242 ~ THE LIFE - Advent Series

Hi, welcome to the Via Zion sermon podcast.

We are a local church based here in Chennai, India.

We are so glad you are with us and hope that this will

encourage, inspire and instill fresh faith in you.

We have started the Advent season and are thrilled that we

get to celebrate Jesus for all that he is, has been, and all

that He will do. We look at Jesus, the living

Word today, the one who left heaven and walked the earth To

be one of us. As you listen in our prayer is

that you will experience the power and fulfillment that only

Jesus gives. Hi, it's such a joy and honour

to be being God's word to you. Today we'll be going to the

second part of our Advent series where we'll be looking at the

glimpses of Jesus this Advent through the book of John.

Typically we use Matthew, Mark, Luke, the one of those 3 gospels

to actually go through the Advent series.

But this time, even as we were preparing, we felt let's do John

because John had a distinct way of seeing Jesus.

And even as we look at that, we'll be able to see what he

intended for us to see through with the Scriptures.

So even as we look into Gospel of John last week, you saw that

Jesus is the word. Even as we saw these three

characters made the Zechariah and the Shepherds, we saw that

God's word is unfailing. We also saw that God's word is

exceedingly powerful. Today we're going to be looking

into the other aspect, into the couple of verses.

When we read through in John chapter 1, we see Jesus being

John 1 · chapter mention

referred to as the life. Last week was a word, this week

is a life. So he's.

Referred to the word. And the life and one of the

verses that we're going to meditate on is from John chapter

John 1 · chapter mention

1, verses three to four. And this is what it says through

Him all things were made. Without Him, nothing was made

that has been made. In Him was life, and the life

was a light of all mankind. Even as we read this John 1

verses three to four, we see that everything was created

through Him. There's nothing that was not

created through Him. And this life that John writes

about, when we look at the Greek word which means Zoe, it means

life, both physical, which is basically our present life, the

very moment of physical life. And it also is about a spiritual

life where it talks about the future where we when we lose our

life here on this earth and we close our eyes, it just doesn't

end here, but we continue on the future existence of ours.

And so even as we look at this, there is all-encompassing thing

that we see happen within our own lives.

It's the physical and the spiritual dimensions of it.

And this happens only through Jesus.

And John goes on to say that Jesus is the Zoe life.

And today I want us to come to a place where we all will just not

live our physical lives. And so today if I have to ask

you, how is life, we all will immediately talk about our

present life. You know, I time and again I've

met a lot of people when I ask how life is going, they

immediately think they just need to tell all the hardships of

what's happening, but they fail to understand, you know, in the

light of all that I want to see happen.

These things are mandatory and I'm able to push through it.

There's a lack of faith in our lives to talk about.

And I think many a times we are so caught up in our physical

lives where Jesus is coming to say this Christmas.

Hey, even as we celebrate Christmas, remember why I came.

I just didn't come for this physical life because then we

won't be any different than the people who were there to receive

Him, and yet they did not know him and rather we would come to

a place of saying God. This physical life seems hard,

but I'm going to pursue you. And through you I'm going to see

completion because there's much more beyond this physical life

into the spiritual life. And so today, even as we.

Look through our. Own lives.

I believe God wants us to examine our hearts.

Let's continue reading. John 111 to 13.

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive

him. Yet to all who did receive him,

to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to

become children of God, children born out of natural descent, nor

of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

And I think this is one of the pivotal verses for us to go in

terms of application. John 111 to 13.

It says here the first thing. It says His own didn't deceive

him. What is his own?

Jesus was born as a Jewish carpenter's son.

Yes, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, but when he was

born, He was born into a family. And his own didn't deceive him.

They didn't realize that he was a Messiah because the very

Messiah that they thought they wanted was different.

And so today, I think a lot of times.

The Redeemer that we are wanting is entirely different.

Our expectation is completely different from what God is

wanting to fulfill in and through us.

And so He's coming here to set our expectations.

So today, if a lot of you are unable to receive Jesus, it's

probably our expectations which have to be changed.

The second thing we see is yet. To all who did receive if you

can circle the word receive it says yeah, he and those who

believe in his name. So it's just not about receiving

but believing he gave the right to become children of God.

And so today if you and I are wanting to experience this Zoe

life. We have to not only receive him,

so it doesn't just mean. That we accept Jesus Christ as a

Lord and personal Saviour, but we have to believe with our

hearts wholeheartedly. He gives us the right to become

children of God. Children not of natural descent

or a planned child like how we have in marriages.

And maybe it happens because of marriage, but we are born of God

and there's a. Distinct call on our lives to

live out this life to its fullest because we are children

of God. So even as we look down today, I

just want us to think as to what are some of the pop culture

things that we are talked about with regard to life today.

