This sermon emphasizes the importance of being truly born again and spirit-filled, experiencing a taste of heaven on earth. It highlights the need for conversion, enlightenment, partaking of the Holy Spirit, tasting the word of God, and experiencing the powers of the future age. The key message is about surrendering to God, being broken like the earthen vessel to let the light of Christ shine through, and living a heavenly life even amidst earthly challenges.

We have taken three studies on heavenly life on earth, and this is the real message of the gospel, that we can taste heaven right now. And if you haven't, there's a major part of the gospel message that you have missed. So I want to begin with a verse in Hebrews chapter 6 that describes the experience of a truly born-again, spirit-filled person. In Hebrews chapter 6, it speaks about the foundation, and this is the foundation on which we are to build our Christian life in the first verse. And then, this experience of conversion and opening our being to Christ and the Holy Spirit is described like this. In verse 4 and 5, we are enlightened, first of all. That means a light from heaven comes into our heart. That's the first thing that happens. And we taste of the heavenly gift. You know, it's like a particular type of food which you may have never tasted before, a particular type of fruit that you have never tasted before. There's a taste of something that we have never tasted in our whole life, that nobody in the world has tasted. It's not just living a good life or being nice to people or anything. There's a taste of something heavenly, absolutely not found on this earth. This is true conversion. Now, very few people have it because most people today are not really truly converted. And part of the reason for that, as I've often said here, is because they've never repented. They've tried to believe in Jesus without turning from their sin. And so they end up with some third-rate, useless, imaginary experience of being born again. They've never tasted of a heavenly gift. And the other way it's described is they are made partakers of the Holy Spirit. Every person who is really born again is made a partaker of the Holy Spirit. It's, you know, like partaking of an inheritance. If your father dies and leaves you an inheritance, when you take possession of it, you can say you're a partaker of that inheritance, something real and tangible. And we partake of the Holy Spirit. And then the other way it's described is we taste the good word of God. That's more than reading the Bible. Reading the Bible, anybody in the world can do. But to taste the good word of God means where God puts something like manna into our mouth, he puts something like that into our hearts. You know, the children of Israel, they got manna every day from heaven. And there was a taste about it. It came from heaven. And there it is said in Deuteronomy 8 that God gave them manna every day to teach man one lesson, that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from God's mouth. And that's something they have to receive every day. Yesterday's manna was not good enough. But today, yesterday's manna would begin to stink by this morning, teaching us that we need to receive the word of God every day. And a person who is born again can taste a word from heaven in his heart, not just reading the Bible. And the fifth thing mentioned here is he tastes something of the powers of the future age, something of the powers of the future age. There are amazing powers that we're going to have in the future age. And we can't have all of it, but we can get a little taste of it. I mean, if it's going to be like a river in that future age, we can get a teaspoon of it at least now. Healing is like that. You know, one day when Christ comes back, I'm going to have a resurrected body, a body that is never going to die, never going to get sick. And I can have a taste of that now. I can have a taste of it now, and that's called healing. So healing is actually a taste of that resurrection body that one day we're going to have. And I believe it's the birthright of every born-again Christian. I'm not saying that God heals every sickness, because that would be like having the full powers of the age to come, where I never get sick, never get, never die. But that is one extreme of false teaching. But the other extreme of teaching is that I can never get any physical healing from God at all. I think both are wrong. I can get a taste. That's the balanced teaching on healing. I can get a taste of that resurrection body now, when I'm sick, but not in its fullness. So these verses teach us what a truly born-again person can experience. It's something of heaven here on this earth in his spirit and a little bit even in his body and his mind. His mind gets enlightened, clearer, can think more clearly, et cetera. Now, as I look at a lot of Christians who proclaim various ways by which they can live this Christian life, I find many emphases. In some groups, the emphasis is on rightness of doctrine. They say, if you got your doctrine wrong, then sorry, you can't really live this life. Then there are other people who place the emphasis on prayer and fasting. You've got to pray and fast a lot before you can come to this life. And there are others who say you've got to have a baptism in the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues. It's only then that you can come into this life. And there are various emphases like this. You know, there are some who say you must be missionaries. You mustn't just think that you must quit your job and go out and be a missionary. Some people even say you shouldn't get married to live this life. But I'll tell you something. In 50 years of being a believer, I have met all these types of believers. Those are emphasized prayer and fasting. Those are emphasized missionary