1 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:11,920 A very warm welcome to the We Are Zion Sermon Podcast. 2 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:14,680 We are a church based out of Chennai, India. 3 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,440 We are thrilled that you tuned in today and hope that you will 4 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:21,960 be refreshed, revived, and energized by what you hear. 5 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,600 Our desire is that you will live life with a renewed sense of 6 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:29,120 purpose that stems from a vibrant faith in Jesus. 7 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:34,920 The year 2025 is 1 where we will be positioned by God to possess 8 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,640 our promise. This Palm Sunday we fix our eyes 9 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,360 on the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. 10 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,920 He isn't a weak and inadequate creature, but a mighty 11 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,600 conquering King who was the sufficient sacrifice for 12 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,560 everyone of us. We pray that you will worship 13 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,960 the Lamb and seek Him in greater measure as we enter Holy Week. 14 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:01,960 Hi Church, this is a joy and a privilege to be able to bring 15 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:03,800 God's word to you today. And for those of you who are 16 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,480 watching and listening, I pray that God will be able to speak 17 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,640 even as we celebrate Palm Sunday all across the world. 18 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:14,280 I believe we all get to welcome the King of Kings, the Lord of 19 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,960 Lords into our lives today. We get to worship Him for who he 20 00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:19,000 is, that He is God over everything. 21 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,600 He is God over everyone. He is God of all. 22 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,280 And I pray that even as you listen into the sermon, that God 23 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:25,800 will be able to work in and through you. 24 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:28,920 Over the last couple of weeks in the season of Lent, we've been 25 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:33,480 meditating on Leviticus and seen Jesus in Leviticus. 26 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,320 And even as we've been looking at that, one of the evident 27 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,160 things that we've seen is there were glimpses that Jesus had 28 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,680 given his people and he came and fulfilled it once for all. 29 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,800 And so even as we go into this Holy Week, which they call 30 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:51,200 between Palm Sunday to Easter, I believe we need to be waiting 31 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,600 for God to do something in our lives every year. 32 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,120 You know, it's something pivotal that God does. 33 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,840 Two years back on Palm Sunday is when we moved into this hall. 34 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,800 And every year I've been praying and asking God, God, let not 35 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:06,960 just Easter be an other passing day where we remember you 36 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:10,120 resurrected, but may that evidence of that power be 37 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,440 working in and through US. And so even today, as we just 38 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:16,920 partake of Palm Sunday and see what God is calling us to do, 39 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:19,760 I've titled my sermon today called Worthy is the Lamb. 40 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,000 Worthy is the Lamb. And you might be like Geshum, 41 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,800 the palamsandi is not about the lamb, it's about the donkey. 42 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,040 I believe the narrative of how Jesus entered, yes, was 43 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:33,360 important, but today He is the lamp of God seated on the 44 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,800 throne, and he is worthy. He is worthy, worthy of 45 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:39,520 everything that we have. There's nothing you can say He's 46 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:41,640 not worthy of this. He's worthy of everything. 47 00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:44,720 And so even today as we meditate, I just want to go back 48 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,160 to that passage of his triumphant entry into Jerusalem 49 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,000 from Matthew chapter 21. As we read that, let's envision 50 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:55,720 what the people around him would have felt of this Messiah 51 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,320 walking into Jerusalem. The disciples went and did as 52 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,400 Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the 53 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,360 colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 54 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,120 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others 55 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,640 cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 56 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,000 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed 57 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,440 shouted Hosanna to the Son of David. 58 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,480 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the 59 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,280 highest heaven. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, 60 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,160 the whole city was stirred and asked, Who is this? 61 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:32,080 The crowds answered, This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth 62 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,720 in Galilee. One of the things that we see is 63 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:39,000 there was miracles that happened before and then Jesus was 64 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,320 entering into Jerusalem. He was getting his disciples 65 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,720 prepared, saying this is where I'm going to lay down my life, 66 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,280 you know, and all these things as they're happening in 67 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:51,440 preparation, it's evident that they missed out on who Jesus 68 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:53,200 was. Jesus was their Messiah. 69 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:55,840 Jesus was what they were waiting for. 70 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:58,880 The form didn't match who he was. 71 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,320 The very entry didn't match who they wanted him to be. 72 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:06,960 And so today, as we are all here today in 2025, seated and 73 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:11,880 listening, my prayer is, is Jesus real to us or is he 74 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:16,120 another passing prophet that's just going by today as they 75 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:17,800 missed out. They missed out on who? 76 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:19,160 They missed out on the King of Kings. 77 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,560 They missed out on the person who was called, who was sent 78 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:26,440 down to earth to be one with mankind who would redeem us from 79 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,520 all our sins. Yet they did not receive him. 80 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,640 They quickly turned in a week's time. 81 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,120 They quickly turned to asking the person who would fight for 82 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:41,240 their freedom then and there. And so today the question is, 83 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:43,920 what is our worship today looking like? 84 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:48,120 Because if the if we have to say worthy is the Lamb of God, it 85 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,280 comes down to a posture of worship today. 86 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:55,800 Are we just so bound by what our outward worship is, or are we 87 00:04:55,800 --> 00:05:00,000 also really concerned of what our inward worship is like? 88 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,240 Because that's where when our inward worship matches our 89 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:07,440 outward worship, it will transform us and make us see 90 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,760 things differently. I want to read from John chapter 91 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,360 1, verses 10:50. This is from the message version 92 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,480 and this is what it says. He, that is Jesus Christ was in 93 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:20,400 the world, and though the world was made through him, the world 94 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,400 did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His 95 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:27,120 own, that which belonged to Him, His world, His creation, His 96 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,720 possession, and those who are His own, His very own people. 97 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:34,760 The Jewish nation did not receive and welcomed Him today. 