Free From Insecurity (Dutch) — Zac Poonen

God's Love Revealed in John 17

Yesterday I spoke about how important it is that we know what is written in the Bible. I'm sure many of you have read through the whole Bible. If not, try and finish it, at least in the next six months.

It's the most wonderful book in the world. There is an answer here to every single problem you can ever face in life. I have proved that in 57 years. I never found a problem for which there is no answer in the Bible.

In the English Bible there are 31 ,175 verses. And I want to tell you the most wonderful verse in the whole Bible. If you believe it, it will change your life. He already knows what I'm going to say. Because he's heard me many times.

John 17 and verse 23. I believe this is the most wonderful truth in the whole Bible. And it's mentioned only one time in the whole Bible. There are many verses that tell us that God loves us. Old Testament and New Testament.

God so loved the world that he gave his son. But this is the only verse that tells us that God loves us as much as he loved Jesus. But this is the only verse that tells us that God loves us as much as he loved Jesus.

This is Jesus' prayer. He was praying that we, as believers, should show the world that God loves us as much as he loved Jesus. And he prayed to his Father that we, as believers, should show the world that God loves us as much as he loved Jesus.

See, the last part of that verse. That the world may know that you sent me and you loved them as much as you loved me. John 17, 23, the last part. John 17, verse 23. You know, that's Jesus' prayer for you and me.

It's the last prayer he prayed before he went to the cross next morning. Think of that. That people who live around us in the world, people who work with us in our offices and factories, and they look at our life, the way we live, the way we bring up our children, and the way we react to difficulties in life, and the way we react to sickness or poverty, or the way we react when we get a lot of money.

That in all those situations, they see God loves this man just as much as he loved Jesus. They can see that God loves this man just as much as he loved Jesus. We all know that the Father loved Jesus. And one proof of that was that he planned every detail of Jesus' life.

Scripture Fulfilled in Jesus' Life

Particularly if you read the Gospel of Matthew. Many times it says, this happened in Jesus' life so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Let me just show you two examples. Matthew's Gospel in chapter 2.

First of all, when he was born in Bethlehem. It says in Matthew 2, verses 5 and 6, it was written in the prophet, verse 6, from Bethlehem will come the ruler of Israel. And then you know when Herod tried to kill him, they took the baby to Egypt.

And that was also so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. In Matthew 2, verse 16. Out of Egypt I have called my son. And then when he came and finally lived in Nazareth, verse 23, so that the prophets might be fulfilled.

What this prophet said will be fulfilled, he shall be called a Nazarene. That comes many, many times in the Gospel of Matthew. And even on the cross it says, he cried out so that it might be fulfilled, which he said, I thirst.

And even on the cross when Jesus said, I thirst, then it says, so that it might be fulfilled, which the Scripture says. If you read the Gospels, then you often find the statement, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

From his birth to his death. There were so many things in the life of Jesus, which were exactly planned according to the will of the Father. Now apply that to your own life. When I had just been converted, I did not apply this at all to my own life.

For 16 years after I was reborn, I did not know at all that the Father had planned things in my life, like in the life of Jesus. I had to find it myself. And when I believed it, it changed my whole life.

That the Father loves me exactly like he loved Jesus. What does that mean? That means he'll care for me like he cared for Jesus. You know how when Herod's soldiers were planning to kill him, before they came, God took away Jesus from there.

The Father's Protection and Jesus' Hour

We read in Luke chapter 4, once when Jesus was preaching in the synagogue. If you're not familiar with that story, read it sometime in Luke 4. It says, initially the people were very happy to listen to what he said.

But then he began to say that God loves the heathen people just as much as he loves the Jews in Israel. And that made them very angry. That God loves other people, other than Israel. And you read that, when they heard that, they got so angry, they pulled him down from the pulpit.

He had just begun his message. They pulled him down. And they took him outside to throw him down the cliff. I don't know, maybe 200 people in that synagogue. All determined to kill him. And it says there, Jesus quietly walked and went away.