You and I plan our lives quite well.

For those of us who are in our midlife, we kind of like know

that we need to do certain things so that we are good

stewards as as God's children, We also take on the role of

being parents. And so we have to steward our

lives well so that we can take them along so that they will be

able to live well. They'll be able to do the things

God's called them to do. We maintain a particular socio

economic status so that we are able to do out everything like

in terms of our work, in terms of the place we've decided to be

in. But all these are still

physical. And here God is asking.

Us to live our best life here, right here on this earth.

Even as we live our physical lives, He's asking us to live it

to it's best. Even in our spiritual life, He

wants us to live it to it's best.

But pop culture has a different way.

I was just reading through some of these articles, what 2024

writers, bloggers have been talking about living the best

life yet and it says where you have your own control.

Three things that they I was able to conclude was your own

control. You are able to have your own

power, which means everything is under your own power.

You get to choose and you get your owning who you're being.

So control, power, and who you really are is all centered

around self. But Jesus, when he came into

this world, reversed that. When he came into this world, He

said, hey, if you want to live the life that I am calling you

to live, you need to receive me. Wherein we allow him to come in.

We believe in Him and then no longer are we living our lives.

We're living our lives through him.

There's suddenly this filter where everything passes through

him, everything passes through him.

And with this, I was, even as I was melting, I was like, God,

what is it that you want us as a church?

What is it you want us as individuals to do?

He says to live in the Zoe life, you need to be doing these three

things. And I just want, I've picked up

three things which I want us to see through the Advent stories

of how it unfolded and unpacked and how they they saw Jesus and

how we get to see Jesus today so that we'll be able.

To live it out. So today when we live, we don't

live with the dead end in mind where there's no path after

that. We'd rather live with eternity

in perspective. What does that mean?

It means that when I have my eyes fully on Jesus.

I know that he's wanting me to live the life that he's called

me here, be impactful here, so that when I close my eyes, I'll

be able to live the life what eternity has in.

Store So today, even as we live the Zoe life, there are three

things which I want to highlight The first thing is the Zoe life

can be lived when we live in submission on.

God's side, the Zoe life can be lived only when we live in

submission, when we are on God's side.

In John chapter 8 verses 31 to 34, Jesus was actually talking

John 8:31–34

to the people and to the Pharisees and all of them, and

even as He was talking to them, suddenly they started

questioning and I just wanted to draw attention to that.

In John 8 verse 31 onwards it says to the Jews who had

John 8:31

believed him. Jesus said, if you hold my

teaching, you are really my disciples, then you will know

the truth and the truth. Will set you free, they answered

them. We are Abraham's descendants and

have never been slaves of anyone.

How can you say that we shall be set free?

Jesus replied. Very truly, I tell you, everyone

who sins. Is a slave to sin even as I read

from John 31 to 34, we see when Jesus tells them you should not

just believe me, but you should also hold to the teaching

there's a thing that Jesus requires as you believe you hold

on to the. Teaching.

Do what Jesus tells, but the people immediately say, no, we

are not people who are bound. We are already people who are

free. And it's interesting how the

people understand that they are free.

They go back to Abraham. They piggyback of Abraham's

obedience. But Jesus is coming here and

saying each and everyone of you individually, each and everyone

of us are responsible for our salvation today.

Each and everyone of us are responsible for our belief

system today. Each and everyone of us are

responsible for what we have to say about who Jesus is for us.

The problem is today because we are trying to piggyback.

Probably today you've piggybacked of your parents

faith or probably of your spouse's faith or your, you know

of the person who led you to faith.

You're probably piggybacking. But Jesus saying, would you

start doing what I've been teaching you?

That's why even as we heard last week, reading His word is

important. We cannot, a lot of us read His

word but are unable to apply it because we don't take it.

We think this word happened 2000 years back and does it is spirit

breath, which means it has life, which means this.

The the word brings in that encouragement into my physical

being and into my spiritual being.

And what Jesus is saying here is you're trying to piggyback off

Abraham's faith. Abraham obeyed and because of

his obedience a nation got formed.

But then what happened time and again, because of the nation's

disobedience, the time and again went into captivity.

And even when Jesus was speaking this, they were in captivity.

But imagine this, even though physically they are captive,

they somehow think they're still free because Abraham obeyed.

And today Jesus is saying, no, anyone who's sin is a slave to

sin. There is.

And in fact, when you read that entire chapter, Jesus constantly

keeps, you know, rebuttling them, saying you're not serving

God, you're rather serving the God who you think of this earth.

And that's Satan, and he blinds us with that.

And so today. Even as we.

Look into this. Jesus wants us to come to a

place of accepting that. We need to.

