1 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,600 Hi and welcome to the Via Zion Sermon podcast. 2 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:15,840 We are a local church based here in Chennai, India. 3 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,200 We are so glad you are with us and hope that this will 4 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:23,440 encourage, inspire and instill fresh faith in you. 5 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:28,160 We continue our series titled All Roads Lead to Rome, which is 6 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,960 a study in the book of Romans. As we study this letter written 7 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,160 to the Jewish and Gentile believers in the city of Rome, 8 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,520 we ask that you put yourself in their shoes, for our context is 9 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:43,200 not that different after all. Our hope is that through this 10 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:47,280 series you would experience the fullness of knowing who God is, 11 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,880 what He did for you through Jesus, and how you can live a 12 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,320 life that honours Him and blesses others. 13 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,400 Hi church, this is the joy and the privilege to be bringing 14 00:00:57,400 --> 00:00:59,560 God's Word to you today. For those of you watching and 15 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,880 for those of you listening, I pray that even as we meditate on 16 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,360 God's Word, God's Word will do a work in and through us. 17 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,280 Over the last five parts, we've been diving deep into Romans and 18 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:14,720 we've been seeing that Paul starts his message with faith, 19 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,480 asking them to bear faith that it has to grow. 20 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:20,840 And even as you come to the 6th part, there's I would request 21 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,360 you to spend some time reading it because it's essential book 22 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:26,920 for our Christian work, for all of us who are in this journey, 23 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:29,400 for some of us who may call ourselves as seasoned 24 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,080 Christians, it's always good to revisit it because whatever 25 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,640 stage of life we are in, I think God wants to reset and check 26 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,200 whether our faith is intact, to check whether we are able to do 27 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,400 all that he's called us to do, to check are we still pursuing 28 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,480 him or we're pursuing something else. 29 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:47,880 So today, even as we get into the 6th part, we're going to be 30 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:51,480 in three chapters, Romans 9:10 and 11:00, and there's a general 31 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,880 emphasis that Paul is talking about his reign. 32 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:59,160 We can see that even though Paul has been commissioned to go and 33 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:03,000 do the work in Acts 13, we see he was, he was commissioned to 34 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,120 go to the Gentiles and carry the news. 35 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,720 You know, he had this drive and a big passion to take it to the 36 00:02:09,759 --> 00:02:13,520 ends of the earth. But we also see him talking to a 37 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,960 Roman church here and telling them, hey, even as we as 38 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:21,000 Gentiles are all in this journey, Israel too is part of 39 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:22,960 the plan. It's just that they still 40 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,880 haven't figured it out. It's still that only a few have 41 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,760 figured it out. And so he talks about his deep 42 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,840 love for Israel because it's all started that he was born, that 43 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,520 he was groomed, that he was raised up, that he stuck to the 44 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:41,320 Jewish law, you know, firmly till God met with him and said, 45 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:45,040 why are you persecuting me? And that's when his eyes got 46 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,520 open, the scales fell down. He was able to see Jesus for who 47 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,640 he is. He saw his entire plan for the 48 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:54,200 church. And he was able to start his 49 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,480 work, not just in one part, but to go around raising people up 50 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,040 so they'll do what God's called them to do. 51 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,840 And so even as we meditate on this, we are going to look at 52 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:05,960 what are the lessons we can take back because Paul goes on to say 53 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,880 what the Israelites didn't do, goes on to see how they 54 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:12,520 disobeyed and what they missed out on. 55 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,800 And I believe it's a lesson for us to always go back and see 56 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,520 what is it I can learn from someone else? 57 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:20,680 What is it I can learn from the Israelites? 58 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,520 You know, one of the things which I've learnt up all these 59 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:28,920 years, especially in the last 15 years when I've moved streams 60 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:33,400 and taken up newer things to do, is I've always seen others do it 61 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:36,320 and I've learned from them. I always ask them the important 62 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:39,120 questions. I always ask them what happens 63 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,560 in the long run, how do I sustain myself? 64 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,680 How do I make sure I'm consistent in delivering this? 65 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,360 And those conversations are pivotal because that enables us 66 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,880 to stay focused on where we are heading. 67 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,520 And so Romans nine starts off like this. 68 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,000 And I would ask and urge you that as you see this, we won't 69 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,000 take God's salvation lightly. One of the key themes that we 70 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,880 see in 9/10/11 is Paul builds a case as to what Israelites did 71 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:06,600 and missed out on God's salvation. 72 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:11,440 There were a few who chose it time and again, but the majority 73 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:13,480 of them fell. And so today, I don't know where 74 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:17,720 you're at, but it's good for us to realign and think, God, where 75 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:21,279 is my salvation which you came, which you gave? 76 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:25,840 Am I holding on to it or am I just treating it like something 77 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:27,720 else? So Romans Chapter 9 verses one 78 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,720 to five goes on to say, at the same time, you need to know that 79 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,560 I carry with me at all times a huge sorrow. 80 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,080 It's an enormous pain deep within me and I'm never free of 81 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:38,840 it. I'm not exaggerating. 82 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:41,160 Christ and the Holy Spirit are my witnesses. 83 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,640 It's the Israelites. If there were any way I could be 84 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:48,160 cursed by the Messiah so they could be blessed by him, I do it 85 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,160 in a minute. They are my family. 86 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,240 I grew up with them. They had everything going for 87 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:54,920 them. Family, glory, count and 88 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:59,680 Revelation worship promises, to say nothing of being the race 89 00:04:59,840 --> 00:05:03,200 that produced the Messiah, the Christ who is God over 90 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,960 everything always. Oh yes, there's a deep 91 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:11,040 understanding where Paul goes on to say that he is concerned. 92 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:15,320 He still, as much as he's doing everything outside for others 93 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:19,280 who don't know, who are not by blood, who are not, you know, 94 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:24,400 followers of Christ by hereditary, He's telling, My 95 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:28,280 heart still longs for my country people because it's where 96 00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:31,200 everything started. It's where everything came from. 97 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,360 And so you'll always see in your life, there'll be a deep, 98 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:39,400 profound thing for you to go back to where you came from to 99 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:44,040 do what you're called to do. It's also a deep, profound thing 100 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:45,680 to go back and tell them the truth. 