In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of trusting in the Lord and not relying on our own reasoning and understanding. He warns against being deceived by our eyes and ears and encourages obedience to God in both big and small matters. The preacher shares the story of the Apostle Paul, who despite his past mistakes and sins, was able to fulfill God's will for his life. He concludes by highlighting Jesus' example of prioritizing God's will over his own desires.

I want to turn to a very, very important verse. It's 1 John chapter 2 and verse 17. 1 John 2 17 it says the world is passing away and also its lusts but the one who does the will of God lives forever. This verse reminds me of Noah's time when he preached a similar message and nobody believed him outside his own family. The world is passing away and all that you see but if you do the will of God and get inside the ark he said you'll be saved and the only ones who believed him were his wife and his three sons and their wives which shows what a godly man Noah was that his children saw our dad really believes what he preaches. That makes a tremendous impression on children when they see that their parents believe what they talk about. That is not just pious language in the church but something that affects their daily lives. Anyway the same thing is true today. Jesus said the last days will be like the days of Noah. We proclaim the same message. This is one of the last books written in the Bible. The world is passing away. He said that more than 1,900 years ago. How much more true today and when it talks about the world we're not just talking about the earth. The earth is different from the world. The earth is this physical earth that we live on planet earth. By the world when the New Testament speaks about the world it sometimes refers to the people of the world. God so loved the world. God so loved the world that he gave his son. That's the people of the world. But then it also refers to this world system whose ruler Jesus said is the devil. The world and all its passions and lusts is passing away. It's going to gradually be destroyed. And Jesus died not only to save us from our sins but to deliver us from this world. And in the message Bible it says like this the world and all its wanting wanting wanting is on the way out. The world is full of people who want this and want that and want this and want this and want that on its way out. But he who wants to do what God wants he's all set for eternity. So I see there are only two categories of people. Those who got the spirit of the world and want and want and want and want what the world offers. And those who want and want to do what God says. And these are very strong words in verse 15. Do not love the world nor the things in the world. You can use them. You can use any amount of them. So long as you don't get attached to them. So long as you don't love them. Jesus used money every day of his earthly life from the time he was grown up but he never loved it. Because love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. It's very important to know that. That's why it's so serious. If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him. How can I say I love God if I love the world? It's not possible. A lot of people think they can but it's not possible. And everything that is in the world and it's paraphrased like this wanting your own way, wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself and wanting to appear important. Do you want your own way? Do you want everything for yourself? Do you want to appear important? That is the world. The world is not a particular color of dress or a particular fashion of dress. It's not a question of the length of your hair or whether you wear lipstick or not. These are the easy ways out that Christians have sought through the years to avoid worldliness. It has never delivered them from the world. The world is wanting your own way. Why do a husband and wife fight? Because each wants their own way whether they wear lipstick or not. Wanting everything for yourself without any concern for God or other people and wanting to appear important. That is the world. And if that is there that's got nothing to do with the Father. It just separates you from him. And I believe that's the reason why many many Christians, even those who come to CFC for many years, I don't see much spiritual progress in many of them. I just want to be honest. But it's true. You look at some people who've been here many years. I don't see much passion or zeal for God because deep down inside they want their own way. They want everything for themselves and they want to appear important. They get offended if somebody doesn't give them the importance they think they deserve. Well I want to tell you this. It's on its way out. Whether you believe it or not it's on its way out and if you cling to that you'll be on your way out with it too. So don't satisfy yourself that you've come to CFC for many years. Ask yourself whether you want everything for yourself or you want your own way and whether you want to appear important. That is willingness and all that wanting wanting wanting is on its way out. I believe that. And in contrast to that is another want. A desperate want to do the will of the Father. These are the two categories that John speaks about. It's a very sharp dividing line and we want to proclaim that sharp dividing line in the church. I often see these roads you know in the main roads of the city you find these yellow lines down the middle showing that traffic must not cross that yellow line. Those going out that way go the other side. Those going this side of the yellow line go this way. But over the years sometimes after many cars have driven over those roads those yellow lines get slowly obliterated. And only here and there you see some patches and then you find cars going this side and