========================================================================
  BEING PREPARED TO BE PARTNERS WITH GOD
  by Zac Poonen
========================================================================

Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of making wise decisions
in youth, highlighting the impact of sowing good seeds in various
aspects of life, such as respecting elders, valuing God's principles,
and seeking partnership with God in His business. It warns against the
consequences of immediate gratification, like Esau and Eve's choices,
and encourages young people to prioritize spiritual growth, discipline,
and honoring God in all areas of life.

Topics: "Wise Decisions in Youth", "Sowing Good Seeds"
Scripture References: Galatians 6:7, Leviticus 19:32, Ephesians 6:3, 1 Peter 2:17, 2 Timothy 2:6

------------------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This sermon emphasizes the importance of making wise decisions in youth,
highlighting the impact of sowing good seeds in various aspects of life,
such as respecting elders, valuing God's principles, and seeking
partnership with God in His business. It warns against the consequences
of immediate gratification, like Esau and Eve's choices, and encourages
young people to prioritize spiritual growth, discipline, and honoring
God in all areas of life.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, since all of you are young people here, I want to share something
with you. You're single, you haven't taken major decisions in your life
like marriage, where you're going to live. And I want to share something
with you which will lay a good foundation for the future.

It's not only for your Christian life, but also for your life in the
world. You know, I believe that if you're a really committed Christian,
everything goes well with you. It's not just that you become a
spiritually minded person.

I believe your health will be better, your mind will think better, you
can do better in your examinations. You'll come first in the class. What
I'm saying is, you'll be the best that you can be.

See, we're not here in competition with others to show that we're going
to be richer than them or healthier than them or cleverer than them. But
if you want to be the best that God wants you to be, some of these
principles in Christianity will help us in every area. See, an honest
Christian businessman may not make as much money as a crooked
businessman, but he's going to be much happier.

He's going to sleep better, he's going to have a better family life, and
ultimately at the end of his life, he'll have a sense of having
accomplished something, etc. So in every area, it'll help you. You know,
if you're a software engineer, you have a problem with some program
you're writing, even there, Christianity can help you.

God can solve every problem. I've always encouraged people to take your
little problems, big problems to God. So don't think that commitment to
Christ is going to help you only in being a spiritual Christian in terms
of religious Christian things.

It applies to every single area. And if you only knew that, I believe
all of you would want to commit yourself to Christ totally. But that's
where the devil hides from you, saying, Yahweh, you're going to miss out
on something in life if you commit yourself to Christ.

You see, for example, the devil seeks to tempt people with pornography
nowadays. A lot of young people are tempted with it. And it's exactly
like the tree which God told Adam and Eve, if you eat of it, you'll die.

Pornography on the internet or through magazines and things like that is
like that. It's there, it's very attractive. Don't you think the tree in
the Garden of Eden was very attractive? And a lot of these women are
very attractive.

But God says, No, it'll kill you. And we know in scripture that Eve
didn't believe that. Eve just thought of the pleasure it was going to
give her at that time and didn't think of the future consequences.

See, our subject for this camp is my father's business. That means our
heavenly father's business. And we think of Luke chapter 2, where Jesus
was in the temple when he was 12 years old.

And his parents had gone along with the crowd and were on their way back
home to Nazareth. And they didn't find him. They thought he was with
some of the other boys.

And it says after three days, verse 46 of Luke chapter 2, they found him
in the temples, sitting in the midst of all the Bible scholars,
listening to them and asking them questions. And all those who heard had
never heard a 12-year-old boy like this, were amazed at his
understanding and his answers. Because when he asked them some
questions, they didn't have the answer.

He gave the answers, which surprised them. And he was only 12 years old.
And don't think he came from heaven with all this knowledge crammed up
in his mind as a baby.

No. He had to learn just like you and me. He had to learn the Hebrew
language or whatever language they spoke, Aramaic or whatever it was.

He had to learn everything. He had to learn the Bible. And he didn't
have a Bible at home.

He had to listen to it when he went to the synagogue, or probably they
used the Bible in school as well. But it was by careful listening,
paying attention, that he knew the scriptures so well that he could even
question the scholars. And when his mother and Joseph saw him and said,
we've been looking for you.

