The New Covenant Life and Church - Part 3 — Zac Poonen

When we think of the many many religions there are in the world, and you put them all together, they are much bigger than Christianity. Even among Christians, there are so many different denominations and so many cult groups like Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses.

But all these religions have one thing in common. They are all absolutely convinced that God is with them. Even the people who kill others as suicide bombers, they are sure that God is with them. So many things people do, kill people, hurt people and they think God is with them.

People divide families and think God is with them. How can we be sure that God is with us? We also meet in different places, small groups and say God is with us. How do you know you are not fooling yourself like those suicide bombers who think God is with them?

Testing Whether God Is Truly With Us

It is very important to be sure. In the same way, I find among Christians, even though a lot of people may act humble saying, I am only a sinner saved by grace, very often that is only to get a reputation for humility.

Because if you look inside their heart, these people who say that, they are quite proud. You know in prayer they will say, Oh Lord, I am such a wretch. But if they heard that somebody else said that they were wretches, they will be quite upset.

But that is what they said before God in prayer. Tremendous amount of hypocrisy in the flesh. They had tremendous amount of conceit and pride to think that God is with me and I am a spiritual man. And whenever we think we are very spiritual, we have a great lust to correct everybody around us.

Because we see 101 things wrong in all of them. If not 101 things, at least 4 or 5 things wrong. We feel we are the appointed people by God, Almighty God to correct all these things. I have been a believer for 57 years and I have seen so much of this.

All these things I just mentioned. And my prayer has been, Lord please save me from all this because I could also be like this. I can have a false humility. I can have a great lust to correct other people.

I can imagine that God is with me. I can think that God is supporting me. I can imagine that I am speaking for God. How to ensure that we don't deceive ourselves? See, if God bears witness to it, there will be some evidence of it outside.

See Jeremiah 17. He speaks about two types of people here. One is, let me sum it up in verse 5. A man, a person who makes his own flesh his strength. That means I am confident in myself, in my ability.

The result will be, I will be like a barren bush in the desert and with no fruit. So, if I am trusting in myself, there is a proof of it, evidence of it. There is no fruit. But the one who trusts in the Lord, in verse 8, will be like a tree planted by the river and always bearing fruit.

Never ceasing to yield fruit, it says in verse 8. Compare that to what Jesus said in John 15. It says here, John 15 verse 5. If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. That's the proof that I am abiding in Christ.

And fruit has got two areas. One is the fruit in my character. And the other is the fruit in my labors or ministry. So, I have a good way of checking myself. You know, a student for example can think he is very clever.

I am very good in mathematics. But if he gets 0 or 20 percent, he will discover it pretty soon. So, that's why in schools they have examinations. To convince all the people who think they are clever that they are not so clever.

You think you are so clever, look what marks you got. And a person must face up to it and say, that's right, I thought I was very clever, but I discovered I am not. No, I think a student who gets 20 percent will not thereafter think he is very clever.

But the trouble with Christians is different. Even if there is no fruit, they still think they are very spiritual. I mean, they are still losing their temper, no victory over sin. They still think they are very spiritual.

In all their work, there is no fruit, they think they are very spiritual. But Jesus said, if you abide in me, he didn't just say you will bring one or two fruit, he said you will bring much fruit towards five.

And it says here that in verse 2, when you bear fruit, my father who is the wine dresser will prune you to bear even more fruit. So, that means the Lord is never satisfied with the fruit that comes in my life.

And God says, boy, that's great, there is so much fruit in your life. I am going to cut you at the end of that and discipline you. Does the Lord discipline people who are bearing fruit? Read carefully, verse 2.

Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it. We think it is the branch that is not bearing fruit that he is going to discipline. The branch that is not bearing fruit, he leaves it alone to live in their self-deception.

Because the only reason they don't bear fruit is because they are proud. They think too much of themselves. There is no fruit in their character, there is no fruit in their labors. Why doesn't God prune them?

Because the Bible says that there is a law like the law of gravity. God resists the proud. He gives grace only to the humble. Do you know that even the Apostle Paul was in danger of becoming proud? Any of you who think that you are not in danger of becoming proud, you are really conceited.

