1 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,760 We welcome you to the VI Zion Sermon Podcast. 2 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:15,640 We are a church based out of Chennai, India. 3 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:19,520 We are thrilled that you tuned in today and hope that you will 4 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,680 be refreshed, revived and energized by what you hear. 5 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:28,000 Our desire is that you will live life with a renewed sense of 6 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,640 purpose that stems from a vibrant faith in Jesus. 7 00:00:32,119 --> 00:00:37,640 The year 2025 is 1 where we will be positioned by God to possess 8 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,160 our promise. We start a new sermon series 9 00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:45,600 called Rekindled where we look closer at our own lives and ask 10 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,720 the Holy Spirit to revive and restore things that have gone 11 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,920 dormant in the dry seasons of our souls. 12 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,200 We pray that this series will help you dive deeper into 13 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,880 yourself and see where you need more of God. 14 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:03,880 Hi, it's such a joy and a privilege for us to get into 15 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,000 God's Word even as we continue on with this rekindled series. 16 00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:11,080 We are here to look at the second part of what we've been 17 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,880 seeing with regard to love. Last week, I hope you were able 18 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,600 to listen to the sermon podcast and I pray that as you listen to 19 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,920 that you would have been able to experience the limitless love 20 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,880 that we receive from God. This entire series of rekindle 21 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:26,440 for us. What we've been seeing over the 22 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,600 last few weeks is 1 where our faith is rekindled, where our 23 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,480 hope is rekindled. And over the next last week and 24 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,720 this week and the following week, we'll be looking at what 25 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:37,760 does it look like when our love is rekindled. 26 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,520 You know, many a times we are placed in this world to do the 27 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:45,680 life that God's called us to do, set apart living for him, called 28 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,640 by him, chosen and we are shedding of things that we've 29 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,600 taken from this world. And but many a times when we we 30 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:57,160 are showcasing and being ourselves in the world as Christ 31 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,840 wants us to be, we tend to get hurt and, you know, surrounded 32 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,560 by all that's happening, we tend to kind of shield ourselves 33 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:06,160 away. We tend to protect ourselves 34 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,080 away. We tend to, you know, isolate 35 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:10,560 ourselves. And this series is so that we'll 36 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:15,120 be rekindled to not just live the life that we are called to 37 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,400 live, but also be able to possess the promise. 38 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,640 The entire theme for this year is for us to go, to be 39 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:22,360 positioned to possess the promise. 40 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,760 And as we position ourselves, God wants us to go and conquer 41 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,520 all these giants that the enemy has already claimed and is kept 42 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,640 dead because he wants us to fight that out, fight and be 43 00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:35,680 overcome us. And the Word of God is so clear 44 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,120 that in Christ we are more than conquerors. 45 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,800 So last week when he was looking through limitless love, there 46 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:46,080 were two key things that Tina, she was speaking, brought to our 47 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,440 conclusion. 1 is we need to keep a constant check on our routing 48 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,920 because if you're not rooted correctly, we cannot produce 49 00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:55,240 what God's calling us to produce. 50 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,800 And in fact, in the area of love, if you're not rooted in 51 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:02,440 God himself through his Son Jesus, we won't be able to 52 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:04,720 produce the love that he wants. We in fact, will be producing 53 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,720 the love from somewhere else because our roots are completely 54 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,760 set in a different place. So I pray that we'll be able to 55 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:12,600 have a constant check on our routing. 56 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,640 The second thing, we also were asked to have a constant check 57 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:20,480 at who is seated on our table. Many a times we've, we've become 58 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,280 so bitter, we've become so in tune with what's happening that 59 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,800 we've we've allowed the enemy to have a seat at the table and 60 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,880 dictate some of the things that God is trying to rewrite so that 61 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,480 we'll be image bearers for him. And I pray that we'll be mindful 62 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,360 of who we allow to be seated at the table. 63 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,160 What we saw last week is where love is limitless. 64 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:42,600 We receive it from God. But today we're going to see 65 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,760 what it looks like to be lived out. 66 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,880 So the title that I've given for my entire sermon today is lived 67 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:50,560 love. You're not called to just 68 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,840 receive, but you're also called to live in the love that we've 69 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:55,240 received. I just want to turn our 70 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,560 attention to Colossians chapter 3 verses one to four. 71 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,640 And Paul goes on to say this. He says, therefore, if you have 72 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,000 been raised with Christ to a new life, sharing in his 73 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,360 resurrection from the dead, keep seeking the things that are 74 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,200 above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 75 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,720 Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above 76 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:17,079 the heavenly things, not on things that are on the earth, 77 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:21,760 which have only temporal value. But you died to this world, and 78 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:27,120 your new real life is hidden with Christ in God. 79 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,720 In fact, when you're doing our youth service, one of the 80 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:35,080 passages was this and it the the speaker was talking specifically 81 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:38,200 on the likes of what it looks like for us to be hidden in 82 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,280 Christ, where we are conformed in Christ. 83 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,040 And even as I've taken this passage today, the reason is if 84 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,480 we have to live this love out, we need to know that we can't do 85 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,160 it on our own. We need the resurrection power 86 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:54,080 of Jesus. And that comes when we are aware 87 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,400 that we can tap into His resurrection power. 88 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,600 Many a times today when you and I are called to love people in 89 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:03,640 this world, love and do life, do life every day from the Monday 90 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:07,440 to the Sundays, God is asking us, would you use my 91 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:09,080 resurrection park? Because when we use this 92 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:13,080 resurrection park, we will start seeking things that are above, 93 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,840 not the temporary things. We're just not looking at 94 00:05:15,840 --> 00:05:17,680 people, OK? Will they just benefit me for 95 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,320 the next few years or for the time that I'm in the city? 96 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:22,680 Whatever it is, we won't have a short term you. 97 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,640 We would have an eternal perspective and we see that this 98 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,680 doesn't happen with just us thinking about it. 99 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,440 This is something we constantly have to go back and say, no God, 100 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:35,160 This is what I want to rewrite and go back to him saying, Lord, 101 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:37,200 help me. Let your resurrection part help 102 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,600 me through this day. That's why it's important that 103 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,640 we daily seek God to ask Him for his help so that we'll be able 104 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:47,480 to take that step of faith so that when we live here in this 105 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:52,480 world, we are not ones who are living lives by ourselves, but 106 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,640 we are hidden in Christ. We are shielded by Christ, we we 107 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,320 have his covering. And so today, what does this 108 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,200 look like? What does this look like? 109 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:05,360 It looks like where I am not allowing my old life to dictate 110 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:08,640 what my present life has to be. So which means when I've 111 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:13,640 received this limitless love, I am not going to allow my old 112 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,360 pattern of life dictate how it has to stream through my life. 113 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:19,320 I'm going to say God, the resurrection power. 114 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:23,240 Would you start working in me? I no longer see things with a 115 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:27,680 dead filter because my dead filter is 1 where I have 116 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:32,200 bitterness, I have hurt, I have circumstantial upbringing. 