101 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,800 And the first thing I want us to note down is the Israelites 102 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:53,240 thought that their salvation was hereditary because of their 103 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:57,040 father Abraham, who made that obedient choice to follow God. 104 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:00,200 They thought it's hereditary, but God's salvation is not 105 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:02,720 hereditary. God's salvation is not 106 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:06,440 hereditary. God's salvation causes us to 107 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:10,000 pursue after him. God's salvation causes us to 108 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,760 understand that there's a deep longing that I need and only God 109 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,720 can fulfil. And So what happened to the 110 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:18,360 Israelites is because Abraham made the decision. 111 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,880 They always went back saying Abraham, our father did it, but 112 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,680 what are you doing? And today it comes down to us. 113 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,720 Today, we can't. For those of us who come from 114 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,520 Christian homes, we can't be comfortable knowing that my 115 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:33,680 father knew Christ, my mother knew Christ, my grandparents 116 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:35,640 knew Christ, and do I know Christ? 117 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:40,000 For those of you who have come who made the decision solely for 118 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,480 yourself and you're the 1st generation believer, make it a 119 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:47,360 mandate to pass it on to someone else to tell them, hey, can you 120 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:49,360 make a personal decision to follow Christ? 121 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,120 Can you make it a personal decision to read your word? 122 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:56,720 Can you make it a personal decision to honor God and take 123 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:00,720 Him at His word? God's salvation is not held the 124 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:02,880 tree. Romans Chapter 9 verses 7 to 8 125 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,200 says not because they are his descendants. 126 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,160 Are they all Abraham's children? On the contrary, it's through 127 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,320 Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. 128 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,720 In other words, it's not the children of my physical descent 129 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,720 who are God's children, but it's the children of the promise who 130 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:17,800 are regarded as Abraham's offspring. 131 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,680 And you see what Paul does is he builds a case, he says in 132 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:26,560 Abraham's own human nature. You know, he ended up having 133 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:31,200 Ishmael and then he had Isaac. Ishmael was out of it, was his 134 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:36,720 own timing, was his own, his and Sarah's own way of creating a 135 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,520 promise. But Isaac was the fulfillment of 136 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,080 the promise. And so today, we today we will 137 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:47,560 only see salvation become fulfilled in our lives if we 138 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,520 have obedient hearts. The first step we see in 139 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,160 Abraham's life was when God called him, he obeyed, he left, 140 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,160 he didn't hold on to the place where he is, and he followed 141 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,160 God. We see time and again he held on 142 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:04,400 to the promise that God will bless him will create a nation 143 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:09,000 out of him and we see the fulfillment of that came with 144 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:14,120 Isaac and you know Paul goes on to build this case where you 145 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:18,480 know God chooses was Ishmael important was important and many 146 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:21,240 a times the power of Freebl as we saw last week. 147 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,440 You know it's the beautiful gift God's given us is the fact that 148 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:28,800 will we hold on to him even after the miracle comes past and 149 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,800 even enjoyed it and it goes Hagar and Ishmael. 150 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,919 Hagar grew up in Abraham's house when they went away. 151 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:37,840 We don't know what could have been the status of their faith. 152 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:40,440 They probably felt abandoned. They probably felt, oh, they 153 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:44,800 just got intermarried into the places where they went and they 154 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:48,960 formed a religion of themselves. We see in Israel itself, We see 155 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:54,680 in Isaac that out of two children that he has, one goes 156 00:08:54,680 --> 00:08:57,160 astray. He we see time and again he 157 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:00,440 bought grievance to the family. There was something that he 158 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:05,440 wanted to do against his father and mother, and God cannot come 159 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,160 into those places and say no, you have to. 160 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,560 Paul constantly brings this topic when you read in Romans 9 161 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:14,840 and 10 about election. But you know there are few who 162 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:18,200 are chosen, but the chosen are obedient. 163 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:22,680 The chosen are obedient. We see the others who could have 164 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:25,080 been chosen, but they had disobedient hearts. 165 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,800 We see that time and again when we read the kings of Israel, 166 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:31,520 they chose what they wanted for themselves. 167 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:35,400 They didn't let go of that free will choice to say God, what do 168 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:38,680 you want me to do? And I believe that's where we 169 00:09:38,680 --> 00:09:44,320 allow God's balance between his chosen and us choosing for 170 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:46,960 ourselves. And here we read this beautiful 171 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,160 thing of children of obedience. So we saw the first thing is 172 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:53,600 God's salvation is not headed headed the tree, which means we 173 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:58,360 can say under the religion cross that I am a Christian by birth, 174 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:02,520 but it's only when we experience Jesus guys personally are we 175 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:05,200 Christ followers. The second thing we see is God's 176 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,000 salvation is birthed purely out of obedience. 177 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:12,680 Purely out of obedience. It's not OK, you come, you get 178 00:10:12,680 --> 00:10:14,160 this. No, that's not the Christian 179 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,320 faith. The Christian faith is to say I 180 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:20,480 am a Sinner, I am in desperate need of a saviour and I obey the 181 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:23,560 Saviour of the world. What does he want me to do? 182 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:30,640 I love what it says here that Isaac was a child of promise. 183 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:34,160 And Paul goes on to see that we were probably not physical 184 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:36,560 descendants of God's children, but we it is the children. 185 00:10:36,560 --> 00:10:39,040 We are the children of promise with regard to Abraham's 186 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:41,280 offspring. And this word promise, when you 187 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:45,920 see in Greek it says epaglia, which points back to the Old 188 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:47,760 Testament. Every time the word promise 189 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,480 occurs in the New Testament, it points back to the Old 190 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:54,040 Testament, which refers to the fact that it took time. 191 00:10:54,560 --> 00:10:57,440 Which promise, Which means it didn't go void. 192 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:01,880 Promise, which means it got fulfilled promise, which means 193 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,280 once you hold on to it, God will bring it to pass. 194 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,440 Not in your timing, but in His timing. 195 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:11,400 Not your ways, but His ways. Not in the plan which you think 196 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:13,880 will fill and will make it look good, no, but in His. 197 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:18,840 So today, how are you going to obey Him? 198 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:21,680 Today how are you going to be obeying him? 199 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:23,760 Every promise of God has to be fulfilled. 200 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:25,960 Every promise of God has in a point in time. 201 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:29,760 Every promise of God requires us to be adhering to what God's 202 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,520 calling us to do. Abraham's promise would not have 203 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:34,640 happened if he had started doing his own thing. 