98 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,760 This verse as I read can be very true. 99 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,160 As I was meditating on this, I was reminded His very own 100 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:44,160 creation, everything that He's created, everything that 101 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,800 belonged to Him, His possession, everything. 102 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,320 All of us. Yet we did not recognize Him. 103 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,880 How bad is that? Today you and I are in that same 104 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,160 place. Are we not recognizing God? 105 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:00,160 Because if we don't recognize Him, we will give up when tough 106 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:03,160 times come. And mind you, as followers of 107 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:07,000 Christ, tough times will come. That's what the early church 108 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,680 kept stressing on. Hold on to your faith. 109 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,240 Today. You and I are in that same place 110 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,160 where suffering will come, turmoil will come, things will 111 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:20,360 topple. But are we ready to worship 112 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:24,720 Jesus for who He is? Do we see Him as a Redeemer? 113 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:31,160 Do we see Him as our edema, as we see in Leviticus time and 114 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,200 again? It just became an outward 115 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,680 worship. Everything that they did was so 116 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,920 talked about and may do of the outside that they missed inside. 117 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,800 And the New Testament is all about what happens in the inside 118 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:48,080 because when it gets fixed in the inside, the outward changes 119 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:51,520 because the inside is fixed. And so today as we look into 120 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:56,600 these aspects, I want to come to a place where we realize the 121 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,840 Lamb of God is everything to us. There are glimpses of the Lamb 122 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:04,080 of God. In fact, as I take you across in 123 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,680 this sermon, I want to give what it looked like in the Old 124 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:08,160 Testament. What did it look like in the New 125 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:09,960 Testament? What did it look like for us 126 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:14,640 when we see him face to face? I want to read from John chapter 127 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:16,920 1, verses 29 to 34. And this is where John the 128 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,400 Baptist testifies about who Jesus is. 129 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,120 A John the Baptist is the cousin of Jesus, and this is what he 130 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:23,680 says. The next day John saw Jesus 131 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:26,360 coming toward him and said, look, the Lamb of God who takes 132 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:32,120 away the sin of the world. As we read this, we see John 133 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:37,920 emphasizing who Jesus was. Mind you, John the Baptist was 134 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,440 the one who was sent ahead of Jesus to go prepare the way. 135 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:44,440 What was he preparing? He was preparing the people to 136 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,000 say, people, would you start looking at yourselves? 137 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:50,400 You say you're doing sacrifices, you say you're doing this, but 138 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,320 your heart is not there. You're just doing it for the 139 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:56,920 outward appearances. And there was this nature that 140 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:01,120 was very much ingrained, intertwined with people that he 141 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,640 was calling them, that you need to let go of this. 142 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,920 And the more I meditated, I realized it's one of our very 143 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:10,200 own nature that we all struggle with, irrespective of what age 144 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:12,400 you're living in. And that stubbornness, that 145 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,760 stubbornness that my pursuits are important than his pursuits. 146 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:18,760 My affections are important than his affections. 147 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,440 My love is more important than what God's love is. 148 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,400 And so today can we move? He was saying, prepare. 149 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:27,280 I'm come here to prepare the way of the Lord. 150 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:31,120 What is it to move stubborn hearts to a place of receiving 151 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:37,720 Jesus as the true Saviour of the world today? 152 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:39,799 What is our stubbornness causing us to do? 153 00:08:39,799 --> 00:08:43,600 It's stubbornness in this day and age in 2025, All my life in 154 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:49,480 fact, has made me get what I want, how I want it, when I want 155 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:52,320 it. And so today I want you to come 156 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,880 to a place and see where Lord, am I missing it out? 157 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:01,200 Is my stubbornness not causing me to see You for who you are? 158 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:04,640 He is the Lamb of God. He is the Redeemer. 159 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,200 He is wanting. Is my stubbornness causing me to 160 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:10,360 just constrict my idea of worship? 161 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:16,640 Is my stubbornness causing me to derail some of the promises that 162 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:20,320 were meant for me because I am struggling to believe with it? 163 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,720 Today the people of Israel welcomed them with cloaks on 164 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,320 their ground, palm leaves in their hand. 165 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:29,840 But your heart's missed welcoming Him. 166 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:35,160 Hearts missed welcoming him. Today, as we meditate on the 167 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:41,040 Lamb of God, are our hearts open to receive Him as God and 168 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:44,560 Saviour of our life? One of the things we read from 169 00:09:44,560 --> 00:09:48,120 Leviticus chapter 4 about the Lamb is the fact that there was 170 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,040 innocence with regard to the Lamb. 171 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:53,400 When you read from Leviticus 432 to 35, this is what it says. 172 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:56,160 If someone brings a lamb as their sin offering, they have to 173 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,680 bring a female without defect. They have to lay their hand on 174 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:02,120 the head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where 175 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:03,560 the burnt offering is slaughtered. 176 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,240 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering 177 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,200 with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of the 178 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,600 burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of 179 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,320 the altar. They shall remove all the fat 180 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:20,560 just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship 181 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:25,120 offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar on top of 182 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:27,760 the food offering presented to the Lord. 183 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,320 In this way, the priest will make atonement for them for the 184 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:34,560 sin they have committed and they will be forgiven. 185 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:39,080 Today Jesus has come and because we don't go through this 186 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:43,320 gruesome process of seeing blood being spilt, innocent blood 187 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:49,080 being spilt, of seeing it being put there on our behalf, we take 188 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:51,920 the after effects of sin. Likely we say, you know what, 189 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,200 I'm forgiven and I move on and I commit that same signal again. 190 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:59,200 God is saying if we are worshipping Him, we won't take 191 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:02,080 His grace for granted, we won't take His forgiveness for 192 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:06,000 granted. We would participate in this 193 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,000 fully. We would participate in this 194 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,840 holy. We would participate in this and 195 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:19,040 see Him bring wholeness to our lives today. 