Rooted and Grounded in Love — Sandeep Poonen

The Spirit-Filled Life Requires the Holy Spirit

The life. The life we are asked to lead is a life. That must be impossible to live according to our own strength, but requires the power of the Holy Spirit. I want to share Something on the spirit for life.

I might have spoken it before but this is what the Lord has laid on my heart. Ephesians chapter 3. Ephesians chapter 3. It talks about the spirit for life. We hear so much in this church about a spirit for life, but it's can be hard to Know practically what that looks like.

This message is not Going to solve that question completely, but it's going to give you one Part of it because it's from God's Word. But this is something that I know must be true in our lives. If we want to have a spirit filled life a life where the Holy Spirit is filling us.

It says in Ephesians chapter 3. We have memorized this passage where it says in verse 16. So that you may be strengthened the second half of verse 16 so that you may be strengthened with power. Through his spirit in the inner man.

So he's talking about being strengthened with the power of the Holy Spirit in the inner man. Not for the outside to do miracles, but the spirit fill life for the inner man. If that happens if the Holy Spirit fills us Christ will live in our hearts.

Otherwise Christ might visit. Christ might come and go. But there's a life where Christ gets to live so children and adults God is giving us a life a gospel where Christ lives. Comes to stay. Doesn't get kicked out every time we're feeling like we're in a bad mood.

Maybe once every other week we say no, I don't feel like obeying daddy and mommy. I just want to do whatever I want. I'm gonna be upset at my brother or sister. And that carries into us as adults. Every now and then we may say no.

But that's not the spirit for life. The spirit for life is indicated by us where we say Christ. You get to live forever. So there's some attitude that I'm doing. That's kicking Christ out. I'm gonna change my attitude because Christ I want you to live and Here is the spirit for life, which is described in the verse 17 through 19.

Being Rooted and Grounded in Love

That's what I want to underline is that you being rooted and grounded in love. May be able to do two things. It says there you may be able to do two things. Once you are rooted and grounded in love. Not rooted and grounded in doctrine.

Not rooted and grounded in a particular local church. When we are rooted and grounded in love two things will happen if that happens. So that's almost like the roots and then outside you get two wonderful things which happens on top.

Which is we're able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and breadth and height and depth and We are able to know two different words comprehend versus know the love of God in a way that surpasses knowledge.

So there's two components, but first I want to spend the time on being rooted and grounded in love. That's non-negotiable. It is only on when we are rooted and grounded in love. That we can come to the church meeting.

We can interact with one another and Comprehend with the Saints love the height and breadth and length and depth of the love of God. But so coming to a good church is going to be meaningless. Even if the church has wonderful Saints in it if I myself am not rooted and grounded in love.

So that's non-negotiable so I Was thinking what is a good picture of being rooted and grounded in love and the picture that comes to me is in Matthew chapter 8. So if you can turn with me to Matthew chapter 8 it tells me what?

Jesus Calms the Storm and the Rest of Faith

This rooted and grounded in love looks like and this is the story of Jesus Who got into a boat and fell asleep in the boat? Matthew chapter 8 verse 23. It's a very small I don't know if it's a Miracle or it's a parable and I think it's both.

I think we think of it as Just normal Situation and Jesus is like but I personally see it as a miracle and a parable. Where Jesus he gets into the boat the disciples follow him verse 23 there arises a great storm verse 24 Such that the boat was being covered with the waves.

That's a pretty massive storm that the water is filling the boat. Jesus himself was asleep and They came to him and woke him up and said save us Lord. We are perishing and he said to them Why are you afraid you men of little faith?

Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea and it became perfectly calm. I will tell you why I think of this as a parable and a miracle because I Have been in a few Planes airplanes that are going from one place to the other travel for work.

I have not ever felt that this story means that no matter if the plane is going whoa up and down like that I gotta be asleep. I've never applied that story to the story. I get my heart starts beating, too I hold on to the side of the thing.

I act very calm, but I'm on the inside. It's shaking. And I've never at that time fell Lord. I hope you can bring me to a life where one day I'll just be like Yeah, no problem. I Don't that's not the application of the story.

I don't think it's a Indication of my lack of faith if my heart starts beating fast if a person is driving the car too fast. Or the planes going through a difficult time or if you're in a boat and it's being rocked.

I don't think that's just the application of it. Maybe it is. I just have not seen it that way. So I have not claimed the story in this way that Lord I hope that one day when I'm flying no matter what I'll just be completely completely casual.

There is an application in flying but that's not it as I see this because I see that Jesus was asleep. And When the disciples wake Jesus up because apparently the boat is being covered with water with the waves Jesus rebukes the disciples or says, why are you afraid you people of little faith and he gets up and rebukes The storm and it is calm.

Resting in the Father's Love During Life's Storms

I Apply this definitely to my inner life. And I think this is to me It's a parable of the life that Jesus was showing us. We can live on the inside and That I can see the real application to my life. To Jesus was rooted and grounded in love That no matter what the storms of life Were coming at him, even if the storms were starting to fill up the boat.

Even if his feelings were saying something He had come to a place of rest in the father's love rooted and grounded in God's love and What Jesus says there is he calls The disciples people of little faith I Must accept the Lord's rebuke an assessment of my life that if Circumstances come into my life and I am not at rest.

If I have not found a place of rest I must hear the voice of Jesus saying you of little faith and The word here is why are you afraid? I looked up that word. That word is actually why are you? Cowardly.