204 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,400 We see Ishmael came out, but for his promise to come through, 205 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:41,480 Abraham had to solely seek God. Abraham had to obey what God was 206 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,160 calling him to do. Abraham had to set himself 207 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:45,720 apart. And we see they circumcise 208 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:52,200 themselves. Every promise Abraham had to do 209 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,440 and pay the price to see his promise being fulfilled. 210 00:11:55,800 --> 00:12:00,640 So today, so today we see that as Abraham made the choice, we 211 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:04,600 see a nation gets birthed. The nation was in captivity and 212 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,360 the nation crosses the wilderness. 213 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:09,280 They come into the promised land flowing with milk and honey to 214 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:11,920 live that chosen life. God gave them the law. 215 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,360 The law was supposed to align their heart and hands towards 216 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:17,760 God. But rather, they became so 217 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:20,960 caught up with what God had asked them to do that they 218 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:24,520 forgot their heart condition. Soon sin offerings were just 219 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,920 done for the sake of being done because they were like, if this 220 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,000 is your sin, do this. If this is we and they created a 221 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,960 process out of it, generations followed it blindly. 222 00:12:34,680 --> 00:12:37,600 And we see so many of them started going acid because they 223 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:41,360 started moving their free will to doing whatever they wanted to 224 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:45,760 do. Today, Paul is emphasizing 225 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:50,880 specifically that God's salvation is an internal work. 226 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:53,240 Today, one of the beautiful things that we see God doing 227 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,120 each and every one of our lives is in it. 228 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:58,920 In it's it's this beautiful marriage that He's done. 229 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:05,160 That faith has to go hand in hand with what we do. 230 00:13:05,560 --> 00:13:06,840 And that leads me to the Third Point. 231 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:12,960 God's salvation establishes our faith in Him by a confession and 232 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:16,960 moves it into action. Because we confess we are a 233 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,840 Sinner, we get redeemed. And because we are redeemed, we 234 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,640 are not called to live the same like how we've lived as a 235 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:25,800 Sinner, but rather live in this new life that he's called us to 236 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:28,080 live. And for those of you listening 237 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:30,600 or probably like Geshom, I know this, I've, I've heard this so 238 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:34,600 many, but a lot of times, are we living the life that we lived 239 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:39,360 out from a place of redemption? Or are we living the life that 240 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:41,480 we are called to live out of a place of being a Sinner? 241 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:44,560 Because if you're living out of the place of redemption, we will 242 00:13:44,560 --> 00:13:47,520 live it His way. We can still be saved. 243 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,080 But are we living out of a place of a Sinner? 244 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:52,720 Because then we're still beating those sin cycles trying to 245 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:56,440 overcome the sin patterns. God is asking us to move. 246 00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:03,240 Move into the place of living out my salvation by faith, and 247 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:06,000 it gets manifested by the work of our hands. 248 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:09,520 Romans 10 verses one to four goes on to say, Brothers and 249 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:12,840 sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites 250 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:15,680 is that they must be saved. For I can testify about them 251 00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:18,720 that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on 252 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:21,920 knowledge, since they do not know the righteousness of God 253 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,720 and sought to establish their own, and they did not submit to 254 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,680 God's righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the 255 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:33,000 law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who 256 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:34,920 believes. If you want to underline, you 257 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:36,840 can. Unlike Christ is the culmination 258 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,360 of the laws, so there may be righteousness for everyone who 259 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:42,000 believes. The Israelites were so caught up 260 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,320 in obeying the law that they missed out when the law was 261 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:46,600 being fulfilled. The Israelites were so caught up 262 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:51,000 in performing what the law required that they forgot in 263 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:55,640 being in the very nature that the law required him to be in. 264 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:02,080 It's not either this or that. And we see Paul building this 265 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:05,560 case up because in the previous chapter in Romans 9, we see that 266 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:08,520 Paul says what then? Shall we say that the Gentiles 267 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:10,800 who did not pursue righteousness have obtained it in a 268 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:14,160 righteousness that is by faith. But the people of Israel who 269 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:16,520 pursued the law as the way of righteousness are not attain 270 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:17,440 their goal. Why? 271 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:19,720 Not? Because they pursued it not by 272 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,280 faith, but as it it were by works. 273 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:27,320 There was a clear difference as to how Israel pursued and how 274 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:30,720 the people who came to know Jesus pursued. 275 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:34,280 The Israelites pursued it only by doing it. 276 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:37,160 If you observe the Sabbath law, if you do this, but they didn't 277 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:42,000 go to the Y and God wants us to go to the Y time and again every 278 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,160 time. He wants us to know our heart 279 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,920 motives. If he had to call Abraham as a 280 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:53,160 friend, if he had to call David as one of my own, who I can 281 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:56,760 look, if he had to see Moses and converse with them face to face, 282 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:03,440 if he had to panpic Samuel to talk to him, it's because their 283 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,360 heart was right even before they were doing anything right. 284 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:11,480 So today is your heart right, 'cause what? 285 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,640 Your heart, The status of your heart, the condition of your 286 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,640 heart, the place where your heart is, is where your hands 287 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:22,200 will move towards. And I'm telling you boldly, I've 288 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:27,120 seen so many people who've been so caught up in doing they'll 289 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:29,360 want to do. And I've been in that place way 290 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:34,280 long back and God had to drag my nose by the dirt and teach me a 291 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:36,960 hard lesson. Guess from your heart matters 292 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,520 because we can do everything, but if a heart's not in it, 293 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:45,720 everything will be 0. We can pursue to push, to say we 294 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:47,120 have to do this, we have to do that. 295 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:49,360 You'll find people around you who will say, you know what? 296 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,280 The church is not doing this. The church, probably the church 297 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:56,360 shouldn't be doing it. If God's raising up a person, he 298 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:59,520 will raise up a person specifically to do that specific 299 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:03,320 act. But if you go about doing, we'll 300 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:07,359 be like aimless, headless chickens running, not going 301 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:11,640 where we are going. We cannot stress one over the 302 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:13,760 other. Faith. 