117 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:36,080 I have things that have formed me which dictates how I need to 118 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,600 love people. But this is where I'm like God, 119 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:43,320 I need you and I invite the resurrection power into my life. 120 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,120 When I say God, I want to live by the resurrection power. 121 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:50,640 I am living out this lived love the Bible continuously keeps 122 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:52,440 talking about. In fact, when you look at the 123 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:56,360 parable of the talents, it looks like it is about monetary 124 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,440 things. But you can put that across all 125 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:00,280 the different things. What the master gave it's like 126 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:04,040 God giving us, he says if I give 5, would you put the five to 127 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,600 work? And so even God has called us to 128 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:10,520 partake of this limitless love. Are we going there and just 129 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,160 saying no God, I'll bury it because I the world will hate 130 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:14,240 it. The world doesn't know your 131 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:14,960 love. No. 132 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:17,240 Or are we willing to take the risk and saying, God, you've 133 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,640 given it to me. I'm willing to put it to use the 134 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,560 gospel framework is of the same pattern where we see the Father 135 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,640 who loved us so much so he gave his only begotten son. 136 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:32,000 There is an element of giving because of the love that is 137 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,480 being exhibited. So I pray that even as you focus 138 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:39,000 today on this lived love, we will move from realizing of just 139 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,480 not knowing God's love from what limitless love looks like, but 140 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,520 we move into living this God's love. 141 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:49,640 A lot of us are exhibiting this love of God where we try to 142 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:52,880 showcase it through our experiences, as I mentioned 143 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:54,440 earlier. But God wants to rewrite that. 144 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:59,440 God wants to rewrite that to a place where it will be activated 145 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:01,760 in and through US. You know last week what we saw 146 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,400 was limitless love. And one of the words that we saw 147 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,840 in the Greek was it's the love of agape where it calls and it's 148 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,120 reckoned to as a love feast where it's this huge banquet 149 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:14,280 when where each one gets to exhibit a nature of God 150 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,040 according to what their background is according. 151 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:20,920 And so when they go to the table, the Father's like here, 152 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,840 this is what all that you have and many times you're picking 153 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,800 and choosing. And I pray that as we partake of 154 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,760 his limitless love, when it coincides with the resurrection 155 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:33,280 power, it can be lived out. And so this limitless love is 156 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,039 what we put in. The resurrection power activates 157 00:08:36,039 --> 00:08:40,640 it, and it enables us to give out this love as we live our 158 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,320 daily lives. And So what happens for those of 159 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,240 us who are in a perpetual state of denial, for those of us who 160 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:50,120 are in a perpetual state of doubt, of fear, of trying to 161 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,640 understand God, other hidden motives and other things, we are 162 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,720 going to say, God, we're going to invite you in. 163 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:58,520 You're going to invite you in. Because when we invite you in, 164 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:02,640 you raise us above to see what you want us to see. 165 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:06,640 Many a times we think the love that we showcase and give out 166 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,680 has to be reciprocal. But the more we move in the 167 00:09:09,680 --> 00:09:12,160 knowledge and understanding of Christ, we don't. 168 00:09:12,560 --> 00:09:15,840 It's not an outcome based love where we think, OK, if I do 169 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,760 this, they will do this for me. No, we do it because we love 170 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:21,040 Him. Whether they choose to respond 171 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:22,760 to what we're doing is a secondary thing. 172 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:26,280 But the primary thing is I do it because I love God. 173 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:30,440 I do it because this connection is more important than this. 174 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,880 So today, as we look into this, I pray that we will rise above 175 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,520 with His help. This entire thing that we're 176 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:41,920 looking through with regard to rekindle happens only when we've 177 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:46,160 understood Him, happens only when we've allowed Him, happens 178 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:50,000 only when we've given focus to Him alone. 179 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:54,680 Focus to Him alone. So even as we continue on, there 180 00:09:54,680 --> 00:09:58,520 are three things that I want us to keep in mind as we're called 181 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:01,840 to live out God's love today. The first thing is this love 182 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:04,960 that has been lived out needs God's shielding. 183 00:10:05,680 --> 00:10:09,800 It needs God's shielding more. Contrary to the love that we 184 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:11,640 exhibit, we all have our own shielding. 185 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,040 If I have to ask you, how do you protect yourselves, you'll have 186 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:17,600 different ways in explaining, you know, I don't if, if I find 187 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:21,440 this a bit more like a toxic environment, I, I shield it this 188 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:23,200 way, I can avoid this. I do this. 189 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:28,840 We all have our parameters and things in place to protect us so 190 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:31,920 that our love is guarded. But today, when we partake of 191 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:35,240 this limitless love, we also are realizing that when we are 192 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,520 called to showcase it through His resurrection power, it's not 193 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,960 my shielding, but it's God shielding that comes into play. 194 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:45,720 What is our shielding look like? Our shielding looks like an 195 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,280 experiential shielding. We'll make sure that the 196 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,440 outworking of our faith is all about ourselves. 197 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,720 And as I was thinking about this, I was meditating on the 198 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:56,680 book of File Men. And this is what Paul, who's 199 00:10:56,680 --> 00:10:58,920 writing to Fileman. Fileman is one of his friends 200 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:00,600 who's from the Church of Colossae. 201 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:04,080 And as he's writing to him, he's talking to him and he's telling 202 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:08,640 him to participate in this love. And mind you, this love that we 203 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,840 are we are talking about here is all the agape love where it is 204 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,800 centered around God. It's one where we partake of the 205 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:20,280 Lord's feast. And what what Paul is asking 206 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:22,600 Philemon to do is a little bit more. 207 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:25,040 He's like that. There's this response that 208 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:28,720 you've done all this while, but would you allow God's love to 209 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,680 permeate more? Would you allow God's love to 210 00:11:31,680 --> 00:11:35,440 shield you more? And let's just move to Philemon 211 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:37,880 chapter 1, verses 4 to 7. And this is what it says. 212 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:41,320 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers 213 00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:46,880 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your 214 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:49,440 faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership 215 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,920 with us and the faith may be effective in deepening your 216 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:56,520 understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of 217 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:00,040 Christ. Your love has given me great joy 218 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,320 and encouragement because you, brother, have refreshed the 219 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:07,720 hearts of Lord's people. Even as we've read this, we see 220 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:12,280 Paul is telling Philemon that your love is a blessing to the 221 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:15,680 people of God and it's an evidence of your faith in Christ 222 00:12:15,680 --> 00:12:18,200 Jesus. He also goes on to say it's a 223 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:23,120 great joy and encouragement because something he talks about 224 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:26,240 that call, it's refreshes the hearts of the Lords people. 225 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:30,000 Something that we partake of when we showcase refreshes 226 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,640 others. It's not depleting of others. 227 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,240 It's not tolerating. I know how many, how many of 228 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:37,040 you? But I know many times we have 229 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,840 those friends. We're like, oh man, I can't do 230 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:41,440 this. I just had to put up with them 231 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:44,040 for the next couple of hours. Oh man, they've invited us for 232 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:45,800 lunch. Do we really have to go? 233 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,680 And you know, we struggle our way through it, but when we are 234 00:12:48,680 --> 00:12:52,640 showcasing God's love, the evidence of it is seen because 235 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,680 others are refreshed. The evidence of this is seen 236 00:12:55,680 --> 00:12:58,520 because those who are refreshed refresh others. 