Zac Poonen - Grace strengthens our hearts and the Lord never forsakes us

Zac PoonenJanuary 11, 202124mWatch on YouTube

In this collectionZac Poonen379 messages

Speaker: Zac Poonen Title: Grace strengthens our hearts and the Lord never forsakes us Date: 01/10/2021 Our Goal as Christians is this: To be an exact reflection of Jesus, the Son of God (Romans 8:29) We do this individually by growing in purity in our personal lives (1 John 3:2-3) We do this corporately by becoming fully functioning members of a local Church (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Summary

The sermon emphasizes that Christian growth involves striving to reflect Jesus by growing in personal purity and functioning within the local church. Drawing from John 21, the speaker illustrates that God accepts our current level of devotion, even if it is imperfect, encouraging us to start where we are. Furthermore, he teaches that grace provides the strength to desire and fulfill God's will, urging humility and caution against strange teachings, especially those related to politics.

Outline

The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.

What did Jesus really ask Peter?In John 21, Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him with total divine commitment, while Peter honestly replies that he has human affection for Him.

Jesus comes down to our levelJesus humbly comes down to Peter's level of human love, showing that believers can start by serving with the love they currently have.

The ladder of heaven reaching earthJust like Jacob's ladder reached all the way to earth level, Jesus meets us where we are to help us obey and serve.

Grace is the strength that writes God's law withinHebrews 13 teaches that grace strengthens the heart, building on God writing His desires in our minds and keeping us humble.Hebrews 13:9

Avoiding strange teachings and political distractionsChristians should not be carried away by false prophecies or political squabbles, but instead pray to live a quiet and peaceable life.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and foreverBecause Jesus's kingdom is not of this world, His followers must reject earthly fighting and focus on inner purity.

Concentrating on personal purityBelievers need to focus on overcoming anger and keeping the marriage bed and thoughts undefiled from immorality and pornography.Hebrews 13:4

Free from the love of moneyEarning and saving money are acceptable, but loving money destroys a person; the condition for God's promise is to be content.

Following the example of self-supportLike the apostle paul who worked with his hands, believers can trust God to provide for their needs without relying on begging or manipulation.

The lesson of the twelve basketsJust as the disciples who fed the 5,000 were left with full baskets for themselves, God ensures those who serve Him are never lacking.

Bearing fruit in the year of droughtJeremiah 17 shows that the person trusting the Lord is like a tree by the water that never ceases yielding fruit, even in drought years like 2020.

Every day is a season for the christianComparing Jeremiah with Psalm 1 reveals that a Christian's season lasts all 365 days of the year for continuous fruitfulness.Psalm 1:2–3

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Zac Poonen - Grace strengthens our hearts and the Lord never forsakes us

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