303 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:17,280 It starts with faith and it manifests in work. 304 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:21,280 When we just believe and fail to do, our actions fail to showcase 305 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:23,880 Jesus. Rather it comes top down. 306 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,240 We will push people to do, to do, to do. 307 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:31,640 And I think along the church has first long taken this as a big 308 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:34,200 brunt where we've constantly thought, you know what, if 309 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:35,960 you're serving, serve, serve, serve. 310 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:39,280 But today I want to ask you, can you get your heart right before 311 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:42,200 you serve? Can you get your heart check 312 00:17:42,360 --> 00:17:45,720 before you serve? Because you know why you're 313 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:50,920 doing and for whom you're doing it for when we just keep doing 314 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:55,200 without believing these good works remain good works, but 315 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:59,040 this it's meaningless because anyone else can do good works. 316 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:02,000 Today, there are people who want to eradicate hunger. 317 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:04,200 There are people who want to give education. 318 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:06,560 You don't need to be a Christ follower to do it. 319 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:08,360 You can have a good heart to do it. 320 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:11,720 If you're thinking you have to be within the church to do it, 321 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:13,120 you're mistaken. Go join. 322 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:17,600 A lot of nonprofits are doing go and do it with them. 323 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:19,520 You might find meaning and purpose. 324 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:22,400 You might find more Christ like people of all you know. 325 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:27,200 But if God's calling you to step into a place of doing something, 326 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:31,400 get your heart right, don't. A lot of us are tagging along 327 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:33,760 with someone else's heart being right. 328 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:37,440 God wants each of our hearts to be right, especially when it 329 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:41,320 comes to faith and work. As I said, God's salvation 330 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:43,920 establishes our faith. He wants to establish our faith 331 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:50,360 first so that whatever storm comes, the work won't determine 332 00:18:50,360 --> 00:18:55,560 our faith because whatever storm comes, whatever is not working 333 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:58,960 won't shake our faith because our faith is established on the 334 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:03,160 rock. It's established on the rock in 335 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:04,920 Romans chapter 10 verses 9 to 13. 336 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,600 It says if you declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe 337 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,400 in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be 338 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:12,880 saved. For it is with your heart that 339 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,520 you believe that are justified, and it is with your mouth that 340 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:19,080 you profess your faith and are saved. 341 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,080 As you. Scripture says anyone who 342 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,200 believes in him will never be put to shame, for there is no 343 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:25,840 difference between Jew and Gentile. 344 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:30,200 The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all those who 345 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:32,800 call on him. For everyone who calls on the 346 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:37,280 name of the Lord will be saved. You know when you read verse 10 347 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:41,760 over here at Romans 10/10 in the amplified it's in an Ivy. 348 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:45,600 It says profess your faith and amplified it says faith openly 349 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:48,760 in the passion. It says for if you publicly 350 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:50,880 declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. 351 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,280 Today a lot of us are shy about our faith. 352 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:56,320 We don't want anyone to know who's a Christian. 353 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:57,760 Why? Because you're not working 354 00:19:57,760 --> 00:19:59,880 right. We don't do deliver. 355 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:03,840 We don't stick to our word. We are cheating of people. 356 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:06,520 What we charge 10, we charge hundred. 357 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:10,040 We are starting to exploit the very nature of Christ is not in 358 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:12,720 us so much that we are embarrassed to call ourselves 359 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:15,440 Christians. Sometimes you're embarrassed to 360 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:17,520 call ourselves Christians, thinking if we say we're a 361 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:21,120 Christian, we won't get the job. Sometimes we feel like if you 362 00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:24,000 say we're a Christian, we'll be held to a higher standard, and 363 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:27,640 that's OK because Jesus is held to a higher standard, which 364 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:30,640 means his followers are held to a higher standard. 365 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:37,080 So today, if you and I have to realize and establish a faith, 366 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:42,560 it has to come out in the open saying I believe in Jesus and 367 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:46,240 this is how I do it. I believe in Jesus and this is 368 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,760 what God's calling me to do. I believe in Jesus and I will 369 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:52,120 stick to time. I believe in Jesus. 370 00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:55,520 I will deliver my work on time. I believe in Jesus. 371 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:57,680 Jesus is within me and this is who. 372 00:20:57,680 --> 00:20:59,760 This is why I show grace. This is why I show love. 373 00:20:59,960 --> 00:21:01,720 This is why I carry the joy of the Lord. 374 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:04,960 This is why I exhibit peace even when things aren't going right. 375 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:14,000 So we realize that if we do not profess, our belief is hidden, 376 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,760 and God does not want us to be a light that's hidden. 377 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:20,640 He's saying, I want to sit you up on a mountaintop so that you 378 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:23,240 will shine so bright for everyone to see. 379 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:27,040 Why are we hiding ourselves? Why are we ashamed of the 380 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:29,160 gospel? Why are we ashamed of our 381 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,880 Saviour? I read a quote sometime back 382 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:35,560 which said, if you're ashamed of him, I wonder whether he'll be 383 00:21:35,560 --> 00:21:37,480 ashamed of us when we meet with him there. 384 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:43,640 So today you and I have an honest decision to make. 385 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:47,520 Can you and I be open about our faith? 386 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:52,440 This world needs to know. Yes, Christians are getting 387 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,520 bashed around. We can't take ownership for 388 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:58,680 everyone, but I can take ownership over myself. 389 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,360 I can bring out the God colors through me. 390 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:07,360 So we saw one hand. Faith has to be professed. 391 00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:09,080 It has to be openly spoken about. 392 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,160 We have to publicly declare. The second thing we see is work. 393 00:22:13,360 --> 00:22:16,760 When we declare and we believe, it establishes the work of our 394 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:17,960 hands. We see Abraham. 395 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:22,880 His obedience caused him to profess his faith. 396 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:27,080 And because he professes entire household knew who Abraham's God 397 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,520 was. Because Abraham knew who his God 398 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:31,400 was, we saw the work of his hands is blessed. 399 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,480 We see time and again blessing just pouring out enlargement in 400 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,200 terms of his flock enlargement in terms of what he did. 401 00:22:39,360 --> 00:22:42,040 Was it still the same tent? Was he still waiting for the 402 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:44,400 promise? It was everything remained the 403 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:48,920 same but enlargement happened and I believe that's where God's 404 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,720 calling us as his children to go today. 405 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,360 I want to challenge you church. I want to challenge you if God 406 00:22:55,360 --> 00:22:58,760 is moving in and through you. He wants to bless everyone who 407 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:00,880 comes across your path. What does that mean? 408 00:23:01,120 --> 00:23:03,080 Anyone who's interacting with you would be blessed. 