1 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,760 We welcome you to the Via Zion Sermon podcast. 2 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,760 We are a church based out of Chennai, India. 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,520 We are thrilled that you tuned in today and hope that you will 4 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,680 be refreshed, revived, and energized by what you hear. 5 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:25,440 Our desire is that you will live life with a renewed sense of 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:29,280 purpose that stems from a vibrant faith in Jesus. 7 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,960 We are thrilled to have a guest speaker, Pastor Andrew 8 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,320 Sudindran, with us who encourages us to be the 9 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:40,040 priesthood that we are called to be as the body of Christ. 10 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,320 As you listen in, we pray that you will find your calling and 11 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,000 purpose as you serve God in your local church. 12 00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:52,400 Thank you for this opportunity, Pastor Gershom and Pastor Tina 13 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,400 and Silva, who is Nirmala, who has recommended us that I preach 14 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,560 here? I come from a town in New Jersey 15 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,920 called Plainsboro. Plainsboro is where Pastor 16 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,440 Tina's parents were and the people who come from Plainsboro 17 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:10,480 are either amazing or they do amazing things. 18 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,000 So they started a home called Amazing Love. 19 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,480 And now we have another couple who've come from Plainsboro, 20 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,640 Silva, Raj and Nirmala. Then we also have another person 21 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,400 called Amazing Grace Cruz who also lives in Plainsboro and her 22 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:26,800 brother Sam is here. The only exception is me. 23 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:31,760 And I think at this point of time the reason is 24 years ago 24 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:34,720 if somebody had told me that I'll be ministering in this 25 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,360 church, I wouldn't have believed it because this is the same Rd. 26 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,680 I commuted for four years when I studied my engineering in Satya 27 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:45,160 Bama and nobody would have given me a chance that I will become a 28 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,840 preacher one day. But somehow my sister-in-law was 29 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,640 prophetic in 2012. She said, Andrew, I think you're 30 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:52,520 going to become a pastor from the way you're reading the 31 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,480 Bible, that that's when God touched my life. 32 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:59,680 But God's been amazing three times in the last 14 years. 33 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,840 I walked away from God. The sins I rebuilt and God, you 34 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,240 know, just like we all rebel, Adam and Eve rebuilt at the 35 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,880 Garden of Eden. Then you have the Tower of 36 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,160 Babel, Then you have Israelites walking out. 37 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:13,120 I have a similar experience in my life. 38 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:17,800 But what I can tell you is this, once I came to understand the 39 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,480 love of God, like 1 John says, for my fingers have handled him, 40 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,280 for I have seen him, I've heard him once I've come to that 41 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,680 experience and the encounter of Jesus, I had to submit to his 42 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,400 love and there was no turning back from that point on. 43 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,720 So I want to encourage you, God has great plans for your life. 44 00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:40,360 Over the last few years, God's been placing something in my and 45 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,520 my family is here. Sorry, my wife's here. 46 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:44,280 My daughter and my son are also here. 47 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,040 I think they are in the Sunday school, but, but, but I bring 48 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:49,840 greetings again from all of them as well. 49 00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:54,720 So in this last season, God's been placing something in my 50 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,080 heart. I know I've always been a 51 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:03,160 traditional churchgoer. I started going to church when I 52 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,120 was a kid. I went to the Immanuel Methodist 53 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,440 Church in Viperi for a long time, Then I went to Andrews 54 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:09,640 Kirk. So I'm a local boy. 55 00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:14,120 I'm not, you know. And then something changed in my 56 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,880 life where God showed me what this church actually is. 57 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:23,920 And what is designed for the church is the very gathering of 58 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:28,440 where you are right now is a is the work of God. 59 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,520 The Bible says that uses the word ecclesia. 60 00:03:32,640 --> 00:03:37,400 As you know for the church, ecclesia simply means called out 61 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:41,360 and called together, called out and called together. 62 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,360 That's why the Bible we read where two or three are gathered 63 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,800 in my name and there in the midst we always read that as 64 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,080 when 2-3 people come, God is there. 65 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:55,000 The Bible actually says when two or three are gathered, gathered 66 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,200 by who? By the Holy Spirit there, Jesus 67 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,920 is there in the midst. So ecclesia is called out and 68 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,640 called together. So what is the difference 69 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:09,280 between the church and the club? Dance club 20 minutes from here? 70 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,760 What is the difference between it's a group of people, right, 71 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:15,160 who are called together? What is the difference between 72 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,279 the church and the political assembly that meets in 73 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:20,600 secretariat? Group of people come together. 74 00:04:20,959 --> 00:04:24,320 What is the difference between the church and the soccer club 75 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:27,240 maybe 5 kilometres from here? It's all a group of people. 