Being strong in the grace of God next
on the road to reality with brother kp
yohannan Welcome to the road to reality with
brother kp yohannan the ministry of gospel for
asia Today we're going to bring you a
message in second timothy on the attitudes of
the christian leader We'll learn the outlook of
the christian leader on the work of the
lord and how to be strong in the
grace of god And brother kp wants to
draw a distinction between outer habits and inner
attitudes So join us as we turn to
second timothy for today's broadcast of the road
to reality So when we come to chapter
two in this marvelous Letter paul wrote to
a young man named timothy Explaining about being
a godly christian leader a servant of the
lord in this He deals with the attitude
of a christian leader The two words we
can keep in mind one is habits Then
attitude Habits is something that If you have
a habit That is something that you can
imitate and copy You know like people join
the army and navy or military or whatever
Um, you know, the guy has long spring
hair And he wears all the colorful check
shirts and all whatever else is but the
moment he joins the army the same day
He goes and sit on the high chair.
The barber comes with this clipper and His
whole fabulous movie star hair is gone Then
the next thing your fellow go and put
your uniform.
So what happened?
Immediately he falls in line with the rest
of the thousand soldiers It is Something that
you can copy Habit always has to the
behavior behavior has to do with your input
you are Exerting yourself to make a choice
to be certain thing for a certain time
or circumstances or entity So you can copy
behavior Habit in the long run is permanent
But even then it can be mixed up
but attitude is more of a second nature
Of the individual it is part of their
life.
It has become internal.
It's it's working out of the reality and
values and principles that one has so in
chapter one paul talks about the inner stable
Reality of being a follower of christ a
servant of the lord and leader the basic
deep root character But now how does it
work out?
How do you project it?
What is your attitude?
The attitude is the living out of what
is In you the part of your makeup
you're thinking it is not just copying behavior
and being like anybody else Because that monkey
is doing it.
This monkey is doing it.
You know, there's a saying monkey see monkey
do That is not what it is.
It is you are always having this fixed
response to people situations good or bad whatever
your attitude is sober a good attitude now
It also has to do with our outlook
to things We see the world Not as
it is, but as we are You see
you look at somebody and you make evaluations
based on not what that person is thinking
Here is a person who has hippie long
hair and unwashed face and wearing some dirty
clothes And the first thing you think first
thing I think my goodness.
What is wrong with this fellow?
He's a hippie or what drug addict or
what?
But the truth of matter the guy May
have gone to university and got his phd
and was a professor He gave up all
those things because he was tired of this
phony plastic materialistic living and he took on
himself the form of a beggar wearing these
clothes and Don't care about his body, but
he spent five six hours in prayer before
jesus He's a devout follower of jesus fallen
in love with jesus every day and he
cares about nobody nothing in the whole world
But why did I think about him?
a drug addict What is wrong with this
rascal, how did he come to this meeting?
because I interpreted his life the way I
see it my value my understanding my Evaluation
I used to explain it's like if i'm
wearing a a glass that is now colored
with Yellow or red or pink I look
I see you pink, you know the story
about The man who had this cow that
he tried his best for the cow to
eat Dry grass hay and the cow would
eat it because the cow always ate Green
grass in the end the farmer was smart.
So he got a pair of glass for
the cow And put green lens on it
and the cow looked at the Dried up
grass the hay and so it to be
green grass And the cow ate it So
we see others Through Through what we are
wearing and what we are wearing our cultural
background our upbringing our teaching from the apostles
or our family or our specific rigid or
liberated background You see this how it is
And we judge and make conclusions But when
you talk about attitude It is not just
we live with any paradigm any attitude and
say well It's my attitude No Your attitude
and your paradigm may not be correct a
good attitude is one that investigates and studies
and research And say I want to make
sure that my paradigm my perception my understanding
is correct So, how do you do that
you take into you?
principles values Glasses colors that help you to
neutralize the extremes and come into balance with
god's truth, which is always accurate That is
what here paul is trying to do with
timothy we will begin with verse one notice
He simply says you then my son be
strong in the grace that is in christ
jesus Is If you are looking at the
niv bible, I don't know what translation he
got i'm sure it's all the same you
then my son literally That verse reads more
or less like this you therefore Because of
this my son New american standard version has
a better explanation of that You therefore my
son Be strong again Let me remind you
of the four Places where paul uses these
two monosyllabus two tiny words in the greek
language Yes, timothy the whole world may go
astray all these different things but but for
you you be different Let others do whatever
but you for you be different That is
still the call of the lord.
So what must be our attitude?
Our perception when you look at god's work,
how do we Respond to it with what
we must respond to it.
What color of glass I must wear what
nature of outlook I must have To the
work The one who is involved with it
my responsibility.
