Pressing Forward to Become Christlike — Zac Poonen

God’s Goal for Every Christian

There are many who are new in our church. It means you've been here probably only one or two years. It's important for you to know the direction in which our church is going and the direction in which we expect every person who comes to this church to go, and more than what we expect, the direction in which God expects all of us to go.

See, a lot of corporations and churches and all have what they call a mission statement. We have only statements that are written in Scripture. God has a goal for us and many Christians have not understood that goal.

So for those of you who don't know or those of you who have forgotten, let me show you what the Bible says is the ultimate destination. Just like when you travel in a train, your ticket will show you where you are destined to go and you should get on a train that's going in that direction.

There are lots of trains in the railway station, but you don't get on to the most beautiful one or the color you like or a big one. You go into the train which is going to your destination, even if it is small, not so attractive, it's going to your destination.

So when you choose a church, it should be the way you choose a train. Is it going to the destination you want to go? Now today there are churches that tell you how you can become rich. Good! Those who want to become rich, join such churches.

But that is not God's goal for man. God's goal is not making people rich and the proof of that is some of the richest people in the world are not Christians. In fact the richest people in the whole world are non-Christians.

So that itself proves that that particular type of teaching is not God's goal for Christians. Because if a person is going towards God's goal, there will be no one on earth to be better than him in that area.

If for example like some people teach God's goal is that we should be healthy, then the healthiest people in the world should be Christians. But even the Apostle Paul had a sickness. Timothy, the finest of Paul's co-workers, had a sickness with constant stomach problems.

What happened? Was it because they were not wholehearted? These are verses that teach us health is not God's goal and Jesus was poor, Paul was poor, Peter was poor, which proves that wealth is not God's goal.

Something else is God's goal and we need to understand that clearly and it's possible sometimes that we lose sight of that. You know it's like if you have to change trains at different stations, again you got to get into the right train.

Conformed to the Image of Christ

So let me turn you to Romans 8 29. Those who have been here many years will know this is the verse we always show in the scripture. It tells us the goal towards which God wants us to be moving. Romans 8 29.

Those whom he foreknew. Now foreknowledge is a word found in the New Testament. Foreknowledge means God knows from all eternity past who all are going to respond to his call. If you have responded to the call of Jesus Christ, God knew about it before he created the world.

He knew about it before the universe was created. If you're going to be a backslider, God knew that also before the worlds were created and where you're going to end up as a backslider or a wholehearted Christian, that also God knows from beforehand.

That's foreknowledge and those whom he foreknew who are going to be faithful to Christ till the end, he gave them a destination. He predestined. Predestined. It's very clear the meaning of that. Pre means before, destined means destination.

It's like you get a railway ticket, you're predestined to go to Bombay or Delhi. It's written on the ticket. You may have bought it 60 days earlier but when you get into the train you know where you're going.

So it's exactly like that. We need to see here what is God predestined for those whom he foreknew. Now if you're not one of those whom God foreknew, you can go where you like. God has got no destination for you.

But if you're one of those who responded to the call of Christ and God knew you before the worlds were created, then this is the only destination God has for you. Now when you travel in a train, there may be many other blessings that you have while traveling and etc.

You know you can eat good food and various things. You can see sights along the way but that's not your destination. Those are little blessings along the way and there are little pains and difficulties in a train journey as well and so also in the Christian life.

But we must be clear about our destination. Predestined to become conformed, to be conformed to the image of his son Jesus Christ. So there we see the goal. Never forget this verse. The goal of the Christian life as far as God is concerned is that we might become like Jesus Christ so that, that's not the end of it, because when we become like Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ will be the elder brother.

Firstborn is a New Testament phrase for eldest brother. You know if you have only one son, you don't call him firstborn. You know what, if you have only one son, you call him only begotten. John 3 16, God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son.

He had only one when he came to earth. But after the resurrection, Jesus told Mary Magdalene, go and tell my brothers that I have risen. The day of his resurrection, he became the firstborn. See that's why we have our meetings on Sunday, not on Saturday, because Saturday Jesus was in the grave.

Sunday is called the Lord's Day because it was the beginning of a new creation when Jesus became the firstborn of many brothers. And so you see that's why we call each other brother. You need to understand that.

