316 - Renewal of Mind and Change 3#
316 - Renewal of Mind and Change 3
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Titus 3:3-10
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.
Whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! You have prepared such a wonderful time for us to worship and praise you together. We receive the words that come from you, helping to renew each person through your words, allowing our thoughts to be renewed and changed according to your words. Let us experience the power of your words in our lives. We completely dedicate this time to the Holy Spirit, asking you to help everyone seek you. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!
We share: The third lecture on the renewal of the mind and change.
The scripture we just read mentions something. In Titus 3:3, it says, "For we ourselves were once..." Are we the same as we were before? Regardless of whether your behavior is the same as before, your life is already different. What needs to be renewed now is not your life, but your thoughts. Just like we shared last time, your spirit is the Holy Spirit. The moment you accepted Jesus, you already had the Holy Spirit within you, and the Holy Spirit does not need to be renewed. What needs to be renewed is your soul, that is, your thoughts and intentions.
Many people have believed in Jesus, but that does not mean their thoughts will be renewed according to God's words. They may still live according to their old ways. We were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, serving various passions and pleasures. Is that how those who do not believe in the Lord live? Living for themselves.
Having a heart full of malice and jealousy is hateful and leads to mutual hatred. This is the state of the world; they do not wish others to do well. When they see others doing better than them, they hate and envy them. Perhaps before believing in the Lord, our lives were like this, but that was the old you. Now it is different. Brothers and sisters, do you know? Because of Jesus, your life is now like His.
We share the first point: Because of God's redemption, you have been separated from the old self.
You are not the same as before. When a person does not know Jesus, they can be said to be foolish, disobedient, and serving various passions. These are the fruits of unbelievers. We have been emphasizing that a person's current state of life is related to what they believe. If you want to change your current life, the most important thing is to change your faith. If you believe correctly, your life will naturally be correct.
What is mentioned here is that when a person does not know the Lord Jesus, their state is actually foolish, disobedient, and led astray. Your relatives, family, or friends who have not yet believed in Jesus are perfectly normal in this state. You should not hate them but have compassion for them and pray for them because your life is already different from theirs. No matter how they treat you, even if they slander you, condemn you, or even defame you, you should still pray for them. Amen!
There is a passage in the Bible that many people do not understand. Jesus said, "I did not come to bring peace on earth but a sword. I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a person's enemies will be those of his own household." What does this refer to?
In fact, Jesus brought life. Originally, everyone in that household was under death; you die, I die, everyone dies together, and they hate each other. Now that Jesus has come and saved one person in that household, one person has received life, while the others have not received life. Can there be no conflict in this?
In the past, they did not feel that there was a conflict, but when this person believed in Jesus, all the focus of the conflict was placed on Jesus. Is it Jesus who caused the argument and disputes? No, they had it before; they just did not realize it. This is their problem because they were all on the brink of death, and there was nothing to say. Suddenly, one person has life, and the others who do not believe begin to attack him, saying, "Look at how chaotic our family has become because you believe in Jesus. Your faith in Jesus has not helped you at all..."
Brothers and sisters, no matter what they say about you, you should believe that because you believe in Jesus, you are completely different from the old you. You are living in the love of Christ, and you have the life of Jesus within you. Amen! Brothers and sisters, foolishness, disobedience, and being led astray are characteristics of unbelievers. They bear fruit because of the desires in their hearts, and people cannot escape from these on their own; they can only turn in circles within sin. What is the situation now? Now Jesus has saved you and brought you out of sin. Let’s look at a passage of scripture.
Romans 6:6-8
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
This actually tells you what your current state is. Our old self was crucified with Him to bring the body of sin to nothing. This proves that your past life has already died, bringing the body of sin to nothing so that we are no longer slaves to sin. Before believing in the Lord, we were slaves to sin and could not break free. Now Jesus has saved you; the old self has already died in sin. Do not think that the old self has not completely died; it has already died. Is this not very clear? For one who has died...
Is this referring to your past self?
Looking back, we were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, serving various passions and pleasures. Now how should you think? That old self has already died; the one who is alive now is a new creation. I am not a slave to sin; I am a slave to righteousness. Why use the term "slave" here? Paul often describes himself as a slave to righteousness. The meaning of a slave is that you cannot decide your own life because it is in the hands of your master.
