======================================================================== EVERYTHING PERTAINING TO LIFE AND GODLINESS by Zac Poonen ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of having the power of godliness in the midst of a world where many have a form of godliness without true power. It challenges believers to live a life that reflects the true nature of God, forgiving others, seeking to glorify God, and being imitators of God in all aspects of life. The speaker highlights the need to pray in alignment with God's will, not asking for unfair advantages but seeking to honor God in all circumstances. Topics: "True Godliness", "Living to Honor God" Scripture References: 2 Peter 1:3, Matthew 6:15, Ephesians 4:32, 2 Timothy 3:1, Romans 7:2, Matthew 5:44 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon emphasizes the importance of having the power of godliness in the midst of a world where many have a form of godliness without true power. It challenges believers to live a life that reflects the true nature of God, forgiving others, seeking to glorify God, and being imitators of God in all aspects of life. The speaker highlights the need to pray in alignment with God's will, not asking for unfair advantages but seeking to honor God in all circumstances. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ There's a word that's been on my mind since this morning, 2nd Peter chapter 1, please turn to it, 2nd Peter chapter 1 and verse 3 and 4. Now if you're not familiar with these words, I would encourage you to become familiar. It says here, we see that God's divine power, I'm gonna read it very slowly, has granted to us everything. You know what everything means, not everything in the world, but everything pertaining to life, physical life and godliness, which is spiritual life. This is the expression that's been on my mind. God has given us everything that we need for life, physical and a godly life. There's nothing he has withheld. If I'm interested in physical life and a godly life, God has provided everything necessary for it. There's no reason why a person should say I cannot live a godly life. He's not making use of the power available. So let me read it again, seeing this clearly, that God's divine power has granted, that means freely, there's no payment for it, granted to us everything. Everything means everything that pertains to life and godliness and how is it done? Through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. Knowing God and Jesus Christ, Jesus said, is what eternal life is. I've said this before, most Christians think eternal life is to live forever and that is living for eternity. Living for eternity, people who go to hell live for eternity. People who go to heaven live for eternity, but that is not eternal life. It's existing for eternity. In heaven or in hell, existing for eternity. But the expression eternal life, which is found in the New Testament, is, Jesus defined it in John 17 3 as, this is eternal life, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. That's why we can have more and more of eternal life. Existing for eternity, there's no such thing as having more and more of it. If you're a human being, you will exist for eternity. It may be in heaven, it may be in hell. One of the two places, every human being that's ever entered this earth will exist for eternity. There's no doubt about it. But eternal life, very few have. So eternal life is knowing God and knowing God is something which we need to do more and more and more and more. It begins where we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior. Sometimes these elementary truths we forget. That's why I try to speak in simple terms so that my level of speaking is the 12-year-old. If he can understand, everybody will understand. That's why I always try to speak like that. So knowing God is something that grows more and more. Towards the end of Timothy, not towards the end, but towards the end of Paul's life, he wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 6, I think it's verse 17, lay hold of eternal life. How do you do that? If I have already received Christ into my heart and I have eternal life, what's the question of laying hold of it? He's not telling Timothy to be born again. But eternal life is something you can lay hold of more and more and more and more. It's like knowing God. You can know God more and more and more and more. And the best example I can use of it is, when you get married, you know very little about your husband or your wife. Let's take, you know, Christ and us is like a husband-wife relationship. We are the bride and Christ is the bridegroom. So a husband knows very little about his wife or a wife knows very little about her husband. Let me put it like that. A wife doesn't know much about her husband the day they are born again. Maybe a little. But as they live together, they know more and more and more and more of each other. 20 years later they know so much more. 50 years later they know very much more about each other. All their likes and dislikes and food and their habits and their mannerisms and their personality. You get to know your husband more and more and more and more. Now my question is, when did you first receive Christ? Since that day. Assume that was the day you got married to Christ. Since that day till today. If it's five years, have you known him as much as you have known your husband for five years? You can tell me a lot of things about your husband in five years. If you have known the Lord for 20 years, imagine you've been married for 20 years. How much do you know about your wife or your husband in 20 years? Do you know Jesus that much? Do you know Jesus as to what are the things Christ is interested in, what he's not interested in, just like you know what your wife and husband is interested in more and more and more? Or have you lived 20 years just saying, I've received Christ. That's like a husband and wife who say, yeah we got married on such and such a day in such and such a place. Yeah we see each other once in a while. I'm not unfaithful to my husband or wife, but I've got my own things to do. I live in another town. I rarely see my husband or wife, but we are married. I'll show you the marriage certificate. That is how many Christians live. You'd think a husband and wife who live like that just