Young People You Can Overcome Sin and Satan — Zac Poonen

The Call to Follow Jesus Beyond Numbers

Dear brothers and sisters, I'm very happy to see so many of you, but you know Jesus was never excited about numbers, and in my service for the Lord, particularly in the last 48 years since we started CFC Churches, and now there are about 100 of them around the world in many countries, I have never been excited about numbers.

That is one part of my following Jesus as his servant. Jesus was never excited about numbers. Whenever he saw a large crowd, when you get time, you read two chapters. You can remember Luke chapter 14, John chapter 6.

Two chapters where you read huge crowds, and by the time you come to the end of those chapters, the crowds have dwindled. In John chapter 6, from 10 ,000 people it came down to 12 people, of which one was a deceiver.

So, I see something there that Jesus, what do I learn from that? The world emphasizes quantity, numbers. Churches speak about, we've got so many people in our church. We are expanding our church. Now we have 6 ,000, 10 ,000, 20 ,000.

I tell you something, heaven is not excited with that, and so I'm not excited either because Jesus looked for disciples. When he wanted to spread his message to the whole world through many, now 20 centuries, and when he wanted to change thousands of people in these 20 centuries, you know whom he selected?

Uneducated fishermen. How old were they? 70, 80 years old? No, they were 30 years old. Young, uneducated people were the ones he chose to be his disciples. I think the only one among them who would have qualified for a postgraduate degree would have been Judas Iscariot.

He was the cleverest, and you know what happened to him. There, Jesus taught us right from the beginning of his ministry, I'm not looking for clever people. He emphasized humility more than cleverness, and that is a tragedy in a lot of Christendom today, a lot of preachers and churches.

They emphasize numbers, they emphasize theological education, and they emphasize clever presentation of sermons so different from Jesus Christ. I was converted when I was 19 and a half years old, which is younger, around the same age as perhaps many of you, or even younger, much younger, but that's not the first time I asked Jesus to come into my heart.

My father was a born-again Christian from before I was born, and so he would send us to a good Sunday school, and so I must have asked Jesus to come into my heart the first time when I was probably 13.

I don't know, but I do know that between the ages of 13 and 19, I must have asked Jesus to come into my heart so many times, because we used to go for meetings, and we had preachers who stayed in our house, and whenever they asked Jesus to come to their heart, I would say, Lord, come to my heart, but I was never sure, because my life did not change.

I did not have any spectacular experience. Now, I've been a Christian now for 64 years and more, and in all these 64 years, let me tell you, I've never seen any light from heaven. I've never had any shivering in my body.

I've never had what they call these supernatural physical experiences, but yet I know Jesus more intimately than I know any human being, more intimately than I know my own wife. Jesus is real to me. How does that happen without so many people talk about visions and dreams, and you don't need all that.

Faith Without Physical Visions

I was tremendously blessed many, many years ago by one statement. Let me begin with this. In John's Gospel, in chapter 20, we read about Jesus appearing to his disciples after the resurrection, and when he came to see them the first time, it says in John 20, verse 24, Thomas, one of the disciples, was not with them, and they told him, hey, we have met Jesus, and he got so disappointed, and see how the Lord cares for those who miss out on something.

Eight days later, John 20, verse 26, this time, Thomas was with the disciples, and Jesus appeared. This time, it was especially for Thomas. I really love that, how Jesus cared for one person who missed out the first time.

Do some of you feel you're lonely, just one person? Read this passage, how Jesus cared for one person because he missed out the first time. He said, okay, I'll appear the second time just for the sake of Thomas, and just for your sake, the Lord will do something if you feel lonely and left out, and when he appeared the next time, Thomas fell down and said, Lord, my Lord and my God, John 20, verse 28, and these are the words that blessed me, John 20, verse 29.

They have blessed me through all these many years. Jesus told Thomas, you have believed because you have seen me, but more blessed than you are those who have not seen me and believed, and I said, Lord, I've never seen you face to face.

I've never seen you physically. I don't even know what you look like. There are so many paintings of Jesus. I don't believe he looks like any of them. He's a million times much better than all those paintings we have seen of Jesus.

