This sermon emphasizes the importance of being gripped by the Lord Jesus at a young age, highlighting the need to surrender to God's plan, sacrifice personal desires, and worship in spirit and truth. It encourages young people to trust God's timing, avoid grabbing opportunities, and focus on worshiping God through sacrifice and obedience.

It's a wonderful thing to be gripped by the Lord Jesus in our teenage years because you have your whole life ahead of you. Before you have made some of the most major decisions that people make on earth. What job to take, where to live, whom to marry. There are many people who find Christ after they have taken those decisions and they cannot go back on some of them. Sometimes they married the wrong person or messed up their life in so many ways. But it's wonderful to know Jesus when you're young. I'm so thankful that I came to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was 19 years old. That's 57 years ago and I can honestly say that my life has been very exciting and it gets more and more exciting as time goes on. To know Jesus personally is the most wonderful thing in life. I hope you'll be able to say that if the Lord tarries and you live as long as I am. But there were certain things that the Lord impressed on me very early in life. I did not come to Christ to go to heaven. That's one of the first things. There are a lot of preachers who scare people and say you'll go to hell if you don't receive Christ. It's true. People who live in sin end up in hell eternally. And they say turn from that and trust in Christ. But in my case I did not give my life to Christ to go to heaven. I loved him because he first loved me. And that's what's made all the difference in my life. And even today I'm not looking forward to go to heaven. I'll tell you honestly I'm looking forward to being with Jesus. And there's a lot of difference. You think it is the same but it's not the same. If your longing is to be rid of this evil world and rid of sorrows and sicknesses and trials and problems and heaven will be comfortable. I don't know whether you'll have a satisfying Christian life on this earth. I've had a very very satisfying Christian life with many many trials many difficulties. And it's through those trials and difficulties that the Lord gave me a ministry. So I don't regret any of them. The opposition of men has never bothered me because I've learned to walk with Jesus all the time. So I want to encourage you young people to begin your Christian life with devotion to Jesus Christ and never to lose that. Because that's the secret of the Christian life. It's not doing things for him but it's being with him and living in a relationship with him. And the more we fellowship with Jesus Christ personally the more we imbibe his spirit. And that's how we come to an overcoming life. And that's how we come to a life that's completely fulfilling. So in my relationship with Christ from the beginning I meditated a lot on the cross. On what Calvary meant for Christ. What he went through to save me. How he gave up everything to save me from an eternal hell. And his love for me gripped me so much that I felt there was nothing I would withhold from him. You know if you begin your Christian life recognizing how much Christ loves you it'll be much easier later on. To fulfill his plan for your life. So I was gripped by wanting to love Jesus and then the other thing that came to me when I was young at that age was that God had made a plan for my life before I was born. Now I don't know how many of you believe that. But it's written in the scriptures in Psalm 139. That the days of my life were numbered before there was even one of them. And they were all written down in God's book. So the way I understood it was that God had planned my life where I was to be. What I was to do. Whom I was to marry. Everything. And I had made my own plans too before I was converted. Before I was 19 I'd made my plans. And I thought is it possible that I can make a better plan than God can make for me. No. God sees the whole future. He sees all the dangers that I can face. And he sees what potential I have. What he's created me with. And he can make the best plan for my life. I can never make a better plan than his. And so I decided right there early in my life that I would try to find out what was God's plan for my life. And I said Lord whatever it is I'll accept it. I found that sacrifice was a very important part of God's plan. If you're not willing to choose the way of sacrifice. I can tell you right now you will never fulfill God's plan for your life. Jesus Christ is our example and his life was one continuous life of sacrifice. Right from the time he was born and grew up as a little child. He was almighty God and he had to humble himself and be like a little child in a home. Obeying imperfect parents. He was perfect. Some of you young people probably see a lot of imperfections in your parents. And you think you're better than them. Well if there was one person on earth who was really better than his parents it was Jesus. As he grew up I'm sure he could see many imperfections in Joseph and Mary. Because they were imperfect but he was perfect. But the Bible says right up to the age of 30 he obeyed them. He submitted to them. That wasn't easy. You children know it's not easy to obey your parents when you're a teenager. Jesus submitted as a teenager. And there was a sacrifice there. The sacrifice was to deny his own will. That was the sacrifice he had to make. And also he had four younger brothers and two younger sisters. We read of them in Mark chapter 6. And that must have involved a lot of self-denial when you know how it is when you have younger brothers and sisters and particularly you are really upright and good. Those younger brothers and sisters can try to irritate you. Try to get you angry. And Jesus wouldn't be angry. And that would work them up even more. His entire life was sacrifice. Before he even began his ministry. And then of course his whole ministry was a life of sacrifice too. There's a little expression in Hebrews chapter 13 which I want to read to you. Hebrews 13 and verse 15 and 16. Hebrews 13 verse 15 and 16. See the praise we offer to God right now was good. Very