304 ~ INHERITING THE RESURRECTION LIFE - Part 4

We welcome you to the We Are Zion sermon podcast.

We are a church based out of Chennai, India.

We are thrilled that you tuned in today and hope that you will

be refreshed, revived, and energized by what you hear.

Our desire is that you will live life with a renewed sense of

purpose that stems from a vibrant faith in Jesus.

Jesus is the giver of life and when we invite him into our

heart, he brings new life into every aspect of our life.

This Lent, we pray that you will experience this new life in

amazing ways and carry its power into the world so that all may

know the way, the truth, and the life.

Hi Church, It's such a joy and a privilege.

We will bring God's Word to you today even as we just watch the

bumper. For those of you who are

watching the church online, for those of you who are listening,

we've been going through this entire series called Inheriting

the Resurrection Life. And you might be wondering,

Yeshum, we've not even touched Eastern why we meditating on the

resurrection life in Lent. The reason is Jesus died 2000

years back. He rose again and he's living.

And so today you and I get to participate in the resurrection

life through all of these last 2000 years.

And we're not called to live in a state of mourning.

Yes, he died. We look back, we reflect back,

we we find ways where we can lament and repent and ask God,

God, what do you want me to do? But it comes when we stand in

that confidence that you're called to live in this

resurrection life. Over the last three weeks, we've

been seeing three different parts of this.

And I just want to quickly highlight what we've been seeing

in Part 1. We were seeing that we are dead

to sin and we are alive in Christ.

We are no longer governed by the plague and by the mastery of

sin. Rather, we are alive in Christ

Jesus because he's won the victory on the cross.

And what happens because of that?

The presence of open doors where we kind of are aware of what

doors are open in our lives, and we close that in the name of

Jesus because we don't give in to the noise or to the

visitation of the enemy. Second, we saw that the

submission to the wrong master. A lot of us in our sinful state

have submitted to wrongful masters and the revelation of

Jesus Christ through our resurrected life is the fact

that we'll be able to see which of these masters we need to kill

and annihilate in our lives. And the third one we saw is the

display of false fruit. A lot of times we have,

especially for those of us in the Christian world have have

got these nuances all set right. We've been, we've grown up with

certain things, yet we fail to live in the resurrection life

that God has promised to us. And So what we see happened here

is this display of false fruits is brought down and we start

reflecting and producing Jesus through our lives.

And eventually what happens, we start the fruit of the Spirit.

In the second part when I was talking, I spoke specifically on

the lines of what it is to daily die.

As Christians, we need to daily die to the fact that Jesus is

alive in and through us. So we put to death everything

that our sinful nature is so used to.

We also daily disinherit. We disinherit the, the dreams

and the desires that the world offers and we put on the, in the

eyes of Jesus, the, the, the faith that comes through Jesus,

the hope that we get to live in Jesus.

And we start, you know, wanting the inheritance that is eternal.

And so suddenly relationships matter because we are putting

things that are of eternal value in the forefront.

And then the third thing we saw is daily declaration.

What are we declaring daily? You know, you and I have an

identity in Christ. And so we're called to walk in

that identity every day. Last week when Tina was

speaking, he would have been able to listen to the sermon

online as audio on on the podcast form because we weren't

able to shoot. But even as she talked, she

talked of three kinds of different power that you're

called to walk in. You know, we've we've seen the

different facets of this power, which is the resurrected life.

But there were three things that she called us to take into

consideration as we walk in this power.

The first thing is the power to endure whatever comes our way

that we'll be able to endure because Christ has overcome the

world. The second thing is the power of

overcoming. Because Christ has overcome the

world, we are able to overcome everything that the enemy puts

in front of us. Are those things hard?

Yes. Are they difficult?

Yes. But why do we overcome?

Because we say, Jesus, you are more than enough for us.

And the third thing is power to reign.

What does that mean? He's called us to reign over

things. A lot of times we forget that

the the mandate of our lives, especially here on this earth,

the ones that we have accepted Jesus Christ and we are living

in the fullness is 1 of reigning.

And so no longer are we subjugated to the power and the

clutches of sin. No, we are reigning over sin in

the name of Jesus and we are able to see victory over every

scheme that keeps coming. And so today as we continue on

into the 4th part, I wanted to talk currently here on this

earth, are we really living this resurrected life?

Are we really living this resurrected life?

The series is titled Inherit. And so a couple of the things

when we look into the word inherit, you know, a lot of us

are living our lives now. You know, when our parents and

when they pass on, we get to inherit certain things.

It's passed on to us. You know, some of us, we, we, we

cannot change what we will inherit.

You know, some of us, especially when we have this dialogue as

growing up, we kind of like draw comparisons.

You know, I've inherited this from my dad.

I've inherited this from my mom. This nature's from my dad, this

nature's from my mom. And so those are things that

doesn't change. Rather, when we allow Jesus to

work in and through us, when we inherit this resurrection part,

because when we say Jesus Christ is my Lord and personal Savior,

he is king over the earth, I invite him into my life.

He's cleansed me of my sin, and I'm accepting him to be the Lord

of my life. What happens is we are

inheriting Jesus into our lives and we are saying, Jesus, you

can work in and through me. And so because we're inheriting

things in our earthly mindset, what does inheritance look like?

Some of us when we inherit certain things, it comes in the

form of material things. We have certain artifacts,

certain things that they have treasured and they are passing

it down as heirlooms. Some get to inherit wealth which

has been passed on. And so when we see what happens

is we either can value it or we can devalue it.

