What Keeps Going Up And Never Comes Down — Sandeep Poonen

I want to start by asking a riddle for the children. You may know the answer to this if you do you can shout it out What keeps going up and never comes down? Guys notice what is it age or rage? We just heard about anger.

It may be rage to age age is the answer but technically it's not correct. Let me tell you why what keeps going up as the age keep going up. When does it stop going up? When you die, it stops going up.

You may be going right back down to it doesn't exist anymore. What keeps going up and never comes down? That's what I want to talk about today as a Question that I have asked myself and I've got to put some slides together to help.

Let's see if I can make this in play mode. And so How does that look on the screen? All right. Okay, what keeps going up and never ever stops and never ever comes down. This is actually a Christian message now if you're in the stock market.

The Red Line of Earthly Success

What about some stocks that never come down but always keep going up? Some of us who work for companies who hope that our stock market would never keep going will always keep going up. But it doesn't happen that way even the best of companies.

Zoom is an interesting story. It was at hundred and something dollars. I put a mark over at March 13, 2020. You know what happened March 13 2020 that's when everybody got shut down and COVID happened.

Look at the stock price hundred and seven dollars. Three years later or something like that. It's back where it started. Everybody was wishing. Oh, man I wish I bought zoom stock and were gone really big time up and he held on to it.

It's right where it started. In fact, it went lower. It's right around where it is. So how do we look at it from our lifestyle? Remember the question what keeps going up and never stops and never comes down.

Here's our lives. And let's measure success and this is where I'm kind of drawing towards it. This is our lives. This could be a good life. Looks like a pretty good life if you look at this graph. So when I was born pretty happy pretty successful.

Got my first toy car feeling on top of the world. I'm a success. Bad grades. Some of us can relate to that how life doesn't look that great anymore. Got into college some of you teenagers can understand that I went through that I was relieved.

But I finally got accepted by some college you will too. First job even better than getting into college now, I'm getting actually some money to go with it. Got married. These are all obviously different definitions of success.

First child. Huge success mark. Lost job drops a bit success. It's going up and going down what goes up and never comes down. This is a typical life. This is my life too in many ways not exactly the curves, but you get the point.

Hasn't happened to me yet, but I can imagine how it must feel in fact. It probably is all the way down. Just didn't have time to create a graph for this. Death in the family. Death of a parent. A loved one.

Death of a child. Can't even imagine the grief of that. Bought home. I'm it's all relative don't take these things literally up, but ups and downs, but you get the home you bought a home. You're back.

Kids doing well in school. Kids have bad friends and conflicts in the home dipping up and down. Kids finish college okay now. They're on their own two feet. They're able to get a job enough money to retire.

This is the success pattern of the world what goes up. Never comes down and never stops. This is the plane we want to catch. Very simple it's not complicated if we can get a hold of this Plane. If we catch a hold of the plane our lives will be transformed.

The Green Line of God's Glory

Here it is. Not a very complicated answer. But I want us to meditate on the glory of God and ask myself a very simple question. Which graph am I on? Are you on the red line or on the green line. Because most of us and the big draw of the world is to get us to focus on the red line and There's a whole bumpy ride.

But we it is not easy to be laser focused. To be singularly focused to grabbing a hold of the green line. But here's the guarantee the guarantee not high probability the guarantee. If we are on the green line It's always always always going up and you know in mathematics I don't know if you're familiar with this but in mathematics There's this thing called a line with two arrows.

That's different than just a straight line. I learned this actually when I was teaching my children math. I Just drew the straight line. I thought that was the line. No, when you do draw two arrows on either side, it means something.

You know what it means it never starts and it never ends it keeps going and You could say God's glory had a starting point and was low or lower. It's all relative. It's highest than our highest success point, but the glory of God has always Been higher and it has always been increasing.

No matter what happens in my life no matter what happens in this world. The devil revolted against God no difference. The glory of God is going up. And so if I look at all of the situations in my life There's definitely ups and downs if I look at it on this earthly standard and the gospel the good news is God was saying I want to free you from this cycle of ups and downs and many other religions are talking about trying to be free from the cycle of reincarnation all kinds of things every religion is trying to get out of this red line business and some people say you live again and You'll have a higher red line or different things as Jesus God is telling us there's one way to snap out of this cycle.

