 Okay, welcome back. We'll go to the last chapter in this hour. Lifestyle of worship. Okay, lifestyle of worship. So, I'll just read from the notes. Our lives can be at times very well planned, highly regimented and tightly compartmentalized. Even with all our understanding of God and worship, it's possible that we think of worship as something that's sincere, authentic, but reserved for a set time and a set place. It has nothing to do with what we discussed. I was just saying, this is only partly correct. I'm not looking at anyone. Okay, so just look at the passage one more time. Our lives can be at times very well planned. It has absolute order, highly regimented, tightly compartmentalized. Everything has a box. Even with all our understanding of God and worship, it is possible that we think of worship as something that is sincere, authentic, but it's reserved for a set time at a set place. Okay, like what we were just discussing is we've made, that's what we've made worship as. We think worship is that 45 minutes of time in the church building, but that worship is a lot more, isn't it? We've done a lot of worship workshops. Yeah, a lot of worship workshops. The first question when I ask is, okay, what is worship? One of the classic line is worship is a lifestyle. It's a mic drop, worship is a lifestyle, but it truly is. That's what it is and that's what some of the points we will learn and how can we live a lifestyle of worship? Okay, that's what this chapter is all about. How can we live a lifestyle of worship? So the first thing is a life of kindness and generosity. Okay, life of, everybody say kindness. Okay, thank you. So Hebrews chapter 13 verse 56, we look at kindness first. Okay, therefore by him, let us continually offer the sacrifices, sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips by giving thanks to his name. Most of the time we stop at that verse, but look at the next verse, but do not forget to do good and to share for which such sacrifices God is well pleased. Okay, do not forget to do good. Can someone go to Psalm 37? Psalm 37 verse 3. Thank you. So trust in the Lord and okay, so in that Psalm, right? Psalm 37 in the first eight verses, okay, at least eight or nine verses, you will read the, it says don't be afraid or do not fret. At least like on four or five times, I do not, don't be afraid or do not fret, do not fret, do not fret, do not fret. In the midst of that, it's saying, okay, in all of that, trust in God, okay, trust in him. But while you're trusting in him, don't forget to do good. Are you with me? Okay, so in the Greek word used there for good is, is being, it's an act of being kind and generous. Okay, it's an act, act is a verb, right? You have to do something. It's not enough for you to think good of someone. Okay, I want to do good to this person. I want to do good to this person. I want to do good to this person. What are you doing? You're just saying, you're just thinking. But it's an act. You have to do it. Okay. There's a quote on gratitude. Gratitude simply means, I mean, you have to express. It's not enough saying, okay, I'm grateful. I'm grateful. You're just thinking about it. But if I'm grateful to you, I will come to, I have to come to you and say, Prince, I'm grateful for your life. What am I saying? I'm verbalizing it. I'm making it an act, isn't it? And so that's what it's all about is the first thing of living a lifestyle of worship is don't forget to do good. Okay, some practical everyday examples. It is a well-pleasing sacrifice offered to God when we are kind to others in our words. Hallelujah. Okay. And we are kind to others in our words. In my opinion, in my humble opinion, there are two most expensive gifts that I can give to someone. In my alabaster jar, two most expensive gifts is one is my time. It's the most expensive and most precious gift I can give someone. Me saying, I want to sit with you. I want to hear what you are going through. What am I doing? I'm giving you my time, right? And the other thing are my words. Now, some of the hardest things, I mean, toughest things in my life growing up, I don't remember the beatings that I got from my dad. I do actually remember, but I don't remember pain. But the pain that I still remember are the words that were spoken. Does anyone relate to one? Are the words that were spoken useless? Work in a garage, good for nothing. All of those words is what caused more pain than the actual beatings. Okay, so a word of encouragement to someone can be, it's like an oxygen for them. It'll be their oxygen. It's like, okay, you're making them alive again. Okay. And they're very precious guys. So kind to others in your words, speaking in truth, but in love, speaking edifying words that impart grace. Find others in our actions. It's so effective that it's easy to understand. Okay, so generous resources. Not selfish, but rather share what we have with others. Okay. So the first thing we learned is kind, isn't it? Kindness, you speak good and you do good. Imagine how beautiful this planet would be if everybody just spoke kind words and did kind stuff. We would have not had world wars. We would have not had, why you have to go to war? Okay, we would not have any political stuff in the church itself. We would treat Christians as Christians and everybody else as God's people. Are you with me? Okay. So kind to others and be kind in your actions. Generous with our resources. Again, what is that word, bro? Generous? Udharth. Udharth, that's a Hindi word, right? Oh, he got it. Okay. So he understood. All