work. Those are emphasized studying the word of God. Those are emphasized speaking in tongues. And I'll tell you something. I've seen among all of them some of the most miserable Christians I've ever met in my life. Grumpy, sour, hard to get along with, and critical and judgmental. So I say all these experiences don't seem to help them. When I was a young Christian, I used to be in an assembly where we were taught, every morning you kneel down and read your Bible on your knees and pray. I remember we used to, all the group of men, and we'd all be on our knees when we got up in the morning. And the same way at night before you go to bed, you kneel down and read the Bible and pray. But in between that morning and nighttime, I saw these people. They were fighting and quarreling and running after money and every other thing. What is the use of kneeling down and praying? And I was confused about it. But I was a very young Christian. And I said, Lord, what's this? This kneeling down and reading the Bible doesn't seem to help these folk. And the Lord said to me, these people are not spending time with me. They're spending time with a book. Very easy to spend time with a book, even if you're on your knees and not contact God. And when that's the case, we never come into this life. I have seen old people who are the sweetest of people I've met on the face of the earth, and very few like that, godly Christians. But I've seen many other old people in their 70s and 80s who are grumpy and sour and demanding, saying, why don't my children look after me? Why don't people respect me? Are these guys heathen? Are they Christian? I've looked at those people who are sour and grumpy and demanding and expecting things from people, and I said, Lord, please don't let me ever become an old person like that. And I'll tell you something. You will become an old person like that if you don't cleanse yourself now. That's too late to cleanse yourself then. The people who manifest a heavenly radiance and gentleness and humility and make no, zero demands on others when they are 85 years old, zero demands on others when they are 85 years old, who have no complaints on others or no complaints that their children are not looking after them, et cetera, et cetera, these are people who have sought to live a heavenly life from the time they were 30. That's why. So you better start now. Otherwise I guarantee you'll be a grumpy old woman or man by the time you grow old. And it'll be too late to control yourself. See, now you can control yourself because you're young. But it's like older people lose their bladder control and control of many things in their body. You won't be able to control your emotions and passions if you haven't crucified them now. So even if you want to just do it for your own testimony's sake, it's good to start living that heavenly life now. But more wonderful than that, why should I live a miserable life on Earth when God offers me a heavenly life right now? So when I see all these things are not the answer, I find speaking in tongues is not the answer and praying in fasting is not the answer and missionary work is not the answer. I'll tell you, in my life, 95 percent of the missionaries from Western countries I've met in India I have zero respect for. They are grumpy, sour, arrogant, look down on Indians and all that. And particularly the ones who come out nowadays. But there is a 5 percent I've met who are really godly. Thank God for them. They've been a challenge to me. So what I say is so many people who got the right doctrine and who say the right things and say they are filled with the Holy Spirit, they don't seem to manifest the spirit of heaven. You don't see the graciousness and the humility and the purity and the love and the goodness and the forgiveness of heaven in their lives. And when they speak, you don't hear words from God that challenge us and stir us and encourage us. No. Why is that? I have thought much about it and I have come to the conclusion that there is one element that is lacking in all these good people. And that is brokenness. If you are not broken, that heavenly life will never be manifested. There are many pictures that God uses throughout the Bible to show this. But I see many, many wonderful Christians who know so much, who are, I believe, filled with the Holy Spirit and all that. But because they are not broken, God has not been able to break the strength of their personality. They remain earthly. For an earthly person to become heavenly, it's not enough that he is filled with the Holy Spirit. It's not enough that he listens to the word of God every day. That's all good, necessary. It's not enough that he comes to meetings. It's not enough that he seeks fellowship. He must allow God to break him. Even Jesus, his earthly life was broken. That's why at the end of his life, do you remember the words when he took the bread? Let's see if you know it. He took the bread and said, this is my body, which is, which is, not which is going to be broken tomorrow morning. That's the point I want you to know. He didn't say, this is my body, which is going to be broken tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. But that's the way 99.9% of Christians have understood it. What did he say? This is my body, which is broken for you. Hours before he went to the cross. It included the cross. But it is more than that. Jesus was very exact in his statements. And if you understand it, you've understood the secret of Jesus life. His body was not his own. It was his own, but he gave it to the father so completely. That there was something that was broken in his body for 33 and a half years. And that was his own will. He didn't do with his body. What he wanted to do. That's why I say his body was a broken body. You know how you and I have a body just like Jesus. But we use our eyes as we like. We read what we like. Look at what we like. We use our tongue as we like. We speak what we like. We go where we like. We use our hands as we like. Do you understand brokenness? Jesus said, I never do my own will. He could have. He never did it. There are many things that Jesus could have done to please himself. The Bible says in Romans 15.3, he never pleased himself. He never felt that he had to coddle his body and comfort and take care of it. See, for example, people who say, I'm tired. I can't go for the meeting. Do you think such people would manifest a heavenly life in 100 years? They coddle their body, take care of it. Oh, my body got a little bit wet in the rain. Or I'm a little sick today. I'm a little tired. Yeah. Yeah, I understand. God knows that we need rest. But I'll tell you something. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians chapter 9. We really need to understand this brokenness. It will change your life if you understand it. And then that heavenly life, which you may have received. I don't question the fact that you have received it, but it's not coming forward. 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 27. The Apostle Paul, remember, says, I discipline my body. Make it my slave. Otherwise, after I preach to others, I will be disqualified. And the Living Bible says, I make my body do what it should do. And not what it wants to do. That's the meaning of making it my slave. I make my eyes read only what it should read. Not what it wants to read. I make my eyes look only at things it should look at. Not what it wants to look at. I allow my feet to make my feet go, take me where I should go. And not where I want to go. That's brokenness. And he says, if I don't do that, and I just go around preaching to other people, at the end of it all, I'll be disqualified myself. So, there are a number of pictures God uses of this. In nature and in the Bible. One of the greatest examples that we have discovered in the last 100 years or 50, 60 years, is the atom. The atom, the olden days, 100 years ago, they thought it was the smallest part of matter, which is not able to be seen. The atom is so small, that you can't even see it under a microscope. It's part of the building block of nature. Atoms. But we have discovered in the last, science has discovered in the last few years, that you can take a uranium atom and split it, and it releases such tremendous power, that you can give electricity to the whole of Bangalore. Just that small little thing. Imagine, who could have believed, who could have believed, that inside that little, small atom, which you cannot even see under a microscope, there is power to give electricity to the whole city. Amazing. It's a parable in nature. You don't have to be very gifted, brother or sister. You don't have to be very mighty or powerful or great or famous. You can be small and unknown like an atom. But if God can succeed in breaking you, such power will be released through you. You're bigger than an atom. And more valuable than an atom. That 8 million people can be blessed. 8 million people in Bangalore get electricity? That's a tremendous parable there, in nature. And throughout scripture, you see, that thing taught in various ways in the lives of different people. For example, in the life of Jacob. I mean, he was brought up in a very good home, God-fearing father and mother, but he just could not become a prince with God, until one day God broke him. He was a shrewd, clever manipulator. God-fearing, but, you know, seeking his own, like many, many Christians. Till one day, it says, and you know, he was just about 60 years old. In those days, when people lived up to 175, it's like being 25 years old today, in terms of age in those days. God dislocated the hip of his hip, so that he couldn't walk straight anymore. And there were no surgery for fixing those things in those days, so all he could do was take a cane, and walk with a cane for the rest of his life. Now, if you want to understand the humiliation of that, think of some young 25-year-old brother here, who comes to the meeting every day with a cane. If you were 25 years old, you had to come with a cane. When you're 60 years old, you come with a cane, you probably feel a bit humiliating. But imagine a 25-year-old coming every day with a cane. The Bible says in Hebrews 11, and all that list of faith, you know, Moses did this, and Joshua did this, and all these other people did all these wonderful things. Split the walls, they pulled down the walls of Jericho, split the Red Sea, shut the mouths of lions, raised the dead. In the midst of it all, you find this one man, Jacob. What did he do by faith? It's a wonderful verse. Hebrews 11, 21. By faith, he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. That's about 100 years later. He's talking about, you know, his blessing the sons of Joseph. For 100 years, he had walked with a cane, till the time of his death. It's like you. Now people die around 80, 85 or something. Imagine from the age of 25, you walk with a cane for the next 60 years. That's what it meant for Jacob. And that is listed in the list of what the mighty miracles that people did by faith. Do you know that is perhaps one of the greatest miracles in that chapter? Greater than 99-year-old Sarah getting a baby, greater than pulling down the walls of Jericho, greater than splitting the Red Sea, because God can do these things in a moment. You think it was difficult for God to give a baby to a 99-year-old woman like Sarah? Not at all. You think it was difficult for God to split the Red Sea? It is not difficult for him to create the universe. But when he had to break Jacob, it took him 20 years. That's why that was one of the greatest miracles, when God can succeed in breaking a man. And that staff for Jacob was a picture of God. I have to lean upon