Personally follow his teaching yes, we've received we believed,

but are we personally following his teaching you know a lot of

us today love a personal. Discount.

You know, if you get a personal discount it's good, but when

you're travelling with a family and you get a family discount,

you think that's even greater because you've got a bulk

discount for a lot of people. But today the gospel that we are

talking about is for each and everyone.

There's no group discount here. You can't say you know, I'm with

them and just enter. And no, it won't.

Work that way, it's for each and everyone of us to make this

decision. So today, even as we are talking

about this life which represents Jesus, he's asking would you

submit to him? Let's continue on reading John

John 8:42

chapter 8 verses 42 onwards. It says Jesus said to them.

If God were your Father, you would love me, for I am come

here from God. I've not come here on my own.

God sent me. Why is my language not clear to

you? Because you are unable to hear

what I say. Yet because I tell the truth,

you do not believe me. Can any of you prove me guilty

of sin? If I'm telling the truth, why

don't you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears

what God says. The reason you do not hear is

that you do not belong to God. So today when I look at this

passage, my own heart idols come forward because I'm not able to

wholly commit myself to Jesus teaching, because forgiveness is

hard, because letting go of things is hard, because giving

control is hard. But Jesus is saying here, if you

want to experience a Zoey life, there has to be submission.

You know, you'll soon realize between friends, between you

know, between people that you move around with.

There's always a power struggle. There's always a power struggle.

People want to come off thinking that they know better.

People, you know, put on a show that they, you know, that they

know much more. And you know, there's always

this power struggle. But when we come into our

relationship with Jesus, we come saying, God, you are above

everything. There's no power struggle here.

I'm coming in submission to you, You know, between a husband and

wife, and there's definitely submission issues that can be

there. Between a parent and a child,

there's definitely submission issues that can be there.

Between a boss and a person who's working as an employee,

there'll be definitely submission issues.

But when it comes to our faith and God, we can't dictate to God

what he has to do. Rather we come in alignment and

saying Jesus, I believe you, I've accepted you into my life

and I submit to you. And one of the beautiful things

is we can submit to God yet be on the wrong side.

And I wonder is a breakthrough not coming in our life because

we've submitted to God, but we are on the wrong side of the

camp. Clearly there are two camps, one

that is of God, one that's of Satan.

Which camp are you in? A lot of us today are in the

other camp of the world and are saying is submitted to God.

Yet we've not taken our feet away from there Today God saying

would you move? Because when we start allowing

his teaching to permeate through, when we start living by

his teaching, it will move us from 1 camp to another.

We can receive and believe, but when we receive and start

abiding by His teaching, we start belonging to His Kingdom.

When we belong to His Kingdom, we say, God, we are here.

This is what you're doing. So suddenly what happens?

Waiting doesn't become a painful thing.

Suddenly the pruning doesn't become a hurtful thing.

Suddenly you know when God says slow down, this is what I have

for you for the season. You don't have to do anything

more. You're OK.

Your heart is not wandering, you're not fluttering.

God suddenly gives you a deep contentment, a Zoe like

contentment in your Christian walk because you've submitted to

him and you know that this is the camp I belong to.

You suddenly have nothing to prove.

Suddenly you don't have to fake your Instagram images.

Suddenly you don't have to create an aura around that.

You have everything going right for you.

You can be who you are because you've learned to belong.

This is where God is. This is where I choose to be in

my lack. I know God is there in my in my

even when my bank balances are running dry.

I know this is the camp God's wanting me to be.

So today, how are you and I treating this?

Because belonging happens only when we take Jesus invitation.

He says he wants to reside in us.

He wants to belong inside of us until we willingly allow Jesus

in. He cannot recite, He cannot

stay. What does this invitation look

like when Jesus says Jesus says, allow me to come in because my

burden is easy and my yoke is light, because I will give you

things far beyond what you thought of.

Suddenly a pursuits don't give a certain satisfaction.

Suddenly we realize only his presence does that.

So we have a deep lobby. We allow him to be our guide.

We allow him to speak to us. We allow the posture that he is

causing us to have at this point. 1 of surrender.

We love the way in which he is leading.

US. So this Zoe life comes from a

place of understanding that when we live in submission and we

near God's side, we have a complete life.

We don't have an incomplete life, we have a complete life.

The second thing is when we live the Zoe life, we see that he

brings dead things to life. What does this look like?

When Jesus became a human person, He was literally

embodying the word that was spoken way before all the

prophecies. We heard that over 300

prophecies that was spoken about Jesus.

He literally was The Walking human being.

Here on Earth. That's what the Zoe life does,

because there was suddenly not just a physical life, but there

was a spiritual life. And that's why he.