In the past, we were under the slavery of sin, and our master was sin; you could not escape from sinning. Now Jesus has saved you from evil, and the old self has died. Now you are a slave to righteousness, and similarly, you cannot escape righteousness; your master is Jesus, and He is righteous. Hallelujah! No matter how your behavior is now, at least you should know that in your life, you are a righteous person, and the one who has died has been set free from sin.
The Bible says very clearly that the wages of sin is death. So has your old self died? It has already died. You must believe that the old self has died; now you are a righteous person, living in Christ. If we have died with Christ... have you died with Christ? Your old self has died with Christ, and you must believe that you will also live with Him.
Here it does not say that you must perform good deeds to be considered living with Christ. No, it is about believing. Believe that you are living with Christ. Today, the one who walks with you is not the Jesus in your flesh but the resurrected Jesus. The resurrected Jesus lives inside you, and wherever you go, He can be with you. You must believe that the power of the resurrected Jesus is greater. Hallelujah!
This is your current state; you need to renew your thoughts and beliefs. You must believe that Christ lives in my heart, that I am in Christ, that I am a new creation, and that I am a slave to righteousness. This is my state. Only by repeatedly thinking of yourself this way can you live out the state of a righteous person. Amen! If you always think about how to sin, rest assured! You will definitely sin. The focus should not be on sin but on righteousness. This is our new life. Do not be anxious about how to live a new life; just firmly remember the state of this new life, and the new life will naturally come forth.
Ephesians 4:21-24 tells us:
If indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
In fact, this is also telling you to renew your thoughts and beliefs, to be transformed by the renewal of your mind. No matter whether you are bearing the fruit of righteousness now, you must first believe that you are that kind of person. If you have heard His word, it proves that someone has preached the gospel to you today. Being taught in Him means you have believed in Jesus, and learning His truth means you are willing to change.
When you have this mindset, the rest will not be a concern. As long as you keep repeating the above parts, you will put off the old self from your former manner of life. The teaching we received in the past is to put off the behavior of the old self. If you do not put it off, it means your old self has not completely died. This way of thinking tells you that you may not necessarily be a righteous person; you may still be a sinner.
But today I tell you that you are a righteous person, no matter how your behavior is now. You are a righteous person, just like your child just born. No matter how they behave, they are still your child, right? You cannot say, "Because you woke me up in the middle of the night, I will no longer recognize you." Is their behavior good? Not really; they cry when they want to cry and make noise when they want to make noise, completely without rules. But you will not say, "Because you behave so badly, you are no longer my son."
No, no matter how your behavior is, when your life is connected to mine, you are my son. I do not care how your behavior is. But you are in my house, and I can influence you. Your behavior will change because of my influence. Can you influence someone else's child? You cannot influence them because they are in their father's arms; you cannot influence someone else's son.
Are you in Jesus Christ? The moment you believed in Jesus, you were in Christ. Perhaps your behavior has not changed yet, but you must know that you have already been separated from the old self. Amen! Now what you need to do is continuously receive His word, learn His truth, and then believe.
This is you now; you will naturally put off the old self's behavior. Why put it off? I will ask everyone a question: Why do we need to believe in Jesus? Why do we need to live like Jesus? The reason is simple: because the old self's behavior is not worth learning or longing for. The old self is corrupted through deceitful desires. A child will become like the people they associate with. If the person guiding the child is bad, the child will definitely become bad.
Conversely, if they are with a good teacher, will they become better? This is what we say: do not be too anxious about your old self; the old self's behavior is continuously being renewed by Jesus. A child may wet the bed at night; will this happen less and less? It does not happen suddenly; there is no child who wet the bed ten times last night and does not wet it the next day. No, the frequency decreases, and as their awareness grows and they get older, those behaviors will become less and less. This is actually the renewal of thoughts and beliefs, which also includes the guidance of parents. Parents say, "If you need to go, tell me." The child hears this and begins to live according to the family's teachings, and their behavior will improve.
We are like this in Jesus Christ. The old self becomes worse and worse, but you are a righteous person. What you need to do is renew your mind. Amen! How do we renew our minds? No matter how your current state is, you must be certain that in Christ, you are a righteous person. No matter what others say about you, you must be certain that what you believe is the truth, and then hold on to the truth. Amen!
Do not doubt God's blessings or whether God loves you just because your behavior has not improved yet. Just renew these thoughts. Many Christians doubt God's existence when their prayers are not answered or when they do not see God in their lives. They doubt whether God is there or whether God loves them. This doubt is wrong; you must renew this mindset. Amen!
