1 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:12,640 Hi and welcome to the Via Zion Sermon Podcast. 2 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,880 We are a local church based here in Chennai, India. 3 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,240 We are so glad you are with us and hope that this will 4 00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:23,480 encourage, inspire and instill fresh faith in you. 5 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:28,280 We continue our series titled All Roads Lead to Rome, which is 6 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:32,000 a study in the book of Romans. As we study this letter written 7 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,200 to the Jewish and Gentile believers in the city of Rome, 8 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,560 we ask that you put yourself in their shoes, for our context is 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,200 not that different after all. Our hope is that through the 10 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:47,320 series you would experience the fullness of knowing who God is, 11 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,920 what He did for you through Jesus, and how you can live a 12 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:53,360 life that honours Him and blesses others. 13 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:57,240 High chess, this has a joy and a privilege to be bringing God's 14 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,720 word to you today. We're in the fourth part of the 15 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,920 series, All Roads Lead to Rome. It's study on the book of 16 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,160 Romans. And even as we've been dwelling 17 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:09,280 on this over the last couple of weeks, I believe God is wanting 18 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:11,200 to do something in and through us. 19 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,880 I don't know you, but I believe as we complete the book of 20 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,960 Romans, the intention of Paul was the fact that the Roman 21 00:01:18,960 --> 00:01:23,400 churches would be deeply rooted in Jesus, that they would find 22 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,960 the identity in him, that they would be transformed, and that 23 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:31,160 they'll be able to live out this life, this Christian life in a 24 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:35,640 pluralistic, in a world that desperately needs Jesus. 25 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:40,920 And I think we are today in that same pivotal place where we are 26 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,720 called to live out our lives to the fullest so that people will 27 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,720 be able to experience Jesus more than ever before. 28 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,880 And so even as we take some time to dwell in, I pray that your 29 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,840 hearts will be open and they'll be able to listen in and hear 30 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,840 God word clearly into your own lives. 31 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,200 And his Spirit will start ministering to your causing you 32 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,280 to change and do all that he's called you to do. 33 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:03,520 So let's just start with a quick word of prayer. 34 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:05,720 Our loving heavenly Father, Lord, even right now, we just 35 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,080 thank you for this time. I pray even as we hear your 36 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,200 word, it'll fall on the good portion of our hearts, Lord 37 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,040 Jesus, that it'll bear fruit. That, Lord, wherever we need 38 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,760 changes, that we'll be able to do the changes that's necessary. 39 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:18,800 Lord, we commit ourselves wholly to you. 40 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:23,120 Lord, take all of us entirely that we'll be transformed to be 41 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:24,840 more like you here on this earth. 42 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,120 In your most free name we pray, Amen. 43 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:29,320 Amen. Even as we started the first 44 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,320 part we saw faith has to be something like a gradient faith 45 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:35,360 where we have a start point where we are continuing on in 46 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,320 this faith journey, which looks more like a gradient and it's 47 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:43,120 more reflecting and looking like Jesus as the days go by that we 48 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,680 start emitting the hue and the colour of who Jesus is. 49 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,640 The second part, we saw that God alone is our judge, that we 50 00:02:49,640 --> 00:02:53,320 don't get to judge anyone just because we've received Christ or 51 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,800 just because others have received His grace, and that we 52 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:00,960 need to allow God to work in and through US, which means God has 53 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,600 no favorites, which means that even in our own lives we can't 54 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,280 have favorites. We need to start seeing everyone 55 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,120 as image bearers. You also saw on the second part 56 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:11,760 that God wants to consecrate our hearts. 57 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:14,520 It is in fact, the word that was used there to circumcise our 58 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,960 hearts many times. He's striving towards our 59 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:18,480 outward appearance as Christians. 60 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,800 But God's concerned about the heart, and He wants to 61 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,920 circumcise our heart so that we'll be able to look much 62 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:27,000 deeper into our own lives, ask Him to change the hard things 63 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:28,880 that caused us to stay away from Him. 64 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:34,040 Last week we saw that all of our stories are God's stories and 65 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,760 that God is calling us to take a risky faith embrace, which means 66 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:42,720 when we move in living out His word, it has to be one where 67 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:44,800 it's faithful. We are taking a bold step of 68 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:46,680 faith. We also saw that because of this 69 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,120 risky faith, He changes us from nobody's to somebody's. 70 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,920 We also saw that He brings out something out of nothing. 71 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,040 And the third thing we saw is that when we focus on what God 72 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:03,120 is doing rather than what we don't see happening around, many 73 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:07,320 a times this Christian walk that is being asked of us to live 74 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,640 happens in the everyday. It happens in the smallest of 75 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,480 things when we start celebrating the small bins because God's 76 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:17,760 concerned about that. The small winds later will lead 77 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,320 to bigger winds. And I believe as we meditate 78 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:24,080 today in Romans chapter five and six, in chapter five and six, we 79 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:28,160 see Paul wants to challenge the church to dig deep. 80 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:30,720 And what does dig deep look like? 81 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:32,960 Why are we called to dig deepers? 82 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:37,720 We see that when we are justified in Christ, there's a a 83 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:41,160 somewhat kind of a position that we think we've attained and we 84 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,280 don't have to do anything because Christ has done 85 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:45,680 everything. But the fact remains, we need to 86 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,640 dig deep wells. And the reason why Paul is 87 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:53,280 telling this is we as humans can get very complacent because this 88 00:04:53,280 --> 00:04:57,320 doesn't involve to many of us, church is a Sunday activity. 89 00:04:57,320 --> 00:04:59,880 Being part of his community is a weekend activity. 90 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:03,160 It's part of those two hours or four hours that I give to God, 91 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,720 but he's saying, you know what, I want you to go more deeper. 92 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,280 He wants to do deeper in our lives today, when we start our 93 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:12,840 day, when we commit our day to him, there is an open space for 94 00:05:12,840 --> 00:05:16,000 God to work in and through us so that our day is set and ordained 95 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:19,600 by him. And many a times I feel like as 96 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:23,240 Christians, we've, you know, thought of this entire journey 97 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,240 that when we asked to dig deep, we're like, no, we've, we've 98 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,720 been justified, we're redeemed, we're set free. 99 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:30,840 We know all these truths. And so, you know, it's more like 100 00:05:30,840 --> 00:05:32,280 a church membership that we treat. 101 00:05:32,840 --> 00:05:37,120 But Paul emphasizes in Romans 5 and 16, don't be content. 102 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:39,440 You need to dig deep. Wells. 103 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:43,040 Why do we need to dig deep? When we look into these chapters 104 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:47,520 today, it's because when we dig deep, our roots go deep. 105 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:51,680 When we dig deep, we are there in every season. 