proving their marriage certificate and say I was baptized on this day. That's crazy. That's not supposed to be what marriage is like. And that's not supposed to be the Christian life either. A good marriage is where the husband and wife live together every day. Unfortunately sometimes because of the world we live in, sometimes husbands have to travel to other places. But with Jesus Christ, he doesn't travel anywhere. He's with you all the time. So you can get to know him better and better every day. And I want to say to you in Jesus name that you have not done that from the time you converted. You have failed. It's like a child who's joined school but didn't go to school every day. Yeah he's not thrown out of the school because the principal is very merciful. But he doesn't learn anything. The other child who went to school every day has learned a lot more. It's promoted. And it's the people who are diligent in school day by day by day by day who do well educationally or in life. Because they were persistent day by day. It's not those who go to school when they feel like. Don't go when they feel like. How would you like it to have a child? And if you are parents, how would you like to have a child that whether you homeschool or public school goes to school when they feel like. And mom today I don't feel like coming to home school. I'm taking off. You know that's how many Christians live. You know the number of Christians I've asked do you read the Bible every day. Oh brother I forgot sometimes I forget. Well such people don't not gonna lay hold of eternal life. I seriously doubt whether they'll even end up in heaven. I mean if you're not interested in talking to the Lord even once a day or reading the Bible to know what the Lord has to say even once in a day for five minutes. How are you going to spend eternity with him? You know eternity is not just going to heaven by the way. I say that many many times because that is the understanding of many people. To me eternity is not heaven. I've said this publicly many times. I am not interested in going to heaven. That shocks some people. I'm interested in being with Jesus. It's not heaven. Supposing you're married and your husband got you a wonderful house but he's not there. I mean if you're a good wife would you be happy living in that house all by yourself? No children nobody but grand house so many rooms and what do you do with it? I'd rather live in a hut with my wife than live in a grand house. I hope your marriage is like that. But it's not the hut or the house not the grand mansion. It's the person of the one you married whom you love. I hope that's what you're looking forward to in eternity. Not the mansions or the golden streets or heaven but Jesus whom you love. My great passion as a servant of the Lord is to get people to love Jesus Christ. To love their bridegroom. I don't preach about what heaven is like. I'm not interested in what heaven is like. I'll tell you honestly. I've told you many times that I told Jesus straightforward. I said Lord I'd be happy to be in hell for eternity if you are there. That's like saying I'd rather be with my husband in a wilderness than live in a grand mansion without him. Is that a great thing? Don't a true husband and wife say that? Who really love each other? I'd rather be in the wilderness forever living under a tree with my partner than live in a grand mansion without him. Can you say that about Jesus? I'd rather be in hell with Christ than live in heaven without him. That is a true relationship that you have. That is true Christianity. Nothing less than this. Don't be satisfied with saying I accepted Christ I'm going to heaven. That's like some selfish woman saying I married a millionaire. He's got a big house. I hardly ever see him. I don't talk to him but I got this wonderful house and what rich food. He's got servants who cook food for me. What do you think of such a wife? That is exactly how many Christians are. You ask such a wife when do you contact your husband? Whenever I'm in need I call him up. Otherwise I don't have time to talk to him. Those who pray only when they have a need. Those who pray only when they have a problem. Unlike wives who say well I call up my husband now and a while whenever I need money or when I need something at home but the rest of the time I have no time to talk to him. I have no time to tell him how much I love him or talk and get familiar with him. That is the prayer life of many Christians. Prayer is only going to him when there's a problem and there's a need. Compare your relationship with Christ to your relationship in marriage and see how it compares and see if you have whether your husband or wife if you treat your partner the way you are treating Christ now. Talk to him only when there's a problem only when there's a need. Read his word. It's like if your husband's far away and sends you a letter or your wife is far away sends you a letter and you read it. Yeah there's a ten page letter but I just skim through it one or two sentences here and there and put it away. Or a mail comes to you and from your husband or wife who's far away and you say well I haven't had time to read it. I'm watching other things on the internet. What type of marriage do you think that is? I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up in divorce and I tell you that is the marriage of many many Christians to Christ. Now I'm sure you'd be shocked with a marriage like that which is just occasional talking to each other but you don't see that your occasional talking to Christ and being related to him is like that. But see how what a merciful husband he is that he's tolerated that. That he didn't divorce you or get rid of you. Even though you've been so casual towards him. My dear brothers and sisters I'm not trying to rebuke you. I'm trying to show you a higher way of life. It's like my counseling married couple saying listen. Marriage is a wonderful thing I'll tell you. Yeah it's really is next to being connected to Christ. Marriage is the most wonderful thing on earth. It is. In India many people love their children more than they love their wife. Completely wrong. You must love your wife more than your children and if any of you sitting here love your children more than your wife I'm telling you you're doing it wrong. You must love your children