The Call of God - the Glory of Jesus — Zac Poonen

That we were looking at that verse that Jesus said Eternal life is to know God and I was saying how. It's increasingly become my desire to Get people in our churches in India to have a passion To know God.

Knowing God Rather Than Merely Knowing Scripture

This has been the thing that has helped me the most in my life. Not a doctrine. Not an experience. Doctrines and experiences have their place. It's the knowledge of God that brings wisdom not knowledge of the Bible.

A lot of people know the Bible and have many experiences and they don't grow in wisdom. And they come to a some complicated situation in life. They don't know how to handle it. They react just like any atheist.

They make choices. It's just like people who don't know God even though their knowledge of the Bible is far superior to other people. I Want to encourage all of you my brothers and sisters make the knowledge of God your greatest desire to know Jesus Christ intimately personally to Allow the Holy Spirit to show you more and more of the glory of Jesus.

Every day and to Conform you to that likeness. We can see it in little places here and there in scripture. Where the Holy Spirit shows us the glory of Jesus? For example When Jesus was speaking to the woman of Samaria.

Well woman in the well of Samaria. I saw something of the glory of Jesus there once when I was reading it. You know these little glimpses the Holy Spirit gives us shows us What God is like? And that removes all the false concepts of God that we have received.

From childhood from the devil from the religious Christian upbringing we have had. I Believe all of us have got a wrong concept of God from the religious Christian upbringing. We have had that's made us sort of afraid of him and I believe the only reason Why people don't surrender everything to him is because they are they don't know God.

They think he's unworthy. Would you hesitate to give all your savings to someone whom you could trust 100 and Who said to you? That I would give you. I'll give you back 100 times what you give me. You'd never you wouldn't hesitate.

You'd gladly do it. But that's what the Lord says. But you find in so many areas we hesitate. We're calculating in our giving. We give but we always keep an account. How much? Think of a Wife who had that type of relationship with her husband.

But she was always calculating how much she gave and how much he yielded. You can be pretty sure that's not a happy marriage. And that's how it is with a lot of Christians. It's not a happy marriage between them and Jesus Christ.

They're always calculating. Yeah, they give but they're. They keep a record of it. I was saying as I read here in John 4 I See that as Jesus was speaking to her About the water that he was he could give her.

He then came to the point Where he wanted to expose her sin. And so even though he knew as a prophet he knew what was her private life. He said to her go and call your husband. To see whether she would be honest and she said I have no husband.

Jesus said yeah, that's right. You have no husband. Well, you've had five husbands the one whom you now have. Is not your husband this you said truly? Mm-hmm, and she felt uncomfortable. And you know what we do when we are uncomfortable.

We change the subject. And that's exactly what she did. She said I'm gonna ask you about worship. Our father's worshipped here. And you people say we should be in Jerusalem. How do you think we should worship.

And here's where I see the glory of Jesus? He didn't say wait a minute, let's clear this matter first. He said okay. I'll tell you about worship. You see the glory of Jesus there. He was so sensitive to that sore point that he just Skipped it and went on to talk about something else.

He never wanted her to feel uncomfortable. How is it with us? Do you ever make your wife feel uncomfortable? She'll make your husband feel uncomfortable. Okay, they did something wrong or a brother or a sister.

We have to see the glory of Jesus first. And the Holy Spirit shows us what Jesus like then He transforms us into that likeness. So that's why I say This is eternal life to know Jesus Christ and the father whom he explained.

The more you see him The more your life will be transformed. And all that false zeal which goes under the name of Holy Spirit fire will go and Will be replaced with a gentleness that accomplishes more Than that zeal.

The Glory of Jesus in Pastoral Gentleness

I know that from my own life. I know the times in my younger days when I Thought every meeting was meant to beat people up with the Word of God and make them all blue beaten up left right and center and You know, I've discovered that Christians like to be beaten when they come to church.

They feel good when they are hammered and clobbered and they feel that's a good meeting. I really got hit today. And you know what the Lord showed me. The Lord said you're like a surgeon Who takes people into an operating theater cuts them open exposes the cancer and wheels them out say go.

Yeah, there is cancer there. It needs to be cut open. But if you're a good surgeon, you'll remove the cancer stitch them up. Give them a painkiller. So that they can sleep and go peacefully out of the operating theater.