good. But there may not have been any sacrifice in it. Because we didn't have to deny ourselves anything to praise God right now. We enjoyed it. A sacrifice of praise is when I give thanks to God when things are difficult for me. And when I can't understand why God allows me to go through this difficult path. And I say Lord I can't understand but I will praise you. That's a sacrifice of praise. When God does not give you what you want. When he doesn't heal you of a sickness that you ask him to heal you of and you still praise him. Or a child dies whom you prayed for. That's a sacrifice of praise. There are many other situations like that. There are very few people who have understood praise everybody understands. But the sacrifice of praise very few people give. It's easy to give thanks to God when everything is going well. The sacrifice of praise is when things are going wrong. When things go against what we want. And it says here let's offer a sacrifice of praise to God continually. Continually means it's like breathing. There's one thing I do continually. Breathing. So my what I learned from that verse is that my life must be a sacrifice of praise to God continually. Which means irrespective of my circumstances. And the people who praise me or criticize me or it doesn't make any difference. I want my life to be a sacrifice of praise to God continually. And the fruit of my lips giving thanks to his name in all circumstances. Now this is not possible in the Old Testament. You'll never find a verse like this in the Old Testament. The only sacrifices they offered in the Old Testament was a bull or a sheep or a bird. Or grain. These are the sacrifices they made in the Old Testament. It didn't really cost them anything really. I mean if you got a bumper crop and you gave 10% of that to God. What did it cost you? Nothing. And if your whole herd of cattle and you gave 10% of that to God. Didn't cost you anything. But in the New Covenant. It speaks of a sacrifice that costs us something. And giving thanks. When I don't feel like giving thanks. In the Old Testament there was no commandment. No commandment anywhere in the Old Testament. Which said always give thanks. But in the New Testament there is. In everything give thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5.18 In everything. Ephesians 5.20 says At all times. In everything. Give thanks. The only person who can do that. Is one who has chosen the way of sacrifice. And I want to tell you. Most Christians do not obey those verses. You ask yourself. Do you give thanks in everything? Do you give thanks at all times? I never did it for many years after I was born again. The things I am sharing with you. I wish. Somebody had laid hold of me when I was 19. Converted and said. Hey Zach. I want to teach you some things which other Christians don't talk about. Learn to give thanks in everything. Fight against sin and overcome it. Give up all murmuring and complaining. I wish I had heard it then. I didn't. So many years of my life was wasted. Wasted in the sense that. I didn't offer to the Lord. The sacrifice of praise in difficult situations. Of course I knew how to give thanks to God. When I got what I wanted. When prayers were answered. When things went well. But this continual sacrifice of praise. So I am saying that to you young people. If you learn that when you are young. There is tremendous fruitfulness that can come from your life. God leads us. Into a place of abundance. Through trial. And it says here further in verse 16. And don't neglect to do good. And share. So. First of all in the vertical direction. To God. And then in the horizontal direction. To human beings. To our fellow believers and others. You know like the two arms of the cross. Is the vertical and the horizontal. So there is a sacrifice of praise. In the vertical direction. In all types of circumstances that God takes us through. The reason we give thanks. Is because Romans 8.28 says. That God makes everything. Work together for good. To those who love Him. And who are called according to His purpose. If you believe that. I believe it. That there is nothing. That any human being or demons. Or circumstances can do to me. Which will not work for my good. They will all work for my good. Is it difficult to give thanks. If everything is working for your good. Not at all. Therefore I conclude. That the people who don't give thanks. Christians. Are the ones either they don't love God. Or they don't believe that God is almighty enough. To make things work for their good. As it says in Romans 8.28 Every Christian. Who doesn't give thanks. Is an unbeliever in Romans 8.28 Any Christian. Who believes in Romans 8.28. Will give thanks. In all situations. Because everything is working for his good. I mean it is difficult to give thanks. If you think something is working for evil. I would. I would find it impossible to give thanks. If I feel something is going to do harm to me. But if something is going to do good to me. Why wouldn't I give thanks. So. My thanksgiving is dependent on my faith. In Romans 8.28. That my God is almighty enough. To make everything work for my good. And if you young people can be gripped by that. Right from your youth. And then the horizontal part. To share. You know whatever God gives us. It is not for ourselves alone. A lot of people. Are miserable. Because. They are misers. I think it is very appropriate. That the word miserable begins with the word. M-I-S-E-R All misers are miserable. Don't. God teaches us to be generous. God so loved the world. That he gave. And he gave. And he gave. Sacrificially. And Jesus came to earth. And he gave. He was always giving. He didn't seek anything for himself. He was the one preacher. Who never asked anybody for money. Never. He never took an offering. After he preached his sermons. Unique example. He is the type of person. We need to follow. His life was always giving to others. He was not thinking of getting. He was thinking of giving. And if you have learned. If you learned from your youth. To give and to share. Rather than stretching out your hand. To get. You know what it says in this verse. Verse 16. With such sacrifices. God is pleased. God is delighted. When he finds. A child of his. Like that. Who is thinking of giving rather than getting. Who is thinking of sharing what he has. And sacrificing. To bless other people. And if you can learn these lessons. When you are young. It will be fantastic. You will have a glorious life. These are some of the things I learned. I had to learn on my own. One of the verses. That I saw in Proverbs. Was this. In Proverbs 11. And verse. 