It comes by Completely Letting go of this life. He who loses his life will find it. Those are not meaningless words. Those are not trivial words. This is what it means. God is trying to say get on to the green line.

That is your only hope of constantly increasing success. This is nothing new. We've heard this in other words. Just like the Sun rising towards the noonday Sun that is the path of a righteous man. No difference nothing new being described here.

Just a different visual what goes up and never stops and never goes down. You attach yourself to anything in this life a good or bad great or horrible success. We're in trouble and I think you know from the definition of God's glory.

God's Glory Is Not Measured by Worldly Success

Most of Christendom tends to look at God's glory through some event. They look for Rushing winds. They look for tingles down your spine. They look for growing church numbers. They look for more sophistication in one's music.

They look for more eloquence in speech speaking and the message or whatever it is receiving the different metrics and That Is not how God's glory grows. It's not based on these things and it is I'll use some words here and I'm trying to get a reaction out of you.

It's pathetic. It's idiotic. To look at the glory of God and attach it to such things pleasures in life. Numbers of this world to define whether God is getting glory. When God created the heavens on the earth the glory of God was going up.

When the devil revolted against God the glory of God was still going up. God wasn't shaken at all. God wasn't bothered when God said let there be light the glory of God was going up when man chose to sin and rebel against God didn't change whether the glory of God was going to go up and the glory of God was revealed through the earth being cursed through man and woman having to face consequences and Jesus being prophesied is coming to die.

The glory of God was always bubbling greater and greater. So when I look at tragedy when I look at challenges on this earth, I can say wait, wait. I don't understand this. I'm looking at the red line and So the great challenge for us is to constantly repeatedly grab a hold of the green line at all times.

Not easy, it looks very easy to draw the picture. But that's the hard work that we as Christians got to do not living in our feelings. Not living our lives based on circumstances not living a life like what feels right and what seems right according to culture.

God is saying. You can try as much as you like red lines and you look at all the posts on Instagram or social media. Whatever is there they show you in your best moments. They show you on the red lines going up.

They won't they'll be very interestingly quiet when it's the down times when the smooth face becomes wrinkles. Then we have to resort to Photoshop when the red lines are going down or faking it or hypocrisy.

The reality of is there's just ups and downs. The green line the God's glory is what we have to get a hold of. Nothing new from what we hear in Scripture when Jesus says lose your life when he says you've got to die to self.

We're being delivered over. What does that mean? He's saying I'm trying to get you onto the green line so that the resurrection life of Jesus can be demonstrated. Sorry has to go through this animation again.

God's Intense Holiness

Glory of God is the first thing that says and now as I said, it's not the pictures of what we see in Christendom today. I want to talk about. Three little points on what it means the glory of God is first of all God's intense holiness.

God's intense holiness is the glory of God whenever we think about whenever you hear dear brothers and sisters. This has helped me tremendously for decades now whenever I hear about God's move Revivals happening the first question.

I asked the very first question I asked myself is let me see look at God's holiness in those people not odd crutches on The stage because people are walking not wheelchairs are empty because people are walking.

I'm looking for holiness. In these revival movements I want to see a moving of people from sin towards holiness because that is the glory of God. Not Gold dust not smoke machines all these things that we fake.

It's an intense picture of holiness. God's intense Passion for holiness and I don't have the time to show you but there are three things that I wrote down in my notes about God's holiness. The sons of Aaron.

Leviticus chapter 10 if you want let's turn with you can read that when you have some time. Leviticus chapter 10 1 through 3. Here's the story. That the sons of Aaron came and offered strange fire. This is the sons of Aaron.

This is what all new to them and they mixed something which was God said not to mix in God's holy place and these two boys sons of Aaron Died immediately God killed him and this is what he said. By those who come near to me where I'm going to show my glory.

I'm going to be treated as holy and the Consequences were massive because God was saying I've got to show myself. Holy Numbers chapter 14 another story where the people of Israel were told go into the promised land and scout out the Land and the the spies came back saying they're they're Giants well like grasshoppers and they were revolting against Moses and said let's find a new leader and God said I'm not gonna let them enter the promised land.

