The is the seventh in a 9 part series that was preached at the
Glorious Church, RegionsBeyond Conference 2017 held in Mumbai.
To listen to the audio ( which is in English and Hindi) Please click here
Q. Do you know the call of God on your life? Are you
prepared to do what it takes to fulfil that call on your lives?
We need to
understand that there is a false self
and a true self. The false self is also called your super-self because
that’s the self you want people to see. I’m
going to speak about identity. We have to respect who we are. We don’t preach
self-esteem. That’s just security in who you are. You are made the way you
are, but identity is a deeper rooted thing. It brings you security, confidence and is rooted in Jesus. It
starts internally. If you want to have freedom and live from a place of
freedom, it starts inside of you. Then it bubbles up in the external.
This whole life
we live, goes a deeper to one day when we stand in heaven waiting to hear, Well
done, good and faithful servant. What’s
deeper than that is that we will have a father waiting to say welcome home my
son/ daughter.
2 Peter 1:3- 11: “His divine power has granted to us all
things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who
called us to[c] his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his
precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers
of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world
because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement
your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with
self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with
godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with
love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from
being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For
whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having
forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling
and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in
this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal
kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Divine power and divine nature- two stories in the
Bible- Peter and Adam and Eve. In 20-30 years time,
you guys who are in the front, you’ll be at the back and your children will sit
here. It will happen because we’ll grab a hold of it. About 20 years ago, I had
an encounter with God at a Sunday night meeting and God broke my heart for the
church. I broke down! It was tears of pain because he gripped my heart for the
church.
Revelation is not head
knowledge. It’s a deep understanding that God gives you about something and it
cannot be stolen from you. I had the honour of taking over the leadership
of the church from him. For 20 years I served him and in the midst of that God
raised me up. We need to be willing
because you are the future church leaders. You will go out and do great things
for God.
There are many
temptations in this world right now- many things that look like they satisfy
you. But God is testing this generation
because he is seeing if you are ready for a mighty outpouring. Are you willing?
Q. Do you get saved into the church or into the
Kingdom of God?
You get saved into the kingdom. It’s like the United kingdom which is under the Queen. Now, a British person does not have access to the Queen. We are part of the kingdom
that is unseen. Giving your life to Jesus means being adopted into his family. The vehicle used to expand this kingdom is
the Church. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
Peter was the
apostle who spoke before he thought. He walked on water, and saw phenomenal
miracles at the hand of Jesus. He received revelation about Jesus being the
Christ, the Messiah. On this revelation, Jesus said he will build his church. Luke 22: 31- 32 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift
you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And
when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”” Then he goes on to
tell him that before the rooster crows thrice he will deny him. But Jesus is
giving a little hint here- that he prays his faith will get him through. We
know what happens after this.
Peter is
standing there and when asked if he knew Jesus, he denies him. In verse 61- the
Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. He then went outside and wept
bitterly. He let his greatest friend, his saviour down. How do you come back
from that? He felt deeply guilty. He
felt great shame.
Now we go right
back to the beginning in the Garden of Eden. There was no sin. They was no need
to talk about self esteem and security. God gave them one command- not to eat
from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We know how the story goes. The
one thing they did is that they disobeyed what God said not to do. In that
moment they lost their innocence of consciousness. All of a sudden they were
aware of good and evil. Before that they were only aware of good.
3 things
happened when they disobeyed:
·
They ran and hid because they were fearful
·
They had shame
·
They were filled with guilt
What started was
a plan of showing who God is from a place of brokenness. We cannot be innocent
in our own strength. From the Garden of Eden, striving hard to please God, the
law fell short. Jesus the saviour came and by his perfect blood all our sin,
guilt, shame is gone. His perfect love casts out fear.
His divine power- this is beyond this world, it’s
powerful. This is given to us so that we can participate in his divine nature. Before you knew Jesus, you have a sinful nature. But now you have a
divine nature. You are perfect before God. you are being made holy. There is justification- that the mercy
of God has paid for your sin; and
sanctification- that you are being made new.
Nothing is
holding you back from running hard for the things of God. Not even the enemy
lying to you. Make sure your Election and calling. When you have security in
your identity in Christ, you can stand strong as a child of God against the
evil schemes of the enemy. It is an understanding
of who you are in Christ. We need to be secure.
Any hint of insecurity,
guilt and shame, fear- the enemy rushes in like a flood. But our king has
raised up a standard against him.
Now you are free. When we go to the world
secure, they will see the love in our hearts. It’s not a love we’ve worked hard for. It has been freely given to us-
to do incredible things on earth.
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