106 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,600 Today God does not want us to show up only in a particular 107 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:57,680 season or when we are experiencing blessing is not 108 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:01,120 when I'm going to show up in church, but week in week out I'm 109 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,720 going to be planted. And the verse that I wondered 110 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:07,960 which came reckoning as he was preparing was from Psalm one 111 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:09,920 verse 3. And I'm leaning from a passion 112 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:11,480 translation because this is what it says. 113 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,960 He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree planted by 114 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:18,840 God's design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing 115 00:06:18,840 --> 00:06:22,520 fruit in every season of life. He's never dry, never fainting, 116 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:26,200 ever blessed, ever prosperous. And the reason why I wanted to 117 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:31,240 start off with this was, was if we can understand this aspect, 118 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:36,160 that if we dig deep foundations, we'll bear fruit in every 119 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:42,000 season, every stage of life. For too long, I've had friends 120 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:43,840 who've journeyed along with me say, you know what? 121 00:06:43,840 --> 00:06:46,920 In this season, I'm hurt with the church in this season. 122 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,320 I think God does not want me in this season. 123 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,800 I feel the church is irrelevant in this season. 124 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:53,400 You know what? The Bible doesn't make sense. 125 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,320 In this season, I feel, you know, God is not hearing my 126 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,240 prayer. That's because somewhere down 127 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:04,280 the line we chose to be planted somewhere else rather than the 128 00:07:04,280 --> 00:07:08,480 lake or the river of God. And I think a couple of weeks 129 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:10,360 back, Tina had spoken about this. 130 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:11,840 Where would we want to be planted? 131 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,760 And I think as we go deeper into God's, because it's easy when we 132 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:17,960 read the book of Romans to come to this place, you know what? 133 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:22,200 I'm sanctified, I'm justified, and that's enough. 134 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:26,520 My position is secure. Your position is secure, but are 135 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:29,880 you being an effective witness for Jesus? 136 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:34,400 Are you being, are you living out God's given design today? 137 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,200 There's a design in which God's created me to be today. 138 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:40,880 And the more I draw closer to Him, the more I'm able to 139 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,520 understand him. The more I take that step of 140 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:45,880 faith, I'm able to see God do something. 141 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:50,200 If I don't take that step of faith, I'm content in where I'm 142 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:51,680 at. And so would you dig deep? 143 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:54,200 Why are deep foundations essential? 144 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:58,800 And it said that if you want to bear capacity, different 145 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:04,720 capacity, and if you want to have a certain amount of load 146 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,720 that it can carry, it has to have deep foundation. 147 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,800 If we want to be a flourishing tree which bears fruit in every 148 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:13,960 season, you and I have to have deep roots. 149 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,880 And so with this in context, I would love to approach chapters 150 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:18,840 five and six. Why? 151 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:22,240 Because Paul emphasizes that without this understanding, you 152 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:25,200 won't have anything to pursue. You won't have anything to 153 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:27,640 pursue. It's not like, OK, you get the 154 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:31,160 dream job after the dream job, what we need to show up to work 155 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:33,480 every week. You need to put your head down 156 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:37,480 and work after you find that that the person you've been 157 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:39,400 pursuing. After that, it requires hard 158 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:41,360 work. Marriage requires hard work. 159 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,440 Marriage requires showing up. Marriage requires staying. 160 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:45,960 Marriage requires being committed. 161 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:51,880 And you can live in ways in which you know what, this is 162 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:53,960 enough. But is it the fullest? 163 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,440 And that's where we're coming. Is this the full Christian life 164 00:08:57,560 --> 00:09:00,840 that God's calling us to live? And even as we move towards 165 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,720 that, there's a sense of expectation. 166 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,520 There's a sense of reality and today in a world of social 167 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:11,080 media, I think we've seen a whole bunch of memes when it 168 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:12,920 comes to reality and expectation. 169 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:17,960 We get to see these way too realistic tourist place which 170 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:20,200 you which they say you know, you need to visit before your 171 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:22,680 lifetime as saying these are the expectation. 172 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:25,000 When you see in reality it looks entirely different. 173 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:28,120 So today I don't know what your reality is and what your 174 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,840 expectation was Today, I don't know what your expectation was 175 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:34,040 that you thought this is what marriage would be and you 176 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,320 stepped into it, or this is what you thought your Christian life 177 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:37,480 would be and you stepped into it. 178 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:43,320 Paul here is causing us to reflect, to look back. 179 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:49,320 And if we have to look back, we can't look back in a world which 180 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:53,080 lives by expectation or this is what I expected of Jesus. 181 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:55,840 This is what I expected. No, we need to soon come to the 182 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:57,680 place. This is the reality of of 183 00:09:57,680 --> 00:09:59,840 Christian life. This is the reality of who God's 184 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:02,000 called me to be. This is the reality and this is 185 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,800 what I'm going to do in this life that I'm called to live. 186 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:11,960 So as we move in this phase from expectation to reality, I pray 187 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:15,600 that each and every one of us will be able to see what God is 188 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:18,400 calling us to do because it's profound. 189 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:22,400 It's one with purpose. The first thing which I want to 190 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:28,680 emphasize is in our reality, Jesus wants us to experience 191 00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:32,240 peace. He causes me to experience peace 192 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:35,320 as his follower. So let's read from Romans 193 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:37,240 chapter 5 verses one to five. This is what it says. 194 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,680 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have 195 00:10:40,680 --> 00:10:44,560 peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we 196 00:10:44,560 --> 00:10:47,840 have gained access by faith into His grace, in which we now 197 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,880 stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 198 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,560 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings because we 199 00:10:54,560 --> 00:10:58,760 know that our sufferings produces perseverance, a 200 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:00,920 perseverance character and character hope. 201 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:04,360 And hope does not put us to shame because God's love has 202 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:08,480 been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has 203 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:12,920 been given to us. And even as I was just comparing 204 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:16,160 the same chapter across different versions, I love the 205 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:19,560 way in which Eugene Peterson puts it in the message, this 206 00:11:19,560 --> 00:11:24,760 piece that we are talking about here, it says here that we have 207 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:28,560 been justified through faith. We have peace with God through 208 00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:31,560 our Lord Jesus. This peace is not the peace that 209 00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:34,040 the world talks about. What is the peace that the world 210 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,960 talks about? If you have to pursue peace, you 211 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:39,040 have to. For a lot of us, peace is 212 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,720 probably quietness. For a lot of us, peace is 213 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:45,240 probably sitting in front of a still lake. 214 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,960 Peace is probably by that waterfall where you can hear the 215 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:52,840 waterfall and it's good. Peace is where you're able to, 216 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,640 you think, you know, everything is under control. 