No matter whether you feel it or not, you must know that God truly exists and that He loves you. Just like today, you do not see the sun coming out; does that mean the sun has not come out? It has come out. If you get on a plane, you can see it. As long as you go above the clouds, you will see that it has come out. But our eyes are limited; when we look up, it is cloudy today, and there is no sun. In fact, the sun is still behind the clouds.
Is it like this in the spiritual realm? If we rely on feelings, the part of feelings is shorter than our vision. What should we do? If you say you cannot feel God, does that mean God is not there? If you cannot feel God's love, does that mean God does not love you? No, you must renew this mindset, put on the new self. What is the new self like?
Let’s look at verse 24: This new self is created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Are you now wearing the new self? You say, "Why do I not have the new self yet?" It does not matter; put on the new self, and you will naturally have the new self. Just like a bride, as long as she puts on her wedding dress, her behavior will immediately become that of a lady. Even if she used to jump around and speak loudly, as soon as she puts on that dress, she becomes quiet. It is that simple; it is just that our clothing is different, but first, you must realize what clothing you are wearing. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, if you do not know that you are wearing the new self, you will live out the old self. Even if you live out the old self, you must still believe that our God has clothed you with the new self. Amen! The new self is created after the likeness of God.
Was Adam created by God after His image? Did Adam have power? Yes, all things in heaven and earth were under his management. Every believer in Jesus has great potential within them, which the world calls potential, but we call it God's wisdom and power stored within you. What do you do now? You must release it. Hallelujah!
Because you know that this is already within you, having true righteousness and holiness is the state of the new self. You should think, "How much of God's power can I release today? How much of the Holy Spirit's ability and gifts can I release?" If you think about these things every day, this is your new self, and you will naturally live out a different life. Is this not the correct faith that brings forth results? Thank you and praise the Lord!
Just like a couple who just got married and bought a house, this house has nothing in it; the walls are bare, and the doors are not installed. After they buy the house, do they start complaining about why the house is like this? No, the two of them start planning, "Let’s put a sofa here, and a TV cabinet there..."
Do they start planning?
These things have not been bought yet, but in their hearts, they have already started planning, and thinking about this makes them very happy. Is it not like that? That is because they already have it within them. Even if they do not have enough money right now, they will plan well, and the two of them will work hard to earn money to bring these things in. This is their lifestyle and their goal.
Do you know that God has already placed these things within you? Living out a new style in life is also like this. You may see nothing right now, but that does not mean there is nothing. God will give you creative ideas and various wisdom to turn the nonexistent into existence. Hallelujah!
This is our life. Throughout our lives, we are constantly experiencing and encountering God's great power. Some people experience more, and some experience less, but it does not matter; you will definitely experience it. What is scary is when you say there is no God, that God does not love me, and that it is enough to die and go to heaven in the future.
In your life, it is very difficult to see God's power and grace. It is not that God is not there; it is because your life has always been cloudy. You feel there is no sun, but as long as you elevate yourself above the clouds, you will see the sun. Amen! What you need to do now is to renew the old thoughts within you, to renew your mind and be transformed, using Jesus' thoughts to view the world.
Once, Jesus preached in the wilderness for a whole day, and everyone was hungry. The disciples began to remind Him, saying, "Master! It is getting dark; hurry and let everyone go home to eat." There were five thousand men there at the time, and then Jesus said, "What do you have?" A little boy said, "I have five loaves and two fish." What are these five loaves and two fish in your hands? They are still five loaves and two fish. If another person had them, they would also be five loaves and two fish. But in Jesus' hands, what did He see? He saw abundant supply. This is a different perspective; you could say it is a different way of thinking. The same thing, why did the disciples say, "This little food is not enough"? But in Jesus' hands, He said it is enough. Because when Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, He saw through spiritual eyes that His Father in heaven would multiply this to feed all five thousand men present. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, this is what we need to see. Is this not a matter of mindset? If you never think beyond the five loaves and two fish, then all you will see is five loaves and two fish. Just like your family, you say, "My family is like this now," then what you can see is just this.
Even if it is terrible, its potential has already exceeded five loaves and two fish. Initially, it is small, but do not worry; through this small seed, you will see God change everything. Just like this place we are in now, three years ago, there was nothing here. What you see now, all the arrangements were not there when we came in. Do you see that now there is everything? Because at that time, I saw that there was actually everything. What do we have? We have the provision of the Father. Hallelujah!
