Seek Only God's Approval Part One — K.P. Yohannan

Who's approval are you seeking after? Maybe you say it's your boss, your friends, or someone you really admire. Well, next on The Road to Reality, we're encouraged to seek God's approval, first and foremost.

We call the program Road to Reality. It's the Radio Ministry of Gospel for Asia. Thank you for dropping by. Today, Brother K .P. O 'Hannon asks, do you know your purpose in life? God calls us to an all-out commitment to Him, to love Him supremely, and to deny ourselves.

But does that describe your life today? As we search our hearts and look into God's overarching plan, Brother K .P. reveals the direction and freedom that we find in following the narrow road. We join him now as he shares this important message encouraging us to seek only God's approval.

Jesus’ Knowledge of the Human Heart

I want to share with you, maybe talk to you briefly, about a few things that the Lord placed upon my heart. Kind of, you know, look at these Bible verses and study together and see what the Lord will say to us.

This is found in the Gospel of John, chapter 2, verse 23 and 24. Now, while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many people saw the miracle signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.

He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in man. In some translations, he didn't commit himself to anyone. And then, in the book of Matthew, chapter 16, verse 24, then Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whosoever loses his life for me will find it. In the book of Philippians, the letter Paul wrote to the Philippians, chapter 2, verse 21. For everyone look out for his own interest, not those of Jesus Christ.

But you know that Timothy has proved himself because as a son with his father, he has served with me in the work of the Gospel. Notice the verse 21. For everyone looks out for his own interest. In your translation, maybe it says everyone seek their own.

Following Christ Requires Total Commitment

In my reading, I came across this quotation from H .A. Evans Hopkins. Let me read this for you. He looks today as he has ever looked, not for crowds drifting aimlessly in his track, but for individual men and women whose undying allegiance will spring from their having recognized that he wants those who are prepared to follow the path of self-renunciation, which he trod before them.

True Christianity or really following Christ is a call to all out commitment without any reservation. A lot of people follow Christ today as it was then for the blessings they can get, what I can get out of it.

When he talked about, oh by the way, I'm going to get killed unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood. They all packed their suitcases and briefcases and ran away. And a handful left and Jesus turned to them and said, you fellows, you kind of a sad question.

Are you going to leave me also? And Peter said, where can we go? You have the words of life eternal. When the majority saw their dreams of a comfortable, nice life was shattered. The dream to have everything go smooth and well, acceptance, recognition, people patting on the back and say nice things about them and be recognized in society or material benefits.

When Jesus said, oh, you didn't know this, I'm going to get killed. They said, this is really stupid. We thought he's going to really do something significant. We are going to get all the blessings much more than we ever saw.

It's only the beginning. But if that be the case, they walked away. When majority saw that was the end of their hope, minority saw losing everything, death, the way of life. No wonder why Jesus said, narrow is the road and few be found in it.

Biblical Warnings Against Self-Interest

You read in this New Testament about Israelites in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 10. It says, and God was not pleased with them. Hundreds of thousands of people who came out, they had good food, clothes, and all the blessings they enjoyed and everything was going fine.

But they were all destroyed simply because their hearts were not after God. They were seeking their own, what they can get out of it. Gideon had, first of all, a large number of people came out. If you remember, 32 ,000 people, huge number.

And he was, I mean, I'm sure he was quite happy. Thank God, you know, I can get the job done. God said, no, these fellows, they're going to put you in trouble. Too many people he got, get rid of them.

And finally, he got 300 people, those who will abandon their life completely and totally. And that is what God needed, not majority. My brothers and sisters, in our following the Lord, we want to keep in mind continually that Lord Jesus is still calling us for radical commitment, this narrow road.

The Cost of Discipleship and Self-Denial

And Jesus laid before us certain very strict, rigid requirements if we want to follow him. Some of them, I don't like myself because they are hard. But I say to myself, I am not my own, so I better follow him.

It is worth paying the price. One of those requirements, the Lord said to us in Luke 14, 26. If anyone wanted to come after me, let him deny himself. Then let him pick up his cross and then come after me.

Then he said, unless you love me more than what? Father, mother, son, daughter. Did he finish with that? Even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Now, you know, our problem is we are looking for Greek and Hebrew to interpret these things so we can get away from the real issues.

I mean, we will search every dictionary or congordance commentary to see if anything else hidden in it. But it's very simple, plain. Any translation you read simply says you hate your life. Who has the desire to hate his own life?

No, sir. You can, you may give up everything. I mean, you know, the truth of the matter is this. In the Old Testament, you know the story about a mother, you know, killing her own baby because of starvation.

Remember the story? I mean, how can a mother do that? It's unthinkable. But even that will somebody will do to preserve their own life. You love yourself too much. I do too. But Jesus said, unless you love me more than your own self, you cannot be my disciple.