196 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:22,040 What is our eyes getting so caught up in? 197 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:28,520 We are such bound by culture. We are so bound by what we'll 198 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,520 miss out here that we are stubborn like God. 199 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:33,800 I can't miss out on this. I'll become irrelevant. 200 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:37,280 I things won't make I'll, I'll, I'll be cut out of this chase. 201 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:41,160 I can't climb the corporate letter, but God saying, if I am 202 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:45,160 the one you're worshipping, don't I hold the future in your 203 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:46,800 hands. And I want to speak this to some 204 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:50,360 of you who are probably in this chase and you're feeling tired, 205 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:54,280 worn out, literally on the words of being shred and giving up. 206 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:58,320 Jesus is saying I'm here to give you rest. 207 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,520 I hold your future in your hands. 208 00:12:00,680 --> 00:12:03,680 Would you come and submit and yield to me? 209 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:07,400 There are three things I want us to think about with regard to 210 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:11,120 the lamp of God. The first thing is, is the lamp 211 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:15,520 of God less attractive to us? Is the lamp of God less 212 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:18,800 attractive to us? Is that the reason why I am 213 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:21,000 missing out on God? Because there are many other 214 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,760 things that are attractive. Mind you, we're living in a day 215 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:28,240 and age where man is constantly in this marketing frenzy, trying 216 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:30,000 to make everything attractive to us. 217 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,520 The food that we eat, the things that we wear, the things that we 218 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:36,600 have to do, the places we need to go, everything looks 219 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:40,120 attractive. But God's asking us, am I not 220 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,480 attractive enough for you that you may just be with me? 221 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,480 Isaiah chapter 53, verses 7 to 9, This is what it says. 222 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:51,680 He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word. 223 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:55,720 And like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep 224 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:59,000 being sheared, he took it all in silence. 225 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:03,360 Justice miscarried and he was led off. 226 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:06,080 And did anyone really know what was happening? 227 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:10,800 He died without the thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody 228 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,640 for the sins of my people. They buried him with the wicked, 229 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:17,920 threw him in a grave with the rich man, even though he'd never 230 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,960 hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true. 231 00:13:23,680 --> 00:13:27,840 As we read this, we're reminded this was prophesied of who Jesus 232 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:30,520 was. What happened because they 233 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:32,400 didn't find it attractive enough. 234 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:36,600 We too can be people like that. When Jesus went into the 235 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,040 synagogue and when he read the scriptures and said this is 236 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:40,920 fulfilled, they failed to see it. 237 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,640 When Jesus came into Jerusalem, they missed seeing who their 238 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:48,680 Redeemer was. Today, in 2025, we too can miss 239 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,800 seeing a Redeemer because he's not packaged attractive enough 240 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:55,720 for us. He's not looking at. 241 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:58,080 It might look like an ordinary thing that's going by. 242 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:00,120 It might look like an ordinary prayer meeting. 243 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:01,840 It might look like an ordinary sermon. 244 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:03,600 It might look like an ordinary worship. 245 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,520 But it's in that grind that God changes us in the inside. 246 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:15,640 It's in that in that space, he comes as a Redeemer to the 247 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:18,840 people. Isaiah was talking at that time. 248 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:22,960 It was a prophecy. They were waiting expectantly, 249 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:28,040 but at the when Jesus came, they missed out on the person who was 250 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:33,320 prophesied. And so today our worship stems 251 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:37,120 from this place where we are not moving from places to places 252 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:38,960 because of the attraction of worship. 253 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:43,280 We are moving because this is where God is. 254 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:48,920 This is where we stay. Our worship stems from what He 255 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:50,600 has done. What did he do? 256 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,320 He died on the cross, as Isaiah said. 257 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:57,360 He was bruised, He was broken, He was humiliated, justice was 258 00:14:57,360 --> 00:14:59,520 not given. He was crushed for our 259 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:02,240 inequities. That's where our worship stems 260 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:07,160 out of, from ultimate obedience He had when he was on this 261 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:08,560 earth. And that's where our worship 262 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:13,400 comes from to say God, you who came in human form submitted to 263 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:16,160 the will of the Father, May I submit to you. 264 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:21,880 A lot of us are worshipping him because we have A to do list to 265 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:23,920 be done. There is a motive. 266 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,920 But today if we have to come to a place of worshipping him, he's 267 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:30,600 bigger than your To Do List. He's bigger than the list that 268 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,800 you have for your future. He's bigger because that's agree 269 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:35,920 that our list will keep adding on. 270 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:38,440 If you're single, you're like, I want a good spouse. 271 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:40,280 The spouse comes in, Oh, I want a good marriage. 272 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:42,920 The marriage happens. Oh God, I want to pray thee. 273 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:44,680 Oh, I need to settle this or I need to travel. 274 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:49,200 The list will keep adding on, but word which we read 275 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:53,160 constantly says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and 276 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:55,440 forever. He's all-encompassing. 277 00:15:55,440 --> 00:16:00,240 So if we are not there with Him right now, we will miss out on 278 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:03,720 who He is. What does this mean for us 279 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:06,280 today? What does the world have to say 280 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:10,080 today to us in 2025? If you have to become an 281 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:13,480 attractive person, it says with regard in 2025. 282 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:17,120 I just, you know, did a Gemini of this and checked your face 283 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,560 should have a should smile often. 284 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,760 You should stay hydrated. You should create a skin care 285 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:25,800 routine. You should start mewing for 286 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:28,200 jawline. Apparently, if you have a good 287 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:29,800 jawline, that's a big thing today. 288 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,440 What does the world have to say about 2025? 289 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:38,200 It says expect a blend of maximalism, bold colours, 290 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,880 ethereal aesthetics in fashion and beauty with data-driven 291 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:45,840 skills and a focus on global issues shaping this year. 292 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:55,400 If we are attracted to Jesus, we will go by what the world 293 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:59,920 dictates because attraction is always on the outside. 