The Example of Godly Men — Zac Poonen

The Example of Godly Men — Zac Poonen

Praise the Lord. It's a great opportunity again to be with you all. I'm very thankful that I have been invited back here by Pastor Weaver and by the persistence of Herman during the last two years. One of the things that I have been burdened about As I've looked at Christianity around the world.

Is the shallowness the lives of most Christians? Just to tell you a little bit about myself. I'm 75 years old. I Was converted 55 years ago When I was an officer in the Indian Navy. And I had my ambitions there but when I was 26, the Lord called me to quit my job and for nearly 50 years now, I've been serving the Lord mostly in India and And most of the last 40 years has been in planting new churches in Many parts of India towns villages Etc.

And the Lord's blessed our labors and we've been greatly encouraged as you've seen people not only turn to Christ But understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Our burden has been Not just to make converts but to make disciples.

Neglecting So Great a Salvation

If you turn with me to Hebrews chapter 2 and Verse 3. We read a little expression there in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 3 called so great a salvation. Our salvation is described as a great salvation and And It said here, how shall we escape if we neglect.

So great a salvation. Now I presume that most if not all of you Have not rejected this great salvation. There's a difference between rejecting and neglecting. Rejecting means I don't want this. Neglecting means God's given you something very precious and You neglect it.

It's like a very precious field of service and it's neglected and We need to ask ourselves whether we have neglected such a great salvation and I think most Christians have. And the reason doesn't lie entirely with Believers themselves.

I think a lot of the failure is due to the teachers who have taught them an Incomplete salvation. It's like in a school particular class if most of the students fail it's more than likely that the Problem is not with the students, but with the teacher.

Yes, he's not a good teacher. So when Jesus gave a what is known as the Great Commission to his Disciples up to heaven He said first of all, I want to show you two verses which I believe constitute the Great Commission.

Evangelism and the First Side of the Great Commission

One is mark 16 and verse 15 go into all the world and Preach the gospel to all creation. He was believed and has been baptized shall be saved. He was disbelieved shall be condemned so that's Mostly what people call evangelism today concentrates on this going out into the unreached areas of the world and Seeking to lead people to believe that they are sinners.

They need to turn from their sin and trust Christ who took the penalty for all their sins on the cross Christ who rose again and is living and It stops there and and go on to baptism, of course and then thereafter the desire Becomes to get one more person to that place and then another and another another.

So we get a whole lot of converts who have accepted Christ as their Savior the sins of they're baptized and They consider themselves saved. But this is only one side of a Great Commission and like a Currency note if only one side is printed.

It's a counterfeit Or a coin. There are two sides to it. The other side is what has been left out by most Christians and That's in math found in Matthew 28 verse 18. This is the other side of the Great Commission.

Remember the first was going to all the world preach the gospel to all people and He who believes and is baptized shall be saved. He who doesn't believe will be condemned but here the Lord gives something more.

Making Disciples and Teaching Obedience

He says in verse 19 go and make disciples. Now a disciple is a learner and a follower. If a person is not following Jesus you cannot say he's a disciple. There is a narrow gate and a narrow way Jesus said that leads to life.

It's not just a narrow gate. He didn't say there's a narrow gate that leads to life. He said there's a narrow gate and a narrow way that leads to life. There is a crisis of Conversion followed by a process of following Jesus.

This is what Jesus said leads to life. So make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit and We still haven't finished. Teach them to do Everything that I commanded you.

So when we have completed that We can say we have completed both sides of the Great Commission so we first bring that person to faith in Christ for his forgiveness of his sins and then teach him what it means to follow Jesus Christ and Then once he's responded to that call to become a disciple.

We have to teach him according to this verse every single thing that Jesus commanded. We have to teach him for example that If he lusts after a woman that's adultery. That anger in the heart if it's permitted to remain is equal to murder.

That it's not enough to love his friends. He must love his enemies. That whenever he prays or gives or fast he must do it in secret not tell anybody tell anybody about it. I'm just mentioning certain things found in Matthew 5 6 7 the Sermon on the Mount that he should not judge anybody and That he should not be anxious, but trust his Heavenly Father to provide for all his needs.