217 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:59,120 Peace is where probably you are in comfort with yourself. 218 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:03,200 But the peace that Paul is talking about here is different. 219 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:06,960 The peace that he's talking about is that we fear nothing 220 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,280 from God and we're content with what God's doing in and through 221 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:12,880 our lives. Even as I mentioned, this peace 222 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:16,760 that we're talking about, that we fear nothing from God, 223 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:20,040 whatever God brings us, we are at peace. 224 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:22,680 So that's why this peace talks about. 225 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,080 It's not a positional peace where oh, you've accepted Jesus, 226 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:27,120 you'll experience peace. Now. 227 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:28,920 It's because I've accepted Jesus. 228 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,680 There are things that will happen in my life which will 229 00:12:31,680 --> 00:12:34,480 cause me to be at peace because Jesus is with me. 230 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,800 If we have peace because we're believers of Jesus, the emphasis 231 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:44,280 for us has to be the fact that God, whatever happens, I am 232 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:49,560 going to be in peace and at peace knowing that you are with 233 00:12:49,560 --> 00:12:52,920 me. What else do we need to know? 234 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,200 Verses three to five in the message says there's more to 235 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,840 come. We continue to shout our praise 236 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:03,040 even when we are hemmed in with troubles because we know how 237 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:05,440 troubles can develop. Passionate, patient in US. 238 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:08,720 And how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of 239 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,120 virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. 240 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:17,200 In a lot expectancy such as this, we are never left feeling 241 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,040 short changed. Quite the contrary, we can't 242 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:23,360 round up enough containers to hold everything God generously 243 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:26,320 pose into our lives through the Holy Spirit. 244 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:32,120 And so when we see this peace, this peace is what we need to 245 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:36,520 have as Christ followers. Because otherwise we will always 246 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:40,000 be fretting. We'll get stuck in step one if 247 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,600 we do not accept this peace in verses one and two, if we don't 248 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,160 accept the peace with God through Lord Jesus Christ 249 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:50,680 because we've been redeemed, because we are justified and now 250 00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:52,400 we go back to Him every day as Lord. 251 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:54,440 This nature of mine needs to change. 252 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:57,120 What happens? It says here though Paul goes on 253 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:01,160 to say shouts of praise when we are in the midst of trouble. 254 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:07,200 The outcome of this peace causes me to be in praise mode, always 255 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:11,600 in the midst of trouble. Does it look like my head is 256 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:14,280 conked and I'm looking like a crazy guy right now? 257 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:15,960 It might look to the world like that. 258 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:19,640 People be wondering why is he having a certain amount of joy 259 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,960 and calmness in the midst of confusion and chaos? 260 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,400 That's because the peace of God is with me. 261 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:29,760 This is the peace I need. And what happens in the 262 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,400 suffering that we go through in the midst of trouble? 263 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:35,760 We're able to praise Him and because you're able to go 264 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:39,400 through this, you just doesn't stop with one because the peace 265 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,320 is within me. It enables me to move through 266 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:45,600 every other suffering and every other trouble that comes my way 267 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:48,440 that causes me to have endurance. 268 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:51,840 It says here it develops our patience. 269 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:56,640 God wants to work in it was for a lot of times we see, you know, 270 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:00,400 we we finish a struggle and even as we lift up, we can see 271 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:01,760 another struggle heading our way. 272 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:07,560 But what is movement like? Are we moving from A to B or are 273 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:11,360 we just standing there and like, you know what, I think I'll just 274 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:13,720 stay put. I'll put a camp tent here and 275 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:16,160 I'll just camp out here because I can't handle this. 276 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:23,400 And so I think in our mind, we in get ingrained to think, you 277 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:24,920 know what? It's because I'm doing for God 278 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:26,800 this is happening. So what if I don't do for God? 279 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:30,480 I'll just be like everyone else. But that's where God starts 280 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,480 working in US because that's where sanctification happens. 281 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:37,440 He constantly goes back and tells us, Geshom, I think this 282 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:39,920 is my ego that is here. This is my pride that is getting 283 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:41,600 it. This is my security that's 284 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,120 getting it. And then my piece gets realigned 285 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:46,200 because I thought my piece isn't something else. 286 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:51,440 God realigns that patience forges us, which is keeping us 287 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:57,280 alert to what will God do next. You know, I love looking at how 288 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:04,000 they forge things out of metal, and it's not a pleasant sight. 289 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:07,840 It's that extreme heat. The metal goes in, it comes 290 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:11,440 back, it gets beaten up. It goes, it goes, it gets put 291 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:15,160 into a cold water, it goes back in, it gets beaten up again. 292 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:20,000 It's shaped, it's hammered. It's a patient job. 293 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,840 And you know, I was watching and even one of my lecturers quite 294 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:28,640 10 years back was talking about building a samurai sword and the 295 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:32,120 trouble that it goes through, the way it gets, you know, 296 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:36,720 forged in God is forging us. So a lot of us today, if you 297 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:39,760 notice, especially for those who are pursuing will soon realize 298 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:44,640 God before he starts using US, wants to clean us inside out. 299 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,920 He wants to remove the gunking side out. 300 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:52,560 He wants to, you know, deal with all our past, deal with all our 301 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:57,960 insecurities, deal with all our agendas, deal with all the muck 302 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:01,080 that is within us. And that's what happens. 303 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:05,400 He patiently wants us to deal with it as we are moving. 304 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,680 He does this. Why does he do this? 305 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:10,200 So that we are better. We start understanding. 306 00:17:10,319 --> 00:17:17,000 What is it that he's calling us to do this From suffering to 307 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,880 endurance. It starts shaping our character, 308 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:24,319 and as it starts shaping our character, it moves us to this 309 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:28,119 litmus so that we are not cheated because that Satan time 310 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:30,440 and again will bring us opportunities thinking this is 311 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,000 better, that is better. This is a quick way to do this. 312 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,840 Why don't you try this? But these are all little foxes 313 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:39,560 that will cause us to have distraction that will take us 314 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:44,640 away from our focus on Jesus, away from the peace that God is 315 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:49,160 saying that he'll give and our hope should be in Jesus. 