God now for the rest of my life. And how do I look in the presence of others? It's pretty humiliating. Doesn't look nice for a 25-year-old man walking around with a cane and leaning upon it. Can't walk without it. Imagine if God were to do that to you, brother. Some brother or sister here, 25 years old, just married with a few small children, and you had to walk with a cane. Would you have a few complaints against God? Why did you do this to me? You know what Jacob said when God broke his hip? He said, Lord, I won't let you go unless you bless me. And he blessed him. God said to him, from now on, your name will not be Jacob. Your name will be Prince of God, because now you have power with God and with men. The same power that's released when an atom is split. That's what made Jacob into an Israel, and that's what will make you and me heavenly. And God succeeds in breaking us. It is the same with Moses, another great example in the Old Testament. A man who had the greatest education that any man on earth had at that time, at the age of 40. He had the type of technical knowledge to build pyramids, and he was living in the richest man's house, the richest man in the whole world. The most powerful man in the whole world, Pharaoh's palace. All the privileges, everything. And God says, you are not fit to serve. You know, sometimes Christians think that because I have some earthly talent, I can serve him. I find that particularly someone who can speak well, you know, speak well as a human being, thinks he can serve God. Not at all. I could never speak in the days before I was born again. I never stood in public even once. I was just mortally scared of it. There are people who have musical abilities, who think, ah, I can use my music for God. No, you can't. You can play some instrument, but you can't serve God until you're broken. You think you have more ability than Moses at the age of 40? Whatever ability you have. God said, you are useless in my service. And he had to take him out. And you know how long it took to Moses? Jacob, it took only 20 years. Moses, it took 40 years to break him and break him and break him and break him. Finally, God succeeded. And I believe that God planned to do it only in 10 years. But he didn't take 10. You know, it's like, it usually takes about five years to go through medical college, but it can take 15 years also, you know that. There are some people who break records like that, the number of years they take to get their medical degree. So God planned only for 10 years to break Moses. There's proof of that in scripture, because God told Abraham in 400 years, your children will come out of back here. But we read in Exodus 12, they came back after 430 years. Why that extra 30 years? Was it a mistake God made? Couldn't he see the future? No, it's because God's man was not ready. He should have been ready in 400 years, but he wasn't. So God had to spend another 30 years. That's why I know God planned for Moses to be broken in 10 years, but it took 40. The reason I mentioned that is God may have planned for you to be broken in six months, but it may take 60 years. Can't say. Depends on you, whether you go through medical college in five years or 50 years, it's up to you. Whether you go through school, whether you ever finish school, even after 12 years, it's up to you. Many people take much longer. Some never finish. So it's like that, God's education. Some finish, some don't finish. Some took a very short time, like Peter. He fell once and that was it. He was broken for life. He was ready to serve the Lord on the day of Pentecost. It's wonderful that God can do that. God can do a quick work with some people, break them. But what I want to say is, there is another picture here in the Old Testament of the tabernacle. That's a picture of the church. The tabernacle, as you all know, had three parts, the outer court, the holy place, and the most holy place. The most holy place was covered with a very thick curtain called the veil. And when Jesus died, that veil was torn, symbolizing, Hebrews 10 says, the tearing of the flesh in Jesus. Now it says that. The veil that is his flesh was torn, it says in Hebrews 10. That means it symbolized the breaking that took place in Jesus' life in 33 years. That was the meaning of that veil that was torn. That veil, we read, if you don't know where that verse is, let me show it to you. It's good to know where these verses are in Scripture. Hebrews 10, and verse 20. Jesus made a new and living way into the most holy place through the veil, which symbolizes his flesh. And you know what flesh means? Flesh means, flesh in the New Testament, I don't have time to go into it, is another word for saying, my will. My will, that's my flesh. Every sin that you ever did or do in your life comes out of wanting to do my will, not God's will. And to crucify the flesh is where God's will goes one direction and your will goes the other direction. You die on that cross. That's taking up the cross. Dying. My will, God's will. I died in my will, I choose God's will. That's what it means to take up the cross every day. That's what Jesus did for 33 years. That's what it means to be broken. That's what it means for the flesh to be torn. And that was symbolized in the veil being rent. And when Jesus said it is finished, it was not only the punishment for our sin that was finished, this human will in man was completely torn in his earthly life. Torn by being exposed to every single temptation that any one born of Adam can be tempted with. Jesus went through the whole range of it in 33 years and in every temptation he was tempted to do his will, he said no. Millions of times he said no, I will do God's will. No, I'll do God's will. The veil was rent. See, we don't understand the tremendous faithfulness of Jesus in his inner life. I find there are two types