We'll be so surprised when we see him that he doesn't look like any of the paintings you saw. So I said, Lord, I've never seen you, but you said in this word that those who don't see and believe are more blessed than those disciples who saw you after the resurrection.

I said, I'm so thankful. I am more blessed according to John 20, verse 29, than those 12 disciples and even the apostle Paul who saw Jesus face to face. I have many times wanted to see Jesus. I said, Lord, will you appear to me?

And in all these 64 years, he did not grant that request. And I know why. He wants me to be more blessed. That's what it says in this verse. Do you believe this word that if you don't see you're more blessed?

Most people can't understand that. Of course, I'll be blessed if I see Jesus face to face. I'll tell you, you'll be less blessed. I believe God's word. I've seen through many years that my human mind tells me something.

God's word tells me something else. I believe God's word. So that's where I want to begin. Don't look for some physical experience. I've never had a physical experience. I've never had a physical vision of Jesus, but I believe I'm more blessed than the apostles because I believe God's word.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. Let me turn to that verse, Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10 and verse 17. How does faith come? Faith does not come by visions. You think that if you see a vision of Jesus, your faith will be strong for the rest of your life.

Do you know that people who saw Jesus face to face were the ones who killed him? People who saw him do miracles were the ones who killed him. And some of those people who shouted crucify him, crucify him.

I wonder sometimes whether some of those people were blind people who got healed, who finally got brainwashed by the Pharisees to say crucify him. So seeing him face to face did not change the lives of many, many people.

But think through the years when you read the history of godly men in the last 2000 years, people have never seen Jesus face to face who are willing to sacrifice everything to serve him. I did not give up my job as a naval officer because I saw Jesus face to face.

It is in my heart and the conviction the Lord brings in the heart by the Holy Spirit is more real than what we see physically. Because what we see physically we can be deceived by. So many things we see and it is not really so.

Our eyes deceive us about many things. But what we see in our heart from the Holy Spirit, we can be more sure of that than what we see with our eyes. Our eyes deceive us about many things. Romans 10 17 says faith comes from hearing.

Hearing in the heart and hearing comes by the word of Christ. The word of Christ refers to the New Testament. So if you read the New Testament especially, read the whole Bible definitely, but from the New Testament especially if you read, faith comes.

And that is the most important thing to be able to come in touch with God. One more verse Hebrews 11 and verse 6. I believe all of you who are listening to me you want to please God. And if you want to please God first of all before anything else live a holy life.

Yes that is pleasing to God. Serve him that is pleasing to God. But before anything else it says here in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 6. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Please remember that all your life.

Without faith it is impossible to please God. I do not know why God has ordained it like that. God says my ways are not your ways. My thoughts are not your thoughts. So I humble myself and say Lord I do not know why you have said that without faith it is impossible to please you.

If you had said without a holy life it is impossible to please God I can understand that. But he says without faith it is impossible to please God. So I cannot live a holy life without faith. It will only be an external holiness like the holiness of Sanyasis and monks and others who have an external appearance of avoiding worldliness and all that.

But real holiness comes through faith. Please remember this. Everything valuable that you can have in your life comes through faith. And remember again what I read at the beginning. Those who have not seen and believed are more blessed than those who have seen.

Humility Over Education and Bible Knowledge

So the next thing I want to say is I told you earlier Jesus did not choose old mature people to be his disciples. He did not choose scholars. You know the greatest scholars in Jesus time were the Pharisees and the scribes.

The scribes were people who studied the scriptures. And these great scholars who could quote scripture were the ones who killed Jesus. That's how blind they were. If you had a Bible competition between Peter or James or John with the Pharisees the Pharisees would have won outright because they knew the Bible much better than Peter James and John.

Yet do you know what the Pharisees said about after studying the Bible so much for so many years when they actually saw Jesus this is what he said. I want you to turn to Matthew chapter 12. Matthew 12 22.

There was a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. It's rare to find a person who's both blind and deaf and can't speak. And this is only because he had a demon. And it says here Jesus healed him cast out the demon and that man could suddenly see his blindness disappeared he could also speak and hear.

And all the crowds said this is amazing this person must be the son of David the Messiah. But the Bible studied the Pharisees who had studied the Bible verse 24 they said no this man is the ruler of demons.