The only person who walked on this earth without any danger of becoming proud was Jesus Christ. Because there was no conscious or unconscious sin in him. He lived in such constant, unbroken fellowship with the Father every moment.

Such a person can never be proud, he is constantly humble. Jesus' grace upon Jesus' life. He could heal thousands of sick people and never made them proud. But it was not automatic. He followed the laws.

Jesus’ Hidden Life of Prayer and Humility

I will show you the example. In Luke chapter 5, it says in verse 15, News about Jesus spread further and great multitudes gathered to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. That hasn't happened to any of us.

But supposing this happens to you, just think. That God gives you such a tremendous gift of the Holy Spirit. That your name becomes quite famous in many parts of the world. A lot of people come to hear you.

That you have the gift of healing and so many people are healed when they come. What would you do? I know you would thank the Lord. But do you know what Jesus did? In the next verse, He would often slip away into the wilderness and pray.

Why did He do that? Couldn't He say, I am not in danger of getting prioritized? He was tempted just like us. The Bible says that in Hebrews 4 .15. That has been the greatest encouragement to me in my Christian life.

That my Savior was tempted exactly like me. When He became famous, He was in danger of pride just like you and me. And He had to do something about it. He had to immediately rush off into the wilderness and get along with God the Father.

I see in most believers, They pray before the meeting. Lord, pour out your Spirit, do a great work. Jesus prayed after the meeting. Father, what a fantastic work you did. I want to humble myself before you.

Whenever God blesses you, That's the time to pray. That's what you learn here. Often, Slipped away. Do you know the meaning of slipped away? Slipped away, this is the picture I get in my mind. 15 -20 people are meeting.

Jesus says, ok folks, I am going to pray now. That's not slipping away. No, this is 15 -20 people are screaming, Where did Jesus go? He was here just now. You don't know where He has gone. That is slipping away.

That is the way to go and pray. Nobody knows where you went. And after some time you come back, you don't let anybody know where you went. You know these little verses, you can learn a lot about what it means to walk as Jesus walked.

I was studying somebody the other day. He would take a verse like this. He himself would slip away into the wilderness and pray. You don't meditate on that, go to the next verse. You don't get anything from it.

And you don't discover what is hidden in that verse as to how Jesus lived on earth. But you should have a passion to say, Lord, I want to know how you lived because that's the way I want to live. Where nobody knew that he was praying.

Afterwards they discovered. That's why it's written there. But he never made a big public announcement about it. This is another example. After a big healing. After 4 verse 40. When the sun was setting, many people brought with various diseases.

Many were sick and he laid his hands on all of them and healed them. It was already around 6 o 'clock in the evening. Sun was setting. And many people with various diseases came. And he could have said, it's getting late, I think I'll just pray a general prayer for all these 2000 people here.

No, but he didn't say that. But he called them one by one and he laid hands on every single one of them. Can you imagine how many hours it took to pray for 2000 people, laying hands on each other? These are the little things you have to meditate on when you read the scripture.

If you want to learn to walk, then Jesus walked. You have to see what is hidden inside the verse. Not just read it superficially. What is hidden inside. So it was pretty late by the time he went to bed, maybe 2 o 'clock at night.

There were also demons being cast out, verse 41. And when the sun rose. He went off again into wilderness, verse 42. He went to sleep at 2 o 'clock. And he was up at 5. Why? Oh father, what a fantastic ministry that was.

What am I going to do now? And the multitude searched for him. And they said, don't go away from here. There is a great revival going on. I will help you with that. He said, no, I have to go. He is saying, listen, before I met you fellows, I already met my father.

Before I met you, I already met my father. I knew you were going to say something to me. So I asked my father. I know what you will say. Whenever there is a blessing, you will say, oh, Jesus must be here only.

But he did not realize that there are so many places where Jesus must be. Here we see our own self. Here is a person who has blessed us. Let him be with us forever. So Jesus knew they were going to tell him that.

He prayed to the father. The father said, don't stay here. So that is how Jesus lived. You must see what is hidden in the verse. Between the lines. Then you will know how to walk as Jesus. So when God bears witness to something, if you want that blessing to continue, you will go before God and give all the glory to Him.