that side and you because there's no yellow line anymore. That is a picture of most Christian churches today. That yellow line has gone. And people sit there some are going towards the Lord and some are going towards the world but they all mingling together imagining they're all going doing God's will. They're not. And that's one of the things we want to do in this church. We can't guarantee that everybody who comes here will be spiritual. That's up to you. But we can make sure that that yellow line is never removed. And if it gets tendency towards being wiped out we want to paint it again. And that's what I'm trying to do this morning. There are those who want everything for themselves and who feel that they are very important. Want to feel important and appear important and want to have their own way. And then on the other side of the yellow line are those who want to do things the Father's way and want to do God's will. And that is the reason why the glory is missing from many Christians and many homes and many churches. That's missing. The glory. And I want you to turn to an Old Testament passage in Exodus. I've often referred to this and I want to refer to it again because I believe there's a principle there. You know in the Bible we read about three tabernacles of God. Three tabernacles of God. Tabernacle means a dwelling place. That's all. The first tabernacle is the one that Moses built which became the temple of Solomon later. And that's we read there God dwelt there. He dwelt in a glory in the top of that and in the most holy place of that tabernacle. You turn to Exodus in chapter 39 and 40 you see how that Old Testament tabernacle was built. There's a phrase here that I think comes about 18 times. Now remember this is God's Word and God doesn't write something 18 times in two chapters unless he's got something to tell us. I mean if you got a letter from your father and he wrote something 18 times in two pages you definitely get an idea that's important right. 18 times in two pages. He's afraid you may forget it. He believes it's very important. Here is something written 18 times in two chapters. I don't think there's any phrase like that anywhere in the whole Bible where you have it written 18 times in any two chapters in the whole Bible. I believe it's very important. And that phrase is concerning how Moses made this tabernacle. It says in the last part of verse 1 just as the Lord had commanded Moses. That little phrase. How did he make all those things? Just as the Lord commanded Moses. Even the garments for the priests. You see that again in the end of verse 5. Just as the Lord commanded Moses he made all that material of the high priest and then all the other things there also in the end of verse 7. Just as the Lord commanded Moses and at the end of verse 21. Just as the Lord commanded Moses. In the end of verse 26. Just as the Lord commanded Moses. At the end of verse 29. At the end of verse 31. It's the same phrase at the end of verse 32. All that the Lord commanded Moses. So they did. And the last verse as well. Just as the Lord commanded this had been done. And then when you get a chapter 40 you find the same thing again. At the end of verse 16. Just as the Lord commanded Moses. And at the end of verse 19. And again at the end of verse 21. And at the end of verse 23. And the end of verse 25. The end of verse 27. Yeah you can look through that. Verse 32 and so on. And then you see this phrase. The last part of verse 33. It was thus that Moses finished the work. What was the result? Verse 34. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Now remember Moses was a man who had studied in the best academies in Egypt. He knew how to build pyramids. Which even today's engineers wonder how they built it in those days. This is the guy who knew how to build pyramids. Whom God told to build a tabernacle. Which is such a simple structure. Even a 18 year old can make it. You don't need to study. And the wonderful thing about Moses was. He didn't say God I can make it better. This is such a simple thing. Lord I'm the one who made pyramids in Egypt. What are you telling me? I'll make a fantastic structure for you. He would have said that when he was an unbroken man at 40. But at the age of 80 he wouldn't say it. Because he was a broken man. There are two categories of people among Christians. Believers. Those who are broken and those who are not broken. Those who are broken will modify God's commands. Because they think they know better. They will change little things here and there in God's Word. And say well think times have changed. Things have changed. And there are others who say well if God's Word says that. That's exactly how we're going to do it. One of the most common examples. I find this particularly when I go to Western countries. I go to a church. I'm speaking a church of 2,000 people. And my wife would be the only one covering her head. And I wonder why? If you don't these people have 1 Corinthians 11 in their Bible. 1 Corinthians 11 has got two parts. One which says that women should cover their heads when they pray in the church. And the other half which says we must break bread. How is it they take the second half and ignore the first half? They ignore the first half because they say oh that was not. That's not really for us today. I've never seen a spiritual man who believe who believes in that type of teaching. You know you can. Because that's how some other people think of talk about divorce also. Once you open the door to say some things were only for those days. There are people who say divorce. Yeah that was those days. Now things have changed and God understands. So it's right to divorce your wife or husband and marry again. And I suppose the next step people will say you know we got to be sure that we are marrying the right person. We sort of got to live together for a few years before we actually