In other words this man is Satan. The people who studied the Bible most in the first century looked at Jesus and called him Satan. That shows how far astray Bible study can take you without the Holy Spirit.

And those simple people who lived there around him who had not studied the Bible so much they said this must be the promised Messiah which they call the son of David. So that we have we can learn a lesson from that today.

Today also there are so many great Bible scholars but they are not the greatest saints. They're not the holiest people. A lot of Bible scholars who go to Bible college and study so much their head is full of knowledge but they're not spiritual.

They don't lead people to godliness. One of the things I thank God for is that in my entire life I never went to any Bible college or Bible school even for one day. People told me when I left the Navy oh brother Zach you got to go to Bible school.

You know what I said? I said all the 12 disciples they never went to any Bible school. How did God use them to turn the world upside down? How did God use them to start a Christianity that has lasted for 2 ,000 years?

If they had gone to Bible school they'd have gone astray. And the other thing I noticed in my life is the authors the Christian authors who have blessed my life the most are people who've never been to a Bible school.

I've been tremendously blessed by in India by people like Brother Bakht Singh, Sadhu Sundar Singh and Watchman Me and Tozer and D .L. Moody. All these people never went to a Bible school. These are some great men.

Charles Finney they never went to a Bible school. They knew God. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. So I said Lord that's what I want. So I say that just to tell you that Bible knowledge will not make you spiritual.

We need the Bible to come to faith in Christ but mere Bible knowledge will not make you spiritual. The Holy Spirit must interpret that scripture to us and that's why when you come to the Bible let me show you one more thing in Matthew chapter 11 and verse 25.

I'm just trying to lay some foundational principles for you right from many of you are young from a young age if you can understand this you will not become spiritual by going to Bible school. Most probably you'll go astray.

I once went to the concluding graduation service of a Bible school in India. In fact the principal of that Bible school invited me to come and speak there saying I want my Bible school students to know how God can use a person who has never been to a Bible school.

Zach so you please come and speak and there I met the young boy who had come first in his class in the passing out class. He had just graduated. He was top of the class and he said he wanted to talk to me and I asked him yeah sure I'd be glad to talk to you and he said brother Zach I'm so defeated in my thought life.

I'm disturbed how can I overcome this. I said you came first in your class in the Bible school and you're still defeated in your thoughts. What did they teach you here? They taught him Greek and interpretations and all that but they never taught him how to overcome sin.

I said now you're going to be a pastor of a church hundred people those hundred people don't need to learn Greek. They need to learn how to overcome sin. Their husbands and wives need to learn how to live together without fighting with each other.

That's what they need to learn and if you have not learned that in a Bible school you have wasted your time here. So I had first-hand experience of someone who had gone to Bible school and got nothing out of it.

So I want to say this dear brothers and sisters don't think that you need a lot of education or you need a lot of money or any of those things to become a spiritual person. God wants every one of you to be spiritually minded and I want to try and share with you today how that can be.

In Matthew 11 he said in verse 25, Father Lord of heaven and earth I praise you that you've hidden these great truths from clever wise intelligent people. Are you one of those people who are proud of the fact that you're very clever?

You usually come in the top of the class in your school and college. Well I'm sorry to say that if you depend on that God will hide his truths from you and he reveals them to little babies. You know Bible truth is not like studying mathematics and science.

To study mathematics and science you need a good mind but when you want to study the Bible it's not a good mind that you need that's useful but that's not primary. It's a good heart of humility. So here it says God reveals.

Revelation is different from understanding through study. When you study mathematics or science you don't need spiritual revelation. You just need a good mind and you just study hard, spend a lot of time studying mathematical problems or scientific things and you understand it but when you come to the Bible you can read and read and read and read and read like the Pharisees and you can kill Jesus.

That's what the Pharisees did because it's not revealed. Truth is not revealed. Simon Peter, Jesus asked who do you say that I am and Simon Peter said you're the son of the living God and Jesus said you're blessed Simon.

You're just an ordinary fisherman but you've understood more than the Pharisees because my father in heaven revealed this to you. You read that in Matthew 16 verse 15 it came through revelation. There is a knowledge of Jesus that can come through studying.