He said to them in Luke 2.49, why were you looking for me? Did you not
know that I had to be in my father's affairs or father's business?
That's where we get our theme for this camp. My father's business. It
was like a son, the son of a businessman, who was not just a lazy,
careless, irresponsible type of son.

But one who wanted to share in the father's business, share the burden,
had a sense of responsibility. And from that age, you see, he was
concerned. He was committed to his father's business.

And that teaches us that God has got a business on the earth. And I tell
you, it's the most important business of all. And if you want to
participate in that business, imagine being a partner with God.

Supposing the richest businessman in India asked one of you young
fellows not just to work in his company, but to be a partner with him.
Boy, do you think he'd turn that down? I don't think he will. I mean,
even if you get a job in the company of some of these rich businessmen,
you'd be so thrilled.

Say, boy, I got a job in such a big company. Imagine on top of that, if
he asked you to be his partner. I believe that many of us don't believe
that God has a business on the earth.

And that he wants us to be his partner. He wants us to share with him,
not just work for him. And if I serve the Lord, I don't serve him as a
servant employed by him.

No. The Bible says that was under the Old Testament. But now in the New
Testament, Jesus said, take my yoke upon you and learn from me.

And he calls us co-workers, means partners in his business. It's
Almighty God asking all of you young fellows to be a partner in the
greatest business that's running on this earth. Jesus decided as a man,
as a young boy, to be a partner in that business.

Now, you know, you can hear all these messages and say, yeah, it's a
nice thought. But if you really believed it, and you believe that God's
greater than the richest businessman in India. And that what he offers
you is a far greater opportunity than if you were to be a partner with
the richest businessman in India.

You'd jump at it. You wouldn't even wait for one second. Why is it then
so many young people don't jump at that opportunity? Why is it so many
young people don't say, hey, I want to join this.

I mean, even if you had your own interest in you, supposing, as I said,
the richest businessman in India asked you to be his partner. You'd have
your own interest in you, right? Well, that's going to be good for me.
Whenever you look for a job, you always look, is that going to be good
for me? Now here, don't you think it's going to be good for you if you
join God and his business? What do you think? You think it will bring
you loss? I mean, earthly businesses, even big businesses can sometimes
collapse.

You read in the United States how suddenly when the recession came, a
lot of big, big banks and big companies just collapsed. There's a lot of
corruption there, but there's no corruption in God's business. It can
never collapse.

It's the thing that's going to last for all eternity. And I, for one,
chose as a young man to be a partner with God and his business. So
that's where, if you want to be a partner with God and his business, we
have to work according to his rules.

Now first of all, I want to tell you what a tremendous opportunity it is
to be a partner with God and his business, to be a true Christian, to be
a committed Christian, not just one who wants to accept Christ because
that's the way to go to heaven. Most of you are here because, anyway,
many of you are here because your parents chose to come to CFC. But have
you got a sense that God wants you also to be a partner in his business?
Think of it like that.

Think of Christianity not just as getting our sins forgiven and going to
heaven, but being a partner in the greatest and spiritually the most
wealthy and most profitable, most useful business that's going on on
earth at this time. The only difference is in worldly businesses, you
can do a lot of crooked things. You know, cheat the government, cheat on
your taxes, cheat people, cheat customers, tell lies, do all types of
wrong things.

In fact, most businesses do that all over the world in every country.
But that's the difference between worldly business and God's business.
In God's business, there's nothing shady, nothing unrighteous, there's
no telling lies, there's no taking advantage of anybody.

It's a business where we are absolutely 100% honest and true, totally.
And it's a business which really seeks the good of others. There's no
business like that in the world.

And in the process, we get immensely blessed too. I'll tell you why.
Because God is the one who made our beings, our mind and our body, and
our whole personality.

And God has made our mind and body and personality in such a way that it
will function best if it has these goals. Otherwise it will function,
but it won't function best just like these people who conduct physical
education and gyms. That run gyms where they build their body.

