Seeking God for Power - Coming to an End of Ourselves — Zac Poonen

Coming to the End of Human Strength

Before we go to prayer, to wait upon the Lord, I would like to read from, first of all, a very familiar verse in Isaiah, in chapter 40. Isaiah 40, it says in verse 30, verse 29, He gives power to the tired and worn out and strength to the weak.

Like we sing in that song, when we have exhausted our store of endurance, when our strength has failed before the day is half done, and when we reach the end of our hoarded resources, our Father's full giving has only begun.

So, God waits until we come to the end of ourselves, before He gives. He never delivered the Israelites from Egypt, till they had come to such a place of desperate need, where they not only had to make bricks, they were not even given the straw to make bricks.

It was a desperate situation. That's the time God came. It's always like that, that God meets with people when they come to a place of desperation, when they have come to a place where there is no other way out.

God Makes a Way When Human Resources End

Like the children of Israel, when they came to the Red Sea, there was no way out. And that's when God made a way for them through the Red Sea. And we see also, when Jesus came to meet the disciples who had gone fishing, they went maybe seven o 'clock in the evening, and it says Jesus came and met with them early in the morning, maybe four or five o 'clock in the morning.

And He knew they were not going to catch fish. Why didn't He come earlier? It's because they had not come to an end of themselves. If He had come at midnight, they hadn't given up trying. At midnight they were still trying.

Two o 'clock in the morning they were still trying. But when it was five o 'clock, they were just about ready to pack up and give up and say it's hopeless. And that's the time it says the Lord came and met with them on the shore and said, cast your net on the right side and you'll find your boat full.

That's a message that comes right through scripture and we need to understand what God is trying to say to us through that. You take the story of Lazarus, that when Jesus heard that he was sick, he didn't go.

Because a sick man has still got some strength left in him. But when he sank and sank and sank and died. And then dead so thoroughly he was put in the grave for four days and he was beginning to stink.

That means even the body had started rotting away. Then He came. It's always like that. He waits till we have come to an end of ourselves. It's like that in the marriage of Cana. He knew the wine would run out but he didn't produce the wine till they had finished.

And in our own life also, God waits till the wine of our own effort and ability, resources runs out, we become dry and then the Lord comes. And when we think of that verse in Isaiah 30 which says that the Lord waits on high.

The Holy Spirit Has Already Been Poured Out

What is He waiting for? He is not waiting because He is reluctant to give us the Spirit. No. We don't have to pray today, Lord send the Spirit. That's a wrong prayer. It's two thousand years too late to pray, Lord send the Spirit.

That's like praying, Lord send Jesus to die for our sins. Have you ever heard anybody praying, Lord please send Jesus to die for our sins. I mean it is as stupid a prayer as to say, Lord send the Spirit to the earth.

The Spirit is already poured out upon the earth. But upon us? Yeah, that we can pray. The Spirit will be poured out upon us and we might be filled. But He has already come to the earth, He is already being poured out from heaven.

He is already in the earth. But we have to open ourselves and we have to come to the end of ourselves before He will meet. If He sees that we are sick, He will wait. When we have died and the stench has started coming out, and it is hollow depths, that we have really given up all hope of ever being able to come to a life of victory, of ever being able to catch fish, of ever being able to serve the Lord, of ever being able to do anything for God.

At that point, when we are about to give up, is the time when the Lord stands on the shore and tells us to cast the net on the other side. And you will find a multitude of fish waiting to fill our lives.

The boat was filled, the net was filled and our hearts can be filled. So throughout scripture we learn that lesson. It says here, He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak. When we are tired and worn out, He gives strength to the weak.

That's verse 29. Verse 30, Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up. See, young men are people who have a lot of energy. They can run, they can fight, they can do so many things, but they will also give up.

Exchanging Human Strength for God's Strength

Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew or exchange their strength. Exchange their own human strength for God's strength. Isn't that a good exchange? It's like some millionaire walking down the street and telling a beggar, sitting in the corner with his tin can, shall we exchange our wealth?

You give me what's in your tin can and I'll give you what's in my bank. I mean, person's got to be an idiot not to take that exchange. That's what it means. They that wait upon the Lord shall exchange their strength.