We either find as importance in it or we find a heart connection

towards it, or we kind of like say, you know what, it doesn't

matter. It's just something you know,

and we, we, we take it, we take it for granted.

And that's where God is reminding us today when we

inherit this resurrection life through Jesus, it is one of high

value. We just can't pass it by.

And a lot of times we also take it for granted what we've

inherited. You know, when we look at some

of the things, some, some of us feel we have inherited certain

things like the colour of our skin, the size that we are, the

nose, the hair, the arms that we have.

We feel we have inherited certain nature, as I mentioned

earlier, certain gifts. You know, these are some certain

giftings that were exhibited in our grandparents, in our

parents. Some of us feel we've inherited

even certain sicknesses. We fail.

We especially with doctors asking us our precondition.

Things like is this been present in your family?

Did your grandparents have it? Did your parents have it?

Which side of the family? And so we feel some of these

things are inherited. Some of us inherit material

things, some of us inherit fortune and money.

And as I was preparing, I came across this phase which a lot of

us have probably witnessed it, you know, or we've heard or

we've heard stories of this is shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in

three generations. What does that mean?

It means that the first generation really worked hard.

They, they put everything into their work.

They were able to come up. The second generation was able

to enjoy the fruit of the labour and they also started

diversifying and they started growing it.

But the third generation didn't know what the first generation

did. And eventually what happened,

they squandered the wealth and they are back to square one of,

you know, of going back into work and they've lost

everything. And as I was reading, statistics

says that around 79 to 81 percentage of anyone who's

inherited wealth goes through this cycle. 3 generations down,

they're back to square one. They are.

They are back to where they are first generation members were.

And when we look at this, what does it remind us?

It reminds us something that's inherited loses its value.

But there are only few. And this is so true of our

Christian life. Some of us who are walking on

this Christian journey 3-4 generations in, we take it for

granted. Certain things that were

instituted, certain things that were done.

And today I want us to come to a place where we are like, Lord, I

want to take every aspect of this resurrected life which I

get to inherit from you because you've, you've risen from the

dead and you've given access to this resurrected life here on

this earth so that we'll be able to fulfill everything and be

with you in eternity. And so when we inherit it, we

need to live in the understanding, knowing that I

need to put this to work. This is something which I don't

take it for granted. This is not something which I

think will automatically go. This is not something which I'll

leave it, you know, Oh, it's a, it's one art piece that I'll

keep it in this side and I'll just showcase and I'll tell

everyone about it. No, this is something which we

allow him to take control of. That is the Holy Spirit.

We allow him to take. And when you say Jesus, I want

to partake of the resurrection life.

We're seeing God. You can take control, you know,

for a lot of us or inheriting is not one where we are in full

control. Rather we are allowing ourselves

to be empowered by him. We are allowing ourselves to be

empowered by Him. You know, I want us to read one

verse from Galatians chapter 5 and it says if he claimed to

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

live by the Holy Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit with

personal integrity, godly character and moral courage.

A conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit in Niva.

Lot of us will know this verse. It says since we live by the

Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

What does it say if we are called children of God, If we

say that we are followers of Jesus and we say we have invited

Jesus into our hearts, what happens?

We make room for the Holy Spirit.

And as we heard last week, we need to embrace the entirety of

the Holy Spirit. Don't listen to popular culture.

Popular culture will tell you, you know what the Holy Spirit

is. They have different names or

they are these Hallelujah people, or they are these people

who are dancing. We are really shouting.

We know the, the, the work of the Holy Spirit is real.

And so let's not diminish that. And So what is it?

We are allowing ourselves to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

What is empowered by the Holy Spirit means it's we've been

given authority to do something. We are given authority by the

Spirit to do something. What are you and I called to do?

You and I are not called to just be lame Christians or lame ducks

here on this earth. No, we're called to be active

Christians who are being empowered.

What are you and I being empowered today?

Because when the resurrection life comes in, we should be the

same as what the early church was.

Not just few, not just a 10th or a 20th, the entirety.

Because when the Holy Spirit came into that room, everyone

was filled. We just hear one or two who what

they talked, what they did. But everything happened because

the way in which things started churning looked entirely

different. And so today the sermon title as

we are looking into the 4th part, is empowered with divine

life in our mortal bodies. We are empowered with divine

life in our mortal bodies. You and I have the same body

what everyone else has. What's different is because

Jesus is living inside of us. What is different because we've

said Lord, we want to allow the Holy Spirit in.

We are allowing him to take control.

He empowers us to do something that's divine, something that's

divine, something that's consecrated, something that that

that does not carry the stench or the markings of the enemy.

And so the worst that we've taken today for our meditation

is from Romans 811. And if the spirit of him who

raised Christ Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who

raised Christ from the dead will also give you life to your

mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

What does it mean? It means that he wants us to

come alive. He wants to make us alive.

It is to revitalize, to give life, which means we allow the

Holy Spirit to take control of us, to give, to take control of

us. You know, there's this a lot of

us who have breathing difficulty when they give us this, the mask

to wear where there's a supportive way in which more

oxygen goes in. What happens?

More oxygen. Because for those of us who are

unable to breathe better, we are.

Especially for those of us who are heavy and who are struggling

to sleep, what happens is we are taking in more of carbon dioxide

and less of oxygen. So there's disturbed sleep.

