289 ~ ALIVE & ACTIVE ~ PART 4

We welcome you to the Via 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.

God's Word is Evergreen in power and promise.

The month of November is the Global Bible Month and to

celebrate the Bible here at church we are going deeper into

what the Bible really is and how we can better spend time in the

world so that we are ready for the world.

We hope that you relish knowing more about God's Word and that

it spurs you on to greater intimacy with God Himself.

Hi Church, this has a joy and a privilege to be able to bring

God's Word to you today. Even as we take some time, we

are going to go into the 4th part even as we just saw the

bumper. We've been going through this

entire topic called alive and active.

God's Word has been alive. God's Word has been active, and

a couple of the things that I wanted to kind of highlight from

all that we saw is the fact that Bible is still relevant.

Bible is still alive and active. It is still powerful.

It's still illuminates our lives in dark spaces.

The minute you start reading God's Word, the minute you start

applying it, wherever you go, you are carrying his life,

giving light into all these spaces where there's no hope.

We saw that it's still relevant. We saw history proves as

scholars, as theology, as his people who were influenced by

the Holy Spirit, were literally inspired by the Holy Spirit,

were able to pen this. That's why the book has lasted

all these 2000 years. We see that even right now when

we read it, it comes alive because the Spirit of God is

living. And I believe that even as we

saw last week in the third part, it's a journey.

You and I are called to be on this journey.

It's lifelong for those of us who start early.

When we are in our school, high school, and in our college.

It becomes this companion where we get to read these stories of

people. Many times we contradict it with

our own cultural themes we struggle to understand.

We find those loopholes. We start start justifying it,

but the minute we start living it out to its fullest, we start

seeing it comes with us into our marriages, into our times when

we have our children, into how we deal with us as parents, into

US becoming people, being part of His community, overseeing,

helping people, doing things that God's called us to do in

the places that He's kept us. Everything stems from the Word

of God. And so today, what we see happen

around the world is all impressions of what God's

actually put on people over time.

And for those who've actually sustained it over generations is

because they've been rooted in God's Word.

And so even today, as we take some time today, we're going to

see why the Bible still matters to us.

And I want to challenge us today that even as you hear this

sermon, even as I was preparing, I was personally challenged

because God was really talking to me.

Are you really doing what I'm asking you to do?

Because many a times we can read it.

We can take what feels convenient for us, and we can

say, you know what, this is enough flawed.

But God saying, are you taking it in its fullness?

Are you taking it fully for yourself?

Because I believe we are called to take the whole gospel to the

whole world and be the whole church so that we'll be able to

address everything that we go through emotionally,

spiritually, physically, everything God cares about.

God doesn't just care about one element of us that's spiritual.

No, He cares about our emotions. He cares about our physical

state. He cares about our well-being.

He cares about where we've been placed today and I want to go

back to that first verse we saw in the first series because I

believe that still is going to be the hinge for us to really

see God's word come alive in US. Hebrews chapter 4, verses 12.

Hebrews 4:12

And this is what it says. For the word of God is alive and

active, sharper than any double edged sword.

It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and

marrow. It judges the thoughts and the

attitudes of the heart. Even as I read, it says that the

Word of God is alive and active. I started it by saying alive and

active. And the reason why I want to

emphasize on that is today when you read His Word, are you alive

and active? Or are you alive and inactive?

Or are you dead and active? Because many a times we find all

these combinations. God's asking you, are you alive

and active? Because if you are alive,

inactive, you will be committed to going deep in God's Word.

You will be committed to staying in God's Word.

One of the things that we see time and again when we start

engaging in, in God's Word is the fact that you will be able

to dig deeper. And when you dig deeper, what

happens is it's like an excavation process.

It's like you're digging deep into your into your inner self.

You're digging into your past. You're digging into that sinful

nature. You're digging into areas where

you see. That's why many times when you

start seeing the very sinful nature in your own lives, you'll

see this is just not with you. It's something that's inherited.

You start seeing, there's a pattern in your family.

You start saying, God, this has to end with me.

God, this can't continue on God, I need freedom from this.

God, We as a generation have to turn to you so that we'll be

able to see things differently. We will have to ask God, God,

can you reveal yourself to us in our deep most in our most part.

And so today I want to ask you, would you be committed to

reading God's word so that it goes deep?

It allows you to immediately go deep.

Take those time to really dig in and ask God, am I really

peaceful? Am I really joyful?

Am I really a carrier of your word?

Am I really finding your word alive?

Because many a times today in this day and age, we find the

social streams of others alive and active.

We find the messages of other pastors and people have been

putting their social media content alive.

We feel others around are all alive.

God, when I read, I don't find it alive.

But God wants to say, I want to go deep with you.

I want to spend time with you. I want to establish myself with

you. The word which gets through will

allow God to actually be the Potter.

He can shape us. He's ready to say, you know, I

don't want that sinful nature covering you.

I wanted to be dismantled. So can I love you and shape you

so that you'll be formed in the image that I intended you to be

without sin, so that you'll be able to be in that repentance?

We will constantly realize it's not our strength, but it is His

strength. So today I want to ask you, as

you read God's Word, what is your metrics when it comes to

engaging in God's Word today? What is your metrics?

Are you just content just hearing it in one year and

leaving it? You know, yes, the Word of God

has become accessible. It's there in front of us, many

times something that's right there in front of us and you see

too much of it. We really don't value it.

