So we continue our study in the bad
habits that we have to be free from.
We've already looked at five of them.
Pride, dishonesty, unbelief, impurity and ingratitude.
Number six is discontent.
That means you're not content with your circumstances
or the type of face God has given
you, the type of intelligence God has given
you, or discontent with your parents, discontent with
your job and grumbling and complaining that have
come out of that.
Many of these things are connected, but it's
better to look at them separately so that
we don't miss out on something.
Many people, their life is full of a
lack of joy because they've always got something
they're unhappy with.
A Christian life is meant to be one
of perfect contentment.
The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4 and
verse 11, I have learned in whatever state
I am to be content.
That was one of the great secrets of
his life.
And what was his state?
Sometimes he was in a prison, sometimes he
was beaten and left on the road on
the fields half dead.
He was content.
Sometimes he was praised because God used him
to heal the sick.
He was content.
One was not different for him than the
other.
Whatever lot God appointed for him, he was
content.
History tells us that the Apostle Paul was
only 4 feet 11 inches high.
So if he was standing in the pulpit,
you'd just about see his head.
He had to lower the mic right down
there.
He was bald with a hooked nose.
He wasn't very good looking.
But that's the man God used to turn
the world upside down.
But he was content.
He could never have turned the world upside
down if he was discontent with his appearance
or his looks and say, Lord, why don't
you make me a little taller, a little
more handsome or something like that.
As long as you're discontent, the devil's got
a hold on you.
Something.
Make sure that you've eliminated discontentment completely.
Some of you got married many years ago,
but you still haven't become content with your
partner.
What are you waiting for?
For her to die?
So you can find someone better?
I tell you, the next one you get
will be worse.
So be content with what God has given
you.
I believe many of your problems will be
solved.
You can learn contentment.
I have learned.
It's an education.
It doesn't come automatically.
Paul said, I have learned to be content.
Be content with the husband God's given you.
Some people are not content with the children
God's given them.
They feel they should have been more intelligent
or better looking or something like that.
Well, whatever they got, they got from you.
Don't blame them.
Be content with what you have.
Be content with your circumstances.
If you can find a better job, by
all means, look for a better job.
But until you get that one, be content.
Because by perpetual complaining and grumbling, you're only
disappointing yourself.
It's really true that the joy of the
Lord is our strength.
And the devil knows that, even if you
don't know it.
Nehemiah 8, verse 10, the joy of the
Lord is our strength.
And if the devil wants to make you
weak, all he's got to take away from
your life is the joy.
Haven't you discovered that when your life is
full of joy, you're able to do a
lot of things which you thought you couldn't
do otherwise?
How it's very difficult for temptation to overcome
you when your life is full of joy?
So you've got to eliminate discontentment completely from
your life.
Completely.
Lord, I'm going to be content.
And I'm not going to compare myself with
somebody else's lot in life.
I'm going to be content with what I
have.
And when I'm content with what I have,
I'll never be jealous.
Jealousy comes out of discontentment.
I'm not happy with what I have.
I feel somebody else has got something better.
And then I'm jealous of them.
And that jealousy destroys me.
So you've got to eliminate discontentment if you
want to eliminate jealousy.
God knows exactly what is best for you.
And be happy with your present circumstances until
He changes them.
Sometimes our circumstances may be difficult.
When Paul is in jail, he doesn't say,
OK, I'm happy to live in jail forever.
He wanted to be free, just like anybody
in jail wants to be free.
But he says in Philippians, I think you
Philippians are praying for me, and I believe
your prayers will deliver me from jail.
That's what he said.
So discontentment doesn't mean acceptance of some complicated
situation.
No.
Acceptance is different.
I don't accept it, but I'm content with
it until God changes it.
That's the meaning.
Certain things, as I said, marriage and all,
you can't change.
But a job, for example, you move into
a house and you're not very happy with
it.
There's nothing wrong in looking for a better
house.
So I don't mean you don't take my
words in a stupid way.
I'm not saying you've got to accept something
which you can change.
But like that old prayer says, Lord, give
me the serenity.
Serenity means the calmness of mind.
To accept the things I cannot change.
Courage or the boldness to change the things
that I can change.
And the wisdom to know the difference between
the two.
Which things I can change and which things
I cannot change.
Very good prayer.
Lord, give me the serenity to accept the
things I cannot change.
The courage to change the things I can.
And the wisdom to know the difference between
the two.
So, there are certain things which can never
be changed.
For example, the way you look, the color
of your skin and things like that.
And certain circumstances can never be changed.
You can't ever change your parents, you can't
change your wife or husband.
You can't change your children, I mean the
type of children you have.
We hope they'll be better.
But, if we are content there, there can
be a transformation in that situation.
So, we've got to eliminate from our life
all discontent.
Even spiritually, don't compare yourself with somebody else
and wish you had what you had.
Okay, number seven.
Another bad habit that we've got to eliminate
from our life is the habit of wastefulness.
When Jesus distributed the five loaves and two
fishes, He said, gather up all that remains,
don't waste anything.
That means Jesus made much more than was
necessary.
He said, don't waste it, gather it up.
And they collected twelve baskets full.
And because they collected, that wasn't the broken
bones which people had chewed and thrown out.
He wasn't telling them to clear up the
countryside.
That He already did.
He probably told them themselves, all the five
thousand.
You can't imagine twelve people clearing up the
countryside of ten thousand people's rubbish.
