Coming to God to Be Blessed Eternally — Zac Poonen

Hearing and Recognizing the Shepherd’s Voice

Let's turn again to Luke's gospel chapter 15. We were looking at the sheep coming back first of all. That we recognize that we are like sheep who can easily go astray if we don't keep close to the shepherd and stay with the flock and You know in the early days of our Christian life When you haven't come to know the shepherd so well you know somebody once asked a Godly old brother.

He said how is it that Jesus said In John 10 my sheep hear my voice. But I don't hear it. I can't recognize his voice and That wise brother said It's true. The sheep hear his voice. But the lambs have to learn it we have learned the lambs have to learn to recognize the voice of the shepherd and Until you learn to recognize the voice of the shepherd the safety of the lamb is to stay with the flock you stay with the rest of the flock and with the older godly men and women and You will be protected If you follow the advice of Godly brothers whom you respect as Those who are seeking to follow Christ just like in an earthly family.

Little children, they don't have the discernment or ability. When they are small to live on their own, they don't they can't even cross the road. So on their own so their safety is to be with Their older brothers and sisters when they are not with their parents.

That's the prediction and so that's very important for you to recognize also as believers. That until you are able to recognize the voice of the shepherd the voice of Jesus and you have a very close connection with him.

Then you can even live on your own. But until you come to that place Your safety is in seeking fellowship with other God-fearing people. So if you look around at CFC There are those who are really serious God-fearing young people.

Boys and girls young men and young women and there are others who are casual and pretty worldly. I Mean I don't shut my eyes and imagine that everybody. Every young person in CFC is wholehearted or spiritual.

It's not true. How can you shut your eyes to that? But when you see that you have to make a choice. Who you are going to associate with? The only reason for you to associate with a worldly person is in CFC Is if you can draw that person to the Lord.

But if you find that he is influencing you then you should drop that relationship otherwise, you'll be corrupted yourself. That's some practical advice. Don't stay with the sheep who are going astray.

Unless you want to go astray yourself. Unless you're strong enough to lead those sheep back to the flock. Some will always go astray. Hmm. Jesus said in Luke 18 That I'm sorry in. I think in Matthew 18 he said verse 7 he spoke about stumbling blocks and Your young people are going to face a lot of stumbling blocks and he said woe unto the world because of its stumbling blocks.

Matthew 18 7 and Listen to this it is inevitable That stumbling blocks come. But woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes. He says you can't avoid it as long as you're in the world. There'll be people who try to stumble you in your walk with the Lord, you know.

We stumble over little things, you know, you can trip over something that's called a stumbling block. And there will be people like that in the church. Who will seek to stumble you. Because they themselves are no interest in following the Lord.

They're coming to the church because their parents come or because some other reason but they're not Really coming to follow the Lord. There will be such people in every church even in Jesus Church. There was a Judas Iscariot.

But the wonderful thing about you Jesus Church is that none Judas Iscariot could not influence any of the other leaven. What a wonderful church that is. That there was one stumbling block. He may have tried I'm pretty sure he tried.

But he didn't succeed with any of the leaven and that's something wonderful. So there will be stumbling or it is inevitable. There will be stumbling blocks and there will be stumbling blocks in CFC but Woe to the person who causes stumbling because that person's judgment is going to be so severe in the final day.

That I wouldn't like to be anywhere near there. But what should your attitude be towards such a stumbling block? Verse 8 if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble cut it off. The meaning is cut off that relationship with that person.

Any person who is causing you to stumble in following the Lord don't have a false sense of friendship and love. That you allow your friendship to be more important than your relationship with Jesus. In fact Jesus said in Luke 14 and Verse 26 Luke 14 26.

He said if anyone comes to me. And he doesn't hate his father and mother. Wife children brothers sisters his own life. He cannot be my disciple in the early days of Christianity. Many Christians came from the Jewish faith.

Came from heathen religions in Corinth Thessalonica Philippi there were no Christians those days. There were no Christian families. Every family was a heathen family Jewish or other religion and When a person got converted They got converted and came out of a heathen family.