So if your lifestyle has problems now, it does not matter; there is a seed there. At least your current baseline is five loaves and two fish. You must see this, and God will give you greater blessings, but your mindset must first change. Amen! Hallelujah! When the Israelites left Egypt, where did they fail?
God told them very clearly, "I will take you to a land flowing with milk and honey." He said very clearly that after leaving Egypt, they would go through the wilderness. God said very clearly, "I will take you to a land flowing with milk and honey." Although you will go through the wilderness, you are not to dwell in the wilderness. God never said, "You will dwell in the wilderness and die in the wilderness." This is not in God's promise, right? But why did that group of people die in the wilderness later? Their mindset was to die there.
Let me briefly explain. Although people left Egypt, their hearts were still in Egypt. Their thinking was Egyptian thinking, their ideas were Egyptian ideas, and their lifestyles were also Egyptian lifestyles. Why did God let them leave Egypt? Because Egypt symbolizes the world, and Pharaoh symbolizes the king of the world. Many times, people have escaped from this king, but it does not mean their thinking has also escaped from this king. This is the problem.
Just like today, if someone insults you, you have already separated from the person who insulted you, but it does not mean your thoughts have separated. You can still think of them when you go to bed at night, and even a year later, you can still think of them... You are still with them, but ten years ago, you had already separated from this person; it is just that your thoughts have not been updated. The one who is hurt is still yourself. That person may not even know these things. So brothers and sisters, the failure of the Israelites is that people left Egypt, but their thoughts were still Egyptian. This is the problem; they ultimately died in the wilderness. Let’s look at a passage of scripture.
Numbers 14:22-24
None of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. None of those who despise me shall see it. But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.
Is Caleb very special? No, what Caleb received now is just what God initially promised. We think Caleb's faith is great, and Joshua's faith is great. In fact, that is wrong; this is the faith that should be had. It should be said that these two million people need this faith. It is not that it is great; it is the most basic faith they should have. Did God not say this word? "I will take you to a land flowing with milk and honey; that place is your inheritance."
Is this promise given to every Israelite? Yes, but why did those people not receive it? Their thinking was not updated. People left Egypt, but did they see miracles in Egypt and the wilderness? Yet they still did not believe. Today, many Christians pursue miracles in this world. They see them but still do not believe. In difficulties, God helps them solve problems, but they still do not believe, saying, "Why am I still in the wilderness?" Do you not see that the place you are going to is not the wilderness? The time God truly allowed them to go through the wilderness was only a journey of forty days. After those forty days, they could live in the land of Canaan for the rest of their lives.
But during that time in the wilderness, they said, "God brought us out to die in the wilderness." When they reached the edge of the promised land, they said, "We cannot enter; God wants us to die in the wilderness." They kept saying this, believing it, and ultimately it was fulfilled. How do you believe? You must renew your mind and think of yourself in the state of the new self. Amen!
What I mean by this new state is actually the thoughts of Jesus, the mindset of Jesus. This is what you should have. Jesus sees things differently from us; He simply lives out what He sees. Only my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit, what is this spirit? To use today's terms, it is foolishness. He believes whatever God says.
Should you be like this before Jesus? This kind of belief in Him is correct. Do not have cleverness before God; your cleverness will make God laugh. That is why the scripture says, "When man thinks, God laughs. What are you thinking?" People want to build a tower of Babel to reach heaven.
Today, when we think about it, is it not quite ridiculous? It is high, and there are thunder and lightning; how dangerous! So God stopped them, saying, "Do not go up; you cannot go up. It is impossible for man to build something to reach heaven." Although those people had seen God's glory and the miracles He performed in Egypt and the wilderness, they still tested God ten times. Why did these people test God? It is because they always had the mindset of Egypt. Today, what do people say? "Lord! If you accomplish this for me, I will believe you are God." Is that not ridiculous?
If we think about it from another perspective, God says, "I will not accomplish it for you; I am still God. Why should I prove to you that I am God?" But what does our God do? God lowers Himself to a level you can understand. "Okay! I will accomplish this for you." We think we are smarter than God. We say, "No! That does not count; that is a coincidence. Give me another one."
God accomplished it for them for a full forty years. Those people were about to die, yet they still did not believe. What else could God do? This testing represents unbelief. They did not believe because they were still living according to their old ways. Why did they worship the golden calf? That was the lifestyle of the Egyptians. Why did they say, "Lord! Give us this and that"? That was the way the Egyptians worshiped. Our Lord does not want them to be like this. So during those years in the wilderness, He only wanted them to do one thing: to believe in Him in everything. What God wants is for you to believe in Him in everything. As long as you believe in Him and believe in His words, your life will be completely different.