but you've got to love your wife more. That's what scripture teaches. You have to build up your relationship with your husband and wife by daily fellowship. Even if you're separated now we have many means of communication. Phone, email etc. It must be exactly the same with Christ. So this verse, remember this verse. His divine power has granted us everything pertaining to life and godliness. How? Through the true knowledge of him. And that comes through conversation. If you never speak to your partner you will not know her or him. I'll tell you that. I can guarantee that. And if he's far away and you don't write to him or call him up on the phone you will never get to know him. Through the knowledge of him who has called us to his glory and excellence. And the other thing is if you if you grow in this knowledge of him he has granted to us, verse 4, precious and magnificent promises. Imagine a husband who's provided all types of things for his wife. Promises are like a bank account. I want to tell you your spiritual husband is a billionaire or a trillionaire. And he's saying he has provided you such a massive bank account. That's the meaning of precious and magnificent promises. But you have to go to the bank and take it. Or go to an ATM machine put your debit credit card in and take it. In the same way you've got to go to the Lord and say Lord these are your promises. These are all the promises in Scripture. They're like checks. Take it to the bank of heaven signed by the name of Jesus Christ. And the purpose of this is to give you the greatest treasure that any human being can have. What do you think is the greatest treasure? What is the greatest thing the Lord can give you? Better job? No. Those of you unmarried. A good husband or a good wife. That's not the great. It is a very good thing but that's not the greatest thing God's given. The greatest thing is not even you know those of us who preach a ministry. Wow! To have a ministry be able to preach the word. That is also not the greatest thing. The greatest thing is that it says in verse 4 that I can partake of God's own nature. How shall I explain that? Some of you have dogs whom you love so much. Some people love their dogs more than their children I've seen in this country. Well supposing and your dog loves you very well much too. Supposing you could tell your dog you know you could become a human being. You could become like exactly like one of my sons. I'll change your shape and you won't be barking all the time. I'll make you like my son and you'll be able to speak with me in a language. We can communicate together. I'll send you to school. You're a dog now but I'll send you to school. You'll become a human being and you'll be able to read and write. If you're away from me you'll be able to write letters to me and I'll open a bank account for you. You can't do that as a dog but when I make you a human being that dog will be so excited. This is impossible. No you see it's possible. I'm gonna do it. See that's a miracle. I want to tell you I don't know whether you realized it's a greater miracle than that for God to say a wretched child of Adam. I'm gonna make you partake of my nature. That's what it says here. I'll make you partake of your nature. The best illustration of that is you're telling your dog I can make you a human being and give you everything that a human being can have. Behave like a human being. Picture that in your mind. Your dog one day is changed into a human being. It's become a little baby and growing up. It was a dog. You loved it. God so loved the world but some of them became partakers of his nature. I think that's the greatest thing in the world. If God said to me do you want my nature and you remain poor all your life a very simple person or do you want without my nature become a billionaire. I said no definitely your nature. I want to ask you honestly how many of you believe that partaking more of God's nature is better than earning more money or increasing your bank account. I'll tell you one thing if you really believe that from deep in your heart you would have partaken more of God's nature by today. It would have been the easiest thing in the world to forgive other people. You would not need a hundred messages on forgiveness to forgive others. You would not need the threat, the threat that if you don't forgive others God will forgive you, won't forgive you. You won't need that threat to forgive others. Even if there were no such threat you would forgive. Supposing God had said in the Old Testament it was like that even if you don't forgive others I'll forgive you. That was true in the Old Testament Old Covenant. Supposing God said to me okay even if you don't forgive others I'll forgive you. I'd say God my father I still want to forgive others because that's your nature. Because that's what Jesus did when the worst sin ever committed on this earth, the crucifixion of Christ. They did against him. What are his first words? First words. These guys don't know how terrible a sin they're guilty of. Father forgive them because they don't know what they've done. They crucified the Son of God. They've committed the worst crime in history. Please forgive them immediately. Imagine you and I will never know what it is to be nailed to a cross. The shame of hanging there in an underwear for everyone to see. The pain. I've heard that when you're crucified like that you can't breathe properly. You have to lift yourself up on that nail which is on your foot. Lift yourself up for a breath then breathe. Again lift yourself up on that one nail which is on your foot and breathe. Try doing that for five minutes and then you'll know what Jesus had to do for six hours for every breath and that wasn't what he was thinking of. You know what he was thinking of? These guys who committed the worst possible sin they'll go to hell. They're gonna be unforgiven. Father forgive them. From my side I forgive them. They will still be judged by God, those Pharisees and everyone else, Herod and Pilate who crucified Christ because there are two directions in forgiveness like the cross. There's a vertical forgiveness and a horizontal forgiveness. If you come and stab me, I have to forgive you and God has to forgive you. Yeah because you've sinned against me but you've also sinned against God hurting another human being. Now