Say, Lord, I'm tired and worn out. Jesus said, come to me all those who are weary and heavy laden, those who are fed up, those who are disgusted with themselves, those who are sick and tired of themselves.

There is an invitation that comes out this evening from the throne of grace to all people who are sick and tired of themselves, to all people who are fed up with themselves. And how do you know you are fed up with yourself?

Well, one mark is you don't have a complaint against anybody else. I can guarantee my brother, sister, if you have one smell, just a smell, a trace, of a complaint or a grudge against another human being, you are not sick and tired of yourself yet.

Maybe you are a little bit sick and tired, but not really sick and tired of yourself, because you are sick and tired of yourself up to a certain point, but you are also sick and tired of somebody else.

Yeah. I want to be in the place where I'm sick and tired of nobody but myself. I am not sick and tired of anybody. I can testify that before God's face. There is no human being in the world I'm sick and tired of, but I'm pretty sick and tired of myself.

And so if I keep myself there, I know I have an open door to come to Jesus anytime. Anytime. He invites me. Come to me all you who are sick and tired of yourself. You see why so often we cannot come to Jesus?

Because we don't qualify. We don't qualify. You know when you want to enter a college, even in the kindergarten they have interviews now. You have to qualify. Do you qualify? Otherwise you are rejected.

And to come to Jesus also, if you want to join some big institute of engineering or something, you have to qualify. You can't just walk in and say, I'd like to be here. We'd like to be there, but you've got to qualify brother.

That's what they tell you. You've got to qualify. Otherwise you can't come in. All those here are those who qualified. And the Lord says, you've got to qualify, otherwise you can't come. The qualification is, are you sick and tired of yourself?

Or are you sick and tired of your husband, or wife, or neighbor, or brother, or sister, or somebody else? Yeah, then you don't qualify. But if you have tried, and tried, and tried, and tried, and failed, and failed, and failed, and failed, and failed, and failed, and given up, you've tried all night and caught nothing, just been defeated, you qualify.

Provided you are broken and humble about it, and provided you have not given up faith. There are three categories of people. There are those who are proud and self-confident. There are lots of people in the world like that.

Lots of believers also. They don't qualify. Capable, qualified, in their own eyes, is not qualified before God to come to Jesus. And then there is another category of people who are sick and tired of themselves.

They also don't qualify. But there is a third category of people who are sick and tired of themselves and who trust God also. Lord, even though I am good for nothing, even though I am a total failure, I trust You that You can still do something with me.

That is the quality of people, the quality which God looks for. Not just that I am sick and tired of myself. There are a lot of believers like that. We are, I am pretty rotten, I am useless, I am a failure.

They have no faith that God can do anything with them. Nothing will happen with them. So remember, there are three categories of people. One, those who are proud and self-confident. And the other, those who are sick and tired of themselves and both will never find the way into the kingdom.

But, those who are really recognize their total failures in life and they say, Yet Lord, I believe that You came for total failures. I believe You came for people who are thoroughly defeated. If you can have that faith this evening, God can do wonders for you.

But if you are only moaning and groaning that you are such a failure and you are defeated and you keep feeling sorry for yourself that you are such a sinner and you are rotten. No, that's not enough. Jesus didn't say, All those who moan and groan, come to me.

Those who are sick and tired of themselves and who have faith to come to Him. Who when He says, Come to Me, come. Not those who stay far away and say, Oh Lord, I am a failure. No. But those who say, I am a failure but I am going to come.

Do you have that faith? How many of us have that faith to say, I am a failure but I am going to come. Because Jesus invites such people. According to your faith, be it unto you. In many, many situations I can testify.

When I look back over the years of my life and where I feel I failed the Lord, I have come to Him and said, Lord, I don't claim that I have not failed You. I have failed You. But, I am going to come. Because You invite such people like me to come.

And I have found the blessing of the Lord upon my life. I have found He has brought me to rest. I have found the fulfillment of that scripture which says, Those who wait upon the Lord shall exchange their strength.

Because He gives power to those who are tired and worn out. And strength to the weak. So, the youth shall be exhausted. The young men will give up. Yeah, that will happen. Zealous people will give up.