Jesus' life in the world was to fully believe in the Father. You must know that this is death. In the face of death, everyone is afraid. What if there is no resurrection? Are we not worried about this? "Lord! The plan you gave me is to let me die. What if I am put to death and have no life?" Are we not being clever?
Just like when God said to the priests, "You are now carrying the Ark of the Covenant. As long as your toes touch the water of the Jordan River, the water will immediately dry up and become a wall of water, and you will walk across on dry ground." At that moment, are we not clever enough to say, "What if I step down and it does not dry?" Are people particularly clever? In fact, it would be much simpler. God says to do this; do not ask why. You say, "Okay, I will do it." Why? Because I am in the state of the new self. Hallelujah!
If you do not believe that your foot will dry up when you step down, how can you see it? So the key is to first renew our thoughts and beliefs. Hallelujah! The only benefit Caleb had was not that his faith was much greater than ours; what he did was simply, "Lord! I believe your words. Whatever you say, I will do." Is it not simple? The Bible is now in your hands. The Bible involves all aspects of life. You see it; just do it, and if you can believe God's words one hundred percent, you will see God's power one hundred percent.
Caleb believed in God like this, so God brought him into the land he had gone to, and his descendants would inherit that land. This is the inheritance of those who believe. There are two types of Christians: the first type dies in the wilderness because they do not believe that God will give them an inheritance. The second type believes that God gives them an inheritance, and they live according to God's ways. This inheritance is what we call a reward today. Rewards are related to behavior; salvation is not related to behavior, but rewards are related to behavior. This point is understood well.
Let’s look at the scripture we just read.
Titus 3:5-6
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Our past state was unbelief, doubt, and cleverness, leading to mutual hatred. Now He has saved us. The reason He saved us is not because we are good enough but according to His mercy. Do you know what God's mercy is? What is the difference between mercy and grace? The Bible says that the Lord is full of love, mercy, and grace.
This proves that they are different. They may be synonyms, but many things are still different. Where is the difference between mercy and grace? God saves us according to His mercy. What does this mean? It is very simple. God sees that you are living in a terrible state. It is like when you walk by the roadside and see a person with broken arms and legs kneeling there asking you for some money. You take ten dollars out of your pocket and give it to him, not because his behavior is good, but because of your mercy. This is called mercy. Because of God's mercy, He gave us His salvation, saying, "Come with me." What should you do at this time?
Actually, at this time, people have two reactions. The first is to be clever: "What if you are a scammer?" The second is to completely believe Him and follow Him. Jesus has such mercy on us. He sees that we are living in a terrible state. That is why Jesus asks, "Do you want to be healed? Do you want to be whole?" It is because of God's mercy. But at this time, if we say no, you will not see this grace. If you say, "Lord! I am willing to believe the words you give me." After this mercy, when God gives you what He has for you, that is grace. When He does these things, it is out of a merciful heart. When He gives you this thing, it is grace, something you receive freely. Hallelujah! It is God’s mercy, not your righteousness, not your good behavior. Also, through the washing of regeneration, this refers to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in your heart and simultaneously tells you, "Yes! This is my state; this is the life I want."
Some of you may say, "Why do I feel like I understand everything when I listen to you?" Yes, it is because you have always longed for this, so the Holy Spirit is given to you. Amen! The Holy Spirit bears witness with our hearts that we are children of God. Hallelujah! Thank you and praise the Lord! The washing of regeneration is the Holy Spirit living in your heart. When you listen to God's words, you can understand and are willing to believe. If you have doubts, you can pray to God, "Lord! I still have worries; what should I do?" At this time, the Holy Spirit will renew your thoughts and beliefs, reminding you of God's words, and may even give you miracles. The purpose is only one: to let you completely believe in God's words. Our renewal is step by step, constantly being renewed until the end of our lives. Amen!
So brothers and sisters, the renewal of our souls is definitely not a one or two-day matter; it needs to be renewed every day. It is not that I preach to you today, so I do not need to be renewed. I also need it. Today, we see this passage of scripture, and the insight God gives me is this. Perhaps when I preach this passage again next time, God will give me another understanding, which is aimed at our current needs. This is the power of God's word. Hallelujah! He is always new to you and can help you. Therefore, the Holy Spirit's renewal of you is not to make you think of the thoughts you had when you were unbelieving, but to remind you of Christ's words. I suggest everyone to read the Bible more; otherwise, if the Holy Spirit wants to renew you, you will not understand because there are no seeds inside to renew.