How do I do it?
and for our work As gospel fascia and
the movement what god is doing today I
think it is so crucial that we get
a better understanding of how this thing work
first of all Dependence on the lord and
him alone that god is our source That's
the first thing Timothy must keep in mind
as a christian leader young or old May
this be the first attitude we have no
matter what My dependence the source of information
the source of strength the source of evaluation
the source by which I judge other people
Evaluate their life and ministry and good and
bad.
Whatever else is not based on my culture
Somebody else views some commentary some magazine.
No, it is the lord who Continually gives
me the input to understand his thinking his
ways his strength to handle it very simple
But profound if we understand it be strong
in the grace That is in christ jesus
in jesus His grace his strength So And
our natural tendency is to try and solve
our problems in our own strength and wisdom
but That only leads to trouble we must
depend upon god and him alone as we
travel through life This is the road to
reality and we're addressing the attitudes of a
christian leader as described in second timothy Before
we dive back into kp.
Yohanan's message.
I'd like to draw your attention to a
book that ties in quite nicely It's called
against the wind Kp will challenge you to
consider how well you're running the race and
wouldn't it be nice to say along with
the apostle paul?
I have fought the good fight.
I've finished the race and have kept the
faith You know, there are sure to be
a few obstacles, but this book will help
you get over them and finish strong Order
online at winasia.org Again, you can go
to winasia.org Against the wind by kp.
Yohanan or in canada visit gospel for asia
.ca As we return to brother kp He
reminds us that we are engaged in spiritual
warfare and rely on the strength and grace
that the lord will give Paul How many
times declared this for himself?
When i'm weak Then i am strong I
can do all things through christ who Continually
pour his strength into me paul said The
heart is deceitful above all things and desperately
wicked who can understand it?
Jeremiah chapter 17 verse 9 Cursed be the
individual who leaned on the arm of the
flesh Naturally You and I We have the
tendency first response the first foremost response to
anything From me from you is always How
I can do it what I must do
with it.
I get a headache the first thing where
is aspirin?
You get sick the first thought where is
the nearest doctor?
When somebody offend you first thing Why did
he do that?
He didn't understand me It's me.
I what I can do.
It is not I got a headache I
need to talk to the lord first.
The lord is my healer.
No Need money the lord is my source.
No, no, no, we don't think about it
That is the way humans work You and
I are living not in peace time it
is war Who is warring against us demons
not one or two but millions and billions
as a matter of fact when you took
the train a whole bunch of demons traveled
with you Because satan is not omniscient satan
cannot be everywhere.
His hierarchy cannot be everywhere Only god can
be everywhere at the same time.
So he has agents Because they're very eager
to hear what's going on here.
Really?
The unseen world is more real than the
seen world because it is unseen world that
created the seen world the bible says We
think tangible is less important than abstract but
abstract is more important than tangible because it
was created by the unseen world that's the
bible says So demons are not just illusions.
They are very powerful intelligent beings So who
is warring against you?
Jesus heard the voice from peter.
Jesus.
Please don't even think about don't let it
happen to you and jesus said Get behind
me satan You seek not the things of
god but of man So when you think
about quitting the ministry You think you just
cooked it up because you ate too much
rice last night or chapati a bad dream
No, no It's demons When you think about
cursing your wife and you don't you don't
love her and you don't want to live
with her who is doing it No, it
is the devil who is doing it When
you have problems in the family in the
right the ministry things are going on You
have problems sickness and headache and bitterness and
anguish and all kind of problems who is
doing it It's not your neighbors.
It's a devil doing it.
The devil is behind all this nonsense We
don't understand this So we start taking the
flesh and Angry and upset and we fight
this is the way humans work a christian
leader Always is tempted to use his money
power his influence His connections his power and
authority Hey, listen, I am the leader in
charge You better keep your mouth shut and
do what I tell you to do If
not, I will report on you and i'll
kick you out.
See that is bit of hell He's borrowing
strength from the position god gave to him
and attacking god's work.
You see that's what the devil does it
He never thinks about going to fast for
a day for the brother or the family
to solve the problem He now uses his
title.
I am the state coordinator.
I am the principal.
I am the leader You better do I
tell you what if I find out one
person like that We should get him out
of the ministry and leadership right away Because
this is actually nothing to do with god
or anything of the kingdom So you are
a leader in god's work i'm a leader
in god's work what kind of leaders are
we Are we always falling back on the
arm of the flesh energy and things we
can do?
I tell you serving god is more than
Being clever and crafty and smart As a
matter of fact when i'm a prayer to
god god, please Please never let me be
so clever in doing your work.
I want to be dumb little child Mistakes
will be made but I don't want to
be clever I am so afraid of people
who are clever because I know in the
end they will destroy everything God has no
place in their life in their ministry So
what am I saying?
Timothy 30 years long.
I ran the race and fought this fight.
I don't want to be clever I want
to remain innocent little childlike depending on the
lord and on no one else You know
that scripture in chronicles some trust in chariots
and some in horses But we trust In
the name of the lord, I think there's
in psalm somewhere also.