I tell people don't call me by such lowdown titles like pastor or reverend or right reverend, all those useless titles. Call me by the highest title, younger brother of Jesus Christ. And you give me a better title than that?

You think reverend and right reverend and doctor reverend and left reverend and all these people, you think any of these things are better than younger brother of Jesus Christ? Not at all. That's why you're a younger sister of Jesus Christ.

Don't think there's a bigger title than that. That's why I never allow anybody to call me any other than that. That is the highest title, a younger brother of Jesus Christ, the eldest brother. You need to see your position.

The firstborn of many brothers and sisters, it's included. And that's how it's going to be in heaven. But today we are working towards that goal of becoming like Christ. Now if you don't have that goal, you've got some other goal in life that God's going to make you rich or God's going to make you healthy.

I don't know whether you'll end up as a younger brother of Jesus Christ. I don't know. That's none of my business how God is a judge and may God have mercy on you. But if this is your goal, I can assure you, you're going to be a younger brother and sister of Jesus Christ for all eternity.

I want to be there. I'd rather go by scripture than by all the clever things that men teach. And a lot of these false teachings come out of the Old Testament. Whenever you find a preacher quoting mostly from the Old Testament, you can be sure there's something wrong.

We must see the Old Testament as being fulfilled in the New Testament. Then it's okay. And that's how I see it. I mean we don't tell people to kill lambs today because we say the Lamb of God died on the cross, Jesus Christ.

We don't tell people to tithe today because that was income tax. God blessed them and God was the head of the government in Israel. And just like we pay income tax, God said you have to pay income tax.

The rich and the poor had to pay the same level, 10 everybody. But today God has become our father and no father collects income tax from his children. So if a preacher tells you you got to pay income tax, then God is not your father.

My God is my father. He doesn't collect any income tax from me. Does that mean a child will never take care of his father's needs? Well you tell me, you children, if your father is in need, would you do something for him?

We'd give more than 10 if needed. But we give it joyfully for a father. Think of some of your fathers who sacrificed a lot to educate you, care for you. If you're grateful, Jesus said once to the Pharisees, you people are so evil that the Bible says, honor your father and mother.

And you read that in Mark chapter seven, when your father is in need, you tell him, hey, I've given that money to God, I can't give it to you. He says, you have neglected, canceled out God's commandment.

It's right for a child to honor his father and take care of an aged father who sacrificed so much for you. And when I think of my heavenly father, he's not in financial need, but he's done so much for me that I'd give everything for him.

That is the only spirit in which we serve the father. So this is the goal. The goal of our life is not to reach the world or to bring people to Christ. Those are all subsidiary. The main goal is that I must become like Christ.

Ministry Must Flow from a Christlike Life

And in becoming like Christ, first of all, it's my life and my character. Remember, for 30 years, Jesus never preached or healed or cast out demons. He just lived a godly life for 33 and a half years.

Out of that three and a half years, he had ministry. Now, if you do mathematics, three and a half divided by 33 and a half is 10%. So we can say 10 Jesus life, he had what we call ministry. That's about the importance of so-called ministry.

But 100%, he had a life. So his ministry came out of his life. In the Old Testament, it was not like that. You did not have to have a life to have a ministry because the Holy Spirit was upon people, not inside people.

The first person within whom the Holy Spirit was, was Jesus. And then on the day of Pentecost and many others, till then he was upon people in the Old Testament. And when the Holy Spirit is upon people, he can equip them to do many things.

Elijah and Elisha even raised the dead. It's amazing what they can do. Preach powerful sermons like John the Baptist. Many wonderful things for the Holy Spirit is upon. But they cannot overcome sin. The Holy Spirit was upon David, but the guy went and committed adultery and killed that woman's husband and married her.

Or Samson, he had mighty power of the Holy Spirit upon him, but he was living in sin. All these Old Testament examples, even Elijah, the mighty power of God came on him and he could stop the sky from raining and send the rain down and bring fire down from heaven.

But when it was all over, he got so discouraged and he said, Lord take away my life. I'm scared. I'm scared of a woman. She might kill me. Imagine that. So you see all the great Old Testament saints, even John the Baptist, in prison he said, oh Jesus, are you really the Messiah?