237 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:03,040 And I pray that we all who are in this journey, probably you 238 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:05,800 just are starting this faith journey with Jesus or some of 239 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,480 you are probably seasoned Christians where you've you've 240 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:10,880 given off yourself, you've gotten hurt, and you've taken a 241 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:12,640 step back. I want to invite you in here. 242 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:16,600 This love. That's God's calling us to live 243 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,120 it out now because you've received it from his table is 1 244 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,800 where we need to allow God shielding and not our shielding. 245 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,600 And I believe this is where Paul is encouraging him saying your 246 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,960 love is evident, your love is seen by people, your love is 247 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:32,840 being attested by people. Your love is that you're showing 248 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:36,240 is evidently seen and people are talking about it. 249 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,080 And this is what moves us towards maturity. 250 00:13:39,560 --> 00:13:42,520 You know, maturity in Christ happens. 251 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,000 It just chooses when it all comes down to us, whether we 252 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,000 choose to mature today or whether we choose to mature 253 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:54,920 tomorrow or a year later. I pray that we will make this a 254 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,760 time where we will be able to willingly mature saying God, I'm 255 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:00,040 ready to measure today. I want to grow in this area. 256 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:04,920 I want to I for far too long I've shielded because God didn't 257 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:07,480 shield himself away. God was willing and so if you 258 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:11,160 partake of his, you will have that very nature where you'll be 259 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,280 like God. I commit myself to you. 260 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,080 So when I say that because when Jesus walked here on this earth, 261 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:21,120 He did everything the Father had instructed him, and today we are 262 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:24,480 walking in the same footsteps that Jesus is calling us to walk 263 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:27,000 in. We need to realize that we will 264 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,880 have to walk with his shielding. The shielding that God wants to 265 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,880 do with us today is that agape love where we trust Him and we 266 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:38,920 keep showing love, we also keep. This will also keep us from 267 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:42,600 doing things that will break His heart, that will move us away 268 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:44,600 from His love. In fact, as we read from 269 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:47,960 Colossians 3, if you continue on reading that it says put to 270 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:49,800 death. Therefore, whatever belongs to 271 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,920 earthly nature, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil 272 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,520 desires, greed, which is idolatry. 273 00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:59,640 Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming. 274 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,040 You used to walk in these ways in the life you once lived, but 275 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,400 now you must also rid yourself of all such things such as 276 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:10,680 anger, rage, malice, slanted filthy language from your lips. 277 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:13,440 Do not lie to each other, since you've taken off your old self 278 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:17,160 with its practices and put on new self which is being renewed 279 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:18,920 in the knowledge, in the image of the Creator. 280 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:23,160 Here is therefore no Jew or Gentile, circumcised or 281 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,840 uncircumcised, barbarian, citian, slave or free, but 282 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:32,680 Christ is all and in all. I pray that as we read this we 283 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:36,600 will be able to put to death this love that has to be lived 284 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,360 out when we are living it on our terms. 285 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,640 If we are trying to shield, I believe a lot of this will be 286 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:46,560 activated in US, anger, malice, jealousy, because we would have 287 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:50,000 these Shields up to protect us. But God's saying when you're 288 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:54,120 putting on my nature, when you're partaking at my feast, 289 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:56,600 when you put that in, and when my resurrection park gets 290 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,880 activated in you, I am the one that Shields you. 291 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:04,520 I am the one that Shields you. Why is it important for us to be 292 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:08,640 shielded by God? Because only God can make sure 293 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:12,160 that the fire in our belly, the fire in our heart doesn't die 294 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:14,440 down. The fire in our very own lives 295 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,480 doesn't die down. In Matthew 24 verses 9 to 14, 296 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:20,520 when you read in the NLT, it says then you will be arrested, 297 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:23,280 persecuted and killed. You will be hated all over the 298 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,200 world because you are my followers. 299 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:29,040 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 300 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:32,720 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many. 301 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,200 People's sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many 302 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:40,000 will grow cold, but the one who endures to the end will be saved 303 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,880 and the good news about the Kingdom will be priests 304 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:46,480 throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it. 305 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:53,000 And then the end will come. Sin will be rampant everywhere 306 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:57,960 and the love of many will grow cold when it says love here is 307 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:02,720 those who've tasted the love at the Father's table. 308 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:06,160 That love will grow cold because of everything that's happening, 309 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,760 because of the arrest, because of the persecution, because of 310 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:11,440 the killing, because of the hatred. 311 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,240 And I believe we're living in a time and age today where if we 312 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:20,880 are not living with God's shield, our own Shields won't be 313 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:22,480 able to handle all that's happening. 314 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:28,920 And sooner or later, the cold mist of unbelief, the cold winds 315 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:32,880 of wanting to shake our faith will come in and it'll disrupt 316 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:33,920 us. It'll shake us up. 317 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:38,320 So I pray today that we will allow God's shield to work in 318 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:42,040 and through our lives. In James chapter 4 says 7 to 8, 319 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:44,720 it says in the Passion, it says, so then surrender to God. 320 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:48,520 Stand up to the devil and resist him, and he will flee in agony. 321 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:53,000 Move your heart closer and closer to God and he will come 322 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,520 even closer to you. But make sure you cleanse your 323 00:17:55,520 --> 00:18:01,160 life, you sinners, and keep your heart pure and stop doubting and 324 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,720 stop doubting. It says here 3 three things 325 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:09,720 we're supposed to surrender God. Stand up to the devil, we resist 326 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:14,080 him and in turn he will flee. When we surrender to God, it 327 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:16,080 comes to a place where you're like Lord. 328 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:20,360 We're surrendering to you, to your protection, to your, to 329 00:18:20,360 --> 00:18:24,160 your sovereignty. We stand up to the devil. 330 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:27,400 We say devil no more. We don't want any of this. 331 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,840 This was my identity way in the back, but not anymore. 332 00:18:31,480 --> 00:18:33,840 And resist him because he'll keep throwing those darts. 333 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:36,600 He'll be throwing those darts saying you're not good enough. 334 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:38,680 You're not. This is not you who you are. 335 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:40,000 These are the things that you've done. 336 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:43,400 But would you when when you rise up and you resist him because 337 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:45,440 you're loving God to walk in and through you. 338 00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:49,480 When we confess our sins, he is able to forgive us. 339 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:54,320 He's willing to journey with us and I pray the important thing 340 00:18:54,320 --> 00:19:00,000 of why we have to be shielded is because when we shield this love 341 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,280 all by ourselves, we make it all about ourselves. 342 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:05,200 We think it's all about us. Oh, the wounding is about us. 343 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:08,200 Oh, this is we failed to understand that we didn't allow 344 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:11,040 God in the mix. Even as I was preparing this 345 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:14,200 week at we at our home, we had a small renovation thing 346 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:16,080 happening. It's been 7 years since we moved 347 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:19,720 in and one of the cupboards that we've installed in each of our 348 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:24,360 rooms is not the one where you open the door to the cupboards 349 00:19:24,360 --> 00:19:26,440 inbuilt cupboards. It's more like sliding doors. 