get married. And that's happening also in the world today. Because God understands. Once you've opened the door for one little thing and you let the devil put his foot in there. He's going to occupy the whole house. That's what's happened in Christendom. It's not exactly as the Lord commanded. And so the glory has departed. You wonder why the glory departs? There'll never be a glory. What he says 18 times just as the Lord commanded. Just as the Lord command. Small things. Big things. All just as the Lord commanded. The glory came. And I can tell you in Jesus name. Because I've tasted a little bit of that in my life. Small things. Big things. Do as the Lord commands and the glory will be in your life. Otherwise you'll just be a religious Christian talking pious language. Without ever becoming spiritual in a hundred years. Lots of people like that. There are small things in which God tests us. I think of the time when God sent Adam into the Garden of Eden. And I believe there was something of sort of a sheen of glory. I mean that's not written in Scripture. I sort of believe that. Because God made Adam and Eve in his image. They were so pure and innocent and kind. And that the clear conscience. There was a sheen of glory. As they walked together and they saw each other. They saw the glory of God in each other. You know what happened when they sinned. Immediately they saw each other naked it says. That's why I believe something happened. They didn't seem to see that nakedness before. Because there was a glory there. And suddenly the glory departed and say hey you're naked. That's what's happened to a lot of people in Christendom. And how did it happen? By their disobeying a small command. You know if God had said. Suppose let's assume that God told Adam many things. Now Adam you must wholeheartedly love me. You must love your wife. You mustn't slap her. You mustn't hit her. And Eve you must fellowship with her husband. All that. Now many many good good commands. And one small command. There's one tree there. Just don't eat from it. And the devil catches hold of the small command. He knows they won't disobey the big ones. How many of you will disobey the big command? Don't commit murder. Don't commit adultery. No. Our obedience is tested in the small things. That's why I always say. Teach your children to obey in the small things. Where do you test your children's obedience? When you send them to school. You say son don't commit adultery today. Okay. He comes back and says mom I obeyed that. Don't murder anyone in school. He says mom I obeyed that too. Don't steal a bank on the way. Mom I obeyed that too. Those are not the areas where you test your child's obedience. Your child's obedience is when he's doing something very interesting and you say now stop that. Particularly if it's a cricket game and it's his turn to bat. And at that time you say okay time to come in. What does your child say? Unless your child is special. All children say wait mommy. Five minutes which is usually 45 minutes. And that's that's where their obedience is tested. It's exactly the same with the Word of God. A person who obeys God in the little things and does not judge other people who don't obey in the little things. That's the most important part. I've seen people who obey God in the little things and spend all their time finding fault with other people who don't obey God in little things. That's like making a first-class chicken curry and putting a lizard inside it. Spoils the whole thing. Spoils the whole thing. You obey God in the little things and most important don't put that lizard inside that wonderful curry you made. Don't judge other people who don't do those things. That's not your business. It's not your command. It's God's command. He can take care of dealing with them. That's very important. In my younger days nobody told me this. They told me to obey but they never told me don't judge other people who don't obey. That's it's very very important to understand these little principles. We obey God but we are not here to check whether other people are not obeying. And the devil took that small command. One little tree. What does it matter if you eat it? You think God's gonna be so upset that if you just eat it. Obey the major commands. Don't slap your wife and don't get angry with her and yell at her. But this little thing in fact it looks so attractive. And Adam listened to the voice of his own reason. The Bible says trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't depend on your reason and understanding. It will lead you astray. Our even our eyes and our years deceive us. We can't trust it. I have told the story here of the two little boys who were watching the sunset. And the ten-year-old said hey the Sun was there in the east in the morning and it's moved. It's come to the west in the evening. The Sun moved and the five-year-old said no my brother it's not the Sun that moves. It's the earth underneath our feet that's revolving underneath our feet. And the older boy said no I didn't feel any earth revolving underneath our feet. Have you ever felt the earth revolving under your feet? I believe what I see. The younger boy said I believe my daddy. But that's what he told me. Who was right? You'll find when Jesus comes back that those who believed their heavenly father and what he wrote in the book were the wisest people that lived on the earth. Not the great scientists and politicians and the people who win the Nobel Prize and all that. But those who humbly studied God's Word and did the will of God will be the wisest people that ever lived on the face of the earth. Do you want to be one of them? You can. If you say I want to choose God's will. You may feel discouraged that well I have already messed up my life for so many years. I've just done my own will for so long. But I want to say why why should you mess it up some more? Okay