But I want to come to a place where we are wanting to know

what is our metrics today when we really see his gods were

alive and active. You know, recently, two weeks

back, me and Tina got to travel and our kids were staying back

with both sets of grandparents over 2 weeks.

And one of the conversations that happened, I think 10 days

into the trip was that our daughter told us that she really

values us and she really misses us.

She really, you know, misses everything that she doesn't.

She's feels that she's taken a lot of things for granted.

And I believe, you know, when you're farther away, when you're

away like this, your heart tends to grow fonder.

But I want to come to a place like may we not be so used to

God's word that we don't take it that we take it for granted.

May we start engaging it in such a way that we start seeing it

more closely. May may the may the mirror

reflection of us when we see be so much that we say God, I need

more of you. Are we visibly seeing the

maturity of God's word in our lives today?

His growth is the maturity is is handling of issues is is it a

quick turn around when we start seeing God's word?

Are we quick to repent of our ways and say God come through

God have your way God let your will be done.

I remember last week when we were listening to one of the

pastors speech, he said when you're 300 days in the gym, it

shows when you're 300 days following a certain routine,

whether you're putting you're reading a book, it shows in your

speech. If you're reading God's word 300

days, is it really showing in and through your life?

If you're eating fast food 300 days you will definitely show.

But today I want to ask you, are you really showing God's word,

the evidence of it in and through your life?

Because it's very important, because if we do not showcase

that it's like the Word of God is falling on hard parts of our

heart, and it's not falling into the fertile part.

It's in the fertile part. When seeds fall in, when God

nourishes with this word, when it starts growing, when we bear

fruit, we get pruned again so that we can bear a richer

harvest. That's when it is evident, not

just to us, but to the people around.

So today we are all recipients of God's word.

We're consuming it. You're receiving it in some form

or the other, either for us in this case, you're probably

watching it or you're listening it to online.

But I want to ask you, as recipients of His Word, is it

alive and active in us? What we do with the Word

matters. What we do with this word that

is alive and active matters because whatever is alive and if

it's healthy will grow. Whatever is alive and what is

unhealthy will die. So today is the word of God in

an unhealthy environment in your life that it is dying or is it

in a healthy environment where it's growing?

What does that look like? Because when it's in an

unhealthy environment, because if you're surrounded by fear, if

you're surrounded by you know and God, this won't happen for

me with, with not taking control of your thoughts, not taking

control of your emotions, not allowing the healer to heal you.

Whatever deposit gets happened, the minute you remove or you

move yourself from that specific place or where you received it,

it just becomes deadened. But God's wanting to know, is it

alive and active? Because if it's alive and

active, I have something to do. And through you, that's where

the Holy Spirit comes. But you might be like yeshwum.

The Holy Spirit can work in chaos.

He works in chaos, but he works in chaos when there is a

willingness for it to yield itself to the Spirit to work.

I want to read this particular passage from Matthew chapter 10,

Matthew 10:5–8

verses 5 to 8 because I believe today when we are come to the

last part of this, God is wanting to Commission us.

He's not wanting you and me to just receive the word and stay

put. He's like Geshom, I want you to

be commissioned as you hear this word.

Whoever is listening today, whoever is watching today, I

want you to come to a place in God.

I want to be commissioned by you and here it's interesting.

We all know the commissioning that happens in the new in the

book of Acts where the Holy Spirit comes.

We know we celebrate it as a day of Pentecost.

We we know that we are called to fulfill the Great Commission.

But here, right here is where Jesus commissions is 12 and he

gives them specific instructions.

And I want us to find ourselves in the same situation because we

have specific instructions. Right where we are at today.

The mission field is not somewhere outside.

It's right where you're at today.

Your mission field can be within your family for those of you who

are working from home. For those of you who are at

home, it can be with right with your family.

But right where you're at, for those who are in your cities,

it's right in your cities. You and me have a mandate to the

city that we are living in. If we aren't carrying that

mandate, we will not be able to fulfill what God's called us to

do. Time and again I've repeated

this. A lot of us have love for

another land, but not for the land that God's placed us in.

Till we come to that realization that God, this is the place

you've placed me. This is where my calling is.

He cannot enlarge you. Matthew chapter 10 verses 5 to 8

Matthew 10:5–8

and the passions is what it says.

Jesus sent out the 12 with these instructions.

Don't go into any Gentile or Samaritan territory.

Go instead and find the law sheep among the people of

Israel. And as you go, preach this

message. Heaven's Kingdom realm is

accessible, close enough to touch.

You must continually bring healing to lepers and to those

who are sick, and make it your habit to break off the demonic

presence from people and raise the dead back to life freely.

You have received the power of the Kingdom, so freely release

it to others. Jesus talks to his disciples and

sends them and he tells them that a principle of what it is

required to be his disciples right where we are placed.

And the reason why I wanted to emphasize this is so that we

will be able to do all that He's called us to do right where we

are at. A lot of us get so excited about

a mission trip. A lot of us get so excited about

going somewhere else. A lot of us are unable to stand

in the places where God's places and be the testimony.

God is wanting to 1st establish us right here.

God is wanting us to 1st establish us right where He's

placed us because our testimony will mean nothing if you've not

established ourselves here. So the first thing he tells his

disciples is He says go and find.

Who does He tell? Go and find?

He doesn't tell. Go and find those who don't

know. He says go to the very ones who

are lost today. How many of us have lost people

amongst us today? You and I don't have to go

further away. Our immediate family or extended

family friends that we know are like lost sheep.

They either have given up on their ways.