294 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:02,560 Attraction. For those of you who are in the 295 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,839 beauty side of things, realize that you know to be attractive, 296 00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:07,640 you put on make up. But the minute you remove that 297 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:11,560 make up, it shows the real and I think we have subconsciously 298 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:14,720 cultivated this narrative that that is true beauty. 299 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:16,760 But the God saying no, I want the real you. 300 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:20,920 I want the real you. He's come for the real us today. 301 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:24,680 What is freedom If Lamb of God is not evident in our worship, 302 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:30,640 if he's not seen his sacrifices, is not made known to us, we will 303 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:35,840 be worshipping because God. I don't feel anxious anymore. 304 00:17:36,120 --> 00:17:39,040 But the truth is we're living in a world where it will be driven 305 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,040 by anxiety. We have to be overcomers today. 306 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,080 Today, which means we realize the Lamb of God is in with me 307 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:47,960 and I'll take that next step. I'll take that next step. 308 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:50,240 What is our response to all of this? 309 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,880 Yes, attraction is not what will keep us close to Jesus. 310 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:59,440 It says there that we'll need to dwell with him, DWELL, dwell 311 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:03,400 with him. Which means irrespective of 312 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:08,000 whether I get anything from you or not, God, I'm dwelling with 313 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:11,600 you, I'm dwelling with you. I'm comfortable being with You. 314 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,840 I'm comfortable being in Your presence. 315 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:19,560 Psalm 27, verses 4 to 6. One thing I ask from the Lord. 316 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:23,840 This only do I seek, that I may dwell in the House of the Lord 317 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:27,360 all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord, and 318 00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:30,400 to seek Him in His temple. For in the day of trouble He 319 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:32,200 will keep me safe in His dwelling. 320 00:18:32,360 --> 00:18:35,400 He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me 321 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:38,840 high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted 322 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:43,000 about the enemies who surround me at His sacred tent. 323 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,520 I will sacrifice with shouts of joy. 324 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:48,600 I will sing and make music to the Lord. 325 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,600 I will sing and make music to the Lord. 326 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:56,000 So today what does this this entire verse talk about dwelling 327 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,560 in the House of the Lord Does dwelling in the House of the 328 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:01,280 Lord mean I don't work, I just sit by I just go through life. 329 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:05,080 No dwelling in the House of the Lord helps you understand God is 330 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:07,160 above everything. Dwelling in the House of the 331 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,560 Lord knows that the beginning and the end. 332 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,840 God controls everything. Dwell in the House of the Lord 333 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:18,720 is He knows what is best for me, and I get to enjoy the plan and 334 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:20,720 the will that He has for me because I'm dwelling in the 335 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:22,560 House of Lord. Dwelling in the House of the 336 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:26,600 Lord is not a seasonal listening to His Word, but a daily 337 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,360 meditating on His word. It's not a seasonal worship, but 338 00:19:29,360 --> 00:19:32,240 a daily worship. It's not a seasonal surrender 339 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:37,280 but a daily surrender. In fact, when you read in Psalm 340 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:42,440 27 verse one, it talks about that light and in the passion it 341 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:47,160 beautifully says Yahweh is my revelation light and the source 342 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:51,640 of my salvation here. No one, I'll never turn back and 343 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:54,680 run for you. Yahweh surround me and protect 344 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:57,760 me and this word revelation light caught my attention 345 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:01,000 because he has to be everything for us. 346 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,920 When I dwell in the House of the Lord, suddenly when I'm giving 347 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:06,680 everything to Jesus, what happens? 348 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:09,480 I'm not attracted to him, but because I'm staying there, I'm 349 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:13,080 allowing him to speak to me. His revelation light puts. 350 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:16,120 Understanding into what my plan and purpose is right now. 351 00:20:16,120 --> 00:20:19,120 His revelation right tells me what I'm going through right 352 00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:20,760 now. His revelation right tells me 353 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,360 these are the skeletons that I need to address. 354 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:25,960 These are the demonic forces that are acting against me. 355 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,000 These are the things that I pull down in the name of Jesus. 356 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,720 That is what happens when I dwell in the House of the Lord. 357 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:35,640 That doesn't come from a place of attraction. 358 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:39,960 What happens when attraction emotions are heightened? 359 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:42,160 You make choices emotionally. You're not able to think 360 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:43,880 clearly. You're not able to think long 361 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,360 term, would think surface. There are only surface level 362 00:20:46,360 --> 00:20:49,400 issues because when the rubber hits the road is when you start 363 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:51,720 feeling the pleasure of anything that you're attracted to. 364 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:56,720 But when Jesus, when you start dwelling with him, he cleans us 365 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,760 inside out. He takes the scalpel, He starts 366 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,680 cutting off all those extra chunks that have happened 367 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:07,360 because of bruises, of issues of growing up, things that I've 368 00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:11,040 been struggling with, all that starts taking shape and God 369 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:14,800 cleans it inside out. John chapter one verse 5 says 370 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:18,720 the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not 371 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:20,560 overcome it. Praise God, Amen. 372 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:24,640 That is the promise that we have when his light comes, darkness 373 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:27,720 cannot overcome it. However dark the room is, if 374 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:32,920 there's a small hole where your light can shine through, where 375 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:35,880 Jesus can shine his light through you, he will come 376 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:37,040 through. And so today, no matter of 377 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:41,040 darkness should cause you to pull back, but rather invite him 378 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:43,880 in. I was having a conversation with 379 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:47,600 a friend a couple of days back and he was eventually into this 380 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:51,280 new city to do certain things. And in the midst of everything 381 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:55,840 he kept saying God. And I'm just doing this because 382 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:58,800 I can see God calling me to do this. 383 00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:02,800 And many a times that is all that we have with us. 384 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:07,440 That is all that we have, that small light that is there. 385 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:10,800 And as we run towards it, everything starts becoming 386 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:13,720 brighter. As we run towards it, everything 387 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:17,200 starts clearing up. As we run towards it, darkness 388 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:21,680 starts moving away. So the first thing we saw is to 389 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:23,800 combat an attraction is to dwell. 