How can that be? How can that happen, when 200 people try to kill you? That is how the Father cared for Jesus. Because that was not the way Jesus was supposed to die, thrown over a cliff. He had to still live another three and a half years and die on a cross.

So if somebody tried to kill him before that, he couldn't kill him. And if the Father loves you, like he loved Jesus, he will do the same for you. You know, it says many times in the gospels, that they couldn't catch him, because his hour had not yet come.

Once they sent soldiers to catch him. You see, in John's gospel, Genesis, chapter 7, and verse 44, some of them wanted to seize him, but no one could lay hands on him. And, you know, the Pharisees, the officers came back to the Pharisees, and the Pharisees asked him, why didn't you bring him?

And the officers said in verse 46, we have never heard anyone speak like this man. They went to capture him, and they couldn't. Because his time had not yet come. It's a beautiful expression. Now apply all that to yourself.

On the basis of the first verse we read. That this Father in heaven loves me just as much as he loved Jesus. That if 200 people catch me to try and kill me, they won't be able to kill me, until God's time has come.

That if they send the police to catch me, they can't catch me, until my time has come. See, there are practical applications of John 17, verse 23. Our subject today is how to be free from insecurity. The world is full of people who are insecure.

Freedom From Insecurity Through the Father's Love

Just like little children. Especially orphans. Orphans, they don't have a father and mother. They are the most insecure people. Nobody to care for them. Many Christians are like that. They are always afraid, what will happen to me?

Will I get cancer? Or some sickness? Will I die suddenly before my time? Or if I die, who will take care of my children? Will I lose my job? These are all the marks of insecurity. Will somebody try to harm me?

Especially in countries where there is persecution, which is not so here. You can live in great fear. The answer to it all is to know that the Father loves me just as much as He loved Jesus. I often thought, how did Jesus escape when those 200 people took Him to throw Him over the cliff?

It's good to use our imagination. In our unconverted days, we used our imagination for a lot of filthy things. So when you read the scripture, use your imagination. Picture 200 people catching Jesus and going to the cliff.

There are two or three cliffs there. They have an argument among themselves, which cliff shall we throw Him over? This one or that one or that one. While this big discussion is going on among these 200 people, maybe 10, 15 minutes, Jesus quietly walks away.

Then they decide, over this cliff, we'll throw Him over. They look around, He's not there. That is how the Father cared for Him. Not by sending angels. He doesn't have to send angels to protect you. He can control the minds and thoughts of people.

When Jesus taught us to pray, He said, don't pray like these Old Testament people. Oh, great and mighty, terrible God. He said, when you pray, say, our Father who art in heaven. Why did He say you must start your prayer like that?

It's good to call Him God and Lord, because He is. But I used to pray like that in the beginning. But I saw that Jesus said, when you pray, say, our Father who art in heaven. Because He wanted me to know that I have a loving Father in heaven.

I'm not an orphan. I don't have to be insecure. He's my Father. And so He loves me. And He's in heaven. So He can control everything in the universe. So, I have someone who loves me, who controls the whole universe on my side.

Who controls all the people who try to harm me. And who controls every circumstance of my life. This is one of the wonderful things of the New Covenant. The Israelites lived under the old covenant. They only had earthly blessings.

God promised them a land on earth, Canaan. In the New Covenant, God has not promised us any land on this earth. Many, many millions of Christians through the years have not even had a house of their own throughout their life.

But God has promised us a home in heaven. The Israelites were promised a home on earth. We are promised a home in heaven. The Israelites were promised money and material prosperity. We are promised spiritual prosperity.

The Israelites were promised many earthly children. We are promised spiritual children. Do you know that if you are born again, you are supposed to have spiritual children. That means through you, God wants to bring other people to Christ.

You may not have earthly children, that's not important. Because you're not in Christ. Because you're not an Israelite. But you're a child of God. It is God's will for every one of you to have spiritual children.

And if you have not had even one spiritual child, you ask God to give you one. That through you, someone can come to Christ and be in heaven because of you. That's not for some special evangelist. It's for everybody.

The Holy Spirit as Helper and New Covenant Blessing

In the new covenant, we have so many wonderful things. These all come through the Holy Spirit. There's a lot of confusion concerning the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the world today. And who is the one who is going to do that?