316 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:51,800 This reality is not an easy pursuit. 317 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,520 We are in constantly hit below the belt. 318 00:17:56,080 --> 00:18:02,000 We are in constant war. And so Paul is reminding us, if 319 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:05,320 at all you need to go through this, we need to have praise 320 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:07,840 that carries us through this whole thing. 321 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:12,240 Because when we praise him, we are lifting Jesus up about 322 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:13,840 everything that's happening around us. 323 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:17,080 The peace that he talks about is what we need to have. 324 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:20,800 God, whatever comes, I know you are my peace. 325 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:23,560 You are enough. You are enough. 326 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:27,720 So which causes me to be in this mode of movement towards His 327 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:31,440 will and plans, but knowing that he's also shaping me in the 328 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:33,440 process. It's not about the doing. 329 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:37,200 It's this. It's it's not us being so 330 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:41,200 comfortable in the position that we've received because of the 331 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:44,320 salvation we've got from Jesus because he's done the hard work. 332 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:48,320 We've received it by faith, but we also are moving in. 333 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:50,760 He's shaping us. He's working in and through us. 334 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,560 And Paul when he writes, this is probably writing because a lot 335 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:55,160 of them have probably become complacent. 336 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:57,600 A lot of them are probably like, you know what, I've received 337 00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,760 Jesus now don't ask me to change anything. 338 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:01,920 When we read the remaining chapters in the book of Romans, 339 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:06,040 we start seeing Paul is starting to address key issues that if 340 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:10,120 this is working in and through you, it has to if it's if it's 341 00:19:10,120 --> 00:19:13,040 been cleaned inside, it has to show up in the outside. 342 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:18,280 You can't just fabricate the outside and allow the inside to 343 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:20,960 be dirty. And so today, what is it that 344 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,080 Satan, why is Satan warring with us? 345 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:26,920 Satan causes us to see it differently. 346 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:30,320 When we shout, when it, when it says, when we have to shout out 347 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:31,640 please, especially when suffering. 348 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,640 We in turn turn that shout of praise. 349 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:38,960 We turn it back to questioning. We turn it back to thinking, you 350 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:40,680 know, I am the only one who's suffering. 351 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:45,600 We turn it back to think. My problem is bigger. 352 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:51,600 He makes it all about ourselves. Whatever is due to God, he turns 353 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:53,360 it around and makes it about ourselves. 354 00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:55,880 The second thing we saw was endurance. 355 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,520 It says we lack impatience. We suddenly are like, you know 356 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:01,840 what, God, I don't want, Like I'm not able to go through this. 357 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:05,200 If even if this shapes me, I don't think I'm built for it. 358 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,800 We lack patience and so we'll give up midway. 359 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:13,640 We give up midway. We see that when a character is 360 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:16,880 being shaped and you're being forged time and again, we're 361 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:19,920 like, God, come on, God. I thought if I had this 362 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:23,880 particular trait in me to talk to people, to cut them to size, 363 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,720 they will know where to be. They won't cross that line. 364 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:29,520 But God saying, no, I want to work on the words that are 365 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,400 coming out of your mouth. I want to work in the intentions 366 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:34,360 that are going behind everything that's in your heart. 367 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:36,680 Secretly, you might be acting out in front of it. 368 00:20:36,680 --> 00:20:39,520 I want to change those intentions, be like, no God, I 369 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:41,640 don't. It only benefits me. 370 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,960 It's not benefiting anything anyone around but God saying I 371 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,360 want I'm important and Satan will come to a place of changing 372 00:20:48,360 --> 00:20:51,520 that narrative for us. You might say, you know what, 373 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:55,440 generationally this is who I am. It like it's like, you know, we 374 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:58,400 have a city in Tamil Nadu called Mother and they say, you know, 375 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:00,360 everyone from Mother is very angry always. 376 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:04,200 And so we think anger is part of that inbuilt culture. 377 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,920 But that does not have to be. If Jesus is inside you, you 378 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,880 don't have to be in that place. So what does that look like? 379 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:18,080 It looks like that we have to surrender ourselves entirely to 380 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:22,440 God, which means we say, God, forge me, take it if I'm getting 381 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:24,320 angry, shape me, Lord, convict me. 382 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,640 Sanctification happens time and again. 383 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:33,440 He takes us through this so that we'll be a better person. 384 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:36,920 We'll be a changed person so that for me, my generation looks 385 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:40,360 different from me. There's a definite shift in the 386 00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:45,040 way and the trajectory in which we are operating out of Satan 387 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:46,800 will make sure that we are not hopeful. 388 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,440 He'll come to a place and expect us to think, you know what? 389 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,840 This is my lot in life. I don't think I can expect a 390 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:55,480 miracle. I don't think I can work in 391 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:57,160 seeing. I don't think I can have 392 00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:58,920 spiritual eyes to see what God's doing. 393 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:01,680 I don't think I can see it with spirit vision. 394 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:06,600 He will start manipulating and making it look like 395 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:11,000 hopelessness. So today can we move to a place 396 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:15,440 of seeing God? My expectation, whatever the 397 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:17,920 world is thinking that this Christian life has to be, I want 398 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,400 to be in reality, Lord Jesus, I want to be in reality. 399 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,080 I want to be in reality of knowing that I'll experience 400 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,720 your peace in the midst of suffering, which will cause me 401 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:29,320 to push through, which will cause me to have endurance, 402 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:31,800 which will cause me to have hope in you. 403 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:36,040 The second thing that we see as we continue on reading from 404 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:40,320 Romans chapter 5 is the fact that this reality causes me to 405 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:44,760 experience grace. It's an inward issue, a heart 406 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:46,800 issue. The root is because of our 407 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:51,880 sinful nature. Paul goes on to say that we need 408 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:55,640 to remember who we are. As I said, Satan will 409 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:00,440 continuously keep attacking. If we don't know who and why God 410 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:03,320 has redeemed us, why he set us apart, we will forget. 411 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:04,760 This is what it says in Romans 58. 412 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:09,400 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this While we 413 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,000 were still sinners, Christ died for us. 414 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:16,120 And I would ask you to underline this verse and market and keep 415 00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:21,000 because this is where we rebuttal Satan. 