350 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:30,240 And one of the things that the railing that they had actually 351 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:35,880 put the track slider for the doors seems to be of version 352 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:38,120 one. Let's say 7 years back was 353 00:19:38,120 --> 00:19:40,600 version 1. And there were a lot of problems 354 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:42,040 with that. Like when you move it a little 355 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:46,960 faster, the track the the door because of the weight of the 356 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,920 mirror that's there on it will dislodge and it'll move and 357 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,560 it'll get stuck and then we'll be unable to move both doors. 358 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,880 And in fact, So what happened is this week we had our interior 359 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:00,800 where people come, and I just wanted to show you what this 360 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,600 track system looked like. So this is the track which is in 361 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:08,400 the bottom one, and you can see the creases so that we had two 362 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:10,800 doors for this, one in the back, one in the front. 363 00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:15,080 And you see, when this is me, when I'm trying to shield what 364 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:18,040 happens, it's all about me. It's all about me. 365 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:20,840 And so as I was preparing and as I'm watching these workers work 366 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:24,400 because I was interacting with them on and off, this reminded 367 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:26,840 me that this is what I'm trying to do with regard to my love 368 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:28,480 with the love that I'm trying to live out. 369 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:32,320 I'm making it all about myself. And so this door, which is my 370 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,840 life, when when struggles happen, when when, when I'm 371 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:39,000 asked to do things, when God's asking me do heavy things or 372 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:42,880 when people irritate me and like it really pisses me off. 373 00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:45,240 I push it. And what happens is because of 374 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:49,280 me striving, I, I am unable to have because I'm not, I'm trying 375 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:53,200 to shield it, it, the door just moves away and gets latched on. 376 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,080 And suddenly I'm stuck and I'm unable to move. 377 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,520 I'm stuck. I, I get lodged with bitterness. 378 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:01,040 I get lodged with the discernment. 379 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:04,800 I get lodged in feeling that God doesn't care for me anymore. 380 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:09,000 And to top it all, this is the, the, the piece that goes on top. 381 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,040 So this is the top railing. And if you notice here we have 382 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:15,440 these two stoppers. Because of my constant 383 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,720 irritation with the way things are not panning out, I'm unable 384 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:21,480 to protect my heart. My mind is in a bad place and I 385 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:24,160 keep banging. This eventually starts moving 386 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,800 because of the constant bombarding that happens, 387 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:28,280 constant bombarding that happens. 388 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,800 It keeps moving. And before we know it, we I'm 389 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:34,400 spilling that out to others because the minute when the door 390 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:37,280 shuts, there's a noise because it's not stopping anymore. 391 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:42,480 It just goes and hits. And this is what we had got 7 392 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:46,560 years back as version one. But even as you're working to 393 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:49,400 this time, they came and said this is what version 2 looks 394 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:51,520 like. And if you notice it, this is 395 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,800 when I understood what God shield looks like. 396 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:57,160 You see, there is an indentation here where it's writing said, 397 00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:58,760 and this is where the wheels go and sit. 398 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:03,440 And it's, it's, it's sitting in between, it's shielded on both 399 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,040 sides. So there's no way for me to move 400 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:09,560 out as long as I'm allowing God to work in and through me. 401 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:13,120 So as a partake of the love feast, as a partake of God's 402 00:22:13,120 --> 00:22:18,080 love, I'm also living it out through God being my shield, not 403 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:20,800 being me, my shield. So people who hurt me anymore, 404 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:22,680 it's like I'm God, you're seeing it. 405 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:25,680 I'm not going to, I'm not going to go back in offence. 406 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:28,760 No, I'm not going to go say this Lord, you're watching it, You'll 407 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:31,960 take care and eventually everything shifts. 408 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,000 Everything shifts because I put to death. 409 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:37,680 I'm also saying God renew me, work in and through me, as we 410 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:41,680 read in Colossians 3 and you see right here on top, the mechanism 411 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:45,840 is such in a way that when it comes closer to being shut, it's 412 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:48,280 automatically slows down and it goes and hits. 413 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:52,400 And I feel that's why God constantly is reviving us to 414 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:54,520 sing. You can still showcase my love. 415 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:57,960 You can still showcase even when you don't feel like it because 416 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:00,400 it's all about me. I'm shielding you. 417 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:05,360 But thank you for being there for doing this, because you are 418 00:23:05,360 --> 00:23:08,320 an extension of me. And so I want to remind us, what 419 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:12,080 does this shield look like? Because if you're going to 420 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:17,200 operate out of the shield of just ourselves, we will always 421 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:22,120 look at love as an investment. One of our members made a 422 00:23:22,120 --> 00:23:26,720 comment to me saying I've invested myself in the church 423 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:30,560 for these many years. And I had to remind them saying, 424 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:36,800 no, that's a wrong statement. You were able to partake and be 425 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:38,840 part of something that God was doing. 426 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,560 When you look at it as an investment, you're obviously 427 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:45,640 looking for a return. And the understanding of church 428 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,800 is completely messed up because today, let's face it, a lot of 429 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:53,360 us are doing our due diligence of subscriptions and investments 430 00:23:53,360 --> 00:23:56,560 so that we'll have a place to lay our dead body. 431 00:23:57,520 --> 00:23:59,640 But I pray we would rise up about that. 432 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:03,720 We would rise up Navy realize that we're partaking of the 433 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:06,880 Lord's table every day. We're partaking of God's love, 434 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:10,120 that love feast every day. And we're also called to live it 435 00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:16,400 out with God being our shield, with God being our shield record 436 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:17,880 and says it's beautiful. He says it. 437 00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:21,960 God's love is like an ocean. You can see it's beginning, but 438 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:24,640 not it's end. You can see it's beginning and 439 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:29,120 not it's end. And I pray that as we allow God 440 00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:33,920 to be our shield, we will realize we do not wait for 441 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:36,880 people's appreciation. We are not expecting people's 442 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:39,040 appreciation. We are not wanting to be 443 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:40,800 applauded for what we are called to do. 444 00:24:41,120 --> 00:24:44,720 We will still keep showing up. We'll still keep doing it. 445 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:49,200 We will do all that God's called us to do because our love for 446 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:53,680 Him is far more than what God's calling me to do because our 447 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,440 love for him is this is far bigger. 448 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:59,160 He's saying I'll shield you, I'll shield you. 449 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:01,680 Keep doing it. People will hurt head butt will 450 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:03,640 happen all that. That's what sheep will do. 451 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:05,960 That's what will happen. But keep doing it. 452 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,560 Losses will be there. You will, you will, you'll find 453 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:12,720 your patience growing dry. You'll find your it'll be 454 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:14,520 depleting, but just keep doing it. 455 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,640 I'll shield your heart. And I pray and believe for the 456 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:19,440 next season that God's calling us. 457 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:20,960 This is what God's calling us to. 458 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:25,920 For far too long we've lived with our shield and made it all 459 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:29,280 about ourselves. And we've moved a step back. 460 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:30,840 You've said, Oh no, the church has hurt me. 461 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,000 Oh no, this has happened. One of the very people who 462 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,920 follow Christ are the one. It's because we've made it all 463 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:40,160 about ourselves. God's saying if you allow me to 464 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:44,960 be a shield, I will protect you. You will see things far bigger. 465 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:46,520 You won't see things temporarily. 466 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:48,920 You will start seeing things with an eternal perspective. 467 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:52,040 And I pray that we'll be able to do that today. 