of Christians. One we can call external Christians and the other are inward Christians. External Christians are those who are only concerned about their external testimony. Inward Christians are those who are more concerned about their inner walk with God and the inner purity of their heart. These are two completely different categories of Christians and you know which category you are in this morning. But those who are external Christians they will only see the external life of Jesus even if they are 100 years old. They will see Jesus was so nice, he washed the disciples feet, he did so many nice things, he put his arm around the leper, he healed the sick, he did miracles and they are external and they see only the external life of Jesus. But those who are inward Christians the Holy Spirit shows them something of the inner life of Jesus which is not written in any page in the Bible. There are little hints of it here and there like he was tempted in all points as we are yet without sin. That's a little hint. And the Holy Spirit takes that and begins to show the inward type of Christian the amazing faithfulness of Jesus in times of temptation. Now you and I know how many times we are tempted in one single day to sin in thought, word, deed even in one hour attitude, motive so multiply that by 24 hours a day and multiply that by 33 and a half years and you get a few millions of times a person can be tempted in 33 and a half years and particularly when you are surrounded by people who don't like you, like your own poor brothers at home and people who misunderstand you and who accuse you falsely tell lies about you and then to remain faithful. Can you imagine the brokenness that came to Jesus as a young boy when he walked down the streets of Nazareth. Remember Nazareth was not a city like Bangalore where we don't know each other. In a small village everybody knows everything about every other family and in the little village of Nazareth everybody knew everything about what happened to Mary that she became pregnant before she got married. You know we don't talk about it but we know it. That's how they were and they must have whispered to one another but Josephine Mary knew that this was of God. All the other people in Nazareth with their wagging tongues said some Roman soldier exploited Mary and she got a baby and when Jesus as a 10 year old would walk down to school with the boys I can imagine the people sitting by the road side saying you see that boy the one on the other side Mary's child it's not Joseph's son and that would have come to his ears imagine a 10 year old boy going to school and some of his fellow children saying hey I hear Joseph is not your father you will discover when you stand before the Lord there were people who said it I know because I know Jesus was tempted like me. Brothers and sisters if you want to know what Jesus went through in his inner life in 33 years seek to be an inner type of Christian give up this pharisaical type of external righteousness and say Lord I want to be holy inside and the Lord will show you things about Jesus I mean you can hear it from me but it's more exciting if you hear it from God I'll tell you that you're getting it from second hand from me. Now if you have the opportunity to get a first hand car and a second hand car which do you choose it's like that get it first hand from God and you can get it if you seek to live an inner life those are the situations in which God broke Jesus there's an amazing verse in Isaiah 53 which says Isaiah 53 verse 10 speaking about the father the father was pleased to crush Jesus pleased to crush Jesus which father is pleased to crush his son not crush his personality Jesus personality was never crushed and we should never crush the personality of our children or their individuality but that self will that stubborn streak that we've got from Adam that is in all of our children Jesus had a will of his own he says that in Gethsemane my will is I don't want to drink this cup but father your will is different I'll choose yours he says in John 638 I came from heaven not to do my own will this thing called my will is what the Bible describes as the flesh and the flesh lusts against fights against the Holy Spirit means the Holy Spirit is always fighting against you not to do your own will but to do the will of God but he won't force you you can do your own will if you want there are so many Christians who go and marry whom they like oh someone's a pretty girl someone's a rich man they don't seek the will of God they are choosing their own will you think they can have a heavenly life on earth well they can repent there's some possibility but if you start out wrong the battle is even greater you listen to your unconverted parents who tell you whom you should marry God have mercy on you you listen to unconverted parents who think just because you know there are some people who are so loyal to their community that they say oh my parents say I must marry like this only okay go ahead and listen to your parents but I've seen what is the end result of people like that who don't put God first in their life you know and I know whether we put God first in our life those important decisions like marriage job many many things and I tell you God takes note of the people who put him first in their life and if he blesses somebody else more than you it's because God sees that in some area in your life you did not put him first you can look very spiritual and come to meetings but God saw that in certain decisions in your life he was not first your parents were first your relatives were first your own feelings were first God didn't stop you you married a believer okay yeah you know it's amazing how Jesus never in his life did he seek to choose anything according to what he preferred or what people told him or what Mary told him or