They tell you how to exercise and what to eat to keep your body
physically fit. If you want to get the maximum out of your body. There
are certain laws which they've discovered in the body.

Now exactly the same way, there are certain laws for our soul and
spirit. And you know, you violate those laws of the body, you're going
to be a fat, flabby person and you're not going to be physically strong.
And people understand that.

And that's why a lot of people started eating healthy and doing
exercise, etc. But what they haven't realized is there are laws for the
soul and spirit which are much more important. And it's only as we keep
those laws that we can get the maximum potential.

Because that's the way God's created us. So the way God's created us is
this. That if you want to get the maximum potential out of yourself.

You have to seek the glory of God first. And the good of others. And not
just selfishly think only of yourself.

If you keep on selfishly thinking of yourself like all the people in the
world. You're ultimately going to be a very miserable person. God's, I
mean that's the way it is.

God's programmed it like that. That's why you'll suddenly find some of
these millionaires committing suicide. World famous film actors
committing suicide.

Why is that? What do they lack? They have beauty, honor, money,
everything. But they're frustrated inside. So God has made us, you know,
like someone said.

There's a vacuum inside us. That people try to fill with pleasure and
money and honor and power. And it never gets filled.

It can only be filled by God. So it's good for all of you to learn that
when you're young. So as I said, in the father's business there are
certain rules.

Rules of uprightness and honesty and purity. And that's why I was
talking earlier about these temptations that the devil draws us to. Like
internet pornography and other things which are going to pollute us.

I mean it's something like eating a little poison. Which may be very
tasty. But it's going to destroy you.

I mean people have now discovered even a lot of these fast foods. Fast
foods are very tasty. But people have discovered now that they make you
fat and sick.

If you keep on eating it. And so they stop. They say, hey, we got to eat
healthy.

But they haven't understood that. When it comes to the type of books you
read or programs you watch on television. Or things you watch on the
internet.

They haven't realized that it's the same thing for the mind. You know
what we read and look at. Particularly when you're young.

You're putting things into your mind. Which is exactly like food. And
you know there are various types of food.

As I said, there's fast food which is really junk food. Which is not
good for you. And there's other food which is healthy.

So in the same way. For our mind also. There's food which is healthy.

And there's food which is poisonous. So is God trying to stop us from
eating healthy food for our mind? Not at all. God's only trying to stop
us from eating poisonous food for our mind.

Why does a mother take that stone out of the baby's mouth. When the baby
puts some mud into the mouth. The mother immediately washes out its
mouth.

And says, don't do that. Because the baby doesn't know. This is going to
harm it.

A lot of babies get sick because they put all types of things into their
mouth. They crawl along the ground and put their finger into their
mouth. And they get sick.

Now we understand that when we grow up. That little little germs. And
you know it's a wee tiny germ.

That can make us sick. And a wee tiny germ so small that you can't even
see it. Is enough to kill a person.

We know that. When people get different sicknesses. Any doctor will tell
you that the germ that caused that sickness.

That serious sickness where a person is knocked out of the fever. And
can hardly get up. Is a wee teeny weeny little germ that you can't even
see.

That's the thing that makes a strong man sick. It's not a big lion or a
snake or something. It's just such a small little germ you can't even
see it.

And they're all around the air. We're breathing it. So it's exactly like
that.

You know you put a wee tiny bit of poison into your mind. Your mind is
polluted. And who's going to be destroyed? You yourself.

Imagine God called you. To be a partner with him in his business. And
you miss out on that.

Because you violate some rule of his. I'm not saying God will. Hate you
or give you up.

I'm just saying that you'll miss out on. The privilege God has for you.
There's a. You know the story of Esau and Jacob.

They were young people. When. They both took a decision.

You read about it in Hebrews in chapter 12. You know decisions that
young people take. Sometimes have long term consequences.

That's what you must remember. You may think oh well I'm just taking a
decision now. I can turn back and repent.

Yeah there's certain things. A decision doesn't have long term
consequences. But there are some decisions.

That have long term consequences. For example if you marry the wrong
person. That's not a decision you can take back.

That's going to have long term consequences. That's why I tell young
people. You'd be better careful with whom you're going to marry.