So if you looked at a church in Ephesus or the church in Philippi or Thessalonica in the early days. You could say every person sitting here has come out of a non-christian religion. That's not true today.

I Came out of a non-christian family, but in the early church every person 100 Came from a non-christian family. So some of you who have come from non-christian families, you don't have to feel. Hey, are we strange?

Sometimes they feel they are strange. But I have seen through the years that people who come from a non-christian family usually have more conviction Than those who come from a Christian family because the Christian family sons and daughters just oozed into the church.

They didn't really come out of choice. Whereas those who've come from a non-christian family have made a choice and very often they have had to break with their father and mother. And that's a very difficult thing but those early Christians had to make that break and That was a tremendous price.

They had to pay in other words. They had to cut off. That's a strong statement to cut off your hand. Would you do that? You know, there are diseases Which a person can get when they can't be cured supposing man gets usually in the feet or something they cut off the foot.

Or cut off some of the toes because gangrene has set in and It'll destroy the whole body and the only way to protect the body is cut it off. Otherwise the whole body will be affected and the Lord said that must be your attitude towards your father and mother and Even if you're married to your wife.

And to your children if they want to follow some other way. Let them go, but you're not going to let them interfere with your following the Lord. It's amazing statement he otherwise he said you cannot follow me and Those early Christians they took that decision.

They said well if dad and mom go another way God bless them, but I'm not going to listen to them. I'm going to listen to the Lord if my brother and sister want to go that way. Even if my wife wants to go another way, I'm going to follow the Lord so unfortunately.

Today's generation we have a lot of wishy-washy Christians. Who don't take that type of a radical stand? They are good people you look at their life. There's so many good things, but they have never fulfilled the first condition of discipleship.

And that is the first condition. Which the early Christians fulfilled and that's why they became such good Christians. So and you can see how the Ephesians Church, which Paul started which is so wonderful 30 -40 years later in Revelation chapter 2.

It's become very worldly. So worldly that the Lord tells the Ephesian Church in Revelation 2. You have left your first love. What happened? It was the second generation. Whereas the early church was the first generation in Ephesus they had come straight out of heathenism.

But 40 years later after Paul died 30 years after Paul died it was the second generation growing up. They had sat in the church from babyhood. They didn't have such convictions like that like their fathers.

They sat there, and they became backsliders. So it's very easy. So if you don't fulfill that first condition of discipleship. I want to tell you right now It's not going to go very well with you in your Christian life.

You'll have a lot of regrets later on. So there will be stumbling blocks, but we have to. I mean it's like if the prodigal son in the park country Decided one day. I'm going to go back to my father's house and Some of his friends say hey listen.

Hang on here, man. You're going to lose all our friendship. He'd say sorry. I'm going to go back and it requires that type of decision. To really be able to follow the Lord and you will find yourself in that type of situation.

Radical Decisions to Follow Christ

And I tell you the Lord will test you. I Know in my own life the Lord Tested me in a number of areas. That am I going to please him or please my parents or I Remember when I Was 14 and a half. My father.

I was just finishing school and my father said I want you to join the military academy. And I want you to join the Navy. And I want you to top the class and become an admiral before you leave. That was his ambition for me, and he made me join the National Defense Academy and man, I did well, and then I got converted and When I was 24 years old the Lord called me to leave my job.

I Didn't consult my father. I Didn't have to consult my father. I Was independent and I was 24 years old. I was earning my own living. I Took my decision and put in my resignation and told the Navy I'm leaving then I wrote to my father I'm quitting.

I've already put in my resignation. We need to. If you want to follow the Lord You have to be willing. Of course I consulted with godly older brothers that I did because I was young. I Didn't feel that I was full of wisdom.

I I would not have taken that decision all by myself without consulting at least one godly older brother. I did that. But if you have consulted godly older brothers Who you know are following the Lord and they encourage you you sometimes need to take a stand against your parents.

And tell them after you've taken a decision. Will it offend them. Of course it'll offend them. I? Remember. Hmm well my father was said if you're serving the Lord, that's fine, but then another thing happened later on.

From about 1971 onwards till about 74 The Lord opened so many doors for me to travel in many countries international Christian conferences. And my father was once again happy. That though I had left the Navy I was having a great ministry around the world and Then one day he saw I decided I Finished with all that.

