Peace and Tribulation — Zac Poonen

Christ’s Promise of Peace in the Midst of Tribulation

I want to turn this morning to John's Gospel and Chapter 16. John's Gospel Chapter 16 and the last verse, verse 33. This is the end of three chapters, 14, 15, and 16, where Jesus was giving his last message to the disciples at the Last Supper after he had washed their feet in John 13.

Judas Iscariot had gone away to plan the betrayal of Jesus. Then to the remaining 11 apostles, Jesus spoke these words. I want you to see verse 33 as the last words that Jesus spoke before he went to Gethsemane on the cross.

He never really gave any exhortation to the disciples after this, because John 17 is a prayer that he prays to the Father, and that was entirely directed to the Father, not to the disciples. And so after John 16, 33, the next thing that happens is John 18, verse 1, when Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden.

And there Judas, who was betraying him, came, we read, and betrayed him, and that was the end. So just like before a man dies, if he has the last few words to say to his children, we would listen very carefully.

Take these as the last words that Jesus spoke before he went to the cross. He wanted to encourage his disciples, and he does not encourage them the way we encourage people saying, I'll make you prosperous, I'll make you healthy, you'll have no problems in life, quite the opposite.

He says, you'll have a lot of problems. See, God's way of thinking is so different from our human way of thinking, and if we don't allow our mind to be renewed to God's way, I tell you, whether you know it or not, you will move towards the health-wealth gospel preached by Babylon, without a doubt.

And it's a great danger that all of us face, because that is the gospel that is more attractive to the flesh. The gospel that Jesus proclaimed and the apostles proclaimed is not attractive to the flesh.

So read it like that. These things I have spoken to you, so that in me you will have peace. But you're still in the world, so you'll have tribulation. But take courage. I have overcome the world. And therefore, you can overcome the world too.

Peace Through Union with Christ

There's a little expression there in the beginning of the first sentence. In me, you can have peace. This phrase, in Christ, is something that comes very often in Ephesians. Now most of us, in our Christian life, we think of the other truth, that Christ is in us.

That is also true. You read about that in Colossians. Christ in you, the hope of glory. And we say we received Christ, and Christ is living in me. You ask me how I know he lives. He lives within my heart.

And most of the time, Christians think of Christ in them, which is a good thing. Because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world, so we can overcome. But this other aspect, which is also true, that we are in Christ, very often we don't think about that so much.

Because that is actually what gives us boldness when we come before God. Not that Christ is in me, which is true, but that when I stand before God, I am in Christ. Christ's righteousness clothes me. To come in the name of Jesus, in prayer, is not primarily thinking of Christ in me.

It's thinking of me in Christ. In Christ, I come to the Lord in prayer. And when it says, in me, you will have peace. I see there that the reason why peace goes away from Christians is because they don't recognize their place in Christ.

If I really labor and strive to understand, as the Holy Spirit explains, what it means that I am in Christ, one proof of it will be that I will always be at peace in my heart. There may be tribulation in the world around, but in my heart, I will be at rest.

All the time, no matter what happens, no matter what goes wrong around me in the world, no matter if I lose my house, or lose my job, or like Job, lose my children, or whatever it is, in Christ, I will have peace.

So for myself, I've taken it like this. The moment I've lost my peace and lost my rest, at that moment, I have not recognized my position in Christ. I am in Christ, but I don't recognize it. It's like having a million rupees in the bank, but I don't know it, and so I'm in a panic.

It's there. I don't know it. So I'm in a panic, saying, hey, I'm going to starve. So when I lose this recognition, that is when I lose my peace. If you recognize your position in Christ, you can never lose your peace.

You can never be in unrest, no matter if the whole world is against you. No matter if everything goes wrong in the world around you, in your office, in your place of work, with your relatives, no matter what happens, like the psalmist says, when the mountains collapse and fall into the sea, it won't disturb us.

They could only say, because God is with us. The God of Jacob is with us. My God is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, like a lot of Christians pray even today. I've heard some ignorant Christians say, oh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, show me one place in the epistles where any apostle prays like that.