great example Jesus turning around to his own mother and saying what do I do with you how many wholehearted disciples would there be saying I want God in my life you know God's work is tremendously limited because we have a whole lot of religious people who speak so much and talk so much and imagine that they are so spiritual but were not broken they do their own will they do their own will in 101 areas and they wonder why God is not able to send rivers of living water through them because the rock is not split it's when the rock is broken that the water flows and you refuse to let the rock be smitten you wonder why the water doesn't flow don't be surprised everywhere in scripture is the same thing it pleased the Lord to crush him that's the tearing of the veil in the temple think of the story of the feeding of the 5000 there was this boy who had five loaves and two fish number one lesson if you want to be a blessing to thousands give everything to Jesus not 10% it's well known throughout India that brother Zach Poonen teaches against typing imagine if that boy had peeled off one tenth of those five loaves and two tenth of the fish said Lord this is your portion the rest is mine nothing would have happened what did he do he gave all five loaves both fish people would have said what are you going to do for breakfast what are you going to do now for eating you've given everything away he got much more when you give to Jesus you get much more and not only you get much more 10,000 people are blessed through you that's number one lesson if you are miserly and calculating in your giving to the Lord you will never experience anything more than that 90% you feed yourself with okay you gave one loaf to God you kept five loaves for yourself four loaves for yourself that's all you'll get yeah I've seen that throughout my life I've seen it I'm not talking just about myself I've observed other people I've read the lives of some great men of God and there was a point in their life when they gave everything God you are everything for me I'm not saying actually taking all the money and putting it in the offering box that's all Pentecostal pastors teach that I'm talking about giving it to God saying God I don't own anything in my life I don't own my house I don't own my self I don't own anything it's all yours and if you want to do whatever you want with me you can do it I don't even own my children they are yours to serve you as you like I'll tell you that is the first lesson we learned but that was not enough we read secondly that Jesus gave thanks he always gives thanks when you give everything to him he took those loaves and thanked God that there was one boy who was willing to give all that he had and Jesus always gives thanks whenever he finds some young boy or girl or older man or woman who gives everything to Jesus and doesn't believe in 10% or 20% Lord all that I have is yours and then it says Jesus blessed those loaves that's the other thing God does to you when you give everything to God he will bless you in a way that other people will be amazed he'll bless you spiritually he'll bless you physically with health he'll bless you financially not make you a millionaire necessarily but give you enough for all your earthly needs so you never have to make your needs known to anybody there's a verse in Psalm 41 I think it says the Lord will make your bed in your sickness if you learn how to give money to the poor what a wonderful verse God will make your bed in your sickness when you have learned to be generous with your money I love that verse I want to be like that and I want God to make my bed when I'm sick and raise me up many wonderful things God does but that even that is not enough many people and God's blessed me that's it but you know there was one more thing to be done before those loaves could feed the thousands what was that he broke it first there was a total surrender he thanked the father blessed it and then he broke it and as soon as it was broken it became thousands of loaves thousands of fish there were 10,000 people that day 5,000 men alone they were all fed and on top of that there was so much left over that's how God gives I tell you when you allow but imagine if that loaves were a bit hard hard like dried up bread or chapatis or something couldn't break it that's how some believers are you can come right up to that last point of surrender and God's blessed you and you're speaking in tongues and you've experienced God's blessing and it's just you it's just you where are the thousands being blessed through you where is the city being lit up by this atom being broken one more step brother and sister for that heavenly light to flow out from you let God break you I believe that's the reason why so many people who emphasize prayer and fasting don't seem to come to this heavenly light a lot of these people who emphasize prayer and fasting and speaking in tongues they love money so much I say these guys are more earthly than they were before they became Christians the non-christian Hindus are more generous than many Christians are it's true brokenness think of the New Testament examples of that we read of a woman once who brought an alabaster vial full of very costly perfume and when that bottle was broken the perfume filled the house it had to be broken it was there inside if you looked inside that bottle or whatever vessel it was that was fantastic perfume inside it was all locked up it had to be poured out it had to be broken and then everybody I don't know how many people sat in that house where everybody could smell that perfume and that's a picture of how we can have Jesus inside us the most wonderful perfume of heaven inside us and a lot of Christians are going around locking up that they're not broken God brings them through circumstances to break them to let this thing out