Mar Mari Emmanuel emphasizes that true Christians must reject worldly materialism and focus on heavenly, spiritual values because life is short and only God’s eternal kingdom endures.
In this devotional sermon, Mar Mari Emmanuel calls believers to reject the fleeting allure of worldly materialism and embrace a heavenly perspective grounded in faith in Jesus Christ. He warns against conforming to worldly values and encourages genuine repentance and spiritual growth. Through vivid imagery and heartfelt exhortation, the speaker challenges Christians to live with eternal priorities and steadfast devotion to their heavenly Groom.
Full Transcript
This world and its temptations. In other words, they are worldly people. And worldly people, all they think of is earth, desert.
That's all they think of. All they care about, how do I dress up? What do I eat? What do I drink? Where do I live? What do I drive? Where do I travel? It is all worldly. Materialism engulfs a worldly person, thus their thinking is all earth and the earth is nothing but dirt and filth.
You follow the world, you'll end up with nothing. Because what is the end of this world? Death, the grave. What do you take with you to the grave? Absolutely nothing.
Absolutely nothing. So my beloved sons and daughters, don't ever imitate what people do in this world. Don't ever say, I'm going to dress up like them.
I'm going to behave like them. I'm going to look like them. I'm going to change my looks.
I don't like my face. I don't like my nose. I don't like my eyebrows.
I don't like the way I look. I want to change. I want to be like the rest of the people of this world.
You chase this. The end is vanity. The end is emptiness.
The end is the grave. You take nothing with you. And that's why he took me on a great high mountain, because to say to me, the bride, the true Christians that follow Jesus from the heart, their way of thinking is heavenly, not earthly.
Their way of thinking is spiritually, not physically. That's why he carried me away in the spirit, not the body. He carried me away in the spirit, because when you follow Christ, you become spiritual, no more physical.
You become heavenly, no more earthly. You don't think about worldly things. You think of heavenly things, because the one you follow, his home is heaven, not earth.
The one you follow, his home is heaven, not earth. As a Christian, you should never ever fight over materialistic things. When it comes to weddings, when it comes to anything to do with this world, don't argue over materialistic things.
My daughter, you are in love with this man. Don't fight over a diamond ring. Don't fight over what kind of a limousine you're going to have.
Don't fight over what kind of a reception you're going to have. Don't fight how many bridesmaids you're going to have. Don't.
You need to focus on one thing and one thing only. What is the reason for you marrying this man, Christ the King? You are being married in a Christian way. And who brought the two hearts together? The Lord.
This is the foundation you need to lay. And this is the foundation you need to build your new home upon. That foundation must be Christ the King.
When you together come and agree on the Lord Jesus, materialism will be absolutely irrelevant. Because Christ will give you spiritual treasures, heavenly treasures, heavenly wealth. He will give you discernment.
He will give you insight, absolute wisdom that comes from above heaven, not the desert below. Filth, dirt, temporal. He'll give you eternal things, eternal, eternal.
So John the Beloved found them to be totally different in their way of thinking to all the people of the world. And this is why the world attacks a true believer in Christ. Why does the world attack a true believer in Christ? Because the true believer's way of thinking is totally opposite and against the way of thinking of the world.
So the world says you're an enemy. I don't like you. The way you talk, I disagree with.
Because you are bringing light into this dark world. I love darkness. I chose darkness over the light.
I don't want you to bring the light because the light is annoying me. It's hurting me. I'm becoming very uncomfortable with you.
So you either walk away or I will persecute you. So when the church unites with the world, run away from that church. Don't say this is my church and I have to stay in it.
No you don't. When that church unites with the world, you walk away from that church. Because those leaders are traitors.
They haven't walked in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus. For them to say we're all one and we worship the same God. No we don't.
There is a difference between I love everyone, I pray for everyone, but when it comes to my belief in my Lord Jesus, I don't share my Lord Jesus with those who do not wish to believe in him as I believe. I don't say we are one when it comes to faith. Your faith is for you.
My faith is for me. But for me to say that my God and your God is one. Yes the one who created us is one, but the way we believe in him is totally different my dear friend.
Your God is not my God. No hard feelings. If you don't believe Jesus Christ is God, then what are we talking about here? If you're gonna say you know he's not God, he's just a human being, argument ceases.
We're not the same. We're not talking about the same God. And since God never changes, his word is one, never changes.
So it's either this book or that book. It can't be both. It cannot.