76 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:35,920 A soccer club, a political club, or any gathering of people shows 77 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:41,040 us what man can do. Only a church can demonstrate 78 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,320 what God can do. Let me say that again. 79 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:48,560 Any other gathering, The best of men coming together, the best of 80 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:51,920 women coming together. PCs is 5 miles from here. 81 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,000 All these big organizations coming together can show the 82 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:00,720 world what men can do, but only the church can show what God can 83 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:01,960 do. And that is why the church is so 84 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:02,960 precious. Amen. 85 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,080 So I want to talk to you a little bit about the church. 86 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:12,680 When Nehemiah heard, he, you know, he just was meeting 87 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:17,240 somebody from the land of Judah. When Nehemiah heard from the 88 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,960 people who came from Judah in a biblical church, how is the 89 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:21,400 church doing there? How is the wall? 90 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,640 How, how are our people? We were all meeting in the third 91 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:28,000 floor in the upper room. Every, everything is in ruins. 92 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:31,320 The church has been destroyed. The wall is down. 93 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:34,400 The walls have to be rebuilt. Our people are not doing well. 94 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:39,960 Naomiya begins to weep because he knew what the presence of God 95 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,360 could bring to a specific place, right? 96 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:48,320 So God's, I also think that the church is the most undervalued 97 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:50,040 enterprise. How many of you here invest in 98 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,000 stocks? All of you, I think because none 99 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:54,200 of you want to reveal the secret. 100 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,640 So church is also the most undervalued enterprise and the 101 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:04,080 underpriced stock. I'll tell you why, because think 102 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,640 about it. The best of hospitals cannot 103 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,880 cure cancer, cannot cure some diseases. 104 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:16,480 But suddenly they come to a church service, somebody lays 105 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:18,680 their hand on them and prayed and they're cured forever. 106 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:24,040 No amount of medical ability could cure a man or a woman. 107 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,840 But I've we've seen them come to meetings, we've seen them get 108 00:06:26,840 --> 00:06:29,680 healed. Somebody's children are a 109 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:31,520 constant nonsense in their lives. 110 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:36,080 They've gone, been sold to the enemy, gotten into all illicit 111 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:39,440 habits. They've flared, Mummy Daddy have 112 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,680 tried counselling, they tried different things. 113 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:44,880 Nothing worked. But they start coming to youth 114 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:46,040 service. Something happens. 115 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,600 There's a family who is struggling financially between 116 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:51,440 jobs. I don't know what to do 117 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:52,560 financially. Not there. 118 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,720 HR has tried counselling, their CT OS have tried to recommend 119 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:57,880 them for a job. Nothing worked. 120 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:00,760 Somebody lays their hands on them and prays in church 121 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:05,400 service, they get a job. So I think church where God 122 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:09,360 works sometimes is very undervalued because it's able to 123 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:12,160 show people what is impossible with manner. 124 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:23,760 The church also is God's design to overcome the enemy. 125 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:27,160 Church is God's design. I know that we are living in a 126 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,000 time of you gospel. Everything is about you, right? 127 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,920 You hear a turn, turn the mega churches channel on, you'll hear 128 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:38,320 it's about you. But church is the design for God 129 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,000 to overcome the enemy. What does the Bible say? 130 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:46,280 Jesus told Peter and the disciples, I will build my 131 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,960 church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 132 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:55,760 All of us suddenly think, well, the Catholics think Jesus told 133 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:58,440 Peter, and so Peter is the father of the church. 134 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,760 The Protestants think Jesus was talking about himself. 135 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,400 He's the rock. The rock will stand against the 136 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,200 church. But the location of the 137 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:14,480 destination is very important. Location where this incident 138 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,520 happened is in a place called Caesarea Philippi. 139 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:23,040 Caesarea Philippi is in the foothills of a place called 140 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,440 Mount Hermon. This is where the situation is 141 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:29,680 actually happening. This mountain is where Genesis 6 142 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:34,440 one to four talks about where the sons of God descended and 143 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,799 came into the daughters of men and they were demons who were 144 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:40,480 born. So this is that location, 145 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:45,080 Genesis 6, one to four Cesare Philippi and the whole Judeo 146 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:49,000 world at that time knew this place. 147 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:54,160 The gates of Fell to be at Mount Caesarea, Mount Hermon. 