You will say, Lord, I can't take any credit for my own life. I can't take any credit for my ministry. I said the apostle Paul was in danger of pride. But the wonderful thing was he recognized it. If you recognize that you got the beginnings of cancer in your body, you won't get it.

Pride is worse than cancer. But if you are not aware of it, it can spread and spread and spread, ruin you. So in 2 Corinthians 12, Paul says, then he got a thorn in the flesh. And do you know what he says in verse 7?

It was given to me. Given means like a gift. God sent him a gift. Supposing somebody gives you a beautiful, nicely wrapped box with a ribbon. Like a gift pack. Very expensive wrapping, very expensive box.

You open the box. Expecting a diamond or something. And there is a thorn. You wonder what sort of gift is this? Only God gives such gifts. Because he is not interested in impressing us. He is interested in helping us.

But it requires grace to see that this is a gift from God. He says it was given to me. It means he got a gift. A gift from God. What was inside that box? A thorn. You call that a gift? Can you define it in another way?

What is that gift? Yes. Same verse in verse 7. A messenger of Satan. Does God allow a messenger of Satan to harass an apostle like Paul? Wasn't Satan defeated on the cross? How can he harass a man like Paul?

God allowed this messenger of Satan which was a sickness to buffet Paul. I believe it was a sickness that troubled him. He prayed, Lord take it away, take it away. This is a botheration for me. Three times he prayed and he got an answer.

If he hadn't got an answer he would have prayed 300 times. The point here is not he prayed 3 times verse 8. The point is he prayed until he got an answer. Whether it was 3 times or 300 times. And the answer he got was I am not going to take it away.

Does God say no to an apostle like Paul who suffered so much? Yes. Paul says why? God says because you are in danger of becoming proud. He says that. Verse 7. To keep me from exalting myself. You say Paul you are such a spiritual man and you are in danger of spiritual pride?

He says yes brothers. Even a man like me I am in danger of spiritual pride. If you don't see that danger in yourself you will fall. You will fall into pride and God's grace will be removed from your life.

You will still know the scriptures. You will still live an upright life. And the worst part is you will think you are very spiritual. If you went to the Pharisees in Jesus time do you think they thought they were not spiritual?

They thought they were so spiritual they could even correct Jesus. You have to be really arrogant to think that you can correct Jesus first. How spiritual they thought they were. What was their real condition?

Jesus said how will you escape the damnation of hell? You are not spiritual you are a generation of vipers. To be so low and to think you are so high. Because they knew the bible. They could preach. Because they were in a good synagogue.

Their life was upright. Do you know the proudest Christians are the ones who are very righteous in their life. They don't commit darkness they don't commit sin. They got only one sin. They are so proud as to how spiritual they think they are.

They are the biggest nuisance in every church. They are the ones whom God is resisting. You know in the Navy we used to have competitions of rowing boats competition. So the different boats rowing. Twelve people pulling the oars to move the boat forward.

They are all pulling together. Now imagine if two or three are pushing the other way. They will be hindering the work. Those are the pharisees in that church. All the humble people are pulling to go forward.

Two or three pharisees who think they are very spiritual who are hindering the work of God. Even when they hear a message like this of course they look around and say who is the other pharisee around here it's not me.

Receiving Correction Personally Rather Than Judging Others

There are many weaknesses in the disciples. You know what they were arguing about at the last supper? What were they discussing? After Jesus died who will be the leader? It's like when a father is dying and the children are sitting around who will get the property when he dies?

How soon is he going to die? That looks so horrible. That's what they were discussing at the last supper. It was like who is going to be the leader now? That was a bad quality. There is a good quality there.

Have you noticed a good quality there? Jesus said, one of you is going to betray me. They can look around and say who is that? You know what every one of them said? Lord, Lord is it I? What a fantastic quality.

We may think we are better than the disciples. But when you hear a message, do you ever think that's a good message for so and so? Or do you say Lord, is it I? I know, I have come across places where a husband said I am glad my wife is here in this meeting so she can hear what is being preached.

Good she didn't miss this meeting. If she missed it, we will make sure we play it at home. Or the other way around, I am glad my husband is here to listen. Learn from the disciples, Lord, is it I? It's a way of spiritual progress.