Humanity’s Purpose in the Image of God

Supreme love for my Jesus Christ is his requirement for me to follow him. There is a saying, saved to serve. You heard that? It sounds very nice but may not be very biblical. What was the purpose when God created man?

Genesis 20, 126, you know the Bible. So God said, let us make man in our image and in our likeness. If you go back and read the other creation, all those day one, two, three, four, all that. He said, let there be, let there be, let there be the sun, moon, the whole.

And even when he made animals said, let there be animals. They all came into being. But only when it came about man, God said, let us make man in our image, in our likeness. The purpose of God creating us was not to make us workers, missionaries, prophets, preachers, pastors, people to do great, wonderful things.

God didn't make Adam and Eve to be servants to tend the garden. Because he could make another 10 billion trillion angels. They could do all kinds of wonderful things. But he created man to manifest, reflect his very image and his likeness.

If you draw a line going upward like that, when God created Adam, his purpose was that he may continue to manifest and reflect God's nature image. And man fell. And Jesus came to restore man to the original purposes of God.

And what was that? For him to be a missionary? To be a Bible teacher? To be a prophet? To make millions and help God's work? To turn the world upside down? No, sir. To continue, reflect the nature and the image of God.

And that is the reason why Jesus said, what is the most important thing? Love God with all your mind, all your heart, all your soul, and everything you have in you. But it is nicely and easily said, but sometime when we are put to test, it is not easy because we love ourselves too much.

Loving God Above Family and Friendship

You know, when Abraham was called to give up everything, he said, leave your father, mother, whole bunch of things. Just get out of this place and go to a place I will show you. And his father walked with him.

And they stopped half of the way. Instead of getting to the place he was going, until his father died, he could move on. Often the hindrance before us and for us from following the Lord with all our heart is our own close friends and relatives.

People we love so much or we think they love us so much that we just don't want to say no to anything. Somehow we make compromises. Psalm 73 verse 25, a beautiful verse. Whom have I in heaven but thee, and on earth I desire no one beside you.

Well, may that be the cry of our hearts. And we're to love God supremely and seek only his approval. This is The Road to Reality with Brother K .P. Yohannan. And we'll get back to K .P. here in just a moment.

We know these are difficult financial times for many of you. And that's why we're so excited to offer you something absolutely free of charge today. It's K .P.'s latest book, No Longer a Slumdog. You'll read riveting stories about God's redeeming love.

And your heart will leap for joy as your eyes are opened to an amazing move of God. Order your free book today at winasia .org. That's winasia .org. Our friends in Canada can go to gospelforasia .ca. Well, once again now, here's Brother K .P.

The Missionary’s Choice to Obey God

One of our native missionary brothers was called by the Lord to leave South India his home and to go to North India. The oldest son in the family, if you know our customs, the oldest son always must take care of the parents when they get old.

Work and make money and take care of the younger children, all that. And that's where this thing works. But the Lord called him to go to North India. And his parents began to weep and cry. Son, you cannot do that.

Who will take care of us? Who will take care of the younger children? How can you do this? And this whole thing began to happen. And finally, this brother had to make a decision. If he is going to follow the Lord and love him more than his own parents.

So he packed his suitcase, a small little tin case with his little clothes. And early morning, one day he walked out to the bus station. And the bus came and stopped. And this brother walked into the bus, which will take him far away to the train station to catch his train to go to North India, 2 ,000 miles away from his home.

And as he was just getting in the bus and before the bus conductor would close the door, another man came rushing into the bus, screaming, crying. And Brother Paulo turned around and saw it was his own father saying, you cannot go.

And he said to the bus conductor, you cannot take my son. He cannot leave us. Minutes going by, everybody is kind of hanging in suspense. Finally, this young man said to the bus conductor, sir, take my father out of the bus.

I am not going to leave. Americans will not understand this. By force, they had to take the man out of the bus for him to travel on to go to North India. But he didn't go laughing and smiling and so happy about it, but weeping.

Abraham’s Sacrifice and the Price of Surrender

Was Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac is a fairy tale? Is it a mythology? Something that somebody wrote up to challenge us to give up our money? Was there something really happened in history and time?

It really happened. The one you love dearly, you kill him, give him up. I have two children. My son is Daniel and my daughter's name is Sarah. A few months ago, I found out because they both are in India.

I asked my son, Danny, your school is going to finish in March. He's in Bible school. What are you going to do? He said, Daddy, I've been praying about it. My thinking is to go to North India for two years.

Then I asked him where all he wanted to go. Then he began to talk about the names of the places he wanted to go. And the more places he mentioned, the more scared I became. See, I was barely 16 years, long time ago.

When I took that journey from South India to North India, and many of these places where I was physically beaten and abused. When I went there to preach the gospel and I thought about my son going to the same places.

Then I thought about in that very month that I must hear the news. One of our missionary who planted three churches was killed on the mission field. Then I must hear about a brother who was caught by the fanatics and to raise a blade and they slashed all over his body and left him dying.