416 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:23,920 Satan will say you know what you're meant for this. 417 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,280 You are done. This is who you are. 418 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:30,400 This is in your genes probably. But you can always go back and 419 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:33,000 say God demonstrated his love for me. 420 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:37,560 He thought of Maine. He chose me that even when I was 421 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:42,240 a Sinner, he still died for me. Even when you were a Sinner, He 422 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,640 still died for you. And so today the beauty of this 423 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:47,360 verse is that God died for all of us because we all are 424 00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:51,360 sinners. Paul references here to Adam to 425 00:23:51,360 --> 00:23:55,240 say because Adam sinned and everyone who came off that are 426 00:23:55,240 --> 00:24:00,080 sinners till one had to come who was not even born between a 427 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:05,200 husband and man union. The Holy Spirit came into Mary 428 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:10,040 and made her conceive Jesus, who was not born of sin. 429 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:14,120 And so today when we have that understanding, we realize that 430 00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:16,400 Jesus walked on this world differently. 431 00:24:17,120 --> 00:24:19,520 He was in human form. He was God in human form. 432 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:24,080 He was, but he did not know sin. He did not commit sin, and he 433 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:28,560 died as a blameless person on the cross for you and me. 434 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,240 He was a perfect sacrifice once and for all. 435 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:37,560 We struggled to keep and, you know, hold on to the law, to 436 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:41,360 live out that law time and again because of our human nature. 437 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:47,480 But Jesus completed that law. He was complete in himself that 438 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:51,720 he, when he laid down his life, laid it down for you and me, was 439 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:53,880 a perfect sacrifice, was a perfect lamb. 440 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:59,680 Let's continue on to read. And so today we stand knowing 441 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,000 that we are justified in Christ Jesus. 442 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,840 Today we stand knowing that we've been redeemed. 443 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:07,200 There's nothing else we need to do to work. 444 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:11,120 He has done it all. So can as we receive that grace, 445 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:14,960 it starts working in our heart because if we don't accept 446 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:18,720 because when in this journey, we constantly have to go back to 447 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,600 that grace that we've received, because that will causes us to 448 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:26,360 move forward. That will causes us to realize, 449 00:25:26,360 --> 00:25:29,920 God, you've called me for this. God, you've called me to do 450 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:31,920 this. God, thank you for placing me in 451 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:33,760 this company. God, thank you for placing me in 452 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:35,680 this family. God, thank you for taking me 453 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:37,480 into this family through marriage. 454 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,200 That I'll be able to experience you far more. 455 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,400 Whatever is there that I'll enjoy that peace that comes from 456 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,080 you. Romans 5 verses 18 to 21, this 457 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:49,200 is what it says. Consequently, just as one 458 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,840 trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so 459 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:57,120 also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for 460 00:25:57,120 --> 00:25:59,800 all people for justice. Through the disobedience of the 461 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:02,760 one man, the many were made sinners, so also through the 462 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:07,000 obedience of one man, the many will be made righteous. 463 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:13,760 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase, but 464 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:18,720 where sin increased, grace increased all the more so that 465 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:23,320 just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign to 466 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,920 righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our 467 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:32,600 Lord. We see that our disobedience was 468 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:37,440 brought down because of one obedience of Jesus who was a 469 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,960 perfect lamb. And today, as you and I travel 470 00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:44,520 on this journey of life, we will have to come to a place of 471 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:46,320 obeying Him because we are in His camp. 472 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:51,200 We are seated at His camp right now as accepted followers of 473 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:53,320 Jesus, as we've allowed him into our heart. 474 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:55,120 And we've said, Lord, you are our God. 475 00:26:55,120 --> 00:26:57,840 We are sitting in His camp. We start obeying. 476 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:01,920 Obedience would be our nature, has to be our nature because we 477 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,320 have Him in us. If He obeyed the will of the 478 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:08,520 Father, and if He did everything the Father asked Him to do, we 479 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:12,720 should have that nature in us to obey and do it so that we can 480 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:16,120 enjoy that peace. I love what it says here, but 481 00:27:16,120 --> 00:27:19,880 where sin increased, grace increased all the more. 482 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,800 You know, many times we are so taken aback by what's happening 483 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,720 around the world that we think, you know what, God, I don't 484 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,840 think there's hope anymore. But I believe as sin increases, 485 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:34,360 God's raising up a generation of people who are faithful, who 486 00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:37,080 have a better understanding of the grace that they have 487 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:40,560 received that's causing them to be obedient to what God's called 488 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:45,080 them to do in this world because of the word that we have today, 489 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:47,040 because of the way he's leading us. 490 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:51,280 So today, if you're in the midst, if you're in a group of 491 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:55,520 company of people, friends, Co workers, whoever it is, and you 492 00:27:55,520 --> 00:28:01,480 see sin being at its biggest, never discount the grace that is 493 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:04,040 within you because God will cause you to be the salt and 494 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:07,840 light that God will cause you to be, the light that he wants to 495 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:11,080 shine and then through you around to the people there. 496 00:28:11,360 --> 00:28:18,480 So hold on to him so that when sin reigned in death, grace 497 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:22,120 might reign through his righteousness so that we'll 498 00:28:22,120 --> 00:28:25,480 enjoy eternal life. One of the things that we enjoy 499 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:28,520 as a result of following Jesus is that we'll get to spend 500 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:32,000 eternity with him. And that's what I think faith 501 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,960 really takes a new turn. We fail to see what faith looks 502 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:38,280 like. If we can live with that 503 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:42,360 expectancy that Lord, I can't wait to see you face to face. 504 00:28:43,680 --> 00:28:47,280 And when we see him, we have to see him here on this earth. 505 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,000 A lot of us, as I said in the beginning, are so happy knowing 506 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:52,880 that we have eternal life that we stay put. 507 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:56,800 We are like the pandas, you know, just sitting there 508 00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:00,800 chilling, eating our bamboo. But God saying, no, I want you 509 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:03,840 to rise up. I want you to persevere in this 510 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:05,960 world. I want you to push through. 511 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:11,600 The fallen world has its challenges, but Christ is an 512 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:14,000 overcomer. Christ over came and He wants us 513 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,760 to grace us with that so that as we obey Him, we'll be able to 514 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:22,520 experience that. So I pray that even as you move 515 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:28,640 in your every step, maybe not get stuck, maybe not get stuck 516 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:33,320 in the nature of Adam, but maybe pursue Jesus with all of our 517 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:36,560 heart in obedience so we'll be able to do all that He's called 518 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:39,120 us to do. The third thing that we see is 519 00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:43,000 in this reality He causes us to experience freedom. 520 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:47,960 So as we see that there is a reality which God wants us to 521 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:50,800 have where we have experiences peace. 522 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:54,400 And in that reality he says, I will give you the grace so that 523 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,000 you will never feel condemned time and again when you go 524 00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:59,520 through this world, because Satan will cause you to go back 525 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:01,040 into that zone of being condemned. 