409 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:06,400 Your maids, your people who are working with for you on a 410 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:09,000 monthly basis will be work. People who come across you in 411 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:10,760 your names will be blessed. They won't look at you as a 412 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,360 tyrant or a heartless person. They will look at you as a 413 00:23:13,360 --> 00:23:15,480 person. Man, this person is speaking 414 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:17,360 right. He's living right, he's doing 415 00:23:17,360 --> 00:23:21,440 right. Anyone who comes across you has 416 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:23,280 to know. It has to be like a channel. 417 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:28,360 It has to be like a channel. Faith and work to go hand in 418 00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:29,920 hand. So what does work look like? 419 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:33,400 Romans 10 verses 14 to 15. How then can you call on the one 420 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:36,240 they are not believed in? And how can they believe in the 421 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:39,240 one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without 422 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,480 someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless 423 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:45,960 they are sent as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of 424 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:50,040 those who bring the good news? Isaiah 52 or seven. 425 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:53,040 In fact, it was a prophecy which came into fulfillment. 426 00:23:53,680 --> 00:24:00,840 And Jesus is asking us today, I have given you redemption so 427 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:05,600 that you can do my work. I have redeemed you so that I 428 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:09,480 can do my work through you. What is that? 429 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,800 What is this good news that God's wanting us to take out? 430 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,960 He's saying if you've received the faith, you need to walk it 431 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:18,520 out. You need to work it out. 432 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:22,200 Take it everywhere you go 'cause when you carry it out, you're 433 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:26,360 carrying redemption, you're carrying grace, you're carrying 434 00:24:26,360 --> 00:24:29,880 Jesus love, you're carrying the story of your salvation, of the 435 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:33,560 places that you're going. You're carrying freedom. 436 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:38,800 Today we are those carriers for all those who profess and have 437 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:41,080 faith in Jesus, that Jesus is my Lord. 438 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:44,520 We are mandated, we are asked, we are required to carry the 439 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,280 good news today. If you're just going to your 440 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,520 offices thinking and all, I'll just go by. 441 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,080 I'll earn my paycheck and come. You're mistaken. 442 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,120 You can keep doing that. That's a free will that you 443 00:24:55,120 --> 00:24:57,920 have. But if this message sits in you, 444 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:00,920 if you've, if the gift of salvation is working in and 445 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:04,560 through you, the overflow of that will start happening. 446 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:07,160 You will take his joy, his love, his peace. 447 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:09,760 They will start looking at your marriage and saying, why is your 448 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:12,640 marriage different? Why is it that you're able to 449 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:16,320 have your kids intact? Why is it that you're able to do 450 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:19,960 life like this? Why is it that when you guys are 451 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,320 there, there's so much of radiance that's happening within 452 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:25,880 you? Everything is intentional. 453 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:31,400 Nothing just happens like that. Everything requires effort and 454 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:34,520 time and submission to God and taking things to prayer. 455 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,360 Today I want to ask you, a lot of us have selfish motives when 456 00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:41,960 it comes to carrying the gospel just for myself or my family. 457 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:44,640 Am I carrying it because it's my source of income today? 458 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,360 Am I doing this? Am I, am I standing in front of 459 00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:49,360 you and preaching because this is my source of income? 460 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:52,720 Am I doing it because it makes me feel good? 461 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:57,000 Am I doing this because it benefits me and my family? 462 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:01,440 For far too long we've been carrying it for our selfish 463 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:03,520 needs. And I want to tell you, church, 464 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:07,840 if we are selfish about why they're doing what God's called 465 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:11,320 us to do, we will always have a limit. 466 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:16,520 There's a limiter on what we see a salvation, what we see as the 467 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:19,760 outlook of our salvation. God is asking to remove that 468 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:23,840 limiter off, you know, in the, in the signs of audio when we 469 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,480 are actually, you know, in this, even in this kind of a setting, 470 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:29,080 I put a limiter so that the audio doesn't clip. 471 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:32,320 Even when I suddenly shout, there's a spike in terms of the 472 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:33,920 audio levels. But when I put a limiter, it 473 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:36,720 cuts off to that. It doesn't, it causes us so that 474 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,960 anyone is listening it on headphones or earphones they are 475 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:43,520 able to have. It's within the safety bounds of 476 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,240 it so that they are your hearing doesn't get disturbed. 477 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:48,800 There's a limiter so it cuts it off. 478 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,480 But too far too long, we put a limiter on our salvation. 479 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,680 We've put a limiter to say, you know what, only this much is 480 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:57,960 enough. You know, I'll, I'll be involved 481 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:00,320 in Sunday school because my kids are there. 482 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:02,600 Oh, I'll be involved in youth. Oh, you know what? 483 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:05,320 Because my teenage son is there or my teenage daughter is there. 484 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:07,880 You know what? I'll be involved in family 485 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,160 ministry because I feel you need to be involved in everything. 486 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:16,160 The salvation came for everyone. It came in every stage of life. 487 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:20,320 So today, have a broader understanding of where God's 488 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:24,960 calling you to go. Put your hands to labor in terms 489 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,000 of the field because it's far bigger than what you can 490 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,200 imagine. He starts it in one area, but as 491 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,120 you start drawing closer to Him, it expands. 492 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:36,720 That's what happens with redemption. 493 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:41,200 That is what happens when you operate out of a position of 494 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,360 being saved because your reference point starts there. 495 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:46,760 Because if God came for everyone, anything that you do 496 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:48,480 for His Kingdom will be for everyone. 497 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:52,880 It won't be for just you or for me or for my entire family in 498 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:57,520 the sense. And so I strongly believe God 499 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:01,560 wants to raise up people who are passionate about Him. 500 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:06,640 You know, my father-in-law keeps reminding me about Jimmy Carter 501 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:09,880 and the fact that he teaches Sunday school even after he was 502 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:12,000 the president. And I just was reading up and 503 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,440 looking through some of the articles and I heard one of his 504 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,640 last Sunday school sessions that he talked, and he talked on the 505 00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:19,640 Day of Pentecost, I think it was in 2022. 506 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:22,600 And he talked about the Holy Spirit and what you're called to 507 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:26,600 do and what in what Jesus left behind so that he will be able 508 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:30,680 to do what he's called us to do. You know, he was the president 509 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:39,080 from I think till 1971 and from 1971 to 2022. 