148 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:58,320 So Mount Hermon where Jesus is talking to his disciples is 149 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,920 where the gates of hell was supposed to be that day. 150 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:07,040 Jesus statement was not random you know, he just didn't choose 151 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,560 a place. He took them to Mount Hermon 152 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:11,840 where the gates of hell was supposed to be. 153 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:14,560 And on the gates of hell he tells his disciples, I will 154 00:09:14,560 --> 00:09:17,320 build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against 155 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:19,680 it. Which means the church is not 156 00:09:19,680 --> 00:09:23,120 the defender we always think. We are always defending the 157 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:25,600 assault of the enemy. The church is the aggressor. 158 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,960 If a church is planted here, it means God wants to invade this 159 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:32,200 place. If a church is planted here, it 160 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,320 means God wants to bring the restitution for what is lost, 161 00:09:35,680 --> 00:09:38,760 called people, from the land of the lost to the land of the 162 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:40,160 living. There is no other way. 163 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,640 There is no other reason for a church to be planted in a 164 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:47,920 specific place. So church is where we are able 165 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,360 to overcome. We also see that Revelation 166 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:56,240 talks about Jesus who walks among the lampstands, the seven 167 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,440 lampstands, right? Revelation 17 lampstands. 168 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,160 Have you noticed that it doesn't say Jesus walked among the 169 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,440 hospitals to cure the sick. It never says Jesus walked among 170 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,280 the prisons to set the He says he walked among the seven 171 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:13,640 lampstands, seven churches right And lastly, the church is the 172 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:18,920 manifold wisdom of God to the powers and principalities. 173 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,720 What is the manifold wisdom of God that you and me who are 174 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:27,360 Gentiles to the juryeo world will come into the family of God 175 00:10:27,560 --> 00:10:30,640 through the wisdom of God that is given to our times. 176 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:32,440 Amen. So church is the manifold wisdom 177 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:35,360 of God that it's to the powers and principalities. 178 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:37,720 No, that's the church. Church is very important. 179 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:41,160 It is critical in God's plan, in design to bring the Gentile 180 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,320 world inside. Without the church, it's very 181 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:46,800 difficult to operate all that. But today, if you ask an average 182 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:48,840 Christian, hey AMPA, what is a church? 183 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:52,040 An average Christian will tell you a church has a pastor. 184 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,760 He'll tell you a church as a worship team, church has Sunday 185 00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:58,640 school. What else does a church have? 186 00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:02,800 I've I've told, I've told the basic three things. 187 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:06,360 What else does a church have? If I ask you this question, just 188 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:07,880 tell me anything that comes to your mind. 189 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:14,000 There are no wrong answers. In the Kingdom of God, church is 190 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,360 a building, OK, where people gather to worship. 191 00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:21,280 Anything else? Sorry, sorry. 192 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:25,040 People, people, people, churches of people. 193 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:31,280 So people, pastor, worship team building, anything else it's on 194 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:33,280 Sunday, Sue said. Sunday, wonderful sister. 195 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:38,320 Sunday, Yeah, good Sunday mornings, right. 196 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:44,920 But how many of us understand that what comprises of the 197 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:48,760 church, the way God looks at the church is he looks at you and me 198 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:52,400 as priests. Priests of God. 199 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,680 See, the church is always taught about sons of God. 200 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,680 Church has always talked about servants of God, but the church 201 00:11:59,680 --> 00:12:01,840 has not taught about the priests of God. 202 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:06,080 The Bible looks says that you and I are a royal priesthood. 203 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:09,920 Are you with me? You're a royal priesthood. 204 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:15,040 Exodus 19 six I'm going to quickly give some references, 205 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,040 but we'll go past it as quickly as possible. 206 00:12:18,680 --> 00:12:27,200 Exodus 19 six The mandate given to people of Israel when Moses 207 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:32,720 encountered God, the mandate given to them was that they will 208 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:38,160 be to God a Kingdom of priests. They will serve me as a Kingdom 209 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:44,560 of priests, one Peter 2/5 For you will be unto God a holy 210 00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:52,200 priesthood, right? Then if you look at Revelation 211 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:59,080 1, when the John the Revelator talks about Jesus, he says, For 212 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:04,800 he has accomplished you, have made them a Kingdom of priests 213 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:09,840 and kings. Are you with me? 214 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:17,800 So Jesus, God brought the people of Israel and told Moses, for 215 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,080 they will be a Kingdom of priests to me. 216 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:24,680 Here Peter says that you are the royal priesthood and then 217 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:30,440 Revelation says Jesus completed the mission of making them 218 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,160 priests and kings. Priests. 219 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:38,360 Stay with me on subject, priest. So all of us think that some of 220 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:41,960 us think at least priest. I used to think priesthood has 221 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:48,080 stopped with the Levitical tribe. 222 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,560 We always think the priesthood has stopped with the Levitical 223 00:13:52,560 --> 00:13:58,040 tribe, but what we see, we see a picture of the priesthood 224 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:02,120 continuing just that the sacrifices of animals are not 225 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,080 there. The sacrifices of wheat 226 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:06,720 offerings and grain offerings are not there, but the 227 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,160 priesthood still continues. Priesthood continues. 