I'm not gonna travel around the world as a big conference speaker. I'm gonna sit in my home with three or four families and Build the church. That is the most crazy thing for any international speaker to do and my dad again couldn't understand it and I Didn't ask his permission.

He was a good man. He was a believer, but I don't think he could see what I was seeing and I don't think many people could see. I had a lot of other believers who? Loved me said Zach. What are you doing sitting with three four people in your home?

And But I knew what I was gripped by. That's how the church started in 1975. Those of us who were there those days are very few left now it was Something that many people couldn't understand and on top of that everybody called us false teaching, etc.

But we stood against it. It's that opposition that we faced that we stood against that made us strong today. CFC has become popular. We are in danger. We were safer in those days When we were misunderstood reproached falsely accused and My name was scum, so don't think that.

Being popular and accepted means anything the early Christians were not popular. We must come to Christ out of conviction and I remember in those days the Lord told asked me Everybody turns against you.

Will you still stand for this truth that I've shown you. I said yes I don't care if anybody leaves me makes no difference and most people left. That's fine. Even the ones who came people used to come and most of them would leave and I say what I'm saying is Our parents won't understand till much later.

Today, my dad is in heaven, and I don't know whether he can see us. But if he could he would say to me son, you were right. And I was wrong and Annie's parents couldn't understand why she wanted to marry me When I had no income.

But her dad is in heaven also today and If he could see he would say to her My daughter what you did was right. The reason I'm saying that is it may be only years later That your parents will understand Why you took a stand?

So don't be discouraged right now make sure you know the Lord and If you seek the advice of godly older people. You'll be safe if your parents are more godly Than those elders listen to them. Sure, but if they are not I Would advise you to listen to the advice of godly older brothers.

That will be your salvation. Until you are grown up and mature enough to stand on your own feet. These are simple little things. I Know so many people who have made a mistake when it comes to marriage.

Many of you are unmarried and you'll find tremendous pressure when it comes to marriage from your parents and At that time you have to decide. Because marriage is one decision you can never change. Once you've taken it, that's it.

You can't go back on it. If you took a wrong job, you can always go back give it up if you rented a house, which You don't like you can Move, even if you built a house, which you don't like you can sell it and go but you can't do anything once you get married.

It's the most important decision after salvation that you're ever going to take and it'll be calamity. If you make a wrong choice there and I've known people who made a wrong choice. They somehow survived and at the end of 30 40 years of marriage they can say We have survived.

Is that the way you want to end your married life after 30 40 years? No, that's not the way Married life is meant to be like heaven. I Tell you honestly, but it requires that you put the values of Scripture and Jesus Christ first.

And one of those things is you'll have to take a stand against your parents. Against your friends and the advice of people who are not godly. When you seek advice seek it from a godly person see this in Matthew chapter 10.

How many of you know this verse? Jesus said in verse 32 Everyone who confesses me before men. Matthew 10 32 I will confess him before my father in heaven. What does it mean to confess Jesus? It doesn't mean just saying I belong to Jesus Christ.

It means I stand for everything that Christ stood for. Uprightness righteousness speaking the truth loving everything that Christ stood for that's what I stand for. I Never I remember in the years when I was in the Navy I was never ashamed to let everybody know that I was a Christian.

I didn't go around with a badge saying I'm a Christian. I wanted them to see by my life and by my words and There were many times I had to say to my senior officers I'm sorry, sir. I can't do that. I'm a Christian.

My conscience does not permit me. And do you think the senior officers are happy with me. No they were upset. I Remember numerous situations like that from the time I was 21 to 24. Very young age same age many of you are and younger than most of you between those ages.

I was baptized when I was 21 and I had to take a stand for example in the in the naval officers Room you know the dining rooms if a person was promoted He had to serve alcohol to everybody and when I got promoted I refused to do that.

They thought I was stingy but you can say what you like. I serve orange juice and. And They knew that I was a Christian and Things there were a lot of senior officers who asked me to do wrong things, and I would say I'm sorry sir I'm a Christian.