I think Jesus would have told them to
clear it up themselves.
But, what was left over of good loaves
and fishes, that's what He said, don't leave
it lying around here.
And because they collected it, each of those
twelve disciples had a basket to take home
and show their families.
See what the Lord did.
This is not ordinary loaves, this is miraculously
produced loaves, taste it and see.
You never tasted loaves like this.
God blesses our families.
So, something good can come when we stop
wastefulness in our lives.
In the lives of a lot of young
people, there's a lot of wastage of time.
Because when they have plenty of time, they
tend to waste it.
There's a lot of wastage of money on
unnecessary purchases.
So we must learn to be frugal, to
be careful.
I tell you that will help you tremendously
when you get married.
If you marry a waster of a woman,
boy, you're going to be bankrupt.
But if you marry a woman who is
known in her home to not waste anything,
not throw away a pair of socks just
because it's torn, stitch it and use it.
And just because a garment is torn a
little bit somewhere, say, throw it away.
No, stitch it and use it.
Don't waste money.
God tests us in all these things.
I know in my younger days, I earned
a lot of money as a naval officer.
But I tried my best not to waste
any of it.
I would live very simply.
If I had to eat outside, I would
find some clean hotel, but a cheap one,
not an expensive one.
And if my clothes were torn, I'd stitch
it up and use it again.
And these are little things.
But when God sees that you're faithful with
little things, He'll commit a ministry to you.
The same with time.
See, I was working when I studied the
Bible.
But I found there were bits of time
during the day which I could use.
I used to carry a New Testament in
my pocket.
Sitting in a bus stand, I could read
the New Testament.
Waiting in a garment office, I could read
the New Testament.
That's how I learned the Bible.
There are lots of bits of time during
the day.
Don't waste them.
Make use of them to grab those opportunities
to study the Word.
See, if you have extra money because you
saved it somewhere, you can use it for
something good.
I remember the money I saved by not
spending on extra clothing.
I could buy some Bibles for some poor
people when I was a young man who
couldn't afford to buy a Bible.
I used to give them Bibles or something
like that.
And I find that so many people were
helped and blessed by little things you can
do.
But if you only think of yourself, say,
I've got plenty.
You don't care for others.
I don't think God will ever in His
life, ever in your life, give you a
ministry.
But if He sees you're thoughtful and you're
careful with not wasting money.
Don't waste time or waste money, but you're
frugal and careful.
I believe God will watch that.
Because the Bible says, He who is faithful
in a little thing is faithful also in
much.
And when God sees you're very faithful with
money and material things, The Bible says in
Luke chapter 16 verse 11, He will give
you the true riches.
When I was a young man and I
said, Lord, I want to speak your word.
And the Lord said to me, be careful
with your mouth and be careful with your
money.
And then I'll be with your mouth.
That means I had to be careful with
the words I spoke in private conversations.
That I wasn't a gossiper, a backbiter.
And I wasn't a listener to gossip and
etc.
And I wouldn't transmit information that somebody told
me.
I would keep it secret.
If I was careful with my mouth.
And the second area was to be careful
with money.
That I wouldn't waste money.
I try to do that even today.
Then the Lord said, I'll be with your
mouth.
And I know why the Lord is not
with the mouth of many people.
Because they're not careful with their speech.
And they're not careful with money.
I believe God can use many of you
young people.
I believe many of you young sisters.
You may not be preachers, standing up on
a platform.
But you can have a tremendous ministry of
blessing many sisters and young people who are
needy today.
If you're careful, not to waste.
Number eight.
Another thing we've got to get rid of
completely from our life.
Is particularly young people.
Discouragement.
Discouragement is a no entry road.
We follow God's traffic rules.
When you see the road discouragement.
There's a sign there that says, only one
way.
That means you can come out of there.
But you can't go in there.
Okay.
Discouragement.
Condemning yourself.
These are all roads which are no entry.
You're not supposed to go in.
You can come out of there.
Only one way.
Why?
Because.
When you get discouraged.
It's the first step to another failure.
Definite.
You know, in my younger days, I wish
somebody had told me this.
I found.
I'd slip up and fall somewhere as a
believer.
And I'd get so discouraged.
And then the devil would say.
What does it matter?
You've already fallen.
You might as well fall a second time.
And I'd fall a second time.
It took me years to discover.
This is a very clever trick of the
devil.
He'd get me discouraged over my first failure.
And then I'd fall a second time.
Now if I had not got discouraged over
my first failure.
At least I've fallen only once.
Not a second time.
And you notice that in your life?
When the devil makes you discouraged.
About anything.
Maybe your exam results that came yesterday.
Or whatever it is.
But see, some of you are encouraged because
of the exam results that came yesterday.
Do you see how you can get a
little victory over sin today?
Example.
How encouragement really helps you.
So don't allow the devil to discourage you.
Ever.
Nothing is serious except sin.
Even your exam results are not serious.
Not at all.
I don't know whether Peter ever came first
in his class.
I don't think so.
I think my guess is that Peter came
pretty close to the bottom of the class.
But he didn't get discouraged.
I mean, he did once upon a time
when he failed the Lord so badly.
He said, I'm going back to my fishing.
But the Lord called him right back.
I want to say to you.
It doesn't matter even if you have denied
the Lord three times like Peter.
Don't get discouraged.
The Lord has a plan and a ministry
for you.
No matter where you are.
No matter how much you have failed.