228 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:12,160 How are we sacrificing now? By the blood of Jesus that been 229 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:16,200 shed for us once for all. The blood of animals was able to 230 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:21,080 rescue and redeem us from unintentional sin. 231 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:22,680 That's why the Hebrew writer says. 232 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,560 But the blood of the lamb is able to rescue and redeem us 233 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:30,800 even from intentional sins. So it's much more, much more 234 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:34,120 than the blood of animals that were shed. 235 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:38,600 So you and I are priests offering sacrifices of praise on 236 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:42,160 the altar for God. And why is it so precious? 237 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:44,000 I'll tell you 5 things about priesthood. 238 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:49,440 The Oneness priest too tells you and me that you are valuable in 239 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:53,760 God's eyes if you have to become a Hindu priest. 240 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:57,680 Anybody who has come from a Hindu religion here, if you have 241 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:00,320 to become a Hindu priest, you have to go through long schools 242 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,720 of training. You have to be born at a certain 243 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:05,480 sect. Similarly for Muslim leaders, 244 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:07,440 you have to be elected as by the community. 245 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:11,240 They don't even keep imams as elected because if somebody 246 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:13,160 falls, they don't want the mosque to fall with them. 247 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:18,640 But God says you are to me a Kingdom of priests to minister 248 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:20,880 to me. Think about it, Priests and you 249 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:25,040 and I have done nothing. That Levites did nothing to get 250 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:27,880 it. God simply has called us to be 251 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:31,520 priests unto him because we are valuable in His eyes. 252 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:33,960 So priesthood without priesthood, you can never 253 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:36,640 understand the value that God has placed in our lives. 254 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:41,000 OK, number one, what did he tell the Levites? 255 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:45,160 I will for every tribe of Israel and Judah, there'll be land, but 256 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:46,400 I will be an inheritance for them. 257 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:48,720 There'll be inheritance. There'll be some tribe of Judah. 258 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,520 There'll you know, Judah will have this, you know, Manasseh 259 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:53,840 will have this. All this will have. 260 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,280 But for Levites, I will be your inheritance. 261 00:15:56,560 --> 00:15:59,000 So you and I have God as our inheritance. 262 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:02,480 That's why the Bible says we are a special people or royal 263 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,640 priesthood. The second thing is priesthood 264 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:09,600 is critical, is critical for a reason. 265 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:13,680 Without the ministry of priesthood, there is no altar 266 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:15,920 ministry. Brother who was was reading the 267 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:18,360 worship said let's come to the altar and kneel down. 268 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:22,160 Without the altar ministry, the Christian life was a joke. 269 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:27,280 It is the altar ministry that enables us to connect with the 270 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,760 spiritual realm. Without the altar there is no 271 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,760 spiritual realm. Only in the altar, by the blood 272 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:35,040 of Jesus Christ that is shed, you and I connect to the 273 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:38,000 spiritual realm. Without the priesthood ministry, 274 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,000 there is no altar ministry. Without the altar ministry, 275 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:42,960 there is no ministering to the presence of God. 276 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:45,120 We are come, we come here, we sing, we worship. 277 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,600 It's wonderful. But what we are doing is we are 278 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:50,240 ministering to the presence of God as the priest. 279 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,560 And that's why all the worship songs that have been so 280 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:54,800 beautifully laid out this morning was ministering to 281 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,520 Christ, exalting him, because as priests you and I are to do 282 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:00,840 that. Without the ministry to the 283 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:03,560 presence, there is no ministry from the presence. 284 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,440 Lot of times we see churches without power. 285 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:10,800 Why we see them without power? Because there's no ministry to 286 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:12,800 the presence. If there is ministry to the 287 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:14,720 presence, there is. There will be ministry from the 288 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:16,280 presence. What is the ministry from the 289 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:21,079 presence? The Bible says Moses met God and 290 00:17:21,079 --> 00:17:25,440 engaged with them at the tent of the Tabernacle, and then he 291 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:29,320 left. But Joshua stayed in God's 292 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:30,680 presence. Joshua never left. 293 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:33,520 It says. It is like this upper room where 294 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,240 the Zion church met at 10/9, 9:30 in the morning. 295 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,120 The worship team come, came and worshiped. 296 00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:42,360 If I have to paraphrase it for today, the worship team came and 297 00:17:42,360 --> 00:17:45,600 worshiped. They did a great time of praise. 298 00:17:46,120 --> 00:17:48,320 The pastor came and gave a wonderful message. 299 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:52,520 There was healings in the altar. Sunday school went on, kids were 300 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,120 there, and then people fellowshipped in the fellowship 301 00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:58,240 hall for some time, and then it was 2:00 in the afternoon. 