I can't do that. Not just my conscience Does not permit me. Because then you're hiding the fact that you're a Christian. My conscience does not permit me because I'm a Christian. You know it's so easy to be ashamed of the name of Jesus Christ in our place of work where everybody else is a Hindu a Lot of my senior officers were Hindus.

They would write wrong bad reports about me fine. I decided when I became a Christian a Wholehearted Christian that promotion was not my goal in life anymore. I would do my best. But to get promotion and to make money was not my aim in life anymore.

My only aim in life was to please God and the rest God would take care of and he has taken care of it all these 50 years and You must be a testimony when you come to the end of your life. That you are not a compromiser.

That you are not ashamed of the name of Jesus Christ. I used to Often sing a song called. I'm not ashamed to own my Lord or to defend his cause. Maintain the honor of his word and the glory of his cross.

I used to sing some of these hymns, which are more meaningful than some of the hymns that songs that are being written nowadays and I find they used to encourage me some of these old-time hymns. I would encourage you to learn them.

Because those hymns encouraged me tremendously and I remember situations where I Hey. Not only not God. God promoted. I could almost be sent to jail for disobeying my senior officers. See in your secular jobs if you don't obey you're just sacked from your job.

But in the Navy if you don't obey you'll be jailed because it's like mutiny and you can be court-martialed so Never be afraid of confessing because he's Jesus said if you confess me before men, I will confess your name before my father.

And that was very important for me. But if you verse 33 Matthew 10 33 if you deny me before men, I will deny you before my father. That means you know in some situation in your place of work. You somehow hope they don't discover that you're a wholehearted radical Christian who will not do what's wrong.

Well, the Lord sees that at that moment. You can justify yourself, but the Lord sees this guy was ashamed of me. And I said Lord you were not ashamed to hang in an underwear on the cross. I'm not going to be ashamed of you.

See, that's what used to help me meditating on the cross that he was not ashamed of me. I'm not going to be ashamed of him. And Then he said when you stand like that for me it could be with in your own home where your relatives don't.

Understand the stand you have taken. I think many of you who are sitting here your parents are not in the church. Some of you your parents are not even believers so these words are for you to confess Christ before them.

And Then he said in verse 34 Matthew 10 34. Don't think I came to bring peace on the earth. I Came to bring a sword. Can you imagine Jesus saying this. I did not come to bring peace. Some people only know that Jesus is the prince of peace.

Where does it say that that he was a prince of peace? Isaiah chapter 9 yes. But Jesus himself never used that title. He came to bring us bring peace between us and God. But what he said don't think I have come to bring peace.

I Came to bring a sword. He told his disciples in me. You will have peace. That's for sure. But in the world you'll have opposition. You'll have tribulation. John 16 33 in the world you're not going to have peace.

And the early Christians never had peace. They were martyred and killed and burnt. He said I came to bring a sword. It's amazing how so many Christians have all got these wrong ideas about Christ. And then he said in verse 35 I came to set a man against his father.

Does that happen to you. A daughter against her mother. A Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And A Christian's enemies are going to be in his own family. How many of you have experienced that.

Your enemies are in your own family. And then he says if you love father or mother. More than me. You're not worthy of me. It's a very serious thing to be a Christian. It's not just believing something and I'll go to heaven.

It brings a break like the cutting off of the hand. The hand was part of my body for so many years and one day it's cut off. That's what's happened with many many people. They have a part of an earthly family for a long time and then one day it was cut for the sake of Christ.

It's happened to numerous people in 2 ,000 years. And if you're not willing for that You'll never be a wholehearted disciple. Even though my parents were believers. I decided that. They're not the ones are going to choose a bride for me.

They may not know my values. I'm gonna choose my own bride. Now that's not true of most Malayalees. Most Malayalees Will be friendly with everybody till it comes to the time of marriage then they listen to their parents.

Now I've seen that again and again and again and again and I've seen that with a lot of people and I see finally how it goes with such people also. You know, there are important decisions we take in life.

Where you have to decide. I am going to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Whatever the price I'm going to follow him. And I'll tell you something you won't suffer loss because of that. Do you think? You can suffer by honoring God that is impossible.