The person's got the same mind and goal as you have. Otherwise you're
going to suffer. Certain other decisions may not have such long term
consequences.

You know one day you feel so tired. You don't feel like going to work.
And you take leave and don't go to work.

Okay. That may not have long term consequences. But certain decisions
have.

Sometimes a small decision can have a long term consequence too. See
Hebrews chapter 12. It says about Esau.

Now you know the story of Esau. You read about it in Genesis. He was a
hunter.

And one day he came back tired. From hunting. And by the way he was the
elder of the two twins.

And because he was the elder. He had the birthright. That was the
privilege of the oldest son.

In a home. The birthright. Now I don't know all that was involved in
that.

In the birthright. For most families it probably meant that. He'd get
double the share of the wealth.

Which all the other children would get. And perhaps in the case of
Isaac. Because Abraham was chosen by God.

To be the head of the nation of Israel. Perhaps it meant. That the
birthright would go.

To the one. Who was chosen to be the head of that nation. Through which
Jesus would come.

Boy then the birthright means a lot more. Than just getting double the
share of property here on earth. But.

It's a tremendous honor. Imagine if Esau. Was supposed to be.

The head of the nation of Israel. Now. We can't say that definitely.

Because we don't know all that's involved in the birthright. But. It
says here that.

When he came back from. You read that Genesis 25, 26. He came back from
hunting.

And Jacob was making this porridge. Which was some type of lentil soup.
The aroma of it came to Esau's.

Nose. And he said I want that. I'm hungry.

I'm famished. Jacob was a shrewd person. He said well.

I'll give it to you if you give me your birthright. I mean that means
he. Jacob was thinking about it for many years.

This guy was born just. A few minutes before me. Because of that he's
got the birthright.

Just because I happened to come out. A few minutes later from my
mother's womb. I got the opportunity.

I'm sure that Esau knew. There's something spiritual in the birthright.
But it was in the future.

Not immediate. Maybe many years later. But right now.

He said I want to satisfy my body. I don't care whether this. This thing
that's going to come in the future.

Who knows. Like that. And so he said oh birthright sure.

Right now I want to satisfy my body. I'll give you this. Lentil soup.

And he took it. And later on. When the time came for Isaac.

To bless. His sons. And to give the birthright to the eldest.

God himself made sure. That Isaac didn't give it to Esau. And Esau wept.

And said oh my father. Please don't you have a blessing for me. And the
father couldn't give him the birthright.

He'd already given it to Jacob. In Hebrews 12. Verse 16.

He says make sure there's no immoral person. Or godless person. Like
Esau.

In your midst. Who sold his own birthright for a single meal. Why is
Esau called an immoral person? He's not.

This is not talking about. Sexual immorality. Why is he called a godless
person? If all that the birthright involved was.

Just getting double the share. Of the father's property. No there was
something spiritual about it.

And it says Esau despised. His birthright. He sold it.

And afterwards. Verse 17. When he wanted to inherit the blessing.

He was rejected. Even though. He sought for it with tears.

It was too late to repent. That's what it says. Is it possible that you
can come to a place.

Where it's too late to repent. And that there's something. You take a
decision when you're a young man.

And you missed it. Forever. Now Esau was a young man.

And. The birthright was his father's business. He could have been a
shareholder in that.

But he missed it. Because when he was young. He despised it.

And he chose something. That would satisfy the immediate needs. Of his
body.

And this is written in the New Testament. As a warning. And such people
are called.

Immoral. And godless. Why are they immoral and godless? Because.

They want to satisfy the immediate. Longing of their body. And despise.

The spiritual inheritance. That can be theirs. Later on.

And that's the choice that many of you. Are making in the little
decisions. That you make every day.

It's little, little things. For example. Take the matter of the human
body.

And I'm speaking about people go to fast food. And eat a lot of.
Unhealthy food.

Now if you eat one unhealthy meal. That's not. Necessarily going to
affect you.

But when it happens again and again. You just get an addiction for you.
You love it.

You keep on eating it. It's just going to destroy your body. It's the
same thing with the mind.