They were Jews, but they never prayed like that. It's amazing how much the old covenant has penetrated Christians, and they never think of the new covenant, the God of this world the devil has blinded their eyes.

My God is the God of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Ephesians says the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You never read about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the epistles. I'm just telling you some things to show you how blind Christians are to the new covenant.

Sometimes people say, oh, Brother Zach, I never saw it until you showed it to me. I say that's because you don't read the New Testament carefully. You're careless. You're brainwashed by people. You listen to preachers more than you listen to the Bible.

Dear brothers, that's why we miss out on the level of Christian life that every one of us can live. That's my burden. I'm burdened that so many people in CFC, many of you sitting here, are not living at the level of the Christian life you can live, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, right through our life.

I never lived like that myself for so many years because I was ignorant. I didn't have a spiritual father to explain to me the new covenant is like this. I had to discover it myself. Please, please think of what you're missing.

Life is slipping by. Another year has gone by. Are you going to live one more year with this up and down type of experience, just with all the information about the new covenant in your head, but not in your daily life?

I hope it won't be so in 2015. Think of these last words of Jesus before he went to the cross. In me, you will have peace. I say, Lord, I'm going to live there every single day of this year for the rest of my life.

I'm not going to let anything bring unrest into my heart. I don't care what it is. It doesn't matter how people behave around you. It's got nothing to do with that. In the world, you'll have not only people disturbing you, which Jesus said in the world, you'll have tribulation.

Tribulation is the strongest word you can use. We get disturbed when somebody says something bad about us. That's not tribulation. That's a mosquito bite. Look at the little things that have disturbed you in the past year, 2014.

Look back and say what are the things that disturbed you in this last year that took away your peace and unrest, what your relatives said or what they did not say? I tell you, some believers are such slaves to their relatives.

Amazing. That's why Jesus said you can never be my disciple till you hate your father and your mother and your brothers and your sisters and your wife and your children. You don't do that, you're not a disciple.

Well, no wonder you have problems. Those who are not disciples of Jesus will have tremendous problems. I decided long ago that I will never allow anything that my relatives say or don't say or do or don't do to disturb me.

I'm in Christ. Take that position at least this year and don't keep complaining. So-and-so didn't do this. So-and-so did that. When are you going to finish with that? Are you a member of CFC that preaches the new covenant?

Or are you a member of some dead church that's going the route of Babylon? Think about it. In the Old Testament, they could never say I'm in Christ. One of the great chapters in the Old Testament that a lot of people love to read is Psalm 91.

The Old Covenant and the Greater Blessings of the New Covenant

I want to show you Psalm 91. I read it, it's good. But when I read it, I say to myself, this is how old covenant people lived. I can have that and I can have more. So I'm not saying you shouldn't read the Old Testament promises.

But when you read the Old Testament promises, say I can have that and I can have more because I'm in Christ. Because Psalm 91 is not written for people who are in Christ. Psalm 91 is for people who dwell in the shelter of the Most High.

That means they're not in the Most High. The Most High is sort of sheltering them. It's like a father saying, okay, I'll look after you. And they're in the shadow of the Almighty. The Almighty is here and they're in their shadow.

I'm not in the shadow. I'm in the Almighty. You see the difference? Have you ever noticed that? When you read Psalm 91, you thought Psalm 91 is so great. I'm in the shadow of the Almighty. It's like these people who say, I come to the foot of the cross.

I never want to be at the foot of the cross. It's the foot of the cross with the Pharisees. You want to be there? I don't want to be there. I say I want to be on the cross. Not at the cross, but on the cross.

On the cross, I'm victorious. At the foot of the cross, you'll be defeated all your life. You can live in the shadow of the Almighty. And you can sin like Old Testament people. I'm just showing you scripture.

It's good. That's all they could have. Jesus said, now you're going to be in me. On the day of Pentecost, something happened that brought me into Christ. Christ into me. I never think of myself now apart from that.

So I want to encourage you to think of this, my brothers and sisters, that in Christ you can have joy. In Christ you can have victory. Let me show you this verse also in Ephesians in chapter 1. Ephesians 1 in verse 3.