I'm not so sure. Imagine John the Baptist saying that. That is the result of the Holy Spirit not being inside people. The greatest Old Testament people had doubts, fears, anxieties, because the Holy Spirit is upon them.

But the ministry was fantastic. So don't be impressed today by somebody who has a wonderful ministry. Maybe the Holy Spirit is upon him. Jesus said in the last day, many will come to me and say, Lord we cast out demons in your name.

We did miracles in your name. And I will say to them, I never knew you. I never knew you. That means I never had an intimate relationship with you. The word know is used in the Old Testament, but the husband-wife relationship, the most intimate relationship between husband and wife is called knowing.

And Jesus, I never knew you. I mean you guys did so many things for me, but I didn't have that intimate relationship with you. And I wonder whether the Lord has to say that to some of us here. We keep on stressing in this church, you must have an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

It's like something, and ministry is when the whole vessel fills up and overflows, that's ministry. I want all my ministry to be like that. I don't want my ministry to be just the Holy Spirit upon me and me preaching powerful sermons or doing here and there.

No, I want an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ which fills up in my heart every day and overflows, that's called ministry. So remember, this is the goal. And when we go this way, let me show you this promise in Proverbs chapter 4 and verse 18.

Proverbs 4 18 says, the path of the righteous is like the sunrise at dawn and it becomes brighter and brighter brighter until the full day when the sun is overhead. This is the path of a truly righteous person, zero backsliding.

So if your goal is to become like Jesus Christ and all your ministry is not just ministry but the overflow of a personal devotion to Christ, I want every message that I preach not to be something I just sit and study and prepare and come and vomit it all out on Sunday morning.

That's rubbish. It's as bad as vomit. It must come out of a personal devotion to Jesus Christ. Every day of my life I seek to live in a personal devotion to Jesus Christ because that is the tree of life.

That's the tree of life we read in 2nd Corinthians 11 verse 3. Satan tried to draw Eve away from the tree of life. It's a personal devotion to Christ. So if I keep that personal devotion to Christ, overflow will be ministry and then my path.

Here is how I know whether I'm on the right path. It will become brighter and brighter until the day Christ comes back. Dawn, sunrise is when I'm born again. Christ comes into my heart. The darkness has gone.

The sun has risen. Christ has come into my heart and you all know the day when that happened. Like we sing happy day, happy day when Jesus washed my sins away. But from that day most Christians live an up and down and very often down more than up backsliding life.

That's not God's will and the reason you do that is because you haven't seen the goal. You got into the wrong train. You went to a church that taught more about tithing and healing and ministry and things like that and go to heaven when you die and you did not get into the right train.

You did not get into a church which taught you you got to become like Christ. That is God's goal. God's goal is not taking us to heaven. God's goal is not healing us. God's goal is not making us rich.

God's goal is not trying to make us possess earthly things or earthly blessings. God's goal is to make us like Christ and if you had got into the right train, I'll tell you this and if you had walked in that, stayed in that train, you would not have backslidden even one day in your life.

All backsliding comes because you lost sight of our goal. Maybe some of you got into the right train in the beginning and then got off at some station and got into some other train. Well no wonder you're going in the wrong direction.

But if you had stuck in the same train however inconvenient it is, your life would have been so much more glorious because just like the Sun, the picture is the Sun rises. Have you ever seen the Sun backsliding?

Never happened. It comes higher and higher and higher and higher and higher and higher till it comes perfectly and that's the day when Christ comes back and we become 100 like him. When he comes, 1 John 3 says we will be like him.

But from the time we are born again till the time we become like him, the path God has ordained for us is brighter, brighter, brighter, brighter. Zero backsliding. That is God's will for you. You must believe it.

At least today even if you have backslidden many times in your life, will you make a decision today, Lord at least from today I'm gonna walk on the path of the righteous. I decided that quite some time ago.

There will be zero backsliding in my life. You tell me with your own children. You know what backsliding means? Backsliding means a child going from fourth standard to third standard. Not staying in fourth standard.

Staying in fourth standard itself is bad for two three years but going from fourth standard to third standard. I've never heard of a child doing that. I've seen a lot of believers like that. They were at a certain level and they've gone down.