When I read something in the book, we should have this attitude. Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. Verse 7. In the middle of that verse, in the role of the book, it is written about me.

Not about somebody else. Do you believe that? In the book, it is written about me. What I read there was about me. What I heard in that message was about me. I was really pulling in the right direction helping the church to go forward.

Waiting for God’s Witness in Church Planting

See, we've had a lot of experience in India of different places trying to start a church. Many, many places. I don't want to mention all of them. Many years we tried. Some people were meeting. There was no fruit.

The Lord did not bear witness. Those people who were in the meeting they thought they were very spiritual. There was no fruit. They still thought they were very spiritual. They never judged themselves.

We tried for many years. And I can think of one, two, three, four places at least. I said close down the meeting. All of you please go to some other church. You know people were gathering to try and form a CFC church.

At least four places in India. I said close it Please go. There is some A .G. church here. There is some brethren church. Please go somewhere else. Imagine me telling people to go to some other church.

That's because we tried so many years and God is not bearing witness to anything. I don't know. I love you all. But if God doesn't bear witness I can't do anything about it. Some places they say Brother Zak come here.

We want to build a church here. I said no I will not come. I can't plant any church. I tried to produce something to be Ishmael. I won't do it. Fifty years ago I tried once or twice I produced two Ishmaels.

I decided never again. God has to do a work. He can produce Isaac. So I say I will never come to start a church anywhere in the world. I will wait for God to do something. Then I will come behind God not in front of God.

God is a time for everything. That's what many people don't realize. Something may be the will of God but it may not be God's time yet. For example the Lord told Adam the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent.

But when did the seed of the woman come? Do you know? Let me show you that verse. Genesis 3 verse 15 The Lord told the serpent the seed of the woman will crush your head. And he heard it. Adam heard it.

What is that? The seed of the woman will crush your head for what you did to Adam. So when Adam and Eve were put out chapter 4 verse 1 chapter 4 verse 1 the man had relations with his wife Eve and she conceived and gave birth to a son.

And the name was Cain. And in the margin of my Bible it says she named him Cain. This is exactly what she said. I have given birth to a man child even Jehovah. That means I have given birth to a man child who is Jehovah.

That means she thought this is the child God said is going to crush the serpent's head. I heard God say just about a year ago that the seed of the woman will crush the serpent's head. I heard God has given me that seed.

You can't blame her because she thought this is the first child being born the seed of the woman is going to crush the serpent's head. I got a man child even the Lord. That was not the man child. He was the instrument of the devil.

And the next child was also not the seed. For 4000 years there was no seed. Finally we read in Galatians 4 Verse 4 In the fullness of time God sent his son. So there's a promise given but the time was not yet.

Mary’s Willingness to Bear Shame for the Body of Christ

That's what we learn about the most important event that took place in human history. The body of Christ being born. He thought it was going to be immediate. And you know Israel so many young girls thought maybe I will become the mother of the Messiah.

There was a promise Messiah will be born. And the mothers would tell their daughters maybe you will be the mother of the Messiah. Didn't happen. Didn't happen for so many years. Finally God found a woman.

She was not a very old woman. I think Mary was probably about 19 years old. People married at that age in Israel. And why did God choose Mary? God was not looking for someone who was very smart. What marks did she get in mathematics?

Unimportant. Was she good looking? Not important. God wanted a woman who was willing to accept whatever lot God gave her. That's even the angel came to her in Luke chapter 1. Why am I saying all this?

Because this is defining the birth of the body of Christ. And the body of Christ is also the church. So it's a picture of the birth of a church in some place. Will the church be born? Through someone like Mary.

God looks over all of Israel. He doesn't find girls through whom Jesus can be born. Finally he found one girl. And the angel comes in Luke 1 and says you're going to have a child. Verse 31. And Mary says how can that happen?

Verse 34. I'm a virgin. That's okay. The Holy Spirit will come and you'll have a child. And immediately. Can you imagine when I mean today. An unmarried girl. Who's fooling around with boys and trying to be careful.

One day she discovers she's pregnant. She tried her best not to get pregnant and fooling around with these boys. Look at the scare. What do people say? What do my parents say? What do my neighbors say?