They either up have been so succumbed to the plague of the

city or to the plague that is emotionally draining them around

the city today. What is that looking like in

cities today? The the pressure to survive is

very high. The pressure to perform is very

high. The pressure to have enough is

very high. The pressure is really high for

everything today. What are you and I doing to

those who we are talking to? Are we able to witness to them?

Are we able to tell them that this is the God that we worship?

He is relevant, He is real today to you.

The reason why I'm saying that is if we don't go and find, we

will never be able to find those who really need to know Jesus

and the love and the power that Jesus has.

If I have to ask you today, you don't have to pack your bags.

We are living in cities right now.

Today we are in a, we are in a metropolitan city right here,

Taiwan city in India. And there's a research that came

out, 43% of Indians living in urban areas experience some form

of loneliness. Loneliness seems to be the

biggest thing, biggest thing in our country, in our cities.

And so today, as you and I are placed in the cities, are we

being the companion that we have to be?

Like how Jesus was to the people right there in the city that he

was in. Because today, if we can't give

a hand to those who are lonely, we will enable them to drown in

their loneliness. We need to lift them up and say,

hey, Jesus is with you. Can we pray with you?

Can you show up? Can we invite them into things,

create avenues, create rooms for them to come and sit Today a lot

of us are just caught up in our own kind of feeling.

Rise up. Today the word of God is alive

and active. The second one he tells them is

it's accessible. He says the Kingdom of God has

come. You can go, it's right there.

It's accessible, so close to touch.

Why does it happen? Because today you and I are

carriers of the Kingdom. You and I are carriers of the

expression of Jesus. God is working in and through

US. That's why he says your temple

is your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which means

he's residing in US. Wherever we go, Jesus is right

there. And so today, when you're going

to those spaces where there's loneliness, you're carrying the

God of all comfort, the God of the God who sees, the God who

hears, the God who doesn't discriminate.

That is the God who you and I carry.

And so when we take him in, we are creating access where we are

bringing hope. Transformation is another thing

that we see. He says when you go there, you

will see that lepers and sickness won't be there anymore.

Leprosy and sickness won't be there anymore.

He says because of you going there, what happens?

His power is manifested. And so today you and I, who are

carrying this alive and active, are going into spaces to see

things turn around Church, we need to rise up.

For far too long we've succumbed to the pressure of the fact

that, oh, we cannot see things turn.

No, you and I have the power of prayer.

You and I have the power of bending our knees.

You and I have the power of lifting our hands.

You and I have the power of calling on the God of heaven.

You and I have the power of calling on the God who is the

consuming fire. If Elijah could do it amongst

the prophets of Baal in such a way where the offering that was

offered was completely drenched with 12 pots of water and he saw

consuming fire coming from heaven above and consuming it

everything. I believe you and I have much

more to offer our cities today. You and I have much more to

offer our pin codes today. You and I have much more to

offer the people that we are in place amongst today.

We need to see transformation happen.

What is it that is God? What is it that God is breaking

your heart? Because if you're reading his

word, you will soon realize this is breaking God's heart.

Injustice breaks God's heart, lies breaks God's heart.

You know the, the, the break, collapse of humanity and the,

the very essence and the fabric of humanity breaks God's heart.

What is God calling you today? What is God calling you today?

To transform not according to your power, but according to His

power. Because your feet is planted on

the rock that will not be shaken on Christ, the solid rock.

I stand. You and I cannot be shaken

because we are standing on Christ.

The time is coming when things will seem so bizarre and so

shaken up around, but because our feet are planted on the rock

to stay, we will stand the test of time.

We will stand the test of time. And the last thing that he tells

them is freely. You have received freely

release. You and I have the gift of

salvation, which was freely given to us.

We didn't have to work. We didn't have to strive.

We didn't have to, you know, do ABCD be there, do this.

No, we just had to call on God, repent of our ways, acknowledge

that he is God, confess our sins, invite him into our heart,

and he's freely available. That free gift of salvation that

you receive, we freely give. And today you and I have this

mandate. Just because it's fully paid and

it's free doesn't mean you don't get to do everything.

You don't get to do anything because it's fully done.

We get to do everything for God. We get to do everything for God.

So today I want to ask you, would you rise up?

Is the word of God alive and active?

Because there are two forms here which I wanted to which I've

been kind of meditating on over the last couple of weeks. 1 is

the word recipient. Today.

A lot of us know especially when the start of the hour comes, we

have the nominations coming out for Oscars, then you have the

Emmy Awards that are coming out. Then you'll have your Grammys

that are coming out, and then you have a whole bunch of other

awards that are coming out. And so these are people who've

really strive in a particular category, under a particular

genre and under a particular role that I start getting

awarded for. And they're competing against

others who are in the same category with same kind of an

framework they're operating out of.

And they all compete. And all of this, a few

panellists who are there out there as humans are the ones who

are choosing, saying this is what is best.

And they highlight that one particular person and they give

them an award. And the person who goes there is

a recipient of this particular award.

But today you and I are recipients of this gift of life

from Jesus. You and I are recipients of this

word that comes which is alive and active.

You and I are recipients of this every day, every time I open the

word, every day when I have that habit of curing.

Because if you open God's word, you are committed to saying God,

I want you in my life. I want you in my life.

If you are talking to your spouse every day, which means

you're telling her I need you in my life.

If you are present in your home and being a father and you're

talking to your kids every day and they are arguing with you,

they are fighting with you, they are playing games with you, it's

evident that you are wanting them to be part of your life.

And I ask that if you would open your word, it's an evidence of

you saying Jesus, I want you part of my life.