it's true you messed up your own will. Maybe you went to churches where they never told you the whole truth. But at least you know it now. I mean if you had bad eating habits and destroyed your body till now. Why do you want to continue with those bad eating habits? Why can't you change? I mean can't you stop smoking and drinking and like that? Stop a lot of bad other bad habits that you have in your life. Let me tell you the story of a man who messed up his life for 30 years and still completed the will of God. And that's the Apostle Paul. There are two examples we read in the New Testament. One is Jesus who did God's will perfectly from day one. And the other is the Apostle Paul who also said follow me. And he had messed up his life for 30 years. He even killed Christians. How many of you have killed Christians? Imagine a man who killed Christians that bad. And what does he say at the end of his life? This man who had killed Christians messed up his life for 30 years. Here's a message of hope for us. In 2nd Timothy 4 and verse 7 he says like this. I have fought a good fight. I have finished the course. I have finished the course that God appointed for me. If you were to argue with Paul you say how can that be Paul? How can you finish the course which God appointed for you? You messed up 30 years of your life. You mean God didn't have any plan for those 30 years? You mean God wanted you to go around killing Christians? That wasn't part of God's plan. How can you say you finished the course? There's something wonderful about God's will. He factors in if you understand the meaning of that word that he allows for. He factors in the fact that you don't know him and you don't know his ways for so many years and allows you, he overlooks the times of ignorance. That's how Paul who murdered Christians who messed up his life for so many years could still say at the end of his life. See he lived only about 37 years after he was converted. I think he was converted on the road to Damascus around 30 years old because he was an important member of the Jewish hierarchy and you don't get there until you're at least 30 and he died when he was around 67. Only 37 years of which half his life 30 years he had messed up killing people and all that but he still finished his course. That's what gives us hope that at least from the time you have heard the message, maybe that's today, maybe it's only today that you really seriously understood that only those who do the will of God are going to remain forever. Those are the ones who are inside the ark, those who have done God's will and it wasn't easy for him because it says here in before that in verse 7 2nd Timothy 4 7, I fought a good fight. It's not just, it wasn't easy. How did he manage to finish the course? He fought a fight and he didn't fight with human beings. For years he fought with human beings, other Christians and messed up his life and I'll tell you this, if you're still one of those who fight with human beings, you'll continue to mess up your life. You fight with your husband, I prophesy you'll mess up your life. You fight with your wife, I prophesy you'll mess up your life because the Bible says in the New Testament, Ephesians 6 12, we do not wrestle with human beings, we do not fight with human beings, we do not wrestle with flesh and blood. That's Old Covenant religion. The Old Covenant they fought with the Philistines and the Canaanites and the Midianites and the Amorites and all type of iths and your husband and wife may be another type of ith but you don't fight with them in the New Covenant. You fight with the lusts in your flesh and you fight with demons and the devil and the reason why you can't overcome the lusts in your flesh and you can't overcome the devil and his demons and you're scared of them and you get dirty dreams and scary dreams is because the energy you have is limited and you're using so much of that energy to fight with human beings. You're using so much of that energy in your mind to think what you will say to that enemy of yours next time you meet him. Well naturally you'll have dirty dreams, naturally you'll have scary dreams because you're not fighting the devil. Oh the devil's a deceiver, he wants to use up your energy fighting the wrong thing so that when you go to fight with him you're so weak and limp that you can't fight with him. Don't let him make a fool of you anymore. He made a fool of me the early years of my Christian life because nobody ever got a hold of me and said brother Zach don't ever fight with human beings. I would get a hold of young people today and say that. I said I've seen enough people in my life who messed up their life because they fought with human beings. How many of you will take a decision today? Ephesians 6.12 we will not wrestle with human beings. I fought a good fight but it's not with human beings. It's not against other Christians. Saul of Tarsus fought with other Christians. You want to follow him or you want to follow the Apostle Paul? Do you fight with other Christians? Don't even fight over doctrine. We have certain doctrines. I don't fight for them. My earlier days I did because I was foolish and stupid and I didn't have a spiritual father to guide me along the right way. I had to find a lot of things out myself. Today's seven, eight-year-olds know that the earth goes around the Sun but there were 80, 90 year old people in the 1300s and 1400s who never knew that. Till some guy called Copernicus decided to check up and today we know it because we got the benefit of those who have taught us the same thing spiritually. You don't realize how blessed you are to have someone to teach you or a number of brothers who are your elders to teach you the ways of God. You don't have to mess up your life anymore. Learn this and stick to it and say Lord by your grace I'm never again going to fight with human beings. I'm not going