But, if you wait on the Lord, you won't give up. You will exchange your strength for God's. What is the fullness of the Spirit? It's God's strength. I will exchange it. And I will renew it. And we need to renew it because even if God has met with us once, we need to renew.

It's like food, you know. You can't live on yesterday's food or last week's food. Even the manna, they had to get it every day from heaven. You couldn't live on yesterday's manna. It had to be renewed.

Strength had to be renewed. Every day, renewed, renewed, renewed. Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. What shall they do? They shall mount up with wings like eagles. Wonderful, that's the life God wants all of us to live.

Running Faithfully Without Emotional Excitement

Brothers and sisters, to mount up with wings like eagles, not to be earthbound, but to, if there are mountains in the way, to fly over those mountains, that we will not stand in our way, that we shall not be depressed and discouraged because of that mountain or obstacle in the way, but like eagles we will go over them.

That's God's will for you. You qualify, brothers, sisters, if you are sick and tired of yourself alone and sick and tired of nobody else. Come unto me, the Lord says, all those who are sick and tired of yourself alone and sick and tired of nobody else.

He will give you strength to mount like wings of eagles and wings like eagles and you will run and not be weary. That's a wonderful thing. When you think of these people who run 26 miles, a marathon race, they run and run and run, their legs pain but they don't give up and they continue.

And the Lord says, you'll continue. Year after year after year after year, you will run. Many people can run only when they have exciting experiences. They like to have thrilling experiences. They like to have emotional experiences where they get thrilled and excited.

Then they can run. But, a man of God is one who can run when there are no exciting experiences. Paul was in jail for many years of his life. There was no meeting even, no Bible. He was, no emotional experiences, only the hard cold cell of that jail and he was steady.

And when you can, God will give you strength to be steady in the ordinary routine of life. You know, emotional prayer meetings can be very exciting. But those who live from one emotional prayer meeting to another emotional prayer meeting are not really growing up to be men of God.

Men and women of God are those who can live faithful to God, run when there is nothing exciting. Do the daily routine of life with joy, filled with the Holy Spirit, with no complaint. Youth will faint, but they will run.

Those who wait on the Lord will run and not be weary. They will walk and they will not faint. They'll never give up. And they'll finish the race with joy when Jesus comes. They will be there to meet Him in the air because they would have finished the race.

They wouldn't fall by the wayside. They wouldn't be distracted by all the temptations on both sides of the road. They've got their eyes on Jesus. Their heart is taken up with devotion to Him who died for them.

The Cross, Sin, and the Body of Christ

Last Sunday when we were singing that song, Amazing, no, not Amazing Grace, and can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour's blood? Died He for me who caused His pain? I thought of that. Did you think of it?

I caused His pain? Have you ever felt that you caused Jesus pain? We thought it was the Roman soldiers who nailed Him and caused Him pain. Died He for me who caused Him pain? Who caused His pain? Who caused it?

I was the cause of His pain. My sin was the cause of His pain. And then it goes on to say, For me who Him to death pursued. Picture that in your mind. The people chasing Jesus to Calvary. Come on. Come on.

Carry the cross. Pick it up. Take it up there. Stretch out your hands. Let me put the nail in. For me who pursued Him to death. We got to have eyes to see that. I believe there are few believers who have seen that.

That we pursued Him to death. I have more light on that when I understand that I also have to be crucified with Christ. And in every temptation where I do not choose to die to myself, I am pursuing Him to death.

Even today. You see, either I die or Christ dies today. It says about those who crucify the Son of God afresh. In Hebrews 6. How can we crucify the Son of God afresh? Not physically. Nobody can touch Him now.

But there are people it says in Hebrews 6 who are crucifying the Son of God afresh. How is that? That is when we refuse to be crucified ourselves. Supposing I have a difficulty with a brother. And I am evil towards him.

Or I have a bad attitude towards him. Even if I am cordial on the outside. What am I doing? I am refusing to die myself. I am refusing to be crucified myself in that situation. He may be wrong. He may be 100 wrong.

It makes no difference. I still have no right to crucify Him. Because when I crucify Him, I crucify the Lord. What did Jesus mean when He said, Inasmuch as you did it to the least of these my brothers.