You might think, you know what I can hear about him through

everywhere, but that doesn't make any sense.

So today, as you open this word, would you allow him to really

give himself entirely to you? Because what happens when he

does that? What happens when he does it?

We, we've, we've received this ultimate price from him.

There's no paying back. We, we, we, we haven't performed

at all yet. He chose us in a sinful state.

He's chosen us and He's given it to us.

And when we allow God to meet us right where we're at, what

happens? Our fear.

When we open His word, His strength gets revealed.

When we are confused and perplexed, we open His Word.

His peace is evident. We are going through chaos and

turmoil. We open His word and we are able

to see that we can trust in Him. And that trust is very evident.

When there's restlessness and uncertainty and we're not able

to see that silver lining at the end, what happens?

We are when you open is what we learn what it is to rest in

Jesus when you're going through physical pain and affliction.

What do you see when you open his word that he's a tender God.

He says I understand you, I am with you through this.

He helped us to go through that. He helped us to go through that

for those of you for those of you going through prolonged

sickness when you open his word. What do you read?

He says by my stripes you are healed and you realize that this

part of a suffering is far to less than what the Son of Man

went through. And you're like God, If this is

what the side of eternity is, it's OK because I know when I

meet with you in eternity there will be no pain, there will be

no sorrow. Clearly we are a recipient from

Jesus some way or the other. And so today I want to ask you,

when we are recipients, we need to put it to work.

The world talks about it performing, and then you're a

recipient of an award. But today God's like saying, I'm

here giving it to you in your own state, in the very state

that which is looking hard for you in your sinful state when

you're being condemned a slave, I'm giving you freedom.

And so when we receive this, he's saying, would you put it to

work? When we put it to work in our

lives, we see God change. And because we see God change,

what happens? The word works in and through

US. Eventually we're able to testify

about the word that is worked in and through us.

So first thing is recipient. Can you be a recipient of God's

word? You don't have to strive.

You don't have to work on it. Receive it right where you're

at. Let it minister to you right

where you're at, and as you receive it, you will see His

glory. The second thing is donor.

Now you receive. A recipient is the person who

receives this reward. We have received eternal life,

and in turn, in this side of eternity we receive His grace,

we receive His strength, we receive His love.

So many attributes of it we keep receiving every time we open His

word. There's this other aspect of a

donor. When I was thinking through

this, there are two kinds of donors.

The first donor is that one who truly loves you, who's willing

to give another kidney for you, another lung for you, who's

willing to give his blood for you.

That is the kind of donor that we see.

God is. God is the one who has given

entirely. He's saying, you know what?

I'll give myself wholly for this person to live.

And so there's this idea of where it's literally part of us

today. We are not living this life on

our own. We are living it because He is

in and through US. He is in and through us.

And So what happens is there's this, He is a donor.

We become a recipient of that life giving word.

But then also we, our status changes because we've received

it. We now have life and now God's

like now you become a donor for someone else.

And So what eventually happens is we start thinking, OK, God,

I'll start giving with regard to my money and resources here.

God, this is what I want to lay at the altar.

And we lay it. God multiplies it.

God uses it for his glory. But God is like, would you be

committed to it lifelong? Because that's when

transformation happens. And so today, suddenly you'll

realize God's just not asking of your resources because that's

the easier part, especially for those of you who are in

countries where when you give to a church and when it is when you

can, when it's tax deductible or you can do all that, it becomes

part of something, OK? It gets written off as part of

my taxes. You can have a different

mindset. But for those of us who are

giving, God's like, OK, now I want you to give more.

What is that more? I want to give a bit of Fair

time. Would you take some time to

teach Bible study today? Would you take some time to come

and be with these kind of people so that we'll be able to,

they'll be able to receive my word, my grace, my strength.

We start seeing that as we start giving of ourselves, being

donors, in small part, God starts giving us the mantle for

certain things that are bigger. You know, the Part 1, I think

Tina spoke about William Tyndale, but before that was

John Wycliffe, who had actually decided to complete the entire

Bible translation from the Latin Vulgate in the 14th century.

William 10 day was a Protestant Reformation.

He completed the New Testament, part of the Old Testament in

English directly. And then there was John Rogers

who compiled the entire Bible, which is properly known as the

Matthew Bible. In fact, that is that's what got

published. But if you look at all of them,

because of the word of God that was alive and active and it

worked in and through them, they were recipients from the donor

himself. And when they started going into

the state of being a donor, they started realizing that they had

far more to give. And the reason why I wanted to

spend some time here is the three were recipients.

The three were donors. Wycliffe suffered a stroke and

died. But because of the work that he

did, because he was bringing God's Word to common people, the

papacy hated him so much that they dug his bone, they burnt

it, they burnt, they hated him so much.

William Tyndale, the same thing. He was imprisoned and they had

him strangulated and burnt. They literally when they, they

literally didn't realize the minute they burn someone, their

ashes is scattered everywhere, which means the word of God is

getting spread. The minute someone dies for the

gospel, there is a hundredfold harvest that happens across the

world. John Rogers was burnt at the

stake. And I pray that God is asking,

can I raise people today who will rise up like them for a

time such as this, for a time such as this?

The word of God, the word that we read, the word that we are

asking you to say, God, this is alive and active, is called to

bear witness. And the cost is often times not

the highlight cause the cost was ultimately done.

It was already paid by Jesus once and for all.

You and I have nothing to raise with regard to the cost.

But we are only called to bear witness.