390 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:28,960 The second thing is the lamp. Is the lamp of God less integral 391 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:32,960 to us today? The when we look at Palm Sunday, 392 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,600 Jesus coming in as the Messiah was the need of the earth. 393 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:39,280 They wanted freedom from the Romans, but was that the 394 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:43,520 integral part of being of Jesus actually coming in? 395 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:47,160 They missed out entirely. And I believe a lot of us many 396 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,960 at times don't go to the integral part as to what God is 397 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:53,160 doing in and through us. What is our worship towards God? 398 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:57,160 Because if our end outcome is something we're just looking at 399 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:01,400 him as a problem solver. But God's saying, no, I want you 400 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:05,720 to rise above, rise above. Because what happens is doubt 401 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,480 gets set in. Things that have to be done out 402 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:11,400 of the sincerity of the heart become mechanical. 403 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,800 And then suddenly faith just becomes mechanical. 404 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:16,680 And this is what Jesus came to talk to. 405 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,400 He confronted the Pharisees about that. 406 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:24,040 In fact, when we see John the Baptist, the Pharisees came and 407 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:25,520 said, who are you doing this for? 408 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:29,960 Why are you doing this? Anything that took attention 409 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:33,440 away from them, they questioned. They missed out on who Jesus 410 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:35,200 was. And today that is where the 411 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:37,000 Spirit of God will work in and through us. 412 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:40,520 If we are doing certain things mechanical, He will come in and 413 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:43,880 move us to a place to be authentic so that we'll be able 414 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,360 to do what He's calling us to do. 415 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:50,040 Even as we read from Matthew chapter 23, there are a couple 416 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:54,120 of things I wanted to highlight. And many a times we remove the 417 00:23:54,120 --> 00:23:58,400 integral part of who Jesus is. He came to seek, save and the 418 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:01,400 lost and bring salvation to mankind and then move us to a 419 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,640 place of living in obedience according to His will so that we 420 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:06,320 will be able to see Him face to face. 421 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:10,360 But the beauty we have all created, we do these mechanical 422 00:24:10,360 --> 00:24:14,640 things and eventually what happens, we have a Pharisees and 423 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:16,600 a Sadducees attitude that sets in. 424 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:19,360 We suddenly are becoming like the east where we're like, no, 425 00:24:19,360 --> 00:24:22,080 this is how it is done. This is how we need to move to a 426 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,560 place of repentance to say, Lord, I want to keep the main 427 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:27,760 things main. Matthew 23 we see in verse 13, 428 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:30,880 it's he talks to the Pharisees. You shut the door of the 429 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:32,680 Kingdom. You don't allow anyone to. 430 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:34,360 You don't allow anyone to enter in. 431 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:38,880 You travel over land and see to win a single person, and when 432 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,680 you succeed, you make him twice as bound. 433 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,880 You don't give him the freedom to live his faith out. 434 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,800 He says you're like blind guys. If anyone swears anything by the 435 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:52,640 temple, it means nothing, but if they swear by the gold of the 436 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:55,800 temple, it means something. He moves on to the place that 437 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:57,320 they've defiled, the name of God. 438 00:24:57,520 --> 00:24:59,960 Nothing in the name of God is taken serious, but only 439 00:24:59,960 --> 00:25:02,440 importance is given is to money, he says. 440 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:06,560 Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold 441 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:10,240 sacred to many? The money of that time became 442 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:12,280 important. You can see all these patterns 443 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:14,560 trickle down all these hundreds of years. 444 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:18,320 Even today this is something that has become so important 445 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:23,560 that we missed out on the lamp of God because is He the one 446 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,560 who's important to us? For those of you who give a 447 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:30,480 tenth of your spices, mint, dill and cumin, but you've neglected 448 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:33,960 the most important matters of the law, which is justice, mercy 449 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:36,400 and faithfulness. In fact, in one stage he says 450 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,920 you give all your tithes, but you fail to look after your very 451 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:42,440 own parents, He says, and he condemns them. 452 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:46,520 He says you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside 453 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,360 you're full of greed and self indulgence. 454 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,200 You're like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful in the 455 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:57,160 outside, but in the inside you're full of bones of the dead 456 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,720 and everything unclean. On the outside you appear 457 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:03,040 righteous, but in the inside you're full of hypocrisy and 458 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:09,080 wickedness. As Jesus mentioned this, he was 459 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:13,640 walking into Jerusalem towards this, towards a temple which 460 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:17,400 valued gold more than the temple and the sanctity in itself. 461 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:19,360 That's why he went and turned the tables over. 462 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:25,040 If there's one thing we'll have to understand is we are living 463 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:30,160 for the outside versus we are not living from the inside. 464 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:35,160 And I pray that if the Lamb of God is an integral part of our 465 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:37,960 faith, we will live from the inside. 466 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:44,680 We won't live for the outside. The law always dealt with the 467 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:48,000 actions of the art. And so when we committed sin, we 468 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:50,920 went, but Jesus when he came, he took it a further. 469 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:55,120 He said, even when you start conceiving all this, you will 470 00:26:55,120 --> 00:26:58,720 be, you can approach me because I'm ready to deal with the heart 471 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:00,000 issue. And that's what is very 472 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:04,240 important for us to develop a healthy understanding of moving 473 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:12,520 towards God, towards receiving His favour and grace because we 474 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,520 need Him to work in and through our heart issues. 475 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:20,960 In and through our heart issues, He came so that He will save us 476 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:24,400 from the mess that's happening in the inside of us. 477 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,800 Because the outworking of the mess is what causes us to sin. 478 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,280 And He wants to deal with that. He wants to take every route 479 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:35,640 that we are born into sin out and set us free once and for 480 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:39,040 all. When John sees Jesus and when he 481 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:41,920 says this is the lamp of God in verse 29, he says the next day 482 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:44,960 John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, look the lamp of God 483 00:27:44,960 --> 00:27:46,400 who takes away the sin of the world. 