Is the only true and living God because He's the only person who

died on the cross, who resurrected again and is still

living today. The Zoey life didn't just end

with his death but rather continues on because he's

resurrected and that's why we believe him.

He brings dead things to life today.

If you see the story of Advent is 1 which is of scriptures

being fulfilled today we see the story of Advent.

It's one where restoration happened generation after

generation. No generation was discounted,

for when you see the genealogy of Jesus, you see the lineage

where He came from. He came from imperfection, but

He was perfect. He came from sin that had

generations full of sin, but yet He was sinless.

That's all. Because He is life.

He is the Zoey life, His physical and spiritual match.

And so today, even as we read in Isaiah 96, a lot of us know this

passage, especially in this Christmas season.

We keep quoting it. For and to us, a child is born.

For and to us a son is given, and the government will be on

his shoulders, and he will be called wonderful counselor,

mighty God everlasting. Father.

Prince of Peace, this came into fulfillment when we read Isaiah

61. One, it says the spirit of the

sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to

proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the

broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and

release from darkness. For this prisoners.

In fact, as Isaiah quoted this, I'm reminded that when Jesus

ministry, whatever he did was only fulfilling this.

He didn't go about conquering kingdoms.

He didn't go about liberating. He didn't go about building an

army. No, he came down to bind up the

broken hearted. He gave freedom for the

captives. What freedom?

Freedom from sin? Freedom from eternal

condemnation, staying in hell. He gave them heaven.

He released people from the prisons of darkness.

To those who needed healing, He gave healing.

And when we read in Luke chapter 4 versus 16 to 21, This is why

Luke 4 · chapter mention

I'm seeing the Zoe life where it brings dead things to life is

there was an audience gathered in a synagogue who was just

going about their weekly Sunday gatherings.

This is what we need the Holy Spirit today in church.

If this church is not Spirit filled it will become.

We will miss out on the God opportunities that will walk

past every Sunday. Every Sunday is a God-given

opportunity, which causes us to be expectant, which causes us to

sing God. We want to see a word being

fulfilled. Luke 416 to 21 says He went to

Nazareth where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath

day he went to the synagogue and was his custom.

He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was

handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place

where it is written. The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for sinners and recovery

of sight for the blind, and to set the oppressed free, to

proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant,

and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the

synagogue were fasting on him. He began by saying to them,

Today the scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.

What a glorious day would it have been if we had to witness

that when we when the person who are reading it says today it's

being fulfilled because I am the Messiah.

I am the one who prophet Isaiah foretold.

Today, a couple of. Things that we need to set

right. Jesus went to temple every week.

He was in human form and he was God and he chose to go to the

temple every week, to the synagogue every week.

And so today, if you and I have an excuse of not going every

week, I think we need to inculcate a certain kind of

discipline. Jesus knew community was

important. Jesus knew there.

There are so many lessons we can learn between the Year 1 to Year

30 of. Jesus.

And Jesus knew what he was called for.

He didn't go around trying to freelance and do something else

on the side. You know, he was happy being a

carpenter's son. He was a Carpenter.

So which means he was willing to be in that lane which he had

been assigned to. That was divine submission to

the Father's will. And even as we see this, because

of that divine submission, we see dead text coming to life.

And yet the people missed because they didn't believe.

And today it got me thinking, are we like that where we're

reading the scripture week in, week out where we are not being

encouraged to step up our faith, our faith level hasn't grown or

we're not encouraged to do certain things that Jesus will

because the teaching has stopped having impact.

Rather, we've chosen to be broken hearted.

We've chosen to be dismayed. We've chosen to be, you know,

grumbling, but Jesus is saying here, would you rise up?

Would you rise up? Because if you have the Zoe life

in you, I will set those things right.

I would cause you to move forward.

I want us all to come to a place where we will be able to see the

Scripture. According to Isaiah, this

Scripture was supposed to be fulfilled.

And even he was talking at a time when the Israelites were in

captives. At that time they were under the

Babylonians. There was no real freedom.

When Jesus is reading this, he is also talking in the same

context where they're under the Romans and he says the freedom

that you're seeking for is standing right in front of you.

I am the way I am the. Truth.

I am the life, Jesus was the real Messiah.

And it comes down to us today. Are we able to confess Jesus in

every situation? Because if we don't confess

Jesus. In every situation we will be

unable to see the text come alive.

His word has power. His Word has life.

The Zoe life that we're talking about is causing us always to

believe into eternity. It's into eternity, yes.

Is the pain, hardship real in this physical world?

It is. But Jesus saying, I want you to

rise up, rise up, you know, rise up.

Let dead bones come alive Today Jesus is here as a Zoe life.