Nowadays it has become very common so it's not such a shame. But 2000 years ago it was almost unheard of. A good girl brought up in a house to become pregnant. Immediately Mary thought what will happen to me?

Nobody believed that the Holy Spirit came on me. My whole name will be spoiled in the village. I've lived such a good life and my name is spoiled in the village. She could have said. No Lord, that's too much for me to bear.

Do you think God would have forced her? Never. God never forces anybody. Angel would have said, okay Mary, I'll tell God you're not ready, you're not willing. Do you think what she would have missed? That's because she didn't want to bear the shame.

There is a shame even today, giving birth to the body of Jesus Christ. You know, when we started CFC in Bangalore 40 years ago, every denomination in India hated us. Because some people from their groups were coming to our church.

Not only me, even from those churches, the teachers in the school were troubling my children also. They were saying, Dad, I'm fed up of being in this school. They're just troubling me unnecessarily. Because people from that teacher's church were coming to our church.

You can't have the body of Christ without pain and misunderstanding. I said, fine. That's what Mary went through. None of us would like to have an easy, comfortable feeling of the body without any shame, without any ridicule.

Why does God look for a woman who is like Mary? She's willing to bear the shame. Not only that, you know the story, they went to Bethlehem and she had to ride on this donkey all the way. It's like driving on bad roads.

And she reached Bethlehem. They exhausted. You know, it's about 80 -100 kilometers. Can you think of a pregnant woman going 800 kilometers on a donkey, 100 kilometers on a donkey to rough terrain? In the ninth month, just a day before delivery.

And you reach the other end of Bethlehem. Why do they go to Bethlehem? Because Joseph's relatives are there. And there's no room. What do you think the average wife would say? Some of your wives, you know what they would say.

What will the average wife say? No, you're all spiritual, you won't say that. You won't say that. But let's take some of those other wives out. Let's see. Why you couldn't make some arrangement for me?

Don't you know I'm pregnant? You could have told in advance to make a room for me. What type of husband are you? I said none of you, but some other time. Can you imagine Jesus being born to a woman who's complaining like this about her husband and the baby is being born?

19 year old girl comes no place for delivery. There's a cow shed with all the dung and animals. Here's this 19 year old girl saying to her husband, Joseph is more worried. Don't worry Joseph. God is in control.

God has chosen that I should deliver my baby in a cow shed. Let it be that. That was her attitude and that's why God chose such a woman to deliver the baby. Only such people he chooses today to build the body of Christ.

No complaints, whatever God deals with them. All this can be summed up in one statement that Mary said to the angel. Listen to the second sentence and never forget it in all your life. Luke 1 .38. Here I am the bond slave of the Lord.

Let it be done to me whatever you have planned. You plan for me to get shame in the village? Because nobody will believe that I got this through the Holy Spirit. Let it be done to me like that. You plan that I should deliver in a cow shed with all those dirty cows and donkeys?

Let it be done to me like that. You plan that I should travel 90 kilometers on rough road the day before delivery? On a donkey? If it is to give birth to the body of Christ? Let it be done to me like that.

If God finds people like that today, He will build the body of Christ today also. It is very difficult for Him to find such people. The world is full of people who murmur and complain and the slightest inconvenience.

Freedom from Grumbling and Complaining

Where in the world will God build the body of Christ? See Philippians in chapter 2. What is the proof that we are children of God? Many people say I accept your Christ. But listen to this. Philippians 2 14 Do everything without grumbling and complaining.

Why? Because verse 15 that is how you prove that you are a child of God. Have you ever read that verse? Somebody ask you how do you know you are a child of God? Most people say I accepted Christ 35 years ago.

What about giving this answer? How do you know you are a child of God? Now I never murmur or complain about anything. Once upon a time I used to murmur and complain about Those days I was not a child of God.

Now I know I am a child of God. Because I don't complain or murmur about anything. I am quoting the scripture that you may prove that you are blameless innocent children of God. Because the world is full of murmuring and grumbling and complaining.

That makes the world full of darkness. But it says in this verse in the midst of this darkness there are some lights. Verse 15 How are they lights? In the midst of a world full of darkness there are some people who don't murmur or complain.