The day they were converted they never watched any filthy movies. Now they started watching filthy movies. They've gone from fourth standard to outside the school. Why is that? Either they are not really born again and not filled with the Holy Spirit because they were not eager to be filled with the Holy Spirit or they sat in the wrong train.

They were not challenged Sunday after Sunday to become more like Christ. Or they took it easy. Now this verse in the New Testament is described in 2nd Corinthians 3 18. Whenever I see an Old Testament verse I try to find out what is the New Testament equivalent of that verse.

Because everything in the Old Testament was fulfilled in the New Testament. So that's why I say an Old Testament verse by itself means nothing. For example we have talked about tithing 10 income tax in the Old Testament.

In the Old Testament God said you must give 10 of what you get in your field or a flock bring it to God. What is the New Testament equivalent of that? The New Testament equivalent of that is in Romans 12 1 present your body as a living sacrifice to God.

Old Testament it was tithing, New Testament is a body. There's a one thing God asks us to present to Him is not our money. It's our body, your eyes, your tongue, your passions. Isn't it much easier to give money?

That's why many people give money instead of their body. You tell me supposing the Lord were to say to you okay in the next one month you must never look at anything or anyone whom I don't want you to look at.

Your eyes must be hundred percent pure. Your tongue must never get angry for one minute not even one second. Never speak a rude word to anybody for just for one month and you mustn't listen to any gossip.

Turn away from it. Never go to a place where God doesn't want you to go. Present your body so it's your mind also. It says also present your mind in the next verse Romans 12 2 that you don't think about things which are unclean.

Now which do you want? Live like that for one month or other alternative give 10 of your monthly income. Which is easier? You tell me which is easier. People take the easy route. Lord here's your 10%.

Take it. Leave me to do what I like with my eyes, my tongue, my thoughts. I have to get angry with my wife and husband sometimes. Give me freedom to do that. I'll give you your 10 income tax. This is why so many Christians do not want the New Testament standard.

They prefer to go to the Old Testament. Jesus said that. They drink the old wine and the new wine Luke chapter 5 and they say the old wine is better. That is the reason for the pathetic standard of Christians in the world today and in India.

The pathetic standard of Christians. You know so many people worry about India having 2 Christians. I'm not worried. If India became 50 Christians like the present 2 there'd be more disgrace to the name of Christ.

I said thank God is 2%. At least a disgrace to Christ's name is very little. But in this 2 we want to gather, we want to ignore this 2%. We want people to be a light in the midst of darkness in India and that's why God has raised up CFC and that's why God's raised up many of you to be witnesses for him.

Seeing Christ’s Glory and Removing the Veil

Okay the New Testament equivalent of it in 2nd Corinthians 3 verse 18. This is Proverbs 4 18 in the New Testament 2nd Corinthians 3 verse 18. This is the verse that tells us more clearly than any other verse in the Bible what the Holy Spirit's ministry is.

The mirror here is referring to the Word of God as we read in James chapter 1 verse 23 to 25. So without a veil on our face in the Old Testament it says there was a veil on their face. They couldn't see just like the veil in the temple in the Old Testament.

They could not go into God's presence. There was a veil but now when Jesus died the veil was rent and torn into two and Jesus was saying the way is open I have died and the way is open now right into God's presence.

Without a veil I go straight and look at God face to face. You know God told Moses nobody can look at me they'll die. I go in and I say Lord I'm ready to die to myself so that I can look at your face.

That's a promise in the New Testament. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall what see God. How can you see God? God told Moses you cannot see my face and live. Say yes Lord I don't want to live.

I want to die to myself and then you'll be able to see God inwardly. So we without this veil it says we see in the in the scripture we see the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see it. When I read scripture I'm not studying the scripture to prepare a sermon.

In my younger foolish days I did that and foolish people still do it. They study the scripture to prepare a sermon to impress other people. Now I'm not saying you should not study or you should not prepare a sermon.

That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that's not the number one reason why you should study the scriptures. Your number one reason to study the scriptures must we see the glory of Jesus Christ in it and then if you have to preach a sermon somewhere go ahead and prepare for it but that's not the main goal with which we study the scriptures.

We look at the glory of Jesus in the scriptures that's the first ministry of the Holy Spirit that my eyes are open to see the glory of Jesus Christ and then I'll tell you honestly in the last many many years again and again God's been showing me different parts the glory of Jesus Christ that I never saw.