A little bit may not destroy your whole future. But the point is. A
little bit can give you a craving.

For something more of that. It's very difficult for a person. Who's once
gone to a. Pornographic site on the internet.

To not want to go back there again. And then he says. After some months
of not doing it.

Just once. It's an addiction. It's just as bad an addiction.

As taking drugs or. Some immoral man. Going every now and then to a
prostitute.

There's really no difference. It's an addiction. And after some time.

It'll be like. Every time you do it. It's like somebody tightening the
screw.

One more turn of the screw. One more turn of the screw. You can't
escape.

It's very very difficult. And many of you have probably. Already
destroyed yourselves.

Your minds in many ways with that. You can't do anything about the past.
God can forgive you.

But before you destroy your mind anymore. The Lord wants you. Warns you
through the example of Esau.

Don't give up your birthright. In the future. For some immediate
benefit.

That you're going to get in your body. See that's what Eve also wanted.
There's something similar about.

Eve and Esau here. And you. And me.

If we make the wrong choice. Eve also. Didn't think of the future
consequences.

She said right now. This is going to satisfy my body. This fruit.

It looks so attractive. This makes my mouth water. I want it.

I know God has said no. But I want it. And the devil convinced her.

You're going to get so many good things out of it. Exactly the way the
devil convinces us. When we are doing something wrong.

That you'll get something out of it. You'll get some pleasure out of it.
But he never.

He never told Eve. You'll get some pleasure out of it right now. But you
know what will happen later on.

You and your wife. You and your husband are going to fight with each
other. For 900 years.

Your first son will murder your second son. All types of problems.
You'll have sicknesses.

You'll have disease. Life will be miserable. You'll have to go out and
live on your own.

The world will become a terrible place to live in. Now eat this fruit.
Do you think she would have eaten it if she knew all the consequences.

They lived about 900 years in those days. Imagine if she knew all the
consequences of fever and sickness and disease. The children fighting
and killing each other.

All these things that are going to happen in her life for 900 years. She
would satisfy her body right now. Do you think she would have done it?
No.

But the devil hides the future results. He says forget about the future
right now. You're going to enjoy it.

And she did it. And the same day she was thrown out of the Garden of
Eden. Her contact with God was gone.

The Garden of Eden is like paradise. Everything was so wonderful. There
were no wild animals there.

Imagine giving up all that to come into the type of world that you and I
are living in. Just to satisfy some lust in your body. And missing the
opportunity thereafter.

Adam could never walk with God after that. He walked one day with God on
the 7th day. He never got a chance again.

Missed it all just because he wanted to satisfy his body. Just like his
wife. And you guys and girls don't realize what you're missing by these
little choices you make to satisfy the desires of your body.

If I can please myself. Maybe do something wrong. There are long term
consequences.

Think of that. Esau was the same thing. The devil said come on.

You're hungry. Satisfy the need of your body now. Forget about this
birth right which is in the future.

The wise person is the one who thinks about the future. Why do you think
parents send their children to nursery school? You think the child wants
to go at the age of 3 or 4? Not at all. There's no child in the world
that wants to go leave home and go to sit in some kindergarten.

They cry when they go to school. Why does a parent force it? Is that
child enjoying it there? Not necessarily. And then how many years before
you young people how many years of working how many years it took for
you to get a degree and then get a job? In some cases more than 20 years
of education.

Right all the way from nursery you study for 20 years and if you want to
get a really good job maybe another 2 or 3 years. Why does a person go
through 23 years of study? And why do some people sit I mean the small
children cry when they go to the kindergarten but serious students when
they're in their college and all they work so hard think of people who
go and do a one year training course just to get admission into some
medical college or engineering college. They spend so much money just to
get that admission.

Why do they spend so much money and energy and effort immediately
they're not getting anything immediately it's all painful and suffering
and self-denial you can't go for all these picnics and outings other
people are going because you've got to study for this exam that's coming
up. But you see a few years later those fellows who just played the fool
where they are and these people who worked hard where they are. It's the
same in the Christian life exactly the same.