That is, we wake up tired, there's fatigueness.

And so they give this instrument which we keep on our nose, and

what happens is we suddenly are taking in more oxygen and

suddenly our bodies are being revitalized.

It comes alive. Yes, we are sleeping, but what

happens internally is every organ that has to receive life

is receiving life. The same thing has to happen

when we are empowered by the Holy Spirit.

He becomes a sustenance. We are taking more of him and

it's expelling everything. And every time that the enemy

and the world and whatever culture has to offer, we're

saying, no, this is not, this is not who I am in Christ Jesus.

I am something different in Christ Jesus.

So what is that? It talks about the vitality

revitalize. When you look at that word

revitalize, what does vitality mean?

The state of being strong and active.

When we allow the Holy Spirit in the resurrected power who raised

him from the dead, we are saying he'll bring life to our mortal

bodies. That is, he will allow us to

come alive again. And why is it important?

Because today, in March 2026, your future must be looking

completely different. You're, as we're coming in

India, we're coming closer, you know, to the end of a financial

year, your businesses might be looking completely shaken.

Your, your, your spreadsheets are looking hopeless.

You're probably in a situation where your relationship is

completely shaken up. You're probably looking and

looking at failure and you're looking at God, what have I done

this year? God, this another year is passed

by. I'm, I'm struggling, but this is

where he's saying I'm willing to revitalize you again.

I'm willing to empower you again.

And today when you walk out of here, you're not walking out of

here in your mortal bodies with scars of discontent or

discouragement, of anger, grief, sadness, of one, of being

overlooked. No, you're being walking out

here knowing that the one who's living in you is greater than

the one who's in the world. So one of the things I wanted to

talk specifically was when we feel empowered today, we've left

empowered to all the social activists outside them.

We've had so many moments rise up.

We've had moments that we've got inequality, discrimination,

status, caste systems, socio economic differences, all these

and we've had certain people who are passionate about that rise

up. But when we are empowered by the

Holy Spirit, what happens? We rise up against the enemy.

Anything that stands as a roadblock to the truth that God

is giving, we'll be standing against.

So no longer will we be standing for just one or two things.

No longer can we be passionate for one or two things.

No, we'll be passionate for his bride.

We'll be passionate for working towards his.

And so suddenly you'll see the culmination of us gathering as a

church. We'll be passionate followers

for something or the other. Someone might take on the whole

thing of bonded labor. Someone might take on the whole

thing of, you know, women working in low income places or

families in low income places. One will take on education.

One will take on, you know, healthcare it this is where we

will feel ourselves empowered in.

And so today I want to ask you, which part of your mortal body

is dying that you need to invite him in?

Which part of your mortal body is dying?

A lot of times we don't realize if one part dies, the entire

part suffers, One part struggles, the entire part

struggles. And so I would ask you today, we

are not living this compartmentalize.

We're not living this life where you know what a Sunday life is

different by Monday to Saturday. No, everything is interlinked.

If Jesus doesn't make sense to you on a Sunday, how will he

make sense to you on a Monday to a Saturday?

If the Word of God doesn't make sense to you, you can read as

many stories and quotes you want and watch everything, Retweet,

repost, share, do all that. It'll still the Word of God will

not make any sense. And so to your mortal bodies.

Can we come to a place in God? I need entirely from head to

toe, my spirit, soul and body, Lord Jesus, every part of my

being, my physical being, my spiritual being, my emotional

being, all of that needs you. So today, what are we called to

do? We are overcomers of fear.

When we allow the Holy Spirit to come in and revitalize.

We are starting to dispel anxiety because we are confident

in the strength of the One who is in us.

We are not plagued by the demonic strongholds.

Rather we are pulling them down. You and I will be in places

where the demonic will be in full effect, where you know,

people can put spells, people can do witchcraft, people can do

everything because of the one who's greater.

That is in you, because you're marked by the blood of Jesus,

because you have the Holy Spirit who's alive in you.

When you walk, nothing will touch you.

When you walk, nothing will touch you.

That is what walking and being in this resurrection life looks

like. So today I don't know who I'm

talking to and who's wanting to listen.

But if you're scared of the of the darts of the enemy, if

you're scared of the plagues that the enemy will offer, if

you're scared that you might have ill will by some people,

remember the God who's inside you, who's saying trust me,

listen to me, obey me is saying I'm greater than one who is in

the world. What happens when we started

going the same words in and through us.

We start living the life out of what John the Baptist called us

to live. He said beautifully when he saw

his cousin walking. It wasn't his cousin that he

saw. He saw the son of man walking.

He was his life's mission was very clear.

He was sent to go prepare the way, and so when he came, he

said he must increase, I must decrease.

And I want us to look at that passage before we go on to

something which I have prepared. Specifically to look at for this

topic is John chapter 3, verses 26 to 36.

John 3:26–36

I've taken it from the Passion translation, but I've

highlighted a few words which I wanted to read.

The first verse is verse 27. John answered them.

A person cannot receive even one thing unless God bestows it.

You heard me tell you that I'm not the Messiah, but certainly I

am the messenger sent ahead of him.

Verse 29, He's the bridegroom, and the bride belongs to him.

I'm the friend of the bridegroom who stands nearby and listens

with great joy to the Bridegroom's voice.

Because of his words, my joy is complete and overflows.

Verse 30 is so beautiful and I love it.