And who has brought this confusion? It's the devil. The devil has brought confusion so that some people are afraid of the Holy Spirit. They say, oh, we've heard some of these extreme teachings about the Holy Spirit.

We don't want that. But do you know who was the most perfect, Spirit-filled man? Jesus Christ. You don't see anything funny in him. His life was so balanced. His ministry was so perfect. That is the result of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

He was so secure in his Father. Most of us want people around us to find security. We won't join a church if there are only three members there. Because we feel insecure. Only three people, that can't be a proper church.

But Jesus said, if two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst. You can go to another church with 3 ,000 people and Jesus may not be there. Where would you rather be? With 3 ,000 people without Jesus in a church?

Or three people with Jesus there? I know what I'd choose. We started like that about 40 years ago in my home, with three or four people in our house. And Jesus was there. And that's how it grew and grew and grew into many, many churches.

But we did not look for people. We didn't see how many people came to our church. We wanted Jesus there. Because sometimes when Jesus is there, people don't come, they go away. Did you know that? I'll show you John chapter 6.

In John chapter 6, we read in the beginning verse 2, a great multitude was following him. But by the time you come to the end of that chapter, it says in verse 66, many people withdrew and were not walking with him anymore.

John chapter 6 is a wonderful chapter. He spoke there about walking the way of the cross, of death to self. He spoke there about verse 54, about eating my flesh and drinking my blood. That is spiritual language.

Eating my flesh and drinking my blood means sharing in my death. Like Paul said, I am crucified with Christ. And he said, the world is crucified to me and I am crucified to the world, Paul said. He said, I am crucified for the world and the world is crucified for me.

That's what Jesus was speaking here, the way of the cross. The way of self-denial. The way of brokenness. The way of putting self to death. That's the meaning of eating his flesh and drinking his blood.

And when people heard that, they said, this is a hard statement, verse 60, who can listen to all this? Oh, this way of the cross and death to self. Even today people say the same thing, this is a hard statement.

And many people go away from a church that preaches the way of the cross. They like to go to a church where they don't talk about death to self. They like to go to a church where they clap and sing and dance.

But Jesus spoke about the way of the cross and many people left him, verse 66. And verse 67, there are only 12 left. And he said, even among the 12, verse 71 of you is a devil. So, how did this chapter start?

Great multitude. He fed, it says here, there were 5 ,000 people who ate just the bread and the fish. Verse 10. Plus women and children. That multitude was about 10 ,000 people. How did Jesus get these 10 ,000 people down to 11?

Now, today we hear about churches that started with 11 and became 10 ,000. Have you ever heard of a church that started with 10 ,000 and became 11? Only Jesus can do that. You know how to do it? Preach the cross.

Preach death to self. Preach holiness. Preach putting self to death. Very quickly, 10 ,000 will become 11. But you'll have 11 people who can turn the world upside down. That's how those disciples were.

I would rather have 11 people who can turn the world upside down for Christ than 10 ,000 useless believers sitting in a church. Than 10 ,000 useless believers sitting in a church. I would rather walk with 11 people who are taking up the cross every day than 10 ,000 people who just sing songs.

Security in the Father's Presence

Now, what did Jesus do? Was He disturbed all these people left? Most pastors would be disturbed if the number kept reducing, reducing, reducing every Sunday. Most pastors would be disturbed if the number kept reducing.

And there are only 12 left. He said, I hope you won't go away. That's not what He said. He said, you also want to go? How was Jesus so secure when people left Him? We found that when we did our work in India too.

Many people came and then the numbers became less because we preached the cross. But we were not unhappy. We always said, if you want to go, you can go. If you want to come, you can come. We don't grab people.

But you know what happened later on in John chapter 16? Now Jesus was left with 11 and He tells them in John 16, 32. Now there are only 11 people left. John 16, 32. An hour is coming and it has already come when all of you, 11 also, will go to your own home.

These 11 will also leave Him and you will leave Me alone. Does He feel scared because He is alone? He says, but I am not alone. My Father is with Me. This is the secret of security. Even 10 ,000 can become 11.

