A Life of Self Acknowlegement — Zac Poonen

Discipline in Time, Money, and Bodily Desires

We've been looking in the last couple of sessions on how we can follow the Lord Jesus better in the new year and on the first watch night service we Looked at the importance of discipline in our life that we want to make this year a year when we Discipline ourselves and the use of our time.

And our money. And the way we use our bodies throughout this year. So already six days have gone by. You've got a pretty good idea how it's going to go the rest of the year. If you look at how it went the last six days.

It's it's not easy. But if you determine and say Lord, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna be more careful with the use of my time use of my money. The use of my eyes the use of my tongue especially this is what it means to discipline the body and bodily desires.

I Believe by the end of the year you'd have made tremendous progress and the other thing the next thing we said was In the last session that we want to live a non-judgmental life. It's a tremendous thing.

It's very very difficult. If you look back at your life, you'll find how. For years and years and years, we've passed judgment on all types of people. It hasn't helped them one bit and It certainly hasn't helped us but it's helped to destroy us but The devil make sure that Christians don't wake up now if it were helping others or at least helping ourselves.

We could pursue that. But it's not helping others. It's not helping us. So we got to take some of these matters seriously and say Lord I Want to follow a life where I just mind my own business and I Don't want to judge others.

Because very often when we judge others like the Bible says we're actually just exposing ourselves. Our true condition. I Want to show you a verse in Luke's gospel chapter 2 we read here a Simeon Picking up the baby Jesus.

He was filled with the Holy Spirit. It says and He prophesied. He prophesied something over the baby Jesus Christ. In Luke chapter 2 and there are three things he said about Jesus. Which were literally fulfilled later on in his life.

First of all, he said in verse 34 That Jesus was appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel. That means people who thought they were all right. When Jesus came into their midst whether it was a synagogue or a group or anything Some would rise.

Many would fall. This is exactly what happened. Now Jesus had not gone there. They were all remained in the same condition. They would never risen or fallen. But once Christ came into the midst Some rose many fell.

The choice was theirs. The second thing he said That was mentioned here about Jesus is that he would be assigned to be opposed. Wherever Jesus went he was opposed. Most of the people in the nation opposed him.

Now the reason I'm mentioning all this is because That is how the first body of Christ lived on earth and That is how the body of Christ will live now, too. If Christ is really in our midst, I believe that 99 of churches Christ is not there at all.

So none of these ministries get fulfilled. But if Christ is in a church And people come into that church They will not remain the same. They will not remain the same. They will either rise or fall if it's a church where the Presence of Christ is powerfully there.

But if the presence of Christ is not properly there you can sit in the church for 25 years and you may remain exactly the same. Otherwise to me, there's one of the marks of Christ being in a church that some will rise and many will fall.

They'll be much worse Than if they had never come to that particular church. Or They will be so much better than they could ever have been. The second thing is is assigned to be opposed means the true church where Christ is there will be constantly opposed.

Rejected despised. Because the whole way of the world is completely opposite to the way of Christ. So if a church becomes very popular and accepted with the world you can be pretty sure Christ is not there.

How is it you believe that the world has changed today you believe the devil has changed is the devil no longer the prince of This world has the world become more Christlike that it should receive and accept and make The Christian Church popular.

No Jesus was never popular and In the time when the Christians were the purest in the first century second century. They were not popular. They were rejected assigned to be opposed and The third thing this is what I want to emphasize today in the last part of verse 35.

When Jesus comes to a place the thoughts of many hearts are revealed. See Jesus went into a synagogue. And all types of people whose thoughts were hidden. Their thoughts got exposed. People who thought they were very humble suddenly got exposed as being very proud and people who thought they were very spiritual was suddenly exposed as those who were on their way to hell even the elders the thoughts of many hearts was revealed.

Not revealed publicly. Jesus doesn't Humiliate people by saying you're like this or you're like that. No revealed to themselves and What they do with that revelation is up to them. And I believe that's how it is with any true expression of the body of Christ today.

That if Jesus is there anybody who comes into such a church his secret thoughts will be revealed. Not to others to himself the light of God will shine in and show him his true condition before God. It says that in 1 Corinthians 14 also that when there's a spirit of prophecy in a church.