That's the way the message needs to be preached and I wasn't preaching it like that. It doesn't mean I don't expose the cancers now. I do still in my church but I Stitch it up. I Give a painkiller. There's a world of difference.

That's healing. Not just clobbering and hammering. But that comes when we see the glory of Jesus in these in the way he dealt with people. Was so sensitive and I believe as I said earlier if we make this our goal We make a lot more progress in the Christian life in six months Than just with increasing a lot of knowledge.

There is no secret for victory. There is no secret of the deeper life that they're going to hear in some Tape or the other or some conference or the other the answer is in Jesus in him. Everything is in him and I was thinking also what I said in the morning about joy.

Now we can hear a message like that that new covenant righteousness Is the righteousness with joy and I want to Pretend that I've got this joy. So I go along with the perpetual smile. Like people say smile Jesus loves you and I don't believe Jesus was going along to the smile always looking like an idiot down the streets.

He doesn't like that smiling is not rejoicing. I Mean there is a place for smiling and laughing, but I want to say this the joy of the Holy Spirit Can be in your heart. Even when externally you may be going through pain sorrow difficulty trial.

Think for example, if you're having a difficulty with a difficult child who's rebellious. He won't be smiling. But you need not lose the joy of the Holy Spirit in your heart. Jesus was a man of sorrows, but he had joy deep within.

So we need to distinguish between that Superficial type of joy that I have seen In a lot of charismatic circles, which is not deep. It doesn't last it up. They look spiritual When they speak in other tongues in the meeting.

Very carnal when they speak in their mother tongue Afterwards to somebody else. It's not it doesn't last it's all in the meeting and in the meeting they Look very exuberant trying to work up joy. That's not what I'm talking about.

Jesus didn't have that type of joy. It was a deep joy That was deep within. He didn't have to show it To impress people that he was full of joy. It was there all the time. I say that because You know some people's temperament Naturally makes them externally exuberant Doesn't mean they are spiritual.

I'll never forget once when I was in a charismatic meeting and I saw a man Sitting down the third or fourth row really Clapping and his was the most cheerful face in that whole meeting. I Said boy, this man's ready for the joy of the Lord.

I really want to meet him after the meeting. So after the meeting I went to him and within about Five feet I could smell the alcohol. Yeah, there are many spirits that can make you full of joy. And I discovered some things that day.

It's easy to fool other people. It's what we heard earlier Murph say, you know, I want to impress you With many things I want to impress you that I have this new covenant joy. You know, I've had an experience.

And now I can wave my hands the meeting unlike the olden days when I was sitting like this. Do you think you've got the joy of the Holy Spirit because of that? You just changed your Christian culture.

From one to the other that's all and you're an inward looking man trying to look exuberant. That's not it. Jesus didn't say Go into all the world and make extroverts of people for outgoing and exuberant.

He said make disciples those who Give up everything to follow him and who will have it this this joy produced by the Holy Spirit, which is deep within because of a simple childlike trust in our Heavenly Father Who works all things for our good?

Joy Through Trusting God's Sovereignty

You know one of the blessed things when We surrender everything to God is that he makes Everything work together for our good. That's what the Bible says and that's what gives us joy. My Heavenly Father is on the throne.

There are times in my life like in the life of all human beings When I'm tempted to be discouraged. Sometimes when things go wrong sometimes when sudden suddenly something happens, which I didn't anticipate and Sometimes for no rhyme or reason at all.

I don't know why I suppose just because I've got a flesh and I'm living in a sin-cursed earth. I can't think of any reason tempted. But I know it's not God's will For me to be discouraged even for a single moment.

It's not God's will that I should feel depressed and gloomy because once I yield there It's easy for the devil to knock me down further and make me sin more. But I can't get away from this feeling so what I do.

Well, I say Lord, there may be so many things going wrong around me. There are a lot of other things I can't explain why they're happening. I Prayed and the answer doesn't seem to have come. I don't know why I prayed with whatever faith I have.

I don't have any more. Sometimes I pray like that father Lord. I believe help my unbelief. And at the end of it all it looks as if that problem still remains. But I say Lord all of these things and let there be 10 ,000 more things which go wrong.