Share the second point: Follow Christ alone.
John 6:66-69
After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God."
When Jesus performed miracles for them, the people rejoiced and wanted to make Jesus their king, hoping to eat well. Suddenly, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life that came down from heaven; you must eat my flesh and drink my blood." Those people said, "No way! This guy is a heretic; we cannot listen to him. I must leave Him." Many disciples left Jesus. Did Jesus want to give them true life? But they did not want it.
They thought, "Okay, do not tell me so much; just tell me how to heal me, just tell me how to get some benefits. I do not want your flesh and blood." What did Jesus mean? If you understand, I will give you my flesh and blood, and you will not have to follow me around every day waiting for me to perform miracles for you. You can also have it within you. The meaning is that my flesh and blood are powerful; once you have them inside you, wherever you go, you can perform these miracles. I will be with you. But they said, "I do not want this." Is it not a pity?
Among the disciples, some could not accept this; they wanted to seek a shallower path. Do you know how many people are still seeking this way? They say, "The teaching of grace is incorrect; I want to seek something else." Someone says, "I found a pit." Then you go ahead. What are you still looking for? You see how Jesus said to the twelve disciples? "Do you also want to go?"
In fact, in the original text, Jesus meant, "You can go." He was not pleading, saying, "Oh, twelve disciples! Those people have left; you must not leave." No, Jesus meant, "You can go." But at this time, Simon Peter answered, "Lord! You have the words of eternal life; where else can we go? We have believed and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Is this correct? It is very correct.
Brothers and sisters, is the word you are hearing today correct? Is it about Jesus? Then what are you looking for? You say, "I want to find Jesus." Good! You can change places. Every pastor has different gifts and different roles. You will hear different styles of preaching, but is it still not Jesus? What is the use of changing? Why wander around in the wilderness, saying that you will die anyway, since there is no supply here? No, you have turned to the wrong place. If you wander in the land of Canaan, it is a land of abundance at all times. Amen!
Today you have found Jesus; you have found the way of life in Jesus. Do not seek people anymore. Amen! No matter whose preaching you listen to, you are through their preaching to understand Jesus more. What you need to truly understand is Jesus. If this pastor brings you to Jesus, do not seek anymore because you have found Jesus. If he brings you to himself, you indeed need to change.
Now Jesus says, "You can go." Peter says, "I will not leave; we have believed in you and know that you are the Holy One of God." Actually, we should have Peter's heart at this moment, simply following Jesus; that is enough. Amen! The Holy Spirit is in everyone's heart, and God also uses these pastors and servants to reveal Jesus to you. Of course, every pastor reveals from different angles and methods, but ultimately, they all bring you to Christ. You only need to know this; if you can confirm this, then do not seek anymore. Seeking around will only make you more tired.
At first, when I just came into contact with grace, I also had this mentality, hoping to gather all kinds of pastors who preach grace from around the world to listen to them, to gather the strengths of many into one. Later, I found that this idea is good, but when it comes to practice, if there is selfishness in people, it is not like that. If three pastors' sermons are placed here, you will think, "This pastor's sermon is good today, but the other two are not." You are not gathering their strengths; you are starting to critique.
But if there is only one? Every time through this pastor's sermon, you understand that Jesus loves me like this. That is enough; you do not need to know anything else. What you need to know is Jesus. Jesus is the only way, the way to eternal life. Amen! If you have believed in Jesus and the truth you hear is about Jesus Christ and all He accomplished for us on the cross, that is enough. Do not seek around anymore; just focus on receiving. You receive it and then live it out to bear witness for Christ. This is the state God wants us to live out. You only need to experience God's great power in your life, experiencing His grace and love. Amen!
2 Timothy 4:2-5
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded; endure suffering; do the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.
This is a situation that will inevitably arise in the last days. Paul has already told Timothy, "Do not learn from those people; whether in season or out of season, always preach the word and explain Jesus Christ." Amen! And with complete patience, reprove, rebuke, and exhort. In fact, these are what pastors should do. God has given me the role of a teacher, and I am telling you through the scriptures that this is the true word; you must hold on to it. As for whether people can listen, we cannot force them.