Now that's slightly different than afraid that's what gives me more confidence that this is a parable. Because that same word cowardly is also used in Revelation 28 21 revelation 21 verse 8 Where it says the cowardly won't enter the kingdom of God.

So I must see it as a very serious sin that when storms of Life come into my life if I have not Received the Holy Spirit It's not possible in my own strength. But if I have not received the Holy Spirit in a way that I can be at rest.

I have not Discovered this life of being rooted and grounded in love and dear family of God. This is how the Lord has been speaking to me. You say that you are rooted and grounded in God's love. But Sandeep, is it really true?

Testing What Truly Grounds Our Faith

Are you rooted and grounded in your savings? That you have enough money. Are you rooted and grounded in your good health? Are you rooted and grounded in? Your Stuff that you have the weather Also cooperates with us those who live here most of the time we have such Comfortable lives that it's easy dear family of God to think that we are rooted and grounded in God's love and we can be fooling ourselves.

What we really are rooted and grounded in is the fact that our healthy and the moment the Lord allows some sickness or some Report doctors report to come in and say it's not that great or you may die from this.

And I see that I am of little faith. That I am like The disciples and this is the spirit for life. This is not the good Christian life. This is the spirit for life. That is only possible with the Holy Spirit.

So what I've discovered about the spirit for life Ephesians chapter 3 that says you must be rooted and grounded in love. It's impossible for me to do that on my own. So the picture that I must have is I say Lord I want to not be rooted and grounded in my wealth in my health or in my prosperity and I feel that there's so much of health wealth and prosperity gospel that I myself and we all can accept to then we can embrace in a subtle way and the way I know I am Rooted and grounded in health wealth and prosperity or the love of God is only Tested when there are great storms, and I can tell you right now.

I don't have any great storm in my life. So I am not sure What is rooting and grounding me? But there will be storms. There will be doctors reports that come to my children or to myself or to my wife.

Doctors reports that come to my extended family doctors reports or Financial situations where my bank account looks good one wrong investment, even though I prayed about it and boom it's gone. Do you know how the storm came to the disciples to the disciples who followed Jesus?

Following Jesus Into Trials and Trusting His Love

Jesus gets into the boat the disciples followed him. Where should they be in the boat? What happens when they follow Jesus into the boat great storm? So I can pray about it and choose the right job and then it falls flat.

It falls right into my face and I'm like man. God, where were you? I should never have taken this horrible job. I Thought I was following you and Jesus says. Yep. You're following me right into that storm.

Because I wanted to show you that there's a life that is possible Where you are asleep Family of God, this is what I have seen that this needs. This is what the life is to be rooted and grounded in love.

This is the life that is the spirit for life upon which we come to church and Comprehend an even greater love. Which is the length and the breadth and the height and the depth and upon which we find an even more unfathomable Love which is the love that passes knowledge where God shows us his love in unreal ways but that's on top of This rooted and grounded life.

Where we can say Lord no matter what trial and circumstances comes in my life. I am rooted and grounded in your love and Family now is a time of calm for most of us. Maybe some of you are not lives are not completely calm.

But I'm sure all of you sitting here. Your lives are relatively calm compared to most of the people in the world. There are people all over the world who are dealing with huge storms. Compared to any of us from everything that I know about all of you.

Preparing for Future Tests of Faith

Let us ask ourselves in this time of quiet in this time of relative peace whether we really are rooted and grounded in God's love and We say God are not being tested right now. But when the test comes No part of my boat is being filled up with water right now family, but it'll come.

And when that day comes, can I say Lord I was rooted and grounded in love and asked the Lord asked me How much does your bank account and the number of? Retirement and the goals towards retirement. How much does that play a role?

Will you lose your peace if the market suddenly tanks tomorrow morning and our retirement plans are dropping significantly. I'm talking to the men maybe to the women what if One of our children has something happened to it and now the Lifespan of our children's ages now suddenly shrinks.

This has happened to brothers like and sisters like you and I. Are we rooted and grounded in love? In the love of God. May the Lord help us. Let us go before the Lord and ask him to be with us. And ask him to be to fill us with the Holy Spirit.

Seeking the Holy Spirit to Expose False Roots

This is one aspect about the spirit-filled life, I hope through what we've heard today. Only God can do the massive work of cleansing us. We must do our part. So let's bow our heads and spend a few minutes and quiet and let's ask the Lord to Search our hearts and to show us snakes.

Snakes in our house that are really We're mistaking for being rooted and grounded. We think they're roots, but they're actually snakes. They look like roots, but when you dig it up you see it's a snake and God wants you to uproot it and it's the snake of good health.

Which is what do you think you're being rooted and grounded in? It's wealth and that's what we're being rooted and grounded in and if we search our hearts I guarantee you God will show us. All kinds of ways in which we are not rooted and grounded in the love of God and If you are despairing or if you're close to despairing as you stand naked before the Lord take courage.

It is for such people that the Lord wants to give the Holy Spirit to. Just don't be a coward and say no, I don't want to look at it. Go before the Lord with all of its messiness and say Lord. I'm a wretch.

I don't even know how to begin. To live a life that is not rooted in health wealth or prosperity. I'm so weak Lord, but I want the spirit for life. You can do this in my life. And let us seek the Lord to make us live.

Make us people Who truly are lights in this world? That health is negotiable, but not the love of God. And we may know the difference between good health and the love of God that we may know the difference between Enough in our bank account and the love of God.