This is New Covenant. Not the God and Father. Not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We've finished with all that. Remember, it's Paul writing this. For years, for 30 years, Paul called God the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

But, you know, sometimes we develop a habit that we can't get rid of. Like people who are brought up in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. Even years after they are born again, when they finish their prayer, they do the sign of the cross.

I'm not against it. But I say, Jesus never taught me to do it. What I'm saying is a habit of praying never goes away from us. And Paul had a habit of praying God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for 30 years.

But he got rid of it when he was filled with the Holy Spirit. And he said, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Never, for 30 years, he thought of God as Jehovah. We still sing some songs to Jehovah.

A lot of Christians do. And they don't even see the inconsistency of it. Paul called Him Father. Jesus said, when you pray, when you sing, call Him Father. I call Him Father. That's why my life is secure.

You won't be secure knowing Jehovah. You'll be secure when you know that Jehovah is your Father. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who has blessed us. Even the previous verse, he says, grace to you from God and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now this God has blessed us. Now read carefully. Very, very carefully. With every spiritual blessing. That means every blessing of the Holy Spirit. Which is love, joy, peace. Okay. Love, joy, peace. Every blessing of the Holy Spirit is mine.

Where? In Christ. There's that expression again. In the heavenly places in Christ. That means because Jesus is in heaven, God has placed me in my spirit. In Christ in heaven. Even though I live on this earth.

This is an amazing truth. And that's why the atmosphere of heaven can be found in my spirit even though my body is suffering in the world. The Christian lives in his spirit in heaven and his body on this earth.

This is the true Christian life. That there can be turmoil and storms around him all the time, but in his spirit, he is in Christ and Christ is in the heavenly places. Christ in me is good. It's a truth.

But I can still think, hey, I'm here on this earth. And Christ is in me. But when I think that I am in Christ, where is he? He's not on earth. He's at the right hand of the Father. And when I am in Christ.

I'm accepted by God. And when it says pray in the name of Jesus, this is what it means. That I pray recognizing my position in Christ. I mean, these are truths that we should have known the day we were born again.

I wish I had known these truths the day I was born again. That would have made my life so wonderful right from that day. But it took me many, many years to discover it. You know, the Bible says, if you seek me with all your heart, you will find me.

I wanted to seek God with all my heart and I discovered so many things that other Christians could not teach me. I want to tell you, you don't have to learn it from me. You seek God with all your heart, you'll find it yourself.

But be diligent to read the scriptures. Because it's only here, it's the only book God's given us in the world where we can know his truth. So this is something very important. Turn back to John 16, the last words that Jesus spoke.

The last words Jesus spoke before he went to the cross. In me, you will have peace. And that's why I've spoken these words to you. I have spoken these words to you so that in me you may have peace. And that's why I read the words of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit and the Authority of the Epistles

That's why I study the words of Jesus in the Gospels. And then, more than what Jesus said, if you turn to John 16, he also said in verse 12, this is important to know this, John 16, 12. I have many more things to say to you.

Remember, he's coming to the end of what he's saying to the disciples. He's already spoken to them, John 14, John 15, and John 16. Towards the end, he says, actually, there are many, many more things I want to say to you.

For example, concerning building the body of Christ. Concerning the meaning of grace. The difference between mercy and grace. Concerning how the church is built on the foundations of the apostles and the prophets.

Concerning the different gifts with which the body of Christ will be built. Etc, etc. Many, many things. Jesus never spoke in the Gospels at all. But, when the Holy Spirit, the truth has come, he will guide you, he's telling his apostles, he will guide you into all the truth.

And, that time, you'll hear from the Holy Spirit, what I cannot say to you now, because you can't understand it now. And, after the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came on these apostles, and Paul and others, and said what Jesus wanted to say.

So, when I read Paul's epistles, I say, hey, this is Jesus speaking. Have you ever thought of it like that? This is what Jesus wanted to tell his disciples, when he was on earth. But, he told them, I can't say it to you now, because you guys won't understand it.

It's like trying to teach geometry to a kindergarten student, and you have to say, geometry is a great subject, but I'm sorry, you can't understand geometry yet. You have to be content with ABC, and addition, and things like that.