right. So what's the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word generous? Udharth. Give her a word. Take it. Okay. Give her, give me some examples. Some of the things that can be generous with serving. Okay. We're not expecting anything. Okay. Yeah. With good words. Stotram. Stotram. Yeah. Generous with, you can be generous with your good kind words. Right. Most of the time we hold good words back because we didn't receive good words growing up. Right. There's a saying that says hurting people hurt others. There's a quote that says hurting people hurt others. Okay. Just because I didn't receive. Why do we have in our other colleges and our ragging? There's no ragging here. Don't worry. But in other colleges, I mean, it's like a culture is why, because I want to put the first years through what I went through because my seniors put me through this. Isn't it? But just because we didn't receive kind words while we were growing up, we tend to be like, okay, I don't want to go. Why should I go and say he's looking handsome? He's looking like a prince. Even though his name is Prince. So you can be generous with your words. So most of the time when we hear the word generous, we tend to think that, okay, you can only be generous with money. Most of the time that's what people think. Okay. If I'm, I'm generous only if I give more money. Money is not the only thing that we can give. Isn't it? Yes, we can give. But words, time, it can be generous with your time. Isn't it? And what else? Forgiveness. So there's this beautiful story of Alexander the Great. And I want to read it for us. Okay. It's a story of everybody knows Alexander the Great. All right. He's my Peripa. Okay. So here's the story. The story is told that one day a beggar by the roadside asked money from Alexander the Great as he walked by. The man was poor and had no claim upon the ruler, no right to even lift up his hand. Okay. So this is the beggar. He had absolutely no right to lift up his hand and even ask for anything because he's a beggar and Alexander is the conqueror. Isn't it? And I like this thing. Yet Alexander threw him several gold coins. Okay. With me, right? So the beggar asking for money with Alexander and Alexander throws him several gold coins. Now a minister who was Alexander was astonished at his generosity and asked him, Sir, copper coins would have adequately met beggar needs. Why give him gold? And so why did you have to give him gold? But you could have just given him copper coins. And I like this. It says Alexander responded in a royal fashion. He responded in a royal fashion. I just love that. He says copper coins would suit the beggars need. But gold coins suit Alexander's giving. That's good, isn't it? Right? Copper coins suit beggars needs but gold coins suit my giving. Right? He responded in a royal fashion. I mean, if only you and I know who we are, we are called the sons and daughters of the most high God. He is the king of all kings. The Bible says, right? He is the Lord of hosts. Isn't it? He is our creator. And so when we realize that we are his sons, we are his daughters. We are walking like friends and princes on earth. When we live our life out of that identity that we are children of God, you can't help but be kind and be generous. Right? So here's the thing. Generous or generosity is not only about what you give. Okay. It's also about what you are willing to give up. Okay. Generosity is not only about what you give, but it's also about what you give up. Okay. Can someone read Philippians chapter 2, 6 and 8 please. Philippians chapter 2 verse 6 and 8. Go on. Verse 8, 6, 7, 8. That's it. So verse 8. Okay. So, I mean, everybody knows this script. It's very popular on Philippians 2, 6, 7, 8. Even though he was in the form of God, God himself, he made himself of nothing. Right? One version says he humbled himself. There's another version that says he emptied himself. He emptied himself. That means he gave up his, this glory and all the amazing stuff of heaven. And he made himself of a born servant. Isn't it? What's this? Can someone else read 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 9? 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 9. Yeah, hold on a second. Yeah, 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 9, right? No, just one verse. Yeah. Very awesome. Thank you. It says, for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, royalty, right? Royal. Though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor. So that you, by his poverty, might become rich. Okay. Guys, when you display generosity, when you are generous, you are representing or displaying everything about God. Everything. Right? I mean that's what he did, isn't it? He gave. He gave, he gave, he gave, he gives, he gives. He gave his only begotten Son. Isn't it? Jesus didn't have to come, but he came, isn't it? Right? So when you display generosity, you are, you are displaying the heart, the very core of who God is. Are you with me? So don't forget, let's keep it simple. Don't forget to do good. Be kind. Be generous. Okay. Remember the story of Alexander the Great. Okay. Always remember to respond in a royal fashion. Are you with me? Right? So I'm going to ask one cone of ice cream. You can give me 10. I'm not going to complain. Okay. Let's, let's move on. Let's look at the same point because everything has a pretty much self-explanatory. The second point in living a life of worship is helping out guys, a life of unholyness. Is it? Life of holiness. Okay. Life of holiness and consecration. Okay. Okay. So