25. Proverbs 11. 25. The generous man. Will be prosperous. Now the world doesn't believe that. The world believes that. The stingy man. Will be prosperous. The man who hoards. And hoards for himself. Will be prosperous. But the bible says. The generous man will be prosperous. And he who waters others. Will himself be watered. That's a great verse. So if I want. God to water me all the time. And keep me fresh. All I got to do is. Give to others what God has given me. Spiritually. Mentally. Materially. Physically. I'm very thankful that. One of the things. I discovered early in life. Was. That I must never serve God. For a profit. And you young people. Need to learn that right in the beginning. Because we are surrounded. By a Christendom today. That is always. The preachers are always. Seeking to gain for themselves. They see a big crowd. They say great opportunity. To take an offering. So I can get something for myself. Imagine Jesus spoke to thousands of people. But he never took an offering from them. God is pleased. With those who have a spirit of sharing. And sacrifice to others. To water others. What that means is. That if I seek to share with others. What I have. God will water me. And I've found that through the years. I have four sons. And they are all following the Lord today. But as they were growing up. I couldn't always be at home. Because I was traveling to so many places. Preaching the gospel. And one of the things I said to the Lord was. Lord I'll take care of your family. You take care of mine. And he did. He did that when we had little. And I want to tell you this. It's a wonderful thing to experience. God. In times of shortage. And trial and difficulty. I feel sorry for people who have plenty of money. That when they have a need. They don't have to go to God. They can just write a check. Or go to the bank and draw money. I'll tell you honestly. I feel sorry for them. Because they missed what I learned. In times when I had very little. Or I couldn't go to the bank and draw. I had to go to God. Don't you think you have an experience. When you go through trials. Some of you may be going through difficult times. And some of you young people. May come from poorer homes than others. Who are wealthier homes. And sometimes young people look at others. Who are wealthier homes and say. Boy they can get this. They can buy this. They can have these clothes. They can do this. They can that. Don't envy them. You learn a lot more. When you have less. Because you have to turn to God every time. And as you water others. God will water you. And that's a very precious experience. But in it all. Seek to develop this relationship with Jesus. Which is very very important. This intimate personal relationship. With Jesus Christ. One of the books. In fact the first. Book of the Bible. That I studied when I was 20 years old. Was the Song of Solomon. Which to me. Pictured my relationship with Jesus Christ. And you know. I read verses in Song of Solomon like this. Song of Solomon chapter 3. Verse 1. On my bed. Night after night. I sought Him. Whom my soul loves. That was my experience. As a single young man. Many many times. And it still is. Night after night. Whenever I'm awake. I seek Him. Whom my soul loves. While other people. Are tossing around in bed. Thinking about other things. Worrying about things. Or angry with somebody. Or. Wondering how to make more money the next day. I'm thankful that the Lord taught me. Early in life. To seek Him. Night after night. I want to urge you. Young people. When you lie down in bed. Seek Jesus. Make that a habit in your life. Read God's word. And meditate on it. It's so very important. And the other thing the Lord taught me. Was to be a worshipper. You know I came out of. A church which is called. The Syrian Orthodox Church. That's the church I grew up in. Where I was sprinkled as a baby. And I didn't know much about the Bible. But when I got converted. At the age of 19. I decided to study the Bible. Thoroughly. And in six months I read through the whole Bible. And then I began to study it. And study it. Every morning as soon as I got up. I would kneel by my bed. And pray. And then sit at the table. Before I went to work. I was working in the Navy. And study the scriptures. Then go to work. And come back. I was single. And at the end of the day again. I'd spend hours studying the scriptures. And kneel down by my bed. And then go to bed. I would encourage you. To do that. I thank God. That there were no television those days. To distract us. I mean. I don't have television at home. I don't get distracted even today. There are so many things. I want to tell you young people. That can make you miss. God's plan for your life. Not evil things. The devil knows. That some believers cannot be drawn away. By evil things. But by good things. There's a proverb in English. Which says the good. Is the enemy of the best. And if the devil can't. Make you do evil. He'll make you do good things. And miss the best. Permissible things. So it's one of the important. Things you need to. Understand. What Paul understood when he says. In 1 Corinthians chapter 6. He says in verse 12. All things are lawful for me. But all things are not profitable. Do you know there are many lawful things on earth. That you can do. But all of them may not be profitable. For spiritual development. And growth. So you have to be selective. If you're not going to be selective. You're going to miss out. On God's plan for your life. Jesus couldn't do everything. That he wanted to do. He was selective. What to do. He sought his father. I mean think of the way. The way in which Jesus lived that. Even to. When he was hungry in the wilderness. At the end of 40 days. And he had power. To turn stones into bread. And the devil told him to do it. He said I haven't had a word from my father. So I won't do it. Imagine he was