when I say okay sir I forgive you for stabbing me, the horizontal part is eliminated but the vertical part remains. God will still ask you in the final day, why did you go and stab Zach? He forgave you, the horizontal part is over but you did not repent of it and because you did not repent of it I have not forgiven you and you go to hell. So all the people who crucified Christ if they did not repent of it they still go to hell even though Jesus said father forgive them. Jesus as a human being on the cross he wasn't hanging there as God he was hanging there as a man even though he was God he was hanging there as a man dying for our sins and he could only forgive as a man. So I have no doubt that's why you read 40 years later the Lord punished that Jewish nation for crucifying Christ because it is a Jewish nation they all cried out crucify him crucify him the entire Jewish nation turned against this one who had healed their sick and raised their dead and preached to them from heaven they killed him and so the Lord punished that Jewish nation 40 years after Christ was crucified 40 years is beard of 40 is a number of testing 40 days Jesus was tempted in the wilderness 40 years they wandered in the wilderness 40 40 40 and they the Lord gave them 40 years after around 30 AD and Christ was crucified 40 years later the Roman army came and destroyed the temple in Jerusalem and scattered the Jewish nation to all over the world for nearly 1,900 years it was scattered to every country but the Lord had mercy on them the fig tree the Israel was called a fig tree in the Old Testament Jeremiah was given a vision of Israel as a fig tree and you remember once Jesus came to a fig tree you remember that story it is a picture of Israel and Jesus came looking for fruit you wonder why Jesus would curse a fig tree just because there's no fruit it was not because Jesus is upset hey you didn't have any fruit here Jesus never got upset with trees or animals or human beings it was a parable Jesus sometimes spoke parables sometimes he demonstrated parables here was a demonstration for his disciples to see he cursed the fig tree and it started withering up from the roots but the disciples couldn't see it till the next day then the disciples saw the parable in the whole thing hey Lord this fig tree that you cursed has withered away that was a picture of the nation of Israel because in Jeremiah the fig tree is Israel and Jesus came into Israel looking for fruit that's the message of that parable what did he see in the fig tree leaves you know what leaves symbolize religious activity going to the temple regularly but no change in life it's like a lot of Christians today they go to church they know the doctrines they sing they preach but there's no there's no love in their life at home there's no mercy or forgiveness there's no purity in their thought life there's no purity in their speech leaves leaves leaves it's the characteristic of hypocrites and Jesus saw those leaves and cursed it he curses hypocrisy wherever he finds it whether in the tree or the Jews or Christians God hates hypocrisy you read the Gospels what did Jesus condemn more than anything else do you find him condemning murderers and thieves and adulterers as much as he condemned hypocrisy there's a whole chapter Matthew 23 on the hypocrisy condemned that's tree with leaves with no fruit but then Jesus said in Matthew 24 one day one day you will see that fig tree put forth leaves not fruit remember again you read Matthew 24 I don't have time to show you all those verses you write it down and look it up sometime that that fig tree will put forth leaves not fruit and that happened nineteen hundred years later in 1948 the nation of Israel was born in the same land which God had given to Abraham Isaac and Jacob he told them I'll give this to your seed forever and even though the Romans drove them out and many people have occupied it many people occupied that land which is known as Israel many many people of different religions but God keeps his word even if it takes eighteen hundred years or nineteen hundred years he keeps his word they came back and they've been there ever since the last 70 or more years but it's only leaves Jesus said when you see the fig tree put forth its leaves you know that summer is near is Matthew 24 even so when you see these things happen you know that his coming is near I believe that I believe that since Israel came back into the land in 1948 time is running out for the clock is moving towards midnight for the coming of Christ the needle is moving moving moving and we are pretty close he says you know it's near he didn't say it's gonna be happen next day but you know it's near that's why I believe that I'm tremendously privileged I don't know whether you believe it I believe I'm tremendously privileged to be living in the last generation before the coming of Christ it's somewhat equivalent to the first generation that lived when Christ was here the first time and the privilege we have today is to be able to bear witness to others by our life first and by our words that the coming of our Savior is near whatever work you may be doing to earn your living good don't be dependent on others support yourself it's what I've done all my life ever since I started earning and even after I quit my job to be a full-time Christian worker I've supported myself never been dependent on any church or any human being ever by God's grace and mercy I don't take credit for that it's God's mercy but what is the result we support ourselves we take care of ourselves the coming of the Lord is near and we must seek to fulfill our most important task which is not supporting ourselves our most important task is Jesus said you shall be my witnesses to the ends of the earth in you and your small corner and I in my mind to be a witness that means even if I don't preach by my life Jesus said let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven you may have no gift of preaching zero gift of preaching doesn't matter you can still do good works bless people around you your unconverted relatives bless them with your words and your life and your actions the people in your office your neighbors they may never appreciate it they may never do thank you for it but they will never forget you I experienced that in the years I was working in ships