It says here, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching." What is sound teaching? It speaks of Jesus and what He accomplished for us on the cross. What did Jesus do for us? Let your focus always be on Jesus. Is this not sound teaching? But now people do not like to hear this. Why do people have itching ears? They say, "You always talk about Jesus; we want to hear something else."
You see, when another pastor lays hands, a whole bunch falls down... "Give us some of that." Sorry! There is none here; there is only Jesus Christ. If you want to see those things, you can receive them and then experience Him in your life. It may be better, but there is really no supply here.
People's ears are itching, and they accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions. Why emphasize that everyone should not seek so many pastors to listen to? It is useless. When people seek a certain pastor, they are following their own preferences. I have also listened to many grace pastors' sermons in the past. I need something, so I listen to something; that is called picky eating. But you are not the same here. You come here, and every time I will timely provide food for everyone. My supply is like the food you eat regularly. You may feel, "Why do we always eat the same thing?"
Have you noticed that the dishes we eat in life are just a few? Cabbage, potatoes, zucchini... just those things. If you want to eat something fresh every day, "Today I will eat duck neck, and tomorrow I will eat dog neck," and let me not repeat anything for a year, your body will have problems. You can do that, but your body cannot handle it. The truly nourishing food for your body is still grains and simple things.
Is our spiritual supply not the same? It is completely the same. When people's ears itch and they accumulate many teachers, it means they can name a string of pastors. Listening to so many pastors' sermons is of no benefit to you. The key is not how many you have heard but how much you have digested. Being able to eat is not what matters; being able to digest is the key. If you keep eating, in the end, your stomach will be bloated and undigested. Is that comfortable? It is not comfortable; you still need to expel it, which is very laborious. The key is that you have a healthy body that can not only eat but also digest; this is a good thing. Amen! Think about the truth about Jesus Christ every day, digest this truth, and you will experience God's great power in your life. This is good.
Verse 4 says that some people are turning away from listening to the truth and wandering off into myths.
What are myths? They sound light and ungrounded. I can also tell you, "You must live in glory..." What I tell you is foggy, making you feel very interesting, just like a fairy tale, but it is of no benefit to your life. Such a teaching has no effect on your life. It makes you feel like you are watching an American blockbuster, but when you get home, you do not know how to use it. If you watch a sci-fi movie, how do you use it when you get home?
But today, this sermon is real. After you listen, you know, "I must renew my thoughts and beliefs. I know I am a righteous person. I can live a victorious life like Jesus." That is enough. Even if you live out just one sentence this week, you have already grown a step. Therefore, those who are justified by faith have hope. Our hope is in Jesus Christ; do not seek permanent hope in people; you will not find it.
Titus 3:7-8
So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
Being justified by faith is not the end; living out the life of a righteous person is the end. Amen! Knowing your identity and renewing your thoughts and beliefs is the first step. Next, you must constantly renew and then live it out in your life. Amen! Why do we want to live according to God's ways? So that we can become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Do you know what heirs are?
In fact, Paul wrote this based on the situation in Rome at that time. The situation in Rome was that a child born did not have inheritance rights unless he grew up and performed a coming-of-age ceremony, which qualified him to inherit his father's estate. Until he was eighteen, he lived under the care of a steward, who constantly taught him how to live, how to inherit the estate, and how to manage the family. But when he learned these things, it did not mean he knew he was qualified. Unless he performed the coming-of-age ceremony, he would not be qualified to inherit his father's estate. What if the father did not give him this estate? He would not have this qualification.
What does this mean now? Our Lord Jesus said, "Come to me, and you will grow together with me as God's heirs." This means that when you enter into God's grace today, Jesus has already guaranteed you that you have performed the coming-of-age ceremony and are qualified to inherit your estate. When you know you are qualified to inherit the estate, what do you need to do?
In this place, when our God says, "I give you this land; this is your inheritance," you say, "I know." When God says again, "The Holy Spirit reminds you again, 'I have given you this land as your inheritance,'" you say, "I know." Can you benefit from this? You cannot, because you have not taken action.
When you know that you have been justified by faith and that God has given you this inheritance, what you need to do is start planning on this land. "I want to build an office here; I want to plant flowers and grass here..." When you take action, congratulations! You have obtained your inheritance. The latter part requires you to take action; otherwise, this land will always remain barren. Even if it belongs to you, it will still be barren. Do you all understand?