11 can become zero. But I am secure because My Father is with Me. See, a lot of us find our security in other believers. Oh, I am happy there are other believers around Me. How will you feel if every believer you know left you?

Can you say, I am not alone. My Father is with Me. That is the life into which God wants to lead every one of us. That is the life into which God led Me. Where I did not find my security in other believers around Me.

And hoping that they will never leave Me. No, I say, I do not care. They can go if they want. I am going to preach the cross. I am going to preach death to self. I am going to walk the way of death to self.

I am going to preach the fullness of the Holy Spirit. And if people get offended and go, they can go. If 10 ,000 become 11, that does not matter. If 11 become 0, it makes no difference. I am not alone.

Because My Father is with Me. Then you know that God loves you as He loved Jesus. This is the secret of security. That is why He has sent the Holy Spirit. So let me show you the first time that Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit.

So that we understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit properly. In John 14, verse 16, I will ask the Father and He will give you another helper to be with you forever. The Holy Spirit is a helper. Always think of that.

He is a helper to help me. Isn't it good to have a helper? Right in the beginning, when God made Adam, He said, I will make a helper for him. He said, it is not good for Adam to be alone. I will make him a helper to help him do his work.

And I come to the New Testament and I see Jesus saying, it is not good for you to be alone. I will give you a helper. Wonderful! Who doesn't want a helper? I want a helper. Eve could not be with Adam forever, but this helper is going to be with me forever.

He will be with you forever, verse 16. Don't you want this helper? Why should we be afraid of the Holy Spirit? Why should we be disturbed if some people have gone to some fantastic extreme teaching on the Holy Spirit?

You know why there is so much confusion and deception concerning the ministry of the Holy Spirit today? Why there are so many counterfeit gifts? Because the original gifts are very precious. What do people make counterfeits of?

Nobody makes counterfeit newspapers. Or counterfeit brown paper. They make counterfeit gold. Counterfeit diamonds. Counterfeit currency notes. Only valuable things are counterfeited. People think which doesn't have a value is never counterfeited.

So when somebody says to me there are counterfeit gifts of the Holy Spirit, brother. Then the original gifts must be very valuable. There are counterfeit operations of the Holy Spirit in the world. Then the original operations of the Holy Spirit must be very valuable.

Why should I be afraid of getting real gold just because somebody is making counterfeit gold? I've got to be careful that the devil doesn't cheat me. But if I read the Word of God and I look at the example of Jesus, the perfect Spirit-filled man, I will never go astray.

And I'll know God as my Father. He said here in verse 18, I will not leave you as orphans in connection with the Holy Spirit. That's the only time Jesus said I will not leave you as orphans. So the Holy Spirit is a helper to save me from being an orphan in this world.

All Israelites were orphans. They did not have a Father in heaven. They had a God who was master of the universe. But nobody could call him Daddy. Nobody. Not Moses, not even John the Baptist. This is the wonderful blessing of the New Covenant.

Eternal Life Means Knowing the Father

And it's not just a question of saying Father in prayer, but really knowing him as a Father. See, Jesus said, we all know that when we are born again we have eternal life. But if you were to ask the average believer, what is eternal life?

What is this eternal life you've got? I think many people say, I'm going to live forever. But I say, people who go to hell also live forever. Do they also live forever? People don't die in hell. Jesus said they never die.

They live forever. They are suffering forever. But then what is eternal life? Jesus gave us a definition of it in John 17, verse 3. He said, this is eternal life. That they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

And then he went on to say that they might know that you love them as you love me. So here is Jesus' definition of eternal life. It's not living forever. But knowing God as my father. Knowing God as one who loves me just as much as he loved Jesus.

You know, the implication of this is amazing. Because if God loves me as he loved Jesus, he'll do everything for me that he did for Jesus. Let me show you a verse. Romans chapter 2. It's a very small verse.

But we must not skip through verses like this. We must meditate on it. So, let me teach you to meditate on one small verse of the Bible. Let me teach you to meditate on one small verse of the Bible. And I want to show you something that you may have never seen before.