510 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:45,240 Last year is when he went into Hospice till 2022, same house, 511 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:49,160 same church, same thing. He was the president of the 512 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:55,480 United States, ex president. Look at that focus salvation. 513 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:59,440 He knew what God called him to do just because he became the 514 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:02,760 president it he could have had every other position possible. 515 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:05,960 He could have been in every other place, but he chose to be 516 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:08,920 in the House of the Lord because that's where he knew his biggest 517 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:15,840 impact was. And so today can our faith, 518 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:20,600 which is built on the right foundation, may the outworking 519 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:24,840 of that start working towards something far more bigger. 520 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:29,920 You know, if there's one thing which I want to, you know, tell 521 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:33,840 is the fact that I personally have experienced this when I'm 522 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:37,400 doing something small for God, God automatically expands my 523 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:40,760 heart for something bigger. And you know it, it doesn't 524 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:43,920 happen in a matter of in a in a year or two. 525 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:47,840 It takes five, 6-7 years. But when it happens, it happens 526 00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:49,880 in such a way that the body is such bigger. 527 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:52,440 And I just want to share this one instance when it happened, 528 00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:55,960 like I remember when we had to go study about media and I'd 529 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,120 taken a two year break to go and study and we're studying. 530 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:02,600 And every time in the statement of purpose, I put specifically 531 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:07,640 that I come back to India to teach media to the churches came 532 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:10,760 back. Lo and behold, 20/15/2016 is 533 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:13,800 when we established the company and we thought, you know what, 534 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:17,360 we'd be able to teach media to churches and help them grow 535 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:22,480 because I strongly feel God's really using the space and I 536 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:26,080 started conversations and no church wanted me to come and 537 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:29,920 teach and I just felt so dejected. 538 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:32,680 But I knew God, God will have a timing for that to happen. 539 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:41,040 And 2020, 1/20/2021 is when we got in touch me and Vicky and 540 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:44,520 me, Tina and Vicky became close. We started talking and we're 541 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:46,520 starting to share our deep desires. 542 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:51,520 When I realized the desire, what I had became a reality in 543 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:55,440 another person and all I was called to do is to champion him. 544 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:58,960 Because when I didn't have anyone to champion, I could be 545 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:03,640 there to champion someone else. And so today I feel like a lot 546 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:07,640 of us have given up on the work of God even before we can 547 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:11,360 champion it for someone else because we received a no from 548 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:13,600 the people at that time, at that stage. 549 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:17,800 So today, your faith and work has to go hand in hand. 550 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:19,520 It has to be consistent, it has to be growing. 551 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:23,120 It has to be established so that at a time, if God knows you're 552 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:25,120 serious, he can trust you with it. 553 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,920 God knows again, what this person is, that I will allow him 554 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:32,200 to take it up and do it. So can we operate out of the 555 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,600 place of having a foundation in the right place which produces 556 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:39,880 work to be established on the very same foundation? 557 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:44,600 So whatever you do cannot be established on the faith of 558 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:48,320 someone else. And so I far too long believe a 559 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:51,360 lot of us are running our Christian faith because of 560 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:54,960 someone else's burden, because this was the burden of someone 561 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,320 else's. Some my father had this. 562 00:31:57,320 --> 00:32:00,440 No, it has to be yours. Till you make it yours. 563 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:03,320 You can't run with it. Oh, you know what? 564 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:06,840 They they started it. But as you're running with it, I 565 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:09,320 love God to give you that deep desire because that's what will 566 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:12,160 sustain you. Otherwise what will happen is 567 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:13,720 we'll just keep doing. We'll keep doing. 568 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,440 We'll become bitter. And there'll come a point where 569 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:19,840 we'll be like in Matthew 7 as we read. 570 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:22,840 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the 571 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:25,680 Kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father 572 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:28,560 who is in heaven on that day. Many will say to me, Lord, Lord, 573 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:32,040 did we not prophecy in your name and cast out demons in your name 574 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:33,840 and do many mighty works in your name? 575 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:40,120 And then will I declare to them, I never knew you depart from me. 576 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:43,800 You workers of lawlessness may not come to a place where we've 577 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:48,200 just blindly done it without having a heart, where God says, 578 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,680 hey, I don't even know you. So many people can use my name. 579 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:55,320 But was it the will of my father? 580 00:32:55,600 --> 00:32:57,600 Was it the will? Did we seek God? 581 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:01,200 Did my faith really spend time in finding God? 582 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:03,080 Is this what we are called to do? 583 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:07,080 We are doing it for God and not for the watching world. 584 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:10,360 Let's keep that as a cornerstone for us. 585 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:13,320 We're doing it for God, which means we do it out of the 586 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:17,240 overflow of our faith, which gives us room to testify why we 587 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:20,800 do what we do. Maybe never be caught up in 588 00:33:20,800 --> 00:33:25,560 doing it because of everyone around us or because everyone's 589 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:29,800 watching us. Let's come to a place where we 590 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:32,800 are honest before God to say God, this is your doing. 591 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:36,320 This is where we are at. We will do it so that you will 592 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:39,680 be glorified. Faith and work may be 593 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:43,680 established right and may the outcome which comes of it be 594 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:45,960 right. The four thing that we see is 595 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:50,000 God's salvation reminds us that we are grafted into His 596 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:52,880 Holiness. You know, I remember Tina 597 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:55,560 talking about this whole grafting, I think a year or two 598 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:59,240 back and you know, with the whole biology term of how when 599 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:02,880 the stem is cut and then you graft it and it's intertwined. 600 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:07,400 And Paul reminds us, don't become like the Israelites 601 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:11,040 because God is a God who is stunned and a God is a God who 602 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:15,679 is kind, which means if he could cut off the branches which was 603 00:34:15,679 --> 00:34:20,880 not producing fruit because they didn't receive the holiness from 604 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:27,639 the root, he will be stunned. Don't misuse God's kindness. 605 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:31,719 And he talks about in the early on in Chapter 11, he talks about 606 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:36,880 a remnant few who God has always had in his Kingdom. 607 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:41,520 When Israel was at the peak of idolatry, God raised up Elijah 608 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:43,719 to go and confront Ahab and Jezebel. 