But, there is a thing called geometry, or algebra. You'll understand it a little later, when you grow up a little. And, that's what Jesus was saying to these apostles. A day will come, when you will understand.

And, remember, it's me speaking. Only thing, it'll be me, Jesus saying, it's me speaking through Paul, or Peter, or John. So, when I read the epistles, you know, there are some people who say, no, I don't read the epistles, I read only the gospels.

Well, you've left out a lot of things that Jesus said then, if you don't read the epistles. Because, John 16, 12 says, those are the things he wanted to tell them. For example, he never told them about what, explained to them what it means to be in Christ, and Christ in you, the hope of glory, and many things about the defeat of Satan, explaining how we can overcome, resist the devil, and he'll flee from you, all that.

Jesus didn't say it there, but he said it through James, and Peter, and John, and Paul. So, that's why I don't consider the epistles as not the words of Jesus. According to John 16, 12, they are the words of Jesus, which he could not explain to them.

But, you know how, there are many things that Jesus said about the birds, and the flowers, and all, people like to listen to that, it's great. And then they come to things in the epistles, and they say, oh boy, this is difficult to understand.

That's like saying, geometry is more difficult to understand than ABC and 1, 2, 3. I agree. But, do you want to stop in kindergarten? Why do you just read the elementary things about Christ, and we're happy with that?

We must move on to understand the deeper things that the Bible says. Just like you want your children to go on, you don't want your children to drop out of school after 2nd standard. Say, oh well, they've learned to read and write, they can add, that's enough.

None of you will say that. You'd be disappointed if your child dropped out of 2nd standard, or 4th standard, or 6th standard. Can you see the disappointment God our Father has, when some of his children drop out?

After understanding some elementary things in the Bible, I'm going to heaven now, that's enough. He feels as disappointed as you would feel, if your child said to you after 2nd standard, I know how to read and write, I know how to add, that's enough, Dad.

And you say, okay, fine, son, I don't want anything more for you. None of you will say that. You'd be disappointed if he says, Dad, I'm not going to school. Can you imagine how disappointed he'd be? I want to say to all of you who don't read the Bible carefully, God is disappointed with you.

Just like you would be disappointed, if your child dropped out of school in 2nd standard. And I'm sorry to say, many of you have dropped out of school in 2nd standard, spiritually. Otherwise you'd have had many mature men and women of God here, after all these years that they've attended ZFC.

Why is it not so? Are you going to be spoon fed, spoon fed, spoon fed forever? Or are you going to learn to feed yourself from scripture? I don't mind speaking strongly. Because I'm seeking your good.

I'm seeking to deliver you from this half-hearted, shallow Christianity there is in the world today, which is affecting many of us, because we mingle with such people. Not all churches are the same, my brothers and sisters.

No. There are churches that are accomplishing God's purpose on earth, and there are others who accomplish only part of it. There are schools that close with 2nd standard, and there are other schools that go all the way to college and to PhD.

Not all schools are the same. There are churches where all you can study is up to 2nd standard. And there are churches that go much beyond that, to college level. So don't forget that. We have to be in Christ.

We must understand that, that every blessing of the Holy Spirit can be mine. If I take my place in heavenly places in Christ. And read that carefully again. Ephesians 1 .3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with not one or two, but every single blessing of the Holy Spirit.

Do you want every single blessing of the Holy Spirit? Is that reserved only for some preachers like me? Or is it for every child of God? Is Jesus Christ your Savior? Is God your Father in Jesus Christ?

Then God has blessed you already with every blessing of the Holy Spirit. But where is it? It's not on earth. It's not a material blessing. Two things you need to see there. First of all, it's a spiritual blessing.

And secondly, it's not an earthly blessing. It's in the heavenly places. If you can understand these two things, you'll be delivered from this Babylonian health, wealth, gospel. Which has only got to do with earthly things and material things.

Not with spiritual blessings in heavenly places. What are the things people are interested in heaven right now? You think they're interested in money? You think they're interested even in healing? No!

They're interested in a lot of other things like love, joy, peace, worship, praise. Those are the things they're interested in. And if I want the blessings of heaven, which are a million times better than the blessings of earth, I can have all of them in Christ.