He's saying today, have you just buried yourself in a grave?

And you're saying, this is what has been plaguing me, Jesus

saying, I'm willing to breathe my life into you.

Rise. Up, rise up.

Today have you talked is emotional sickness really put

you into a grave? Today is the hardships of life,

the hardship of relationship put you into a grave.

Today has have you gone into seasons where you're like God?

It's it wasn't done my way. And so I don't think I think I'm

done with you Jesus saying, would you come back to me?

Would you believe because I can bring dead things back to life.

I can fulfill the promises that I have given you many a times

you know we're holding on to promises me and my wife have

been you know praying fervently and seeking God for certain

promises and it's been delayed time after again.

But you know, one of the consolation that we have is is

Jesus problem when he decides to fulfill it.

It's not us, it's his problem when he decides to fulfill it's

the the ball is on his court. It's for him because when he

fulfills it, he gets the glory when.

There's a delay in getting fulfilled.

We still keep calling on Him because we have no one else to

go. We have nowhere else to be

rather than His presence, and Jesus is inviting us into the

world of living. In fact, the message when we

read this verse, it says the world of living in John 5 verses

John 5:24

24. It's urgent that you listen

carefully to this. Anyone who believes what I'm

seeing right now and aligns himself with the Father who has

in fact put me in charge and at this very moment, the real

lasting life that is no longer condemned to be an outsider.

This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead

to the world of the living today.

God's asking, would you? Move from the world of the dead

to the world of the living. You know, world of the dead is

anxiety is yours. Let's work in, you know,

controlling that let's but when you come into the world of the

living, you say anxiety, you need to bow down to Jesus.

You know, depression, the world will give you a work around

that. But still, everyday when you

choose to show up in God's presence, you're saying I'm

coming back to the world of the living, which is everything

comes in submission to God. When you have hurt and, you

know, shame and guilt and so many other things that are

associated, you rise up from the world of the dead and you come

to a place saying Jesus, everything bows out.

Yeah, I was bullied as a kid. Even as I grow old, I have

latent anger issues. I am, I, I, I don't like the

fact that people are calling me names.

People are shaming me by my colour.

People look at me differently, but God, that's the world of the

dead. You don't look at me like that.

You look at me differently and I'm coming back to the world of

living. Bring every captive thought into

submission of Jesus into submission of Jesus.

In Romans chapter 10 verses 8 to 11, it says, but what does it

Romans 10:8–11

say? The word is near you.

It is in your mouth and in your heart.

That is the message concerning faith that we proclaim.

If you declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in

your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be

saved. For it is with your heart that

you believe and are justified, and it was your mouth that you

profess your faith and are saved.

As Scripture says, anyone who believes in him will never be

put to shame. Today, as much as we declare

with our mouth and believe with our heart, we need to invite

every problem and say it submits to Jesus, which means we are not

residing in the world of the dead.

We are deciding the world of living.

We are not going to create an atmosphere where we control the

whole thing, but rather say God, This is something that's been

really, you know, I've been carrying this baggage.

I bring it at your feet, whatever the lack everything

looks like because I'm choosing to follow this life, this if one

not physical but also of spiritual.

Suddenly perspectives change entirely.

Suddenly in an area where I would have had severe

discontentment. I'm happily content with what

God is doing in my life at this point, but suddenly I'm not

having these unearthly pursuits of actually doing much more just

for my personal gain, to edify my own name, my own cravings.

No, suddenly I'm able to understand that the fulfilled

life comes because in the world of living, I'm able to be

content in my marriage with the spouse that he's given.

I'm able to shoulder the responsibility that he's given

with regard to my children, handle everyone that's around me

because this is what God's called me to do.

So today, what is it looking like for you?

Probably you're. Saying you know what, I have too

many dead situations in my life, too many dead areas in my life

where I don't see life. Jesus is willing to speak life

in. Jesus is willing to breathe life

in. Jesus is willing to say allow me

to come in because it's when he allows that suddenly you won't

say, you know what? This caused me to not fulfill

God's will be like. In spite of this, I was able to

fulfill God's will because fulfillment will come in.

We allow the Zoe life to move us from a place of seeing dead

things come to life. Suddenly those promises God gave

you 10 years back will come to life because you've come

confessed with your mouth and you believed with your heart and

you said, God, I'm sorry that I just had an expiration date on

your promise. Rather, I'm willing to trust

with it. Even if it doesn't happen, I

will still close my eyes knowing that I'm living my life fully so

that when I see you, I will be. There'll be no regret.

So even as we live this whole life, maybe come to a place

where we say, Lord, I want all the dead things come a life.

I want freedom. Lord Jesus, for too long I've

given my addictions the final say.