The whole world talks about Jesus Christ but there is another knowledge of Jesus in your heart that comes through revelation of the Holy Spirit where you see Jesus in your heart and you don't see him with these eyes but you know him in your heart that changes your life and that is what happens when you're really born again.

Christ comes into your heart and you know he's there and only the Holy Spirit can assure you of that. I can't do that. That's what you must long for. That's why Jesus said to his disciples after he when he was ascending up to heaven he said don't start preaching already.

No you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. So when I read this verse Matthew 11 25 that God has revealed them these things to the infants but hidden them from the wise and intelligent. You know what I said to the Lord?

I said Lord unfortunately, unfortunately I am wise and intelligent. What to do? I did not make myself wise and intelligent. I was born with certain genes. I was born with a certain type of brain which I got from my parents and therefore I am an intelligent clever person.

What shall I do now? Am I not going to understand the truths because you hide them from the wise and the intelligent? I asked the Lord about it and I can't and the Lord said here in verse 25 you can have the mind of a baby if you want.

That means not intelligence wise but humility wise. Jesus once picked up a baby and said if you humble yourself like this child that's the greatest in God's kingdom. So I realized the important statement here is God reveals his truth to the humble.

So even if you're intelligent you can be humble. There are many clever intelligent people who are very humble and there are very uneducated people who are very proud. So the emphasis here is on humility.

Learning Humility and Gentleness From Jesus

Again that's what he went on to say in verse 29. Learn from me. Take my yoke and learn from me for I am gentle and humble. Do you know Jesus never told us to learn from him how to preach or how to do miracles?

A lot of people who want to learn those things. Lord how can I preach better? How can I do miracles like you? That's not what he told us to learn. What did he tell us to learn? You read the entire gospels there are only two things Jesus said you must learn from him.

Only two things not even the bible. He said learn from me humility and gentleness. A really godly Christian is one who is humble and gentle and the more Christ-like he is the more humble he'll be and the more gentle he'll be in dealing with people.

He'll be strict but he'll be gentle and humble. That does not mean he will not be firm against sin. Jesus and Paul preached strongly against sin. He called the Jesus called the Pharisees you generation of wipers you hypocrites strong words but he was gentle with the broken sinners broken-hearted sinners and once when he saw people making money in the name of God he took a whip and chased them out.

This is the humble gentle Jesus. Remember so don't get a human idea of humility and gentleness. It's a humble gentle Jesus who was not bothered about his reputation before men. That's the point a humble person is not bothered about his reputation before other people.

He's not seeking to get a reputation for humility. Are you trying to get a reputation to be a humble person humble brother humble sister? You're going in the wrong direction. You're a proud person. You're very proud because you're trying to get a reputation.

Oh I want to be known as a humble sister or a humble brother. That itself shows how proud you are. A truly humble person is not trying for a reputation before anybody. He wants to be humble before God.

If God gives him a certificate of humility that's enough for him. He'll be ready to take a whip and chase out in the church those who are seeking for money just like Jesus drove them out. He'll be in the church he like Jesus he'll say you hypocrites.

Yeah that's how humble people are. So we can so many we have got so many wrong ideas of humility. Think for example this verse in James chapter 4. You all believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and James this one who wrote the letter of James is the younger brother of Jesus and he was a very very godly man.

He was the leader of the church in Jerusalem in the early days recognized to be a very godly humble man and see how he talks to believers. He says to believers he's writing to believers in James in chapter 4.

He says in verse 4 James 4 for you adulteresses do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity toward God. Is that the way a humble person speaks? Is that the way a holy spirit speaks through anybody?

Do you believe this is the inspired word of God that in the inspired word of God a godly man like James writing to believers. He's writing to believers in fact throughout he's right from the second verse of James he says my brethren my brethren my brethren my brethren you adulteresses.

So I'm just trying to remove wrong ideas of humility. You see a person speaking gently softly in a meeting you think oh what a humble gentle person. The guy may be seeking honor like anything seeking honor for his humility.

So true humility I'll tell you what is the mark of true humility. I want to come to that now. If you are really humble the same James chapter 4 which I will be at go down to verse James chapter 4 and verse 6.

The mark of a truly humble person is God gives him grace. Not that he gets a reputation before others that other people say oh what a humble brother what a humble sister that's all garbage. Dear brothers and sisters if you want to be a disciple of Jesus let me tell you one thing.