That's Matthew 6. So all these are some of the things that Jesus taught that every word that he speaks He like to give an account in the Day of Judgment. So when you look at Christians around the world you ask yourself are they really being taught all these things do they hear all these things?

And very often the answer is no. They have not rejected the salvation. They've neglected it and It's to such people who are doing this going making disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I commanded you and Lo I am with you always even to the end of the age.

Now I've seen that last part of that statement in many homes Lo I'm with you always even to the end of the age, but I say hey, that's the last part of a long sentence. You're trying to claim a promise without fulfilling the condition.

There's a condition to that promise Lo I'm with you always to the end of the age and That promise the condition is go and make disciples baptize them in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit teach them to do all that I commanded you and Lo I'm with you always to the end of the age.

I'm not saying that the Lord is not near you. But this is a special promise given especially to those who are seeking to make disciples and teaching people. Teaching those disciples to obey every single thing that Jesus commanded and there we see the tremendous limitation.

In my own country when I left the Navy in 1966 I Spent nine years traveling all across India north to south east to west. Most of the states I traveled looking at Christian churches Christian missions that had been founded there for many years and Many of those godly missionaries who came in the past when I look the result of their work 70 80 90 years later.

It's very shallow, even though they did a wonderful work then and I see the failure most cases is that discipleship is not being preached and That is why we don't experience the fullness of salvation that the Apostles experienced when Jesus spoke about John the Baptist.

The Authority of Scripture and the Bereans

He made this statement in Matthew chapter 11. Now the reason I quote scripture so much is because like Paul said I don't want your faith to rest on the wisdom of men. But on the Word of God. My words are unimportant just like yours.

The Word of God Jesus said heaven and earth will pass away. But his word will never pass away. Faith comes not by hearing clever men persuasive men. Emotional men. Faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ.

So that's why I quote scripture in all my sermons. I quote scripture extensively. So that even if you don't look at a Bible immediately I hope you will listen to the message sometime later and compare it with scripture.

It says about the Buryan Christians in Acts 17 that even when the Apostle Paul preached They as it were told him well brother Paul, thank you for your message. But we check up the scriptures and come back next week and tell you whether we agree with you or not.

Isn't that a wonderful attitude? Do you know the result of that? The result is That there is no epistle to the Buryans. There is an epistle to the Corinthians correcting the errors there. There's an official epistle to the Galatians correcting the errors there.

There's an epistle to the Philippians sorting out the problems there in the Colossians, but no epistle to the Buryans, why is that? Because they had the habit of checking every preacher's message with the Word of God a Wonderful habit to have and that's why they were always safe.

It's a safe attitude to have so let me turn to you what turn you to Matthew 11 where what Jesus spoke about John the Baptist Says here in Matthew 11 verse 11. Jesus said truly I say to you among all those born of women There's not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist.

He was even greater than Mary the mother of Jesus. I Wonder if my Roman Catholic friends realized that that Jesus himself said that the greatest person born of women Was not Mary it was John the Baptist.

But he said this is the important thing the least person Who comes into the kingdom of heaven? Is greater than him? That means the potential in this person who's born again and enters into God's kingdom Is far higher than the height to which John the Baptist could reach under the old covenant.

John the Baptist was the greatest prophet under the old covenant. But under the new covenant which he calls the kingdom of heaven here we can rise higher. The least person Can rise higher than John the Baptist.

In what way not that everybody would be a prophet like John the Baptist. But that we could come to a higher inner life. Partaking of God's own nature, which even John the Baptist could not have. That we can have rivers of living water Flowing from our innermost being.

Rivers of Living Water and the Holy Spirit

Which even John the Baptist could not have in John chapter 7. Jesus spoke about that. He said in John chapter 7 he described the fullness of salvation like this. He who believes in me now many people know John 6 47 he who believes in me has eternal life.

Okay, that's great. John 6 47 He who believes has eternal life, but is there anything further for those who believe? Yes the next chapter John 7 verse 38 he who believes in me. It's the same condition.