No matter how much you have sunk.
Even when you hit rock bottom.
Don't get discouraged.
While there is life, there is hope.
And no matter even if you have fallen
more than anybody else.
You say, I will not get discouraged.
I am going to still make it.
Even if you are running a marathon race
and you have already fallen a hundred times.
That's fine.
I'm still going to run.
I'm going to run as if I'm going
to win.
And you'll be amazed what God does through
you.
The Bible is full of examples of its
great men who failed many times.
Abraham told lies more than once.
He didn't learn a lesson the first time.
He went and told a lie a second
time.
And many other mistakes he made.
And a lot of other people made mistakes.
Moses made mistakes.
Paul made mistakes.
David made mistakes.
But God still used them.
But if they got discouraged and said, oh
well, there is no hope for me.
Then they would have wasted the rest of
their lives.
So you must determine in your life that
by the grace of God, you will never
get discouraged.
No matter how much you have failed or
how deeply you have failed.
Even if everything goes wrong around you, you
are going to have hope.
God is still almighty.
He will do something for me.
And you know, if you live like that,
you can be a tremendous encouragement to other
people.
And don't ever look back over decisions you
made in the past.
This is a great way in which the
devil discourages people.
He reminds you of some decision you took
two years ago.
Oh, if I had not taken this job.
Or if I had not moved to this
place.
Or if I had not done this thing.
Or if I had not married this person.
You keep on thinking like that.
You feel full of the joy of the
Lord when you think like that?
No.
That itself shows it's the devil who tells
you.
And he keeps on adding to the list.
And then just think of this other thing
you did.
And if you hadn't done this.
And you hadn't done this.
You know, there's a sense in which all
of us have to say we get more
wisdom.
As we go forward, we look back.
And we say, yeah, I could have done
that better.
But that only shows that we are growing.
You see, for example, if I look back
over something I did five years ago.
And I say, I have no regret over
that.
That means I'm not growing.
I'll tell you honestly, I have regret over
things I did last year.
Which proves that I'm growing.
And next year, I'll have some regret over
the things I did this year.
Hopefully, if I'm growing.
So when you have regret over something you
did in the past, it only means you're
growing.
Spiritually.
I can do it better now.
Sure I can do it better.
So what are we going to do?
Get discouraged over something we did 20 years
ago?
I remember when we started our church 30
years ago.
In my home.
I was a stupid young man of 35
years old.
I mean, not the type of person who
was a wise person.
And the number of stupid things I did,
perhaps only Brother Ian knows fully.
The rest of you don't know, thankfully.
But I'll tell you this.
I did a lot of stupid things.
But I don't live my life in regret
over them.
No.
I said a lot of stupid things.
Did a lot of stupid things.
But I tried to learn from them.
And I'll tell you another thing to encourage
you.
I did not learn by doing it once
wrong.
Sometimes, some things I did 3-4 times
wrong before I learned it.
And even more than that.
But gradually, I said, Lord, I want to
learn something from my mistakes.
Even if I did it 20 times.
Okay, I did it.
I won't get discouraged.
I did the same stupid thing 20 times.
But I'm going to learn something.
And I learned it.
So, don't get discouraged by any failure in
your life.
Okay.
Number 9.
This is one you will all love.
Don't be stingy.
Don't you love that?
We must be free from stinginess.
Miserliness.
See, we are all born misers.
Whether you know it or not.
Whether you realize it or not.
Adam is a miser.
And all the children of Adam are misers.
We're stingy.
We cater to our own needs and our
family.
But we are very miserly towards other people.
God is not like that.
God is large hearted.
God says, give and it will be given
to you.
Learn to be large hearted.
Learn to be hospitable.
You know the Living Bible paraphrase.
I like that paraphrase.
I think it's 1 Peter 4.
Where it says, be hospitable.
Towards one another.
One of those verses in 1 Peter 4.
And the Living Bible paraphrase is like this.
Get into the habit of inviting people home
for a meal on Sunday afternoon.
Great.
Get into the habit of inviting somebody home
once in a while.
I want to ask you.
Particularly you young people who are newly married.
Who don't have children.
If you are not hospitable.
If you don't invite people home when you
don't have children.
Can you imagine what your condition will be?
What a big miser and unhospitable person you'll
be when you have 3 or 4 children.
Have you ever thought of opening your home
to bless lonely young people?
In your church, people you know well.
There were others who were hospitable to you
when you were a lonely person.
Have you forgotten that?
Why don't you open your home now?
To other people.
I'll tell you there'll be a blessing.
I remember in the early days when we
had the meetings in our home.
We used to have very often young people
staying in my house.
And they were not a nuisance.
They were a blessing.
They were a blessing to my children as
they grew up.
I thank God for them.
People used to land up at all types
times.
And sometimes late at night they couldn't go
home after the meeting.
They'd stay right there.
And they'd get up early morning and go
to the kitchen and make coffee and go
off to college.
Yeah, it was great.
And I'm thankful that my children saw that.
And they're young 8 years.
What are your children seeing?
Now if you have a very small home,
I can understand you can't allow, enable people
to stay there.
But you can surely invite a me person
to share that little rice and sambar that
you have.
You know I tell you a lot of
people when they, they're not looking for a
grand chicken curry or ice cream or any
such thing.
They're just looking for fellowship.
There are a lot of lonely people in
your church.
And I praise God for those who have
the gift of hospitality.
Some people have a unique gift of hospitality.