Consider all the opinions of men as garbage right from a young age. Lord because when we are young you know we are so concerned about what do people think about me do they think I'm spiritual. It's garbage brother sister the opinions of men are fit for the trash can.

I understood that long ago it's one of the things that helped me from a very young age the opinions of men are fit for the trash can garbage. What does God think about me? Does God think I'm humble? That's the only thing that matters.

How will I know whether God thinks I'm humble or not? Here it says guaranteed test proof. Here's the proof. God gives grace to the humble. If I don't get grace from God whatever I may think of myself I am not humble in God's eyes.

The whole world may think I'm a humble brother. The whole world may think you're a humble sister but God does not think so because he does not give you grace. So the next question comes how can I know if humility is the most important thing?

We saw that in Matthew 11 Jesus said learn from me humility. You know this is one of the main things I want to teach young people. It's one of the things the Lord taught me as a young person. Learn humility.

Learn humility. Learn humility. That's when I asked the Lord how do I know whether I got humility? You'll get grace. So I'll come to that in a minute. How can I know whether I got grace? I can fool myself when I got grace.

That also the Lord gave me a clear answer in Romans chapter 6. In Romans chapter 6 you can here is the foolproof method. Guaranteed method by which you can know whether God has given you grace or not.

Whether you got the real grace of God or not. Romans 6 14. Let me read that verse like this. Sin shall not be master over you for you're not under law but under grace. Or put it the other way if you are really under grace sin will not have power over you.

To be under grace means grace is like an umbrella over your head. You're completely covered by the grace of God. What will happen? No sin will have power over you. You'll have victory over your anger.

Have you got victory over your anger? If you haven't go to God and say Lord somewhere I'm proud. Somewhere I'm proud. That's why I didn't get grace to get overcome anger. But here it says instead of sin put your particular sin.

Anger will not be master over you. Verse 14. Because you're under grace. Okay let's take another sin. Dirty thoughts. Young men have a lot of it. Dirty thoughts will not master you because you're under grace.

What is your particular sin? Gossiping, backbiting. Gossiping, backbiting will not be master over you because you're under grace. Take it seriously. If any of these sins and any other things I've not mentioned.

Love of money. One of the greatest sins that believers are enslaved to. Wanting more and more and more much more than they need. Will not rule you. Love of money will not run you. Will not be occupying all your mind all the time if you're under grace.

So there are many many ways to discover. Lord I trusted you my sins are forgiven but I'm always defeated by sin which proves that I've only received forgiveness but not salvation from sin. I've not come under grace fully.

I've tasted a little bit but not all of your grace. I want to taste it. When you're honest with God, God will meet with you. I believe one of the main things God expects from us is honesty. You know when it says in 1 John 1 7 if we walk in the light as God is in the light we have fellowship with him.

Honesty, Confession, and Walking in the Light

In simple words you know what walking in the light means? Be honest. The easiest thing for anybody in the world to do is not victory over sin. Be honest. Even a prostitute can be honest. The woman caught in adultery admitted yes she got saved.

Those who are honest. A Samaritan woman who met Jesus. Think how wicked she was. Five times divorced and now sleeping with a man not even married to him. She was honest and she got salvation. Have you ever met a woman married divorced five times and then sleeping with somebody who's not even her husband?

I've never met anybody that bad. That was a Samaritan woman and Jesus spoke to her amazing truths about a well of water springing up to life and spoke to her about worshiping in the spirit. Amazing how Jesus spoke to this woman because she was honest.

It's amazing what God will reveal to you if you're just downright honest. Don't cover up. If you had a dirty thought say Lord I had a dirty thought. That's honesty. If you had a bitterness against somebody say Lord I had a sorry.

If you spoke in an angry way to somebody say Lord I'm sorry I did speak in an angry way to that person. I want to apologize to him. I tell you you will grow in leaps and bounds in your spiritual life.

That's the meaning of walking in the light. Just be honest with God. You don't have to be honest with everybody you meet in the world but be absolutely honest with God. Even if you have a small thought that's dirty or proud or evil confess it to God and you can have fellowship with God all the time.