The secrets of a person's heart is revealed to himself. He sits there and he realizes God is showing him something in his inner life. Now after that God doesn't force him. He can respond to that or He can say no, I don't want that it's not for me and That's what's going to determine whether they rise or fall.

If they respond to that and say yeah, Lord, that's me. I Acknowledge that they will rise. But if they justify themselves They'll go down. So in many situations whatever Christ came in the thoughts of people were revealed.

Jesus’ Healing and the Exposure of Religious Tradition

For example think of that time when Jesus came into a synagogue with a man whose hand was withered now. He had sat in that church for many that synagogue for many years and He was not the means of exposing anybody's condition.

He just sat there and everything went on normally in that synagogue until Jesus came and When Jesus came and healed that man The thoughts of many people were revealed. Some people became furious and imagine people getting furious when a man is healed and Others rejoice.

Maybe a few people in that synagogue rejoice wonderful this guy is at last got a paralyzed hand healed but a few people were disturbed because Their tradition of not doing any work on the Sabbath day was broken.

So God does that even today? He uses different circumstances and situations to expose our real condition. You know, like I said last time That seeing that man beaten on the road to Jericho The priest and the Levite their heart was exposed.

They thought nothing was exposed, but their heart was exposed now that there was nobody on the road. They'd have walked to the meeting in Jerusalem and thought everything was okay, but that man lying there Just silently.

He didn't even say a word a Beaten-up man exposed the condition of a Levite and a priest. You know, there are all types of circumstances around us that can expose our condition. Nobody may say anything.

You don't have to be in a meeting and they got exposed in their condition before they ever reached the meeting in the circumstances of life. Our attitude to other people exposes our condition and you may think Nothing was there but God was trying to speak to you.

I told you how the attitude of the elder brother got exposed only when the younger brother came back and Very often you can think you're very spiritual to somebody whom you don't Appreciate very much gets blessed or used by God and you can all worked up.

How can God use him? Then you see your heart condition, which was never Revealed until that other situation cropped up the thoughts of many hearts are revealed. Those are the moments when Jesus is trying to show something.

Loving the Truth About Yourself

So what I want to say is I hope in this year This will not only be a year of discipline and not only a year where we don't judge others, but this will be a year when we Acknowledge our true condition.

Whenever God shows it Like a scam. I believe you and I are going to get many scans from God free of charge through the circumstances and situations we're going to face this year and What you're going to do with that scan report that God Almighty gives you.

It's up to you. You can tear it up. It's what most people do. Tear it up means you justify yourself and say no no, no, no, it's not like that. That's the worst possible thing you can do. Whereas if you acknowledge the report in the scan You can make progress.

And those are the ones who will never be deceived. Let me show you in this connection this verse which we have often looked at in 2nd Thessalonians in chapter 2. 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 it says it speaks about a certain group of people and We must never be in that group of people.

It's a group of people described in the last part of verse 10 as those Who did not receive the love of the truth about themselves? So as to be saved or we can say those who did not accept the scan report Who thought they knew better than the specialist doctor.

What would you say? What will a doctor say if a specialist say the top specialist in the country? Has taken a scan of your inner Lungs and heart and all and gives you a report and you say well, I don't believe that.

Go your way and that's exactly what God says. You have a reason you to justify yourself for that go your way. And at the end of 2010 you won't be in the same condition you'll be worse. Because Jesus is set For the rise or the fall you cannot remain the same.

I can tell you Straight you will none of us will be in the same position. We are in today by the end of this year We are either going to rise or We're gonna fall. The fall may not be obvious. I mean you don't have to fall into adultery or murder or some terrible thing like that.

Fall is something God sees that are we have sunk lower. I Mean if you got 50 last year and you're getting 45 you still pass but it's gone down and so you're on your way down so It says here about those who did not receive the love of the truth.

It's not just the accepting the truth. It's loving the truth. You know how oh I long To see the truth about myself. How many of you have that desire? Oh God, I want to know the truth about myself. Jesus said when the Holy Spirit has come is the spirit of truth.