It says it's necessary for him to increase and for me to

decrease. For the one who is from the

earth, belongs to the earth and speaks from the natural realm.

But the one who comes from above is above everything and speaks

of the highest realm of all. His message is about what he has

seen and experienced. Even though people don't accept

it yet those who embrace His message know in their hearts

that is the truth. The one whom God has sent to

represent him will speak the words of God because God has

poured out upon Him to the fullness of Holy Spirit without

limitation. The Father loves His Son so much

that He has given all things into His hand.

Those who trust in the Son possess eternal life.

Those who don't obey the Son will not see life and God's

anger will rise up against them. What we see here is people are

coming and comparing Jesus to John, and John is saying that he

must increase and I must decrease.

He's saying he was sent by God. And he also goes on to see a lot

of them may not embrace his message, but the reality is they

won't be able to embrace it because he's not of the natural

order. He's come from above.

And so today, if you and I are trying to understand the natural

order, we will not be able to understand because the one who's

living inside of us is not of the natural order.

He's from above. So I pray and ask.

Maybe not find, try to find relevance, maybe not try to find

adaptability. We will be set apart.

We will be set apart, period. We can do as much as try to

camouflage and look like the earth.

But God saying, no, you're marked, You're marked, I'm

mocking you for this generation. You will be my voice.

You'll be my hands, you'll be my feet, you'll be my ears so that

you can prophetically say and do what I'm calling you to do

today. And so today I would ask you,

Church, if you and I can carry this message.

If we want to live this resurrected life, if we want to

live this empowered divine life in our mortal bodies, He must

increase and I must decrease. He must increase.

I must decrease the very phrase that John uses.

It is necessary for him to increase and for me to decrease.

I voluntary increase Jesus in my distress, in my anxious moment,

in my struggles, in my joy, in my celebration, in my

sacrifices. Why?

Because he has a final say. Because he knows where we are

heading, because this direction of the narrow path is him,

because eternity is his place, so he knows how to lead me

there. So to balance this, that melodic

music that we heard, melody is a series of single notes which are

timed together and played right. When those single notes are not

played right, it's not melodic. And so we need to identify the

core of our melodic music because a lot of us are going

through life today, like especially with wars and you

know, with, with, with the whole thing of uncertainty of jobs and

all that. What is your music?

Because you can find a melodic music in anxiety.

You can find a melodic music in in in self loathing.

You can find a melodic music in your own body image issues.

You can find melodic music in your bulimic thing.

You can find a melodic music in your depressive state.

You can find a melodic music for anything you're feeling here on

this earth. But when you allow the Holy

Spirit to work in and through you the resurrection life, He

hits you time and again with those single notes till you

start resounding His praise. Till you start realizing it's

that worship unto Him that pulls down everything that's in front

of me. So you'll suddenly realize it's

not about my feelings, it's not about my timing, it's not about

my path and my surrounding, It's everything about Him.

And so in my feelings I will sing His praise.

In my timings which are not happening according to me, I

know that I will wait well in the path with their struggle.

I choose to bless His name because blessed be His name.

In John 3 verse 31, it says for the one who is from the world,

John 3:31

belongs to the earth, and speaks from the natural realm.

What does that mean by the one who comes from above, is above

everything, and speaks of the highest realm of all?

You and I are not meant to communicate in a natural realm,

which means geshum. Why you're saying geshum that I

every say yes for everything? No, He'll give you discernment.

He'll tell you when to hit pause.

He'll tell you when to go, when not to go.

He'll tell you when he just wants to sit and download on

you. He'll tell you what to speak.

He'll tell you when to listen. He'll tell you what to say.

Everything will be guided by Him.

And so when the Spirit becomes the core melody, we start

operating in his timing. We start operating in His path.

We start operating in his surrounding.

We start operating in his feeling.

You suddenly will realize what I'm going through is far bigger.

What I'm going through, this feeling I have to overcome

because the testimony that comes out of my mouth is going to

bless someone else. We suddenly are embodied in that

and saying that I will not want a life that is substandard to

the Holy Spirit which he's wanting to offer.

So today I pray and ask that when we love this Holy Spirit to

work in and through us, this one empowered Holy Spirit life to

work, empowered life to work in and through us.

What happens? We start living out knowing

something is different, marked out for us, differently marked

out for us. And one of the characters which

as I was meditating on, I was turned to the book, to the

character of Stephen, because yes, we know all the ones in the

New Testament in the early church are important, but

Stephen stood out because it's distinctively what which I

wanted to leave with you all. Even as we talk about this

empowered life, what does it mean to be empowered by the

Spirit? The first thing that we see from

Stephen's life, he knew what saturation was by the Spirit.

What is saturation? The degree of extent to which

something is dissolved or absorbed, and so one of the

things we see happen in Stephen's life was which was

evident was he was filled with the Spirit.

He was filled with the Spirit. Acts 6 verses one to four.

In those days when the number of disciples were increasing, the

Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic

Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily

distribution of food. So the 12 gathered all the

disciples together and said it would not be right for us to

neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on

tables. Brothers and sisters, choose

seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit

and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility

over to them, and we'll give our attention to prayer and ministry

of the world. There was a clear call as to who

they were wanting to raise. It would be right for us.

They didn't want to neglect the ministry of the Word.

And so they were saying choose someone who's filled full of the

Holy Spirit and wisdom. There was definitely an

outworking of what the Holy Spirit is already in someone.