Be careful with these church leaders, even if they are very big up there. Who cares? Who cares about what they wear and where they sit? What matters is are they talking, speaking the truth or not? You have to be careful. All roads lead to Rome.
That's an earthly nonsensical talk. Only one way leads to God. That is Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
That is the only way. There is no other way to enter heaven unless you go through Jesus Christ. But that doesn't mean others who disagree or do not believe in the way I believe, that doesn't mean we become enemies.
No, I still pray for you, my dear friend, and I wish you all the best. But when you ask me who is your God, I will say Jesus. And is there any other way to God? I'll say no, only Jesus, my dear friend.
Only Jesus. You like me, you don't, I'll still love you. But this is my faith.
Until the day I go to the grave, this is my faith. It will never change. If we choose to still live worldly, if we choose to still walk in this world, live for this world, if we still choose to go to dark alleys, to the clubs, to the pubs, to the casinos, dancing, drinking, alcoholism, gambling, drugs, men and women, the wrong ways, every wrong way we walk in, you cannot follow Jesus Christ even if you're a Christian.
You cannot. Christ cannot be bought. Christ cannot be deceived.
Christ cannot be bribed. The only bribery Christ will accept from you are the teas of your eyes because the teas cannot lie. When you come and repent with teas coming down your face, saying, Lord, I'm sorry for I have sinned before you and heaven, not worthy anymore to be called your child, but make me a hireling in your palace, then the Lord will accept you when you are genuine and true to your own self.
It is then the Lord will come and embrace you and put you not next to him, not at his feet, but in the core of his heart. He will put you there. When you're genuine, when you're honest with yourself, confessing your sins before the almighty God, whose name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, don't follow the world.
Don't act like a worldly person. Stop going to places the Lord disapproves of. Stop doing things the Lord disapproves of.
Stop dressing up in a way that offends the Lord Jesus. You belong to Jesus Christ. You need to know your boundaries, your limitations.
You need to know who you belong to. You do not belong to Satan, you belong to Christ the King. Step on Satan and step on every temptation that comes from Satan toward you and say, no more Satan.
You have overcome me for ease, but today and by the grace of my Jesus, who is my heavenly groom, I step on you the way he stepped on you on Calvary on the cross. Because now I'm carrying the light of the world in my heart. I'm climbing the mountain, no more the desert.
And if you remain in the desert, what are you going to achieve? And the desert is this world. Look at the desert. The desert is very deceptive, because all the ways are the same.
You cannot tell which road leads to where, because all the roads in the desert are the same. The desert is very vicious. There are some very vicious animals that can devour you.
And the world has so many vicious people that devour one another. Look at the world, an absolute mad circus, acting, faking, playing, and killing. That's the world.
That is the world. And you stay in the desert. In this world at the end, I go to the grave.
What will I take with me? Nothing.
Sermon Outline
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I. The Futility of Worldly Pursuits
- Worldly people focus only on material things and earthly desires.
- Materialism leads to emptiness and death with nothing to take beyond the grave.
- Christians must reject worldly values and vanity.
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II. The Call to a Heavenly Mindset
- True believers are carried spiritually, not physically, to think heavenly.
- Christian life centers on spiritual treasures, wisdom, and eternal values.
- Focus on Christ as the foundation in relationships and life decisions.
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III. The Conflict Between the World and the Believer
- The world opposes believers because their mindset opposes worldly ways.
- Believers must separate from worldly churches and false teachings.
- Faith in Jesus Christ is exclusive and unchanging.
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IV. Genuine Repentance and Victory Over Temptation
- Christ accepts true repentance expressed with sincerity and tears.
- Believers must reject sinful behaviors and worldly temptations.
- By grace, believers overcome Satan and live as children of Christ.
Key Quotes
“You follow the world, you'll end up with nothing. Because what is the end of this world? Death, the grave. What do you take with you to the grave? Absolutely nothing.” — Mar Mari Emmanuel
“The one you follow, his home is heaven, not earth.” — Mar Mari Emmanuel
“Christ cannot be bribed. The only bribery Christ will accept from you are the tears of your eyes because the tears cannot lie.” — Mar Mari Emmanuel
Application Points
- Reject materialistic and worldly values by focusing on spiritual growth and eternal treasures.
- Build your life and relationships on the foundation of Christ as the true King.
- Practice genuine repentance and resist temptations by relying on the grace of Jesus.