Do not alter the fact That God is on the throne of the universe. He's still running the universe that hasn't changed just because some small little thing happened over here and Jesus Christ still has all authority In heaven and earth that hasn't changed.

He hasn't given that over to the devil or To the American president or to anyone. He's still got all authority in heaven and earth. That doesn't that hasn't changed. So I I say Lord I say that with my mouth so that I can confess with my mouth and be saved.

Saved this time from I was saved from hell long ago, but to be saved from discouragement. If you believe in your heart and you confess with your mouth it says you'll be saved you'll be delivered so I Say Lord, that's true.

Another thing that cannot change Is the fact that Satan was defeated 2 ,000 years ago on Calvary that does not change. These are facts that do not change. Satan's got no power over me. He was defeated Long long ago.

He hasn't been destroyed that I know. But he's been defeated and If these things are true, then God is on the throne. Jesus Christ got all authority in heaven and earth. Satan's been destroyed. And Lord, I believe another thing is true as far as I know.

I Have surrendered everything to you. I desire nothing but your will in my life. Therefore, I believe That your promise in Romans 8 28 that every single thing That comes into my life Over which I have no control Is going to work for my good.

There was this old prayer prayed by a saint. I don't know who prayed it. You've probably seen it written on plaques in different places Lord Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.

That means the calmness of mind To accept certain things. I cannot change the courage and boldness and I would say faith to change the things that I can and The wisdom to know the difference which is which that's a good prayer.

Lord, there are certain things I can never change. There are aspects of my personality which with which I live forever. I suppose There are certain habits that have become so much a part of me maybe I can never change them not sinful habits but things which are Which I'd like to make better and other things.

Certain certain circumstances I can never change. That's fine. Give me the calmness and of mind to accept it and then there are a whole lot of other areas which can be changed by prayer by faith by persistence seeking God and Now Lord, give me the wisdom to know which is which which falls in this category in which falls in that and I see that The things which I am personally responsible for in which I can change is a very small circle.

It's very little. So I'm very blessed and you're blessed too because things you can change are really very little. You know that Whole lot of things. It's other people are bothering you and you can't do anything about it.

It's circumstances over which you have no control you don't have any control over the Thunder or the lightning or the rain and so many other things and things that are happening in society and so many things I don't have control over.

I have very small area. That's all I got to worry about and make sure that in this area in this circle everything is surrendered to Christ at all times. Lord, I'm totally surrendered. I Mean it could be in a difficult situation.

Security in God's Will During Persecution

I think of The real possibility that in a Year or two we may have some persecution in India of Christians, which you have never experienced for 50 years. It's it's got worse in the last year and could be worse in the days to come.

Okay. Well It's not outside God's control. It's not something that he doesn't know about. It's not something that's going to take him by surprise. In fact, he knows it already. He knows the exact date when something's gonna happen.

Two years from now. He knew it long long. He doesn't take him by surprise. That's the thing that's encouraged me so much. When something suddenly comes upon me, maybe the evil of men that they have tried to do to me maybe some rabid religious group that trying to harass me or persecute me or a cult group or whatever it is and If they do something and I'm taken by surprise and Momentarily, there's a shock.

There's nothing wrong in that. I mean if I saw a cobra coming out of that Under that chair, I would get a shock momentarily, but I don't live with that for the next two weeks. It's It's it's a momentary reaction and that's natural when something suddenly comes into your life.

You don't have to feel discouraged about that. Oh, how did what am I going to do now? No, that's not unbelief. That's just we are human. It's that natural reaction, but then we take stock of ourselves.

And we say God's still on the throne Jesus Christ still got all authority in heaven and earth that doesn't change the devil's been defeated and All things outside my little circle and this particular thing is certainly outside my circle.

I couldn't do anything about that. That's what that fellow did God deals with. And when I have that faith God is a God of love Who deals with all these things and makes them work for my very best. I should praise the Lord.

I have joy though there may be feelings of pressure. And the feelings I don't live by feelings. I confess my faith and keep on confessing it and after some time that temptation to discouragement and depression goes.