Sometimes when I am travelling in a plane at night over some deserted areas, you look down and you see one light. It's all dark. There is one house with a light. And some more miles away there is a house with a light.

It's not a city. It's a deserted area. Here and there there is somebody else. And I think this is how God sees the world. This is a world where everybody is complaining and murmuring about something or the other everyday.

Even Christians go and sing in Sunday morning and then come home and murmur and complain. And it's all heaven. God sees it all as darkness. But on earth people think it's normal. There are people who live in the slums in absolute filth.

We go there and we don't even want to stay five minutes. But for them it's normal. They live there, sleep there. They sleep there. But the world full of murmuring, complaining, grumbling is normal for them.

They live in that slum. But in the midst of it there is a light. One person. One home. Where there is no murmuring. No grumbling. No complaining. Only giving thanks. One light. Then you travel another thousand miles, another light.

There are not so many. So when God sees the world He sees it like this. Full of darkness. I'm just quoting verse 14 and 15. Some lights over the lights those who do all, verse 14, all things without grumbling and complaining.

They complain once in a while the light is gone. But there are some people who do everything without grumbling and complaining. Have you seen this verse before? Like I said yesterday. Brother Jack, I never saw this.

It was in the Bible all these years. I said because you read so quickly and close the Bible and go on and do something else. It's better to stop at one verse and meditate on it before you go on. It will change your life.

I also read in haste in the olden days. It never changed my life. As I began to take scripture seriously. But then you see it's so difficult brother in this world to live without grumbling. I just mean my nature from childhood.

I agree. It's the nature of all of us. Including me. But God changed me and He changed you. The answer is in verse 13. God is at work in you to make you desire and do what He wants. God is at work to make you desire and do what He wants.

What does He want? He wants, verse 14, that you should do everything without grumbling and complaining. And when you say that's difficult, God says, I know that. That's why I'm going to work in you and make you do it.

So, He gives the answer in verse 13 before giving the command. I know you will say this is impossible. That's why I tell you in the previous verse, I will do this in you. What does it mean to will and to work?

That means, first of all, I give you a desire. Live a life where you never complain or grumble. I have a feeling God has already given all of you that desire. Live all your life without grumbling or complaining.

Now you have to believe that God will do the second thing also. He will not only make you will, but actually work it out. God gives me the desire, gives me the ability. What do I have to do now? I'm not a robot.

Do you know what a human being is? It is programmed with the computer. If God had made Adam like a robot, I can picture how Adam would be. He would walk up to the tree of knowledge of good and evil and walk around somewhere else.

Never sin. Because it is programmed. God didn't make man like that. He didn't make you and me like that. So when He says God will make me will and work, He doesn't make me a robot that I automatically never grumble or complain.

I have to cooperate. That's why it says in verse 12 you must work out this salvation with fear and trembling because God is working inside you. Salvation from what? Verse 14. Salvation from grumbling and complaining.

Have you seen these verses? Absolutely liberating. Can you imagine what your home will be like if there is not a single day when anyone is grumbling or complaining about anything? Absolutely heaven on earth.

You will always find something good in everything. Maybe one day your wife didn't make breakfast in time for you to go to work. Praise the Lord. God saw I love food so much He wants me to fast this morning.

Thank you so much. Very good work. Happy man. Too much salt in the food? Yeah, I thought my blood pressure is going a bit low inside. No complaining. In everything praise the Lord. That is the mark of a spiritual person.

Being Filled with the Holy Spirit

A lot of people say I speak in tongues. I am not against tongues I speak in tongues myself. But I also believe God doesn't give it to everybody. If you read 1 Corinthians 12 God makes one an apostle a prophet a teacher another speaking in tongues.

Is everybody an apostle he says? If you read 1 Corinthians 12 the last few verses is everybody a prophet? Does everybody have a gift of healing? And do all speak in tongues? That is so clear. And yet there are people who say everybody is an apostle.

That is like saying everybody must be an apostle. Read 1 Corinthians 12 Verse 28, 29, 30. The answer is there. So what is the mark of being filled with the Spirit? Do you know that in the entire Bible there is only one verse where there is a command be filled with the Holy Spirit.