526 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:04,600 And he's saying the third thing he's saying is in this reality, 527 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:08,160 I want you to experience freedom, not to live changed. 528 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:11,640 Obedience doesn't cause me to live changed, but rather live in 529 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:13,880 freedom. And that's what it says in 530 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:15,760 Romans chapter 6, verses 8 to 10. 531 00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:18,600 Now if he died with Christ, we believe that we'll also live 532 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:20,920 with him. For we know that since Christ 533 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:23,480 was raised from the dead, he cannot die again. 534 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:26,920 Death no longer has mastery over him. 535 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:31,320 The death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life 536 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:35,640 he gives he lives to God was 11 onwards. 537 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:36,960 It says. In the same way, count 538 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:40,320 yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 539 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:43,440 Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you 540 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:47,520 obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of 541 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,680 yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer 542 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:53,760 yourselves to God as though you've been brought from death 543 00:30:53,760 --> 00:30:57,040 to life, and offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument 544 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,360 of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your 545 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,880 master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. 546 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:06,480 So today you and I are called to live this life with freedom. 547 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:09,880 And the reason why I took the word freedom is because a lot of 548 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:17,720 us today have somehow thought freedom is overrated. 549 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:22,560 We somehow feel, you know, even if we are living in a democratic 550 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:24,960 country, some of still feel, you know, freedom is still 551 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:27,000 overrated. We, we read the news, we feel 552 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:29,040 lot of them aren't living their free lives. 553 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:33,200 We see lot of people stuck in so many different situations. 554 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:37,240 God first wants us to experience his freedom spiritually so that 555 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:40,400 when we live out in whatever capacity we are today, as a 556 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:44,720 capacity of father, as a Co worker, as a leader in my 557 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:50,400 company, as a faithful worker in under a boss, everything, I'll 558 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:52,600 be able to live out in the life of freedom. 559 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:54,880 And that is the outlook that we have to live. 560 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:56,640 That's the reality that we have to live. 561 00:31:57,120 --> 00:32:00,360 It should not be an expectation. Oh, that person is living in 562 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:01,880 freedom. It seems like he's got 563 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:03,880 everything. You know, it has to happen for 564 00:32:03,880 --> 00:32:07,120 you. Ask God, God, why is it not 565 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:08,720 happening for me? What is it that I need to 566 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:11,400 change? What am I pursuing something 567 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:13,880 else that will offer me peace? Or am I pursuing you? 568 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:18,440 Because today a lot of us are pursuing the wrong thing and we 569 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:20,360 are not experiencing the freedom. 570 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:22,440 And we think complaining, saying I'm not experiencing the 571 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:25,720 freedom, let's pursue God. Let's experience this peace, 572 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:29,240 which means even within the confines of a marriage, I need 573 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:31,760 to be at peace with God. As much as I want to be in peace 574 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:34,040 with my spouse, I need to be in peace with God. 575 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,880 Lot of us are still trying to pursue so many other things 576 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:42,640 outside of God that we think it's in that I'm not able to see 577 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:46,200 freedom, God pursue, right? So that he'll be able to 578 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:50,720 experience freedom. And why did Paul want to 579 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:52,800 emphasize that to the Roman church? 580 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:58,640 Because these guys were the the the number one in the world at 581 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:00,360 that time. They ruled the world. 582 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:05,160 They had systems in place. They built roads, they made sure 583 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:09,160 that they were four thinkers. They had order and place where 584 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:13,000 there was a set way in which they knew that they can go. 585 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,280 Anyone who wanted to climb up the society ladder was able to 586 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:18,920 climb up. But he wanted to drive the 587 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:22,680 attention to saying, in your pursuits of all of this, don't 588 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,000 forget that you need to be at peace with God so that you can 589 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:29,240 experience freedom from God. They were living in a world 590 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:30,840 where there were masters and slaves. 591 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:33,680 They were living in a world where freedom for them looked 592 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:36,960 entirely different. It looked like those who 593 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:39,680 deserved it and then those who they could laud it over. 594 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,320 They thought that they were the ones who had control over the 595 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:44,920 freedom of others. But today we're living in a 596 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:47,880 world where we are under a ruler. 597 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:53,240 But are we living the life that we are called to live for the 598 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:55,080 King, for the true King of kings? 599 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:00,320 Nothing that we could have done could have earned this new life 600 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:04,800 for us, for Christ. God's act of redeeming us was 601 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:07,800 done once and for all. If you're not experiencing his 602 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:11,120 freedom, we are in bondage. If you're not experiencing His 603 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:16,360 happiness and His joy, we are in guilt and we are in shame. 604 00:34:16,679 --> 00:34:20,560 If you're not responding, it says here the wickedness cause a 605 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:24,000 lot of times you're feeding our own cells, you're feeding our 606 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:27,600 own, our earthly desire, something that will make us feel 607 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:32,199 better. We are not embracing the life 608 00:34:32,199 --> 00:34:35,239 that God's calling us to embrace and in turn, we are living in 609 00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:38,560 shame. How do we use our freedom? 610 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:43,880 We need to come to a place where Paul beautifully tells us to the 611 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:47,360 Galatian church. He says we need to, you know, 612 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:49,120 there are so many things we need to cut off. 613 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:50,920 And I'm reading this from the message, and this is what it 614 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:55,400 says. We need to develop a way of 615 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:57,920 getting out of this. We need to develop a way of 616 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:01,360 getting out of this rhythm of what the world has put on us. 617 00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:04,960 A rhythm of repetitiveness, a rhythm of lovelessness. 618 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:10,440 A rhythm of cheap sex, A rhythm of a stinking accumulation of 619 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:15,600 men, emotional garbage. A rhythm of frenzied and joyless 620 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:20,440 grabs for happiness. A rhythm of trinket gods, A 621 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:23,520 magic show religion, A paranoid loneliness. 622 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:27,520 Cutthroat competition. All consuming yet never 623 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:32,080 satisfied. Wants a brutal temper and 624 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:34,440 impotence. To love or to be loved. 625 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:39,360 Divided homes and divided lives. Small minded and lopsided 626 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:42,040 pursuits. The vicious habit of 627 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:44,280 depersonalizing everyone into a rival. 