484 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:50,120 This is the one I meant when I said a man who comes after me 485 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:53,120 has surpassed me because he was before me. 486 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:57,040 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with 487 00:27:57,120 --> 00:28:01,400 baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel. 488 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,600 Then John gave this testimony. I saw the Spirit come down from 489 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:06,560 heaven as a dove and remain on him. 490 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:09,160 And I myself did not know him. But the one who sent me to 491 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:13,880 baptize with water told me, The man on whom you see the Spirit 492 00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:17,680 come down and remain is the one who'll baptize with the Holy 493 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:21,520 Spirit. I have seen and I testify that 494 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:27,000 this is God's chosen 1. He was an integral part of God's 495 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,800 plan. He was an integral part of 496 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:33,960 humanity's plan. He's an integral part of my own 497 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,640 life. And So what is that response 498 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:38,920 today? Yes, he should be integral. 499 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:43,040 So which means I have to give myself to the Holy Spirit who 500 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:47,400 will renew me every day, renew me every day. 501 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:50,520 If my heart has to change, it happens only when there is 502 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,760 renewal every day. Not renewable when the altar 503 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,080 call happens, not renewable when I have this big event and then I 504 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:01,240 decide that's where no renewal happens every day. 505 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,080 A friend of mine keeps telling this phrase. 506 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:06,800 I ask him how things are going. He says one day at a time. 507 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:08,920 And I remember that phrase catching on to me. 508 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:13,280 And God was reminding me As a follower of you, as a Jesus 509 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:17,240 follower, can I be renewed one day at a time? 510 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:20,920 One day at a time? What is God changing my thought 511 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,920 process today? Because that's very important 512 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,720 because what we're fighting is not in the natural, it's in the 513 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:30,960 spiritual. What you're fighting is not the 514 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:34,520 outworking of what the enemy is doing, but it's with those 515 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:39,680 principalities of darkness. In Two Corinthians chapter 10 516 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:41,560 versus 3 to 4, this is what it says. 517 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,760 For although we live in natural limb, we don't wage a military 518 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:48,040 campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to 519 00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:51,120 achieve our aims. Instead, our spiritual weapons 520 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:53,880 are energized with divine part effectively dismantle the 521 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:56,800 defenses behind which people hide. 522 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:01,240 We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and 523 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:04,880 breakthrough every arrogant attitude that is raised up in 524 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:06,720 defiance of the true knowledge of God. 525 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:11,440 We capture the prisoners of war every we thought and insist that 526 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:15,080 it bow down in obedience to the anointed 1 Can I repeat that 527 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:17,560 again? We capture the prisoners of war 528 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:21,160 every thought and insist that it bow down in obedience to the 529 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:24,600 anointed one. Since we are armed with such 530 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:29,280 dynamic weaponry, we stand ready to punish any trace of rebellion 531 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:34,800 as soon as you choose. Complete obedience, a response 532 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:40,360 to renewal by the Holy Spirit is that we have dynamic weaponry 533 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:45,600 and that dynamic weaponry will come will be activated when 534 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:49,240 there's complete obedience. When there's complete obedience, 535 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:51,280 what does it say? When I read that verse again, 536 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:53,840 what did it say? Take every prisoner of what 537 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,040 every captive thought and submit it. 538 00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:59,920 Bring it into a understanding that you are a defeated for you 539 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:02,840 have to submit to the anointed one to the Lamb of God. 540 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:05,880 And So what is this dynamic weaponry? 541 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:09,400 So when you go, when you see an, a soldier going into a, a 542 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:13,480 battlefield, he's going with a particular weapon to target an 543 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:16,200 enemy. When he has that weapon, he can 544 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:19,040 target it. But what if the enemy is of is 545 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:20,880 camouflaging and is looking different? 546 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,240 He can't go with that weaponry. But the Holy Spirit is saying 547 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:28,080 when you're waging war with my help, you have dynamic weaponry, 548 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,080 which means it will change to how the enemy looks. 549 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:33,600 It'll change. A lot of us are trying to beat 550 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:38,120 anxiety by staying in closed doors and being bound. 551 00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:40,880 But you can only beat anxiety with the help of the Holy Spirit 552 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:42,440 from a place of being an overcomer. 553 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,640 You have to rise up. That is where faith kicks in. 554 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:50,120 That's when everyday obedience, surrender and dependency happen. 555 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:53,320 That's what renewal is about. Renewal is basically obedience. 556 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:56,640 Lord, I surrender to you now. I'm dependent on you. 557 00:31:56,640 --> 00:32:03,120 I'm dependent on you. So as we do this, I pray the 558 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:05,600 lamp of God will become an integral part for us. 559 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:11,160 He won't just be an other isolated thing far off, but the 560 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:13,640 dynamic weaponry will be so active in us. 561 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:15,960 We are all foot soldiers in His Kingdom. 562 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:20,240 We all have our battles, but far too long we're trying to buy 563 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:22,320 fight those battles with the wrong weapons. 564 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:26,120 I pray that God will give us the grace and the strength to rise 565 00:32:26,120 --> 00:32:29,640 up. The third thing we see is, and 566 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:32,480 the question which I want to give lay in front of you is, is 567 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:36,640 the lamp of God less eternal to us? 568 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:41,120 Is he less eternal to us because many a times with Jesus coming 569 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:44,760 with us, celebrating his birth, reminder after reminder, is 570 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:47,760 eternity a far off thought or is it less important to us? 571 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:52,240 The movie look at the Book of Revelation. 572 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:54,800 In fact, yesterday when we prayed here during our open 573 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:59,560 heavens, we had repented of what the seven churches that were 574 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:02,600 mentioned in Revelation talked were talked about of what their 575 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:06,240 heart positions where. And today even as I'm mentioning 576 00:33:06,240 --> 00:33:08,280 some of that, I want to come to a place. 577 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:11,440 Are we complacent? Are we OK with status quo? 578 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,040 Have you come to a place where we abandoned our love for 579 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:15,480 Christ? Have you come to a place where 580 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,960 we are unable to remain faithful because of the amount of 581 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:21,000 persecution and struggles that are happening? 582 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:25,400 Are we compromising on our beliefs because we think you 583 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:28,400 know what God, the culture is so important, I might miss out on 584 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:31,000 it. Are we following false prophets, 585 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,600 people who speak what our itching ears want to hear? 586 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:35,880 Are we spiritually that they're like God? 587 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:37,760 You know what? We've been part of the system. 