I don't think I can compare myself with
them.
But all of us can be generally hospitable.
And we're not hospitable because we're stingy.
We're miserly.
We think only of ourselves.
And that shows the low level of our
Christianity.
So I want to encourage you, right from
the day you get married.
I'm not asking you to invite people to
stay in your house when you get married.
No, I don't think that's wise when you
get married to have people staying in your
house right from day one.
But invite them for a meal.
And you don't have to make anything grand.
Just divide your portion for two into three.
If you don't know how to do it,
I'll tell you.
I'm not asking you to invite me home.
But I'll tell you how to divide the
portion of two into three.
My wife is an expert at it.
When suddenly people end up to suddenly divide
it into a few more plates.
You ask her, she'll tell you.
You don't have to make anything grand.
Just share the little that you have.
You eat a little less.
That's the whole secret of it.
And there'll be something left over for that
person.
But I tell you, God will bless you.
The Bible says, don't hesitate to entertain strangers.
Because some have entertained angels without knowing it.
It's true.
Welcome them and you'll find some way the
person will be a blessing to you.
And if you have children, they'll be a
blessing to your children.
So let's get rid of this stingy, miserly
attitude.
Which only thinks of ourselves.
Lord, I want to think of other people
as well.
It's a great habit to develop.
And I believe all of us Christians must
be known.
And I'll tell you this.
I'll tell you something I have seen through
40 years of traveling in India.
The most hospitable people in India are poor
people.
Very poor people.
I've been into small little homes and huts
in Andhra Pradesh.
Some remarkably hospitable people in Andhra Pradesh.
I've been into their homes, small little huts.
And boy, I feel almost awkward to eat
what they set before me.
I know that they honor me as a
servant of God.
And they've gone to such tremendous lengths.
I don't know whether they've even missed a
few meals during the week.
In order to provide that for me.
I just feel so humbled when I go
there.
But I know God will bless them and
their homes.
And I've seen the blessing of God in
their homes and their children.
As they open their hearts.
Because God says, if you do something like
that for one of my children.
I'll do something wonderful for you.
He does that.
And I've seen it.
And do you know how much you have
missed?
By not being hospitable.
So here's something that if we have not
been in the past.
Never mind.
Don't get discouraged.
Repent.
And say, Lord, I want to be really
different from now on.
I mean, if you're a selfish person.
This is the best thing for you.
For you.
The best thing for you is to be
hospitable.
It will go well with you.
Aren't you all interested in it going well
with you and your children?
Sure, this is the best thing for you.
It is.
And I'll tell you, God will amazingly well
look after your children.
If you, I have seen this.
People who are good to others.
God is amazingly good, not only to them.
But also to their children.
God takes care of their children in wonderful
ways, in different situations.
Because they were very good to others and
to God's people.
So, if you don't do it for any
other reason, at least do it for a
selfish reason.
So that God will bless you and your
children.
That's not the best reason to do it.
But that's the lowest reason to do it
for.
But do it because you're a Christian.
Because that's God's nature.
To be good to other people.
If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he's thirsty, give him something to drink.
Okay, we go to number 10.
Number 10, we must eliminate all bitterness from
our life.
Another bad habit, like stinginess, is a bad
habit.
Bitterness is another very bad habit.
I believe there are lots of people sick
among believers.
Because they are bitter.
Stinginess does not bring sickness.
Ingratitude may not bring sickness.
And wastefulness may not bring sickness.
And even dishonesty may not bring sickness.
But bitterness.
I believe there are more sicknesses among believers
due to bitterness.
And an unforgiving spirit.
Than perhaps any other sin.
Whenever people come to me.
And ask for prayer for healing.
I always ask them one question.
Have you got any bitterness against anybody?
I don't ask them, are you wasteful?
Are you hospitable?
I don't even ask them, are you utilised?
I ask them one question.
Are you bitter against anybody?
Have you forgiven everybody?
Why do I say that?
I want to show you two verses.
First of all, Matthew chapter 6.
Where Jesus taught us the Lord's Prayer.
In Matthew chapter 6.
And he said this.
After teaching the Lord's Prayer.
What is known as the Lord's Prayer.
Our Father who art in heaven, etc.
In verses 9.
And there are wonderful things in the Lord's
Prayer.
9 to 13.
And if you were to ask me.
Pick out the most important request.
Out of the six requests there.
You know what I'll pick out?
Hallowed be thy name.
And what the Lord could have said is.
Now of all the requests I told you
to pray.
Remember this, hallowed be your name.
That's really very important my disciples.
But that's not the one he picked out.
Do you know which one he picked out?
To emphasize.
And re-emphasize.
Forgiving others.
Look at the end of it.
Because verse 14.
If you forgive others.
Your Heavenly Father will forgive you.
He's talking to believers.
He's not saying God will forgive you.
If you say God will forgive you.
Then you're talking to unbelievers.
When you say your Heavenly Father will forgive
you.
You're talking to believers.
It's common sense.
Your Heavenly Father.
That means you're a child of God.
God will forgive you.
But if you as a child of God.
Do not forgive others.
Your Heavenly Father.
You're a child of God.
Your Heavenly Father will not forgive you.
So what happens to this child of God.
Whose Heavenly Father does not forgive him.
Supposing he dies at that moment.
Where do you think he'll go?
Even if he's been a believer for 40
years.
And the last minute he dies.
Without forgiving somebody.