they refuse to be broken it's like that atom resisting being broken it remains an atom instead of giving electricity to the whole city it remains that perfume locked up inside the bottle and nobody can smell it in the Old Testament there's another example I want to show you you know when it comes to the most holy place in the tabernacle very few people get there a lot of people crowd around the outer court where there's a cross and water baptism and all that some people press through to the holy place the baptism of the Holy Spirit studying the word of God and prayer and fasting and all that but very few people go through the rent rail into the most holy place that's the place where God dwells and to go that way it's called a new and living way is a way of brokenness where I the rail doesn't have to be rent it's already torn when Jesus died he rented but to go there I have to go the same way it's a way it's a way where I seek to walk in Jesus footsteps of being broken and he told me to break bread and remember that every time very few come there anyway I see the outer court as a place where people have you know the altar and the laver message of the cross and water baptism then you come to the holy place where the lambs stand with oil the baptism of the Holy Spirit twelve loaves of bread people study the word of God and the incense the three things that speak of prayer baptism of the Holy Spirit, study the word of God prayer and fasting good, you still haven't come through into the most holy place the most holy place is you've got to be rent, you've got to be broken so whichever picture you take whether it's the atom or the rock being split or the loaves or the tabernacle it's always this one thing, this last step is being broken then you get into God's presence otherwise you miss it all those other things are wonderful but you miss the most important thing and then you remain like a religious Christian maybe with a lot of activity but without the radiance of heaven filling your heart and life you know there are some believers, it's always so pleasant to be with them it's always so pleasant to listen to them, do you want to be one like that? I believe God needs many people like that, I mean I I want to be like that I mean I have some responsibilities as an elder and sometimes as an elder I have to rebuke people, I have to correct people but I want to do even that in a heavenly way that that guy must know that it's the love of a father I remember one brother here who when I had to correct him in some way he went and told somebody, brother Zack is a hard man so I called him, I said brother I'm not offended by what you say I want you to know that I love you and you may not understand in this earthly life why I told you what I did one day when Jesus comes back and you stand before him you will thank me for what I told you and it's enough if you thank me then I don't want you to thank me now but you know the wonderful thing, he didn't have to wait till then, he realized long before that that what I said was for his good it worked for his good he could see that so the point is this even our corrections as a father, you correct your children there must be something heavenly I mean God corrects, God disciplines but God disciplines in a heavenly way he's not mad at us we must never be mad at our children we have to discipline them God uses the belt it says in Hebrews 12 you know that? he scourges, scourges us with a belt imagine using a belt on your child in a heavenly way we've got to work towards that we can do it it's an act of love because we want to save that child from hell it's like that, everything about us must be heavenly it comes through being broken, broken the book of Judges is a beautiful example in the book of Judges in chapter 7 we read about a time when the Israelites were being ruled by the enemies called the Midianites and God wanted to deliver them and he called a man called Gideon young man he said Gideon you're the one who's going to lead the battle against the Midianites gather the army and we read here that Gideon gathered 32,000 people to fight the Midianites and God said no there are too many, two thirds of these people are scared and if you allow them to be here they'll put their fear into other people also everybody will run away so tell all those people who are afraid of battle to go home people who thought they came for a picnic they can go home and I often say that to Christians, I remember in the early days it's a little better now, now Christians respect CLC a little bit but it wasn't like that 30 years ago I'll tell you that and those of us who were here 32 years ago would know we were detested by everybody we were warned that it was a false teaching a cult and all types of things and I said all those who are afraid, go home don't stay here we get all types of bad names here so go home we don't want people who are scared I said Jesus was called a false teacher Paul was called a false teacher and every prophet in history has been called a false teacher after he dies the next generation realizes he was a prophet usually prophets are not recognized in their generation they're called false teachers in their generation and recognized as prophets in the next generation so that didn't disturb us God told Gideon send all the people who are afraid, go home and he says he said that Judges chapter 7 verse 3, the last part he said whoever is afraid and trembling, let him go home and 22,000 people went home they said we're scared we don't want battle, we thought he called us for a picnic Gideon we didn't realize it was a battle 10,000 were left and God said even this is too much I've got to test 10,000 even too much because if you win you'll think it is your strength that won the victory so I'm going to test them take them to the water and I will test them at the water