What is the rest of the verse? You did it to me. Inasmuch as you spoke evil about the least of these my brothers. You spoke evil of? Have you understood that? Inasmuch as you desired something bad to happen to the least of these my brothers.

You desired that something bad should happen to? Me. Who has seen that? Ya, when we see that. It will really change our attitude to one another. We need to meditate on these scriptures. That the way I treat the youngest and the weakest and the poorest of God's children.

And particularly those of God's children who are not able to hit back. You know, some of God's children are pretty strong with Adam's strength. That even if you hit them, they know how to hit back. Well, they can take care of themselves.

What I mean is, if you say something about them, they know how to say ten things against you. They can handle you. But I am not talking about such people. They can defend themselves. I am talking about the defenseless.

I am talking about those who don't know what to say. When you say something about them. Who are dumb. Who are weak. Who don't know how to speak evil about you when you do something to them. Those are the least among God's people.

And God has a special care for them. The widows and the strangers and the fatherless and the helpless. He has a special care for them. Who have no strength in themselves. To defend themselves. Who are weak.

Seeing Christ in Fellow Believers

Not in the Old Testament. He spoke about the stranger. And the widow and the fatherless. The application in the New Testament is Weak. That I am weak. I am weak in myself. I don't know how to speak back.

I don't know how to hit back. I know how to be quiet. In as much as you do something bad to the least and the weakest of my brothers or sisters. The Lord says. In the final day you will discover. You did it to me.

That's a pretty serious thing. Me who pursued him to death. I never pursued Jesus to death. I want to ask you whether you pursued any brother. In the church to death. Did you pursue any sister to death?

Then you pursued Jesus to death. Then you were with that crowd. Shouting to Jesus. Pick up the cross now. Come on. Pursuing Jesus to death. Because you did that in his body. You know the Bible says. How we can take part in the Lord's table.

The breaking of bread. And not discern the body. That means. I harm a brother. And I don't realize that I'm harming the body of Jesus. You know who was the one who. Among all the apostles who had a revelation on the body of Christ.

As the church is the body of Christ. And who spoke about it more than all the other apostles. Who was that? Who? Paul speaks about the body of Christ more than anybody else. Where did he get that revelation of the body first?

On the road to Damascus. When he heard a voice from heaven saying. Saul, Saul. Why are you persecuting me? That was the beginning of his revelation of the body of Christ. He said Lord you. I have never persecuted you.

Then he got a revelation. That all those people whom he had been pursuing to death. Were actually the body of Christ. And oh how he repented. And he decided that that body which he had persecuted. He would build from now on.

And Saul of Tarsus became a new man. How many of us will take that decision? That that body of Christ. Which we have harmed. And hurt. And wished evil against. Because they were not like us. Some brother or sister didn't exactly.

Fit in with our idea. Of how a brother or sister should be. You know all of us are so strong in ourselves. That we have certain ideas and opinions. How another brother or sister should be. They should be like this.

And when they are not like that. We pull back a little. Some we pursue to death. Some we just. Our act cold towards. And one day we will hear the Lord say. In as much as you were cold towards the least of these my brothers.

You were cold towards me. And we will say Lord when was that? When were we cold towards you? Have we seen the body? Or are we still blind to the body of Christ? It's possible dear brothers and sisters that.

We are blind. We don't have our eyes open. Maybe we see dimly like that man. Who could see men like trees walking. And we need to ask the Lord to touch us afresh. So that we can see the body. That when I touch the body I touch Christ.

When I touch the brothers and sisters who are so weak. And maybe so foolish. And who have so many limitations. But whom Jesus has still accepted for the glory of God. That I touch the body of Christ there.

If I do good to them. I do good to Christ. That also he will say. When we say Lord I don't remember doing any good to you. And he will say oh yes I remember how you did good there. To that least one of my brothers.

And sometimes when you did not even. Could not did not have the opportunity to do good. At least you wished good. That itself is something. Sometimes we don't have the opportunity. But we wish good. Wonderful.

If we can be like that. Shall we change our way brothers and sisters. Shall we like Saul of Tarsus see Jesus. In our midst this evening. And hear him saying to us. My child calling you by name. Brother, sister what is your name.