302 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:02,080 Everybody began to leave one after the other, but Pastor 303 00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:04,200 Geshom stood in the presence of God. 304 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:06,400 There came times in the afternoon. 305 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,320 One family was having biryani, but Pastor Geshom stood in the 306 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:11,520 presence of God. There was night people were 307 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:13,360 getting ready for the next mornings work. 308 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:16,800 Pastor Gershom stood in the presence of God and when nobody 309 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:19,280 was noticing, he made his way home. 310 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:20,960 That's what the white paraphrase says. 311 00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:25,000 Moses went after meeting with God's presence because Joshua 312 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:31,360 knew my friends, if 400 years of slavery and bondage, people of 313 00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:35,000 Israel were beginning, beginning to see miracles after miracles. 314 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:39,400 If they were able to see, it is because one man was able to 315 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:43,880 engage with the presence of God. So Joshua knew if I have to do 316 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:50,960 something, if God has to move in Israel today, I need to stand in 317 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:52,840 and engage with the presence of God today. 318 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:57,200 I'll tell you, the church which is able to engage with God's 319 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:00,560 presence will be the church that God will choose to multiply. 320 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:05,560 Are you with me engaging with the presence of God? 321 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:08,600 Joshua knew the value. What does psalmist write? 322 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,240 Cast me not away from your presence of God, and take note 323 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:16,240 your Holy Spirit from me. The psalmist knew the value of 324 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,560 God's presence. What does Paul write in 325 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:22,800 Ephesians 5? He says by singing of psalms and 326 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:27,520 hymns and making a melody to the Lord, Always walk in the Spirit. 327 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:31,520 Paul knew the importance of being in God's presence. 328 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,480 What does what does Brother Lawrence write in the 18th 329 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:38,680 century talks about practicing the presence of God. 330 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,760 So it is in the presence of God that we are able to minister. 331 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:45,400 What does the presence of God do in my life, In your life? 332 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:47,440 Altered ministry. Altered ministry brings 333 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,200 presence. Presence brings our our hearts 334 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:55,480 to love Jesus. OK, so #1 #2 priesthood is a 335 00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:58,960 ministry of deliverance. So first is priesthood is a 336 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:02,240 ministry which is critical. Second, priesthood is a ministry 337 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:03,760 of deliverance. Please turn on me the Two 338 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:08,200 Chronicles 13 verse 8 onwards. If somebody can read it, Two 339 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:14,200 Chronicles 13 verse 8 onwards. So you see, it's, it's a battle 340 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,760 between Judah and Israel. Notice something very unique 341 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:20,000 here. It's so important. 342 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:23,840 All of us talk about winning battles, overcoming battles. 343 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,960 Without priesthood, you and I cannot win battles without 344 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:28,360 priesthood. See what is happening here. 345 00:20:28,920 --> 00:20:33,080 If you have to paraphrase this today, this one king is telling 346 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:35,040 the other king, Abuja is telling. 347 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:40,040 Jeroboam, Jeroboam Nayarathrema. It's a very famous phrase you'll 348 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:42,920 hear in Chennai. You know who I am, you know who 349 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,600 you're dealing with. You're dealing with a tribe who 350 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:52,120 has not forsaken the priesthood. You have driven the priesthood 351 00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:54,560 out, so there is no chance you can win the battle. 352 00:20:54,960 --> 00:21:00,000 Whereas we in our city are priests of our prayers. 353 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:03,920 They sacrifice at the altars. There is engagement with the 354 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,440 presence of God continuously. There's no chance you're going 355 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:11,000 to win the battle. So priesthood is vital for 356 00:21:11,280 --> 00:21:13,240 overcoming battles and deliverance. 357 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:17,920 Deliverance, sister brother, without the positioning of 358 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:20,480 priesthood over our lives, unless we come into the 359 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,520 positioning of priesthood over our lives, deliverance is going 360 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:25,960 to be a challenge. Winning battles is going to be a 361 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:29,160 challenge. Priesthood enables us as priests 362 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:30,640 of God. Why is the church important? 363 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:32,960 Because it's made of priests. Why is priesthood important? 364 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:35,320 Because only through priesthood, deliverance comes. 365 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,840 Then the next one is ministry of reconciliation. 366 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,680 What does the Bible say? What does Jesus say in Matthew 367 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:46,600 5? Blessed are the peacemakers for 368 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:51,520 the other children of God. Blessed other peacemakers for 369 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:56,720 the other children of God. One verse that always gets me is 370 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:02,320 this in 2-2 Corinthians 4-5. When we think about peacemakers, 371 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,720 we of course know that, you know, we have to reconcile the 372 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:07,880 relationship between the outside world and God. 373 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,320 We know we understand that. One verse that gets me is 2 374 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:16,600 Corinthians 4-5. Paul talks about being a bond 375 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,600 bond servant. What is a bond servant? 