Seeking God’s Kingdom Before Material Security

How did I suffer by giving up all my ministry and sitting with four families in my house? 38 years ago. Did I suffer? I don't think so in the benitially it looked the most foolish thing to do. Like sometimes the decisions we take for the lord may appear foolish.

But if you have taken it for the lord You will not suffer because of that. I remember one of the things my father said to me and I mentioned this because a lot of people a lot of you got to deal with your parents.

And i'm talking about a father who's a believer and many of you parents are not believers. It'll be even more difficult. But my dad said to me How are you going to educate your children? My father died when my oldest son Was just 12 years old.

So this is before that when all my kids were small. The youngest was only two or three and he said you don't realize it's so difficult to educate children. Nowadays college fees are so high. How are you going?

You're just sitting here gathering with these three four people and You don't take any money and how are you going to educate your children? I said dad Even this 90 rupees i'm paying in clarence school.

As school fees, I won't be able to pay If I don't seek god's kingdom first. But if I seek god's kingdom first I believe. All that I need will be added to me when the time comes God will take care of that.

And I wanted my life to be a testimony. That when I come to the end of my life It my life should be a testimony to the fact. That I did not seek my own. I did not go after money. I sought the kingdom of god and his righteousness.

And god took care of all my needs and my family's needs. I hope that'll be your testimony, too. You know when we started the church brother ian was a young man also 34 years old. Not much older than some of you and He didn't have any profession.

He had worked in the railways when he quit that. And when we started the church he had to find some means of supporting himself because we both decided We're not going to be dependent on the church. We'll Take care of our own needs like the apostle paul.

That's when he decided to go into Woodwork and furniture and interior decoration. And if you want to know how difficult it is In a city like bangalore where there are already so many people in that business To start something completely new.

And you have a wife and children to take care of. And On top of all that You are doing it honestly and uprightly unless all those crooked furniture makers and carpenters I really believe That it was supernaturally god honored him And blessed his business.

And some of you don't know these things. That's why I have to tell you They would call us heretics the other christians In bangalore, but when those christians wanted a a furniture or some woodwork To be done.

They would come to the heretic carpenter because they knew he'd be honest. And that's why we over a period of time we got a reputation that doctrine is wrong, but their life is very good. I said that's crazy.

That's like saying that farmer has got bad seed, but he gets a good harvest. But we've got very good seed. We have analyzed it under a microscope, but when we sow it we get a bad harvest. And so ian's life is an example.

You don't know. I know it better than anybody else. It's a testimony to the fact that those who honor god god will honor. And I want to say that god gave us the responsibility both of us to start the work here.

And i'm glad that both of us have this testimony at the end of this our lives now. That we have sought to honor god. We have not compromised. We've suffered financial loss sure go and ask him. We both suffered a lot of financial loss because we want to honor god.

We wanted to be upright, but do we regret it today? No. We would have suffered much more spiritual loss if he had tried to seek for financial gain. So what I want to say is you have some examples in front of you young people Who have honored god and god has honored them.

Why are you afraid? God has not only given you his word. He's given you examples. Of people who've done it before you. Who can say to you follow me? As I follow christ. Because you know there's a natural You know desire in us to protect ourselves secure ourselves we think of the future and all that's right.

That's good. But don't do it at the cost of compromise. Don't do it to seek to please your parents. Don't do it to seek to please your boss. Very very important because to me that is like the prodigal son coming to the father's house and then Going back to the pig's farm.

Do you think he ever wanted to go back? I'll tell you In what situation. With the prodigal son having come back got the new robe the ring and Dressed up and he's got her own room to himself in the house and eating this wonderful food.

In what situation do you think he would have been tempted to go back. To eat what the pigs were eating any situation. Have you ever thought of it? Maybe if one day the father corrected him strongly. Some people don't like correction.

You know some young people turn turn around to their dad. Well, if it's like that You can go and hang yourself. I'm gonna go Take care of my own life. Take care of myself. It could oh in such a situation you can get offended you can get offended with the correction by the elders.

And you leave. That'll be your destruction. If he had got offended one day when his father corrected him about something He could have got offended and then he'd be back in the pig's farm again or If out of some circumstance he was not eating.