We are only called to bear witness.

And if you see this time and again, people who have taken up

the call of God, who have said it is alive and active, have

moved to a place of understanding that that is the

least that they can do for Jesus.

They can do the least because He's done it all.

A lot of us are unable to bear witness because of the cost

involved. But I pray that we will realize

that what we bear is far bigger than the cost that is required

of us today. You know, I wanted to spend some

time just looking through one of these characters which I love

reading, I love reading and I just wanted to read especially

from John chapter 1 verses 6 to 8.

John 1:6–8

And it says there once was a man, his name was John, sent by

God to point out the way to the life light.

He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in.

John was not himself the light. He was there to show the way to

the light. You know, one of the part of the

things of being alive and active is we need to know who we are in

Christ. We are not the life, we are not

the light, but we are the ones like what John was.

We are sent by God. The minute you accept Jesus and

allow His word to work in and through you, you are sent by

him. You are sent by Him to the world

so that people will be pointed to the life and to the light of

all mankind. And I just wanted to highlight a

couple of things that I truly love of John the Baptist.

You know, one of the things which I realized is his life was

wholly given by God. That came from a realization

when Hannah and Zechariah were having John the Baptist when he

gets, when the Angel comes and visits Zechariah, right when he

was worshipping him. It it, it happened in the

situation where it was least expected.

They were early into their old age and at this stage they

really didn't think of having a kid.

But when, when, when the doubt came in, God shut his mouth and

said, don't talk. You'll be quiet till the baby is

born. And I believe a lot of us many a

times have to receive the miracle that God has for us like

that because many a times we speak death.

Many a times we speak things that are not out of our

spiritual sense, but are out of a physical, fleshly sense.

And that's where Satan has control over.

He causes us to speak death. And so today we you need to come

to realize that this life that you're called to live in Jesus

is wholly given by God. So when Satan is throwing a Ono

reverse at you to tell you to look back, you have to throw an

Ono reverse to say I am looking at God.

This is who God's called me to be.

I am free, I am redeemed, I am set apart.

I am here for God's glory. I'm no longer known by my

addiction. I am an overcomer in Christ

Jesus. Till you face him head on and

tell him that he won't know that because he needs to know that

this is what you believe. Because what comes from the

mouth stems from right here and it also stems from right here.

It's ingrained in your head. This is what Jesus says I am.

You believe it with your heart, and you confess it with your

mouth. The second thing we see from

John the Baptist life is life that was solely forgot.

You know, he was asked not to cut his head.

There were certain requirements of him and he was willing to be

to go through that hardship for Jesus.

Today, you and I, are we willing to go through that hardship?

You know, many a times we, we look through a lot of other

denominations and other ways in which people have sacrificially

done certain things. Probably in their clothing, they

wear white and white or probably they abstain from certain things

or they do certain things differently.

And we always are trying to find the middle ground.

They've probably come to a place of taking away their importance.

But the more I realize this, God talks to each and every one of

us differently. It's not my right to impose it,

but when I love God's Word to work in and through me, I am

ready to give up certain things for God's sake.

If God's going to tell me, Geshum, I don't want you to be

doing this thing, this does not please me.

Am I willing to give it up because it does not please God

or am I trying to find a loophole to justify saying this

is OK because this is what God wants me to do?

This is what is allowed. There's a there's the heat

contextually and culturally it makes sense that was spoken that

time. No, If God says Gesham, this is

not good for you will Are you ready to give it up?

Our weaknesses is not the same. So today you and I have separate

weaknesses. I might be strong in certain

things. You might be weak in that.

And when God speaks to us, God will speak to my weakness.

He will tell me, Ghisham, this is something I want you to

avoid. This is something I want you to

stay away from. This is the company I want you

to keep, and this is the company I don't want you to keep.

He sets us apart. Our strengths won't be the same.

Our weaknesses are not the same. Our strengths will meet the

team. And so setting apart also won't

be the same. Today you will be set apart in a

different way. I'll be set apart in a different

way, but when we come as a collective body, am I willing to

give up certain things just so that his body will be one, Just

so that we'll be able to do all that He's called us to do?

You can see here when he was living for God, he didn't make a

big deal of what he was wearing, where he was, what he was

eating. All those were periphery.

He was identified by that, but that wasn't what he thought he

was. I, he knew he was doing it for

God. He said, I've come here to

prepare away so that you'll be able to see the Redeemer who

will come after me. So we have to operate in the

space out of the love that we have for Jesus and his people.

Are we willing to give up so that Jesus is complete in US?

He completes everything in US. And the third thing we see from

John the Baptist life is he points everyone to the way.

He clearly tells them I am not the way.

But because I'm here, I'm pointing you to this direction

that this is the person who can save you.

This is the person who will baptize you with not just with

water, but with fire. The Holy Spirit will come upon

and I pray that we will be able to point people to Jesus.

Our conversations will be so in tune that we'll know what to

speak. As we were coming, I was sitting

next to a gentleman and as I was talking with him, I started

sharing what I was doing. And as we were talking, God gave

me the the clarity of to talk with regard to data sets and

data points and all that. And I was just talking to him

about that. And that resonated with him

immediately. That resonated with him

immediately. And he immediately said, you

know what? I've started this habit of

reading and I would love to read what is there on the You Version

Bible. And so today you and I have to

rely on the Holy Spirit to tell what is it I need to tell them

so that they will be able to see the light because many a times

the light will blind them. And if we are talking so much

about the light, what will happen is we will sometimes try

mirroring ourselves to be Jesus. We will deflect the light back

to us. We will start absorbing it.