Romans step to 12 was one and two says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove that what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Okay. That you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God. Okay. Hey, someone online, anyone online, can you post the message version of Romans step to 12 was one and two. Please. Anyone online? Thanks. Message version of Romans step to 12 was one and two. If you can find it, that'll be great. Okay. Let's read another scripture. Romans chapter six was 13 and 14 and do not present your members as instrument of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourself to God as being alive from the dead and your member as instruments of righteousness to God. Another scripture at the bottom Romans 6 18 and 19. The very last line says now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. Okay. Now, I can't talk enough about living a life of holiness. First Chronicles chapter 25. First Chronicles chapter 25, it says David and the generals of the army, they set apart. Okay. They set apart men to serve in the house of God. Okay. So set apart. Everybody says set apart. Okay. That is the root meaning of the word Holy. Okay. It literally means to cut. That's what it is to cut. Now for you and I to understand how to live a life of holiness. We need to understand that God is Holy. Okay. It begins with the revelation of us knowing that God is Holy. Right. That means there is no one like him. There is no one like him. Right. If an alien came and asked me, okay, who are you? I can point my finger and say I am like them, a human being. Right. But there is no one that God can point his finger and say, I am like, because there is no one. He is Holy. He is God all by himself. Right. And to explain the holiness of God, it's like, let's say you take a diamond. Okay. And you lift it up to a light. Diamond is still finite. It's, it's tangible. You lift it up to a light and you turn it. And you see all these different colors popping up. Isn't it? You get what I'm saying? You know, everybody knows what a diamond is. Right. You lift it up to a light and you turn it. And there's so many facets to him. And there is no one like him. And this God, he calls us to be Holy. It's not like God. For us, we think, okay, living when we say God is Holy, it simply means, okay, he cannot lie. He cannot commit murder and stuff like that. We think holiness as just moral thing, morality. It's not just that. It's so much beyond that. Okay. Have we read from Romans, Numbers chapter 24 before? Numbers 24? Have you not? Okay. For some reason, I remember. Okay. And God takes holiness very seriously, guys. I mean, more than anything else for us to live a life of holiness. So, I, sorry, sorry. Romans, why, why, why, why do I keep saying Romans? Numbers 25. Okay. Not 24. Numbers 25. I'm going to read it for us. Please pay attention with, okay. Because there's quite a lot to read. So, everybody's there now. Numbers 25. Okay. While Israel was staying in Shetem, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. So, Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Piyor and the Lord's anger burnt against them. Okay. Let's pause. First line. It starts with saying Israel was staying in Shetem. Then the men began to indulge in, what is the indulge in? Talk to me, guys. Sexual immorality. Okay. But how did they end up there? It all started with worship, false worship, worshiping idols, the gods of the Moabites. Okay. So, be careful who you worship or what you worship. Okay. Let's move on. Verse 4. The Lord said to Moses, take all the leaders of these people who are sinning, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord so that the Lord's fierce anger may turn away from Israel. Let's come down to verse 6. Then an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Okay. So, what is happening in that verse? God's judgment wrath has been poured out. Right? Everybody is sinning. But in broad daylight, verse 6, an Israelite man brought to his family a Midianite woman in front of the leaders. I mean, there will come a time where sin is no longer done in secret. Sin is no longer done in the dark. In front of the leaders in broad daylight, he brings a Midianite woman. No. Listen to the next verse. Some of you think he just brought a woman. Verse 7. When Phinehaerus, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest, when he saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand, and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear through both of them. He drove the spear through both of them at the same time. That means they were not just... they were indulging in sexual immorality, in broad daylight. I just want to pause. There was one commandment God gave Israelites when they were leaving from Egypt is, don't compromise with the ways of the Canaanites. When you get to the Promised Land, don't worship their gods. Don't follow their ways. What did the Israelites do? Exactly the opposite. Let me tell you the danger of flirting with sin. That means you are playing with fire. Israelites compromised like we do. I've used this word, chalta hai attitude. Chalega. This movie has only one nude picture. It's okay, but the plot is nice. Are you seeing what I'm saying? It's just one puff. It's okay. Compromise. Chalta hai. Compromising the ways of the world will kill your spirit. Are you with me? That's exactly what's happening. 