609 00:34:44,159 --> 00:34:47,600 And in that confrontation, Elijah came out and his self 610 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:49,719 suddenly took over. And he said, God, why are you 611 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:51,239 doing this? You know, I am the only one who 612 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:53,719 was able to and got it to shut his mouth there and say no, 613 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:56,760 there were 7000 others who also didn't bow down. 614 00:34:57,400 --> 00:34:59,560 Maybe never make it about ourselves. 615 00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:03,120 Our God-given salvation is about God and not about us. 616 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:07,560 Don't tell anyone you know, because God I gave up. 617 00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:11,680 I am honored that I was able to give this up for God. 618 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:14,160 That has to be the attitude as we go into the recurring 619 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:17,560 chapters because God's salvation came at a price which I can't 620 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:20,080 pay him back, which I can't do anything to contain it. 621 00:35:20,720 --> 00:35:25,040 So which means when I am grafted into him, I'm grafted into His 622 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:28,280 Holiness. Which means if this is the tree, 623 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:30,760 God had chosen Israel. He saw that the Israelites were 624 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:32,840 coming. He slowly started chopping off. 625 00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:35,200 As the Gentiles are coming, He's grafted them. 626 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:39,240 And in that grafting we need to produce holiness because the 627 00:35:39,240 --> 00:35:43,680 tree is holy. So even as we read this passage, 628 00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:47,360 we see from the very own life that grace was given. 629 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:53,680 Grace was received as a gift. This gift that is being received 630 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:57,760 can be handled in two ways. Today we receive gifts in two 631 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:00,640 different ways. We either receive it and we're 632 00:36:00,640 --> 00:36:02,760 like, yeah, whatever. You know what? 633 00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:05,040 I don't like it. I mean, the thought, I don't 634 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:06,440 hurt their feelings. So I just receive it. 635 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:08,080 I'll open it late and I'll be like, you know what? 636 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:11,760 I'll just repackage this and send it off to someone else for 637 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:15,600 their birthday gift. Or we take it like we didn't 638 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:17,480 deserve it. Hey, thanks so much. 639 00:36:18,240 --> 00:36:19,600 This you've given. I'll use it. 640 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,120 That's the grace that gift we receive. 641 00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:25,400 Grace is like that gift that God gives to us. 642 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:31,560 We cherish it, we hold it, it is what causes us to have that 643 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:36,360 communion with Him. So today are we participating 644 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:39,200 with our hearts fully towards this grace. 645 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:45,320 Because every time as we look through this, we see that there 646 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:48,160 will be hardships that come. There will be many who give up 647 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:50,880 their faith, but maybe never make it all about ourselves, 648 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:54,520 maybe always be celebrating those who are standing strong 649 00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:57,480 and holding onto His truth, because that's where God wants 650 00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:00,080 us to. His grace will causes us to 651 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:04,480 stand firm, knowing that He alone will be able to give us 652 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:07,040 the strength to produce that holy fruits. 653 00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:12,600 So even as we're grafted into His Holiness, we see here in 654 00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:16,560 Romans 11 verses 16, if the part of the door offered as first 655 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:19,480 fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy. 656 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:22,360 If the root is holy, so are the branches. 657 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:25,680 If the root is holy for the branch, so it's being grafted 658 00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:27,600 and we are grafted into His Holiness. 659 00:37:29,320 --> 00:37:34,000 So today maybe rely on the nourishments that the holiness 660 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:36,960 brings, which means we are set apart. 661 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:43,400 We can't be one with the world. If we think we're superior, 662 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:45,160 we're good enough for this grace. 663 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:49,960 Pride will settle in and God says He will cut us off. 664 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:52,920 Romans 11 was the 1718. If some of the branches have 665 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:57,160 been broken off, and you, though a wild olive should have been 666 00:37:57,160 --> 00:38:00,120 grafted in among the others and now shared in the nourishing SAP 667 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:03,480 of the olive wood, do not consider yourself to be superior 668 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:07,720 to those other branches. If you do consider this, you do 669 00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:10,160 not support the root, but the root supports you. 670 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:16,640 So which means may I not look like others are like, I mean be 671 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:19,160 embarrassed by this. They are on their fate journey. 672 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:21,320 They will deceive that nourishment. 673 00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:27,280 It's for God to handle them. It's for God to handle them 674 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:31,400 Today as you and I have been grafted, God's salvation asks us 675 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:36,120 to be grafted into His Holiness. His Holiness is so profound that 676 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:39,840 it shapes us every day. It shapes us every day. 677 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:45,840 It shapes us every day. It, it, it moves us to a place 678 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:49,320 where we are able to say, God, may you be glorified. 679 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:52,280 May you be glorified through anything and everything. 680 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:57,520 The more I read on this, I'm realizing God, there is, there's 681 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:00,360 so much of nourishment I need from you every day because I 682 00:39:00,360 --> 00:39:06,680 lack in seeing things your way. Even as we see these four 683 00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:09,840 different things with regard to God's salvation, there's an 684 00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:12,480 application that God wants us to hold on to. 685 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:15,840 We are living in a world where we hear God. 686 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:19,960 You know God is love and you know He loves us. 687 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:23,040 He runs after that one. He leaves in 99 all that. 688 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:27,120 But we also read of a God whose turn and a God whose kind. 689 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:30,960 Romans 11 verses 19 to 24. You will see. 690 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:35,440 Then branches were broken off so that I could be grafted and 691 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:38,640 granted, but when? But they were broken off because 692 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:41,040 of unbelief. And you stand by faith. 693 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:45,760 Do not be arrogant, but tremble, for if God did not spare the 694 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:47,920 national advances, He will not spare you either. 695 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:50,760 Consider therefore the kindness and the sternness of God's 696 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:54,480 sternest to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that 697 00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:57,080 you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you will be cut off. 698 00:39:57,360 --> 00:40:02,000 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted 699 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:04,440 in, for God is able to graft them in again. 700 00:40:04,440 --> 00:40:08,680 After all, if you're cut off out of an olive tree, that is wild 701 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:12,360 by nature and contrary to nature more grafted into a cultivated 702 00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:15,200 olive tree. How much more readily will 703 00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:19,120 these, the natural branches be grafted into their own olive 704 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:22,320 tree? So maybe never look to people 705 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:24,840 and think, you know what? That person has fallen out of 706 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:28,760 grace or you know, God's kindness extends, God's 707 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:32,840 restoration extends, God's strength extends. 