I mean even last week I saw something which I'd never seen for 57 years in my study of the scriptures. It's like that when the Holy Spirit opens your eyes and a familiar passage in the Gospels that I had read many times and suddenly the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see something there I had never seen for 57 years because it's like a well that never runs dry.

Are you finding the scriptures like that? Some people say the Bible is boring. I said that's because you don't allow the Holy Spirit to teach you. You sit with your mind which is a very boring teacher and it will be boring but if you get the Holy Spirit to teach you it's a very interesting book.

That's the first thing but once the Holy Spirit shows you the glory of Jesus Christ and I see my own need like Isaiah he said oh Lord I'm a sinful man the Holy Spirit doesn't leave us there it says he then changes us into that likeness.

In other words the Holy Spirit shows us here's what Jesus was like and I say oh Lord I'm so discouraged because I'm not like him and the Holy Spirit says don't get discouraged. I showed you that in order to make you like him.

Allow me to make you like him and I say sure Lord every part of my life take my eyes my tongue take every part of me and control me with your Holy Spirit. I want a spirit controlled life, a spirit controlled mind, a spirit controlled body and little by little just like that train if your ticket is to Delhi every minute you're getting closer to Delhi every minute.

I was so many maybe I don't know thousand five hundred kilometers away when I started but now some minutes have gone by an hour has gone by it's only thousand four hundred kilometers now hey I'm getting closer and by the next day it doesn't I still don't haven't reached boy it's only about 800 kilometers now you see how we any train you get into if you're in the right train every minute every second you're getting closer and closer to your destination and that is the meaning of brighter and brighter that if I'm going on the right path the path of righteous every year I'll be a little more like Christ.

Can you look back over the last one year and think of at least one area where you became a little more Christ-like. Ask your wife ask your husband whether there was some area where you they saw a change which they hadn't seen for so many years then you're on the right train otherwise you're not now by right train.

I don't mean this building please recognize that a lot of people sitting in this building we don't know where they'll end up but the right train is that personal choice you make every day to become like Christ and it says there it says brighter and brighter in Proverbs 418 here it says from glory to glory from one degree of glory to another to another to another till one day we have the full glory of Jesus Christ in our life.

That is the path God has designed for the righteous. And I want to say that's what every person was born again. And if that's not happening in your life you're on the wrong track. For example husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church.

I haven't got there yet but I'm on the part. And if you are not loving your wife a little more like Jesus Christ loved the church this year than you did last year I want to tell you you're going in the wrong direction.

Your train is going the wrong direction. For example if you loved your wife more on the day you got married think of all of you husbands who are here. If you loved your wives more on the day you were married and less today because you saw so many weaknesses in her.

I want to tell you you're on the wrong track. Your train is going in the opposite direction. Because if it is going the right direction you'd be loving. You're not. You are not perfect to love as Christ loved the church none of us is.

But you'd be moving in that direction where you would be denying yourself more to love your wife as Christ loved the church. And that's just one area. Or a wife submit to your husband as a church submits to Christ.

You love to do it on the day you were married. But if you find your rebellious and fighting and quarreling today and you think just by sitting in CFC you're on the right train. I want to say to you in Jesus name you are not on the right train.

I want to tell you the truth. It's not because I hate you. It's because I love you. I want you to know the truth and wake up before one day Christ comes back and you find that you're nowhere near his kingdom.

I want all of you to be in God's kingdom. That's why I speak the truth. That's why I decided long ago that I'd never take any money for preaching. Because once you start taking money for preaching you can't tell people the truth.

Yeah that's true. Because I want to tell you the truth. Because so many people are going astray because preachers are not telling them the truth. Here is the truth. God wants you to become like Jesus Christ.

Every area. So consider these things in every area. God wants you to be like Christ if you are handling of money. If you love money more today than you did last year I want to tell you you are on the wrong track.

Maybe you haven't come completely free from the love of money. None of us have. But it's you should be a little more free than last year and much more free than ten years ago. I usually if you're in the train going to Delhi you should be closer to Delhi after six hours not further away.