468 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:58,600 The second thing that God wants us to live this love out is that 469 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:02,520 this love that's needs to be lived out needs our hands and 470 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,040 feet. It needs our hands and feet. 471 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:10,840 So today you can't participate in showing this love out just by 472 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,960 an e-mail, just by a text. No, it needs your hands and 473 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,000 feet. And so today, where is God 474 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:19,360 asking you to really put your hands and feet in? 475 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:23,520 We are an extension of Jesus today here on this earth for all 476 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:25,440 those who believe in him, for all those who are operating in 477 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,520 his resurrection power. In fact, when we see from here 478 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:32,080 in the book of Philemon, Paul's asking Philemon to take this 479 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:35,240 extra step of allowing honestness back. 480 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:40,000 He was a slave and he obviously had taken some money. 481 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:42,200 He has run away. And then he meets Paul. 482 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:47,040 He becomes a fervent follower of Jesus, and he's aiding Paul in 483 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:50,920 this ministry journey. And he wants to send Onsimus 484 00:26:50,920 --> 00:26:55,080 back so that they'll encourage. And this is what Paul says as 485 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:57,400 he's writing it out. It's a little bit of a longer 486 00:26:57,400 --> 00:26:59,080 scripture, but I would love for us to read. 487 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:03,680 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to 488 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:07,280 do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the 489 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:12,000 basis of love. It is as none other than Paul, 490 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:15,480 an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus, that I 491 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:18,640 appeal to you for my son Onissimus, who became my son 492 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,280 while I was in changed. Formally he was useless to you, 493 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:26,320 but now he has become useful both to you and to me. 494 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:31,000 I am sending him who is my very heart back to you. 495 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,520 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take 496 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,400 your place in helping me while I'm in the chains for the 497 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:39,000 gospel. But I did not want to do 498 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:43,400 anything without your consent, so that any favour you do would 499 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:45,840 not stem forced, but would be voluntary. 500 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,920 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little 501 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:52,600 while was that you might have him back forever, no longer as a 502 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:56,760 slave, but better than a slave as a dear brother. 503 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:01,200 He is very dear to me, but even dearer to you, both as a fellow 504 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:02,600 man and as a brother in the Lord. 505 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:06,720 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome 506 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:09,720 me. But if he has done you any wrong 507 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:12,040 or owes you anything, charge it to me. 508 00:28:12,120 --> 00:28:14,880 I Paul, I'm writing this with my own hand. 509 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:17,560 I will pay it back. Not to mention that you owe me 510 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:21,440 your very self. I do wish, brother, that I may 511 00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:23,920 have some benefit from you in the Lord. 512 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,920 Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I 513 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:32,880 write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask 514 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:37,040 today. This love that has to be lived 515 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:40,560 out constantly will be Jesus hands and feet. 516 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:42,160 It won't be Geshom's hands and feet. 517 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:44,840 If it's Geshom's hands and feet, it'll be manipulative. 518 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:48,200 If it's Geshom's hand and feet, it'll be it'll be, it'll be 519 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:51,000 it'll operate of insecurity. If it's Geshom's hands and feet, 520 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:53,760 it'll operate out of jealousy. If it's Geshom's hands and feet, 521 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,720 it'll operate out of what will benefit me on the long run. 522 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:02,240 But God is doing this. Will you love on people because 523 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:06,440 you are an extension of my arms and my feet? 524 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:10,920 Because with that what happens is we will allow purposes to 525 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,600 flourish. When we see people, we will move 526 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:16,480 them towards the God-given purpose in their life, not the 527 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:18,840 God-given person purpose of via Zion. 528 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:22,480 Because via Zion may exist today, may not exist tomorrow, 529 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,480 but people's lives and the purpose that God's called them 530 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:29,640 will exist and God will want them to live it out because 531 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:33,040 generations have to start following in that. 532 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:38,880 And So what we see Paul doing here is he's asking, he says, if 533 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,720 you would consider this, how is he asking this? 534 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:46,120 He's just not saying, would you just do this? 535 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:50,320 He's saying out of love. Would you do this out of love? 536 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:56,120 And I pray that love is 1 of agape love where he's telling 537 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,520 him you partake of the table. But could you also extend it 538 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,760 because, and this is where in Colossians, he and Paul 539 00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:05,960 constantly writes about masters and slaves, because there'll be 540 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:10,240 a point of time and those who are working under you will be at 541 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:13,280 the same level as you or they'll be doing far bigger things than 542 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:16,040 you. But would you be able to still 543 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:20,480 be the hands and feet of Jesus, Hands and feet of Jesus as Paul 544 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:23,000 took the liberty today, God's taking the liberty with us. 545 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:27,520 I love how Paul says in one Corinthians, he says follow my 546 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:31,040 example as I follow the example of Christ. 547 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:33,520 And today, what is Paul doing here? 548 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:37,080 When you see Paul closing the letter of Philemon, you'll see 549 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,120 that he mentions a name called Mark. 550 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:43,600 In fact, Paul and Barnabas had a sharp disagreement over Mark 551 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:47,160 because he left the midway. He was unwilling to show him 552 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:49,360 grace. But because Paul is constantly 553 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:53,200 feasting at the Lord's table of this agape love, what happens? 554 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:56,720 He starts allowing that love to be lived out and eventually, 555 00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:59,960 when he's actually writing Philemon, he mentions Mark in 556 00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:04,760 that letter, which means he has already done this entire work. 557 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:07,200 He's saying I've already done this. 558 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:11,000 You too can do it. And so today, pray that we will 559 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:14,120 be people who will be able to move into spaces by be able to 560 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:19,000 make mend relationships. You know, there was a season in 561 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:21,440 my life two years back when I had to make certain decisions 562 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:24,440 with you got my own personal relationships that I was going 563 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:29,680 through and out of that, some of the things that happened where I 564 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:32,240 had to really, I love God to work. 565 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:34,680 You know, so many things I didn't understand. 566 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:37,520 So many things were hidden in bitterness and in anger. 567 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:41,520 And when I allowed God to move in and through that, I could see 568 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:45,960 God giving wisdom, God giving clarity, and God sustaining the 569 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:48,520 relationships. One of the things that God wants 570 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:52,680 us to do as we showcase his love out through his through our 571 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:56,520 hands and feet is the fact that he wants us to grow in this 572 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,720 space. It's not to be stunted, but to 573 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,760 grow in one. Philippians chapter 1 verses 9 574 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:06,200 to 11 in the passion it says I continue to pray for a love to 575 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,880 grow and increase beyond measure, bringing you into the 576 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:13,240 rich revelation of spiritual insight in all things. 577 00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:16,360 This will enable you to choose the most excellent way of all, 578 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:19,920 becoming pure and without offense until the unveiling of 579 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:23,200 Christ, and you will be filled completely with the fruits of 580 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:26,840 righteousness that are found in Jesus, the anointed One, 581 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,000 bringing great praise and glory to God. 582 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:33,800 Paul's asking the Philippine church here that this will cause 583 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:37,400 them to have more increase in knowledge and depth of insight. 