to argue with them even about doctrine. I have sometimes people who come to my house who want to convince me about some doctrine. All types of things. They want to convince me that I shouldn't be a teacher. I must be an evangelist. They try to convince me that I should preach healing without medicines in the church and all types of strange people come to my house. These people, strange type of people send me emails as to what they think I should preach and when they come to my house and they only send me an email I can ignore it. When they come to my house I can't turn them out so I listen to them for a little while and then I try to show them from scripture and when they discover they are wrong they get hot under the collar. You know what that means? It means they get angry. Then I immediately change the subject and talk about India versus Australia cricket match or something like that because then I know he's on my side. We're both fighting for the same team but now in this doctrine he's on the other side. I never want to fight with people about doctrine. I never want to fight with people about anything because I realize that truth is something that God has to reveal. Jesus said I thank you father you have hidden these things from clever intelligent people and you have revealed them to childlike people. If you're childlike God will reveal wonderful things to you. So we don't fight. Paul said I fought a good fight against my lust against the demons against the devil who tried to hinder me from doing God's will in my life but I stuck to it and I did God's will and do you know the price he paid for it? Because he did God's will. It wasn't an easy life for him. He was shipwrecked sometimes seeking to do the will of God in some other place. Wasn't comfortable. He was imprisoned sometimes because he stood for the truth. If he had just compromised a little he could have been saved from being imprisoned. They took him to court. They did all types of things to Paul. They whipped him and beat him but he did the will of God and I tell you this it's easy to study about the life of the Apostle Paul but this was the secret of his life. He decided to do God's will. He Paul but Peter also he says similar words. I want you to see this in 1 Peter and chapter 4 and verse 3. Just read this carefully. I don't know whether you've noticed this verse. The time already past is sufficient for you to have done your own will. The will of the Gentiles is your own will but now you should be spending the rest of your life verse 2 to do the will of God. See he is contrasting doing the will of God from now on and says you mean you don't feel you've spent enough time doing your own will. How many of you feel that no I haven't spent enough time doing my own will. I need to spend some more years doing my own will. I want to spend some more years fighting with human beings. I have not fought with human beings enough. Well then there's no hope for you brother sister but but those who have sick and tired of their old life and said I have spent enough time doing my own will. I want to now spend the rest of my life doing the will of God and I'm going to fight against everything that stands in the way of my doing God's will in my life. I want to do just as the Lord commanded. I want it to be written about me not only 18 times but 1800 times and 18,000 times. He did just as the Lord commanded here. He did just as the Lord commanded. Small things big things and the glory of God will rest upon you and me if we live like that. Don't you want it? I told you there are three tabernacles in the Bible. The first one is the one we just read where Moses did exactly as the Lord commanded. The second tabernacle is the earthly body of Jesus. You read in John chapter 1 and the literal translation of that verse if you've got a margin in your Bible it says that the word became flesh and tabernacled among us. It says here in the margin of my Bible the literal Greek word is tabernacled. The word became flesh and tabernacled among us. Jesus was the fulfillment of that Old Testament tabernacle and what was true in Jesus life? He did everything as the father commanded not 18 times as it mentioned 18 million times. He always did what his father commanded and what is the result? Same as in Exodus 40 verse 14 the glory of God was seen in him full of grace and truth. That grips my heart. I say Lord I know I've seen it in the Old Testament tabernacle and I see it in this New Testament tabernacle of Jesus that if you do exactly according to the will of the Father that glory of God will be seen was seen there in the Old Testament tabernacle and it's seen here in the New Testament tabernacle. See what Jesus says about his earthly life in John chapter 6 and verse 38 John 6 38. Why did I come down from heaven? Here is a one sentence autobiography of Jesus life. You know what an autobiography is where you write the story of your own life. A one sentence autobiography of Jesus life. I came from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. Every day he always sought to know what is the father's will and he did it. The third tabernacle is the one that was formed on the day of Pentecost when a hundred and twenty people prayed together and the Holy Spirit the fire of God came upon them and took these hundred and twenty pieces of steel and put them in the fire they became one piece. You know you put iron into the fire and a hundred and twenty pieces become one unbreakable piece that's how they weld and join steel together. That's what happened and that became the third tabernacle of God. That's why it's called the body of Christ the church and the glory of God rested on that early church at least up to chapter 5 of Acts of the Apostles. After chapter 6 they started grumbling one one group of widows. It was a communal problem. The Greek widows started ganging up by themselves and the Jewish widows