hungry. After 40 days of fasting. And he would not. Use his power. Until his father told him. Boy. I said Lord make me like that. Where I always am. Seeking you. All things are profitable. All things are lawful. But not all things are in God's will for my life. Do you know that if Jesus turned those stones into bread. He wasn't hurting anybody. He wasn't stealing from anyone. And. He was not. Being a glutton. After 40 days of fasting to eat a little bread. Is not gluttony. It's just. It's a necessity. And yet he wouldn't do it without. Seeking his father. Father do you want me to do it. I want to encourage you young people to. Seek God's will. About little things. About little little things like that. Say Lord I want to do your will. Say to yourself. There are many things lawful for me in this world. But if I want to fulfill God's will for my life. Not everything is for me. I have to. Lay aside certain things. Because they are not profitable. To fulfill God's will. And he also says all things are lawful for me. But I will not be mastered by anything. Don't let anything master you. Don't let food master you. A lot of young people are mastered by food. Food is lawful. But I have never seen a godly man in my life. Who is mastered by food. No glutton ever becomes a godly man or woman. Never. Because he makes his. He makes his stomach his God. I will not be mastered by anything. Sexual desire. Is a very strong desire. In young people. And I asked the Lord once. I said Lord. Why didn't you wait till. A man is say 25 or something. Before he has his desire. So that he can just get married. Instead of that. He is tempted from the time he is 14 or so. And what the Lord said to me was that. He wanted man to master it. Before he got married. And all of you young people. Are drawn by the power of sex. And with all the. Advertising and things you. See on the roads. And the billboards and everywhere. Magazines everywhere. In the airports. There is so much of temptation in this area. Don't let it master you. There is only one way. To overcome sexual temptation. And that's by running away from it. It says in the same chapter. Verse 18. Run away. From immorality. Don't try to stand there and fight it. I will tell you who we should stand and fight. Satan. James chapter 4 verse 7 says. When the devil comes resist him. And he will flee from you. But if a temptation to immorality comes. It doesn't say resist. Turn and run. When you are tempted. At the computer. To click on a link. Which you know is evil. Pornographic. There is only one thing to do. Get up and run. So the bible says. Run away from it. You can resist the devil. And he will flee from you. But. Sexual temptation is stronger. Don't try to resist it. Run. Flee. Flee is a strong word from immorality. Run away from it. Jesus. The number of people who messed up their life. And ruined God's plan for their life. In this area is amazing. God showed us on Calvary's cross. That he runs this world on the principle of sacrifice. And you got to choose that way. Lord I have to deny myself. I have to spend my entire life. Denying myself. Jesus said in Luke chapter 9. And verse 23. If anyone. Wants to come after me. And it applies to any of us. Young or old. You want to come after Jesus. Daily. Deny yourself. Let him deny himself. Every day. Every day. I have to give up something. Which attracts me. I deny it. For Jesus sake. That's sacrifice. Such sacrifice as God is well pleased. And I want to tell you that that is what real worship is. I told you that one of the things that God began to teach me early in life. Was to be a worshipper. And even today. I am much more interested in worshipping God. Than in preaching. Honestly. I don't have any lust to preach. I have a great desire to be a worshipper. Because Jesus said. In Matthew chapter 4. His reply to the devil was. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God. And then. Thou shalt serve him. Matthew 4.10 First worship. Then service. If I don't worship. I cannot serve. And if I don't worship properly. I won't serve properly. And now I want to clarify. What worship means. I have hardly ever. Found a church. That explains to their congregation. What worship really is. I have spent years. Teaching our churches. What worship is. So let me show you. In John chapter 4. This is very important. Jesus told the woman of Samaria. When she asked him a question about worship. The woman said. I want to know something about worship. She said in John 4.20. Do you worship here or in Jerusalem. Or here or there. And Jesus said woman. An hour is coming. And he was referring to the day of Pentecost. And it already is. When. Worship will not be a matter of here. Or in Jerusalem. Or there. It will not be a matter of place. Because the true worshipers. Will worship. The Father. Verse 23. In spirit and truth. And the Father seeks. For such people to worship him. When I read that verse. I said. Father in heaven. Are you seeking on earth. For true worshipers. I want to be one of them. I don't want to let you down. If you are seeking for worshipers on the earth. When so many people are busy serving. I want to be a worshiper. Then my worship service will be more effective. And I found that to be true. So there is an expression. Jesus used here called. Worship in the spirit. He said. That hour has not yet come. The hour is coming. When the true worshipers. Will worship in spirit. In other words. In all these thousands of years. From the time of Adam. Up until now. Up until that time. There was nobody who was worshipping in spirit. But. He said. The time is coming soon. When you will learn to worship in spirit. What does that mean? You see. The bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5.23. That man is a trinity. Just like God is a trinity. God is a trinity in three persons. But man is a trinity in the sense. He has got three parts to himself. Spirit, soul and body. Like the three parts of the tabernacle. And. In the time. Right up until Jesus time. Man worshipped with his body. And his soul. But not in spirit. He said that. An hour is coming. When the true worshipers will worship in spirit. In other words. Up until now. Nobody has been able to worship in the spirit. And if you look at the tabernacle. The