I don't care how long he's been a
believer.
I believe the word of God.
Either this word is true.
Let's say there is a chap.
Who lived for 40 years a very good
life.
And just before he died.
He refused to forgive somebody.
And he died.
If God takes him to Heaven.
I'll have to tell the Lord Jesus.
Lord.
You know there's one lie you told when
you were on earth.
I'm sorry to remind you.
But you told a lie.
You said this guy will not go to
Heaven.
But he's in Heaven.
Because.
And I suppose the Lord said.
Yeah but he did go for 40 years.
So he didn't forgive somebody.
So I overlooked that verse.
I tell you it will not happen.
It will not happen.
Don't believe this ancient heathen theory.
That in the final day.
God will take a balance.
And put all your good deeds on one
side.
Put all your bad deeds on the other
side.
And decide whether you go to Heaven or
Hell.
That's an ancient false religion.
Don't believe it.
If you do not forgive others their transgressions.
Your Heavenly Father.
He is your Heavenly Father right now.
Will not forgive your transgressions.
And if you die in that state.
And you stand at the judgment seat of
Christ.
There is at least one sin that is
not forgiven.
You say but he can forgive me after
I die.
Oh.
If you believe that.
Then everybody in Hell will go to Heaven.
If you believe that after you die.
Also God will forgive people sins.
In some purgatory or something like that.
Then you are a Roman Catholic.
No.
There is no forgiveness.
That's appointed unto men once to die.
After this the judgment.
If you want to forgive somebody.
You better forgive them right now.
How much longer do you have to live
on this earth?
Tell me.
Do you know what James says in chapter
4?
James says if God wills.
We will live tomorrow.
And we will do this.
That is what a godly man says.
If God wills.
I will see tomorrow morning.
And I will do this.
He doesn't even a godly man doesn't even
know whether he live till tomorrow.
He lives from day to day.
So if you are interested in your own
self.
Forgive everybody right now.
You say but that fellow did something terrible
to me.
Well something more terrible will happen to you
if you don't forgive him.
Whatever he did was terrible.
But going to hell is much more terrible
than that.
Let me ask you this question.
Can anybody go to Heaven without his sins
forgiven?
Supposing a man got only one sin not
forgiven in his life.
Can he go to Heaven?
Impossible.
One sin can keep a man out of
Heaven.
And that one sin may be.
That he didn't forgive somebody.
Even if he did 40 years of good.
Take me.
I have been a believer 46 years.
I have tried to do a lot of
good things in 46 years.
But today.
If I develop a bitterness against somebody.
Who did me some harm.
Or took me to court.
Or did some evil.
Or told some lie against me.
And I keep that in my heart.
And I don't forgive him.
I don't release him.
With all my preaching in the conferences.
I will go to hell.
I apply that to myself.
But I won't do it.
I am not a fool.
First of all I don't want to do
it.
God has given me his nature.
Which loves to forgive others.
It's not an effort to forgive.
Not at all.
Not at all an effort.
It's easy.
You know God can make forgiving others as
easy.
As it is for you to eat chicken
biryani.
You don't have a great struggle to eat
chicken biryani.
God can make it that easy for you.
If you ask him.
But I want to ask you.
Some of many of you think you have
forgiven others.
I will tell you how the Lord showed
me sometimes.
I had not forgiven somebody.
When I heard.
That something good happened to that person.
I felt little unhappy.
And the Lord said you have not forgiven
him.
In another case.
When I heard something bad happened to someone.
I was little happy.
And the Lord said you haven't forgiven him.
I said thank you Lord for showing me
that.
Thank you for showing me.
And I want to ask you this.
If you feel happy.
When you hear that something bad happened to
somebody.
Did you get it?
You feel happy when you hear that something
bad happened to somebody.
Who are you in fellowship with at that
moment?
God or the devil?
Sure the devil.
That means you haven't forgiven that person.
Or.
The other way round.
If you feel a little glad.
When something bad happens.
Or you feel little unhappy.
When something good happens.
Something good happened to that person.
You feel a little unhappy.
Of course you will.
Force yourself to say well praise the Lord.
I am glad to hear it.
But the weakness of your smile shows that.
You are not really too happy about it.
Just be honest.
And say Lord.
I think my relationship with that person is
not right.
It's usually a believer.
I will tell you the other thing.
It's usually a believer.
Whom you don't like.
Whom you got a little grudge against.
Are you determined to eliminate.
All bitterness from your life.
Completely.
So that there is not even a smell
of it left.
You read the Old Testament story.
Of David and Shimei.
It's a terrible story.
Like in Samuel 16.
You read how Shimei cursed David.
And one of David's soldiers said let me
chop off his head.
And David said no.
God has permitted him to curse me.
Because David was running for his life from
Absalom at that time.
Shimei thought it was a good time to
curse him.
Because Shimei was a relative of Saul.
David said it's okay.
I forgive him.
But then David came back.
Absalom was defeated.
He came back as king.
And Shimei got all scared.
He came before David and said oh I'm
really sorry.
I never meant all that.
I said David said it's alright.
Forget it.
I forgive you.
I won't kill you.
I assure you I won't kill you.
Years later when David on his death bed.
He's giving his son Solomon last instructions how
to build the temple.
He's told him everything about building the temple.
And Solomon one more thing.
Does this guy Shimei.
I promised I'd never kill him.
But you never made that promise right.
You finish him off.
Don't let him go to the grave and
ordinary death.