He calls you by your name Saul, Saul. Why are you persecuting me. Why are you harassing me. Why are you troubling me. Why do you have a wrong attitude towards me. The Lord is saying. Why do you have a grudge against me the Lord says.

You say Lord I don't have a grudge against you. The Lord says oh yes you do. You do have a grudge against me. Can you say no you don't. Can you stand before Jesus and say. No Lord I don't have a grudge against you.

Be honest. I pray the Holy Spirit will show us our sin. The seriousness of it. The seriousness of hurting the Lord. And that we shall repent. And mourn and weep. And say Lord what I need is a fresh revelation.

Of the body of Christ. See what Jesus body is really like. I thought they were just brothers and sisters. I see they are your body. I thought they were just difficult brothers and sisters. No they are the body of Christ.

Seeking the Lord Through Repentance

And so. Let's turn to the book of Hosea. And chapter 10. Verse 12. Hosea 10 verse 12. In the middle of that verse it says. Plow the hard ground of your hearts. What does it say. Plow the hard ground of your hearts.

For now is the time to seek the Lord. That he may come and reign. Salvation and righteousness upon you. Now is the time to seek the Lord brothers and sisters. Just like the rain can come only when the ground is plowed.

Plow the ground. There is one meaning to that word. Plow the ground. The hard ground of your hearts. That means break it. Break those hard clods. Repent. Mourn. Of wrong attitudes. Of unrighteousness.

Turn. Turn from all that you know to be sin in your life. All financial matters. They are sinful. All impurity. Of every sort. Plow the hard ground. Turn. All unrighteousness. Turn. All impurity. All lack of love.

All hardness. The loss of your first love. That fervent devotion that you had for Christ once upon a time. Where Jesus Christ was everything to you. Where you desired nothing on earth but him. Now other things on earth become more important.

Repent of that. Plow the hard ground of your hearts. Repent of impurity. Is there impurity in your life? Repent of it, brother, sister. Turn. Plow the hard ground. Don't pursue Jesus to death. You can pursue Jesus to death with your impurity.

Crucify the Son of God afresh. Have you turned back to your vomit? Maybe years ago you vomited out something. Maybe last year when God met with you. It was exactly a year ago. When we have prayer meetings like this.

And God met with some of us. Many of us, I believe. And at that time we vomited out certain things. We decided to get rid of certain things from which were inside us. Bad things. Things which we did not want to digest.

We threw it out. Vomited it out. Good. What's happened now? Have you gone back to those things you vomited a year ago? Then the proverb is fulfilled. The dog has turned to his own vomit. It is better for such people that they had never known the Lord.

Than to know Him and turn from righteousness. Brother, sister. Let's stir one another up. Let's seek God. Let's wait on Him. Let's plough up that hard ground of our hearts. And then seek the Lord. How long shall we seek Him?

We shall seek Him until He comes and rains righteousness upon us. Yeah, I want to do that. To wait upon the Lord until He comes and rains righteousness upon us. Praise the Lord. That we can do that. It is God's will to pour out the latter rain upon us.

To pour out the Spirit. Let's come to Him with faith. And say, Lord, I want to trust You. I want to be open to You as we wait on the Lord. Let's come with a heart that's open in faith. You know the Bible says, As many as received Him, To them He gave the power to become the children of God, Even to those who believe on His name.

Which means, believing is the same as receiving. Jesus said, if anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. That is to open your mouth. Open your mouth, brother, sister. And drink. He who has no money, come to the waters.

It's free. Everyone who is thirsty, let him come. And the Spirit and the bride are both saying, come. And he who is thirsty, let him come. And drink from the living waters that are flowing from God's throne.

You don't have to fulfill any conditions. If you are sick and tired of yourself and of nobody else, You have already fulfilled. You are already qualified. Come and drink. Open your mouth now. That means open your heart.

The mouth is in the heart. Open it. To receive that water. And say, Lord. Picture that in your mind, you know. How you open your mouth to receive a mouthful of a waterfall coming down from some mountain.

How refreshed you feel standing under that waterfall. And say, Lord, that's what I want now in my heart. I want to open my heart to You. And stand under that waterfall that was poured out on the day of Pentecost.

Because Jesus Christ died. He has purchased the Holy Spirit for us. Because He has gone up to the right hand of the Father. He has poured out the Holy Spirit. I say, Lord, I don't have to qualify. I don't need anything else.