And this is what he said numbers chapter 14 verse 21. You can look it up later. Indeed as I live all the earth will be filled with the glory of God. And so here's what's going to happen. None of these people are going to enter the promised land.

Because my glory is so important and is considered it's relating to holiness. It gets even harder than that. Moses and Aaron. Numbers chapter 20. Numbers chapter 28 through 13. I'll point this out to you just so that you can look at this maybe in person.

Numbers chapter 28 through 13. This is when the second time God said there's a rock and these people need water. First time you struck the rock. Second time now speak to the rock and Moses and Aaron we heard about anger.

Moses was so angry. He struck the rock that huge an issue. Yes, it was and This is what God said. Because you have not believed me verse 12 Moses struck the rock in anger. Verse 11 Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock.

God said to Moses because you have not believed me to treat me as holy. You're out and see in verse 13, this is the expression he proved himself holy. This word glory it's like saying Beauty if I were to explain to you a beautiful sunset.

Do you think have you ever heard ever heard any poet any person describe a sunset that matches what you saw? Even a video. Even a photograph. What about sweet mangoes? Have you ever heard a description of how sweet the mango is?

That can give you children. You know the word yummy. Ask your mommy to define yummy and see if it Matches with what you feel about yummy something yummy. These are words that can't be described. But it points to something.

The glory of God you can't describe it. It points to God himself, but there are words that come close and we have to look at scripture to find out. What are the words that come close to define the glory of God that's constantly going up?

The first word that we must always think about is holiness. God's holiness is an Mark that always describes God's Glory. Glory is much more than God's holiness. It's all of that above. It's that fragrance.

It's that yumminess. It's that beauty. These words that don't have a proper definition. So let's not even try to define it but let's look at some words that point towards it and Holiness is an incredibly important word as I showed you in the path of the Israelites.

The top leaders getting tremendously punished when they didn't Respect and reverence God's glory and God said I want to prove my holiness. I want to show I want to give evidence of that the first death Of Christians, you know was the first death of Christians.

Who's the first Christian to die? People think it's Stephen. It's not you know, it was Ananias and Sapphira. They were the first Christians who died in the church. They were not the martyrs. It was God saying I will prove myself holy in the church.

They were the first Christians who died. Jesus initiated the way the day of Pentecost happened. Ananias and Sapphira, I will prove myself holy in the church because God's glory is always going up. God's holiness.

God's Loving Kindness and Compassion

But holiness is not just strictness. We know that it's also God's compassion. Psalm 115 verse 1. It appeals to the glory of God Psalm 115 verse 1 not to us. Oh Lord not to us, but to your name. Give glory.

Because of your loving kindness it's God's love and Kindness is the other wing of God's glory that we see it in again. It's a picture. It doesn't describe its full glory, but it's his loving kindness.

There was a time when Moses God wanted to destroy all the Israelites and said I'll have a new nation come out of you and Moses said no. Please spare the Israelites. I just have one request of you. Show me your glory and More.

God said nobody can see my face and live you can read about that Exodus 33 and 34 and But God said I Moses you're special to me. So I'm gonna have you sit In the cleft of the rock and I'm gonna pass by and you can see my back because nobody can see my face and live and he passed by and then he heard the Lord and that Moses was calling out the name of the Lord and The name the Lord Responded.

Here's my name full of compassion. Let's read that just as you can underline it go back and look at it and later Exodus chapter 34 verse 6. The Lord descended on him passed before him and proclaimed the Lord the Lord God compassionate and gracious slow to anger and the same thing happened slow to anger a bounding in loving kindness and truth.

Sorry, if I'm going by these verses quickly. You can go back and read it take notes about this and go back and read it in 2nd Chronicles chapter 7 now. This is Solomon. He's built in second temple. The first was the tabernacle in the wilderness.

Solomon comes and builds a second tabernacle the root the temple in Jerusalem. David couldn't build it because he's a man of war. Solomon builds it and you see the end of Solomon's prayer in 2nd Chronicles chapter 6 was 42.

Oh Lord God, do not turn your face from your anointed. Remember your loving-kindness. He's appealing to your loving-kindness and see what happens. 2nd Chronicles chapter 7 verse 1 now when Solomon had finished praying.

Fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering. What a sight to have seen and the glory of the Lord filled the house. Here's the glory of the Lord now fill it finishing this filling this temple and the priests couldn't enter the house because the glory had filled the Lord's house and see how the sons of Israel responded.

Back in Mount Sinai, they were all scared but all the sons of Israel now they see it. The glory of the Lord coming down into the house verse 3. 2nd Chronicles chapter 7 verse 3. They bow down with them on the pavement with their faces to the ground.

Their faces in the dust and they worship him and they give praise to the Lord. Saying truly he is good. His loving-kindness is everlasting. His holiness is non-negotiable. But so is his loving-kindness and when the glory filled the temple in Solomon's time, these were not perfect people.

These were people who were as fickle as the people in the wilderness. But they saw the glory of the Lord and they praised God's loving-kindness. His intense holiness is how we see the glory of the Lord his intense love and compassion and Kindness is how we see the glory of the Lord and that's all trivial.

The Glory of God in the Face of Christ

Compared to how we see the Lord now turn with me to John chapter 1 verse 14. John chapter 1 verse 14 all of that all of that are just pathetic pictures compared to the real thing now. John chapter 1 verse 14 it says the Word of God.

Which is as reverend revered as his name the name of God is so revered. The psalmist says that I revere the Word of God as Much as my name, you know, why. Because the Word of God is Christ and he became flesh and dwelt among us and we saw his glory.

The glory here's the glory of that. We've missed to here's the first part of God's glory the glory of an only son of God the Father that's the glory. Don't miss that part of the glory. We know the glory maybe if you've heard it before full of grace and truth.

We're getting to it. But this is the glory of God Jesus. Living with God as a son lives with his father. Talk about intense Holiness intense infinite love and kindness. Now, it's not infinite. It's intimate.

Intimate Only son and his father. This is the glory of Jesus dear brothers and sisters that we now have. This is the glory of God that's constantly increasing. Remember Moses he couldn't see God's face and live.

This is the massive unbelievable promise of the new covenant. Second Corinthians 318 we with unveiled face. Looking as if in a mirror straight on the glory of the Lord. Wait. I thought I'm gonna die if I see the glory of the Lord not anymore.

That's the old covenant where you can't look at God and live now we can. Where do we see the glory of God and live in the face of Christ. That is where we see the glory of God as the only son with his father.

This is how we are transformed to. It's not a Better living program. It's not a more disciplined living program. All of those things are part of the journey but the real secret is not all of that it is Gazing at the glory of the Lord in the face of Christ.

And if you're on 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 We know some of these verses so maybe I go over it quickly but 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 Verse 4 I'll read that read with me dear brothers and sisters. 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 3.

We're talking about our eyes being veiled and the people. Moses had to wear a veil and Paul was saying There's a veil when you listen to the law of God and God. Paul was saying now that veil is taken away when you turn to look at Jesus and That veil is not taken away when I accept Jesus and when I'm baptized or when I'm born again.

No, that veil keeps coming back into my life the moment I look away from Jesus and I look at the red line of up and down and God says the veil will be taken away if you start gazing at Jesus. Who's the green line?

That's my secret even today it's not a decision I make it's a lifestyle. I live Gazing on the glory of the Lord. But verse 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 3 it is veiled. The gospel is veiled. For those whom the God of this world have blinded.

Who have blinded them to looking at the red line? This is who have been blinded. The God of this world has blinded people. What's the proof that we've been blinded? We're looking at the red line and we're trying to get excited when the red lines going up and get it.

Not so excited when the red line is going down and we're blind. It's not unbelievers and believers. This is believers who are blinded because they're focused on the red line. They've not turned their gaze verse 4 verse 4 so that they may not see the glory of God in the face of Christ.

We do not preach ourselves. We don't preach red lines. We don't preach better living red lines. But we preach Christ Jesus for God who said let's light shine in darkness. 2nd Corinthians 4 verse 6 is the one who has shone into your hearts.

The glory the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. It is as I look at Jesus. Then I see it. The whole earth will be filled with the glory of God. Habakkuk says the whole earth.