ganged up by themselves and the people who served the food were Jews so they'd give more food to the Jewish widows. Backsliding and whirling started pretty early in that church. Don't speak about the early church as if that was a very spiritual church. It was spiritual up to chapter 5. After that it became pretty worldly. By the time it came to the days of Corinth it was really worldly and Laodicea and Sardis and all in the end of the first century. The first century church was not a spiritual church. It was spiritual up to chapter 5 of Acts of the Apostles and that's where we can see why wasn't it spiritual because everybody wanted to do their own thing. The elders wanted to do their own thing and we see a lot of that in Christendom today and when the Lord saw that happening in what was supposed to be his tabernacle. You know when the Lord writes to the churches in Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3 says to the church in Ephesus and to the church in Smyrna and the church in Pergamos and Thyatira and Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicea seven churches and to their elders. The elders were like the Moses who was building the tabernacle. There was an elder in Ephesus who was building the tabernacle there and these elder in Philadelphia and elder in Laodicea building the tabernacle there and they were not all doing it exactly according to God's will and in some of those churches like Smyrna and Philadelphia there was a glory particularly Philadelphia but the others there was no glory at all but they still had their meetings but to all the churches the Lord says but just because the whole church is like that backslidden, wretched, miserable, blind the elders are like that and they have only a name that they are alive he says I want to challenge some of you who want to be overcomers to all those churches don't ever say that oh our elders like this so no no no or so many that people in the church is like this. I used to sit in churches where people didn't have any interest in victory over sin for many years as a young man and I couldn't find I'll tell you honestly I couldn't find examples that I could follow no I couldn't find that in the elders and I couldn't find it among the older people in the church but the Lord said look at me why do you worry about them if you find someone worthy of following follow otherwise just look at me and that's where I learned way back in my early 20s how to look unto Jesus and that's where I was compelled I was compelled to have an intimate relationship with Jesus because I didn't find godly people in our church. Church I was in I won't tell you which one it was but if you find you know one of the great dangers in being in a powerful church where the Word of God comes like a fire is this that you don't develop an intimate relationship with Jesus you don't hear him speaking to you you just hear some man of God preaching from the pulpit and God's voice always comes to you through a secretary that's all right if you are an employee in a factory an employee in a factory cannot approach the CEO he has to go through the secretary but if you're the wife you don't have to go to your husband to a secretary if you're the bride you don't have to write to your bridegroom through a secretary yeah your bridegroom may send a mail through the postman but you can call him up and speak to him directly as well thank God for the letters he sends through postman and the best of preachers is only a postman but you need to get his telephone calls yourself you need to have a communication with him yourself that's how Jesus lived let me turn to Isaiah chapter 50 which is a wonderful prophecy about the way Jesus lived on this earth Isaiah 50 and verse 4 it's a prophecy concerning Jesus in the future he says the Lord God has given me the tongue of a disciple it's a wonderful thing to have a disciplined tongue that's the tongue of a disciple a tongue which I control and which doesn't control me and it says he awakens my year to listen as a disciple to have a disciplined year to have a year that listens to God he's speaking about the inner the inner year to listen every morning it says in the last part of verse 4 my father would wake me up to listen we wake up in the morning to all of us woke up this morning did you believe the father woke you up so you could listen to what he has to say what a wonderful way to live every day when I wake up say hey my dad woke me up my heavenly dad woke me up so that I can listen to him not just for so-called 15 minutes quiet time and then forget about him for the rest of the day no woke me up to keep listening to him throughout the day like these police inspectors who go around on motorbikes they've got a walkie-talkie a radio phone it's always on and all the messages are not for them but once in a while they get a message yeah I got to be alert all the time it's on all the time when you're on duty it's on all the time that's how Jesus lived that's why sometimes when he was staying in a house before everybody woke up he would quietly get up make sure that he didn't disturb anybody quietly open the door and slip out and go a long way away to some wilderness to spend time alone listening father I don't want to live by my human reason I want to ask you are you better than Jesus if he needed to listen how much more you and me do you wonder why the glory is not there I want to say to you in Jesus name there can be a glory in your life that you have missed is the devil robbed Adam and Eve off God can't give it to you without your permission do you know that God could not make Adam holy unless Adam chose it God could not make Adam spiritual unless he chose it that's why one of the most important things God has given us is our free will I've said that many times the free will and a conscience those are the most valuable things God's given you and he won't force you to