I'm not telling you a technique. I'm not teaching psychology here. I don't believe in psychology. See I psychology tells us To believe what's not real? Faith tells us to believe what's real and has a lot of difference between the two a lot of Christian preachers and even in Charismatic circles very often.

It's psycho psychological manipulation of people. I don't believe in that. We we either have a genuine work of the Holy Spirit or I want nothing. It's either nothing or a genuine work of the Holy Spirit.

I Don't want to work up a revival Emotionally to satisfy myself and convince other people that I'm a man of God or some stupid thing like that. I don't want that Let God work in his own time. So I'm not talking about a psychological technique here, I'm telling you If you know Jesus as Lord of the universe.

Talking about a psychological technique here. I'm telling you if you know Jesus as Lord of the universe and These promises and he takes care of all these things I can gladly surrender everything No hesitation and Be secure wrapped up in the love of God, you know that song loved with everlasting love.

One verse says oh Pillow it on the loving breast. Oh to lie forever here Self and all cares resign and lean upon him secure that's how we are to live in this world and Particularly In times of pressure and difficulty that we may be facing that we may face in the future we need to learn to live like this and Then we shall be triumphant No matter what comes.

The world can never overcome us. They can get never overcome us. Jesus said I will build my church and the gates of hell will never prevail against it. Now is to think of also Lord what about all those things which I'm reaping today?

Because of Some things I did in the past, you know, that's another thing that can bother us particularly If you have lived a lot in sin, I mean a lot of people have the good fortune right from childhood To have been brought up in a very God-fearing home.

They've never Committed any gross sin and they've grown up pure and holy. Well, that's good I envy them, but I think 99 of Christians are not like that. 99 of believers have come from broken difficult situations they messed up their life and Then they come to Jesus.

Like Paul the chief of sinners like Mary Magdalene. The first person whom Jesus gave the privilege to see him after his resurrection. Jesus did some unusual things. You know to show how he valued People who were picked up from the gutter.

We think that it's only those who have had that very pure upbringing from childhood who can really come to great heights. It's not true. Now what about people who made a mess of their life and then later on after they are converted.

It could be something happening today, which is a consequence of something that happened that you did wrong some time ago. Not outside your circle, but inside your circle you did something wrong ten years ago or five years ago and today some consequences of that has come up and One day the Lord Showed me the answer to that also.

God's Grace for the Consequences of Past Sin

And it really comforted my heart. I saw the goodness of God. I thought in the story of the prodigal son if one day I Mean a few days after he had come back home. And there was this feast and he's back and accepted by the father supposing one day.

One of his creditors from the far country to whom he owes a lot of money Comes to the door and the father opens the door and says I want to meet your son. He owes me Hundred thousand dollars or whatever it is.

What will the father say? Will the father tell the son well son that was before you came back you better go and deal with him. I can't do that for you. I take care of all your problems after you come here.

What happened before you better go and settle I? Don't believe he'd say that. I Believe he'd face that predator and tell me well how much does he owe you that much here it is go. Now believe that's what God does.

Even concerning our past when the consequences of that catch up with me today God meets that at the door and deals with the most blessed life you can ever live. I Tell you this Is where you've surrendered everything at the feet of Jesus all your ambitions?

All your plans for your future. Your life. Your money. Your time and say Lord. I want nothing, but your will for my life on this earth. I Want to spend my earthly days? Doing whatever is your plan for my life because that's the very best I can I can do.

Surrendering Ambitions, Plans, and Possessions

Then in the world in which we live there is this matter of security. We think certain places are more secure than others and certain Areas of the country we think are more secure. If I live there, I'll be secure and Certain countries are dangerous, so they're insecure so perhaps.

I shouldn't go there for myself. I've seen one thing the Most secure place in the whole world is the center of God's perfect will for your life. He who dwells in the secret place the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty and that doesn't matter whether you're in India or America or Honduras or Saudi Arabia or wherever the Lord calls you.

If that's the place where God wants you to be that's the most secure place in the whole world. You cannot find a safer place than that. You can be killed in the streets of what you think is the most secure town in the world.

No, God has made the world such a place of insecurity purposely. So that people will not find their security in any nation or city or money or in the world. I? also believe that all this economic system and the confidence that people have in money and Various things.