and the naval base in different parts of India I met people who years later would remember that there was one Christian they met who sought to proclaim Christ by his life I know that because one of those admirals came and told me 40 years later he said Zach I can never forget you he and I were colleagues way back in 1959 and he didn't forget it 40 50 years later people won't forget you they will never forget a saint man who lived a saint or a woman who lived a saintly life not one who loudly preached Christ because a lot of them are hypocrites but one whose life was godly demonstrated by his life that he wouldn't cheat others he was upright in financial matters gracious in his conversation always helpful to those who are in need that is manifesting the life of Christ that's how we must live brothers and sisters that is to partake of God's nature let me give you a demo an example of what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5 Matthew 5 verse 44 I say to you Jesus says love your enemies okay let's stop there do you have any enemies I don't mean you are you have an enemy is somebody considers you an enemy yeah I have people I don't have personally any enemies in the world but there are people who think I am their enemy because I preach Christ especially people who don't like the gospel I preach the high standard of the Bible a lot of Christians are my enemies they think I'm a heretic they say called me all types of names God bless them love them is anybody who persecutes you maybe troubles you in your office or your neighbor or your relatives or someone I've got that to pray for them I do why that is how you prove that you're a son of your heavenly father not a son of Adam Adam's children are not like that they say I'll never forgive you for you do it against me they're always trying to do harm to others but the son of your heavenly father and here's an example of the goodness of God is a lovely example he makes the son to rise in the evil and the good and he sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous you know that think of two farmers here's a very God-fearing farmer who's lives a very upright life given his life to Christ and surrenders everything to Christ next to him is an atheist farmer they're both planting their crops how do you think the rain falls in that area God could easily limit the rain it's gonna go holy fallen my child's farm and dry up the other farm you know he doesn't do that he doesn't do it the same amount of rain that atheist that guy who's violently against God who doesn't he says God even doesn't even exist the same rain falls on his and this what a wonderful way to live the Lord says be like that you're a son of this father yeah he sends and the Sun to rise in the evil and the good you know because of the Sun we have so many advantages this world would not exist if the Sun didn't come up every day oxygen for example you know how God gives oxygen to terrorists to breathe as much as to godly people same amount the godly person does not get more oxygen than that terrorist that is God's goodness children are a blessing of the Lord godly people have children that terrorist has children too that is a mark of God's goodness he doesn't mean he approves of them he doesn't approve of them at all they're all going to hell but as long as they are here God tries to save them by being good to them hoping that one day his goodness to them will make them wake up and turn to him and the Lord says my children will you be like that will you be like me towards evil people this is to partake of God's nature godliness it's a wonderful thing I want to say to you my brothers and sisters even if you are not able to preach even if you're not able to give any money to the Lord the Lord doesn't want money he owns the silver and gold in the whole world what does he want your cents and dollars for he owns the silver and the gold in the world all these preachers who preach that God is in desperate need of your money is garbage then why do we give we give for the privilege it's an honor to be able to support God's work in some way in this incursed world or like we do very much in India to help the poor widows and those who are in need the world is full of needy people it's a privilege it's an honor it's not an obligation it's not like paying tax in the Old Testament it was tax all the Israelites had to pay income tax of 10% new covenant there's no tax because you know Jesus said to the kings of the world make that get tax from their own sons oh no so God doesn't take any tax today but sons like to bless their fathers that's how we give to God it's very different is a completely different relationship all those who've you know remember how much they gave to God they're paying tax like telling the income tax people yeah I paid so much on such a date you're under the old covenant in the new covenant the person gives and does not remember how much he gave I'll tell you honestly I don't remember how much I ever gave to the Lord because the Lord's give me back a hundred percent oh how in the world can I remember what I gave to him it's a wonderful relationship to live with Jesus and God is my father do you have that father-son relationship partaking of his nature he's so good that I can be good to evil people I thought of this in relation to forgiving you know there are two reasons why you can forgive others one is because Jesus said if you don't forgive others you will not be forgiven you'll go to hell oh I don't want to go to hell okay Lord I'll forgive that wretched man that's a very poor way of forgiving you know how the Bible says we should forgive Jesus threatened yeah Jesus threatened Matthew see let me read this to you Matthew 6 and verse 15 this is a threat it is a threat did Jesus threaten people sure he threatened his disciples first of all turn to Matthew 5 and verse 1 and 2 I want to show you that verse just to show you to whom Jesus spoke the sermon on the mount the multitudes were there the crowds but it's he opened his mouth verse 1 and 2 to speak to his disciples don't ever forget that the crowd was there they were listening because at the end of it in Matthew 7 it says the crowd said wow we have never heard anyone speak like this man but he didn't speak to them his disciples came to him Matthew 5 1 and he opened his mouth and taught his