And you say, well then how will you take care of our earthly needs and our children? All those other things will be added to you. I'll tell you that. He'll give you health. He'll give you enough for your material needs.

I've proved that for 55 years. That God will give me enough health, even if I'm 100 years old, to do His will. I don't know what His will is. But if His will is for me to travel around the world preaching the gospel at the age of 100, I believe with all my heart He'll give me that health.

But that's not what I seek for. I seek for the blessings of the Holy Spirit in heavenly places. And He'll give me enough money for my needs without my having to ask a single soul on earth for one cent.

And without my having to beg or hint or borrow from anybody. I cannot imagine Jesus going around borrowing money from people saying, Hey, my father let me down. Can you please help me with some money?

I'll give it back to you in 5 or 10 years. Can you imagine Jesus saying that? I say, well if Jesus wouldn't say it, I'm not going to say it either. I'd rather starve than disgrace my heavenly Father. And a lot of Christians don't think like that.

They say, their thinking is exactly like the world. My question is, I'm not saying you're sinning. I'm saying, why do you want to live at that low standard? You don't sin if you drop out of school in the second standard.

That's not a sin. You can't say if a child dropped out of second standard, he sinned. No, he didn't sin. But don't you want him to go a little further? You can live at a low level in your Christian life and it's maybe not sin, but don't you want to go a little further?

Don't you want to get to know Jesus intimately, personally? Like the bride knew the bridegroom in the Song of Solomon? I want to know Jesus like that. Every day of my life. Every single blessing of the Holy Spirit, every spiritual blessing, is mine.

Already. It doesn't say he's going to bless you. He's already blessed you. He's put it to your account. But I have to take it. But instead of taking that, if I run after all the earthly blessings, like Babylon in Christianity does, you may get it.

Look at all the worldly people of other religions. They have pursued money and think of how much they've got. Many of the millionaires and billionaires in the world. They would never have got all that money unless they pursued it.

And you can pursue it and you can make a lot of money too. There are people who do all types of things in order to improve their health. Go here, there and do all types of things. Okay, fine. You can also do that and improve your health.

But if you seek the things of heaven first, and the things of the Holy Spirit first, these other things will be thrown in like a bonus. And it's much better to get it that way, than to pursue after them.

And the reason is, it says in verse 4 of Ephesians 1, because the Father in heaven chose us in Christ, again that phrase, in Christ, before the foundation of the world, before Genesis 1 verse 1. That's another thing you've got to believe.

I believe it. You've heard me make some daring statements, because I believe scripture. It's not pride. When you quote scripture, you're not proud. That before Genesis 1, way back before the angels were created, way back in eternity, there was the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and Zak Poonen, in the Father's mind.

If you think that's arrogance, it's not. It's because I believe Ephesians 1, 4, which you may not be believing. It's true for you as well. According to your faith, be it unto you. I believe with all my heart, way back in eternity, before He created the angels, He, the Father, saw me in Christ, way down in the 20th century, and chose me.

Yeah. I'm a special favorite of God. So are you, if you can believe scripture, and pursue spiritual blessings in heavenly places, your life will be so wonderful, with earthly blessings just thrown in like a bonus, that you don't even go running after.

You pursue after the things of God. My brothers and sisters, this is the way every single person sitting here is supposed to live, because you have heard these truths here. I'm not worried about those other people who have never heard these truths, but you have heard them.

Don't miss out on this in 2015. A heart filled with love for Jesus Christ, where there's no love for the things of the world. A heart filled with love for all believers, even people in other denominations with whom I disagree.

But I can love them. Not only them, a heart that's filled with love for those who hate me, those who call me bad names, those who accuse me of being a false teacher and heretic, I love them, that I can bless them.

Love those who are my enemies, those who have taken me to court, those who hurt me, I can love them. That is a part of the blessing of the Holy Spirit. Can you love them? Can you say with all your heart, you can love your mother-in-law?

No problem. Can you mother-in-laws say you love your daughters-in-law? Why do I say that? Because the mother-in-law, daughter-in-law problem is one of the biggest problems in the world in marriage.

