======================================================================== THE LIFE OF JESUS IS OUR LIGHT by Zac Poonen ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of seeking to become like Jesus in our lives, valuing the life and light He brings rather than just focusing on doctrines. It highlights that true wisdom lies in following Jesus wholeheartedly, regardless of denominations or doctrines, and that life in Christ is the ultimate light for humanity. The speaker urges the congregation to prioritize the life of Jesus over doctrinal correctness, as true life and light are found in Him alone. Topics: "Becoming Like Jesus", "Prioritizing Life in Christ" Scripture References: John 14:6, 1 John 1:5, Matthew 7:24, John 8:12, 1 John 2:6, John 1:4, John 12:46, Colossians 3:17, Ephesians 5:8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon emphasizes the importance of seeking to become like Jesus in our lives, valuing the life and light He brings rather than just focusing on doctrines. It highlights that true wisdom lies in following Jesus wholeheartedly, regardless of denominations or doctrines, and that life in Christ is the ultimate light for humanity. The speaker urges the congregation to prioritize the life of Jesus over doctrinal correctness, as true life and light are found in Him alone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I hope it will become a passion in your life. Say, Lord show me what it means to become like Jesus. That's the passion of my life. That is the better thing of the new covenant. The most wonderful life that any human being ever walked on this earth was Jesus Christ. Do you want to be like that? You want to live like that? He wasn't the richest person. He didn't have college degrees. But it's the most wonderful life that anybody lived. And you'll discover in eternity, listen to me, you'll discover in eternity that those who spent their earthly life seeking with all their heart to walk in Jesus' footsteps were the wisest people that ever lived on the earth. Let me encourage you to be in that number. It's not that we don't value doctrine. One last verse, John chapter 1 and verse 4. In Jesus was life and the life was the light of men. It's the life that is the light, not the doctrine. There are many people with the life of Christ in the Roman Catholic Church, in the CSI Church, in the Methodist Church, in the Baptist Church, in the Pentecostal Church, in CFC churches, because they valued the life and the light. That's why I don't despise a person just because they belong to another church. Some of you may do that. I don't. And if you do despise them, it may be because of doctrine. See, their doctrines are wrong. The Pharisees were doctrines are right. Where did they go? To hell. A lot of people are upset with me because I say that Mother Teresa will be far ahead of me in the kingdom of God. I believe that with all my heart. Who are the people who criticize me for that? Those who feel that by doctrine you will enter heaven. Well, the Pharisees would have all entered into heaven then. To them, life, the light is doctrine. In him was doctrine and the doctrine was the light. Rubbish! In him was life and the life was the light of men. Then people say, oh Brother Zach, you mean to say you don't value doctrine? Of course we do. We obey every doctrine in scripture. For example, even a simple thing like women must wail their heads when they pray or prophesy, which is almost disobeyed 100% in western countries. Even that doctrine we believe. So we value doctrine. But we don't believe that's the light of men. In him was life and the life was the light of men. Never forget that. While we keep all the doctrines, obey every commandment, even the smallest commandments in scripture, we believe that life is not in that. It's the light was in his life. And if I don't have that life, I'm in darkness even if all my doctrines are right. And that is why I believe there are a lot of people sitting in Protestant churches, Pentecostal churches, CFC, who got their doctrines right, who are in darkness because they have not valued the life of Jesus. I hope we will value the life of Jesus. Babylon is not some particular denomination. There are people with the spirit of Babylon who can sit right in this congregation. And there are people who can have the spirit of Jerusalem who can sit in some church where the doctrines are wrong. Let me repeat again. Doctrines are important, but life is more important. That's what I mean. Doctrine is like the parts of our body. What do I want to cut off? I don't even want to cut off a little nail. I believe in every little doctrine, but my life is not in these nails or in these fingers. My life is in the breath there is in my body. I can lose certain parts of my body and still have life. When I look at people whose doctrines are wrong and I see the life of Jesus in them, I see them like say one without one arm. But they got life. And then I see other people in some CFC church, they got all the right doctrines, but they are dead. They're like a dead corpse lying here. Two hands, ten fingers, ten toes, but dead. Don't value doctrine to such an extent that you think it is more important than life. Remember, doctrine is like the parts of our body. I want to keep every part of my body. As I said, even the little nails I want. But I say the life in the body is more important. Keep that picture before you and say, Lord, I don't want to lose any part of my body. I want every doctrine, but I don't want to value doctrine more than life. And that life comes through Jesus, through the Holy Spirit who has come to give us the life of Jesus. So let's look at the life of Jesus and follow him and then we shall experience that better thing that God has reserved for us. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, even what I said today, I know it's so easy for people to have understood it in their heads and to think, yeah, I got it, when they got nothing. We pray that you will give us revelation on what is important and what is secondary. Give us light, Lord, that we don't deceive ourselves like the Pharisees who were in your lifetime on earth. We want to be like those disciples who followed you, who probably could not understand, explain the doctrines well, but whose hearts were right. We want to be in that number in whose mouth no lie is found and who follow you wherever you go. Help us, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/nOQOVDa1q7M.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/zac-poonen/the-life-of-jesus-is-our-light/ ========================================================================