There are long term consequences of the decisions we make now. When
you're young the devil doesn't want you to think about it. Just like he
didn't want Eve to think about what will happen in the future he didn't
want Esau to think about what will happen in the future.

He just wants you to think about what's going to enable you and that's
the thing which I want you to get out of your mind. I want you to
realize that God wants you to be his partner in his business on earth.
And if you can be gripped by that when you're young say oh God even a
sister sure God wants you to be a partner in his business on earth.

And if you're gripped by that you say Lord then how can I prepare myself
for it. You know these people who are the sons and daughters of these
big businessmen the parents just train them send them to good colleges
because then only they can take over this business. And they tell them
listen if you work hard now you can be a partner in this business and
everything will go you'll have a lot of money that's all they care for
on this earth.

That's the reason why they work hard. Every student who works in college
they're thinking of the future even in the world. How much more as
Christians we should recognize that.

Let me show you another verse which is very important for young people
to remember it's in Galatians and chapter 6. In Galatians chapter 6 it
says don't be deceived. I think it's written particularly for young
people. Galatians 6 and verse 7 don't fool yourself.

will reap what he has sown. He's not going to reap something else. I
mean every farmer knows that if you sow potatoes you're going to get
potatoes.

If you sow tomatoes you get tomatoes. If you sow rice you get rice. If
you sow wheat you get wheat.

Whatever a man sows that he will reap and then he says there are two
options just like Eve had two options to satisfy her own desires or to
please God. And this is a tremendous temptation to satisfy our own
desires. Like Esau at that time.

Supposing Esau had said yeah I'm terribly hungry but I'm not going to
give up the birthright. I'm willing to suffer a little hunger in my body
right now. It doesn't matter.

I'm not going to die. I don't want to enjoy this. I don't want to lose
the birthright.

If he had that attitude think what a difference it would have made. And
if Eve had that attitude yeah it looks very attractive and makes my
mouth water but God has said no. There must be there must be some reason
why God has said no.

It must be harmful for me in some way which I can't understand. I want
to tell you there are certain things you know can harm you. For example
if you take a blade cut yourself you know it'll harm you.

None of you will ever take a blade and cut your hand or any part of your
body because you know it's going to harm you. Supposing you have a
bottle labeled poison. None of you are going to drink it even if there's
sugar mixed in it.

See I don't want it even if it's tasty. And you've read about all this
harm that harmful drugs do to young people and so you stay away from it.
What the devil wants you to not know is that a lot of these things that
God says no to are things that can harm you.

You know that anger can harm you even physically spiritually. When you
don't forgive somebody it harms you. It doesn't harm the other person.

That fellows who harmed you he's happy but you don't forgive him. You're
bitter and sour and you have all types of problems even in your body.
Everything that God says is for our good.

So it says here you can either sow to your flesh verse 8 Galatians 6 8
if you sow to the flesh you reap corruption but if you sow to the Holy
Spirit you'll reap eternal life. So that's a law. We can say that in the
things you do every day you're sowing something.

Your thoughts you're sowing something. Your words you're sowing
something. And the habits you develop like reading the Bible for
example.

Reading the Bible is an excellent habit. I believe all of you should
have that habit to read the scriptures every single day. You shouldn't
miss a single day like some people have the rule no Bible no breakfast.

Very good law to remind ourselves when you go to breakfast have I read
my Bible today? No Bible no breakfast. Why is it we're ready to eat
breakfast even if you haven't read the Bible? Because we think that
reading the Bible is not going to do me any good. Eating breakfast is
going to do me some good.

See we do take care of ourselves. We think of ourselves and we think if
I do this it'll help me so I'll do it that this thing is not going to
help me. That's what I'm trying to convince you that reading the
scriptures will help you a lot more than eating breakfast.

If you're convinced about that you'd rather read the Bible and have your
breakfast. See that's something you sow. I'm very happy that in my
younger days I sowed reading the scriptures.

Many times sometimes I'd skip meals as well but I see now the harvest
I'm reaping from that. It's a fantastic harvest. Peace of mind and
health in the body and being able to serve God and do so many things.

Think that God could have that type of a ministry and opportunity that
he wants you to have. I never knew when I was 21 years old that God had
anything in store for me. I was just baptized and I just want to read
the Bible to know more about God.