584 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:42,960 I believe a lot of us lack discerning and a lot of us are 585 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,200 thinking, oh, I somehow will green it of others. 586 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:48,200 No, it'll only happen when we keep doing it. 587 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,440 We'll be able to discern. I wish there was a book where we 588 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:55,520 can just go pick off saying discerning for dummies, but 589 00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:57,720 there's nothing like that because until unless you 590 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:00,680 showcase it, you won't be able to discern it. 591 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:03,480 And so this is where God wants us to grow. 592 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:05,120 There's no playbook for discerning. 593 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:09,080 I pray we'll be able to go back to our own tables of 594 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:11,280 experiencing. Now we'll start hearing God and 595 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:13,120 saying, God, what do you want me to do in this? 596 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:17,920 And this is where when we continuously allow God, he will 597 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:22,320 allow us to grow in this area. If for Paul it took 20 years 598 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:25,960 over the course of his ministry cycle to see things happen, it 599 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:28,120 will take time. And us, and I pray that we'll 600 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:31,600 allow, because the hands and feet that God is calling us to 601 00:33:31,600 --> 00:33:36,800 extend is His is His. The resurrection part is in US. 602 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:39,880 And wherever we go, it's the same hands and feet. 603 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,400 A lot of us today are trying to protect ourselves. 604 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:46,280 We are trying to say, God, you, you can mean my heart, but don't 605 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:48,400 allow me to be in my hand. Don't be in my hands and feet 606 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:50,840 because this is where I need to be in control. 607 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:52,920 You might be like, but this is where I can be. 608 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:55,480 I'll be you. I'll be used by people. 609 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:58,520 But God's saying that's what I came here into this so that I 610 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:03,040 can be of earthly use. God wants us to be of earthly 611 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:07,240 use to people. Today here, I'm back from my 7th 612 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:10,880 or 10th grade in school. I used to play keyboard. 613 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:14,040 And so I had this keyboard and I was going to different places, 614 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:15,760 but many of times I was taken advantage of. 615 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:19,280 The older people will just invite me and then they'll be 616 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,679 playing for the bigger, they'll be playing for the shows. 617 00:34:21,679 --> 00:34:25,679 And I decided to be sitting down on the sides as much as they 618 00:34:25,679 --> 00:34:29,199 were using it. And sometimes it felt like, you 619 00:34:29,199 --> 00:34:34,080 know, what am I doing there? I ended up building such strong 620 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:38,040 relationships with people around of different age groups of 621 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:41,080 different life situations, circumstances, different homes 622 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:44,120 they were coming from. And I got a wider perspective of 623 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:49,960 what each one's life was. And mind you, I didn't just stay 624 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:53,639 in a shelf to say or by myself to say, this is, oh, I don't 625 00:34:53,639 --> 00:34:56,360 have community. We made community right by that. 626 00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:59,320 It, it felt like being used, but community happened. 627 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:02,800 And I thank God for that because that became like a stepping 628 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:05,320 stone for eventually building relationships. 629 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:08,680 So today, even if you have to drop me in a place, I can still 630 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,480 be able to make friends with people and find that. 631 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:14,360 And that happens. And so it, it, it comes to a 632 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,520 place where you're seeing God. Here's my hands and feet. 633 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:20,040 I'll go to the place. I'll do what it takes. 634 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:21,920 I'm not going to be holding back. 635 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:24,440 Oh, yeah, if I have to pick up garbage and if I have to serve 636 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:27,120 in this place, I'll do it. This is not just a place of 637 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:29,360 significance. And so today, don't treat 638 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:32,000 anything only if I do. This is of significance. 639 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,840 It's interesting that today many of us are wanting to serve God 640 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:37,360 only when there's something significant attached to it. 641 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:42,320 It's sad that we don't see people just voluntarily coming 642 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:44,000 and saying, hey, I would love to clean the chairs. 643 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:46,720 I would love to put the chairs. I would love to set things up. 644 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:49,400 I would like to stay a little extra and make sure I can clean 645 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:51,040 that. A lot of us are thinking, oh, 646 00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:52,800 I'm doing that in the house or in the church. 647 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:54,560 Why should I do it? Oh, I have to wall in. 648 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:57,400 If you love God, this will automatically happen. 649 00:35:57,400 --> 00:35:59,320 If you love God, your hands will stretch. 650 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:00,960 If you love God, your feet will move. 651 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:02,680 If you love God, you will show up. 652 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:08,640 And so this love that I partake at the at the love feast causes 653 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:11,200 me to participate with my hands and feet. 654 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,320 And the problem with us where we are unable to do this is many a 655 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:19,160 times, because our hands and feet are all ours, we fail to 656 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:21,480 understand that when we say Lord, we want to be your hands 657 00:36:21,480 --> 00:36:24,920 and feet, we are his hands and feet. 658 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:28,640 And I was listening to Glenn Parkham and he said this, this 659 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:30,440 hands and feet. If you're saying we have to be 660 00:36:30,440 --> 00:36:33,960 the hands and feet of Jesus, we need to also have the markings 661 00:36:33,960 --> 00:36:37,560 of Jesus. His hands and feet were nailed. 662 00:36:37,720 --> 00:36:41,760 Which means you and I cannot make it all about ourselves or 663 00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:44,800 the instrument I'm playing, or the preaching I'm doing, or the 664 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:48,040 serving I'm doing, or the caring I'm doing or the food that I'm 665 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:50,200 cooking and giving. It cannot be about myself. 666 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:54,880 Let us not use the things that we have and do to control 667 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:57,920 people. Rather, let them enjoy, let them 668 00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:02,000 flourish. Let them be refreshed in God and 669 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:09,040 in God's community of people. What we offer to do out of the 670 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:14,080 love that we have for Christ is nothing about us, but it's 671 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:16,760 everything about God. It's nothing about us, but 672 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:21,800 everything about God. Opposite happens Of this love 673 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:26,080 may abound more and more as we read and the knowledge and the 674 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:29,240 depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best 675 00:37:29,240 --> 00:37:34,240 and pure and blameless. It is marked by His blood, 676 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:38,960 always. It's marked by the cross today, 677 00:37:39,280 --> 00:37:43,480 when you and I always are going back to the cross, when we 678 00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:46,800 become aware that we've walked away or done something, it's 679 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:48,800 because something is at work in US. 680 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:52,400 And that extension is always a one God. 681 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:55,760 I get to do this. I'm thankful that I get to do 682 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:57,880 this. The beautiful things about the 683 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:01,640 hands and feet being the hands and feet of Jesus is you get to 684 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:04,520 experience it. You get to experience it. 685 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:08,800 You don't need an invitation. You don't need, you know, a 686 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:11,720 person identifying you and saying, oh, I found this gifting 687 00:38:11,720 --> 00:38:14,640 in you. If you feel this is the place 688 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:17,720 God's called you to do, if you're in constant communion 689 00:38:17,720 --> 00:38:22,200 with them, you will serve. You will serve because your love 690 00:38:22,200 --> 00:38:26,440 for God is far bigger than what this is. 691 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:30,320 Many a times in this day and age, a lot of us have this 692 00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:33,640 trying to go so much where you're wanting to do so much, 693 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:36,440 but this is not there. A lot of us are wanting to do 694 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:39,920 the good works, but we aren't aligned to what God is doing. 