I've gone back time and again. Guilt, shame has driven Jesus,

Say, I can give life, I can give life.

Would you come to me? Would you come to me?

I would give life to you. Would you submit?

Confess with your mouth, confess.

And so today, I don't know, for many a times you might be like,

you know what, every Sunday it feels like I'm hitting a hard

reset. But Jesus is saying, come

expectant, listen, do what the word of God says, ask Jesus,

Jesus, tell me what to do, tell me what to do.

And when you allow him, he'll take you to a place where he'll

cause you to do it step by step, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.

And when you come back into the community of believers on the

next Sunday, you'll be able to do this, be encouraged to go

back and pursue it even harder because God wants us to see us

serious about the decision that we've taken to follow him, to

believe in him. So today it says anyone who

believes in Jesus 100% trust. 100% trust means there's no

trust in anyone else. There's no person in my speed.

There's no one else. I can say you know what I'm

going to go back to? But to say Jesus, I'm only you,

only you. You are my lifeline.

You are my lifeline. The third thing that we see is

with this Zoe life, there's constant momentum.

This constant momentum because the Spirit is moving in and

through US. You know, one of the beautiful

things about the Trinity is we see the Father, Son and the

Spirit even when Jesus came into this world.

When he got baptized, we see that the Spirit descended upon

him. Jesus was filled with the Spirit

and today what did Jesus do when he was here on this earth, when

he ascended up to saying, the Spirit will come upon you.

And so even as we celebrate the day of Pentecost when the Holy

Spirit came and today, that's why we all are moving across the

world through the help of his Holy Spirit.

We see that when the Holy Spirit is residing, when we have this

Zoe life as our focus, there's. Always a constant momentum.

What do you mean by constant momentum?

Which means there's a steady speed in which he's causing us

to move. This constant momentum.

There's something that he's putting on our hearts.

There's something that he's placing on our hearts.

There's something that he's saying, I want to move in this

direction. I want you to move in this

direction. Romans 8 versus 5 to 11.

This is what it says. Those who live according to the

flesh have their mindset on the flesh desires, but those who

live in accordance with the Spirit have their mindset on.

What Spirit desires? The mind is governed by the

flesh, which is death. But this mind governed by the

Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh

is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law,

nor can it. Do so those.

Who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

So today we can say we have this Zoe life.

We can profess and say, Lord, I am on your side.

I am. I'm submitting to you.

But here, where are our desires coming from?

Is it still coming from our flesh or is it coming from our

spirit? Because today we need to allow

the Holy Spirit to rewrite a lot of our desires.

A lot of our desires are very short lived.

It's very, you know it, it has an expiration date.

Like every time there's a new announcement of a new tech

gadget, you might see it. Until you get your hands on it.

And after you get your hands on it, you're aspiring for

something more. Or probably you wanted that

raise. You got that raise, but your

heart's not content. And so you suddenly realize to

live the Zoe life, you need spirit desires, not flesh

desires. So what today is your spirit

desiring? What is it that your spirit is

designed? Because what your spirit desires

will cause you to have that momentum.

You will move towards that. What is this, Zoe?

Life will give you a constant momentum so that in your, when

you've accepted God in your 30s and you're pursuing him in your

30s, in your 40s, you will still have that momentum.

In your 50s, you will still have that momentum.

It's interesting. A lot of the single people you

know who've been in church, who've served God when they had

their time and their, their availability.

The minute they get married, they say they don't have time,

they don't have availability. They're not available because

they're married, but they fail to understand that it's in

marriage that when both of them come into alignment and when

they are submitted to God's will and together, when their

marriage is having Jesus at the center, the desires of the

Spirit are being birthed in them.

They both will serve to God with double the capacity in a

constant momentum. And so today I want to challenge

you, church. Today, we are called to desire

through the Spirit so that we'll have constant momentum in our

life. I don't want to be known.

You know what? Geshom did so much in his 20s

and 30s, but in his 40s and 50s, he's faded away.

In his 60s, he's given up on faith.

I don't want that to be. I would rather say it is a

constant momentum. 20s he did this. 30s he did this. 40s he's

doing this. 50s he will do this, sixty he will do this 70.

I can't wait to do what he has in store.

That has to be and that has a birthing place.

Only when our flesh desires are burnt and our spirit desires

are. Awakened.

We constantly keep killing our fleshly desires and we

constantly love the Holy Spirit to fan into flame and that's

what he says in second Timothy chapter 1.

2 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

He tells Paul tells Timothy, for this reason I remind you to fan

into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the

laying of your laying of my. Hands.

For the Spirit. Of God gave us does not make us

timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of

me his prisoner. Rather, join me in suffering for

the gospel. By the power of God He has saved

us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have

done, but because of His own purpose and grace.