Imagine how many years this David kept that
in his heart.
And you know the next verse after that.
In 2nd Kings chapter 1 or 2.
Solomon and David died.
It's the last thing written.
Did David go to heaven?
Sure.
Because he was under the old covenant.
He didn't have the Holy Spirit.
There was no verse like that in the
Old Testament.
If you don't forgive others you won't be
forgiven.
But today you can't do it.
Today we have a verse which says if
you don't forgive others you won't be forgiven.
I'm just warning you.
Ok.
Number 11.
Another thing we got to get rid of
from our life is impatience.
Patience is the greatest virtue of love.
According to 1 Corinthians 13.
Love is patience.
Bears all things.
Impatience is the greatest opposite of that.
Impatience is what ultimately makes us burst out
in anger.
We must ask God to give us a
control over ourselves.
So that we can.
The fruit of the spirit is self control.
Because many things we are impatient about do
not have eternal consequences.
Stop and ask yourself 2000 years from now
is it going to make that much of
a difference if this thing is not done
as quickly as I think it should be
done.
You know we can get worked up in
our spirit with impatience.
Could be with our children, it could be
with a servant at home, it could be
with a neighbor who is creating problems or
it could be with somebody at work or
I mean we are surrounded by opportunities to
get impatience.
You can get impatience on the roads when
the traffic is blocked for a long time
and somebody cuts in between and squeezes in
here and there and almost causes an accident.
Impatience we are surrounded everyday by opportunities to
be impatient.
And you got to say Lord fill me
with the spirit of patience.
Long suffering.
Lord give me the spirit of long suffering
with spelled L-O-N-G.
Suffering.
That type of long suffering.
Lord give me that.
Give me that.
Only you can do it.
The fruit of the spirit is long suffering.
Please give me that.
I don't have it within me.
The children of Adam are not patient.
I believe that one of the marks of
spiritual growth that even your children will see
is patience.
The Bible says in the book of Proverbs
a good man is kind even to his
animals.
That when a man gets born again, even
his animals recognize it.
Isn't that an amazing verse that even animals
can recognize, hey something happens to my master.
He's not so impatient like he was yesterday.
Animal, a bullock, a donkey.
So I believe your children will certainly recognize
that God has done a work in your
heart.
If you're filled with the Holy Spirit and
it was a genuine experience, you won't just
speak in tongues.
You'll become more patient.
So but we got to work at it.
Add to you these virtues, this one also
to be.
If you overcome impatience, you'll be able to
overcome anger.
Because a lot of anger comes up because
of built in impatience and then the pressure
cooker explodes.
It's on the roof and everywhere else.
So make sure the safety valve is working
and the steam is let out at regular
intervals so that it doesn't explode and harm
other people.
Okay, we go to number twelve.
Number twelve Another bad habit we got to
free from is indiscipline.
I'm very sorry to say that today's generation,
young generation is a very indiscipline generation.
They're indiscipline in the use of money.
They're indiscipline in their study habits.
They're indiscipline in punctuality.
They're indiscipline in keeping things tidy, cleanliness, orderliness
in their lives.
And you know, the Bible says that God
has given us the spirit of discipline.
We must be disciplined in our eating habits
for example.
It's very sad that a younger generation is
growing up that does not know how to
fast and pray.
They know how to feast.
The younger generation knows which are the best
restaurants for food but they don't know how
to fast.
And you won't be spiritual till you've learned
to discipline your bodily habits.
You'll learn to discipline to fast.
I know the body craves for food but
I would encourage you to develop the habit
of fasting.
I suggested some time ago to people try
and fast from giving your opinions about people
for one week.
Just for one week.
You want to give your opinion.
Put your hand in your mouth.
No, I'm fasting.
I'm not supposed to say anything about anybody
for one week.
You'll see what a struggle it is to
be disciplined about just yeah, so many people
are talking about so and so and you've
got no opinion to give.
You've got plenty in your head but you're
not going to.
You're fasting.
Just try it for one week and you'll
be so blessed by it you'll probably want
to make it a permanent fast from giving
opinions because your opinion is not all that
valuable.
It's good to remember that.
But fasting from food and overcoming the lust
to eat especially if any of you want
to be useful in the Lord's service I
would encourage you to discipline your bodily habits
because the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians
9 I discipline my body making it do,
the last few verses, making it do what
it should do, not what it wants to
do.
Making it do what it should do, that's
the living Bible, not what it wants to
do lest otherwise I'll preach to others and
finally be rejected myself.
I remember as a young man I was
working in the Navy and I felt the
Lord may call me for His service so
I decided to discipline myself while I was
working on the ship I would sometimes fast
for two days just live on liquids and
do my job mainly because I love food,
like everybody else.
And I decided I've got to conquer this
if I want to serve the Lord.
I mean I may be in some situation
somewhere where I don't get food, then what
do I do?
If I'm a slave to food I'll be
finished.
I've got to conquer it before I come
out to serve the Lord.
So I would do it on a regular
basis, now and then skip meals for two
days and just live on juices or milk
or something, only liquids and then I would
learn to sleep on hard floors without a
mattress so that I could be tough I
can do it even today.
Don't if you love a comfortable life I'm
not saying you should sleep on the floor
if you've got a mattress but you must
learn to be happy to sleep on the
floor if you don't have a mattress and
the only way to do it is to
try it out sometime when you have a
mattress, see whether you can sleep on the
floor.