25, by the way, if you study, this is a turning point chapter in the history of Israel. This chapter. It is in this chapter on where nobody from the old generation goes on to the new. God had to wait for an entire generation to be wiped off and only the new generation moves. This number is chapter 25. Let's move on. What he does is he kills. So there's no flirting with sin. You have to kill it. No compromising. No negotiating with skill. Verse 8. And follow the Israelite into the tent. He drove a spear through both of them, through the Israelite and into the woman's body. Then the plague against the Israelites stopped. For those who died in the plague, number 24,000. Verse 10. Listen to this. The story gets interesting. The Lord said to Moses, Phineas, son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites. For he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them. So that in my zeal, I did not put an end to them. Verse 12. Therefore, tell him, I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites. I want to stop there, guys. God in this generation is looking for someone like Phineas. He's looking his way. Is there someone like Phineas who will burn with zeal for me? For my honor. In this day and age where sin is so open, broad daylight, it's not no longer done in secret. He's looking for a generation marked with holiness. Are you guys with me? Let's go to Numbers chapter 6. Actually, let's... You can turn to Numbers chapter 6, but I'm not going to read it from there. Numbers chapter 6 talks about a certain people called the Nazarites. Have you all heard of Nazarites before? It's not just someone who's coming from the land of Nazareth. It's not what it is. But Numbers 6 talks about something called the Nazarite vow. Nazarite vow. It's more like a fast. Modern-day word is fast. It's a Nazarite vow. What does it mean? Anybody from any tribe of Israel, from any 12 tribes, he can go before God and say, I want to make a Nazarite vow. That vow with a span would be for a minimum of one month. It can go on for as long as they want. During this period, they're not supposed to drink wine. During the period of this vow, they're not supposed to cut their hair. During this period, they're not supposed to go close to a dead body or touch a dead body. These are the people who were radically set apart. Who wanted to be set apart for God. Nazarites. Every time Israel needed a political deliverance or deliverance from other countries and whatnot, God raised up Nazarites. Can you think of some of them? Who were Nazarites for life? Samson. Samson did not have an option. He didn't choose to be Nazarite. He was born as a Nazarite. Who else? Samuel. Prophet Samuel. Do you remember God tells Ana, during the time of your pregnancy, you're not supposed to drink wine? Yeah? So, Prophet Samuel was a Nazarite for life. Samson was supposed to be a Nazarite for life. There's one more person. John the Baptist. John the Baptist. Again, during the time of his pregnancy, God tells them you're not supposed to drink wine and all of that, right? To his mother. So, what is it about the wine and cutting hair? Okay, if I have to live a Nazarite, life of Nazarite now, my hair won't grow even if I want to now. So, here's the thing. Wine, in their day and age, represented legal pleasure. Legal means what? It is allowed. You can have, you can drink wine. It was allowed, right? It's a legal pleasure, right? So, say if I want to make a Nazarite now, I ask myself, okay, what is it something that gives me legal pleasure? Chocolate, coffee, meat, non-vegetary, right? So, I say, okay, these are some of the things that gives me legal pleasure. And so, I'm going to say, God, I want you more than any of this. It's basically what Nazarite vow is. It's very simple. More than the things that I like, more than the things that gives me pleasure, you're saying I want you. For us, it looks like, oh, I'm giving up chocolate. Oh, I'm giving up this. Coffee. On the other hand, you are getting God. It's, there has never been a better deal. It's, the deal is not even fair. Like, you're giving up chocolate and you're getting more of God, right? And that's what it is all about. You're saying, I want more of you, so I'm setting myself apart, right? And the Nazarites were not allowed to cut their hair, you know, during the period of the vow. It's simply to say, how long can they go or remain set apart? That's it. Now, again, like I said, all of those are metaphorical for us, but you don't have to grow your hair and health. But another thing was, they're not supposed to touch dead body or go near to the presence of the dead body. Symbolized sin, right? Wages of sin is death. So, like we just said, sin kills our spirit, isn't it? So, and this is, I can go back to 2011. I started studying about Nazarites in 2011. And that's when he, God gave this, he said, okay, Roshan, I want you to raise the generation of Nazarites. I had no idea what this is. What do you mean, God? And that's when I started studying about the Nazarites. And I mean, we're just radical people who live the life of holiness set apart for him, for God, right? John the Baptist, who was a Nazarite, was the forerunner. He went before Jesus. He prepared the way, isn't it? And the Bible says, right? He prepared the way for Jesus to come. And then Jesus said, I'm coming back again. I want a generation of Nazarites to go before me and prepare a way for me. And so, this life of living a life of holiness is not just, what do I say? It's not something in the rule book, you know, student handbook guideline or something. That's what we are called to live. We are called to live a life that is radically set apart. Who