And that's what. So when you look at Stephen's

life, we see that he was willing to be saturated by the Holy

Spirit. And so today, when we are

empowered by the Holy Spirit in this resurrection life, are we

undergoing saturation? Are we undergoing saturation?

You know, the beautiful thing about saturation is the more

it's soaked in, especially like when your dishwasher soap, when

you soak that in entirely, the sponge is fully soaked in.

What happens? There's no room for anything

else to get in. When you saturate your meat in

that spice and herbs and everything, the the longer you

leave it, the more it takes in, the more it goes in, the more

the taste just goes in. And suddenly what was just a

piece of meat without any taste suddenly gets all this flavorful

taste. So today I want to ask you, are

you willing to be saturated? Because if we don't do step one,

we can't go to Step 2, step three-step 4, the saturation of

the whole. Because when Stephen was

selected, it says full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, which

means even before he was chosen for something, he was operating

in the saturation of the Holy Spirit.

He allowed the Holy Spirit to work in and through everything

that he did was one of wisdom. And 11 where the Holy Spirit was

involved. So truly can you be saturated?

Because when you're saturated, what happens?

Any situation you're squeezed out mine.

Geshom's innate nature doesn't come out.

Geshom's innate nature to saturate by the Holy Spirit

starts coming out. So I pray and ask that Stephen

embodied that you and I get to do that today.

Stephen's life seems short lived, but it's one where we are

recounting 2000 years later. You and I have a life to live

till whatever point God is assigned for us.

But in that, can we be saturated in Him?

A lot of us are wanting to be saturated in so many things.

We are wanting to learn so many things so that we'll be

relevant, we'll be needed, we'll be wanted with the Holy Spirit's

like I'm taking calling a generation which will be soaked

in me, where you'll allow my wisdom to work in this logical

head of ours and in this concrete heart which receives

certain things but does not receive everything he's saying I

want to work, I want to saturate, I want to permeate

into everything. That's why we stress and

emphasize that we allow the word of God to walk in and through

US, walk in and through US. 2 Corinthians 318 says and we all

with unveiled face continually seeing as in a mirror the glory

of the Lord are progressively being transformed into his image

from 1° of glory to even more glory which comes from the Lord

who is the Spirit progressively being transformed.

You and I are not transformed like this.

We are progressively being transformed.

So what happens today at 20? I've been progressively being

transformed in my 30s as my kids grow.

I'm being progressively being transformed in my 40s in my

releasing of my kids in in in allowing both me and my wife to

find what God's calling us to do.

We are progressively being transformed in our 50s.

It looks different in our 60s. It'll look different, but it'll

all stem from a place of how much of saturation I'm allowing.

We get to control this because if we're saying Holy Spirit,

you're enough. He'll say he'll back off.

What are you saying, Holy Spirit?

I need you today. Holy Spirit, I need you

everyday. Holy Spirit, you are my portion.

You're the one I will call on. No one else I can call on today.

Are you willing to be saturated just like Stephen?

What are your saturation level looking like today?

The second thing is when you are saturated, you get the

opportunity to serve. And So what does that look like?

When I'm empowered by the Holy Spirit, everything and anything

I do is for Him. And I'm not doing it directly to

Him. I'm doing it to His body, His

image bearers. And so you, it is an honor that

I get to do this. It's an honor that I get to do

this. And So what happens?

The problem is we have elevated certain things as the important

things, but God saying no Geshom, I want you to realize

everything that you do because saturation happens in every

level. My love, it saturates my pride.

So suddenly you realize God, this is I get to do this for

you. It's for your glory and I humble

myself. All glory from this goes to you.

You don't take anything, you don't alleviate yourself.

You don't subdue others with the authority God's given you.

Let's continue reading from Acts chapter 6, verse 5.

Acts 6:5

This proposal pleased the whole group.

They chose Stephen, manful of faith and of the Holy Spirit.

Also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Damon, Palmianus, and Nicholas

from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid

their hands on them. So the Word of God spread.

The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and

a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed great

wonders and science among the people.

The one who was saturated was able to perform science and

wonders. And a lot of times I think, God,

am I even ready? God choose.

God allows us. But it comes down to me whether

I go back into the altar room and I say, God, I want more of

you Without you. I can't do this.

Without you, I can't foresee this without because you are the

one who's going to grow this. You are the one who's going to

see things happen. And So what we see here is the

integral part of this entire operation is the Holy Spirit.

And so the serving came to a place where it was entirely

dependent on what the Holy Spirit was allowing and doing

through each and everyone, which Stephen signs, wonders and

miracles came. Yes, they was serving.

They were chosen specifically to serve.

But in the midst of that, there was healing.

Just imagine what churches will look like if they didn't have to

wait for the altar call. But the minute they entered and

the person was welcoming them, they experienced healing right

there, even before they got into the room.

The room was so doused with prayer that they could feel the

presence of God. They didn't have to wait for the

worship set to start. We are so tuned to certain

things that we're unwilling to allow the Holy Spirit to take

reign over everything. So I pray that we will be able

to allow Him to take reign over everything.

Jeremiah chapter 17, verses 9 to 10 says the heart is deceitful

Jeremiah 17:9–10

about all things and beyond cure.

Who can understand it? I, the Lord search the heart and

examine the mind to reward each person according to their

conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.