This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the

beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the

appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death

and now brought life and immortality to light through the

Gospel. So even as I said today, when we

kill our fleshly desires, when we fan, when the Holy Spirit

fans into flame our spirit filled desires, we suddenly have

a constant momentum in this Zoe life that he's calling.

Our physical and our spiritual life sees a match.

We are moving in constant momentum.

There's so many things he's calling us to.

And the problem is today we want a Spotify Warped, an Apple Music

warped, a YouTube Warped kind of page to show us what we've

achieved for the year. Honestly, that scares me because

what we've achieved for the year can be really insignificant.

You know, when you look at Spotify Warped, it shows us what

are we've listened, how many minutes we've listened.

But it causes me to think, Lord, have I been really giving into

your spiritual desires or I've been giving into my fleshly

desires because the constant momentum has been more towards

my fleshly desires rather than the spirit filled desires.

So today I want to ask us, because when He fans our spirit

filled desires, what does it do? It does not make us timid.

It does not make us have less faith, but rather become people

of power, love and self-discipline.

What is self-discipline? We won't overindulge suddenly

money. We will know how much is enough,

suddenly fame. We will know what is needed.

We suddenly will know what kind of influence we need to have.

We would make faithful steps. How many of us today can look

back and say this? 2024 has been a year where I

didn't take a step of faith. I've been stagnant in that same

place. I've allowed fear to grip me.

I've allowed situations to just hold me down.

The Spirit is God should fan into flame.

If you look into the Advent story, everything had a faith

step. Everything had a faith step.

The revelation of Jesus was not evident, but for that to become

evident, everything involved a faith step.

So today, if you and I are called into that faith step, can

we do it with the help of the Holy Spirit?

Joseph had a faith step. Mary had a faith step.

The shepherds had a faith step. The minute the this, the word

came to them. They ran, they went.

To see it being fulfilled, the. Wise men of all those who were

learned, those who were logical. When they saw the star, they

moved. They moved from the East.

It might have looked ridiculous, but they moved trusting

something is happening, fulfillment is happening and we

need to be there. Where is our desires leading us?

Because when we receive Jesus, we just don't receive a

complacent, a stagnant or you know what, whatever attitude,

but rather we receive the Zoe life, which says, God, help me

to do all that you've put in me to do.

The Spirit will move us to fulfill the Great Commission or

the call of God on our eyes. Everyone of us have a Great

Commission call on our lives. We do not have to go out there

to a remote place. You don't have to go to a

mission field. Know wherever you're at.

That's where he wants to fan into flame.

A lot of us are looking for that big mission field thinking and

to put that photo to say, you know what?

I'm doing missions. No, do it in the place where

you're at. Because if you can't do it at a

place where you're at, you won't sustain.

Wherever he takes you, you can go to all those places.

It will fade away. It won't make sense.

We need to go to the next cubicle.

We might need to go to the next store.

We might need to ask the next person, we might need to have an

intentional conversation with the person that we regularly are

buying things with our ironing guy, with the with the maids

that we work around us with, the people who help with our

housekeeping, whoever it is, am I just keeping it to myself or

am I really being moved to do what God's calling me to do?

You know, I was just. Spending some time reading upon

George Stott and he was this British Protestant Christian

missionary who went to China. He was part of CIM, which is the

China Inland Mission. And he was recruited by Hudson

Taylor. And you know, he, in fact he and

his wife, they went to this province which they say this

Venzo province where they say became nearly 10% Christians in

China. They say that because of him and

his wife going there and establishing he with another

friend, as a result of the starts and the work that they

did in North China, it became known as Jerusalem of the East.

Because in the entire Wenzhou municipality, which has

6,000,000 inhabitants, there are more than 600,000 evangelical

Protestants, 10% of the population.

And it's interesting, the wife talks about how he came into

faith and you know, how he didn't allow life, not the world

of the dead, but the world of the living, to dictate what he

had to do. It says this in a small excerpt

where she wrote about his early life.

It said Mr. Stott had been brought up in a farm work, but

when he was about 19 years he slipped on the road and knocked

his knee against a stone. This simple accident resulted in

white swelling, which two years later needed them to amputate

his leg. Nine months later he was

helpless, he was an invalid and was during this time that God

really worked on his heart and he accepted Jesus Christ as Lord

and personal Savior. And after his recovery, he began

to teach in a school. He was employed for several

years. And when he heard about the

needs of China through a friend, he signed up to go.

And so at that time, when they were recruiting for people to go

as missionaries, they thought. Hudson Taylor was actually

making a mistake because he was a person with an amputee.

You know, he he had another leg which was not functioning.