That's all. God is watching you dear young people and there's a law just
like there's a law in the universe. If you sow and work hard you're
going to get a tremendous crop.

See this verse in 2nd Timothy in chapter 2. 2nd Timothy 2 it says in
verse 6 the hard-working farmer gets the first share of the crops.
Consider what I say the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
That's a law.

It doesn't matter whether you are supposing a farmer is an atheist but
he works hard in his field and here's another farmer who's a believer
and he doesn't work hard in his field during sowing time. Why is that
atheist farmer going to get a better crop than this so-called believer
farmer who was lazy? Because it's a law. That man obeyed certain laws of
God and he got a fantastic crop from his field and this man was lazy.

He thought he could last minute just pray oh God give me a good harvest
and he gets a useless crop. I sometimes have young people coming up to
me and say Uncle Jack can you pray for me for my examinations and I tell
them the story this. I tell them the story.

Do you think a farmer will get a good crop if he hasn't sowed seed and
watered the field and he just last minute he prays? No. So I want to ask
you I say have you worked hard? Have you studied hard? And I'll pray for
you. But don't think that laziness is going to be blessed by God.

So one of the important things that you young people need to think about
is that every action of yours you're sowing something. You're sowing
something. If you discipline yourself to read the scriptures you're
sowing something.

If you go and watch pornography you're going to do so something. If you
don't get over your anger and your bitterness and your unwillingness to
talk to somebody because you hate him you're sowing something in your
own life. You're not going to destroy the other person.

You're going to destroy yourself. Another area which young people need
to especially be careful in sowing is the matter of respect. You know it
says in Ephesians 6 that honor your father and mother so that it may go
well with you and you may live long on the earth.

Ephesians 6 3 and out of all the Ten Commandments it says this is the
one which has got a promise attached to it. It's the first commandment
with a promise. The other commandments don't have a promise.

The other commandments are don't steal, don't commit adultery, don't
kill etc. But this one has got a promise attached to it. You honor your
father and mother it'll go well with you.

You'll live long on the earth. Now the principle behind it is to respect
those who are older. Now I'll tell you something which is a very sad
thing I see in today's young people.

I don't see it in the villages. In the villages they still have that
respect for older people which they have got from Hinduism. Yeah those
non-christian religions.

You don't have to be a Christian. It's just society teaches children to
be respectful to those who are older. But in Western lands where people
claim to be Christians some of them even call themselves Christian
nations.

I find among young people a tremendous disrespect for older people.
Disrespect for the parents even the way they speak to their parents in
rude ways. No respect for people who are older and all this is an
indication of a lack of the fear of God.

I want to show you a verse in Leviticus and chapter 19. In Leviticus
chapter 19 it speaks here about some of the some of the proofs by which
you prove that you fear God. And one of the things mentioned here is
this in verse 32 Leviticus 19 32.

You shall rise up before a gray-headed person and honor those who are
aged and thus you show that you reverence God. See those Hindus and the
villagers have learned it that that's how you reverence God. This is Old
Testament.

A lot of non-Christians know it but I find a lot of Christians even
those who say they're born again they don't they haven't learned how to
respect older people and wherever that Western influences come to India
and it's come in cities like Bangalore many other big big cities that
influences corrupted the young people in the cities even in our
churches. There's a lot of difference between the young people in
Bangalore even in our church and the young people in the villages. One
big difference is the young people in the villages have a lot more
respect for older people than here.

I've seen that and that's the honest truth because people in the cities
in Bangalore have been influenced so much by this corrupt Western
culture which has taught them to be to treat everybody as if they're
equals. It doesn't go well with you. I to the best of my ability have
always sought to honor those who are older than me.