follow your conscience he won't force you to do his will he could have made Adam like the planets you know Saturn and Jupiter and Venus and Mercury they were created before Adam and they've always obeyed God they are never collided with another they are no wandered off into some other orbit they move so precisely that you can even predict where the moon will be next year at this time or where Saturn or Venus will be next year you can set your watch by these planets because their movement is exact and they've been doing it for thousands of years and God could have made Adam look like a human being and programmed his brain called a computer in such a way that he automatically obeys God he'd have been just like those planets but those planets can never sin and they can never be holy a planet can never be a sinner a planet can never be a saint and God didn't want a human being to be like that he gave him a free will and he sent him into the garden with one small command there are 10,000 trees there Adam you can eat all of them but just avoid this one do you think God's desire was just to keep Adam from eating that tree no because if that was his desire it would have been very easy we read at the end of Genesis 3 that God put a an angel with a flaming sword number of angels with a flaming sword going around the tree of life so that Adam couldn't come anywhere near it if it in the first verse of Genesis 3 it was written that God put angels around the tree of knowledge of good and evil with a flaming sword Adam and he would not have gone anywhere near it that was the easiest way to stop Adam from eating that tree but if he had done that Adam would never be holy he had to be 10 and you put a flaming sword around every temptation there is no temptation there then but God didn't God didn't send an angel snooping around with Adam and Eve he didn't suddenly appear when Adam was reach he was reaching out for that fruit no you want to sin God sees Eve reaching out for the fruit God sees it he knows this is going to destroy her and he doesn't stop her here's a believer who's on his way to commit adultery with somebody and he doesn't get a flat tire in his scooter God doesn't stop him it would have been so wonderful if you had got a flat tire and never reached there but didn't stop him exactly the same principle God sees Eve don't you think God could see that he saw Eve reaching out to that tree and he doesn't stop he sees you getting all ready to commit some sin whether on the internet or expressing your anger to somebody he sees it boiling and he won't stop you he'll allow that anger to bubble forth he'll allow you to click with your mouse on that site that you should never go to on the internet he won't stop you your hand won't get suddenly paralyzed no not before you commit the sin and not after you commit the sin sure he won't you won't get blind if you look at lustful pictures it would be very easy for God to stop all men from lusting just make them a little blind every time they lusted I think most of us would have been blind by now God didn't do it how to stop people from telling lies just let that tongue get a little paralyzed every time to tell a lie oh we don't stop telling lies long ago why doesn't God do it there's a principle God will not stop you from sinning if you want to he can but he won't because if he does it he's taken away your free will and when he takes away your free will you become like Mercury and Venus just rotating around God he doesn't want that he'd rather have one obedient child in a nation with a million disobedient children true rather than robots let me ask you those who are parents you have naughty children who don't obey you who rebel and don't listen to you supposing some scientists provided you with a robot a five-year-old looking child robot dressed and look exactly like your child comes to the door and says hello daddy now what can I do for you can I bring your slippers for you and oh that's so and you don't want that you'd rather have that one naughty child give me back that naughty child who doesn't obey me I don't want this robot all this artificial words God is like that he'd rather have one obedient child and he was willing to take the risk of billions of people go to hell to get those few obedient children so what a waste yeah it's worth the waste because God says if I get a few in heaven there are very few who find the way to life who will obey me implicitly who when they pray thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven mean it haven't you prayed that prayer I remember when I was a child my parents taught me to pray that prayer I'd never get out of bed without kneeling down on my bed and praying that prayer in my unconverted days I never knew head or tail what it meant but I prayed it and my whole prayer took about a minute or so you know the quick our father who art in heaven and up down to the end and get out of bed I'll get on my work for the rest of the day thy will be done on earth in my life as it is done in heaven boy I thank God that through these past years I've begun to discover something of the glory of that heaven is such a wonderful place there's no depressed angel you know why because they do the father's way you know why you're so depressed but you don't do the father's way you never see an angel in a bad mood in heaven why do you get into bad moods I'll tell you because you don't do the father's way if only you could understand the glory of seeing that the father's will is perfect for you that's a mark of faith how do I prove my faith in God by saying Lord I believe that everything you have commanded for my good when Jesus says in Matthew chapter 11 Matthew chapter 11 in verse 28 well known words which many people quote to others here it says come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden I will give you rest I will give you rest weary and heavy laden