said, "His grace is there when you 1:29:31 hear a newborn cry. His grace is there on your wedding day, but his grace is also there in the weeping by the graveside." And God's grace has been with me right through. And I'm greatly encouraged. There's there's great hope. 1:29:43 We don't feel like we're those without hope. We don't grieve like we're those without hope. There's um there's grief, but there's no despair. There's great hope. We have a father in heaven. Jesus did not leave us as orphans, but he gave 1:29:55 us his Holy Spirit and the the Holy Spirit will go with us and his fellowship will go with us always. Good to be here, brothers and sisters. I look forward to meeting each one of you. And as always, just being here, just singing 1:30:06 the songs, just hearing the word encourages and uplifts me. So, thank you. valued the