But a mirror, what does it do? A mirror just reflects it back

to Jesus, saying, hey, this shame that you're going through,

I understand, but Jesus is the one who can set you free.

This guilt that you're going through, this unloving nature

that is present within you because you haven't felt it from

your parents or your circumstances, but Jesus is

there who will love you. Maybe point them back to Jesus.

Today you and I are commissioned, like John the

Baptist, to be to take this word which is alive and active

outside, not to keep it inside as you read, as you meditate, as

you repent, as you heal, as you strengthen.

I pray that the world will work in and through you, and I pray

that it will take itself out. How is it going to be taken out?

Through whatever form, whatever form God's placed you in.

Is it through tech? Is it through media?

Is it through art? Is it through print?

Is it through design? Is it through storytelling?

Is it through teaching? Is it through serving the least?

Is it through cooking? Is it through doing business?

What is it? Because every aspect can be an

Ave. for God's Word to be alive and active, alive and active.

So today, as we conclude, I want to go back to this chapter in

John chapter 17. And Jesus commissions his

John 17 · chapter mention

disciples. You know, and I believe, as I

mentioned earlier, a lot of us love the commissioning that

happens in Acts 18 or we read in Matthew chapter 28, or we read

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

in Mark, and we sometimes think that is the commissioning.

But I feel this is the commissioning that we as people

who are established in a church, who are part of a growing

community need to have. And in John chapter 17, we see a

John 17 · chapter mention

prayer that Jesus makes, and I believe this is a good way for

us to be commissioned so that we'll be able to know that we

are carriers of his word, which is alive and active today.

And I ask that even as I read the Scripture passages over you,

and I mean, as we just look through these key themes and as

we conclude, I want to have you have the way that Jesus is

talking this over to you. So if you can turn with me and

if you see this on the screen or listen, listen like Jesus is

reading this over you. John chapter 17 verses 6 to 10,

John 17:6–10

it says I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of

the world. They were yours.

You gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.

Now they know that everything you have given me comes from

you, for I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted

them. They knew with certainty that I

came from you and they believed that you sent me.

I pray for them. I am not praying for the world,

but for those who have given me, for they are yours.

All I have is yours, and all you have is mine, and glory has come

to me through them. The first thing I want us to

realize is Jesus is saying that we are all been given.

We've all come into this fold because we believe Jesus Christ

is Lord, because we acknowledge that he is the Savior.

And so he's telling them I'm come, You've given them to me,

and I'm releasing them back to what you're calling them to do

in this world. And as we read this passage, the

first thing that I wanted to highlight is that we are called

to be 1. Anything that we do today is for

the bride that is going to become that Jesus coming back

for his bride. And the bride is that one big

body. You and I have called to work

towards this one big body. There's no separate kingdoms.

There's no separate ministries. There's no separate trusts.

There's no separate societies. There's no separate church.

It's one big body. And So what does that look like?

We when we read from John 17 verses 11 to 12, This is what

John 17:11–12

Jesus says. I will remain in the world no

longer, but they are still in the world and I'm coming to you.

Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you

gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

While I was with them, I protected them and kept them

safe. By that name you gave me.

None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so

that scripture would be fulfilled.

How beautiful is this that Jesus says that so that they may be

one as we are one. So today you and I have this

mandate to strive for unity. We are not going to do things to

disengage and cause disunity. No, we are going to do something

that will build the bride. And so everything that is alive

and active that God is calling you to step into.

As I said, whatever those areas look like that He's ministering

to you as you open the Word every day, as you read it, as

you wait on His presence, as you listen to Him, as you obey and

as you allow it to transform you inside out, as He works in

making you whole, you will realize you're all moving

towards this one body. Why?

Because he tells that we are one.

That is the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are one.

They have different functions, the Father, the Son, Jesus, the

Holy Spirit, yet they operate together as one.

We believe that today when Jesus comes back, he's coming back for

his bride, which to us looks very faulty.

To us in our human nature, we look man.

This looks like the most disjoined part, but you know one

of the beautiful things is when you gather around and when you

start worshipping and you exalt the one who's truly to be

exalted. Jesus is evident.

He's glorified over everything. Jesus prayer was that we'll be

similar to how the Trinity is. We put aside anything that can

bring differences, and he also gives us a word of caution that

he says for those who are working against, they are doomed

to destruction. Any fruit of the enemy that is

taken up by any one of us when we give in room to jealousy,

malice and greed and anything is selfishness and all that.

That's between US and God. God deals with it and God knows

how to handle it. If we are underpentant in that

way, we live in that same condition.

We start rotting inside out. We in fact start speaking so

much death that inside dies so quickly.

So today, what I do not understand, I leave it at the

feet of Jesus. Today, whenever it comes

especially to in an area like this, what I do not understand,

I say, Lord let you, I do not understand this, but I give it

to you. I do not understand this big

issue, Lord, but I give it to you.

I'm not here to please people. I give it to you.

I'm not here to take a side. I give it to you.

I leave it at the feet of Jesus. What I'm uncomfortable about,

I'm praying for God of justice to intervene today when you are

striving towards unity. All these are prayers that we

will have to make today. You and I have to be careful

that we do not, we do not exhibit or even share the fruit

of division, but we share the one the, the but we share the

fruit of being one in Jesus. So a couple of questions for us

to think and ponder. Am I hindering the body in any

way? Are my views and my thought

processes is it building the church or is it breaking the

body? What am I working towards the

world really? Is it going forth today or is it

falling down? And am I the one who's killing

the world in my own life? The second thing he says is the

first thing. He says we will all be 1.