It's gonna be filled with the glory of God in what in the face of Christ and God says I want all of you to reflect the face of Christ. Because you're gazing as in a mirror the glory of Christ that which God said you'll die if you look at the glory of God God says now you can see it in the face of Christ.

The very glory of God can be reflected in us if we get out of the red line business and get on to the green Line, I want to show you a couple of pictures as we close. This is the picture that I showed you over success.

Desperation to Leave the Red-Line Life

Over time I dear brothers and sisters, I don't know what's happened in your lives. Probably worse than the things that have happened in my life because I've not experienced much tragedy to be honest I've had ups and downs, but I can't compare it to some of the tragedies that you've had to go through.

But I do know that the green line is my salvation and I have to make a decision day after day after day. Every day I'm constantly being delivered over to death. God's saying get on the green line and Every single situation what may look like our up-and-down red line is really God just saying will you grab a hold of the green line?

I was I thought of this picture when I really recently remembered Afghanistan and I don't know if you read the news in the last I can't remember a year or two when people were The US troops were leaving Afghanistan and was a tragic picture to see.

People from Afghanistan knowing that things were gonna get horribly worse. When the Taliban came back in power where the oppressed women didn't allow them to be educated and many other things oppressed Christianity, too.

And this was one of the pictures that I saw. I remember seeing it. This is a plane. This is I don't know what big plane c -130 or something. It's a transport plane. Leaving the country and you see these people.

I mean look look. These are people just like me no different. They dress the same way we I do I can relate to them. They look very much like me to look at Afghanistan. It'd be fairer than me but quite the same very similar cultures and so I could put myself very easily in their shoes and say this is me and There's nothing in this message about us being a better country and all it's nothing to do with this world.

I'm just trying to appeal to the desperation that these people had For a life for the for the red line life. That's what I'm trying to appeal to. Dear brothers and sisters. The question is do we see our lives and The patheticness and the and the Futility of our lives like these people saw it if they still lived in a country with an oppressive regime.

Like we live in this world where the god of this world the devil is trying to yank you like a little puppet. With this feeling that feeling that story of a friend of yours. Go get this car. Go get this house.

Go get this lifestyle, whatever it may be. He's yanking you and do you see this as this is. I'm sick I'm sick of this red line life. Lord deliver me like these people were wanting to get out of this life and they were climbing on the wings of This plane as it was moving and the Americans had to keep moving because they didn't know When the Taliban would close the airport down.

So this plane was not gonna stop and there were people who climbed onto the plane didn't longer go to the plane took off and Fell to their death. This is how desperate they were to get out. We'll get out of the red line dear brothers and sisters.

Jesus came to show us away. The question is are we desperate? Maybe we think our red lines going up. So we're like maybe hang on. So they maybe not today maybe tomorrow. It won't happen to us. But for those of us who see and are desperate like this kind of line to get out God has made a way and It's not whether you were desperate yesterday questions.

Am I desperate today? Am I desperate now? For I know if my life's going okay, not that bad. Most of our lives are better than 99 of people in this world. Despite all the tragedies in our lives God saying are you desperate for the green light a green line life?

This was the inside of that plane. Mean no seatbelts on this one. There would be more people if they could fit in in there people one thing to get out of the red light red line life. This is a picture.

I showed a few months ago dear brothers and sisters dear children. This is the red line life. This is in your future whether you may know it ask your parents. This is the life you're gonna live getting into college getting good grades getting bad grades.

I don't know what it is. This is the one of a pretty good life on this earth that ends up pretty high. This is the life we have to ask ourselves. Are we on the way of the cross? Delivered over to death.

Constantly so that the resurrection life so that the green line life can happen in our lives. And we have to make that decision. Children, if you ever make that decision you've made it. I'm sure some of you as you prayed you have to keep making that decision just like your daddy mommy have to.

It's like we have to keep making that decision to be delivered over from the red line life and saying God I want to be on your cross. Because it is going down and some of us may not feel that this earth is going down.

And I had this other picture that I showed about a few years ago, I Don't know if you remember it. The devil is a deceiver. You see what this picture has you see what he's showing you lots of pleasures lots of Winning the lottery moments.