708 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:38,240 We are all recipients because at a point God showed kindness 709 00:40:38,240 --> 00:40:41,880 towards us. Maybe not become arrogant, maybe 710 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:44,560 not become prideful. Arrogant and prideful is only 711 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:45,800 thing. Others don't need it. 712 00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:50,040 And God's reminding us a lot because today the world is 713 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:52,080 operating in such a way. A lot of Christians are 714 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:55,400 operating in such a way where I'm hurt and I think others 715 00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:58,200 don't deserve God's kindness but God's. 716 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:02,360 When I'm hurt, I need God's holiness more if I'm grafted in 717 00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:08,000 him because that hurt will be because of my own self being 718 00:41:08,000 --> 00:41:10,000 inflicted. But God saying if you allow my 719 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:13,760 holiness to run through, I will show you far bigger what I'm 720 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:18,360 asking to do through you. So two things we need to deal 721 00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:23,560 with if we need to allow God's turnness and His kindness to 722 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:26,560 work. Kindness, Maybe never be proud 723 00:41:26,680 --> 00:41:30,400 or think less than of others. Maybe realize that this grace 724 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:33,720 that was given as a gift is specifically for me, that I will 725 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:37,840 enjoy God's kindness. If you're arrogant and if you 726 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:41,680 have unbelief, we will receive the other end of the stick, 727 00:41:41,680 --> 00:41:47,160 which would be God's doneness. And when that happens, it is US 728 00:41:47,520 --> 00:41:51,160 who has pushed God away and moved away because we, we, His 729 00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:54,920 Holiness no longer makes sense. His Holiness no longer means 730 00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:58,200 anything. So even as we conclude, I want 731 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:00,440 you to come to a place today wherever I don't know, For those 732 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:02,840 of you who've stood in a place thinking, you know what I 733 00:42:02,840 --> 00:42:06,600 believed in God, salvation, heredity, I want to tell you 734 00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:08,200 it's not hereditary, has to be personal. 735 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:12,400 You have to make that choice. Is God's salvation. 736 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:16,400 Is it birthed out of a place of obedience or have you just 737 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:19,120 randomly just made a decision and now you and now you're 738 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:23,200 thinking twice about why is the salvation not making sense to me 739 00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:25,760 anymore? Go to a place of obedience, 740 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:30,040 obedience to his word, obedience to what he's asking you to do 741 00:42:30,320 --> 00:42:32,560 after you've accepted as personal Savior. 742 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:36,480 The reference point is from a redeemed place and not from a 743 00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:40,480 place of being a Sinner. God's salvation starts with 744 00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:46,000 confession, by confessing and professing that Jesus, you are 745 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:49,680 God to others around, and moves us into action, into the work 746 00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:54,280 that God's calling us to do. God's salvation reminds us that 747 00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:55,960 you're grafted into His Holiness. 748 00:42:56,600 --> 00:42:59,800 Again, as I conclude, I want to read the closing end of this as 749 00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:03,120 I, I think Paul knew that this is going to be a heavy thing. 750 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:07,000 And so in all of this, because of God's sovereignty, because of 751 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:10,720 God's way of election and how we see his grace is given and 752 00:43:10,720 --> 00:43:13,200 because of his grace given, we are able to obey. 753 00:43:13,600 --> 00:43:17,400 He sees that there's this big difference and he says, and he 754 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:20,800 concludes it with a prayer. And the NIV has termed it as 755 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:26,320 doxology, which means glory. Doxo means glory logies. 756 00:43:27,120 --> 00:43:29,000 It derives. That's what we get out what 757 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:31,240 theology and from. And so it's an expression. 758 00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:34,640 So this is a glory expression where we can tell God who he is. 759 00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:37,760 And even as I read and even as you see the words on the screen, 760 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:40,480 or for those of you listening, if you can just listen to it, I 761 00:43:40,480 --> 00:43:45,040 pray you will be able to live out what God's called you, To 762 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:48,720 live out all the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge 763 00:43:48,720 --> 00:43:51,040 of God. How unsearchable are His 764 00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:55,120 judgments and decisions, and how unfathomable untraceable are His 765 00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:57,480 ways. For who has known the mind of 766 00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:02,480 the Lord, or who has been his counselor, or who has first 767 00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:05,840 given to him that it would be paid back to Him? 768 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:10,240 For from Him all things originate, and through Him all 769 00:44:10,240 --> 00:44:15,960 things live and exist, and to Him are all things directed to 770 00:44:15,960 --> 00:44:20,800 him be glory and honor forever. Amen. 771 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:24,600 Amen. So Church, even as I pray right 772 00:44:24,600 --> 00:44:27,240 now, I want to pray specifically that God's salvation will start 773 00:44:27,240 --> 00:44:30,760 working in and through you. That and I strongly believe with 774 00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:34,280 faith and work that when we allow God's salvation to work in 775 00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:38,440 and through us, where to put the plough in and work and sooner 776 00:44:38,440 --> 00:44:42,720 because his salvation was for all, the work that we do also 777 00:44:42,720 --> 00:44:45,120 will be for all. So can we just pray and commit 778 00:44:45,120 --> 00:44:46,960 this into God's sense? Lord, we thank you lot for your 779 00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:48,760 word. Thank you lot for your children. 780 00:44:48,760 --> 00:44:50,960 Even as we've received your word, we receive it into our 781 00:44:50,960 --> 00:44:53,840 lives. I pray we live out in fulfilling 782 00:44:53,840 --> 00:44:55,880 this. Lord, I pray especially, Lord, 783 00:44:55,880 --> 00:44:58,200 for those who are struggling to be grafted in right now. 784 00:44:58,560 --> 00:45:01,000 I pray they'll experience your kindness more than ever before. 785 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:04,200 Lord, I pray that unbelief will be turned to belief. 786 00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:07,600 I pray that arrogance will be turned to one who's receiving 787 00:45:07,600 --> 00:45:10,040 grace. We pray for your strength to 788 00:45:10,040 --> 00:45:11,920 come into their lives. Lord Jesus, we thank you. 789 00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:14,840 I pray more than anything, Lord, they'll see your Kingdom come, 790 00:45:15,120 --> 00:45:16,920 your will be done. I pray especially for those who 791 00:45:16,920 --> 00:45:19,760 have been unable to profess their faith in the area that 792 00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:22,720 you've placed them. For those who've been hiding and 793 00:45:22,720 --> 00:45:25,120 or hiding their light so that others can't see. 794 00:45:25,160 --> 00:45:27,920 We move to a place of realizing they're shining it for you. 795 00:45:28,240 --> 00:45:31,200 They'll be bold. They'll be in a place of being 796 00:45:31,680 --> 00:45:33,360 proud that I'm a Christ follower. 797 00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:35,880 And in turn, they'll start doing works that glorify you. 798 00:45:36,360 --> 00:45:38,640 They'll start doing works that will bring you the glory. 799 00:45:38,880 --> 00:45:41,840 They will start doing work that will lift you up. 800 00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:45,400 Lord Jesus, we thank you. Be glorified, be honored. 801 00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:47,760 We thank you for all that you're doing, Lord Jesus. 802 00:45:47,760 --> 00:45:50,200 And through the life of the church, be with your children. 803 00:45:50,960 --> 00:45:53,440 Go before us. In your most holy name we pray. 804 00:45:53,800 --> 00:45:54,680 Amen. Amen. 805 00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:57,960 So even as you heard this word, I pray that you'll be able to 806 00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:00,920 live it out. God's salvation will be real. 807 00:46:01,480 --> 00:46:03,840 God's salvation will work in and through your life. 808 00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:08,080 It wouldn't just be a place where you've where you're just 809 00:46:08,080 --> 00:46:10,880 doing it for the sake of doing it, but we praise of deep 810 00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:14,520 obedience to God. The faith and the work that you 811 00:46:14,520 --> 00:46:18,120 do will be intertwined and that you'll be grafted into His 812 00:46:18,120 --> 00:46:20,520 Holiness so that you'll be able to give glory to Him alone. 813 00:46:21,120 --> 00:46:22,480 I pray that you have a blessed week. 814 00:46:22,640 --> 00:46:25,480 God bless you all. Thanks for listening to this 815 00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:28,560 message. We hope you were blessed to hear 816 00:46:28,560 --> 00:46:32,280 more messages like this. Make sure to subscribe and check 817 00:46:32,280 --> 00:46:34,960 out our podcast channel for past episodes. 818 00:46:35,560 --> 00:46:38,760 If you like what you are hearing, consider rating us, 819 00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:41,920 subscribing and even sharing it with friends. 820 00:46:42,280 --> 00:46:46,640 That would really help us. For more content from Via Zion 821 00:46:46,960 --> 00:46:51,160 and to connect with us, go to Via Zion dot in. 822 00:46:51,720 --> 00:46:55,200 Remember, whoever finds Jesus finds life.