He wants us to be 1. The second thing he says in that

when he commissions them is be joyful because he says this

journey that you're taking will entail tough times, but you will

have to have joy. John 17 verses 13 to 14.

John 17:13–14

I'm coming to you now, but I say these things while I'm still in

the world so that they may have the full measure of my joy

within them. I have given them your word and

the world has hated them, for they are not of the world

anymore than I am of the world. Jesus commissions his disciples

and tells them that we will have the full measure of joy.

Talks about a calm delight. It's not this joy that is

exuberant. It's this one of knowing who we

are and whose we are. The awareness of God's grace and

favor in our lives will automatically bring joy.

And so whatever else is hindering around, whatever is

looking like on shaky ground, will just dismantle in front of

us. It will be hard because this

journey entails us going through hardship.

Jesus went through hearts. When as we read it says that

that this world rejected me, which means there will be

rejection. There will be hard things, but

maybe find joy in the everyday that God's calling us.

So if I don't open God's word, I won't realize that there is joy

sitting right there and God wants me to take that joy and

apply it into my life every day. It has to be alive and active.

Lamentations chapter 2, verse 22 to 23 says is it is because of

the Lord's loving kindness that we are not consumed, because His

tender compassions never fail. They are new every morning.

Great and beyond measure is your faithfulness.

So today you and I need to go back into the cabinet of joy

every day, which is His word, take joy out, take that purpose

out, take that fulfillment that comes from Him, and then go out

into the world that is asking us to bring hope and light.

The third thing that we see is Jesus tells them that they they

should not cave in, that we will not cave in.

Cave in to our cultural norms, to the pressures of this world.

John 17. Let's continue reading verse 15

and 16 says my prayer is not that you take them out of the

world, but then you protect them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

The minute we accept Jesus Christ into the our lives, we

are not of this world because we internally our clockwork,

everything is set to Kingdom mindset, to one of heaven to 1

of what God wants. And So what happens internally,

we are reset inside, but we are still in the world and we are

dependent on the Holy Spirit. We are dependent on God.

And so today, many of us are striving to leave a footprint

here. Many of us are striving to leave

a legacy here. But our truth is, when I said

earlier, when we are recipients of His salvation, we are also

recipients of the eternal life that comes from Him.

And what God is saying is your eternity is secure.

There's nothing much more that you can do.

All you have to do is run your race.

Well, all you have to do is with that internal clock, reset to

Kingdom values. Now live that Kingdom values in

the world so that they know that you're mine.

So that they know that you're mine.

A lot of us are striving to leave legacies.

A lot of us are striving to leave when we are championing

Jesus, when we are living out His word.

All we are called to be is real. Live out what God's called us to

live out. One of the things that the evil

1 the Satan would do is he'd use pride.

Pride in any form is destructive.

Pride in any form will confuse our inner clockwork.

It will suddenly tell we can do things far bigger.

We can trust our resources. We can trust our planning.

We can trust in our own abilities.

That is what God wants to demolish.

He wants us to be wholly dependent on Him so that we'll

be able to build things that are wholly dependent on Him.

Just imagine when God came down and confused the language of the

people who were building the Tower of Babel.

What was it? They were all one and they

thought they can reach the heavens.

They thought that they can be God.

And today God is saying I will gather the nations around and

they'll all worship me in their own tongue.

Just imagine God causes every person, every language, tribe,

nation to come to his throne room and say Jesus, you are God,

you are Lord O everything. We get to be part of that in

eternity. Hebrews 6 verses 10 to tell 12

Hebrews 6:10

says is God is not unjust, He'll not forget your work and the

love you have shown him as you have helped his people and

continue to help him. We want each of you to show the

same diligence to the very end so that you hope for me be fully

realized. We do not want you to become

lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience

inherit what has been promised. So we don't chase prominence, we

just do what God does. And in due time, when God

exalts, he exalts. Even if God doesn't exalt, I am

loved, I am cherished, I belong to God.

We're not looking for the best seat, rather we're just looking

that we can partake of the banquet.

I would be all the more glad to be honored when God honors us.

The fourth thing, the last thing which I want, we will be set

apart in His truth, and I believe this is very important.

John 17 verses 1719. They sanctify them in the truth.

Set them apart for Your purposes.

Make them holy. Your Word is truth.

Just as You commissioned and sent me into this world, I have

also commissioned and sent them believers into this world for

their sake. I sanctify myself to do Your

will so that they also may be sanctified, set apart,

dedicated, made holy in Your truth, in God's truth, not in my

truth. And so today, whatever culture

is telling, we'll be set apart in God's truth.

Jesus tells us that He's the truth, His life giving word.

And I pray that holiness will be something that we desire.

You know, last week we were listening to the sermon and the

pastor talked about this. Holiness is not to please God.

He's already pleased with us. His Holiness is so that your

lack of character doesn't damage the potency of your testimony.

So I pray today that as we look to God, His Word, which is alive

and active, will be a fuelling agent.

It'll constantly fuel us to the mission that God has exclusively

called you and me to do. It'll it'll give us the power

that we need when we say it's alive and active.

That is power. You and I are so comfortable

coming within these four walls, worshipping, being around people

who know Jesus. But he's saying I will give you

power to go out to those who don't know because that is where

I will be evident. That's where His light will be

seen. That's where we will be able to

see God do His work. His Word is the one which will

give us validation. His Word will set us apart

always to see the big picture. It'll set us apart to see the

big picture. You and I are called today to

take that which is alive and active into the world.