The good luck life maybe. Everything's going your way. But you see what he has behind in his hand as he offers you all these things. This is the life that this world can offer you a better house a better car a better lifestyle.

I Have to marry this boy. I have to marry this girl. I have to get married. I have to have this kind of life all these things that he offers. It's not in the will of God. Sounds wonderful. It sounds like a very smiling person offering it.

And so I don't know which picture appeals to you this one or this one. But let's be clear one end this fire on the one end and there's a mallet on the either side. I don't know what is in your future, but this is the future of the red line life.

Waiting on the Lord and Tying Ourselves to Christ

If we don't grab a hold of the green line life. One thing in closing God's glory. What is a verse of hope. Isaiah chapter 40 verse 31. Isaiah chapter 40 verse 31. I. My understanding of this verse. Changed completely it became such a life-giving verse when I understood what that weight For the Lord meant and it's a Hebrew word.

And it comes from twine that is twisted. That's how you make rope. You know how you make little pieces of twine and you can make it in a strong rope. If you can tie itself to a rock and you can climb up that rope.

You know, you can climb up that rock just using a little rope. To hang on rock climbers use that all the time. You know how that rope is made little pieces of twine that are entwined with each other and that's that word the Hebrew word for weight.

Weight gives me a very different picture in the in the in the English language. Yet those who wait for the Lord will become like an eagle. That was the picture I had that Eagles swooping by dear brothers and sisters the Eagles coming over your lives right now.

Every day the Eagles swooping and saying I'm going up. I'm not gonna be stuck to this world. And he hovers over us every day and he says those who tie Themselves more and more tightly to the Lord will take that plane up to freedom.

You will you can grab a hold of that. The instructions can't be clear. Lose yourself for the life of Christ tie yourself to the life of Jesus who died for us. Who gave up everything for us even if nothing goes our way.

I remember the Lord telling this to me very clearly something what if nothing ever happens good in your life from now onwards. Have I done enough for you? Dear brother and sister listen to me carefully if God doesn't allow one good thing in your life ever again.

Has he done enough for you? Did he not come to this earth for you? Did he not die for you? Did he not send his Holy Spirit for you among all the other things that you have? That you experience on this earth just even if you had none of that.

Have I not done enough for you? Should I do something more for you? That was the appeal that the Lord spoke to me from Romans chapter 8. I Gave up my own son for you. I delivered him over for you all.

I gave up everything for you when I gave up my only son. What more should I do for you? Those who tie themselves with the Lord who gave up everything for us will get new strength. We'll grab a hold of that right now dear brothers and sisters.

I don't know what part of the red line you're in. But we can be live the life of an eagle eagles come and swooping all over our lives every day and we children you can grab. A hold of it tie yourself in with the Lord.

Say Lord, I'm yours. This world is dead to me. I Don't want anything of it or its pleasures anymore. I'm done. I've given myself to the world too much to these kind of people too much. Too many appeals of pleasure thinking I'm fooled by it.

I don't see it's it's destruction. It's coming though. Your word promised it. Those who tie themselves more and more tightly tightly to the glory of Jesus Will gain you strength the glory of Jesus dear brothers and sisters.

Pursuing the Pearl of Great Price

Let's meditate on the life of Jesus. Let's think about him often a Catholic priest Said that forgive me Lord if for love for you. I see your name a thousand times. Forgive me Lord if for love for you.

I say your name a thousand times. Frederick Faber, I've thought about that Lord. I'm gonna assume you're somewhat poetic but How often do we think about Jesus especially in the redline moments if they're down your brothers and sisters.

Tie yourselves in. Catch that plane before this earth burns up before you get whacked. Sensibilities. So many people in this earth who are finding out and that redline life was not worth it. So many people have found out no matter how famous they are no matter if their Wikipedia pages are pages are pages and pages along.

They're dead. They're not going up anymore. That number is not going up anymore the question is what kind of life were they leaving the red life for the green line life and There's a greater seriousness and a greater urgency because the world is Closing in we're one day closer to the coming of Christ.

That's for sure. We're one day closer to the coming of Jesus Christ and God is shouting More and more clearly like a trumpet get off the redline life. Sell yourself completely sell everything you have.

Pursue the pearl of great price the green line life.