why are you weary and heavy laden because you don't do the will of God why are you depressed discouraged gloomy murmuring grumbling complaining upset angry irritated jealous proud ignorant but you don't do God's will he said come to me and I'll give you rest now he said don't stop there a lot of people stop there and I'll tell you how you get this rest listen to me here it is take my yoke upon you and those of you been to the villages in our country have seen that with a yoke upon two bullocks the poor farmers who don't have tractors here's one bullock another bullock they plow a straight furrow and if one of these bullocks dies they get another junior inexperienced bullock to come under that yoke and as it were the older bullock tells the younger one listen take this yoke upon you one end of it is on my neck and the other is on yours and please learn from me don't be stubborn and you'll plow a straight furrow I have enough experience I've done this for years just do exactly just keep my pace don't rush ahead and don't lag behind just walk with me and walk in the direction and here is a junior bullock who doesn't know head or tail about plowing a straight furrow and it reaches the other end and looks back and says boy that was amazing what is the secret he just did submit it to the older bullock and then you ask the younger bullock but one of those one or two places where there's a little crooked yeah those are the places I thought I knew better I thought I could go my own way and do it better I made a mess but the rest of it was strange how is it going to be for the rest of your life dear brothers and sisters I hope you'll have a passion in your life to do God's with the most wonderful life that was ever lived on earth was the life of Jesus he never did his own will let me read you a lovely verse yeah before that it says learn from me take my yoke upon you and learn from me Matthew 11 29 for I am gentle and humble in heart learn gentleness and humility from Jesus you don't have to learn how to preach or sing from Jesus you know a lot of people who are pursuing Christian music nowadays spend so many hours studying music I wish they would learn gentleness and humility from Jesus and accomplish a lot more don't be disturbed that you can't afford to send your children for music lessons let them learn gentleness and humility and do a lot more good to them and you will find that rest which I'm promising because my yoke is easy don't ever think that this life is such a strain I can't do my own will anymore no Romans 15 and verse 3 it says here that Jesus never pleased himself even once he always did what pleased the father we spend our life doing what pleases ourselves and we wonder why we are so unhappy why we're so defeated why our children don't grow up right and why we have so many problems and we have financial difficulties and why we are in debt and so many things it's because we don't have a passion to say Lord if I do my will I'll mess it up I want to do your will and I want to give you this word of encouragement for those who feel you've made a mess of your life so far you can make a beginning today turn to Acts of the Apostles chapter 17 Acts of the Apostles chapter 17 and it says here a wonderful phrase which I'm rejoiced to read verse 30 Acts of the Apostles chapter 17 verse 30 God overlooks the times of ignorance maybe you were ignorant until today that this way of the world is living is going to perish if you do the will of God you'll have the most satisfying life on earth okay if you are ignorant until today all your times of ignorance God overlooks that means he says forget it my son it's okay forget it my daughter start from today isn't that great now he's telling everybody now that you know the truth repent means turn around from doing your own will to do the will of God I want to show you one last verse in John 17 you know when Paul said I finished my course he was only repeating the words of Jesus but Jesus also said John 17 for I have glorified you on earth I have finished the work you gave me to do but Lord you were making stools and benches for 30 years that's right that's what the father told me to do those 30 years you preached only for three and a half years that's right the father only told me to preach for three and a half years but Lord you never went to China you never had a worldwide outreach like people have today you just stayed in Israel that's all the father told me to do wasn't your father tells you as a mother to just stay at home and look after your children you've got a good example in Jesus who never traveled to China or Russia or India there was need there but Jesus would not respond to those missionary calls which said what are you doing sitting in your home and there are people dying in Russia or China or North India he wouldn't be disturbed he just get up quietly from there and listen to his father isn't it wonderful people have tried to shake me like that for many years they can't they could when I was young and stupid and foolish and ignorant not today I've learned to listen to my father there's a work God's given me to do I've got to do it I want to tell every one of you sitting here if you're giving your life to Jesus there's a specific work God has given you to do in his body and maybe in this church and in your context that you have if you do that that's what's going to ensure that you have no regret in eternity let's pray we preach in this church so that people don't have regret in eternity I pray with all my heart Lord don't let anyone who has heard this message go away unmoved not seeing the glory of the way Jesus lived or your servant Paul and his wonderful examples deliver us from the deception of Satan from the way Satan tries to rob us of our inheritance Lord Jesus I pray this day will be a turning point in the lives of at least a few here and hopefully many we ask in Jesus name