John 16 he said he will lead you into all the truth. Now to some people all the truth is just all the truth in the Bible. They go to a Bible college to understand all the truth. No, it's first of all all the truth about myself and Then all the truth about God that he reveals through the scriptures all the truth about salvation that he reveals those scriptures not Biblical knowledge enough people in the world who study the Bible are number one candidates for hell.

No. The spirit of truth will lead you into all the truth means first and foremost the truth about yourself which You don't know. If You're willing to face up to that and not only accept the truth, but see what it says here love the truth.

Do you know the difference between accepting a person and loving a person? There's a lot of difference. You can accept somebody into your home and you can love to accept somebody into your home. Oh, there's a lot of difference.

You know that Some visitor comes and you receive him. Another visitor comes and you love to receive him. There's a difference. It's not receiving the truth here. It's loving to receive the truth. Oh, Lord I'm so delighted that you showed this to me about myself in this particular situation.

That Levite and priest had a self-acknowledgement as they walked past that man on their way to Jerusalem. They should have thought. Oh What should I have done? They could have had a self-acknowledgement.

I just ignored it they could have judged themselves. But it says here if you don't receive the love of the truth so as to be saved the purpose of Loving the truth is so that I can be saved from that thing which the truth exposes in me.

And if I don't love that the Bible says God himself Will send you a deluding influence. So that you will believe what is false it's one of the most terrifying verses in Scripture. So that you can believe what is false.

Do you know the number of people who are already in that condition? I've met numerous people in my life who believe what is false. God has allowed them according to this verse. He's fulfilled this verse in their lives.

They believe what is false. They believe they are born again when they're not born again at all. There are many people I met who believe they are filled and baptized in the Holy Spirit. They are not filled and baptized in the Holy Spirit at all.

God has allowed them to believe what is false because they had some emotional experience and battle some words a few years ago. I don't want to be in that category. I Don't want to believe I'm born again when I'm not really born again.

But we're God's eyes and what's he is convincing you and others in the church. I Don't want to believe I'm baptized in the Holy Spirit just because I want to give a testimony. I couldn't care less for my testimony.

I Want to be actually filled in the Holy Spirit. God allows people to believe what's false. There are many people who think they are building the body of Christ. They're not building the body of Christ.

They're building their own kingdom. God allows them to believe What is false? Oh that they're building the body of Christ rubbish. They wake up one day when Christ comes back and discover they didn't build anything but wood hay and straw.

I don't want that. I don't want to Imagine that I'm seeking the glory of God when I'm seeking my own honor. There could be so many areas That I believe you can believe you're very humble when you're not.

You can believe you're a very submissive wife when you're not. You can believe that you're a very loving husband when you're not. Do you want? More revelation on these areas. Do you want to scan or would you rather not know about your inner condition?

Judging Others Reveals Our Own Condition

Jesus Has come to the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed and the Lord was, you know I mentioned last time how this woman caught in adultery. It wasn't she who was exposed. It was the Pharisees who were exposed.

When they exposed the woman they were exposing their own condition. Do you know that? How many of you know that that when you expose somebody else's condition you're actually exposing your own condition.

Let me ask you when Noah was lying naked a man of God Who saved the world. But he slipped up got drunk and lay naked and ham his youngest son Came and saw his nakedness and talked about it. Tell me whose nakedness was being exposed there.

It was not Noah's it was hands. It was hands condition that was being exposed. What type of man was this. When you see the weakness in a man of God and you talk about it, it's your condition that's being exposed.

That's why a curse came upon him and upon his children Canaan so We see here that God uses even the failure of his servant Noah to expose the heart condition of somebody else to see whether well this guy go and talk about it and It exposed the heart condition of the other two sons Shem and Japheth.

That when they saw it, they they heard about it. They didn't even want to see it. Oh Imagine you hear something about somebody and you say I don't want to know anything more. Thank you. You know, there's a tremendous lust in us to Give me all the juicy details and As you ask those questions You yourself are getting more and more exposed and exposed and exposed your condition not the condition of those details.

You're inquiring. I Mean if Shem had said to him. Yeah, tell me what exactly where where's he lying? Tell me no. They wouldn't even want to see it. They went backwards and put a sheet over it and said No, I woke up and as a servant of God, he blessed Shem and Japheth is a blessed are they?

The Bible is full of examples like this of the failure of one man exposed the condition of another. They thought they were Finding fault with this man. No. Little did Ham realize God was just scanning him at that time.

God allowed him to Go and see his father naked. And as it were God said, let me see what's is going to be his reaction. And He goes and tells Shem and Japheth and God says, okay. Let me see their reaction because I've got a plan for the children of Noah and I've got to decide which one I'm going to use.

Well, it's certainly not going to be ham. They missed out. There are many situations like this, you know. Where the secrets of the thoughts of many hearts are revealed. Do you know why God selected the tribe of Levi?

The Testing and Calling of Levi

Out of the twelve tribes of Israel. Did God just pick one out of a hat or something and say, okay Levi, you're the priests. No, he doesn't do that. God doesn't pick things out of a hat. He doesn't decide who's going to heaven or who's going to hell.

He's not. He doesn't decide who's going to be an anointed servant who's not going to be anointed. He tests. Ham was tested. Ham could have been do you know that ham could have even been the forerunner of the Messiah.

He missed out. Shem became that. But little did Shem know in that day that he was going to be the forerunner of the Messiah by his reaction to His father lying naked and little did ham know that he was going to completely miss out just because of one little word he spoke.

One little reaction and he completely missed out on God's purpose for his life. Think back over the past years of your life. Where you have expressed your opinion about this in opinion about that and opinion about that and the other thing whole lot of things.

Which don't even concern you now. Noah was ham's son and His son was lying naked. He had every right to deal with him. Because his son is within your parents boundary. I mean you've got children you got every right to judge them and correct them.

Or if you're an elder in a church, you've got every right to correct the people in your church. But what if you're not an elder in your church and you go around passing your opinion about everybody in the church.

That's the spirit of ham and the result in your life will be like hams. It doesn't concern you. Do you recognize that? Do you know that believers have this terrible terrible habit which the devil just keeps on fostering?

But give me an opinion and opinion and opinion now. You remember in watch night service or last sometime during the last few days I said, can you try and fast from giving your opinion for one month? Just 31 days just fast from giving an opinion about anybody.

You'll find it difficult to keep it for one day because it's been a habit. I Want to ask you my straight question my brothers and sisters. Do you want to end? 2010 better than 2009. I just answer the Lord and say yes or no.

If you say yes Then please take seriously some of the things I'm saying. Please take it seriously. Don't. Don't justify yourself. Just take it seriously and say Lord. Okay, why did God choose Levi turn to Genesis Exodus 32?

Exodus 32, you know the children of Israel were Worshiping idols dancing Around the golden calf and the children of Levi were also doing that. Everybody did it and when Moses came here in Exodus 32 25 the people were out of control and Moses stood in the gate of the camp Exodus 32 26 and said who is on the Lord's side.

One simple question Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me. Immediately without a moment's hesitation all the sons of Levi gathered To him. And he said take your sword. Go from gate to gate in the camp and kill anyone even if it's your brother.

Friend or neighbor those who've been involved in this type of idolatry. Some were obviously more involved in it or leading others into it and the sons of Levi just went out and Killed 3 ,000 people with that sword.

Sure, that wasn't easy To turn around to a person who they probably have spoken to his friends for so long and say, I'm sorry I'm gonna stand for the Lord. I'm gonna chop off your head. You just think if you were in that place Would you do what?

Moses told you to do over just a hey Moses. Come on, man. Give them a chance. You want me to go and kill these fellas? Yeah. Many people can't understand even today. When a servant of God Deals strictly with a situation It's being too hard.

They'll never make it to the tribe of Levi the sons of Levi did that and The Lord Moses said to dedicate yourself today to the Lord So that he will bestow a blessing verse 29 upon you today. I Don't understand to show you all that but you read in Deuteronomy later on that He got the priesthood because of that.

You know when the when Moses blesses the tribes of Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 33 You find that he says that about Levi in verse 8 Deuteronomy 33 and 8 of Levi all the tribes he said he let your urim and your them in those are the marks of the priesthood.

Belong to your godly man who you were tested and You said of your father and mother verse 9. I did not consider them. He did not acknowledge his brothers. He did not regard his sons. You observed the word and kept the Covenant.

Maybe they cut off the heads of one of their fathers or one of their sons. They were just ruthless. They did not say who this is my father this is my son there was no partiality in them. Do you know that different situations happen sometimes in your family or with a close friend of yours where God is Exposing the thoughts of your heart To see whether you'll be partial there.

Whether you are fit To be his representative on earth as his servants. Oh. Whether you'll be partial because this is my brother. This is my son. This is my daughter. This is Not Levi. They did not. God doesn't pick lots and give an anointing to somebody he tests.

And those who have an acknowledgement. Yes, Lord. That's me Lord, I'm sorry. I'm partial there. They'll be saved. But those who don't love the truth about themselves God allows them to be deceived to believe what is false to believe they're anointed when they're not anointed.

To believe that they are walking with God when they're not walking with God to even believe they're walking like Jesus when they're not walking like Jesus at all. Self acknowledgement will deliver us from all deception About ourselves.

Phinehas and Zeal for God’s Purity

There was another man like that in the tribe of Levi you read about in numbers and chapter 25. Again the children of Israel got into worshiping false gods and Sex is very often connected with idle worship.

Adultery and idolatry usually go together and Even when Christians fall into adultery you can be pretty sure there's been some idolatry in their life as well, you know idolatry of money or something and God was angry with them and we read here that Where as a result of this God punished them and 24 ,000 people died in verse 9.

And you know how the whole of Israel would have been wiped out except that one man. When he saw verse 6 numbers 25 or 6 Numbers 25 6 one of the sons of Israel brought a Midianite woman into her into his tent.

Phinehas the son of Eliezer the grandson of Aaron Saw it. He got up immediately took a spear. Went after that man of Israel into the tent and put the spear through both of them and Kill them. The result was the plague was checked and the Lord said I Was testing Phinehas when he saw this man going in with that woman into the tent to see what would he do?

What would he do? Would he be a nice gentle person? Or would the zeal of my house burn him up. Lord said because Phinehas the son of Eliezer the son of Aaron has turned away my anger from the sons of Israel and That he was jealous with my jealousy among them.

He was jealous for the purity of God's people. So that I didn't destroy all the nation of Israel therefore I will make a covenant with him of peace and with his children a covenant of perpetual priesthood.

Because he was jealous for his God. Do you think those other sons of Aaron knew that they were also being tested the offers? They say why did God choose Phinehas? Well, all of you were tested that day and Phinehas the one who passed the test.

There are many situations that crop up like this where God tests us to see what is going to be your reaction. What is going to be a reaction when it's your own son or your daughter? You're gonna cover it all up.

Okay, fine. God sees that nobody else may see it because you'll have a hundred and one justifications as to why you're doing it all we are Masters at self-justification. Because we've got tremendous help from the devil whenever you get along that road.

There's a road called Self-justification the moment you get onto that road the devil will come with all his demons and push you and you'll go full speed. He'll give you a hundred and one reasons why you can justify yourself.

Job’s Friends and the Sin of Jealous Judgment

Be careful we read in the book of Job. You read in the book of Job about his sickness. About his financial loss the death in his family, but do you know who got tested there? It was not only Joe. It was those three preacher friends of his.

They got tested. God was testing Alif as build that and so far to see what will these fellows say when they see my servant suffering a financial loss. What do these people say when they see my servants children dying?

What do these people say when they see my servant sick? And sure enough all three failed the test. There was a young guy there called Ellie who a young preacher he barely scraped through and missed Judgment, but the other three God was angry with them you read.

But you know if you read the book of Job and you read what these three preachers said. Everything they said was correct according to the letter. They were the first legalists mentioned in Scripture. Who go by the letter and judge a person without knowing the real reason?

Now we know as we read the book of Job that God was taking Job through a testing to make him a better man. But what did they say they were obviously very jealous of the fact that Job was such an upright man.

Such a rich man. His business was prospering. You asked yourself my brother sister. Have you ever felt like that about a brother somebody, you know, or even a relative who's unconverted perhaps you see.

Everything going well with him. Maybe he's rich. He's well-off. He's able to have things you don't have. And his children are all ten children seven sons three daughters all of them God-fearing and On top of that.

He's a very spiritual man. You Know such people are the objects of jealousy. Jesus people were jealous of him because of his ministry. A lot of people are jealous of somebody's ministry. They'd be happy if his ministry was not so anointed.

But they're jealous when his ministry is so anointed and they don't seem to quite agree with the man. But God seems to agree with him and they don't like that. The world is full of people who are jealous of somebody else's ministry.

Hoping he will fall. Hoping his ministry will not be so wide. Hoping that something will happen to his children so that he can come down to the level of the rest of the others who got half-hearted compromising children but nothing seems to happen and they get jealous and then one day they hear his children die and Though they pretend to shed tears.

Was all hollow secretly they were delighted when you find yourself delighted. At the fall of somebody you didn't like too much. Do you know who's getting exposed not him you. That person's failure was the way by which God gave you a scan as soon as you heard it.

That person's prosperity Also gave you a scan. I Mean if these people were honest when they saw Joe prospering his children going so well. And he's such a spiritual man their jealousy. God was trying to tell them.

Hey, why are you fellas unhappy? I mean you should be unhappy if he's suffering. You guys are unhappy because he's so good. Isn't there something wrong with you? Why are you so unhappy when somebody's ministry is anointed and blessed and God is being glorified through somebody you should be thrilled.

You're not thrilled. You're unhappy and when he falls you get a little happy. Don't you see your condition? But they didn't see it. What a revelation and remember that's the first book of the Bible. I told you that job is the first book of the Bible and the first book of the Bible reveals how Jesus Did that ministry of the secrets of people's hearts getting exposed and they would not acknowledge it.

I'm sure if you're honest, you will like not you will say that that's been true many a time in past years. How is it going to be in 2010? Are you going to finish? 2010 better. Are you gonna finish with this?

Are you gonna get this cancer completely removed from your system or you're gonna allow it to linger and linger? It's been lingering many years brother sister. How long are you gonna keep that wretched cancer?

And I'll tell you another thing. Cancer never stays the same size. It just gets worse and worse and worse so jobs failure exposed. The condition of these people who came to see him his so-called friends his so-called comforters.

They were not comforters. See what one of them said turn to job chapter 8. Job chapter 8 verse 6. If you are pure and upright. Surely now God would rouse himself and restore your righteous estate. Why hasn't he done that?

Oh, what about your sons? Verse 4 is a Message Bible says it's absolutely plain that your children sinned against God. Otherwise, why would God have punished them your children have sinned against God?

That's why he killed all ten of them. Little did they know the truth. And you know, you can read through the book of Job and you see that that was their attitude throughout the book. Finding fault with them finding fault with them the man whom God himself could certify to Satan as the one man on the face of the earth whom God could boast about.

These fellows are picking their picking holes. You know the Israel In the land of Israel the Lord said once in Jeremiah chapter 5. I want you to see this verse. Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 26 wicked men are found among my people.

They watch like fowlers. Fowlers are people who are waiting to catch a bird in a trap. They're lying in wait. They set a trap to catch men. Unscrupulous men it says in the Message Bible on the hunt. They set traps for the unsuspecting.

Their victims are innocent men and women. You know how it says met you read in the gospel sometimes the Pharisees were just waiting to catch Jesus in one word that he said, ah, they got it or To see if he would say something by which he would incriminate himself.

I've met people like that. Who can come to me at the end of a very powerful meeting and say brothers act, you know, there's one little thing you said. That's not exactly right. You think I waste my time talking to them.

They got exposed. All that they could find in that whole message was one little thing. Maybe the worst was 52 instead of 51 brothers act. It's actually should be worse 51. That's all they got out of the message.

They sat there and the secrets of their thoughts were exposed and the real reason was they were jealous. They were getting irritated looking waiting waiting waiting to find out. They got one thing you go to the wrong verse.

No, I'm just using an example. I've come across numerous people like that who are Just looking around searching with a microscope to find something some speck. In a person's eye, so I give you a bit of advice.

Throw away your microscopes. Let walk in the light of the Lord. Let the Lord show you What he's showing in you? When you see a speck in somebody else's eye. What did Jesus mean that if you've got a beam in your eye, how can you take a speck out of your brother's eye?