No extra condition as John 6 47 he who believes in me from his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water and This he spoke about the Holy Spirit. Which those who believed in him would receive.

Because the Spirit was not yet given. Because Jesus was not yet glorified. So a careful student of scripture reading that verse will say how is that the Spirit was not yet given. He'd say I see many instances in the Old Testament where the Spirit came upon people.

The Spirit clothed Gideon it says in Judges chapter 6 the Spirit came upon David when Samuel anointed him a double portion of the Spirit came on Elisha, which Elijah had and There were many prophets who said the Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

Isaiah said that. The difference is this. If I were to take a an empty glass here and put a lid on it. And if I were to pour water on it, not one drop would go inside the glass. The inside of the glass could be filthy but this pure water would flow because it's covered with a lid flow over the lid and Flow like rivers in many directions bless thousands of people.

This is how the Spirit was upon people in Old Testament times. That's why you could have a glass like Samson Whose heart was absolutely filthy with adultery, but the Spirit was upon him and could flow and bless many people and The Old Testament prophets were like that even John the Baptist Who the Spirit was upon him from the time he was born?

It was upon him not inside and Blessed thousands of people in his time, but that man when he was locked up in prison and The Lord did not release him from prison. He began to doubt. Unbelief came into his heart just because he was facing persecution just for a few days.

He even began to doubt whether Jesus was the Messiah. He had seen The dove descend upon him. He had heard the voice from heaven. This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased and yet in from prison.

He sends a Messengers to Jesus in Matthew 11 saying are you really the Messiah or do we have to wait for someone else? You see this greatest prophet Doubted Jesus even though he had seen. That's how it was under the Old Covenant when the Spirit is not within.

That's why Jesus said the least person who enters into this new covenant life will rise higher than even John the Baptist. What happened on the day of Pentecost was that lid was removed? Or we could use another illustration.

In the Old Testament, there was a tabernacle which had three parts outer court holy place most holy place. Corresponding to man's body soul and spirit. The spirit is the heart. Between the holy place and the most holy place was a thick veil.

That's similar to this lid on top of the glass. I spoke about a veil that blocked off man's heart or spirit so that Man could not enter into communion with God and God could not enter into man's spirit.

But when Jesus died on the cross that veil was rent. Symbolizing not only the way right into God's presence was open but also that God could enter now that innermost part of man, which was now open because the veil was rent and now the spirit could come within because Man's heart was now cleansed in the blood of Christ.

The reason why the spirit could not dwell in any Old Testament believer was their hearts were dirty. No amount of blood of bulls and goats would cleanse their sin and the spirit would not enter a dirty heart.

But when Christ came and the veil was rent and he had atoned for the sins of humanity. Then anyone who received him and had his heart cleansed the cup was now clean. Then the spirit once the cup is clean cleansed by the blood of Christ.

The only way it can be cleansed the spirit could come within and that's what he says here when he says the spirit was not yet given. That's the meaning because in the previous verse he said now from his innermost being the rivers will flow.

Formally the rivers flowed from over him. But now it would flow from his innermost being the inside of the heart Would be filled first and then it would overflow the heart would be cleansed and it wouldn't be like Samson or even like John The Baptist it would be from within it would flow out and in this way the spirit was not yet given.

Because Jesus was not yet glorified. I Find many believers when they come across some difficult verses like that. They tend to just ignore it and move on. That way we will never understand scripture and we can miss out on some rich treasures.

I Wonder the whether you have noticed What I've shared with you right now is quite likely that number of you have never noticed this and yet it's been there in your Bible all these years that you read it.

That's just one little treasure among many many many things. That I've discovered in scripture as I've learned to read it slowly and ask for the revelation of the Holy Spirit. Because I believe there's only one book among all the billions of books.

There are in the world that God gave for man only one and anyone who really believes I don't mean Intellectually agree a lot of people intellectually agree, but they don't believe in their heart. But if they really believe in their heart that Almighty God Wrote only one book for man to read and to be guided by.