That's how I seek to live. I'm not perfect but I'm pressing on to perfection and therefore I'm far better today than I was last year or 10 years ago but I'm still got a long way to become like Jesus. I'm pressing on but all I do to press on is honest.

Every step of mine is honesty and faith. I trust you Lord. I trust you. I'm just trying to show you how from a very young age you can start like this. Turn with me now to Matthew chapter 1. It's the first page of the New Testament.

The very first page of the New Testament. The Old Testament is over and you come to the New Testament. Matthew chapter 1 and in the very first page of the New Testament there is a promise. It is the first promise in the New Testament.

What does it say? The middle of verse 21. Matthew 1 21. You shall call his name Jesus. Why? Why do you call him Jesus? Because he's going to save his people from their sins. Not he's going to forgive their sins.

No. That is in the Old Testament. You read Psalm 103. David says, bless the Lord who forgives all my sins. You ask David 1 ,000 years before Christ. David, how many sins of yours has God forgiven? Psalm 103.

All. All means 100%. 100%. David could sing in Psalm 103, God has forgiven 100 of my sins. So if you say that you've been forgiven 100 of all your sins, you're not better than David. Then what did Jesus come to do?

If he only brought me as far as Psalm 103, that is 1 ,000 years before Christ. No, it says he will save you from your sins. There's a lot of difference between being saved and being forgiven. Remember this.

Very, very important. One of the things I've been stressing for many, many years. Many believers are only forgiven, not saved. For example, I ask people, what is your Christian experience like? Yeah, brother, my sins are all forgiven.

I slip up, I get angry, I have dirty thoughts, I confess, I'm forgiven. Next day, I again do something wrong and I confess and I'm forgiven. So what is Jesus then? He's not your savior because he's not saved you from your sin.

He's your forgiver. Be honest and say, Jesus is my forgiver. He has not saved me from dirty thoughts. He has not saved me from getting angry. He's not saved me from bitterness. He's not saved me from pride.

He's not saved me. He's saved me from hardly anything, but he's forgiven me everything. I will not call him savior anymore. I will call him my forgiver. That's honesty. And I tell you, many people are not honest.

That's why they don't grow in their spiritual life. They pretend Jesus is their savior. I ask them, what has he saved you from? Nothing. What he has forgiven you from? Everything. Then he's your forgiver.

Be honest and tell the Lord, Lord, you're my forgiver. I want to know you as my savior. I never understood that for many years because no preacher told me that so straight like I'm telling you. Let me ask all of you a question.

Has any preacher ever told you the difference between Jesus being your forgiver and your savior? Or you're hearing it for the first time today? Do you understand the difference between being forgiven and being saved?

Let me use an illustration. Supposing I have a little six-year-old son and he's standing outside the house and I say, hey, the folks are digging up the road here, making a deep pit. Don't go near it.

You'll fall into it. And you know how six-year-old children are. They disobey their father. And he goes and falls into that pit. And he cries out from that 10-foot pit, daddy, daddy. And I run saying, what happened, son?

Daddy, I'm sorry. I disobeyed you. And I fell into the pit. Please forgive me. Okay, son, forgiven. Goodbye. Have I forgiven him for disobeying me? Yes. Have I saved him from that pit? No, he's still there.

This is the condition of many believers. Lord, I'm sorry for what I did. Okay, forgiven. But tomorrow you're going to do the same thing again and again and again and again. And the sad thing is the devil has kept many believers satisfied with that.

What is the meaning of the name Jesus in the first page of your New Testament? The meaning of the name Jesus. He will save his people from their sins. I don't blame you, my brothers and sisters. You know, to use an illustration, if in a school, in a particular class, all the children got zero in mathematics, I wouldn't say they are all dumb.

I say the teacher is a poor teacher. How can all the children get zero? All the children fail in mathematics in the final examination. The problem is not with the students. It's most likely the problem is with the teacher.

So if you have a bunch of Christians, none of whom have got any victory over sin, I don't blame them. I blame their pastor or their teacher or their preacher who has not taught them the meaning of the name Jesus, who has not taught them that Jesus is not just a forgiver.

He's a savior. He saves me from what? People say he saves me from hell. That's in the future, man. Hell is at the end of life. What is he saving you from now? Matthew 121. He's going to save you from your sin.