695 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:42,400 And so we make it all about ourselves and God is saying I 696 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:47,360 want to heal, I want to do things differently, else things 697 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:49,880 will look different. It's going to be 7 years since 698 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:53,600 we started church and we constantly go back to the 699 00:38:53,600 --> 00:38:55,720 drawing board saying God we love you so much. 700 00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:58,400 Even if you're not doing this, we would still do all that 701 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:01,640 you've called us to do. And so today when we do this, we 702 00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:04,800 realize everything that happens here has nothing about us. 703 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:07,960 But it's all about Him. We aren't doing anything here to 704 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:09,600 sustain this. It's all about Him. 705 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:13,960 He's doing it as much as that. What is God calling us to do 706 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:16,080 today? Because a lot of us are stuck in 707 00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:19,560 so many places because we are unwilling to move our hands and 708 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:21,520 feet. We're like, you know what? 709 00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:24,400 The world uses me. And so I don't think God has to 710 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:26,200 use me. Try it out. 711 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:30,360 Try it out because this is where you'll be able to see God's 712 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:37,000 goodness over your life. A lot of us claim that we have 713 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:40,120 God's hands and feet, yet are abusing our wives, abusing our 714 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:44,120 children, are yet being are doing the wrong things with the 715 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:46,520 hands and going to the wrong places with our feet. 716 00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:52,640 I pray God's love would convict us, would shape us, would move 717 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:57,040 us to a place where you'll be able to hold, embrace and love 718 00:39:57,120 --> 00:40:00,200 and showcase that. I pray you'd be able to repent 719 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:04,360 and find God's comfort and healing and restoration through 720 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:07,000 this entire process. But for all of us who've been 721 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:10,040 struggling and saying God, I've made my hands and feet all about 722 00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:12,960 myself with the resurrection part that's working in me. 723 00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:16,560 And when me partaking of the Lord's table of that agape love 724 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:19,720 feast, I become his hands and feet, one which is marked 725 00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:24,720 because every time I do it. I'm doing it because I'm 726 00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:27,960 grateful that God did it for me and I get to do it back for Him. 727 00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:30,840 That's all. I get to do it back for God. 728 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:34,040 That's the equation that matters, that will sustain us. 729 00:40:34,440 --> 00:40:38,880 The third thing is this lived love needs us to operate with 730 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:41,400 margin. It needs us to operate with 731 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:45,400 margin. The ask for every Christian is 732 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:47,400 that we will create margin in our lives. 733 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:50,640 What is a margin for those of you who are in the business 734 00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:54,600 world will realize if I buy, let's say an article for ₹100, 735 00:40:55,320 --> 00:40:58,360 the wholesaler would have given it to the shopkeeper for 736 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:01,640 probably 75, the shopkeeper would have given. 737 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:05,840 Or let's say ₹80. He's kept, he got from the 738 00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:08,000 wholesaler. He's kept a margin of ₹20. 739 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:11,800 And so he's selling it to us at 100, but he, the shopkeeper's 740 00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:15,160 making 20 out of it. And so in this Christian walk, 741 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:18,440 God's asking us, would you start keeping margins so that you can 742 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:21,720 do a little bit more? Every year you'll be able to do 743 00:41:21,720 --> 00:41:24,880 a little bit more because this love that you receive has to go 744 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:28,240 out somewhere. If you can't, it's just becoming 745 00:41:28,240 --> 00:41:30,480 a store house. And before you know it, things 746 00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:34,240 that are just stored, DK, things that are stored just aren't 747 00:41:34,240 --> 00:41:36,120 useful anymore. It becomes a stench. 748 00:41:36,480 --> 00:41:40,600 And so today, as we receive it, we need to create margin enough 749 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:44,520 so that that outlet increases. What is this margin looking 750 00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:47,160 like? For some of us, we are like, you 751 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:52,120 know what we are. Some of us give our tithes, some 752 00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:55,160 of us don't give our tithes. And I pray for those of you are 753 00:41:55,240 --> 00:41:58,400 still struggling that space, you'll be able to trust God in 754 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:01,280 that space. But some of us are diligently 755 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:03,040 giving that tide. But God's like, could you also 756 00:42:03,040 --> 00:42:06,160 create a margin so you can do a little bit more, which means 757 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:09,080 probably in a week, would you be able to take someone else out 758 00:42:09,080 --> 00:42:13,200 for dinner or for lunch, spend time with them, love on them, 759 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:19,160 get to know them, no agenda, do life with them that maybe it 760 00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:23,280 might require time of your schedule, time of things that 761 00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:26,360 you think are important. But because God starts working, 762 00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:29,680 I would say test it. Fulfillment will come when you 763 00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:32,880 allow God into the margins. When you allow God into the 764 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:35,400 margins, deadlines get met. When you allow God into the 765 00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:37,440 margins, doors open. When you allow God into the 766 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:40,200 margin, miracles happen. When you allow God into the 767 00:42:40,200 --> 00:42:42,600 margin, you will see a family flourish. 768 00:42:43,560 --> 00:42:46,680 I am a testimony of that and I pray that you will be able to 769 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:49,920 see that because what happens when you create margin, you 770 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:53,760 allow for God's mission to go through your life. 771 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:56,520 You allow for God's mission to come through your life. 772 00:42:56,720 --> 00:43:00,680 You allow for God's mission to be manifested through the things 773 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:02,600 that you do in and through your life. 774 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:06,320 A lot of us are guarding, a lot of us guard our family time God 775 00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:10,560 so much that there's no room, anything but God saying I'm not 776 00:43:10,560 --> 00:43:12,560 called you to preserve here in this world. 777 00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:14,400 I'm called you to live it out in this world. 778 00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:21,000 Live it out, which means you create room, create room, create 779 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:24,560 that margin in one Thessalon chapter 3 verses 11 to 13. 780 00:43:24,560 --> 00:43:26,400 This is what it says in the message. 781 00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:30,280 May God our Father himself and Master Jesus clear the road to 782 00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:34,520 you, and may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives 783 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:38,840 and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from 784 00:43:38,840 --> 00:43:41,520 us to you. May you be infused with strength 785 00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:43,920 and purity, filled with confidence in the presence of 786 00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:46,960 God our Father. When our Master Jesus arrives 787 00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:50,360 with all his followers, Jesus clears the road. 788 00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:55,040 He poses love on us. He fills our life in turn, when 789 00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:57,280 he's filling, it splashes onto others. 790 00:43:57,840 --> 00:44:00,920 That margin is important. That margin is important. 791 00:44:01,480 --> 00:44:04,560 We learn from the life of Paul of how to create margin. 792 00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:07,160 What does that look like for Paul? 793 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:09,920 He constantly did that. He constantly did that. 794 00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:11,320 What does it look like in my life? 795 00:44:11,640 --> 00:44:16,640 I still remember, you know, when I was in college, I used to, I 796 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:19,840 used to save my monthly allowance that I get just so 797 00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:22,880 that weekends I get to spend some time with my church friends 798 00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:25,080 and sit, eat, fellowship with them. 799 00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:27,800 That was important for me because there weren't people 800 00:44:27,800 --> 00:44:29,680 around. In fact, there was one instance 801 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:34,480 where a church family invited us or a whole bunch of us and they 802 00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:38,400 ended up talking, you know, literally bad things about the 803 00:44:38,400 --> 00:44:40,680 church and things like that. And we stopped going to the next 804 00:44:40,680 --> 00:44:43,440 peak on. Be mindful of places where 805 00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:47,120 people use things to control the narrative and tell you things. 806 00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:49,440 I love God to give you discernment in those areas. 807 00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:52,600 But I still remember early on when things like this started 808 00:44:52,600 --> 00:44:57,720 happening, when things like this where you create margin within 809 00:44:57,720 --> 00:45:02,440 yourself, which means I am able to discomfort myself a bit for 810 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:05,600 the sake of what God has to be doing in and through my life. 811 00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:09,800 I'm able to give up on certain luxuries just so that I can 812 00:45:09,800 --> 00:45:12,640 enjoy it with others because that's what I see. 813 00:45:12,640 --> 00:45:16,000 God's love. I'm able to live with this and 814 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:19,520 create a margin like this so that they I can accommodate a 815 00:45:19,520 --> 00:45:23,800 bit more. I pray that we'll be able to 816 00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:26,320 create margin because it's out of our free will. 817 00:45:26,880 --> 00:45:31,120 God does not force this on us. But when you create that margin, 818 00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:34,040 you will automatically see communities happen. 819 00:45:34,320 --> 00:45:36,320 You will automatically see people thrive. 