My younger days maybe a few times I slipped up and I repented deeply as
a result of it and turned around asked the Lord to forgive me but most
of the time I sought to honor and respect those who were older than me
and I want to testify it's gone well with me and when I see the way some
of you young people don't respect those are older I feel sorry for you
because it's not gonna go well with you I might as well tell you that
it's scripture you can't change it you're sowing something and you're
gonna reap the same harvest it's a little thing like that you know one
of the things we need to learn I personally have learned not just to
respect older people I see from 1 Peter chapter 2 that as a servant of
God 1 Peter 2 and verse 17 it says honor all people and thus you fear
God so I've learned to speak respectfully to people are younger than me
because I'm a Christian I'm a disciple of Jesus I think Jesus spoke
respectfully to people even though he was Almighty God in human form
he's the devil who speaks disrespectfully so remember that young people
when you don't know how to speak respectfully to others you're actually
hand-in-hand with the devil you may not know it when you get into
fellowship with Jesus Christ you learn to speak respectfully these are
little things you know just the way you speak the way you greet somebody
we take so much for granted very often many of the young people in CFC
to I find they don't recognize or value the tremendous privilege they
have to be able to hear the things they hear sometimes I wish that some
of you young people would go and sit in some other Pentecostal church or
some other church for six months you'd really all go and spend one year
somewhere else you'd really learn to appreciate CFC a lot more after
that what you hear and receive when you see people take advantage of you
and then you learn to appreciate a church where people don't take
advantage of you but seek to serve you but if we don't appreciate those
things if we don't learn to respect and appreciate these things we're
gonna be the losers so there are many many things like this where we're
showing something like I said if a son if a young boy has to grow up to
be a partner with his father's business when he's 25 years old his
father teaches him so many things he's you got to go to school you got
to go to college you're going to study all this got to discipline
yourself a lot of things that other young people are fooling around I
may do but you can't do because you're gonna be a partner with me in my
business that's why I tell you young people now make a choice you won't
regret it I guarantee I can give it you in writing if you really take
the laws of God seriously ten years from now you will not regret it
because God will give you the right partner in marriage God will take
care of every step of your future and you won't have to worry about
anything imagine being a partner with Almighty God in his business you
think he will let me down if I'm a partner in his business so take this
attitude and say Lord I want to be a partner with you in your business
and in order to grow up to be that type of partner I want to discipline
myself just like a young boy who is the son of a big businessman
disciplines himself one day to be a partner with his father in his
business that fellow can do it for the world why can't I do it for God
think of what Jesus has done for you does he have to come and plead with
you after all that he's done for you on the cross I hope not I hope you
recognize how much he's done for you on the cross that's the thing that
gripped me and said Lord Jesus you did so much for me on the cross the
least the least I can do is give everything of myself back to you now
I'll tell you this I did that 50 years ago I don't regret it one bit
today it's the best possible decision I made God's got a plan for all of
your lives don't miss out on it take the Lord seriously okay let's pray
so while I heads about in prayer think of what the Lord has spoken to
you and no matter it doesn't matter how much you have messed up your
life in the past I want to speak to some of you specifically you have
messed up your life never mind come to Jesus today right where you're
sitting and say Lord Jesus I'm sorry I messed up my life but you can
forgive me thank God I'm not yet 50 years old I'm still a teenager in my
20s Lord you can still do something with me I want you to take a hold of
my life please right now please blot out my past sins will you ask the
Lord to do that right now and Lord I find this tug I've got addicted to
certain things I want you to set me free I really want to cooperate with
you help me Lord to break free to give up my friendships that put me in
the wrong direction and Lord help me to take those right decisions so
that I won't have any regret years from now I want to take the right
decision please help me Lord I give you my word please help me by the
power of the Holy Spirit to break with friendships that are harming me
and help me to give up those habits that are destroying me Lord let me
seek fellowship with godly people please help me help me to appreciate
and value the church you placed me in to appreciate and value the elders
teach me to be respectful to others Lord I really want to sow good seed
in my life so that I can reap a harvest in days to come that will
glorify you I believe you help me and I want to ask you young people ask
God didn't first cleanse your heart and then to fill you with this Holy
Spirit say Lord I really want to be filled with the Holy Spirit in my
life not as an experience but something continuous thank you Lord that
you hear me in Jesus name

========================================================================
Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/TXvC9fdKy-E.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/zac-poonen/being-prepared-to-be-partners-with-god/
========================================================================