I'm amazed that so many Christians who believe that don't read and study this one book. It's one of the things I decided When I I took my baptism About 54 years ago and one of the first things I began to do after my baptism was to study God's Word while I was working on a ship and I would spend all my spare time studying God's Word and That's how I came to know the scriptures and through the years I've been studying the Bible 54 years now, and I've discovered new things even now.

It's like a well that never runs dry. And I want to say to you dear brothers and sisters If you neglect the word You will neglect this great salvation. That is the number one reason why people who have not rejected The salvation have neglected it and therefore they have missed out on something God wants you to have think of if your father was a not a billionaire, but a multibillionaire and Think of you are the only son or daughter and Your dad wrote a will Describing where all his money is stored in which all banks and And where all which all cities and countries he has property.

And he wills it all to you. Maybe it's four or five pages the will I Want to ask you would you read it carefully? Is there a single person sitting here who would not read that will carefully. We would all read it because money means a lot.

The Love of Money and Spiritual Inheritance

What about God? Does he mean less to us than money? One of the things I decided you know like every human being we all love money. We have a lot of beggars and tramps in India. I've never met a beggar or tramp who doesn't love money.

Every rich man loves money. There's not a human being who doesn't love money. But Jesus said that the love of money can hinder our love for God. We can have money, but we must treat money like a servant.

Money is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. And unfortunately has become a master for many Christians that money means more to them than God. That's why they would study a will written by a rich father more carefully than they read God's Word.

Because they say reading that will I can acquire all the property that my dad left for me. Reading the Bible. What do I get? Spiritual riches. Do they mean something to you? Would you let some crooked lawyer cheat you of your inheritance?

No if you feel that a crooked lawyer is trying to cheat you out of your Inheritance you take that will to another lawyer and say please read this and tell me what I'm entitled to but the devil has cheated many many Christians of Their inheritance.

Following Christ Through Godly Examples

Let me give you a little glimpse of what we have missed out. The Apostle Paul Was the second person in the Bible who said follow me. Some people say it's wrong to follow a man. How can it be wrong when the Holy Spirit himself? writes.

Tells Paul to write follow me. Do you know that Paul said that in 1 Corinthians 11 be imitators of me follow me as I am of Christ. Jesus was the first person in the Bible who said follow me. No man in the Old Testament ever could dare to say follow me.

They could say listen to me. Hear me. I am preaching God's Word and they preached God's Word accurately. But not one of them could point to their life. And say follow me. Jesus was the first. But he was not the last.

Paul said follow me Verse 1 as I follow Christ and the picture I get is of a perfection is the mountaintop like say Mount Everest 30 ,000 feet and Jesus has is at the top perfect. He lived on earth a perfect life.

What Paul did was look for the footsteps of Jesus. How did he live? I? Want to live like him. He told me to follow him. Jesus never said admire me. Nowhere in Scripture did Jesus say admire me admire me and yet most Christians are admiring Jesus.

We never told them to do we can worship him. That's fine. But more than anything else. He said follow me. Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men if any man wants to follow me. Let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Luke 9 23. So Paul took that seriously and he decided to follow Jesus and he in pressing on to perfection he found the footsteps of Jesus the principles by which he lived and he lived in those principles and He doesn't say just follow me.

He says I'm following Christ, by the way, and you fellas. If you can't see clearly the way Christ walked looked at me, you know. It's like if you there's some man who's reached the top of The mountain and I can't see him because he's so far away.

I'm happy to see somebody else who I'm sure is walking in those same footsteps and I can follow him. And in Philippians 3 Paul says further he says not only me. Philippians 3 17. He again says the same thing brethren.

Join in following my example. So don't think it's such a bad thing to follow a man if he's a godly man, there are very few whose lives we can really follow because Many Christians their private life does not correspond to their public life then of course, you can't follow them or there are many things in their life, which They may be born again, but it's not a good testimony.

Maybe they lose their temper frequently. Maybe they are frequently anxious worried tense. They can't seem to trust a heavenly father to take care of all their needs. We can't follow such people. We love them As fellow believers, but we can't follow such people.

But there are a few and I thank God that in my life I have come across a very very few Godly men whom I could follow in my younger days that helped me tremendously. Not just the scriptures but godly men who?

Could show by their life that it was possible to live this life described in the New Testament. Because very often, you know, an example is worth a thousand words. I Mean, it's no use somebody proving on a blackboard on a board.

The theory of swimming and proving to you that swimming is possible. It's far easier if a man takes you to the swimming pool and sees see how I go across Gravity is pulling me down, but I still go across this water.

That challenges me more to believe that swimming is possible than if somebody convinces me through some theory. So it's like that people can preach so many theories from the pulpit, but if you see one life of a man who Manifests the characteristics of Christ particularly his humility and particularly his freedom money and his patience and goodness.

And compassion that's a man worth following. So Paul says follow my example and he says observe others. Who walk according to the same pattern that you have announced? He says it's just not just me. There are a few godly men.

Of course, you can't follow people like Demas who forsook Paul and was once a co-worker of Paul. But forsook him following the world. Paul wouldn't encourage you to follow him, but he says there are a few in fact earlier on in Philippians 2.

He says among my co-workers right now. He says in Philippians 2 20. I have no one but Timothy. Imagine among Paul's co-workers. I mean if you got into Paul's team that itself was a great honor. But Paul says to the Philippians.

I want to send Timothy to you Philippians 2 19 because among my present co-workers who are with me, there's not even one Like him Who is genuinely concerned for your welfare just like Jesus was genuinely concerned for people.

Here was a young man Timothy who like Paul those genuinely concerned for others. Where did he learn that from Paul? And One verse 21 who did not seek after his own interest. Where did he learn not to seek after his own interest, but those that of Christ Jesus from Paul?

So here was Paul and here was a Timothy following in Paul's footsteps, so it is not just Paul and. So the challenge that comes to us my dear brothers and sisters. Is that we should be men and women like that?

Even if you have climbed only 500 feet up this 30 ,000 feet mountain. We're still a long way Paul. Maybe at 5 ,000 feet. Okay. I'm way behind him. I've climbed only 500 feet. I can turn around if people are only at a hundred feet and say hey follow me.

As I follow Paul and Timothy and as they follow Christ. This is how we are to be witnesses of Christ. There's a lot of difference between bearing witness for Christ and Being a witness for Christ. You know the difference between bearing witness and being a witness.

Bearing witness is by our words I Bear witness to Christ saying he died for the sins of the world. He rose again He ascended he's coming back. That's bearing witness a true witness. Being a witness means more than that it includes the words, but it includes a life that backs up those words and When Jesus spoke about the coming of the Holy Spirit, you know, this is the distinctive feature of the New Covenant the fullness of the Holy Spirit within not upon but within.

Where my heart gets cleaned up and filled up and then I overflow in blessing to thousands. Rivers of living water, you know rivers are always meant for other people to drink. Do you know that? If you believe in Jesus God's will is John 738 he or she who believes in me.

Does that include you? He or she who believes in me. Let's stop there. John 738. Does that include you? If it does and see what the rest of the verse says out of your innermost being. Will flow rivers of living water.

It may start like a trickle as the scripture has said. And when you go to the Old Testament scripture and say where does it say in scripture that rivers of living water will flow. It says that in Ezekiel 47 in Ezekiel 47 the Lord gave Ezekiel a vision and In that vision he saw a house, which is a picture of the house of God now today representing our body and He says from underneath at the outers of the house.

The water the last part of verse 2 Ezekiel 47 to water began to trickle. From the south side. It wasn't a river. Just a little trickle and that's how our life in the Spirit begins. Life in the fullness of the Holy Spirit Begins as a trickle and the man led me further and then the water reached up to my ankles.

It was no longer a trickle now. The water had reached to my ankles then a little more and the water reached up to my knees verse 4 and then a little more and the water reached up to my loins and a little more and The water was high enough That it was like a river.

I had to swim in it. My feet were taken off the earth. And I was carried along by the river. And it says further on Everywhere. The river comes on one side and the other verse 12 the fruit of every kind.