You know if you really, I'm talking about
if you really want to serve the Lord
I mean if you're one of those people
whose aim in life is to be some
business executive and you're going to retire like
that, I'm not talking to you but I'm
talking about people who really want to serve
the Lord maybe go to some difficult places
to serve the Lord some remote villages perhaps
you won't get those comforts there which you
get everywhere else so you've got to be
disciplined discipline your body and I believe that
if you discipline your time and study habits,
many of you would have known the Bible
much more than you know it today discipline
yourself to listen to some good Bible study
material on CDs or tapes and to read
books that speak to your heart I did
that to read missionary biographies and books that
challenged my heart and those days if I
had CDs in those days, we never had
CDs those days I would have listened to
anything that would help me to know the
Bible much better so I believe that God
can use many of you if you will
discipline yourself to study and you know, life
can be much easier for other people in
your home if you're orderly in the way
you keep your things and people will remember
it and it's a very good testimony I
remember as a young man I visited a
home I was in the Navy and I
was had gone somewhere preaching I was just
24 years old, 25 years old and I
was staying in a home for 2 or
3 days we had meetings and then I
came back to work years later about 30
-40 years later that brother had died his
daughter who was much grown up now said
she was a little child there in those
days when I used to visit that home
and she said the thing her mother told
her was that Brother Zach would always fold
his bed and bed sheet and mattress neatly
and they forgot all my sermons that's the
only thing they remembered years later and I
just want to tell you that it's not
all the wonderful things you say that people
will remember if you stay in a house
they'll see how you kept the room when
you left it they'll remember all their life
it's a good testimony as a Christian do
you know that when Jesus rose up from
the dead he folded the napkin and kept
it there?
Did he ask one of the angels to
do that?
No, I don't think so Jesus rose up
from the dead, you read that in the
gospels the disciples saw the napkin folded and
kept there who folded that?
Jesus got up and said hey this napkin
is a bit, let me fold it and
keep it up and went out of the
grave imagine, after the resurrection just making sure
that the napkin is folded boy, what an
example for us who haven't yet got to
the resurrection we should definitely do it before
we get there that means that was the
habit of Jesus' life from childhood and the
habits that you have from childhood, you'll have
even after your resurrection great, I want to
be like that that's what it means to
follow Jesus it's not just walking on the
water and raising the dead let's start with
folding the napkins we'll come to raising the
dead and all a little later okay, number
13 very important we must get rid totally
of this disrespectful attitude we have in our
conversation and behaviour towards other people disrespect is
another bad habit and it's very prevalent in
the world today among young people disrespectfulness it's
prevalent you know in the Old Testament we
read in Leviticus 19 the Lord told the
Israelites whenever you see a grey haired man
you must stand up respect him it's a
principle, I'm not talking about the letter of
it but the principle of respect for an
older person it is almost totally absent in
the world today and I'm sorry to say
it's totally absent among a lot of our
young people they just don't have any respect
for older people it's very sad the Lord
has taught me to respect everybody older to
me even if he's a beggar if he's
older to me I must speak respectfully to
him but I'm amazed at the way a
lot of young people speak to people, the
way a lot of young sisters speak to
older sisters the way a lot of young
brothers speak to older brothers it amazes me
but it just teaches me that like the
book of Leviticus says you shall rise up
before the grey haired man because that's how
you prove God says that you fear me
and this proves that people don't fear God
no matter how loudly they clap their hands
and sing the praise of worship, they haven't
understood the basic fear of God and where
there is no fear of God there's no
wisdom so let's learn to let's ask God
for grace to eliminate every smell of disrespectfulness
God has taught me to speak respectfully to
every person older to me and even people
younger to me except when I'm rebuking them
for sin you won't get any respect from
me when I'm rebuking you for sin because
there I'm speaking to you as a servant
of the Lord but in every other area
I guarantee that I'll speak respectfully to every
single one of you, young or old or
even a child because that's Christ likeness develop
it young, develop it when you're young, it
will help you tremendously in your life yeah
number 14 we have to get rid totally
of the bad habit of partiality partiality partiality,
the Bible says in James chapter 2 is
a sin the Bible says some rich fellow
comes along to your church, this is James
and you say oh brother brother, sister come
and some poor person comes, he says in
torn clothes and you just ignore him you'll
never be spiritual, not in a hundred years
we do honor people in the church but
not people who are rich we honor those
who fear God we honor those who are
humble I will honor certain people more than
other people in the church but not because
they are rich not because they are educated
but because they are God fearing and humble
I mean there is a respect we show
to people in society for example if the
chief minister of Karnataka came to our conference,
I would certainly give him a place in
front not because he is respected in the
church but because the Bible says we must
respect secular authority that I'm obeying the Bible
there I'm not saying that we shouldn't do
that but we don't show respect to a
person in the church just because he's got
money there's a lot of it in Christendom
today particularly pastors they just show respect to
rich people because they want their money and
their tithes I say I don't want their
money or their tithes we are not to
show partiality to someone because he's like me
or because he flatters me I couldn't care
less for that there are many areas where
you may discover you are partial some parents
are foolishly partial towards their children shall I
tell you the best way to destroy one
of your children listen tell your child why
can't you be like your older brother aha
that child is doomed that child you have
made that child a permanent enemy of his
older brother for life why can't you study
like your older sister why can't you be
a good girl like your older sister please