In spiritually that is true when we come to christ. And we have come genuinely come genuinely repented genuinely come back to the lord. The lord has welcomed us. And but we don't feast at the lord's table.

I don't mean the breaking of bread feast with the lord every day. And when we are not being satisfied. Then we will be tempted to go back to the pig's food because we are not getting good food if you really get to taste.

Of the heavenly feast god provides us in our walk with the lord, which is not just the bible. Heaven by a heavenly feast. I primarily mean fellowship with jesus christ personally. If you don't have fellowship with jesus christ personally the bible can be a very boring book.

I'll tell you that. It can be a very boring book. A hollywood movie will be more interesting for three hours than the bible. If you don't have fellowship with the lord and a lot of christians don't live in daily fellowship with the lord and that is why.

They many things in the world are attractive. Like I said, you're not feasting at the father's table and you're hungry. The feast is there but for some reason you don't go there. Then you're tempted to go back to the pig's food.

And you don't realize that that pig's food is going to destroy you. Do you think all these young people who go for drugs and alcohol and smoking and things like that? They don't know that these things are harmful.

They know it. But they do it. Don't they know that drugs can ruin your mind permanent permanently for the rest of your life. Don't they know that watching internet pornography can ruin your mind permanently?

For 50 years you'll be having bad dreams after that. You'll never get over it. I'll tell you honestly. You will never get over your bad dreams. Even after you've been married for 20 years. You'll be seeing those filthy pictures that you saw when you were 19 or 20 years old.

On through internet pornography and it'll torture you. It'll torture you torture you. I might as well warn you right now. It's an addiction. And you won't be able to get rid of it. Even after you're married and it'll destroy your marriage.

It'll destroy your sex life after marriage you can even lose your salvation. For what. For the sake of five minutes of some filthy pleasure. What a fool you are. Would you give up your job supposing you've got a good job getting twenty thirty thousand rupees a month?

Would you give it up? For the sake of five minutes of pleasure. No. You'd say if I have to lose my job for this five minutes of pleasure I'd rather give that up and keep my thirty thousand rupee a month job.

But don't you realize that Walking with the lord is something It's going to give you far more riches than that. I'm telling you from my own experience when I was your age. I was tempted In every point as you are every point.

That any young man is tempted with every young man in the world Is tempted by the same things and I know it all because we are all human beings. I don't know the things girls are tempted by but I certainly know the things every young man in the world Is tempted by?

I had to battle them. So what shall we do about? The fact that we have failed in the past. You have to take responsibility at some time. You can delay it if you want mess up your life some more. Or you can take that decision today.

And be firm in your decision and say I've had enough of it. I'm going to take care of my own life and the only one who can save me from living with the pigs Is jesus christ. I want to surrender my whole life to him and when i'm tempted if I can't find strength By fellowship with the lord himself I'm going to run Away from that place of temptation and seek for fellowship with some believers at that time.

That is why I say to you seek fellowship with the godly In cfc and not with the half-hearted and worldly because you'll be like them. Be willing to break some friendships cut off the hand. Just like you got to hate father and mother you got to hate your brother as well.

If he's going to lead you astray. You're going to honor god. You're going to put god first in your life. That's very very very important. I turn back to luke chapter 15. We read here something of the wonderful experience That we can have with the lord.

The Prodigal Son and the Robe of Righteousness

If you really live with him, you know, these are pictures the lord used. Luke 15 22 the lord said the father said Bring the best robe and put it on him. Now this prodigal son was in ragged torn clothes the picture of our filthy dirty life.

And the first thing the lord does is clothe us With the robe of righteousness of jesus christ. It's important for you to understand That not only does the lord forgive you. Forgiveness itself is a great thing.

That all you're spoiling my name all you're ruining everything I gave you, you know This prodigal son everything he got from his father and he went and wasted it. God gave you a life Health probably you earned some money Time and you spend it all on yourself.

And you come back and in a moment the lord says it's okay it's all forgiven. But not only am I going to forgive you I'm going to now clothe you. And make you look as holy as christ. When you stand before me It's actually unbelievable.