It's impossible without the Holy Spirit. But it's possible with the Holy Spirit. Anything that Jesus commanded is possible in the power of the Holy Spirit. Because it says, every single blessing of the Holy Spirit is mine.

But I want it in heavenly places in Christ. And I say, Lord, just give me whatever you think I need on earth. Enough health to do your will. You know, when it says, give us this day our daily bread, I connect it with the previous request.

Do you know what is the previous request in the Lord's Prayer? You remember it? You don't repeat the Lord's Prayer here like in the Anglican churches. If we did, we'd know it by heart. Thy will be done on earth.

That is in my life. As it is done in heaven. And in order to do your will, please give me this day my daily food. You see the connection? I'm not asking God to give me daily food to make money. No. Or to become a great man.

I'm saying, Lord, I want to do your will on earth exactly as it is done in heaven. I can't do that unless I have some food to eat. Please give me daily food. Why do you ask God for daily food? Why do you pray over your meal at breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

I hope it is so that you can be strengthened to do his will on earth. As it is done in heaven. At least from today onwards. You have no excuse now. Now that you've heard the truth. Like I always say, it's a very dangerous thing to come to this church and listen to the word of God.

Because your responsibility will increase like tremendously. If you have no interest in obeying God, my advice is don't come to this church. Because your responsibility will increase to whom more is given, more is required.

But it's a good thing to go to a higher class. Aren't you happy when your children get promoted to higher class? Aren't you happy when your children say, I want to go to college, Dad. I want to do a master's degree, Dad.

God's also happy when his children say, Lord, I want to go further. Think of the way you react to your children wanting to go further. See, that's how God is delighted. When you say, Lord, I want to go further in the Christian life.

I want to live this type of life that the apostles lived. This is the type of life that leads to a person to say, I can rejoice always. I can have a joy unspeakable and full of glory. I can have a peace that passes all human understanding.

And I can have a love like Jesus loved me. It's wonderful to live this life. I want to go further in John 16. See, once we come to this solid position in Christ, it says in John 16, 33. In the world, you will have tribulation.

Rejoicing in Tribulation and Spiritual Growth

That is also equally true. Now, if you try to think of that without coming to this position of being in Christ and having his peace, then you'll be scared of the word tribulation. You'll be scared of it.

You'll be scared of the word suffering. Then, okay, don't go there. That means you're not ready to study geometry yet. Go back to the kindergarten and learn ABC. That means go back to the kindergarten and learn that you're in Christ and you can have peace.

Then only go to the next section of having tribulation. You can't study geography and science and all before you've learned ABC properly. So, if you haven't learned that in me you have peace, then words like tribulation and suffering and all scare you.

We don't want to hear all that. Let's always talk about peace and joy and love. It's like saying, let's always talk about ABC and CAT and BAT. You want to spend all your life just talking about that? Let's move on, brother.

As eager as you are for your children to go to college, God is eager for you to go to the higher levels of the Christian life. And it says in Romans chapter 5. Here's a description of some of the higher levels of the Christian life.

Romans chapter 5. He says here how he exalts. First of all, he says in verse 2, Romans 5. We exalt in hope of the glory of God. That's great. I'm going to heaven when I die. But he says, I want to move on to college.

We exalt in tribulation. Wow. Have you ever met a Christian who says, I rejoice I'm going to heaven and I rejoice in tribulations. Praise the Lord. That's a serious Christian. But it's in the very next sentence.

But you see how blind Christians are. They don't see it. They stop with verse 2 and say that's all. We don't want to go to verse 3. We have an introduction by faith, verse 2, into the grace in which we stand and we exalt in hope of the glory of God.

Full stop. Full stop. Full stop. Full stop. Full stop. I'm sorry, that's not how scripture is. Not only this. Not only a kindergarten class. We exalt in our tribulation. Because tribulation brings about perseverance or patience.

You know why some of us have never learned to be patient with others? Why you get so irritated and upset? Because it's only tribulation that works patience and perseverance. You want to get to the goal without going the way God has appointed.

But tribulation works patience and perseverance. And perseverance brings a proven character. I want a proven character. I don't want to be a type of character who is one day so spiritual and next week I behave just like the devil himself.