You know a lot of us today are self propagating what we are

doing. You know a lot of times people

tell me Geshom you're leading a church, but honestly it's God

who's leading it. I just get to be part of the

story for a time being, and that's the beautiful thing I get

to do about serving you. And I get to serve in different

capacities today. I'm not stuck to just one thing.

It wouldn't take me a second to actually do something else, as

in cleaning the hall or cleaning the chair or serving someone.

Those are all things that come easier for me because I know

anything I'm doing is for God's glory.

And I want to ask you, have you been waiting for just one

opportunity to do it, or are you taking every opportunity that

comes your way? Remember that when we serve from

a place of saturation, you'll be amazed at what God wants to do

through you. A lot of us are walking into

churches or going back. There are so many places God has

positioned us to serve. I pray we will walk in the

saturation of the Holy Spirit in those places.

What does saturation look like when you walk into those places

and serve? Even before you go into those

places, you'll be dripping of the Holy Spirit that people will

be able to catch on to freedom, to strength, to love, to grace,

to forgiveness, to restoration, to healing, to signs and

wonders. It all happens because you're

saturated in Him, so as you walk into these places, you will be

able to see Him being glorified. The Holy Spirit helps us with

humility where we're able to do anything and everything for His

glory. A lot of us are so caught up

many a times with what can happen.

This and that sort allow God to work in the in the framework in

what he's calling you to do. That's why it's it's it that

revitalizing will happen only when we allow him into the

framework. A lot of us want to create a

framework for the Holy Spirit, but he's above the framework.

He's like, let me create the framework for you.

And when you see it, you'll see that you're just part of a

bigger thing that God's doing and you suddenly realize you're

just doing it in one part. But there are so many others who

are doing it in different parts of the world.

And as you keep doing it, you'll realize God is bringing

transformation not just to one part of society in a country,

but to the entire world through different parts who are

responding to the call. The third thing is what we see

from Stephen's life. Because he was saturated,

because he was willing to serve, he was also willing to stand for

what he believed in. Standing.

When I'm empowered by the Spirit, I'm able to stand in

places where he asks me to stand.

No longer will the gospel just be one of hands.

You know, it'll be one of the mouth also, where I will testify

of what the Holy Spirit is putting on my lips.

So today you and I will move to a place.

Yes, a lot of us love doing it. We love being in the background.

No, but God will start using us to share what God's done in and

through our lives. So the person who's next to us,

who we are serving to the person who's also wanting, who's who's,

who's asking us for a prayer, we will be called to serve.

And so when accusation comes, you'll be able to stand up for

the truth because you're saturated.

You're serving in the fullness that he's given you, and you're

able to stand for the truth because today, let's face it,

you and I are set apart. You and I are standing for what

God wants us to stand. That is anything that's opposing

the enemy. Where there's injustice, we'll

stand for justice. Where there's lies, we'll stand

for the truth. Where there's discrimination,

we'll stand for the image of God.

Where there's false worship, we'll stand for true worship.

Where there is isolation and demarcation, we will stand for

oneness and unity. This is what God will call us to

stand. And so today, I don't want you

to be in the opposite camp. Saying I'm empowered by the Holy

Spirit doesn't work. Find out what God is asking you

to do. A lot of us have our motives

wrong. Our selfish motives wrong are

ideas of settling and being right.

But God's like, I want to change every narrative to realize that,

you know, I'm the one who created you.

I know how this works, and I am wanting to stand against the

enemy in the face of accusation. He empowers us to stand tall and

be a testament. Acts 6 was 9 to 15.

Opposition arose, however, for members of the Synagogue of the

Freedmen, as it was called, Jews of Sirene and Alexandria, as

well as the provinces of Cecilia and Asia, who began to argue

with Stephen. But they could not stand up

against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

What happens when you're empowered by the Holy Spirit is

that you allow the Holy Spirit to walk in and through you, that

you are starting to testify. Not just in one or two places.

I'm sure even before he came here, he already was speaking in

so many other places. So today may we put our words to

practice in places with one-on-one people, conversations

wherever God's placing us, so that when time comes we'll be

able to take a stand where it really matters.

Let's move on to verse 11. It says then they secretly

persuaded some of the men to say, we have heard Stephen speak

blasphemous words against Moses and against God.

So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers

of the law. They see Stephen, they brought

him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses

who testified. This fellow never stopped

speaking against the holy place and against the law.

For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy

this place and change the customs.

Moses handed down to us all who are sitting in the sand and

looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like

the face of an Angel. What happens when you're

saturated, when you've been serving and when you've been

talking? Standing up for Jesus is the

fact that you will reflect who you're saturated by.

There was No Fear. There was no kind of doubt.

He was confident in what he was speaking.

So which means when I'm saturated.

So today a lot of us are trying to operate out of that 5%

saturation, 10% saturation, 15% saturation.

I pray that we won't be content. We'll move and say, Lord, I want

more of you so that when we come back, we'll be able to witness

boldly. We'll be able to witness boldly.

I pray and ask that wherever God's asking us.

A lot of times today, God is wanting us.

He has set us apart. I know a lot of you don't like

that kind of a sermon, that kind of a phrase.

You are set apart. You want to be 1.

No, but God is saying I have chosen you.

The path marked out for Jesus one was one being set apart.

You and I are called to be set apart.

And so when we stand for him, we showcase Him.

When we stand for Him, he is the one who's seen.

When we stand for Him, He will fight for us.