God is going to shake it all one day. I have no doubt about it. The Bible says that Every creative thing will be shaken. I Want to warn you of that brothers and sisters? Don't put your confidence in money or in land or investments or anything.

Use them as long as you have the opportunity. But don't ever put your confidence in them. Say Lord, I do this if it's gone. It's gone. I'm not bothered my foundation is in you. That never changes. God gives us Time.

We must use it carefully. God gives us money. We must use it or invest it wisely. We must take care of what God gives us and everything but Never should our confidence be in these things. We're not to be like that rich man who said soul sit back you've laid up many goods for yourself for many years.

God's going to shake that type of confidence. Things are going to be shattered around us people of confidence in some earthly system. So that the things that cannot be shaken will remain and we will discover in that day that the most secure people in all the world for those who surrendered everything to Christ and Who are in the center of God's will.

I had to face up to this at times when I went to Countries like Saudi Arabia or China a place like that to preach the gospel Lord. Can I I mean if you don't want me to go. I don't want to go. I don't have any lust to go to some place.

Just to say I went. There's some people who have that type of lust, but I am I don't want. I only want to go if I can edify people. And it's just the same to me if you send me to Afghanistan or the United States.

It's just the same. Exactly the same one. There's no preference over one over the other. Because I know if I'm in the center of your will that's the most secure place in the whole world. There is no more secure place than that.

Therefore I'm no hesitation. To surrender everything to do what you want me to do to go where you want me to go because I'm secure in your love. Now you may not be called to travel different places. But I want to say that to you in your local situations don't compare your lot with somebody else's.

God's plan for all of us is not the same. And If we believe in a God who loves us like he loved Jesus. See that was the verse which I often talk about is in John 17 23. That's the verse that delivered me from insecurity in my life.

Security in the Father's Love

If it helps you you can take it. But in my younger days as a Christian. I was very insecure and when you're insecure you're always. One of the things you do is try to impress people is it's insecure people are always trying to impress the more Secure we are in the love of God.

We don't want to impress anyone. Because we're so happy With Our Lord. I mean it's like if a girl's deeply in love with a man and spending time with him. Well, she's not bothered when all the other men in the world think about her is she not at all.

Let them think what they like. I and my beloved are happy Together, what does it matter? What other thing gives me? This is the type of relationship? Which Jesus jealously desires. From all of us that type of relationship with him like a Bride in a bridegroom with our beloved and it doesn't matter what?

Anybody else in the world thinks about it? But it says in John 17 23. And one of the things which we need to know in the world needs to know through us. Jesus said. Is that the father loved us? Has loved us as he loved Jesus.

Now that was a revelation to my heart. I never read it in a book or heard it on a tape. That was the only place in the whole Bible where it says how much God loved me. Many place in the Bible it tells us God loves us, but the extent of it.

As I search the scriptures I found this was the only verse and it was an amazing verse. That the extent of God the father's love for me the last part of verse 23. This is it as much as he loved Jesus.

And from that I came to many other truths. I mean if that is true It says Jesus is the firstborn son. The elder brother and I'm one of his younger brothers. And I know as a father I Wouldn't make no distinction between my sons what I do for one.

I do for the other exactly and With God there is no partiality. What if there is no partiality with God. What he did for the eldest son he will also do for the younger son. Otherwise this partiality. If you do something for your elder son.

Which you will not do for your younger son. You're a partial father. God isn't like that. Bible says That he determined that Jesus should be the firstborn among many brothers the eldest among many brothers.

Romans 8 29 and There is no partiality what he did for Jesus. He will do for you and me. It is a tremendous revelation to my heart. That means as he cared for Jesus He would care for me. That's what brought security into my life.

The very first time Jesus got up to preach a sermon in Nazareth. They didn't even let him complete the sermon. They stopped him in the middle. Now I've had instances where I'm invited for three days and they stopped me after two days and say we don't want to hear you anymore.

That's happened to me a couple of times. But I've not been so radical that they stopped me in the middle of a sermon. Jesus was really radical. They stopped him in the middle of a sermon said we don't want to hear you anymore.

And not only that we want to kill you and they took him out to the Top of the cliff there in Nazareth to throw him down and the Bible simply says he quietly walked through their midst and went away. Isn't that amazing?