outer court symbolized the body. The holy place symbolized the soul. And the most holy place symbolized the spirit. And there was a veil. That was there. Teaching that nobody could worship in the spirit. Nobody could go there. That is one of the meanings. Of the most holy place. Being blocked off with a veil. Nobody could worship God in the spirit. Only in the body and the soul. Those Jewish people. Who could come to the outer court and the holy place. That's it. What does that mean? Worshipping with body and soul is good. We clap our hands. Raise our hands. I do it. I clap. I raise my hands. I raise my voice. That's with my body. And with my soul. With my emotions. Feelings. And my intellect. Using words. And emotional songs. Good. The Psalms are full of it. There is no worship in the spirit. In the Psalms. You know that? Many people don't know that. They think the Psalms is the greatest expression of worship. Yes. Up until the day of Pentecost. But now it says the Father is seeking not for those type of worshipers. He is seeking for those who will worship in the spirit. Many Christians don't read the Scriptures carefully. If I had missed that I would have spent my life worshipping in body and soul. All my life. But when I saw there that the hour was yet to come when people would worship in the spirit. I said Lord I want to discover it. That when Jesus died that veil was rent. And now I can worship in the spirit. So I want to know what worship in the spirit was. Why did he say the hour is coming and now is? He also said it now is. Now is because there is one person on earth worshipping in the spirit right now. That was Jesus himself. But all the others would have to wait for the day of Pentecost. That's why he said the hour is coming verse 21 and yet it now is. So that is what we see here. And I began to seek God about this. I found the answer in Romans in chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. Where the word worship in the spirit comes. One of the wonderful things I've found in the study of the scriptures is that very often a difficult verse is interpreted in another verse. And it's this balance of two verses that gives us the truth. Don't go by only one verse. The devil quoted one verse to Jesus. He will give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. And Jesus said hang on, there's another verse. You shall not tempt the Lord your God. That's the balance. Truth has got two wings like a bird. Don't go with just one wing, one verse of scripture. All the cults in the world take one verse and build a doctrine around it. There's a balance in scripture. A bird with one wing goes round and round and round and round. If you live with one verse you go round and round and round. So here's a verse that interprets what worship in the spirit is. Romans 12.1 I urge you brethren by the mercies of God. That means, you know Romans is the book that's explained the gospel and it says in view of all these fantastic things that God has done for you, what should you do in return? Go out and preach the gospel. Go out and give money to other people. Yeah, wait. Before you do all that, thou shalt worship and then thou shalt serve. That's the order. Matthew 4.10 So before you do all that in view of all that God has done for you be a worshipper. How do I do that? Present your body a living sacrifice. There's that word again. A living and holy sacrifice. Acceptable to God. Which is your worship in the spirit? That's how the NASB translates it and I believe that's the right translation. Which is your spiritual worship. So the way I worship God in spirit is by presenting my body first of all as a sacrifice to God and that reminds me of the burnt offering in the book of Leviticus. Many people don't read Leviticus unfortunately. But it's a wonderful book. The whole book is about sacrifices. There are sacrifices for sin. There are sacrifices of thanksgiving. There are sacrifices of making peace with God. But there's one offering which is called the burnt offering. It's the most important one which is not for sin. It's the very first offering mentioned in Leviticus chapter 1 where a person had to bring a bull cut it into pieces and put it on the altar and burn it up. The fire would come and burn it up. Now one would think why go through the process of cutting up a bull if you're finally going to burn it up. Just put the whole bull there and burn it up. No, they couldn't do that. They had to cut it up piece by piece and put it on the altar and then the fire of God would come and consume the offering. That is how they worshiped. The sin offering was not for worship. That was a sacrifice for sin. But the burnt offering was worship. They were not asking God for anything. It was an expression of gratitude and that's what mentioned here to present. Now today it's not a bull or a sheep it's my body. And I can't place my body there and say God I give it. I have to cut it up. And it's only when we cut it up that we understand whether we are really giving it or not. It's very easy for you to say Lord Jesus take my body, it's all yours. Hang on. Cut it up. And I'll tell you what I mean. Lord here are my eyes. I give it to you. My eyes have looked at many things that are sinful in past years. My eyes have read many things that are sinful. Today I lay them on the altar as an act of worship. I never again want to use my eyes for myself but for you. I want my eyes to look at what is pure. I want to use my eyes to read the scriptures. Okay. Lord here's my tongue. I'm cutting up my body remember? Burnt offering. Present your body a living sacrifice. Here's my tongue Lord. I've used my tongue boy for what all evil. Hurting others. Getting upset. Getting angry. Gossiping. Backbiting. Lord I've given it to the devil so many times. Even after being born again and even after claiming to be filled with the spirit and all. But Lord today I'm giving it to you as an act of worship. Here's my tongue. I want to use it only for the glory of God from now on. Never to lose my temper at anyone. Never to murmur or complain. Never to gossip and backbite. Never to be curious to find out from other people information which is unnecessary for me. Lord I give my tongue to you. These hands Lord I've done a lot of