376 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:21,440 A bond servant is somebody who has no rights. 377 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:24,680 We have, we are, you're, you're from, you know, India, US. 378 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:26,600 We don't have the facility. You can't hire servants. 379 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:28,880 If you hire servants, they'll come in a better car than you. 380 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:36,160 So to save yourself the trouble of you know, looking at that you 381 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:39,960 but India were very, very custom servants come if they want, 382 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:42,240 they'll show up. Driver for you will decides 383 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,440 whether he wants to come that day or doesn't want to come that 384 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:46,000 day. He'll call you and say sorry, my 385 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:48,840 milkman didn't show up. You do manage driving the car by 386 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:51,080 yourself. Servant will someday come and 387 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:52,800 say no, sorry, I'm not able to come today. 388 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,640 My husband is, you know, had a drinking problem. 389 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,600 So they have a choice, a bond servant to somebody who does not 390 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:04,000 have a choice, a bond servant to somebody who absolutely has no 391 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,200 choice on the master's will. They have essentially no will 392 00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:08,640 for themselves. They have no rights for 393 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:12,120 themselves. Now I understand if Paul says 394 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:17,080 I'm a bond servant to God, but he says I'm a bond servant to 395 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:26,600 you as well. If the church has to thrive. 396 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:33,400 One thing I've noticed is this in my 15 years of ministry, the 397 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:37,120 ego between people, the ego that we have sometimes in the church. 398 00:23:37,120 --> 00:23:39,920 So I walked in, somebody didn't smile at me. 399 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:44,080 Paul says bond servant. My side was not given a role in 400 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:47,560 the Sunday school. Paul says bond servant, oh, 401 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:49,320 pastor didn't speak to me properly. 402 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:50,880 Paul says no, you're a bond servant. 403 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:56,840 When the church becomes bond servants for each other, then 404 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:01,480 the peace of God prevails, the priesthood of God thrives. 405 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:05,880 Now the most exciting thing for any pastor standing here and 406 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:09,000 ministering, I'm sure Pastor Gashom will agree, is just 407 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,680 seeing a bunch of young people who can be ministered to, who 408 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,880 can go into the world and be the mission force. 409 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,400 Because usually people decide to follow God when they are 6065. 410 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,080 But seeing young people in the marketplace come on a Sunday 411 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:29,080 morning with kids is amazing. And as you're growing, I want to 412 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:33,680 encourage you, no matter what happens, no matter who offends 413 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:37,920 you, do not let offence get in the way of your ministry for the 414 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:39,720 Lord. Think of yourself. 415 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:41,760 You're a priest, but you're also a bond servant. 416 00:24:42,120 --> 00:24:45,600 In my days when I was growing up, if a Bishop comes, you had 417 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,600 to carry the suitcase for him. If a pastor comes, there was 418 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:52,040 designated places for the people in the church to sit. 419 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:56,400 Nobody can sit there, but the Bible says that you and I are a 420 00:24:56,400 --> 00:25:01,240 bond servant to each other. So do not let offence get in the 421 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:04,240 way so the ministry of God may prosper. 422 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:10,480 And the last one I anybody here was from Hyder, Andhra Pradesh. 423 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:14,840 You've heard about the apostle? Yes. 424 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:21,680 And now I heard this man's testimony. 425 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:24,200 This blew my mind. Talking about bond servants. 426 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,320 This man walks into a house and as he walks into the house 427 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:31,600 there's an old lady. The old lady tells him Sir, I 428 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:33,960 want you to. The old lady attends his church. 429 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,000 Sir, I want you to have lunch with me. 430 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:41,040 As Apostle Aesana says no, no I'm already full. 431 00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:42,640 I have other places to go and visit. 432 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:46,240 She's compels and she's just have some dull rice which I made 433 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:51,480 hot and fresh little bit. This man says no sister I have 434 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:53,680 to go to other places, I'm really late. 435 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:58,120 She says just freshly cooked some dull rice have which is 436 00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:02,560 this for the love of the lady. This man sits and he she serves 437 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,320 him in a plate. The man's husband comes. 438 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:07,000 This apostle was a young man at the time. 439 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:11,040 This man's husband comes. He worked in the farms and he's 440 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:13,320 coming. He's a little older man as this 441 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,040 apostle was about to put the food in his mouth. 442 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:17,760 This is on YouTube on the testimony. 