And wherever the river comes verse 9 life comes. This is what Jesus quoted in John 7 38 as the scripture has said it doesn't begin like a river. But don't despise the trickle don't despise the day of small beginnings.

Well, let it flow keep the channel clear keep your conscience always clear. Keep the hunger from thirst for Jesus constant. And Little by little by little it can become a river That blesses thousands and thousands of people.

Paul as an Example of Spirit-Filled Witness

The Apostle Paul was a human being just like the rest of us. He had the same flesh like us. He committed worse sins than most of us because he persecuted Christians seeking to kill them. He supported the murder of Stephen.

We and we were not so bad in our unconverted days and Yet God took that man because he was so sincere turned him around completely ignored the first 30 years of his life where he messed up going the wrong direction and Turned him around and in the next 37 years before he died at the age of 67 or so God made rivers flow in so many directions that are flowing till today through his letters.

Think if you take one man Paul out of the Bible how much is left? Think that God could use one man the influence of one man. Is it possible that you and I can be like that? Why not brother sister? According to your faith be it unto you.

We limit God by neglecting our salvation by Limiting what God can do through us. We sit back and say oh, no. No. No, I'm nobody but God uses nobody's. If you really believe you're a nobody you'll cling to God and say Lord I'm nothing but you can do a work through me.

You took unlearned Peter and different people and unlearned a fisherman. What a work you did through them. This lasted 2 ,000 years. We must have faith to rise up to all that God has for us. Jesus said in Acts 1 and verse 8 when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and fills you from within.

That's what he meant because on the day of Pentecost it was not just upon but from within it came out. You shall be be e Not be a are. You shall be My witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth. In other words your life will bear witness to me.

And your words will bear witness to me. That's what being a witness means. And that's why in the Old Covenant. Nobody could be a witness. They could bear witness the greatest prophets including John the Baptist could.

He couldn't say follow me because I lost faith in the Messiah when I was in prison just because he didn't didn't deliver me from Prison I lost faith in him. But today we know Christians have been in prison for years 25 years in a Communist prison and they still hold on to their faith.

They're greater than John the Baptist. They never lost their faith in Christ just because John the Baptist was in prison just a few days before he lost his faith. He thought if I have faith, I'll always be delivered from prison so we find that we have wonderful examples in our lifetime of people who Were witnesses.

They were they like Jesus said you will be my witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth. The work of God cannot be done by just one or two people but imagine if all of us sitting here Decided that our heart is going to be totally given over to God totally.

Do you think that would be a good thing or a bad thing? That would be the best possible life you can ever live. Jesus said at the end of his life in John 17 verse 4 I Have finished father. I finished the work you gave me to do the Apostle Paul.

Even though he had messed up his life for 30 years. Could say at the end of his life. Out of his 67 years. He lived 30 years for the devil Ignorant 37 years. He lived totally for God and Yet he could say in 2nd Timothy 4 7 I have finished the course appointed for me.

You say well, how can a man finish the course when he's messed up 30 years of his life? Well God makes allowance for the years of a person's ignorance. Some of you may look back over many years that you have neglected this salvation not rejected it but you've been like a Student who's always in the first grade.

Always in grade one you've learned your ABC. You learned addition and division subtraction. But never made much progress beyond that. How many of you would like your children just to learn the alphabet?

Just to learn addition and subtraction and say that's it. Don't you want your children to progress? Go higher and higher. Wouldn't you be disappointed if you had a child that's always? Failing in Grade one, of course, he gets a hundred percent grade one, but he's never progressing beyond that.

That's how God looks at a lot of chill a lot of his children. We're just satisfied with ABC. My sins are forgiven. I'm on my way to heaven. Is that all Paul said to the Corinthians you're like babes. Yeah, I'm not saying you're not born again, but you're babies.

He says I cannot speak to you like I could speak to Others who are more mature. I cannot feed you with meat, you know, you don't put meat into the mouth of a three-month-old child. It'll choke and die.

So you feed that child with milk? So Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3 I fed you with milk 1 Corinthians 3 verse 2 because you're babies. But how long they were babies. Paul himself was in Corinth for one and a half years preaching to them.