Have you all read Romans chapter 2? Let me show you something there that you have never seen before. Romans chapter 2, verse 11. There is no partiality with God. Do you believe that? I'm sure you all believe it.

There is no partiality with God. With men there is partiality. With God there is no partiality. We don't want to rush through that verse. We want to stop and meditate on that verse. So, I apply it to myself.

God is a father. I'm also a father. I've got four sons. And I ask myself, Was I partial to any of my sons? Did I do something for one son which I would not do for the other? Did I make special clothes like Jacob made for Joseph which I would not make for others?

I never did that. What I did for one son, I did for the other three. The education I gave one, I gave the other three. If I bought clothes and shoes for one, I bought clothes and shoes for the other. My wife and I gave the same food to all of them.

There was no partiality that I showed towards my children. There was no regard for the person I had towards my sons. I didn't say to my oldest son, You are the oldest, I'm going to do something great for you.

I'm not going to do that for the others. That would be partiality. Don't you think so? If I did something for my oldest son but I didn't do it for the other three, that would be partiality. Now the next question is, this is easy to answer, all of you can answer.

Is God a better father than me? There's no doubt about that. You know, Jesus once looked at people and said, If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him?

If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him? Why did Jesus call all fathers evil? I don't believe I was an evil father.

Why did He say, If you being evil, You know what the meaning of that is? Compared to God's goodness, the best father is evil. It's something like, you know, the light of the stars at night. Do the stars have light at night?

Yes. But you look up at the sky now, the stars have become darkness. They haven't disappeared, but the light of the sun is so bright that you can't see the stars. That's a picture. God's love is so great that my love is almost like evil.

That's why Jesus said, All of you are evil fathers compared to God. So we learn one thing. There is absolutely no partiality with God. I would do for my youngest sons what I did for my oldest son. God will do for all His children what He did for His eldest son.

From Only Begotten Son to Firstborn Among Many

Who is God's eldest son? John 3, verse 16. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son. When Jesus came to earth, there was only one. Only begotten son. Very clear in John 3, verse 16. But after Jesus rose up from the dead, on the day He rose up from the dead, these are almost the first words that He spoke.

John 20, verse 17. As soon as He rose up from the dead, He told Mary Magdalene who came to see in the garden, in John 20, verse 17, in the middle of that verse, Go to My brothers and tell them I have sent to My Father and your Father My God and your God.

This is only three days after He was killed. You know what He told them before He was killed? On the last night when He had the last supper with them. Let me read to you what He said to them. John 15, verse 15.

This is about maybe 12 hours before He was crucified. He said to them, John 15, verse 15, I don't call you slaves, I call you friends. In the Old Testament they were slaves. Now He says, you're My friends.

That's higher. But after four days, after three days, what does He say? John 20, verse 17. My brothers, do you see how it changed? My slaves became My friends, My friends have become My brothers. We need to recognize that.

We need to see that. Something happened at the resurrection. That Jesus was now no longer the only begotten Son. You probably never heard that before, but it is in Scripture. Now, what is He called? Read Romans chapter 8, verse 29.

God foreknew, that is us. We are the ones whom God foreknew before the foundation of the world to be His children. And He had a plan for us. And do you know what that plan is? It is not to take us to heaven.

That's not our goal. A lot of Christians, their goal is to go to heaven. My goal is not to go to heaven. My goal is to become like Jesus Christ. Why do I say that? Because it's written in Romans 8, verse 29.

Whom He foreknew, He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. God's predestination, it's a big word that many Christians argue about. They argue about, does God predestine people to go to heaven or to hell?

There's not a single verse in the Bible that says God predestines people to go to heaven or hell. That's the invention of man. Here it says, we are predestined to become like Jesus. That's what scripture says.

What does predestination mean? That means a destination decided beforehand. You know, when you get an airplane ticket, it may be written there from London to Amsterdam. And you get your ticket, you haven't gone to the airport yet, you're in London, but you've got a destination already written on your ticket.

Amsterdam. That's called predestination. So you go to the airport and you look for the plane that's going to Amsterdam. That's the meaning of predestination. God's given me a ticket with a destination.