I just come as a needy person. As a thirsty person who is in need. Occupied only with myself and with Jesus. I am not thinking of anybody else. During this time that we wait on the Lord. I, for my part, I don't want to think about anybody else.

I want to think about myself and the Lord. Then I know I will be a blessing to the others. I don't want to think about anybody in a negative way. That's what I mean. Nobody. I don't want any day such a thought comes.

If I find that I have a negative attitude towards someone that the Holy Spirit reminds me of. While I am on my knees, I want to confess it. And forsake it. Or if the Lord reminds me on my knees. That I have lost my first love.

I want to forsake it. Whatever the Lord reminds you when you are on your knees. Confess it. Some impurity. Confess it. Some love of money. Some pursuit of something earthly. Confess it. Forsake it. Break the hollow ground.

And say, Lord, I want to open my heart. I want to be filled. I want the things of heaven to be more important to me. Than the things of earth. I want to be alert. To the things of eternity. I want the fire to burn in my heart.

I want the coldness, the lukewarmness to be driven out. I pray there will be hunger and thirst in our hearts. That God will see. This evening. In all of our hearts. A great desperate longing. For purity.

For love. For goodness. To be more like Jesus. And deeply repent. Of all the things that you vomited that you went and ate back again. Vomited out again. And say, Lord, give me one more chance. I never want to go back to this again.

Think, dear brother, sister. If there are things that you vomited out. And stir yourself up from that sluggishness. There are people here who should have been spiritual fathers by now. Who are spiritual babies.

There are people here who should have been spiritual mothers by now. Who are spiritual babies. There are people here who should have been a blessing to others. Helped others. Been concerned about others.

Who are only occupied with themselves. Is that the way it should be? Rivers of living water should flow out from us. To bless others around us. Strengthen others. Challenge others. Encourage others. But it's not flowing.

It's all clogged up. For myself. Well, let's repent of that self-centeredness. Selfishness. And seek God with all our hearts. Say, Lord, whatever you revealed to me. Break. I want to come back to my first love.

I want the fire of God to burn in my heart. Jesus said, when the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth? That is in Luke 18 verse 8. And that is in the context of asking and then giving up.

Because I didn't get when I asked the first time. Or I didn't get when I asked the 10th time. Or I didn't get when I asked the 100th time. What is the mark of faith here? In the parable Jesus spoke about the widow.

Persistent Prayer and Waiting on God

That went to this judge. In verse 2 and 3 of Luke 18. And she was being harassed by an enemy. It's a picture of the way the church and the weak believers are harassed by Satan. The widow is a picture of a weak person.

They keep on asking and it looks as if the answer has not come. But she kept on going. Even though this was such a godless man. And so finally he answered her and gave her justice. Because she persisted.

And the Lord said in verse 7, shall not God bring about justice for his elect? And the one mark of his elect is they cry to him day and night. It doesn't mean just one day and night. I think it means many days and nights.

Now if you ask me, why doesn't God answer our prayer when we just ask him once? I don't know all the answer to that. You know like with earthly fathers. The father's son doesn't have to keep on asking his father for bread.

Before the father gives him bread. It's just once. In fact very often without even asking the mother has put the breakfast on the table. These human illustrations are all limited. But I can think of one or two reasons.

One is we don't value anything that we get cheaply. It's a fact. You look around in your house. What are the things you keep under lock and key? Only those things which you have paid a price for. You don't put old newspapers inside the steel cupboard and lock them up.

Lest anybody steal them. Because what are old newspapers worth? It's what you have paid a price for that you value. And I think that's one reason why God allows us to seek. The ordinary things like food and drink which don't have any eternal value.

We get almost without even asking. Most of us didn't pray today give us this day our daily bread and we still got it. Those things don't have any value. But the things that really have value. God allows us to seek.

Because the more we seek and the more we wait on him. The more we value whatever we receive when we receive it. That's one reason. I think another reason why God allows us to cry day and night like it says here is.

So that during that period. We get more light on ourselves. You know the more we wait on God. The more we cry to him. We get a little more light. I myself got a little more light yesterday. On what it means to persecute the body of Christ.