He will fight for us. Galatians 51 says it was for

freedom that Christ set us free, completely liberating us.

Therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a

yoke of slavery which you once removed.

What does this talk about? A slavery could be anything but

face head on. It requires you to stand, not to

sit. Be careful which table you're

sitting at. A lot of times we're trying to

be saturated in tables where the conversations are of the world,

and it'll take us away from the principles of what the Word of

God asks us to take. Move to a place of sitting at

the table where God is seated at, where the Holy Spirit is

able to work in and through US, where you're in the company of

others who are able to edify, where you're able to talk.

Tina constantly reminds us, I want to be around people who are

overcomers because they have been through the fire and have

come out on the other side. So I pray on us that you and I

will be in that place. When we stand in the freedom, we

inherit it from Jesus. We are in the righteousness of

God. You know, in one Peter 59, it

says it calls every believer to resist the devil standing firm

in their faith. Standing.

The posture is one of stand. When you're standing, you're not

just standing, you're standing alert.

When you're standing, everything is awakened.

It's difficult to stand and sleep.

It's difficult to stand and be have your attention divided.

You're standing, you're alert. That is what God is wanting us

to be on. So today, when you're saturated

and when you're serving, would you take a stand for what God's

calling you to do? Because you will be amazed that

those small steps that you're taking will eventually build up

and there'll be deliverance for many who are coming alongside

you. The 4th 1, the scene Stephen had

his eyes gaze fixed on heaven. You know the when you read

through that entire Acts Chapter 7 where he talks, he gives the

Acts 7 · chapter mention

entire history of how they were set apart and they were going.

And in all that, what we see is we see that they were not ready

to accept the fact that they crucified the one who was

appointed by God to save mankind, because the fear that

they had is that kind of a message will make all of their

jobs. 0 Any man made system is threatened.

We can't keep our eyes on that. We'll have to keep our eyes on

Jesus. Our focus has to be there.

And when our focus is there, we are ready to go through what may

come. Might be like asking yeshum.

But Stephen went through something very hard.

He was stoned to death. The truth is everyone in the

early church considered what they went through for Christ and

honor because what God did was far bigger than what they have

gone through. And so today, whatever we are

walking through, you know, I wish I had a message that was

one where we won't go through hardship, no, but we will go

through. But where our eyes are locked on

really matters. Where our eyes are locked on

really matters. What are we seeing?

A lot of times you're not seeing it in the physical.

We're seeing it in the spiritual.

A lot of times you're not seeing it for just this day.

You know, we're seeing it. God, this what I'm going through

is so that your plan and purposes will come through in my

life. So I pray and ask.

As we read, we see in that as Stephen was talking, this is

what he says. However, the Most High does not

live in houses made by human hands.

As a prophet says, Heaven is my throne and the earth is my food

stool. What kind of a house will you

build for me, says the Lord, Or where will my resting place be?

Has not my hand made all these things?

When the members of the sand and then heard this, they were

furious and gnashed their teeth at him.

But Stephen full of the Holy Spirit looked up to heaven and

saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of

God. Look, he said, I see heaven open

and the Son of man standing at the right hand.

For what he saw, the spiritual eyes was far bigger.

And Jesus was proud of him saying, Son, you can come be

with me. And so today I want to ask you,

we will go through the stage in different places, different

seasons of our life, but I pray that it will be in that same

order where as thief and we will be saturated as thief and we'll

be willing to serve as thief and we'll be continually standing as

thief and we'll be able to see through our spiritual eyes.

In Philippians chapter 3, we read this, it says, join

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

together in following my example where Paul tells the Philippi

Church, he says, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us

as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

But as I've often told you before and now tell you again,

even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Their destiny is destruction. The God is their stomach and the

glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly

things, but our citizenship is in heaven as we eagerly await a

Savior. From there, the Lord Jesus

Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything

under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so

that they'll be like his glorious body.

We all, we all have to realize what we're seeing.

What we're seeing is not for physical.

What we're seeing is for the miraculous.

What we're waiting for is for the miraculous.

What we're waiting for is for that testimony in our mouth so

that many others can see it, so that many others will experience

healing, so that many others will experience the favour of

God on their lives. I'm reminded of the song that I

heard of Torn Wells called Citizen of Heaven, and the verse

goes on to say this. It says getting caught up in

here and now has a tendency to wear me down.

Am I really free if I'm thinking about only temporary things, The

world screaming so loud when I'm locked to the middle of my

doubt, when I'm lost in the rhythm of the crowd, I hear

heaven calling me. We are a citizen of heaven.

So if heaven is upward, if that's where God is, if that's

where my eyes have to be, I would lock my eyes on heaven.

Whatever I'm going through, I'll go through it because I know God

is with me. It's not in the absence, but

He's with me. Stephen's ending is a reminder

that moments will come where we take a stand.

It'll cost us things. It'll cost us, but it is one

where we'll be able to testify and encourage others who are on

that same journey. So I pray now that you and I

will live this empowered lives. Empowered lives.

I'm reminded of a story which I came of a missionary story is

called Mary's Schleser, a Scottish missionary story called

Mary's Schleser. She will grew up in the slums of

Scotland, had an alcoholic dad and little hope of changing

circumstances around. They lived in the slums of

Scotland. But she got to hear the story of

David Livingston who had gone to Africa and what happened was her

dad died early on, yet she didn't allow that to mark her.