588 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:39,520 We know the game. We know. 589 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:43,840 Are we patiently enduring everything and giving up hope? 590 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:47,600 Today I want to be encouraged. Our church, I want to encourage 591 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:52,560 you all. May we live with such a fire 592 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:57,640 that is fanning a flame, such fire that's fanning him. 593 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:01,200 Because I believe the Holy Spirit wants us to be like that, 594 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:05,280 where we come expected every week after week because eternity 595 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:07,720 is set. We are going to be spending 596 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:09,840 eternity with Him. For all those who've confessed 597 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:13,280 Jesus as Lord and Savior, who believed with their heart, 598 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:15,320 who've confessed with their mouth and acknowledge Him as 599 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:18,040 Lord and Savior will spend eternity with him. 600 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:26,360 But if we don't have that as our ultimate goal, we will be 601 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:30,400 chasing many other things. Revelation chapter 5 verses 5 to 602 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:33,000 7 says this. And I saw in the right hand of 603 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:36,199 him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the 604 00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:40,440 back seal with 7 seals. Then I saw a strong Angel 605 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:44,800 proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll 606 00:34:45,159 --> 00:34:50,040 and to lose it's seals. And no one in heaven or on earth 607 00:34:50,199 --> 00:34:53,760 or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look at 608 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:56,560 it. So I wept much, because no one 609 00:34:56,560 --> 00:35:00,000 was found worthy to open and read the scroll and to look at 610 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:02,080 it. But one of the elders said to 611 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:05,480 me, Do not weep. Behold, the lion of the tribe of 612 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:09,960 Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and 613 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:13,760 to lose its seven seals. And I looked and behold, in the 614 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:16,640 midst on the throne, and of the four living creatures, and in 615 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:19,840 the midst of the elders, to the Lamb, as though it had been 616 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:24,560 slain, having 7 horns and seven eyes, which are the seven 617 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:27,120 spirits of God, sent into all the earth. 618 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:32,520 Then he came and took the scroll out of the right hand and of him 619 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:35,760 who sat on the throne. Now when you had taken the 620 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:38,880 scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell 621 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:42,280 down before the Lamb, each having a harp and a golden bowl 622 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:44,920 full of incense, which are the prayers of the Saints. 623 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:48,480 And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take 624 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:50,400 the scroll and to open its seals. 625 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:54,120 For you are slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood 626 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:58,080 out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have 627 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:02,800 made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the 628 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:04,720 earth. Then I looked, and I heard the 629 00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:08,040 voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures and 630 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:12,520 the elders, and the number of them was 10,000 * 10,000, and 631 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:16,640 thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the 632 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:20,680 Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and 633 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:24,000 strength and honour and glory and power and blessing, and 634 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,840 every creature which is in heaven and on earth and under 635 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:31,280 the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in 636 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:32,920 them. And I heard blessing and honour 637 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:37,160 and glory and power be unto him who sits on the throne, and unto 638 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:41,760 the Lamb forever and ever. I don't know about you, but when 639 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:46,800 I read this, I'm always amazed that I get to be seeing this. 640 00:36:48,280 --> 00:36:53,160 He was the Lion of Judah. He is the Lion of Judah. 641 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:56,080 We are going to worship the Lion of Judah. 642 00:36:56,960 --> 00:37:00,920 He is from the root of David. He prevailed. 643 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:06,120 Eternity is real. Don't move. 644 00:37:06,160 --> 00:37:09,760 Let not people, let not culture, let not people move you to a 645 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:12,640 place of thinking. You know what eternity is not we 646 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:14,560 what we do. Eternity is real. 647 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:18,600 Our living of life will set us up for eternity. 648 00:37:19,720 --> 00:37:24,000 I don't want to move my faith to a place where I've lost my first 649 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:25,200 love. That I will be end up in 650 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:27,080 eternity. No, or when I've been 651 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:29,640 complacent. I don't want to live lives where 652 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:33,640 I've given up on my faith 20-30 years later when it doesn't make 653 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:35,960 sense now. I want to keep eternity as my 654 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:38,920 end goal. That is what I live for. 655 00:37:38,920 --> 00:37:41,840 That is what I see. That is who I worship. 656 00:37:42,720 --> 00:37:46,680 So if I am unable to worship today amongst other people, 657 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:49,880 amongst people from different tribe, language and tongue, if 658 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:52,480 I'm unable to see that, how will I worship in heaven? 659 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:55,520 Because all of creation will be worshipping them, not just a 660 00:37:55,520 --> 00:38:01,480 select but all of creation. As I conclude, I want to ask us 661 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:05,800 today, what is our response? Because today what is not 662 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:10,040 eternal is temporal and the needs of temporal are very 663 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:12,520 heavy. The needs for temporal are very 664 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:15,920 heavy. But we need to know what is what 665 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:19,280 is it that God wants us to keep our eyes on the eternal? 666 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:24,160 What is a response like? As we saw, we have to be renewed 667 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:29,120 everyday is to be expectant. And that comes when the Holy 668 00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:32,360 Spirit is in and through our lives, is working in and through 669 00:38:32,360 --> 00:38:33,800 our lives. It's part of our lives. 670 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:37,560 You know, there's a parable that Jesus talked about Matthew in 671 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:40,320 Matthew 25, the parables of 10 virgins. 672 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,360 And the story goes like this, where ten of them are waiting to 673 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:47,560 see the bridegroom. Five of them calls foolish, five 674 00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:50,600 of them are wise. They all end up there and 675 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:52,480 they're waiting. And as they're waiting through 676 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:55,400 the day, their lamb gets exhausted. 677 00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:59,280 The they sleep, the five who are wise have brought extra oil with 678 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:01,520 them. They refill, they're ready, and 679 00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:04,280 then they're able to go and be with the bridegroom when he 680 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:06,400 comes. But as the remaining 5 go in 681 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:09,320 search of oil and they miss out and then they go and knock and 682 00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:12,840 the bridegroom says, we can't allow you and go away. 683 00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:16,360 I don't even know you. And the reason why I'm taking 684 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:20,720 this parable is because a lot of us are like the 10. 685 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,600 We are waiting. We are waiting. 