820 00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:39,160 You will automatically see others refreshed because you've 821 00:45:39,160 --> 00:45:41,840 created that margin. I pray we will all have those 822 00:45:41,840 --> 00:45:43,840 margins. I have certain margins in my 823 00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:47,960 work area where I love God to come so that I can bless someone 824 00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:50,160 else extra with some skill set that I have. 825 00:45:50,480 --> 00:45:54,360 I have that margin in our in in our marriage there so that we'll 826 00:45:54,360 --> 00:45:58,360 be able to spend some time for the things God brings in, in 827 00:45:58,360 --> 00:46:01,760 terms of Kingdom, things which are far beyond this. 828 00:46:01,960 --> 00:46:04,880 These are not connections which we've which we've which we've in 829 00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:07,840 which we've made it happen. These are probably connections 830 00:46:07,840 --> 00:46:10,440 which are just got dropped. And I pray those will happen 831 00:46:10,440 --> 00:46:14,000 only when we allow that margin in our in with regard to a 832 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:18,000 marriage margin with regard to a family and our extended family. 833 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:21,280 It happens time and again because we see God come through. 834 00:46:22,400 --> 00:46:26,000 And so today, I pray that we will see this in our lives 835 00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:28,480 because he wants us to fulfil his mission. 836 00:46:29,160 --> 00:46:31,160 Margin is not for me to fulfill my mission. 837 00:46:31,720 --> 00:46:33,520 Margin is to fulfill his mission. 838 00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:37,920 In college, in Hillsong College, I remember Pastors Julia and 839 00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:40,880 Joel, they were talking to us and they're telling how they've 840 00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:44,720 created margin in their marriage, how outside of their 841 00:46:44,720 --> 00:46:48,120 tides, they accept money up so that they can help someone in 842 00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:51,000 need that month. They can do something extra for 843 00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:54,080 someone. And I pray that they also said 844 00:46:54,080 --> 00:46:57,080 how they create time so that they can spend with new people. 845 00:46:57,800 --> 00:47:01,240 They could also create time so that they can do things which 846 00:47:01,240 --> 00:47:03,160 they didn't do the previous month. 847 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:09,240 Margin opens up our house, opens up things in the church, opens 848 00:47:09,240 --> 00:47:12,200 up our homes, our personal lives, so that we'll be able to 849 00:47:12,200 --> 00:47:17,280 do it with people that God's bringing in Acts 18 verses one 850 00:47:17,280 --> 00:47:20,720 to four says After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 851 00:47:21,080 --> 00:47:24,920 There he's met a Jew named Akilah, a native of Pontus, who 852 00:47:24,920 --> 00:47:27,600 had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla. 853 00:47:27,600 --> 00:47:31,440 Because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome, Paul 854 00:47:31,440 --> 00:47:35,080 went to them, went to see them. Paul went to see them, and 855 00:47:35,080 --> 00:47:38,960 because he was a tent maker, as they were, he stayed and worked 856 00:47:38,960 --> 00:47:41,400 with them. Every Sabbath he reads in the 857 00:47:41,400 --> 00:47:44,480 synagogue trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. 858 00:47:45,920 --> 00:47:49,200 He was a tent maker that says here, it says he wasn't just 859 00:47:49,200 --> 00:47:52,520 freeloading. In fact, one of the studies with 860 00:47:52,520 --> 00:47:56,200 regard to what Paul continuously keeps telling us to work with 861 00:47:56,200 --> 00:47:57,800 your hands, Work with your hands. 862 00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:00,720 You create margin in the spaces that God's placed you in. 863 00:48:01,200 --> 00:48:03,840 You create spaces in the places, but God's calling you. 864 00:48:04,080 --> 00:48:06,880 Yeah, I still remember when people around me, especially in 865 00:48:06,880 --> 00:48:09,680 my area of work, when, when, when they start creating 866 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:11,200 margins. It's interesting because they 867 00:48:11,200 --> 00:48:14,200 are starting to pour out what they have received. 868 00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:18,160 And so today what we see here, Paul went worked with them. 869 00:48:18,520 --> 00:48:21,680 They in fact became an A key couple in his ministry. 870 00:48:22,160 --> 00:48:26,320 You spend time, you do things in Acts 20 versus 33 or 35. 871 00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:30,000 You see, he says I have not coveted anyone silver or gold or 872 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:31,760 clothing. You yourselves know that these 873 00:48:31,760 --> 00:48:34,920 hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my 874 00:48:34,920 --> 00:48:38,600 companions and everything I did. I showed you that by this kind 875 00:48:38,600 --> 00:48:43,120 of hard work, we must help the weak, remembering the words of 876 00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:46,080 Lord Jesus himself. It's more blessed to give than 877 00:48:46,080 --> 00:48:48,880 to deceive. It says that in what's of my own 878 00:48:48,880 --> 00:48:50,480 needs and the needs of my companions. 879 00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:54,360 Margin allows you to take care of those who are around you, 880 00:48:55,920 --> 00:48:57,920 allows you to bless those who are around you. 881 00:48:58,280 --> 00:49:00,640 A lot of times people will be around you who will only want to 882 00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:04,040 receive. But I pray those who've already 883 00:49:04,040 --> 00:49:08,600 partaking of the Lord's love, that love feast, because we've 884 00:49:08,600 --> 00:49:10,760 taken it, we will learn to give off it. 885 00:49:11,480 --> 00:49:13,800 That's the only equation. If you just keep taking and 886 00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:16,880 we're not giving, the equation doesn't sit. 887 00:49:17,040 --> 00:49:20,040 I pray God will allow us to move to that place. 888 00:49:21,160 --> 00:49:24,000 It won't start when we have a lot of anything. 889 00:49:24,000 --> 00:49:25,920 For some of us, they're thinking, well, if if only my 890 00:49:25,920 --> 00:49:28,800 marriage was different like that person, or if only my kids were 891 00:49:28,800 --> 00:49:31,160 like that, like that other person, say, oh, only if I had a 892 00:49:31,160 --> 00:49:32,440 lot of money, I can create margin. 893 00:49:32,440 --> 00:49:35,440 No, if you can't create margin with 100, you won't be entrusted 894 00:49:35,440 --> 00:49:36,920 with 1000. You won't be interested with 895 00:49:36,920 --> 00:49:40,240 10,000 because in that 100, if you don't tithe, you won't be 896 00:49:40,240 --> 00:49:42,800 blessed with the thousand, you won't be blessed with the 897 00:49:42,800 --> 00:49:45,920 10,000. And I pray that we will learn to 898 00:49:45,920 --> 00:49:50,440 allow that margin to work in an area of work so that we will 899 00:49:50,600 --> 00:49:53,760 realize that the influence that we have on one person, on the 900 00:49:53,760 --> 00:49:57,640 other art and another journey will start expanding as a 901 00:49:57,640 --> 00:50:01,440 couple, that will start expanding as a family, that will 902 00:50:01,440 --> 00:50:05,800 start expanding. What is the margin I'm willing 903 00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:09,360 to give for the community and the people that I do life with 904 00:50:10,080 --> 00:50:15,280 because this love that I have access to in terms of limitless 905 00:50:15,280 --> 00:50:21,400 has to be lived out. The margin will create and give 906 00:50:21,400 --> 00:50:26,120 us a deep purpose to why God is placed here here on this earth, 907 00:50:26,560 --> 00:50:29,040 why He's created us for a time such as this. 908 00:50:29,480 --> 00:50:32,160 Why is he placed me in a city today right here? 909 00:50:32,640 --> 00:50:36,560 Why is he sustaining us with the fire that is burning within us? 910 00:50:37,160 --> 00:50:41,960 It moves us closer to God and in turn closer to the God-given 911 00:50:41,960 --> 00:50:46,760 purpose right here, right here. I came across this quote. 912 00:50:46,760 --> 00:50:49,280 It says love is the root of missions. 913 00:50:49,920 --> 00:50:52,160 Sacrifice is the fruit of missions. 914 00:50:53,080 --> 00:50:56,960 Love is the root, sacrifice is the fruit. 915 00:50:57,720 --> 00:51:02,000 And so today, as we are living out this love, this love that we 916 00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:05,400 deceive, this limitless love, there's one which is of a love 917 00:51:05,400 --> 00:51:07,480 feast. I pray that we won't be 918 00:51:07,480 --> 00:51:09,720 shielding it by ourselves, but with God. 919 00:51:10,360 --> 00:51:14,640 We'll allow God to shield it. We won't be just doing it with 920 00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:18,120 the work of our hands and our feet, but we'll allow his nail 921 00:51:18,120 --> 00:51:22,760 pierced hands to be our hands and feet because when we say 922 00:51:22,760 --> 00:51:25,320 we're doing it, it's, it's Jesus hands and feet. 923 00:51:25,520 --> 00:51:29,360 It has to be nail pierced that we'll have repentance etched to 924 00:51:29,360 --> 00:51:32,400 this, to our hands and feet. There will always be repentance 925 00:51:32,400 --> 00:51:35,240 because the love for Him is greater and the love that we're 926 00:51:35,240 --> 00:51:39,560 doing is this is far bigger than what we're actually doing out. 927 00:51:40,120 --> 00:51:43,560 And the third thing is we will operate with margin in our 928 00:51:43,560 --> 00:51:45,520 lives. We'll operate with margin. 929 00:51:46,080 --> 00:51:48,320 I pray that as you put this into practice, God will start 930 00:51:48,320 --> 00:51:51,480 expanding you. For 10 pigs to be pulled and to 931 00:51:51,680 --> 00:51:57,720 plugged in and to drive deeper in comes only when you allow 932 00:51:57,760 --> 00:52:00,880 this to be put into practice. Else you'll be content with the 933 00:52:00,880 --> 00:52:04,960 10 picks being so narrow just just just in your own world. 934 00:52:04,960 --> 00:52:08,640 But God saying I want you to move to a place because you're 935 00:52:08,640 --> 00:52:11,200 going into a season, 7 years of church, you're going into a 936 00:52:11,200 --> 00:52:14,440 newer season of new wine, new wine skin, and I want to know 937 00:52:14,440 --> 00:52:16,640 what God's been doing in and through your life. 938 00:52:17,120 --> 00:52:20,200 I believe the purposes are only getting more refined and 939 00:52:20,200 --> 00:52:22,840 clearer. The ask is big, but God's 940 00:52:22,840 --> 00:52:25,120 sharpening us as a tool so that we'll be effective. 941 00:52:25,680 --> 00:52:28,160 And I pray that, O you, that even as you step out this week, 942 00:52:28,360 --> 00:52:33,520 that you'll be able to step out strength, grace, love, His peace 943 00:52:33,520 --> 00:52:35,520 and His joy will be overflowing in you. 944 00:52:35,920 --> 00:52:38,040 And I pray, Lord, that you would be with each and everyone of us 945 00:52:38,040 --> 00:52:41,200 even as we step out, that your, your guidance will guide us, 946 00:52:41,200 --> 00:52:44,880 Lord, You will take charge of us, be with us, go before us, 947 00:52:44,880 --> 00:52:46,280 Lord. We want to give you the glory 948 00:52:46,280 --> 00:52:48,520 and honor, Lord. Thank you for all that you're 949 00:52:48,520 --> 00:52:50,880 doing. Lord Jesus, we just pray that 950 00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:52,800 you'll be magnified. You'll be glorified. 951 00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:54,880 Lord. I pray especially, Lord Jesus, 952 00:52:54,880 --> 00:52:58,520 in this day and age, Lord Jesus, that Lord, we won't shy away, 953 00:52:58,520 --> 00:53:01,360 but we will press forward. Lord, thank you that we can 954 00:53:01,360 --> 00:53:04,720 partake of your love. I pray we'll be people who even 955 00:53:05,120 --> 00:53:08,040 give it off much easily, Lord Jesus, so that you'll be 956 00:53:08,040 --> 00:53:11,000 glorified, be with us. I pray, Lord, for your blood 957 00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:14,640 covering over us lives, Lord, be with us, not going out, coming 958 00:53:14,640 --> 00:53:16,040 in. I pray for all those who are 959 00:53:16,040 --> 00:53:17,880 listening that you'd strengthen them and be with them. 960 00:53:18,320 --> 00:53:20,480 Your most holy name be pray. Amen. 961 00:53:20,680 --> 00:53:24,000 Amen. Thanks for listening to this 962 00:53:24,000 --> 00:53:27,120 message. We hope you were blessed to hear 963 00:53:27,120 --> 00:53:30,840 more messages like this. Make sure to subscribe and check 964 00:53:30,840 --> 00:53:33,520 out our podcast channel for past episodes. 965 00:53:33,960 --> 00:53:37,280 If you like what you are hearing, consider rating us, 966 00:53:37,440 --> 00:53:40,400 subscribing, and even sharing it with friends. 967 00:53:40,800 --> 00:53:45,120 That would really help us. For more content from Via Zion 968 00:53:45,440 --> 00:53:49,600 and to connect with us, go to Via Zion dot in. 969 00:53:50,200 --> 00:53:53,800 Remember, whoever finds Jesus finds life.