And that's the message I wanted to give you.

You and I have called to do that.

However, that looks like how this looks again.

So today I want to ask you, what is God placing in your hands?

What is God placed in your hands?

When we ask God, I give you permission to sanctify it.

If Jesus who walked on this earth told the Father, sanctify

me. We are here to say, Lord,

sanctify us. We are set apart and we are

commissioned. I pray that, Lord, the world

will take shape. Lord Jesus, in our lives, I pray

that Lord, art forms will take shape.

I pray, Lord, every kind of medium will take shape.

Tech will take shape, Lord, design will take shape.

I pray that Lord, you will enable us to see things far

bigger than what you've called us to see.

You and I are asking what it looks like.

I pray that we'll be commissioned that as we do this,

even though we won't know what will happen next, we will still

do it because that's where faith is exhibited.

Our vision will always be bigger than the resources that we have

because the vision is given by God.

It's rooted in God's Word. We will always trust with the

provision that He will provide because He will move His people

to give for the work to continue on.

And I pray He will continue to cause the Spirit to keep

birthing in us the power that we need to take it into this

hurting world, into this hurting world.

Wherever God has placed you and me, we will be one.

We will be joyful. We will not cave in to what the

world has. We will be set apart,

consecrated, holy for Him in power so that we'll be able to

do all that God's called us to do.

And I want to ask you today, Are you ready to bear witness?

Are you ready to bear witness as the recipients and as a donor?

So Church, I don't know what what what God's been talking to

you, but I believe God's been talking to us specifically of

moving in power in the areas that he's called us.

And we're excited about it because when he calls us to move

in power, we believe he's glorified.

He's honored. So can I just pray with you, our

loving heavenly Father? Lord, we thank you, Lord, for

this time. Thank you, Lord, for all that

you've been doing in and through our lives.

Lord Jesus, thank you, Lord for your glory.

Lord Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for your power.

Thank you Lord, for your strength.

Thank you, Lord, for all that you've been doing.

Lord Jesus. Lord, we thank you.

Lord, we thank you, Lord, for your word, which is alive and

active. Lord Jesus, I believe, Lord, as

it works in others, is also working in us.

We thank you for it's a double edged sword.

Lord Jesus. Every time we use it, we

believe, Lord Jesus, that Lord, the enemy is shaken, the enemy

is put to shame. Lord Jesus, we thank you and I

just pray right now for each and everyone who's watching this or

listening to this. I pray that Lord, whatever

you're birthing in them, I pray, Lord, if they've not been able

to have a commune, a time to have communion with you in your

word, I pray they'll have that time right now where they'll be

able to open your word. It'll come alive to them.

It'll speak to them, it'll minister to them.

It'll set them in a place, Lord Jesus, where they'll be able to

say this is what God does. I pray they'll be able to

glorify you in everything. Lord Jesus, strengthen them, be

with them. I pray even right now, Lord

Jesus, for those who already have started the journey and

given up. I pray they'll have extra

portion of grace and strength to restart it with a renewed

strength and a dependency on you and not on our strength.

Lord Jesus, I pray for those who have been constantly going

through this but yet lack the faith and the courage to be the

light. I pray that your power will be

infused in them, that they'll be able to go into the spaces that

you're calling them so they'll be able to be the light today.

Lord Jesus, we thank you. I pray, Lord, for those.

Lord Jesus, you're calling us to step into areas and start

something. Lord, of taking your word, Lord

Jesus, so that it reaches to many.

I pray that Lord, we will put that clearly down to see it come

alive. Lord Jesus, we thank you that

Lord, we won't take the glory. Lord, we'll give the glory to

you, but we'll be sold out to the fact that this is what

you're calling us to do Be glorified, be honored.

Lord Jesus, take charge. I thank you for all that you're

doing, Lord, being small, significant and significant.

I pray we won't be running for prominence, Lord, but we'll

always learn to abide under the shadow of your being slot.

Go before us, be with us. I pray especially for those who

are heading out this week. I pray the God of breakthrough

would go before them. Strength, Lord, will come, Lord,

as they wait, they'll find strength, healing, restoration

in you, Lord Jesus, be glorified, be honored, take

charge, Lord. Lord, I want to give all glory

and honor to your name, Lord, even as you receive this word,

as we complete the series, I pray a word will be alive and

active in and through us. In your most holy name we pray,

Amen, Amen, Amen. May the love of the Father, the

grace of his only Son, Jesus Christ, and the sweet fellowship

of the Holy Spirit rest and abide this now and forever.

And all God's people said, Amen, Amen.

Pray that even as you step out this week that God will be with

you guys, that He'll He'll be able to His word will come

alive. That you won't for a second even

have a doubt of what His word says.

That you'll be able to see Him for all His glory.

Be real with Him because when the minute you open His word, I

believe He wants to reveal Himself to each and everyone of

us in a unique way. I pray that you will have a

blessed week, that He will strengthen your knees.

You'll be able to lift up your hands and glorify Him every day.

Take charge of the day so that He'll be able to guide you into

all that He's called you to do. Speak life in every situation.

I pray that you'll have the words that are written down in

His word in your mouth so that you will speak it out into every

situation. Have a blessed week and remember

that whoever finds Jesus finds life.

God bless you all. Thanks for listening to this

message. We hope you were blessed to hear

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Remember, whoever finds Jesus finds life.