don't say such stupid things and destroy your
children many parents do that don't be partial
God is not looking to see whether people
come first in the class some of your
children who don't come first in the class
may turn out to be more wholehearted disciples
of Jesus than that other one who comes
stops the class and is so well behaved
and nice like the elder brother in the
home the prodigal son may be the one
who finally sits next to the father so
let's not be partial let's treat our children
equally let's love them equally and let's do
everything we can for one that we do
for the other and the same way in
the church I am partial like Jesus was
to Peter, James and John to those who
are God fearing I do spend more time
with those who are God fearing and I
am not ashamed of that but that's not
because they belong to my community or because
they are at my intellectual level or because
they are rich no, it's because they are
God fearing why did Jesus spend more time
with Peter, James and John God is partial
in that way to those who are God
fearing if any man loved me I will
love him and my father will come and
make our abode with him why doesn't he
do it with the others what I am
saying is partiality due to earthly reasons oh
we speak the same language or I like
your face, you are at the same intellectual
level as me, no there are many other
forms of partiality let's get rid of all
of them ok number 15 is closely linked
to partiality and that is prejudice we have
to eliminate all prejudice from our mind let
me give you an example maybe 5 years
ago people behaved in a somebody behaved in
a certain way towards you and you have
a prejudice against that person ah, that person
I know how he is he is always
like that just be honest, say he was
like that 5 years ago how do you
know he is like that today he may
have changed I remember, I learned from my
own mistake I said that many years ago
I thought of somebody about maybe giving some
responsibility to him and I had a bad
experience ah, that person I only said it
to myself no, no, no, I wouldn't think
of that and the Lord said to me
have you changed in the last 5 years
I said yes Lord I think I have
can you allow for the possibility that he
may also have changed in the last 5
years oh is that possible and I realized
yeah, it's possible that he is also changed
so why should I judge him by what
he did 5 years ago or 10 years
ago no, we are not to assess a
person today by what they did 5 years
ago or even last year I am not
the same, I was last year and I
want to believe that you are not the
same as you were last year I believe
you are responding to the word of God
so we must not be prejudiced against people
there is a lot of prejudice in our
minds which is destroying our fellowship with certain
people and preventing us from having a good
relationship with them, because we think they are
always like that there are many husbands who
feel their wives will never change and they
tell them also ah, you will never change
that's the best way to make sure they
never change because your wife will tell you
you think I won't change, ok, I am
not going to change I am going to
be like that you are going to see
me 20 years from now just like this,
you have made your life miserable why not
tell her honey, I think you are really
going to change in one year she will
go away and say, boy, I am going
to change in one year because my husband
really got some expectations from me look at
a different wife, I am not teaching you
a psychological technique, I am just telling you
we must not be prejudiced and think that
people around us will never change and have
such a high thought about ourselves, of course
we will change, but nobody else will change
don't be so conceited let's not be prejudiced
in any other way, like I mentioned that
before because of community or language let's not
have a prejudice means a pre prejudgment let's
not have a prejudgment, that's prejudice no Lord,
I want to be open minded to people
who were probably very bad in the past
last of all we need to overcome the
cowardice that prevents us from being witnesses for
Christ you know, there is a lot of
cowardice we are not bold to be witnesses
for Jesus Christ I am not saying we
should just go and tell everybody we meet
on the streets but an openness say Lord
I always want to be available to be
a witness for you wherever I am, I
don't know where the opportunity will come if
it comes, I want to take it I
want to be a witness for Christ I
want to be a witness for Christ it
may come now if somebody says something and
there is an opportunity there to share a
little word for the gospel it could be
anything I remember in the navy, I used
to be in these naval parties and I'd
be drinking orange juice while everybody else is
drinking alcohol and they say, hey, why, Zach
why orange juice?
immediately, my opportunity for a witness I am
a Christian so, it could be a little
thing like that hey, why are you dressed
like this?
why are you dressed so simply?
I'll give the reason or, why don't you
do this man?
everybody does it in the office what are
you going to say?
I am honest get the glory for yourself
why not say, I am a Christian give
the glory to Christ at that moment, instead
of getting some honor for yourself that you
are such an honest, upright person we miss
opportunities like that because we are cowards you
know who we can learn from?
we can learn from the Hindus who put
their marks right on their forehead and come
to the office every day and tell you
boldly on their forehead, I am a Hindu
who worships my God who hangs a calendar
with an idol picture there I'm not ashamed,
that's the idol I worship Christians are cowards
they won't hang a calendar with a Bible
verse on it ashamed to testify to Christ
let's pray that God will eliminate this cowardice
from our life completely say, Lord, make me
a bold witness for Jesus Christ ok let's
think of these 16 things I'm sure there
are 100 other things also, but a lot
of them can be children of these 16
things but these are things that came to
my mind when we think of freedom from
a cage and we want to be totally
free I thought here are some things that
we can really ask the Lord to deliver
us from completely, and I want to say
this one last word let's pray that God
will write his laws in our mind and
in our heart say, Lord, I can't do
this, this is a wonderful standard I've heard
now Lord you've already produced a desire in
me haven't many of you got a desire
already to live this life?
I believe you have the God who gave
you the desire you must say, Lord, I
believe you'll give me the ability also you're
going to give me the power to change,
not overnight but little by little, it's going
to be different from today, I'm going to
add to this virtue, another virtue, another virtue
another virtue, like Peter says and one day
I'll have an abundant entrance into God's kingdom