She started working and by the age of 16 she knew weaving

really well. She was working 12 hours a day

when David Livingstone passed away.

When she got to hear that story, she decided she would continue

to go and do the work in Africa. Mary's work began in Calaba and

she lived and worked in places where no European had ever gone.

She faced life threatening illnesses and hardship, but they

nicknamed her Mighty Mary. She did not once consider giving

up. She lived in Obeyong, an ethic

for people, for 15 years. She lived in the same places

that she lived. She lived so that they will be.

She'll be able to learn their language.

She'll be able to do the work with them.

And one of the interesting things in that community is

whenever they had twins, they thought that was bad omen and

that they would kill those girls.

They'll put them in cisterns and just leave them to die.

But she started rescuing them. She started rescuing them.

What happened is that as she lived there for the next 30

years, she was working tirelessly to educate and

overcome superstitions such as twin killing and women's rights.

She earned their love and respect and as a result, was

able to spread the gospel to areas no missionary good.

Today, you and I, you don't have a story like this, but we are

put in places where there's no hope, where we are put in places

where people don't have the power, where we are put in

places where people don't have the the fullness of the gospel.

And that is where we are called to be.

What she overcame was from her circumstance.

Her mom was a Presbyterian lady who went to church.

Everything that was put into a deposited into a took fruit at

the right time. So I pray and ask that even as

we go through the series and as we come through all of this, the

deposits in our life will make sense, that we won't give in to

fear. We won't give in to the lies of

the enemy. We won't give in to the things

that the enemy wants us to fail at, but rather we would give in

to what God is calling us to step into.

One of the things which I really love about Stephen's story is

the fact that he knew what his assignment was.

And that comes because you're allowed the Holy Spirit to take

control of the framework of your life.

So today I ask as you're empowered by the Holy Spirit,

saturation keeps happening every day.

And out of that serving, let it be birthed out.

Whatever capacity, wherever He's placing you, whatever He's

asking you do, you don't have to fish for positions to serve.

See the need and serve. Take a stand for what is right.

You don't have to take a stand for people.

Take a stand for what the Word of God is asking you.

A lot of us are trying to fight other people's battles and

taking a stand for them. No, take a stand for what the

Holy Spirit is asking you to take a stand for.

You'll automatically see redemption through that.

You'll automatically see His work through that.

Let not the world dictate what you have to stand for and maybe

keep our eyes on Jesus because whatever we walk here on this

earth because of our saturation levels, because of who we get to

serve, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Because the stand that we take, our eyes cannot look here and

there rather should be locked on Him because he will direct our

paths. I believe the mirror will only

reflect where we are seeing. So if you're looking up there,

his gaze, his light will shine, and that's what others would

see. So I want to pray and ask that

would you allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through your

life? If you've been resistant to the

Holy Spirit because of some experience that you've had in

your childhood or because of certain things your parents have

said or your family members or your relatives have talked

about, or certain denominations you've been part of, I want to

ask you, God is real. Jesus our Savior is real, the

Holy Spirit is real, and the Trinity and the triune and the

way they function is real, and we need all of them.

And so the Holy Spirit will birth something.

Would you allow him? Would you be ready to be

revitalized so that you'll be able to be empowered to live

this divine life here on this earth in our mortal bodies?

And I pray with your loving heavenly Father.

Lord, we thank you, Lord, for this time.

Thank you, Lord, for all that you're doing, Lord, in and

through our lives. We are so grateful.

Lord, we believe you are Lord and King over our lives.

Lord, I pray in everything we give thanks to you, Lord Jesus,

as we heard, I pray, Lord, that we won't take a step back.

Lord Jesus, we thank you that Lord, as we read from Romans 8,

Romans 8:11

verse 11, Lord Jesus, these mortal bodies come alive in the

name of Jesus because of the Spirit of Jesus that is living

in and through US. And I pray that you will shine

your light so that all around we'll see that.

I pray that, Lord, we'll be saturated in you, that whenever

we're squeezed little or more, we will have you in every place.

We will leave a mark of you in every place.

I pray, Lord, for those of us who've been struggling to serve,

that we will start putting our hands to the plow and we'll be

doing what you're calling us to do, Lord Jesus.

I pray Lord, for those of us, Lord, who've been struggling to

stand for you, Lord Jesus, we've been so worried, Lord Jesus of

us, will we be isolated? Will we be?

Will we be treated bad? Will we look differently?

I pray we will take comfort knowing that on the stand that

you took, you were looked differently, yet you fulfilled

the will of the Father that we'll be able to fulfill the

will that you have for us, Lord. And I pray that Lord, our eyes

will be locked on you because where we see is what we reflect,

Lord. And I pray we'll reflect you in

every space that we go into. Lord, go before us, be with us.

I pray you'll bless each and everyone.

Bless the work of our hands. I pray, Lord, for good health,

strength and protection. Be with each and everyone's

strength. Upon each and everyone, we ask

that you'll be glorified, honored, and praised.

In your most holy name we pray, Amen, Amen, Amen.

Pray that even as you step out this week, God will bless you

and remember that as you go out, God is with you in everything

that you do. You can call on the Holy Spirit.

Move into a time of reading His word, that even as you read and

meditate, His words will come alive in you and the Holy Spirit

will be able to do His work. Have a blessed weekend.

Remember that whoever finds Jesus finds life.

We hope you enjoyed today's message and we're blessed.

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Most importantly, remember that whoever finds Jesus finds life.