628 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:50,160 Uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions, ugly parodies of 629 00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:54,160 community. This is what Paul tells in 630 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:58,640 Galatians chapter 5. And the reason why I read this 631 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:05,120 is because a lot of us are stuck and unable to enjoy the freedom 632 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:08,240 because of this. And this is not a guilt trip 633 00:36:08,240 --> 00:36:10,360 that I want to send you. I mean, I'm struggling in this 634 00:36:10,360 --> 00:36:13,520 and it causes me to go back saying, God sanctify me, Lord, 635 00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:18,280 I'm repenting of this frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness. 636 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:20,080 What are those quick things that you're saying? 637 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:22,480 You know what, if I do this, I'll be able to get this money 638 00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:23,760 and then I think we'll be settled. 639 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:27,280 Trinket Gods, magic show, religion where we're like, you 640 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:30,960 know what, we'll just show up. This is who we are and then we 641 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:34,080 go missing Monday to Saturday. No, be consistent in your walk 642 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:38,480 with God. God sees everything, a stinking 643 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:41,080 accumulation of mental and emotional garbage. 644 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:42,760 And that is what is happening today. 645 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:44,920 We are filling our minds with so much. 646 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:48,360 We're filling our emotions with so much, which is garbage at the 647 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:51,800 end of it. So today, can we pursue that 648 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:57,280 peace that comes from God so that we'll be able to live in 649 00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:00,360 the freedom that God's calling us because it came at a great 650 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:05,160 price. God, I want us to come to a 651 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:11,120 place, Lord, of repenting of all these pursuits and importance to 652 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:16,880 love or to be loved. Divided homes, divided lives, 653 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:21,160 small minded and lopsided pursuits. 654 00:37:21,720 --> 00:37:26,040 These are things which causes us to derail from the plan and 655 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:31,160 purpose of God. So today, I don't know what your 656 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:35,320 expectation was of Christianity or what your expectation was of 657 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:39,280 being a Christian or following Christ, but the real reality 658 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:41,880 might be, you know what, God's really tough. 659 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:46,120 So you know what, if I just stay put here, I'm OK. 660 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:48,440 I don't want to do anything but God's saying no. 661 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:52,640 I want you to pursue. I want you to take that step. 662 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:57,200 I want you to allow me to forge you, because when I do that, I'm 663 00:37:57,200 --> 00:37:59,600 shaping you to be who I've called you to be. 664 00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:04,560 God's design so that in season, as my roots go deep, I'm able to 665 00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:07,920 bear fruit in season and out of season, and so that I'll be able 666 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:10,960 to flourish so that I'll be a blessing to the place where 667 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:14,520 you've called me to be. And you see the biggest problem 668 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:16,040 in this whole thing is comparison. 669 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:19,320 The biggest problem in this is comparison. 670 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:22,360 Comparison between what? Between Christians, you know, 671 00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:25,320 we'll think, you know, what if that person is a lukewarm 672 00:38:25,320 --> 00:38:26,640 Christian, he's having everything. 673 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:30,320 So I think I'll be that. Or it could be, you know what? 674 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:32,680 That person doesn't follow Christ and they have the better 675 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:34,640 things of the world. Why am I not having it? 676 00:38:35,520 --> 00:38:38,240 Or even within the Christian committee, God, why is that 677 00:38:38,240 --> 00:38:43,520 person being blessed and not me? And God wants us to go to that 678 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:47,400 root cause of comparison because God didn't compare when he came 679 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,040 down for salvation. He just put a blanket thing 680 00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:52,680 around the entirety of mankind and he came down, He said, you 681 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:54,840 know, it's sin. I'm going to address that. 682 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:57,280 I'm going to redeem all of them so that they'll have access to 683 00:38:57,280 --> 00:38:59,360 me. Others. 684 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,720 God would have been doing a different number game with 685 00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:04,960 regard to salvation. No, it was a blanket. 686 00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:08,920 And so today the life that you're called to live is one 687 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:12,840 without comparison. So today, who do we compare 688 00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:14,680 ourselves with? We compare ourselves, ourselves 689 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:17,880 with so many people. We compare our parents or you 690 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:19,600 know what I did? I didn't grow up in this kind of 691 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:21,560 form. So I think it's my parents 692 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:23,160 issue. And we start comparing someone 693 00:39:23,160 --> 00:39:25,280 else with them. You know, they have a better 694 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:27,280 relationship with their parents. I think, I think that's the 695 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:29,960 house I would have wanted. But we start comparing our kids 696 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:33,200 or you know what? That kid is God, God's trusted 697 00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:35,800 you with your kids. Stop comparing and start living 698 00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:38,560 out the freedom that God's called you to live in. 699 00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:41,760 Be obedient to him and start raising them up in the way the 700 00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:47,440 Lord wants you to raise them up. Colleagues, 'cause when we 701 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:51,640 compare, we discount all that God's calling you to do, you 702 00:39:51,640 --> 00:39:54,680 know, and, and just two weeks back, God had to, I had to do a 703 00:39:54,680 --> 00:39:56,960 heart check on this. I had to go back and ask God for 704 00:39:56,960 --> 00:40:00,040 forgiveness. You know, a friend of ours had 705 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:04,120 invited me to preach in his church and the other church that 706 00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:06,120 this meets a couple of kilometers away. 707 00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:10,080 And when he had called, they told me a month or two back that 708 00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:11,720 they're moving there. And when he had called me to 709 00:40:11,720 --> 00:40:14,640 preach is when? Certain emotions started kicking 710 00:40:14,640 --> 00:40:18,240 in. I think one it it, it started 711 00:40:18,240 --> 00:40:22,440 off coming out as insecurity. But it's in that journey that 712 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:24,640 when I started feeling because he's called me to preach because 713 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:26,800 I need to meditate on God's word and say God, what are you 714 00:40:26,800 --> 00:40:29,320 calling me to preach? Or that what they're launching 715 00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:31,240 their church. What do you want me to say? 716 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:34,160 But even before I can prepare, God started working in me and 717 00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:37,240 said, Hey, you're having an emotion which is not right with 718 00:40:37,240 --> 00:40:39,000 that emotion. You can't go preach with that 719 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:40,480 emotion. You can't go do that. 720 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:44,200 And mind you, these are guy, this is a couple we dearly love. 721 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:46,280 There's a couple we've been able to do life with. 722 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:51,280 And and I wanted to be right in what they've, they've, they've 723 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:53,520 invited, they've they've called us there. 724 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:56,760 And as I was preparing, God said I wanted to deal with your 725 00:40:56,760 --> 00:40:59,400 insecurity. I want you to deal with 726 00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:01,520 insecurity. And I was talking to my wife and 727 00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:04,040 she said, Geshom, it just feels you need to look at it 728 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:06,640 differently. And that's what I believe. 729 00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:11,560 We need people within us who are of the same faith who can spur 730 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:13,600 us to think differently. And she said, you know what, 731 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:18,080 just look at it as God is bringing others along in this 732 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:20,800 journey. There are many more who are here 733 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:23,440 to plow the field. There are many more here who are 734 00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:26,280 here to plant and do the hard yards of shepherding. 735 00:41:28,080 --> 00:41:29,640 And I went back to the root issue. 