But somebody found him and took him to the hospital. All this movie began to play in my head. What must I do? What must I say? Well, I came to the end of my dilemma, kind of, and said, you know, Lord, I love my son so much.

The very thought of him being killed or being beaten create pain. But I choose and I make a decision to let go. If he is given the privilege to be killed, to be martyred, I want you to know, even while I weep, I will thank you for the privilege you gave him to give his life for you.

Knowing God Beyond Bible Knowledge

My precious brothers and sisters, do you know him intimately? Mere intellectual knowledge of the Bible or partial knowledge of the Bible can make you sharp and able in your understanding, but you can be a pharisee knowing everything, but knowing the Lord himself.

And so it is something that you and I must pursue, seeking the Lord daily in our life. The reason I say these things to you tonight is because in my own personal walk with the Lord, during this last six to eight months, it's been very interesting.

In the midst of traveling constantly and preaching this and that and everything, you know, the Lord is speaking to my heart. Do you love me more than the mission work you are doing? What consumes your heart?

And I had to answer often, say, Lord, I'm more consumed about reaching the lost world than doing your work, and I want to know you better. But a price must be paid to know him. It is not cheap. Mere Bible knowledge will not make you know him.

It will help you, but pursue the Lord with all your heart. Say goodbye to friendship, how intimate it may be that hinders you from knowing the Lord. Say goodbye to video games, movies, books, magazines, music, even the best it may be, so that you can spend time with the Lord, know him.

Paul’s Example of Total Submission

Secondly, Jesus said, unless you deny yourself a denial of self. Matthew 16, 24, the words I read for you. It's not just giving up chewing gum and movies and a couple of books. No, this is a total submission of my own life to him.

You know, Paul was a crazy man. You know, the Paul who wrote all the letters, you know about him. He had a bunch of people on his team. Would you make an application to join Paul's team to be a co-worker with him?

You will think twice, three times, 10 times. Because he's the one who says, I'm going around looking for trouble, getting beaten up, having no clothes, no food, in prison, misunderstood, scorned, rejected, no salary, no insurance, no future guarantee for nothing, no wife, no kids, nothing.

I mean, who want to join a mission group like that? I mean, think about it. I tell you what, I mean, honestly, I tell you, I don't think I want to make an application to join Paul's team because he's a little more crazier than I want to be.

And he writes a letter where he says, you know, only Timothy, he's the only one who is interested in you. Everyone seek their own. Paul, this is crazy. These guys don't get any salary. I mean, you offer them nothing but a wretched life.

How can you say they seek their own? What? What to seek for? Nothing, man, nothing. Paul would say, yeah, when they sing, they sing with tears and emotions. But they're longing for people to recognize them and appreciate them.

He would say, yes, they go through the stoning, the beating, the suffering, all the hard work. But it is to be appreciated by the churches we meet and to be applauded and to be said, ah, what sacrifice these guys are making.

Yeah, I didn't offer them any insurance or salary or nothing. Half naked, these people walk around with me because they have nothing to wear. But they seek their own. What about you? What about me? Those guys and the temple, remember in the Gospels, Jesus came with a whip and beat them up and throw them out.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

What did he do that for? I mean, after all, they were doing a kind service to the people. All these poor Jews coming from the end of the world, you know, they cannot put the, you know, Roman coin in the offering box.

They had to change it. And then, you know, why they carry all the chickens and goats and pigeons all their back? I mean, be a blessing to the people, sell these things. I mean, they were doing a wonderful service for God.

But Jesus drove them out. You know why? Because they were charging a little percentage over the cost while they were serving, doing great things. They were seeking their own. Why didn't Jesus go and beat up the people on the streets selling chickens and goats and pigeons and all those things?

The world let them do it, but not in my father's house.

Well, that's Brother K .P. O 'Hannon from Gospel for Asia here on the Road to Reality. And he's been encouraging us to seek God's approval above all else. It sure is a needed reminder of our purpose in life, especially helpful here in the year 2012.

If you'd like to learn more about the work of Gospel for Asia, a good place to go is our website, winasia .org. Or you can call us at 866-WIN-ASIA. In short, our mission is to share the good news of Christ with those who have not heard his name.

While you're there on our website, grab a few helpful resources. You can get a free copy of K .P.'s latest book, No Longer a Slumdog. You can also listen to many other thought-provoking and challenging messages by K .P., again, online at winasia .org.

And would you also take a moment to send us your feedback? You'll notice a place to do that at winasia .org. And it would really mean a lot to us. One man from Colorado recently said, my faith in God has grown as well as my love for his people around the world.

The Holy Spirit has touched my heart. Share your story at winasia .org and stay connected with us through our online communities. We're on Facebook and Twitter. The Road to Reality with Brother K .P. O 'Hanlon is sponsored by Gospel for Asia.

May God richly bless you.