disciples okay now does Jesus threaten his disciples he certainly does will he threaten you yes what is it Matthew 6 15 if you now imagine you're sitting here and Jesus is speaking to you not me but if Jesus is here and talking to you disciples and saying to you if you don't forgive others your father will not forgive you isn't that a threat you'll go to hell oh I forgive others because I'm threatened there's another way to forgive others this is method one the new covenant had not yet been established when Jesus preached this on the day of Pentecost three and a half years later the new covenant was established then still the message is forgive others but in a slightly different way Ephesians 4 here also the message is forgive others but it's slightly different listen to this this is the person who has partaken of God's nature Ephesians 4 32 be kind to one another tender-hearted again forgiving others how not because of the threat you will go to hell no forgive others because God in Christ forgave you so therefore next verse be imitators of God chapter 5 verse 1 always skip the chapter divisions made by men and read the next verse very often I've been blessed by that I have to be an imitator of God and forgive others not because I'm afraid of going to hell and I'll tell you this my brothers and sisters God is my witness when I say this to the best of my knowledge I've forgiven every human being who ever hurt me for as far as I can remember in my entire life or hurt my family or my wife or anyone I've forgiven all of them not because I'm afraid to go to hell but because I want to it says in verse 1 imitate my heavenly father like a dad will tell his son be like me see what I do learn from me you know you're training your child in some particular some particular thing you're maybe you're teaching him how to fix your car see what I'm doing learn from me and like that God is saying learn from me don't you want your children to learn from you isn't it wonderful where a children learns from his father I wanted my children to learn preaching from me I hope they preach better than me but I say I want to train them and whatever I know I can pass on to them a mother will want to teach children how to cook learn from me God says learn from me then I try to think what is God doing in heaven 24 hours of the day what do you think you think he's just listening to all the angels worshipping him and all that that's going on I'll tell you what God's doing 24 hours of the day please listen somewhere on the earth Christians or non-christian saying oh God please I did something wrong please forgive me God says forgiven within one second some another part of the world is saying I did something God please forgive me forgiven some other part of the world someone else is saying I did something wrong do you know what's happening in the world today all the time 24 hours of the day in some part of the world somebody has done something wrong believer or unbeliever and saying oh God please forgive me father forgive me and the Lord saying forgiven forgiven so I picture in my mind every second of the whole day and of the whole year you know what God's God is doing forgiven forgiven forgiven over there forgiven forgiven here forgiven forgiven forgiven I mean because he's God he can do that I can't speak to so many people at the same time because he's God he's forgiving people in one second he's probably forgiven a thousand people next again another thousand another thousand I don't know how many forgiven forgiven forgiven I say God let me be a imitator of God it says here be imitators of God in relation to forgiving others I want to ask you my brothers and sisters is that how you forgive people let's begin at home there's an English saying that love begins at home or the old way of charity begins at home you forgive your wife or your husband as soon as they did something wrong before they ask forgiveness see God cannot forgive until a person repents but we are to forgive you and before he repents that's how Jesus did on the cross those guys who crucified him they didn't repent no they didn't repent in the end of their life most of them but he said forgive them God will deal with them that's the vertical thing but a horizontal way I have to forgive people even if they don't repent and I said Lord what about believers these were unbelievers who crucified Christ I want to be honest in Luke 17 he said now this is not talking about unbelievers verse 3 you're a fellow believer your brother sins correct him if he repents forgive him what if he doesn't repent that's another question if he sins like you seven times a day seven times a day in 12 hours in a day that means every one and a half hours he's doing something wrong and he says forgive forgive me after another one and a half hours again he says he does something wrong forgive me apply that to your wife or your husband every one and a half hours have you ever had a day like this every one and a half hours he or she does something wrong against you serious I don't think your wife or husband are that bad that every one and a half hours they are doing something wrong seriously wrong but you said even if that happens forgive and the apostles said please give us faith for that Lord increase our faith then what about a believer who does something wrong Matthew 18 you know I'm trying to teach you scripture verse 15 if your brother now it is a brother not an unbeliever those Pharisees who crucified Christ were unbelievers this is now a brother sins against you go and tell him listen that's wrong the way you did it he's an unbeliever forget it forgive him without saying anything to him he crucified you okay forgive him but your brother he sins against you he's lost fellowship with God go and tell him try to win him says but he doesn't listen to you tell others because you want him to be restored to God he doesn't refuse he refuses to listen to them also verse 17 tell it to the church this is talking about some serious error and if he doesn't listen to the church you should treat that brother from that moment onwards as an unbeliever that's what it says here in verse 17 you told him other brothers told him the church told him he still wouldn't listen this is talking about some serious sin a man comes committed against the church I must treat him like an unbeliever so