And listen to this, it is not heaven. You know what's written there? To become like Jesus Christ 100%. Tell me, which is better? Which would you prefer? To go to heaven, where the streets are made of gold, nice mansions, and no sickness, no trials, but you behave like the devil?

What sort of heaven is that? What about if you go to some place where the streets are not gold, the streets are dirty? No big houses, but only a little hut. But you'll behave like Jesus 24 hours a day.

Which do you prefer? I know which I prefer. I don't want streets of gold, I want to become like Jesus Christ. That is the destination. It's written here. Predestined to become like Jesus. I was so excited when I saw this.

What's written on my ticket? For so many years I thought it was heaven. It's to become like Jesus. Then I said, Lord, I'll be happy to be in hell forever, if you are there and I can become like you. I'm not worried about the fire.

I'm not worried about the worms. If Jesus is with me, that will be heaven. My heaven is not streets of gold and big mansions. My heaven is the presence of Jesus Christ as he is making me like him. And the surroundings don't matter.

And that is why I say, you can start your heaven here. With all the problems in your life and the little hut you live in. And I know some of my brothers and sisters in India live in little huts. And that is their heaven.

Because Jesus is there. It's not mansions. It's not streets of gold. It's a wonderful thing when you realize what God predestined you to be. Why did he do that? Why did he do that? Because of John 17, verse 23.

That he loves me like he loves Jesus. The most wonderful verse in the whole Bible. And now, there is a new title for Jesus. He is not the only begotten now. He predestined me to be conformed to the image of his son.

Romans 8, 29. So that Jesus might be the first born among many brothers and sisters. See, when I had only one son. In the beginning we had one son. I could introduce him to people saying, this is my only begotten son.

My wife and I had only one son. But when I got a second son, I no longer said, this is my only son. What do I say now? This is my first born son. Then I had two more. He is the first born among many brothers.

Do you understand this verse now? John 3, 16. He was the only begotten sent to this earth. Until his crucifixion, he was the only begotten son. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son.

But on the day of his resurrection, he said, tell my brothers. What a word. I have become his brother. I am not a slave. I am not even a friend. Abraham was called a friend of God. What a wonderful thing to be the friend of God.

But who is closer to you? A friend or your son? I am a son. You are a daughter. Not just a friend. I am closer than Abraham. Abraham was only a friend of God. Jesus told his disciples in John 15, I call you friends.

But after the resurrection, he said, you are my brothers now. You need to know that Jesus Christ is not the only begotten son today. He is the first born among many brothers. That is why God has destined that we become like Jesus Christ.

That is why God has destined that we become like Jesus Christ. It completely changes your perspective on life when you see your destination on your ticket. There are so many believers who are fed up with their problems in life.

They say, I want to die and go to heaven. I never say that. Heaven is not my destination. I say, I want to be like Jesus. I am not fed up with my life on earth. We may have aches and pains. We may have trials and enemies.

This world is full of problems. But why do you want to leave this world? To go to a place where there are no problems and sicknesses. But if you go there and behave just like you are behaving here now, that won't be heaven.

That will be hell. I want to be like Jesus before I get to heaven. Otherwise I will behave like a miserable old child of Adam. Heaven will be a terrible place if we all get there and behave like you are behaving right now.

Do you know what's written on my ticket? I am going to become like Jesus Christ. And if you believe it, that's written on your ticket too. Destination determined beforehand. Why? Because the Father loves you exactly like He loves Jesus.

God's Plan for Each Life

It was written, Jesus should be born in Bethlehem. It's written about me, that I should be born in India. Do you believe that? I believe it. See Psalm 139. The amazing verses in the Bible which teach us this.

Psalm 139. David had a revelation from God and he inspired and he wrote this. David had a revelation from God when he wrote this. He says to God, Oh Lord, you formed my inward parts and you wove me in my mother's womb.

Do you know that God formed you in your mother's womb? And He gave you certain abilities because He knew that you have to fulfill a certain ministry in the church. It's wonderful. Verse 16. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance.