What Does Your Christianity Cost You？ — Zac Poonen

No. Because they are offering to God that which has cost them nothing. They didn't seriously study the scriptures and they want to get up and preach. I said, I never want to do it. I never want to be a preacher who does not study the scriptures.

Counting the Cost of Christian Service

Who does not spend hours and hours and hours studying the scriptures. That's just one area. In my case it's preaching and whatever it is in your case. But let me tell you this. It's a good test, good question for all of us to ask ourselves.

What Has Your Christian Life Cost You?

Oh we rejoice that God sent his son to die for me. How wonderful. But I want to ask you. What has your Christian life cost you? If the answer is pretty close to zero. I got a lot of benefits by being a Christian.

A lot of benefits by attending CFC. My children are growing up well in a Sunday school. And good fellowship and my home life has improved. So many good things. You are thinking of what God has given you.

What have you given to God? What has it cost you? Are you a follower of Cain who just gives some type of cheap offering to God? I told you remember the wedding illustration I used. To whom do you give a cheap gift at a wedding?

Somebody who is not very important for you. To whom do you give a very expensive gift? Your son or daughter because very important for you. So that shows how important God is to you. And when we treat God like someone unimportant.

I just give him a cheap gift. God treats you also as unimportant. And that is the reason I am telling you my testimony. I have seen in CFC some people year after year after year after year. David knew that because he had read the book of Genesis.

He knew. He was a man who had the Holy Spirit on him. And he knew whose offering God accepts. He knew something that many people today don't know. I don't know whether everybody in CFC knows. That God accepts some people's offerings and he does not accept other people's offerings.

He sends the fire on Abel's offering and Cain's offering. There is no fire. I have met a lot of people in CFC who say, Oh God I want God to fill me with the Holy Spirit. Well that depends on what type of offering you put on the altar.

He won't fill you with the Holy Spirit in a hundred years. If you come with an offering like Cain's. You can keep on praying. You can keep on coming to CFC. But you will always be on that Cain's side.

Not on Abel's side. It's a very serious thing. I never want to be on that side. So David said, if I give this free to God it will cost me nothing. So I'm going to pay for this. I'm going to pay for the bullock.

Offering God What Costs Us Something

I'm going to pay for everything because, listen to this statement. I will never offer, verse 24 middle, anything to the Lord which costs me nothing. And what the Lord told me when I was 22 years old. I had just become a Christian.

And being baptized. Was this. If you cannot believe me today, you will believe me at the judgment seat of Christ. But Peter and James and John were different. They loved Jesus more than their jobs and their nets and their money.

They said, Lord you are first. They didn't starve. God didn't make them like beggars on the street. No child of God will ever be a beggar. Impossible. Because the father will never forsake his children.

Impossible. So it's a question of what is my attitude. Babylon is called the harlot. See in Revelation 17, verse 5. Babylon the great, the mother of harlots. Harlot means prostitute. How can a wife. Why do I say wife?

The Church as the Bride of Christ

Because we are supposed to be the wife of Jesus Christ. So I'm thinking of all of us as the wife of Jesus Christ. How can a wife become a prostitute? When she gives her body. Her body, not her money. If a woman gives her money to somebody else, she's not a prostitute.

If she cooks food for somebody else, she's not a prostitute. When does a wife become a prostitute? When she gives her body to someone other than her husband. That's when she becomes a prostitute. So when it says Babylon the great prostitute.

And the mother of all prostitutes. It's because they give their body. Not their money. Not their time. Their body to somebody else. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians in chapter 7. Where it talks about the relationship of a husband and a wife.

And we can apply it to Christ and the church. Because the relationship with Christ and us. Is to be exactly like a husband to his wife. Where we are the wife and Christ is the husband. You know we read that in Ephesians 5.

Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church. And wives submit to your husbands as the church submits to Christ. So in 1 Corinthians 7. Have you read this verse? Verse 4. It's talking about normal marriage.

The wife does not have authority over her own body. How many wives know that? She has no authority over her own body. If she wanted to keep authority over her own body. She should not have got married.

If she's unmarried and she's single. She's got full authority over her own body. But the moment she gets married. She does not have authority over her body. Her husband has authority over her body. So the Bible says.

In the same way. The husband also does not have authority over his body. You men. You know that the moment you got married. Brother Zach we watch you. On YouTube regularly. And we notice one thing. When you preach.

In a CFC church you preach so hard. And here you come to America. And you preach so softly. Why is that? I said because those are my children. These people are not my children. In this church. I never punish people who are not my children.

I have four children. I spank them really hard. But other people's children. I tell you I've never hurt one of them in my whole life. I say son don't do that. My dear girl don't do that. That's not good.

They're not my children. If it is my child. I say you come home and I'll teach you never to do that again. That's why they turn out right. So you know what they said to me? They said we want to hear those hard messages.

But when we look at this one hour YouTube message. How to find out whether you're preaching that in CFC or in some other church. So please tell us the color of the curtain in CFC. So that as soon as the message starts.

We can find out if this is a CFC message or not. I was so thrilled. That somebody would wanted to know that. Because right from the beginning. They want to hear a hard message. Those are the serious Christians.

Who want God's best in their life. I hope you will be like that. Let's pray. Heavenly Father. Help us to take seriously. Remind us tonight when we are in bed. The things we heard today. We believe you love every one of us here.

Help us to respond. Not with empty words. But seriously. Help us to set right. Matters which we have to set right with others. With the husband, wife, brother, sister, somebody. Help us to set everything right.

Purity of the Eyes and the Christian Body

Before we go to bed tonight. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. You have no authority to use your eyes. To look at another woman and lust after her. It must be for your wife. That's all. If you look at pornography.

On your phone or on the internet. You are violating this verse. If you are married. If you are unmarried. You are still violating that verse. Of lusting after something God has not given you. It's a pathetic thing.

That Christians. Men. Watch pornography. Even married men. They don't realize. They say. Nobody is watching me. It's only me and my phone. Or it's only me and my computer. There are people watching. There are angels looking over your shoulder.

There are demons. Laughing. This guy. Not only says he is a Christian. He goes to CFC. Look how he is enjoying pornography right now. You think the demons are not laughing at that? You think nobody is watching?

There are hundreds of eyes watching. While you are looking at pornography. While you are lusting after. The body of. A woman who is not your wife. Have you ever thought. Those of you who look at pornography.

Have you ever thought. That girl. Who is taking off her clothes. If that was your sister. Your own sister. Who to earn money. Went to some pornographic movie. And said give me some money. I will take off my clothes.

I will have sex with somebody. Just film it. That was your own sister. Would you watch it? Or if that was your wife. Who went and did all that. With some other man. Would you watch it? No. But you say who cares.

That is somebody else's sister. That is somebody else's wife. I don't care. I care for my sister. I don't care for somebody else's sister. Are you a Christian? Or are you a heathen? Ask yourself. The next time you ever attempted to see that.

Ask yourself. Am I a Christian or am I a heathen? This is serious. I believe many born again Christians. In these past years. Have finally gone to hell. Because they watch pornography. No other reason.

Loving Christ Rather Than Merely Fearing Judgment

Now that is not the best reason. To avoid pornography. The fear of hell. The best reason to avoid it is. I love Jesus. I don't want to offer to God. A body. That's eyes are polluted. With those same eyes.

I am now going to read the Bible. With which eyes are you reading the Bible? The same eyes with which you look at some. Filthy pornographic picture. Or some filthy Malayalam serial. With all those filthy stories.

Then you come to read the Bible. No wonder you don't get anything from it. No. I really believe. There are many born again Christians. Who have lost their salvation. And gone to hell. Because they watch pornography.

The Body Belongs to Christ

You have no authority over your body. Your wife has. You have no authority over your body. Your husband has. Now apply that to Jesus Christ and me. I am the bride of Jesus Christ. I have no authority over my body.

It belongs to my husband. To Jesus Christ. I can't use it. For something else. Let me ask you. You say well it's only once in a while. Brother. Once in a while. Would you be happy if your wife. Gave her body.

Just once a year. To some other man. Not every day. No. Only once a year. She gave her body to another man. You say that's ok. Once a year. It's not such a big thing. I have her body 364 days a year. Would you accept it?

Or would it make you. Angry. How do you think Jesus should treat you. If you give your body. Once a year. To someone other than him. Your eyes. Your tongue. Brothers and sisters. A body. Meant for Jesus Christ.

Eyes that are meant for Jesus Christ. A tongue that is meant for Jesus Christ. You give it to the devil. You give it for sin. It's exactly like. Your wife. Giving her body to somebody else. Once a year.

Why are you so strict. With your wife. That every day. Her body must be yours. So strict. Well is anything wrong in Jesus being strict. And saying I want your body. Every day. My brothers and sisters.

Accountability Before the Final Judgment

These are very serious things. And if you take seriously. What I told you today. I was praying. Saying Lord. What should I share with this church today. They always do that. I say Lord. I don't want to just get up and preach any message.

I want to preach what you want. This church to hear. That's what I do every place I go. And this is what the Lord laid on my heart. I didn't sit at home. And plan it. And prepare a written message. No.

I said Lord give me the burden of your heart. And I'll share it. So I believe my dear brothers and sisters. I love you very much. And that's why I tell you the truth. That's why I tell you exactly like it is.

So that. You won't get any surprise. In the day of judgment. You know I've heard of children. Who go for their examinations. I've actually heard. They come home and say. Mummy. I never knew this portion was going to come in the exam.

I studied all these other things. But this portion I didn't study. And it came in the exam. And I couldn't answer that question. He says son look up. What the teacher said. Is the portions that are coming to the exam.

And you look up and say yeah that was written there. This portion that you didn't study. Was written in that. When the teacher gave the subjects that are going to come in the final exam. Why didn't you take that seriously.

That's why you failed. What is going to come in the final exam. When we stand before the lord. It's not how much money you made. Or what a clever person you was. No. What did you do with your body. Did you worship god with your body.

Or did you use your body for yourself. I sincerely hope. That someone. So it's the same subject. The subject. The body. Not offerings. Not how well you cook. For your husband. That's not the issue. Not how clean you keep the house.

Not how well you look after the children. No. Your body. You recognize that belongs. One hundred percent. Your husband. The husband likewise to his wife. What does it mean. When it says. The wife has no authority over her body.

It means she cannot give her body. To any other man. What does it mean. When it says a husband. Doesn't have authority over her. His body. It means he cannot use a member of his body. Called his eyes.

To look at another woman. And lust after her. Because his body belongs to his wife. His eyes. Belong to his wife. How many men realize that. The husband does not have authority. Over his body. We say we are Christians.

But have you read this verse. That's what it means in the physical realm. And you don't want. Your wife ever to give her body. To another man. Dear brothers. You must. You have no authority. To use your eyes.

To look at another woman. And lust after her. It must be for your wife. That's all. If you look at pornography. On your phone. Or on the internet. You are violating this verse. If you are married. If you are unmarried.

You are still violating that verse. Of. Lusting after. Something God has not given you. It's a pathetic thing.