443 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:20,880 The man looks at him and just spits next to his, spits next to 444 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:24,520 his plate and says as a young guy, you should be out there 445 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:27,920 working instead of pillaging people of food and eating of 446 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:31,200 them. This man has food in one hand, 447 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:33,480 spit on the other, doesn't know what to do. 448 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:40,080 And as he's thinking about what to do and how to retaliate, the 449 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:41,720 spirit of the Lord is working with him. 450 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:46,080 Maybe he was reminded of bond servant, but then he put the 451 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:47,800 food in his mouth and he began to chew. 452 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:50,840 The man spit again next to his plate and said, you should be 453 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:55,200 really ashamed of yourself. The old lady was the man's wife, 454 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:57,240 Couldn't say much. OK, Apparently the man was a 455 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:03,520 macho man, and you know, so after the difficulty, after all 456 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,880 this insult, he continued to chew the food, eat it. 457 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:11,120 Somehow God gave him the grace. As he was walking out, he 458 00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:15,800 stopped by and told the old man, I said I have good wealth. 459 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,840 You know, I'm I don't come from a background which is very poor. 460 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:22,720 I have decent wealth. I was not hungry, but the love 461 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:24,920 of your wife compelled me to stay back and eat. 462 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:29,320 So that's why I ate. So please forgive me if it has, 463 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,360 forgive me. And the man continues going 464 00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:35,200 about his journey. This old man was not a believer. 465 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:39,480 The wife was a believer. So the old man calls the wife 466 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:45,120 and tells her in the Juristani Sunday Anapuriya in the pastra, 467 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:49,560 the old lady says I'm Anadapura. So after Sunday I want to come 468 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:57,280 because only the gospel and the bond servant nature can get you 469 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:01,360 and me to humble ourselves. The flesh comes out me and say 470 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:06,640 Nayar Drima, that will come out. So I encourage you bond servant, 471 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:13,760 be a bond servant and the lastly ministry of reconciliation and 472 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:19,200 lastly ministry of bearing fruit. 473 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:22,840 Two Peter Peter writes 2 Peter 1. 474 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:26,560 He says church, you be careful that you don't become 475 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:31,000 ineffective in bearing fruit. Matthew 2143. 476 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:35,440 What does Jesus tell the Israelites because you did not 477 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:37,920 bear fruit. The Kingdom has been taken from 478 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:43,640 you and given to the Gentiles. So we always get excited about 479 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:48,040 the word calling, calling, calling, Calling is exciting 480 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:49,840 because it's God's call over your life. 481 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:55,040 But can I submit to you without submitting to the calling of the 482 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:59,240 collective, which is the church? It's very hard for God to ask us 483 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:02,640 for that individual purpose. Some of us may will still be 484 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:05,160 struggling with what does God really want to do with my life? 485 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,840 That is because you have not submitted to the calling of 486 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,840 God's design for this church. I'll tell you, I've seen 487 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,800 families who've served church, who've served the church, I've 488 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:20,040 seen people who've served the church with all their heart, and 489 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:23,240 I've seen God call them into their own purposes. 490 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:25,240 They've gone on to build ministries. 491 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:28,840 They've gone on to change the world upside down so there is no 492 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:31,360 individual players in the Kingdom of God. 493 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:34,160 That wave is already done. Abraham was called. 494 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:37,080 But today the calling is for the church, the collective. 495 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:40,320 When you submit to the calling of the collective, when you make 496 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:43,960 Pastor Geshum and Pastor Steenas calling your calling. 497 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:46,920 Hey, Pastor Gershom, what can I do for you on a Sunday morning? 498 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,280 Pastor Tina, how can I come and help you on a Sunday morning? 499 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:51,800 When you make the calling of the church, your personal calling, 500 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:54,680 your calling begins to get active in your life as well. 501 00:29:55,760 --> 00:30:00,160 Are you with me? So the calling of the collective 502 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:05,320 and I, I was talking to my daughter 2 days ago. 503 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:10,200 We are all in jet lag. So we woke, woke up at 4:00 as I 504 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:11,800 was getting ready. Luckily, she's not here. 505 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,520 She's not here, right? No. 506 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:16,160 There are so many young people. I don't know whether she's 507 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:17,520 sitting. I'm not wearing my glasses 508 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:20,600 either. So if you come and say hello to 509 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:22,560 me, don't get offended. I may be looking at you, but not 510 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:25,560 be looking at you after the service, no. 511 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,760 So 2 days ago, I woke up early in the morning, you know, 4:00 512 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:35,760 jet lag and 4:15 I got freshened up and I was walking into the 513 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:37,680 prayer room inside my in laws house. 514 00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:41,120 I go there to see my daughters as teenagers, as 14 years. 515 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:42,400 And don't tell her I told you this. 516 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:45,840 So I go inside at 4:15 in the morning. 517 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:49,040 She's got her Bible open, She's got her notes open. 518 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:53,280 She's halfway through writing what God is speaking to her. 519 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:55,040 She's having a quiet time and devotion. 