evil with my hands. I've written and typed a lot of things which are hurtful. No more. No more. These hands are yours. I give them to you. These legs boy they've taken me to a lot of places I should never have gone to. I offer my legs to you. I'm cutting up my body piece by piece. It's yours. Tell me is that type of worship easy or is this type of worship where we just sing and praise? Anybody will choose this. Sing a few songs that is not worship. That is praise. Thanksgiving. Very important. That is not worship. Nowhere in the New Testament is this called worship even though every church that I come across calls it praise and worship. I challenge anybody in the world to show me one verse in the New Testament that calls that worship. I've studied it. I took a concordance and studied every word on worship in the New Testament because I wanted to know what God thought about it not what churches thought about it. And I discovered what worship was. It's here. The other is soul and body. It's good. I'm not against it. See there are four steps in our communion with God. The first is prayer. Very important. Jesus taught us to pray. You can ask for things whenever we have a need. You can even ask for your daily bread. Material things. Ask for a house to live in. Money to survive on earth. Ask for a job. Ask for a whole lot of earthly things. Marriage. Then we go to the second step which is thanksgiving. Very few people get there. There were ten lepers who prayed. Only one gave thanks. And that's about the proportion among Christians who pray and give thanks. Ten percent. Thanksgiving is the thing we forget to do when the prayer is answered. But that is the second step of communion with God. Thanking Him. There's no prayer there. It's thanking, thanking, thanking. Then we go to praise. Praise is a step further. Higher. Where we are not thinking of what God did for us. We're not thanking Him. We're praising Him for who He is. I mean even if He did nothing for me He's still Almighty God. He's holy. He's full of wisdom. And I praise you for who you are. And if you read the words I've got into the habit of being very careful with my words when I sing songs. Because in the early days I would, because I knew a tune and the songs were familiar. I'd sing and sing and sing till I discovered I was telling God a whole lot of lies. Which I didn't really mean. So I decided to be very careful about the words and I discovered that all the songs that we sing are prayer, thanksgiving or praise. That's it. So where does the fourth step of worship come in? Prayer, thanksgiving, praise, worship. Worship is here. It's the most difficult of all. And it's not with words. It's presenting my body and saying Lord it's all yours. It's presenting my mind it says in the next verse. Romans 12 to say Lord my thoughts, I want to give my thoughts to you. My mind where I'm, boy I have spent my mind thinking of so many things. Sometimes lawful but not profitable. And sometimes unlawful. When I give it to you I don't want to be, it says don't let your mind be conformed to the world's way of thinking. But to be renewed to God's way of thinking. This is worship. And I'm very thankful that before I left this earth I learned it. Because there are so many Christians who haven't learned it in their entire life. And I learned it long ago. So I'm thankful that I've, and it made a lot of difference in my service. My service became so relaxed and easy and like rivers of living water instead of a strain. Because I learned to worship first. If any of you find your serving God is a strain try learning to worship first. You'll find service becomes a pleasure and a delight. Like it has been for me for the past so many years. So as I said God runs this world on the principle of sacrifice. So if you can learn early in your Christian life as a young person this principle of sacrifice makes a difference. When I was about 22 years old God gave me a verse which I want to share with you. I was still working in the Navy on a ship and one day I read this verse in 2 Samuel chapter 24 where David was asked by God to make an offering in a particular, on the threshing floor of a certain farmer around 2 Samuel 24 So he went to that farmer's place and said God's told me to make a sacrifice for him here and give him a burnt offering. And Araunah said to David David said I want to buy this threshing floor from you because I want to build an altar here. And Araunah said oh no. Oh king you don't have to buy it. Just take it free. I'd be glad to give it to you as a gift. You know how we all like to get something free? Well, David was wise. He said listen Araunah, if I get it free from you and I give something Araunah also said you can take the bullocks here as an offering. You can take the wood everything I give you free and David said if I get everything free from you and I give that to God there won't be any sacrifice in it. It won't count for anything. But if I pay the money and buy this land from you and pay the money and buy the bullocks from you and pay the money and buy the wood from you then I give it to God it would have cost me something and that would be according to his understanding of Old Testament worship. So the king said to Araunah, this is the word the Lord gave to me verse 24 2 Samuel 24 24 I will not offer to God that which costs me nothing and 54 years ago the Lord spoke to my heart as a young Christian you must never offer to me that which costs you nothing I said Lord by your grace I will never in my life offer to you that which costs me nothing my service for you must cost me cost me money cost me health cost me rejection by people in the world cost me countless hours of bible study which I have to deny doing other things in order to know it so that I can serve your people and know your mind it must cost me something and boy the way God has rewarded me in my knowledge of the scriptures it's amazing how God is as I have sought to live that way he has given me answers to so many problems I faced in life by pointing out something in scripture where there was an answer for that particular problem I faced and I come to this conclusion that there is no problem you can ever face in life for which there is no answer somewhere in scripture