736 00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:32,320 As to what the root issue was. Compare. 737 00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:35,760 I started comparing something about myself. 738 00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:37,840 I started comparing and God said put a full stop there. 739 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:41,920 That will derail your freedom, that will derail your freedom. 740 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:46,840 And so today if you are comparing, we need to go back to 741 00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:49,360 what the word says. And God told me you start 742 00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:54,000 imitating me, imitate me. Don't compare, but imitate. 743 00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:58,520 I am a God who doesn't compare. I don't compare you with anyone. 744 00:41:58,520 --> 00:42:01,120 God doesn't say you know what Geshom, your faith is 80. 745 00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:04,920 Next year it has to be 90. No, he says imitate. 746 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:07,360 And I want to go back to that verse which Paul tells in one 747 00:42:07,360 --> 00:42:11,480 Corinthians Chapter 11 was one he says be imitators of me as I 748 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:15,760 am of Christ. What is Paul saying here is 749 00:42:15,760 --> 00:42:19,040 saying that I am imitating Christ wherein I go back to God 750 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:23,160 and say God am I doing this right by you are you Is this how 751 00:42:23,160 --> 00:42:27,320 I should be imitate? And so today when I heard that I 752 00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:30,920 knew I was liberated and set free from comparison because God 753 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:34,960 moved me from comparison to imitating imitating Christ. 754 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:40,840 And so today, as we learn on this journey, we are here to 755 00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:43,960 learn, all of us. Maybe learn to imitate and not 756 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:47,240 compare. Because when we learn to imitate 757 00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:53,920 Him and live the life, He will start using US, using US in the 758 00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:58,080 way He's called us. Again, that will be uniquely set 759 00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:02,480 for us as I read earlier in Psalm 13, uniquely us Romans 760 00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:04,760 chapter 6 verse 19. As I conclude I want to read 761 00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:08,200 this, I'm using an example from everyday life because of your 762 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:10,960 human limitations. Just as you used to offer 763 00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:14,840 yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever increasing 764 00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:19,360 wickedness, now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness 765 00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:24,400 leading to holiness. If we have to experience the 766 00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:29,600 reality of peace of grace that works inwardly in US day in day 767 00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:34,600 out so that we'll be able to live out in freedom, we need to 768 00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:39,840 start imitating Jesus and be slaves to righteousness. 769 00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:43,400 There is a key ingredient of obedience and Jesus could obey, 770 00:43:43,640 --> 00:43:47,360 which means I can obey slaves to righteousness. 771 00:43:47,720 --> 00:43:49,400 When it says slaves to righteousness, there's 772 00:43:49,400 --> 00:43:54,120 automatically a way of doing what is required. 773 00:43:54,720 --> 00:43:56,200 You don't have to turn to the left or to the right. 774 00:43:56,200 --> 00:43:59,520 Just do what is required. And that will lead us to 775 00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:02,720 holiness. So church, even as I talked 776 00:44:02,720 --> 00:44:05,040 about this, I don't know if what part of the journey that you are 777 00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:08,440 in, probably you've just, you know, after a struggle have just 778 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:10,080 stayed put and said, God, I don't want any. 779 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:12,880 I don't want this hardship that comes with Christianity. 780 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:14,480 And your faith has just been dormant. 781 00:44:15,120 --> 00:44:19,040 Or probably you've just been this Christian who's been 782 00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:23,400 harboring hate and guilt and shame and looking at others and 783 00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:26,280 comparing and unable to deal with the insecurity that's 784 00:44:26,280 --> 00:44:30,120 plagued your life. You can come to God, Jesus here 785 00:44:30,120 --> 00:44:33,080 to take it all back. Or probably you're in this 786 00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:36,360 journey where you feel tempered and you know you've been beaten 787 00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:39,160 up time and again. He's shaping you and you're 788 00:44:39,160 --> 00:44:41,440 like, God, I just need some relief. 789 00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:44,800 I would say press on. Have the endurance to push 790 00:44:44,800 --> 00:44:47,920 through so that God will be able to do all that He's calling you 791 00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:51,520 to do. And even this we'll be able to 792 00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:56,720 see His Kingdom, His plan, His purpose come true in our life. 793 00:44:57,920 --> 00:45:01,000 So church, can I just pray that you'll be able to experience the 794 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:03,320 reality. Don't live in an expectation 795 00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:06,680 world or this because people will drop your expectations. 796 00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:09,600 Life will happen and expectations will come crashing. 797 00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:13,520 But live in the reality of what God's calling you to live the 798 00:45:13,520 --> 00:45:18,680 reality of his peace that he is over everything in this world. 799 00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:22,760 He is peace himself. He's the Prince of peace 800 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:27,640 experiences grace because condemnation will be thrown at 801 00:45:27,640 --> 00:45:30,680 you time and again by Satan, but experience the grace that comes 802 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:34,080 from him and experience the freedom that he's called you to 803 00:45:34,080 --> 00:45:36,240 live so that you'll be able to live fully. 804 00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:41,080 Don't live a life of comparison, but rather live a life of 805 00:45:41,080 --> 00:45:45,080 imitating Christ so that you will be slaves of righteousness 806 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:49,680 and you'll move towards holiness such as can we pray and close? 807 00:45:49,680 --> 00:45:51,040 Lord, we thank you lot for this time. 808 00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:53,200 Thank you lot for all those who are watching and listening that 809 00:45:53,200 --> 00:45:56,440 you would be present, Lord Jesus, in the very spaces that 810 00:45:56,440 --> 00:45:59,480 they are at right now. Lord, I pray, Lord, we invite 811 00:45:59,480 --> 00:46:02,360 you And Lord I pray, Lord, for those of us who've been dominant 812 00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:05,680 in our faith and unable to expand and see increase. 813 00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:09,120 Lord, we ask that you would come down, Lord Jesus, walk in and 814 00:46:09,120 --> 00:46:12,080 through US, shape us. Do something, Lord Jesus, that 815 00:46:12,080 --> 00:46:15,960 we'll be able to rise up again in boldness and faith and do all 816 00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:19,000 that you've called us to do. Pray, Lord, for those of us, 817 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:22,240 Lord, who've been living a life of guilt and shame and 818 00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:26,640 comparison and insecurity and everything that is plaguing us, 819 00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:29,520 would you liberate us so that we'll experience freedom that 820 00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:32,760 comes from you? Jesus, You came to give us life, 821 00:46:32,760 --> 00:46:35,560 and we pray that you will give us life to its fullest today. 822 00:46:35,560 --> 00:46:38,200 Lord Jesus, to everyone is calling on your name that we'll 823 00:46:38,200 --> 00:46:42,240 be able to experience you in all in entirety. 824 00:46:42,240 --> 00:46:46,000 Lord Jesus, we give glory and honor to your name. 825 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:48,720 Be glorified. Lord, I pray, especially right 826 00:46:48,720 --> 00:46:50,720 now for all those who need strength to endure. 827 00:46:50,720 --> 00:46:53,840 Lord Jesus, the journey we are at, I pray we won't give up, but 828 00:46:53,840 --> 00:46:56,760 our faith will be strengthened. Lord, I pray we'll find strength 829 00:46:56,760 --> 00:47:00,600 in the community of believers that we'll be able to see You do 830 00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:03,680 great and marvelous things. Lord, go before us and take 831 00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:05,640 charge. In your most holy name we pray. 832 00:47:06,080 --> 00:47:07,000 Amen. Amen. 833 00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:10,000 So even as you step out, I pray that you step out in boldness. 834 00:47:10,680 --> 00:47:12,480 Step out knowing that He wants to live. 835 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:18,240 He wants to you step out knowing that He wants to step out 836 00:47:18,400 --> 00:47:21,960 knowing that Jesus wants you to experience this reality of 837 00:47:21,960 --> 00:47:27,600 peace, of His grace, and of His freedom every day, every minute, 838 00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:30,320 every hour. God bless you all and have a 839 00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:33,400 blessed week. Thanks for listening to this 840 00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:36,520 message. We hope you were blessed to hear 841 00:47:36,520 --> 00:47:40,240 more messages like this. Make sure to subscribe and check 842 00:47:40,240 --> 00:47:42,920 out our podcast channel for past episodes. 843 00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:46,680 If you like what you are hearing, consider rating us, 844 00:47:46,840 --> 00:47:49,840 subscribing and even sharing it with friends. 845 00:47:50,200 --> 00:47:54,560 That would really help us. For more content from Via Zion 846 00:47:54,880 --> 00:47:59,080 and to connect with us, go to Via Zion dot in. 847 00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:03,120 Remember, whoever finds Jesus finds life.