Now you know what it means that those who have believed in God should be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. God wants us to be careful to do good works. In fact, it is not only beneficial to others but also tells us that this is the moment you experience the great power of God's word. Whether you are doing business for yourself or working for someone else, in that position, you can still exercise the authority God has given you. You can pray with God's words and live with God's words. You can live out a different life.
For example, in the Old Testament, Joseph was a slave, yet he could hold the highest position among slaves. The slave turned over and became the steward. This is remarkable. Why is this so? Joseph knew in his heart that although he looked like a slave on the outside, he was a beloved son of God, and God was with him. No matter what he did, God would help him.
Other slaves would not think this way, but this slave would think this way because he knew who he believed in. Amen! Later, when he was in prison, he did not think, "I am a prisoner." If he thought this way, his life would be over. He thought, "God is with me. No matter where I am, He is with me. He will help me." So he could manage the prisoners well, ultimately managing the prisoners.
Someone may say, "He manages prisoners; he is still a prisoner." Do not think this way; if you think this way, you will not want to do it. That is because you are too clever. Joseph did not think this way; he only thought, "God is with me. Therefore, God gives me strength, and I will do my best to help them." He did not consider the consequences or think about what would happen later. At the right time, God raised him up and placed him in the highest position.
Today, you should live like this. You have believed in God, so be careful to do good works because you are bearing hope to inherit God's eternal life. It does not matter how you feel about what you are doing now. Even if you are dissatisfied with the present, pray to God. At the right time, God will raise you up and place you at another height. Amen! You must believe that what God has prepared for you is the best. Hallelujah!
In the latter part of the passage we just read in Titus 3, it specifically mentions to avoid foolish debates, empty genealogies, and quarrels, and disputes arising from the law, for these are all unprofitable and worthless. Are there such people in life? Brothers and sisters, remember that we are preachers, evangelists; we are not Jesus and cannot change everyone. Some people just do not listen to you. What should we do? Let them be, but do not engage in debates with them. Because these are all unprofitable and worthless, a person who stirs up division should be warned once or twice and then have nothing more to do with him.
Let me give you an example and then conclude today's sermon.
John 21:21-25
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!" So the saying spread among the brothers that this disciple was not to die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
Jesus had just arranged Peter's future, saying, "You must feed my sheep; you must shepherd my church." Is it very clear? At this time, the disciples began to debate, saying, "There is one thing I do not understand. Jesus, before you return to heaven, I must ask you first." Peter asked Jesus, "Lord! What about this man?" Who was he asking about? It was the apostle John. Are we particularly concerned about these things? Does this matter relate to you? Does it relate to your preaching? Does it relate to your shepherding of the church? No, it does not, but the disciples were worried about this.
Jesus said very clearly to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me." Is this clear? The meaning of this statement is, "Do not worry about it; just follow me." Your focus should be on me, not on other places. At this time, did the disciples stop? No, so this saying spread among the brothers... You see, once they encounter these gossip matters, their faith is great, and they have plenty of time. All the time is spent on things that should not be spent on. What does this have to do with us? We should not worry about these things.
The latter part tells us that the one who bears witness to these things and records them is John. We also know that his testimony is true. It goes on to say that there are many other things that Jesus did. If every one of them were to be written down, I suppose the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. The meaning is that John wants to tell us that there was a time when we also went down the wrong path and worried about things we should not have worried about. We should focus our attention on Jesus. We should bear witness for Jesus and live out His great power. If we each wrote a testimony, the world would not be able to contain it. Our focus should be on Jesus. Hallelujah! Thank you and praise the Lord!
Today I tell you this: renew our thoughts and beliefs. Do not discuss or debate what does not belong to Jesus or is contrary to Jesus; just let them be. Amen! Only discussing Jesus will help us, renew us, and adjust our thoughts and beliefs to Jesus, allowing Jesus' words to change our lives, which will benefit us and others.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for helping us and renewing us through such words. We know that we should not focus on how others believe or what their outcomes are. We should place our thoughts and beliefs on the words of Christ, renewing our thoughts and beliefs, and discerning what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Lord! This is the true word; Jesus is our way, our truth. To whom shall we go? He has the words of eternal life, and He desires for us to experience His great power in our lives. As a new week begins, I wish for every brother and sister to experience His great power in their lives, experiencing His words, thinking about things with the mindset of Jesus, and viewing those around them. Thank you and praise the Lord! Please help every brother and sister experience your great power this week. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!