686 00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:33,880 Some waited without that oil, some waited with extra oil, and 687 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:37,040 I believe as we wait with that extra oil, it'll pay off. 688 00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:43,240 The Greek word for that oil is Elion, and it's a spiritual 689 00:39:43,240 --> 00:39:49,320 meaning of the Holy Spirit. What is the Holy Spirit? 690 00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:52,720 He does is consecrates us. When He works inside out, what 691 00:39:52,720 --> 00:39:55,200 does He do? He consecrates us, He sets us 692 00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:56,800 apart. In fact, the entire of last year 693 00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:58,920 we saw that was our theme. He sets us apart. 694 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:02,400 So he set these 5 apart. What did he set them apart? 695 00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:04,360 He set them apart. Their thought and their word and 696 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:06,200 their action and the way they lived. 697 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:10,360 And so today as you're waiting there, as you wait there, maybe 698 00:40:10,360 --> 00:40:13,760 be consecrated. When I allow the Holy Spirit to 699 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:18,520 consecrate my everyday, He works in me, He does not he, it's not 700 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:20,360 like he one day empties of my entire house. 701 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:24,720 No, He takes bits and pieces. He takes OK anger is an issue, 702 00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:26,320 let's work on this for the next 6 months. 703 00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:30,400 And he tears that slowly by slowly and that's this painful 704 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:32,920 process. Yet it's a liberating process. 705 00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:37,400 The tears are hurtful but yet He brings healing into it. 706 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:41,600 What happens as he does that? My sin and my wounding gets 707 00:40:41,600 --> 00:40:43,960 healed. I'm assured that Jesus is the 708 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:50,880 healer and I start living out a healed life which means I live 709 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:53,240 by what the Holy Spirit says and dictates. 710 00:40:53,560 --> 00:40:57,080 So in my anger if my response is something I depend of it because 711 00:40:57,080 --> 00:41:00,360 that's not the working of the Holy Spirit and I become alert 712 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:06,480 to what he's doing. I just want to read a a a a 713 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:10,560 quote which I came across and it says I do not consecrate myself 714 00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:11,960 to be a missionary or a preacher. 715 00:41:12,520 --> 00:41:17,720 I consecrate myself to God to do His will where I am, be it in 716 00:41:17,840 --> 00:41:23,320 school, office or kitchen, or wherever He may in His wisdom 717 00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:29,320 send me today. If eternal is a focus, He will 718 00:41:29,320 --> 00:41:34,680 consecrate us everywhere, anywhere, for anything. 719 00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:39,320 Consecration. As the mayor says, this 720 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:43,600 consecration is only possible when we give up on our will 721 00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:47,640 about everything, about everything. 722 00:41:50,240 --> 00:41:54,000 So as we wait today, we are expecting for what? 723 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:57,280 For the Holy Spirit to do his work because when he 724 00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:00,440 consecrates, it brings healing and when you're poured out, 725 00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:06,560 you're healing to the nation's. I pray that I mean, Isaiah pose 726 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:08,880 these three questions. Is it attractive? 727 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:12,280 Is it integral? Is it eternal? 728 00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:15,640 May our responses be one that we're able to dwell with him, 729 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:20,760 may be able to experience his renewal everyday, and may be 730 00:42:20,760 --> 00:42:24,520 expectant to see Jesus face to face because it's in that 731 00:42:24,520 --> 00:42:29,120 consecration we realize God is very real to us. 732 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:32,800 That day will come and we will be able to worship him in all 733 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:37,360 honesty, in the spirit and truth across all nations, tribe and 734 00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:40,560 tongue and say be glorified, be honoured. 735 00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:46,560 Church, can I pray with you that as you receive and celebrate 736 00:42:46,720 --> 00:42:48,960 Palm Sunday today, you will receive the King of kings into 737 00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:50,440 your lives. You'll receive the Lord of Lords 738 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:52,400 into your lives. He won't just be someone who 739 00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:55,560 passes by, but he'll be everything for you. 740 00:42:56,040 --> 00:42:59,280 The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world will be 741 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:03,440 your portion fully. Let's pray our loving heavenly 742 00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:04,840 Father, Lord, we thank you Lord for this time. 743 00:43:05,320 --> 00:43:08,320 I pray that Lord, even as we heard your word made fall into 744 00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:10,200 the good portions of our heart made work. 745 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:13,280 I pray Holy Spirit, for those of us who've been in this phase of 746 00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:15,880 attraction, maybe move to a place of dwelling. 747 00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:19,360 Lord, learn to abide with you no matter what. 748 00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:22,640 I pray Lord for those Lord who have not made you an integral 749 00:43:22,640 --> 00:43:27,040 part, who made you an add on and who Lord been moving here and 750 00:43:27,040 --> 00:43:29,680 there. Lord Jesus, keeping so many 751 00:43:29,680 --> 00:43:32,040 things important. I pray we'll move to a place 752 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:36,280 where we'll allow you that to be the one who renews us every day 753 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:39,920 to see us in everything. Lord Jesus, I pray, Lord, for 754 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:42,000 those of us who have not lived with that eternal perspective, 755 00:43:42,720 --> 00:43:46,600 that we worship a God who in turn, in the final, we'll be 756 00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:48,600 worshipping him with all of creation. 757 00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:51,280 I pray our expectancy will change. 758 00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:54,800 We will move to a place of learning to be consecrated by 759 00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:57,480 the Holy Spirit. Lord, we will learn to wait 760 00:43:57,480 --> 00:43:58,840 well. Like those five virgins who 761 00:43:58,840 --> 00:44:02,520 waited with the Holy Spirit, we will wait well so we'll be able 762 00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:04,360 to enter into the doorway of life. 763 00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:07,800 Be with us. I pray Your blood covering over 764 00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:09,800 each and everyone, Your protection, Your hand of grace 765 00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:11,320 upon everyone, strengthen everyone. 766 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:14,080 I pray everyone will experience you more than ever before. 767 00:44:14,080 --> 00:44:17,000 They'll see your Kingdom come, Your will be done. 768 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:19,960 In and through their lives, Lord, be glorified, honored and 769 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:21,880 praised. I pray that Lord, your peace 770 00:44:21,880 --> 00:44:24,720 will abound in their lives. And as we celebrate this Holy 771 00:44:24,720 --> 00:44:27,760 Week, I pray supernatural things will start working in and 772 00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:29,920 through our lives. Lord, be glorified. 773 00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:31,840 Be honored. In your most holy name we pray, 774 00:44:32,200 --> 00:44:33,160 Amen. Amen. 775 00:44:34,040 --> 00:44:35,680 Pray as you step out this week, I pray. 776 00:44:35,680 --> 00:44:39,520 Let's believe and pray and wait expectantly for those of you 777 00:44:39,520 --> 00:44:40,840 believing and praying for a miracle. 778 00:44:40,840 --> 00:44:43,160 Hold on. We are praying that this Good 779 00:44:43,160 --> 00:44:45,240 Friday, Easter, something remarkable will happen. 780 00:44:45,240 --> 00:44:48,360 God will move through because we believe the supernatural has to 781 00:44:48,360 --> 00:44:51,120 be evident here so that He's glorified. 782 00:44:51,240 --> 00:44:54,160 The word of our testimony brings many to the saving knowledge of 783 00:44:54,160 --> 00:44:56,400 Him. I pray His protection and peace. 784 00:44:56,400 --> 00:44:58,440 O you have a blessed week. God bless you all. 785 00:45:01,560 --> 00:45:03,360 Thanks for listening to this message. 786 00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:07,240 We hope you were blessed to hear more messages like this. 787 00:45:07,520 --> 00:45:11,560 Make sure to subscribe and check out our podcast channel for past 788 00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:13,920 episodes. If you like what you are 789 00:45:13,920 --> 00:45:18,480 hearing, consider rating us, subscribing and even sharing it 790 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:21,040 with friends. That would really help us. 791 00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:26,360 For more content from Via Zion and to connect with us, go to 792 00:45:26,360 --> 00:45:31,520 Via Zion dot in. Remember, whoever finds Jesus 793 00:45:31,720 --> 00:45:32,560 finds life.