verse 4 take them to the water now the water can symbolize many things in the world like take these people to money, let me test them there or take them to honor in the world, or pleasure in the world the water always symbolizes something in the world read that in Revelation 17 the waters are the world so something in the world let me test them and so he brought them to the water, verse 5 and the Lord said, now you've got to make a separation watch these people, how they drink, ok some people they're aware there's an enemy there so they didn't kneel down they stood on their feet, took water in their hands and drank it, watching for the enemy 300 people 9700 people completely forgot about the enemy they say, ah, water, that's what we need right now, we're thirsty they buried their face into the water and drank and drank and drank and the Lord said, send these people home these people when they saw the water they completely forgot about the enemy buried their face in it, these people when they saw money they buried their face in it, they got a good job they buried their face in it they found some pleasure, they buried their face in it send them home I want 300 people who take what is minimum from the world for themselves, but are aware there's an enemy, the Christian life's a battle and these 300 people we read that Gideon told them now you've got to take a trumpet and a pitcher we read that later on further down in that chapter, verse 2016 he divided the 300 men into 3 companies, he put trumpets and pitchers one hand a pitcher, earthen vessel and the other hand a trumpet ok, and inside the earthen vessel, he said put a little lamp inside the earthen vessel so, there was a lamp inside this earthen vessel earthen vessel with a lamp inside and a trumpet in the other hand and they went to battle you read that in verse 16 a little torch, that means a little flame inside that earthen vessel now you must see what this is a picture of this earthen vessel is you and me we are earthen vessels, and the flame inside is Jesus Christ the light which God shines in us and the trumpet is what we proclaim with the word of God they went to the battle no sword, nothing and it says, when they came into the battle, they blew the trumpets, verse 20 and they broke there again brokenness, verse 20 broke the pitchers and suddenly the light which was inside the pitcher could be seen, till then it was hidden you got a message here and they blow with their trumpets and a sword for the Lord and they thrashed the enemies and what I want to say is in these last days God is gathering an army like that not 32,000, not 22,000 but 1% 300 is less than 1% of 32,000 1% of born again believers I mean if you are not in that 1% of born again believers you are not going to be in this tremendous privilege that God gives in the last days, to battle for Him, when the blessing came when the Midianites were defeated and Israel was blessed, all 32,000 got the blessing so the 300 were not selfish and say no, no, no, the blessing is only for us yeah, we fought the battle brothers, but you can all share the blessing, if you are only interested in the blessing stay in the 32,000 but if you want to be used by God in the last days, you want to spend a worthwhile life on earth, instead of wasting it and standing before the Lord empty handed one day, I tell you be in the 300 take what is necessary, lap from the water with your hands and don't take with your hands from the water of this earth and don't bury your head in it, and let your picture be broken, okay I'll show you this verse in conclusion 2nd Corinthians 4 2nd Corinthians 4 you see the New Testament commentary on Gideon's army verse 6, God who said light shall shine out over darkness has shone into our hearts that's the light inside, but this light, verse 7 is inside an earthen picture see Gideon's army now the left hand, an earthen picture and but this light, in order for it to come forth it has to be broken, and that's why verse 8 we are afflicted we are perplexed we are persecuted we are struck down, we are always carrying in our body the dying of Jesus so that this light inside the life of Jesus will be manifested through us, and what is that dying of Jesus the way he died to himself every day it's called the dying of Jesus because he's the first person in history who did it he's got his name you know like some inventions are named after the one who invented it first here is something called the dying of Jesus, because he's the first person who walked throughout his earthly life dying to his own will, that is the brokenness that makes the light come forth so what I want to say is this heavenly life is there brothers and sisters inside why aren't other people seeing it God brings you into circumstances to break you, maybe he gives you a difficult wife, instead of fighting with her just be broken, or a difficult husband or a difficult boss, or a difficult situation, instead of fighting with God and fighting with people say Lord you were in these circumstances to break me, maybe a financial difficulty, maybe a loss of a job, maybe something where you're broken your human ability and capability is broken and you have to lean upon God and if you resist those things if you fight with flesh and blood instead of allowing God to break you in those circumstances maybe a physical handicap, infirmity a sickness, if you allow God to break you, I tell you the light will shine forth, it's there inside you, think of all of us here born again people with the light inside, how much of it is being seen the life of Christ to others we need the picture to be broken let's pray Heavenly Father as we seek to walk the way Jesus walked give us grace to see it clearing so that this wonderful life of heaven that you've already placed inside us can shine forth and bring glory to you we pray in Jesus name Amen