what can I forgive him now of course because unbelievers must be forgiven immediately even without repentance do you understand that that's the next sentence treat him like an unbeliever and you forgive an unbeliever even if he doesn't repent till now you are waiting for him to repent you spoke to him he did not repent two others spoke to him he did not repent the church spoke to him he did not repent now don't wait for him to repent not just forgive him because he's an unbeliever have you understood that very clear to me I treat him as a believer up until the time that he tries best to get him to repent he doesn't repent he's become unbeliever then I forgive him immediately yeah this is true Christianity but why was I trying to get him to repent as a believer so that I can have fellowship with him with an unbeliever I can have no fellowship Jesus did not have any fellowship with the people who killed him he forgave them there are people in the world who I've forgiven hundred percent but I have zero fellowship with him there are believers who have harmed me I have forgiven them before God hundred percent but I have zero fellowship with them like I don't meet them they have no interest in fellowship with me I have no interest in fellowship with them I've forgiven them if they repent I can have fellowship not otherwise this is God's Word I don't try to be holier than God I don't try to be holier than Jesus who would tell the Pharisees even though you kill me I'd like to have fellowship with you no I'll forgive you but if you don't repent I can't have fellowship I've seen that through the years that I long for fellowship with all of God's children but if they don't repent of their sins I treat them like unbelievers I forgive them but there's no fellowship so that's why I don't feel condemned that there are certain believers in the world I have no fellowship with and if you're honest you'll find that but make sure you're forgiven them that is be imitators of God who's always forgiving so there's no excuse for not forgiving godliness that's the word I started with okay let me just show you a few verses concerning that what did we read in 2nd Peter 1 if you've forgotten let me remind you his divine power 2nd Peter 1 3 has given us everything necessary for life and godliness and one of those things is answers to prayer Jesus could pray we can pray but in the Lord's prayer everything begins if you read that little book of mine which is there at the back called God centered praying read it sometime that book is entirely about the Lord's prayer our Father who art in heaven and the main thing I've said there is Jesus taught us to pray completely different from the way most Christians pray our prayer is Lord give me this give me that give me the other that comes second first is your kingdom come your will be done your name be glorified begin there then come to give me my food save me from temptation don't let me sin begin with God Lord I want your name to be glorified my life I want to do your will I want to do your will my life and I want your glory let your name be honored then forgive me give me my daily food etc forgive me as I forgive others so that's how we are to pray in relation to God in everything as I said forgive forgive forgive but in this matter of godliness God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness talking about prayer now what about if your son's going to play a soccer game or a basketball game what do you pray for him Lord let my son win or his team win I never pray like that you know why because then you're asking God to support one side against the other there's no hope of the other side if God is supporting your son I'll tell you he'll score all the goals every minute he'll be scoring a goal because God's helping him he'll dribble past everybody and score in another minute he's gonna pass everywhere I cannot pray that prayer that's asking God to be unfair God's not unfair even if the other team is full of unbelievers and this team is full of believers he will not support them so we need to understand about prayer because sometimes we think I'll tell you what I do pray Lord help my son to play well help him to play fair not to cheat and help him to play really well and if at the end of it he loses the game it was fair God was fair he wasn't partial God's not partial and the other team won well praise the Lord he played he played well that's the main thing the main thing is not if he won he did not cheat he played well the best of his ability then he'll play better next time that's what we pray for what about an examination his son's going for a math examination Lord while he's sitting there just whisper the answers into his ear he'll get a hundred percent in every test you're asking God to be unfair I'm just trying to be practical he will not answer that prayer Lord I know in in India you know almost every time when our examination time school comes some of the children will come to me brother Zach please pray for me exams are starting tomorrow I ask them one question did you study hard then I'll pray for you supposing a farmer let's say a farm is not examination a farmer comes to me and says brother Zach this is harvest time please pray for me that I'll get a really good harvest I say hang on did you saw anything in your field I didn't have time I was so busy with other things and you're asking me to ask God to give you a crop when in sowing time you sowed nothing I'll tell you in Jesus name you will not get a crop that you understand there's the same thing with studying hard I asked these children do you study hard oh I didn't have time to study then how in the world can I ask you to you may fail I'll tell you that right now I'm not gonna pray that you'll pass maybe God in his mercy will help you but I can't pray that you pass when you didn't sow any seeds you're asking me to do something completely against nature so what all prayers do you pray for your children well maybe they were sick and they couldn't study okay then God is merciful to them Lord please revive their memory so that they'll remember all the things they heard all that we can pray but I can never ask God to be unfair or if you're a person who invests money in the stock market imagine if God were to help you in the stock market you'd be a billionaire he'll tell you what the