if you know where to find it but if you don't take the pains to study it you won't know where it is so I am concerned that you young people from very early in life should be gripped by this principle of sacrifice don't seek to, sacrifice is giving not getting don't stretch out your hands to get but rather stretch out your hands to give because the world is got the principle of getting, grabbing you know how a little child you put your finger in it's thumb it grabs it immediately every little baby is like that and that teaches me something that man is born with the spirit of grabbing there was a old testament person called Jacob his name meant grabber because he came out of his mother's womb he was a twin with Esau and he saw Esau going out and he grabbed Esau's leg and said hey I want to go out first and he came out grabbing his brother's leg and saying we'll call him grabber and that's what he was in his life he grabbed his elder brother's birth right offering him some soup later on he went and he wanted to grab one of his uncle's daughters and got the wrong one and ended up with two of them he was a grabber all through life he grabbed his uncle's property his sheep and all that he was called a grabber and one day he met with God it's amazing how God cares and loves people and if you've been a grabber this is a good verse for you Genesis 32 it says one day Jacob was alone with God and I'll tell you something about that Jacob this is Genesis 32 24 sometimes it's very difficult for God to get you alone you can't meet with God very often in a crowd you've got to be alone it says Genesis 32 24 Jacob was left alone and God met with him I've noticed some homes where they're always playing music some cars when they drive the cars always some music on I think Christian music is the best way to ensure you never hear what God is trying to say to you it's not evil sometimes God can speak to you through that music as well but I find it so important to listen to what God is saying to me I think of these policemen police officers who drive their cruisers they've got a walkie-talkie in there connected to the headquarters and if they have blaring music going on in their cruisers they'll never hear what headquarters is telling them I've thought of it like that if God's got something to say to me and I'm just listening to this music all the time I won't hear what God is saying to me there's a time and a place for everything there's a time and place for Christian music but I find generally speaking very few Christians take time to be alone with God and that's why they don't know God Jacob was alone with God and God laid a hold of him and tested him he asked him what is your name you know many years earlier his father Isaac Jacob had put on animal skin pretending to be Esau, hairy Esau and his father asked him what's your name, he said Esau he was not only a grabber but a liar but now God asked him what is your name Jacob, grabber Lord I'm a grabber that's the second thing if you want to meet with God you've got to be honest with him tell him you're a grabber and God says let me go and now you see the difference he says in verse 26 I will not let you go God unless you bless me those words have blessed me for years that's the way to come to God in prayer here was a man who had spent his life grabbing his brother's leg, his brother's birthright his uncle's daughters, his uncle's property now he had let go all of that and he was grabbing hold of God and saying God I will not let you go unless you bless me I remember when I was seeking for the baptism and fullness of the Holy Spirit that's how I prayed, I said Lord I will not let you go until you fill me with the Holy Spirit, if it takes ten years I'll wait ten years but I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit I urge you to seek God like that and he'll meet with you he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek him he's always been a rewarder of those who diligently seek him, Hebrews 11 6 if you've not been rewarded by God I want to tell you, you've not diligently sought him, there were only two parables that Jesus spoke on prayer one was a widow who went to the judge and kept on knocking knocking knocking until she got the justice she wanted and the other parable was a man who went to his neighbor's house asking for food for a visitor who came at midnight and knocking and knocking and the neighbor says don't disturb me, he says no I'm going to disturb you, I want some bread those are the only two parables Jesus spoke on prayer persistence, persistence and in both cases they got what they wanted why is it very often you don't get what you want because you don't have this attitude saying I will not let you go until you give me this Lord I'm not talking about material things, I'm talking about spiritual things that can make you fulfill God's plan for your life so the grabber finally grabbed God ok I want to say a few words also about worship from the Old Testament we read in Genesis 22 by the way this is the first time the word worship comes in the Old Testament first time Abraham had come to Mount Moriah God had told him to give up his son because his son was becoming an idol in his life, Isaac God saw that and said go and kill him and Abraham went to Moriah and there as he was going up he told his servants wait here and he says in Genesis 22 5 I'm going to go up there and worship it's the first time the word worship comes in the Old Testament Abraham had already walked with God for 50 years and he knew a little bit of what that type of worship was what was it it was giving up that which he was holding on to possessively Isaac if you learn to give up to God he will give it back to you with a double blessing if Abraham had held on tightly to Isaac he would have been an idol and he would have destroyed Abraham's life sometimes we have to give up so Abraham gave up and did God take him away no God doesn't take away what's good for us Abraham take him back that's another thing you young people need to learn not to grab but learn to give up and let God give back to you in his time I've learned that in my life I remember as a young person God gave me the gift of preaching when I was 23 years old and there were other people