How did he do that? He wasn't lifted up by the Spirit and taken away just as he quietly passed through their midst and I tried to figure out what? happened there. Maybe they were arguing among each other How to throw him down or where to throw him down and while they were arguing He just quietly went off and when they looked around he wasn't there.

God can do those things it says In the Old Testament how he got the enemies of Israel fighting with each other, so they killed each other off. But what came home to me was this. That Jesus could not die there because God had not arranged for Jesus to die by falling over a cliff.

He had arranged for him to die three and a half years later on Calvary. How in the world could they throw him over a cliff here that was impossible? How in the world could he drown in the middle of the Lake of Galilee even if there was the greatest tornado in the world on?

The on that lake it was impossible. That's why he was at rest twice in the Gospels. It says in John 7 30 and John 8 verse 20 They could not arrest him. Why? Because his hour had not come. It's as simple as that.

It's not because he manifested some great power, or he was very clever, and he sneakily escaped. No his hour had not come. That's it. And I thought boy If Jesus if God loves me like that, then I don't have a care in the world.

Every place is equally secure if I'm Only wanting to do the will of God and I only want to please him and I don't want. I don't want anything for myself in my life. If I can sign over my life totally to the Lord and say Lord.

I want nothing for myself. I don't want honor. I don't want money. I don't want fame. I Don't even want what the Christian world calls success in my ministry. I can be a God for some people success in my ministry.

How much success did Noah have at the end of a hundred and twenty years of preaching? They'd have turned him out from any mission board if he said well nobody's converted here. It's just my me and my family.

That's all. No. He was happy that he had pleased God that was enough so there's security there. Then we can gladly surrender everything because we know He cares for us as He cared for Jesus every day of Jesus life was mapped out in the Old Testament.

Everything that he did was so that the scripture might be fulfilled. And I believe this is same with me. You may think that's arrogance according to your faith be it unto you if you believe it's for you, too that God has planned out your life and No one can touch you without God's permission your hour has not come.

They won't be able to touch you when your hour comes. We are ready to go. It all depends on God's hour doesn't depend on the plans and schemes of men and when we realize that We're glad To surrender everything.

Living by Biblical Faith

That's why the Bible says in 1 John chapter 5 This is the victory that overcomes the world our faith. Now as I've moved around Christians for 40 years I've discovered that most People when they talk about faith they think of these two things.

You know the Bible says four times The righteous shall live by faith. Says that in Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 4 Romans 1 17 Galatians chapter 3 and Hebrews chapter 10 four times the righteous shall live by faith.

Now I don't know whether that expression is used here in this country, but in India If you ask a Christian Are you living by faith? He'll say no I get a regular salary. I'm not living by faith. Living by faith to him means That I'm a full-time Christian worker with an uncertain income.

That's the only meaning of living by faith understood by almost every single Christian I have met and the reason is they've got their Understanding of these phrases from magazines and books and not from the Word of God.

Do you know how much our language is not the language of the Word of God? The Bible says the righteous shall live by faith. There's not a single place in the whole Bible Where living by faith has got anything to do with money or an uncertain income and how in the world did this idea get into?

The heads of so many people that's one of the clearest proofs how the devil can brainwash people to believe a phrase Which has got no foundation in Scripture use it all their life and think they are using it, right?

Till one some one day somebody asked them. Where do you find that in the Scriptures? Everybody's using it, but everybody's wrong. You know that everybody could be wrong. People think if many people are doing something it must be right.

That's what the Roman Catholics say 800 million people can't be wrong but then the the Muslims say 1 ,000 million people can't be wrong and The Jehovah's Witnesses say were hundreds of thousands of us in the world.

We can't all be wrong and the Mormons say we're hundreds of thousands. We can't all be wrong. No, they could all be wrong. If it's in the Scriptures, right? So That's one, you know the the first Understanding of faith is of course common to all Christians by grace you're saved by faith.

We think of faith in relation to salvation and then This matter of living by faith. Now the other use of faith which I find nowadays more popular in the last 20 -30 years Is faith is always related to healing or prosperity.

If you got faith You'll have healing you'll have prosperity. If you don't have faith, you don't have healing you don't have prosperity. But The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 12 that Jesus Verse 2 is the author of our faith.