value of stocks is going to be one month or one year from now he'll tell you that right now he'll tell you where to invest give it and put it in this stock this is gonna go up another six months and they're gonna go up next week put it in here let me tell you in Jesus name he'll tell you nothing like that because he'll be an unfair God he never helps his children in unfair ways that would be unfair to them the other guy's an atheist and how can he make you like that no so be careful when you pray don't I'm just telling you sometimes believers play unrealistic prayers and they wonder why God didn't answer Lord why in the world did I lose such a lot of money in that investment well maybe to free you from the love of money that's more important to God than you're making money you know that how many of you believe that to be freed from the love of money is far more important to God than to make you earn more money I believe that with all my heart I prayed all my Christian life free me from the love of money and very often he has made that true by making me lose I've never been freed from the love of money by gaining money I'll tell you that but I've been freed from the love of money by losing it and I said Lord make me lose some more if that'll free me from the love of money because to be freed from the love of money is a million times more important to me than my bank account going up do you believe that I believe it with all my heart so I'm just trying to tell you that so often our prayers are in the wrong direction because we don't we haven't partaken of God's nature God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness now let me show you one verse in 2nd Timothy 3 particularly about the times in which we live 2nd Timothy 3 1 in the last days difficult times will come difficult financial times cost of living will go up that's not what he's talking about it may be true the cost of things in the grocery store has gone up this this year that's not what he's talking about he's talking about persecution no even that he's not even talking about that you say what type of difficult times Paul what are you warning about because around you will be people verse 5 who hold to a form of godliness without the power and it's going to be very difficult in the midst of Christians who taught the right language and go to church and read the Bible but they don't have the power of godliness they have a form of godliness but not the power of godliness that's how many Christians are today and that is why verse 1 it will be a difficult time because these people who call themselves Christians that's a form of godliness will verse 2 love themselves they love money they'll be boastful haven't you seen people all around you claim to be Christians who love themselves love money boastful arrogant revilers disobedient appearance they're Christians ungrateful unholy unloving malicious gossips haven't you seen Christians who are malicious gossips yeah I've seen plenty of them treacherous reckless verse 4 conceited Christians who are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God who spend more on pleasure than they do on God but they'll hold on to a form of godliness is going to be very difficult to be a Christian in the midst of such Christians that's why we preach the truth in RLCF that's why we hold you to the highest standards and ask the Holy Spirit to help you to live there and you'll be a witness for Christ in this day and age when people are having a form of godliness with all the wretched sins that they permit look at the amount of divorced people who are pastors today you know the Bible says that if a person is divorced and is if a woman is divorced and her husband is still living in this and she's living with another man she has to be called an adulteress you read that in Romans chapter 7 verse 2 I don't go and go around calling that whether that's what the Bible says but there are Christians who are divorced and they don't even think twice about it so there are many things like that I'm not condemning anybody I'm just proclaiming what God's truth is it sometimes unpopular but that's the truth we can repent of it and say Lord that so take that very seriously everything written in God's Word is very very serious if you made blunders and mistakes in the past God overlooks and forgives that's true but we're not going to lower God's standard and say God's standard is load no I blundered and I'm sorry I messed up my life but God's standard is there still this so it's very important to remember we are living in those days people have got a form of godliness and in the midst of that we must have the power of godliness ask yourself my brother sister do you have a form of godliness you come to RLCF and you give the impression that you're a new covenant Christian because you belong into a church that preaches the new covenant how is it in your life what are the things you look at on your phone what are the things you watch on the internet form of godliness is here you come and sit here look all very holy what do you do during the rest of the week are you upright with money you forgive everyone the power of godliness we are living in those terrible times in these days may God help us that's why we need the part of the Holy Spirit in these days let's pray Heavenly Father we know that you have given us all the power you offered us all the power needed to live a godly life in these days of counterfeit deception form of godliness in Christendom you've given us all the power through the Holy Spirit needed all the boldness needed to stand for the truth I pray this church will proclaim it till you come raise up people in this church anointed with the Holy Spirit fearless men and women of God who will proclaim by their lives in their place of work in their home that Jesus Christ is Lord and that we have partaken of his life and manifested in their life I pray there'll be many like that Lord we pray our children will grow up seeing such examples in their parents and in the brothers and sisters around them in this church help us each one we pray in Jesus ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/5MsAlkIXuK4.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/zac-poonen/everything-pertaining-to-life-and-godliness/ ========================================================================