I know sure See our attitude to money
our infrastructure our accomplishment kind of tells Where
is our dependence?
Paul talked about this treasure in earthen vessel
It is not gold and silver and bronze
and steel.
No, this vessel is made of clay It
is made from the most worthless Dust and
in this vessel is the wonderful treasure so
that the glory may not be Of the
earthen vessel but of the lord paul says
Do you recognize that the responsibility god gave
you?
The leadership the teaching opportunity to be helpful
to other brothers to serve.
Do you understand?
You are not the gold vessel in it.
You have nothing it is a earthen vessel
and what belonged to That vessel in it
is not yours.
It is the lord who committed that to
you all from him For him through him
and for his glory not for you not
for me.
Sometimes we are saying, you know, I did
it I am the one who you know
One of the funniest thing my wife ever
said about me in one of the large
christian leaders meeting pastors meeting 1500 people She
was giving a testimony and about god's grace
and glory and all that and she right
in the middle Said if the lord didn't
call my husband to be a missionary a
preacher.
He would have been taking care of buffaloes
but absolute truth If it was not the
lord who called me to serve him from
a tiny village 14 kilometers from here Half
the year the whole village underwater No road,
no electricity.
No gas.
No car.
Nothing ever come to that village during those
days And the lord should pick me out
of that village take me to north india
and call me to serve him So now
what I must say Oh I did it
this and that you know what it is
easy to preach and teach but i'm telling
you It takes god's grace to live with
humility he cannot create it and buy it
In the work of god one of the
danger christian workers face Is when god does
something through them all of a sudden they
begin to take glory.
I did it.
I am gifted I am talented.
It is my position.
It is my decisions.
It is my cleverness.
It is my ingenuity It is my talents.
The lord should make you sick and lay
you There somewhere in the hospital for a
few months to find out how great you
are so timothy You are young.
You are sick.
You are weak.
You got a messed up family background a
jew and a gentile father and mother timothy
You are a low caste.
That's what it is all about.
He was a rejected caste Did you know
that?
That The greeks the gentiles said you are
a betrayer the jewish people said You are
a dog That is what timothy was from
the least and the lowest Class in the
society the rejected the outcast that is what
timothy's family is from If you didn't know
that you study it Timothy you are so
full of complex It is good.
It is wonderful Paul what is wrong with
you being the least and the lowest and
the outcast and the the worst And then
No qualities in him to be doing anything.
Yes Paul says it is wonderful.
Why?
So that god will bring all the glory
to himself through the wonders.
He will do through this weak Lesson Timothy
i am the one who was born to
a millionaire Timothy i am the one who
got the phd From the best university timothy.
I am the one Who was one of
the member of the sanhedrin the ruling council
in the nation timothy?
I am the one with sanguine pragmatic temperament
and ability timothy I am the one with
type a personality born leader timothy.
I am the philosopher the thinker the theologian
but timothy It didn't work For three years
alone.
I was sitting wondering what to do with
my life And then the lord spoke to
me and said paul I want to use
you But you must give up all these
things and become a zero so timothy I
decided To take all my degrees all my
positive background all the abilities all these skills
and talents and temperament Which was all wonderful
and I wrote on it cow dung Have
you seen people hanging their certificates on the
walls?
From this university from this college Have you
ever seen people taking cow dung and write
and frame it nicely and under there says
The cow dung right there saying kpo and
cow dung Can you do that?
No, but that's exactly what paul did So
if you walk into paul's office, you will
find him sitting there scribbling away Partially blind.
I I'm one of those people who believe
that paul had very difficulty with his eyesight
And you look over because he just came
from somebody else office you know the high
priest and all the theologians and all the
mighty christian leaders and And you all over
the wall ma phd dd duty duty all
these degrees I'm all over there and you
are so impressed by all these things Then
you walk into this paul's office, you know
a man kind of sitting there scribbling away
something and on the wall his degree cow
dung Who warned him timothy, that's what I
did And recognized in me dwells.
No good thing roman 7 And timothy you
didn't have to go through this kind of
mess that I went through Well, you've been
listening to the road to reality with brother
kp ohannon founder and president of gospel for
asia And we've been listening to a message
from kp that we're calling the attitudes of
a christian leader I think you know, this
study reminds me of kp's book.
It's called against the wind Doesn't it feel
at times like we're running against the wind
in this lifelong christian race, you know Facing
the pressures of a culture the attacks of
the enemy They can be difficult, but we
can win by the grace of god Learn
how to run and win and finish strong
as you read against the wind You can
order that online at winasia.org or by
calling 866 win asia That's 866 win asia
And again, you can go to our website
winasia.org Our friends in canada dial us
at 888-946-2742 Or you can go
online to gospel for asia.ca The road
to reality is brought to you by gospel
for asia Where the primary aim is to
share the good news of jesus with those
who've never heard his name You