who were older than me in the churches I attended who were jealous of my ministry I was young they were the elders and they wouldn't give me any opportunities to preach and the Lord said keep your mouth shut I will open doors for you when the right time comes sometimes it would just keep me quiet I remember one church I sat for three years without opening my mouth and the Lord said keep your mouth shut those are the years God broke me and I'm very thankful for learning those lessons that God my ministry would be when God gives it to me not my grabbing there are so many people I find who go looking for a ministry looking for it here looking for it there I want a ministry here I want a music ministry here I want a preaching ministry there don't seek like that you'll be grabbing onto you'll be producing ishmaels whom God will reject let God give this to you and I've seen through the years how God has given me whatever ministry I have I've never had to grab once I can honestly say I've never grabbed anything in my life in the Christian life I never wanted it the same thing when it comes to marriage you know a desire comes up when you're young and you see a pretty girl or a boy who looks attractive to you and what is the thought come I better grab her before somebody else gets her that's not God's way I better grab him before some other girl gets him it's very easy to have that attitude and miss God's best I believe this that if you live in the will of God and you've given your whole life to him and you've said to him Lord I only want to fulfill your will for my life I have no other ambition on earth to become great or famous or make money or anything just to fulfill the plan you made for my life before I was born in that plan there will be somebody planned to be your partner in life I believe that and I won't have to grab God will give it to me what did Adam do to get Eve you know what he did he slept he didn't go running around the garden saying oh God give me a wife and what the Lord taught me from there was if you're asleep in the will of God one day I'll wake you up and I'll give you the wife you want you need that's exactly how God gave me my wife I did not go running around trying to grab this one or that one I sought to do God's will at the right time God woke me up and gave me the wife who's the perfect one for me all these 48 years so I want to say to you young people don't be an unbelieving grabber say Lord I trust you if that girl is the one you've chosen for me in the plan you wrote for me before I was born there'll be an invisible reserved mark on her nobody will be able to get her anybody who tries it'll fall through and if that man is the man God's chosen for you there'll be this invisible reserved mark on him reserved for you this is the God we worship honor him and he will honor you worship him and he'll get the best in life go around grabbing and you'll miss what God has for you many people have missed God's plan I remember when you know I was extremely poor because I'd left my job in the Navy and resigned my job and my income dropped 85% and I'd given away all my money for God's work I had no bank account and no income and I was trusting the Lord to serve him and this proposal came for me from Annie who's my wife today and her father said I'll never let you marry him, he doesn't have a job, he doesn't have an income I said fine let's trust the Lord and we really loved each other and wanted to, we believed God had chosen us for each other so it wasn't easy for me to give her up it was like Isaac, really it was like giving up Isaac, I said Lord if you stop this through her father's objection fine, I won't fight for it and I'll just pray because I will never be a grabber and in three months her dad changed his mind without even seeing me it's amazing what God can do if you trust him this is worship to give up this Isaac that you want God says give it up and he'll give it back to you from the altar and it'll be much more precious when you get it back that way this is worship to give because I realize I deserve I have really nothing that I can call my own one last verse Job was another worshipper it says one day Job chapter 1 he heard that he lost all his property and his ten children in one moment one day and it says when Job heard it he shaved his head tore his robe he was sorrowful, naturally if you lose ten children you lose, you're sorrowful he fell down and worshipped and what did he say when I came from my mother's womb I had nothing I didn't even have a shred of clothing on me all that I got in my lifetime was the gift of God, ten children plenty of property, plenty of money and if today the Lord decides to take it all away, blessed be the name of the Lord, he gave he took away and he worshipped you see the difference there these men when they worshipped they gave up they didn't grab they said God if you want to take what you gave me Isaac take it back, sure these ten children you gave me Job says you want to take them back, sure take them away I'll have no complaint I had nothing when I came to earth these are the greatest men of God in the Old Testament and I want to encourage you young people be a worshipper be a worshipper not a grabber be one who says Lord you will have first place in my life, I will never in my life offer to you that which costs me nothing, everything I give you as service must cost me something it's a pity when I hear the way people seek to serve God today without sacrifice it's a very poor service be a worshipper God bless you all let's pray let's bow our heads before God you young people are the hope for this country in the next generation don't let God down by any foolishness maybe your parents have done many foolish things in their lives but they didn't have the opportunity that you have you're a teenager from this time in life let God lay hold of you say Lord I want to fulfill your plan for my life I don't care how much money I make I want to fulfill your plan for my life Heavenly Father bless these dear young people I pray it will go exceptionally well with them and you will raise up young men and women who will be flaming torches for you in this land build your church and confound the powers of darkness we pray in Jesus name Amen