Predestined. What is your destination. How much did Jesus love money. Is that your destination. To be completely free from it or loving your enemies. If I cannot love some enemy of mine I'm not going on the right track you.

I'm not even making an effort now. Loving your enemies does not mean going around visiting them and fellowshipping with them. Jesus never visited or fellowship with the Pharisees. He could not. They were his enemies.

They hated him. They'd kick him out of the house but he loved them. A lot of people misunderstand love and fellowship. I have many enemies I can say before God. I love all of them. I can also say I fellowship with almost zero of them.

No you can't have fellowship because they're not interested. But we must love them. We got to bless everyone who curses us. This is what it means to be like Christ. Father forgive them. But they don't know what they're doing.

Do you know the number of times I've had to say that whenever I hear someone who's said or done something and I hear that very frequently against me I say father forgive them. He doesn't know what he's doing.

I'm not upset with him. And the picture the Lord has given me is don't get angry with them. Do you ever get angry when you see a leper with his hands all eaten up and nose all bitten up. Do you get angry with him.

No. And the Lord said that guy is like a leper. That's why he hates you. That's why he curses you. That's why I speak evil of you. You're crazy if you're angry with him. Look at him like a leper. Love him.

Be merciful to him poor man. His hands are eaten his nose is eaten spiritually. He's like a leper. And God's eyes love him. Bless him. Pray that the father will forgive him because he doesn't know what he's saying.

He's stupid. One day he stands before the Lord. He'll see what a crime it was for the things he said. And that day he'll wake up forgive him. Now itself I tell you it's wonderful to obey God's Word. The Holy Spirit will make us more and more like Christ in a particular situation he'll show you this is what you must do now.

That's why it's important to read the scriptures. So now I want to come to the motive with which we do these things. The motive is very clear in John chapter 14. You see in the New Testament the important thing is not just what you do but why you did it.

It's very important to understand this in the Old Testament. What you did was important in the New Testament. What you do is important but more important is why you did it. For example let me take the matter of tithing.

Old Testament. I call it Old Testament income tax. Okay tithing is Old Testament income tax. Now let's take income tax today. When a man files his income to I don't think anybody loves to pay income tax.

They have to do it otherwise they'll get into trouble. And so they file the income tax return. They don't have to say hallelujah praise God. I can give so much money to the government. It does. No you don't have to be very excited.

You can be upset. All the government is charging so much angry. Okay. But you're honest and you file it and pay the money. The government is not bothered. Whether you're angry or upset when you so long as you pay the money they are happy.

But you do. Whether you come with a smile to the bank or with the angry face to the bank government is happy so long as the amount is correct. That is how tithing was in the Old Testament when they came and gave the grain to the Levites or their sheep.

They're gonna say yeah here it is. Take your 10 You leave it. I'm free. God would have said fine you obeyed the commandment. There was no requirement in the Old Testament. You have to give it cheerfully with a happy smiling face.

No because what you did was important. But in the New Covenant why you do it is more important. That means God loves a cheerful giver. The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 9 7. So how I do in the Old Testament it was how much you give the New Testament it is how you give.

Motive is very important. So what is the motive for our obedience. John 14 and verse 15 very important verse. If you love me you will keep my commandments. That is the only motive for obeying God's commandments.

Do you know why Jesus obeyed the father even unto death. Because he loved the father. It wasn't a grinding. Oh father you're telling me to take up the cross every day. Oh father you're telling me to die to myself every day.

Oh no. He was delighted every morning he was happy to get up and say father. I'm delighted to put myself to death today and to walk in your way because your way is the best. And when you become a little more like Christ that's what.

That's how you'll begin every morning when people cross your path and trouble you and irritate you. Thank you father. One more opportunity to die to myself and partake of the life of Jesus. Hallelujah.

If you love me keep my commandments. Old Testament was you read in Deuteronomy 28 if you fear me you better keep my commandments. Otherwise I'll punish you with you. Read Deuteronomy 28 you'll punished with madness and blindness and sickness and curse and all types of things.

And they feared and said no. No we don't want all that. Okay then obey me. But in the New Testament is not like that. If you love me keep my commandments. And you ask the Apostle Paul Paul you prayed three times to get rid of that sickness which you call the thorn in the flesh this terrible eye disease that you had.