520 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:59,560 I was stunned, you know, I was stunned because I knew what she 521 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:01,600 was a few months ago, you know, going through a lot of 522 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,200 depression because she told me. She comes and tells me home. 523 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:06,360 Daddy, I don't know how to talk in school because they talk very 524 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:11,040 differently. They talk stuff that you know, 525 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:14,960 just to say it in a simple way, unholy way when I don't engage, 526 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:17,920 they think I'm strange that our generation is very struggling. 527 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:19,480 Really our generation is struggling. 528 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:22,560 The generation after us. They're facing challenges that 529 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:24,800 we have not we have not faced in our generation. 530 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:28,400 But I believe that, you know, where sin abounds, grace around 531 00:31:28,400 --> 00:31:31,840 much more where enemy tries to attack the generation after God 532 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:34,960 pours out much grace. So I've never seen in our church 533 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:39,240 as well a generation like that which has been on fire for God 534 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:44,200 ever, ever in my lifetime. 24 hour prayers. 535 00:31:44,200 --> 00:31:49,480 We have her youth teams begins to start worship at evening 536 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:51,520 6:30. We have 5 batches of worship 537 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:55,320 around the clock, pray sushi. They were begin to worship at 538 00:31:55,320 --> 00:31:57,240 evening 630. She was there. 539 00:31:57,280 --> 00:31:59,920 Few of her youth members finished the prayer there. 540 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:03,320 Stayed for the second batch which went from 11:30 to 2:30 in 541 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:05,640 the morning, then slept for two hours. 542 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:08,120 Came and again prayed with the third batch of people, small 543 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,160 groups. Then again pray to the fourth 544 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:12,920 group of people. And I was thinking, what is 545 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:14,920 going on? I maybe it's all the initial 546 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:16,480 Jewish you know of getting saved. 547 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:18,400 But then we had another prime meeting. 548 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:20,520 After a few months, same pattern repeats. 549 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:25,960 I've never seen a generation, that generation which was 550 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:28,960 hopeless and written off are on fire for God. 551 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:32,040 New York Times released an Article 3 months ago. 552 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:36,720 They said the decline of Christianity in the US has 553 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:39,680 plateaued. I was like, what? 554 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:41,880 Because it's declining constantly and it's suddenly 555 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:43,360 plateaued for the last five years. 556 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:48,040 And when I went into the article, it says the people who 557 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:51,120 are in Gen. Z generation are coming to the 558 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:55,000 lot in so many numbers that the dropouts at the top, the Gen. 559 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,720 X and at the top, these people are offsetting it. 560 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:00,520 So they are, they are plateaued. It's almost a flat line. 561 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,240 Can you, would you? And I have given them a chance. 562 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,840 That is what happens. And then, then five AM, 5:30 AM, 563 00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:09,840 we all worship together and all that. 564 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:13,800 Why am I saying this as a priesthood? 565 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:15,640 We are called a royal priesthood. 566 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:18,080 It is a ministry of blessing people. 567 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:19,840 It is a ministry of blessing people. 568 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:23,160 You're put in a place of your work because you're called as a 569 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:27,400 priest to your colleague. You're you're a priest to your 570 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:30,240 father and mother, but you're also a priest to your sons and 571 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:32,280 daughters. You're a priest to your 572 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:34,600 neighbor. And as the priest, Pastor 573 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:38,200 Gershom, I was watching one of his YouTube videos series, he 574 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:41,040 beautifully spoke about how Melchizedek, King Melchizedek, 575 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:43,440 who had no genealogy, blessed Abraham. 576 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:47,560 So royal priesthood is where we bless people, we bless people, 577 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:49,880 we release the blessing of God into their lives. 578 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:53,040 So as you think about these things, the ministry of 579 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:57,720 priesthood allow God to speak to your life, take, you know what 580 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:00,520 he says to be true because whatever he says to be true 581 00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:03,040 comes out to be true. And I pray that your church will 582 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,120 be blessed next time we come. I pray that you'll have bought 583 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:08,440 all the three floors. The clinic downstairs would have 584 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:10,960 been gone. I believe that you'll buy the 585 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:12,920 other buildings here too and multiply in churches. 586 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:16,159 So to young people on fire, we would like to see you grow, 587 00:34:16,159 --> 00:34:19,639 expand and grow the knowledge of God and the sweet aroma around 588 00:34:19,639 --> 00:34:21,040 this place. Amen. 589 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:23,480 God be with you and thank you for this opportunity. 590 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:27,960 Pastika Show. Thanks for listening to this 591 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:31,040 message. We hope you were blessed to hear 592 00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:34,760 more messages like this. Make sure to subscribe and check 593 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:37,440 out our podcast channel for past episodes. 594 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:41,239 If you like what you are hearing, consider rating us, 595 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:44,360 subscribing and even sharing it with friends. 596 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:49,080 That would really help us. For more content from Via Zion 597 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:53,560 and to connect with us, go to Via Zion dot in. 598 00:34:54,159 --> 00:34:57,720 Remember, whoever finds Jesus finds life.