People asked him why are you going?

Why are you going? Why are you making this effort

to go? And he said the statement, I do

not see those with two legs going, so I must.

I do not see those with two legs going, so I must the Spirit.

Fans into flame. The beautiful thing about his

Zoe life is he later when you read his life, he got cancer, he

came back to Scotland, he died, but then the wife, there was an

uprising that happened in China. Then his wife went back there

for the next 20 years. Continue to the mission.

And the reason why I'm telling you this story is a lot of us

have to rewrite our family vision board.

A lot of us have to rewrite our family mission mode.

Fathers and mothers, I want to challenge you.

Would you allow your children to live the life God's calling them

to live? Don't put your burdens on them.

Don't put your heart takes on them.

Don't put your understanding of the world on them.

Let them live out the life God's calling them to live as parents,

as people who are living to live his call.

Maybe live in truth and in clarity, not with fleshly

desires, but with spiritful desires.

So even as I conclude, I just want to conclude by saying that

this Zoe life that you're called to live will be 1 of submission.

That we won't stand out and say, God do it like how I would like

it, but God in submission, I want to see you work because I

know whatever you do, you'll do it with great things in store

for me, which I can't even imagine.

And that we'll be on God's side no matter what.

That we would allow his word and things that are dead in our life

to come to life because we trust him.

We wouldn't just put ourselves down in graves and say, God, I'm

done here. No, but we would rise up because

the Zoe, life gives life. Men can pull you down.

People can put you in that grave.

Circumstances can make you feel like you're in a grave with a

tombstone. But God saying, no, I have life,

I'm not done with you yet. And the third thing is this,

Zoe, life causes momentum, which causes you because the Spirit is

moving in and through you, which means he has to fan into flame,

which means that it just doesn't stop with me.

When I get married, we as a couple are in mission.

When we have a family, we as a family are in mission to doing

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

Kingdom come and His will be done.

So even as I conclude with this last thing I started by saying

what is it the world is saying pop culture saying with living

this best life yet living this best life is only about the

physical life. This it's very limited to

physical. But when we look at Jesus

through Jesus way. It's the Zoe life which is not

just physical but also spiritual, which means we are

not in control, but whether we are in his control.

Jesus control. We don't rely on our power

because our power is limiting. We rely on his power which is

all-encompassing, which he moves in and through us.

We are just not our own being. We just don't create

environments for ourselves, but we allow him to create

everything because we are his being.

We move into the places which he's called because he controls

everything. So Church, even as we have seen

this, I pray that it'll take life in you.

I pray that you won't give up on this Zoe life that he has for

you. You won't discount what he wants

to do with you in your spiritual life and in through eternity

because eternity is the goal, the Zoe life, eternity is the

goal. And I pray that you'll be able

to see it happen in your own life.

So can we pray our loving heavenly Father, Lord, we thank

you, Lord, for this time. Thank you for all that you've

been doing. Lord Jesus, you have been good,

you are good. And I pray even right now, Lord

Jesus, that Lord, we won't be so content with our physical life,

but we'll move into the Zoe life of seeing your Kingdom come.

Your will be done in a physical life, in a spiritual life so

that our eternity will be 1 where we'll be with you.

Lord Jesus, we don't want to just get past, but we want to do

it well. Lord Jesus, we want to

accomplish the will of God in our lives well so that we'll be

able to give you the glory and honor.

I pray especially. For those, Lord, who've been

struggling to submit to you, Lord Jesus, who've been

struggling to be on your side, that they'll be able to make

that step. Lord, I pray for those who have

been stuck in a position or probably life has treated them

so bad that they they feel like they are in a grave.

I pray Lord that your life would come in right now and resurrect

them. That they will find dead things

is not governing them, but rather your life giving.

Things are starting to take shape in them.

Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, move right now for those who are

listening and watching. I pray even right now, Holy

Spirit, that Lord, those who have been stuck and given up on

your call, that they'll be able to move into a place of momentum

with you, Lord Jesus, constant momentum that Lord, we'll see

you move. Lord, our eyes will be 1 where

we see you move. It'll be one which will be

filled with faith, where we'll be able to say, Lord, you give

me the faith and the strength and the encouragement to take

this. Lord, we thank you.

Be with us. Go before us.

Lord, strengthen us, take charge.

I pray that, Lord, even as we come into the last couple of

weeks of the year, we'll finish well.

Lord Jesus, that you would reignite the passions.

Lord Jesus, that we'll have a spiritful desire.

Lord, I pray our fleshly desire will submit and yield to you.

Lord, go before us. In your most holy name we pray.

Amen. Amen.

So Church, even as you step out, I pray you have a blessed.

Week, God bless you all. Thanks for listening to this

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