will just go to any extent because they want more of God? Those are the people who are Nazarites. And in Judges, I forget which chapter when they were going for war, okay? And I forget which chapter. I think they're just after five or not sure. It says, when they were going into battle, it says the Nazarites let their hair down. It's very cinematic, okay? It's like a movie scene there, okay? As they were entering into a battle, Nazarites let their hair down and God's anointing came over them and they destroyed chariots of iron. I think it was during the time of Deborah as a judge. Can you imagine that God's power is being released when you choose to be a vessel that is set apart for Him? Are you guys with me? Yeah? So lifestyle, a life of holiness and consecration. Don't compromise. Don't have this chaltahe attitude, okay? Remember that because it will kill your spirit. It will kill God's divine call over your life. All of you here in this room have a destiny. All of you here, every single person here has a God's divine call over your life. The only thing that will kill is your sin and are you willing to compromise with that? Okay? It's dangerous. So lifestyle of worship. And the third thing, final thing is a life of obedience. Everybody say obedience. Life of obedience. So John chapter 14 was 15 and 21. 21 it says, he who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me. First Samuel chapter 15 verse 22 says, behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. Obedience is better than sacrifice, right? And it is salt disobedience that God was angry with, isn't it? So obedience is the language of intimacy. Intimacy again is into me you see, because I show you, right? If you want to be intimate with God, you just begin by obeying him. This is one person in the Bible that God says that he spoke with face to face. Moses, isn't it? In fact, okay, oops, we're running out of time. We're very quickly. Let's go to numbers chapter 12, because I want to read it. Numbers 12, first, first, first, first, first. Numbers chapter 12 verse three. Numbers 12 verse three says, now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. Verse four, at once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, come out of the tent of meeting all three of you. It's like calling to principal's office, no? Come out, no. So the three of them came out. Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud. He stood at the entrance of the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, God said, listen to my words. When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions. I speak to him in dreams, but this is not true of my servant, Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him, I speak face to face clearly and not in riddles. He sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, Moses? This verse did a lot of things in my journey. It messed me up. Moses saw your face to face. He spoke with your face to face. I want that. I want that. I want that. I want it. If Moses can have it, I can have it. I mean, it messed me up, guys. What did Moses do so much that God loved him so much that he would speak with him, not just in visions and dreams, but he would speak with him face to face. In the Hebrew Bible, it's called Thanak. This verse, it simply means translated literally to English. It means it's so intimate. He spoke with him, say, says mouth to mouth. That means that so intimate as in clothes he was. And I kept wondering, what was it about Moses that God would speak with him face to face? And I wanted that. And the result of that is obedience. You know why? Come with me to Exodus chapter 40, the last chapter of Exodus. We will be done. We have three minutes. We'll be a little over time. We'll see two minutes, but I'm not going to read the whole chapter. Okay. I'll just call out certain verses and you can follow along with me. So Exodus chapter 40 verse one, it says, then the Lord said to Moses, underline that, okay, set up the tabernacle and the tent of meeting on the first day of the month. Okay. So the Lord said to Moses, the Lord said with me, he spoke. He commanded. He's telling something. Moses, go ahead and do that. My Bible, I have to turn the page. Okay. Verse 16. So until from verse one to verse 15, God is giving a bunch of commandments to Moses. Do this, do this, do this, do this, do this, do this, do this, do this. Verse 16. What does it say? Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him. In other words, Moses obeyed. Are you with me? Okay. Verse 19. Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put covering over the tent as the Lord commanded. So that means Moses did as the Lord commanded. Verse 21. The last line, verse 21. Moses did as the Lord commanded him. Verse 23. Last line. He did that as the Lord commanded him. Are you with me? Verse 25. He set up the lamps before the Lord as the Lord commanded him. Verse 26. Sorry, 27. And burnt fragrance incense on it as the Lord commanded him. Verse 29. At the very end. He did all of that as the Lord commanded him. Verse 32. They washed wherever, whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar as the Lord commanded. Moses. Verse 33. Then Moses set up courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar and put the curtain at the entrance of the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work. So when Moses did everything that the Lord had commanded him. Everything. Then see what happens. Verse 34. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled upon it and the glory of the Lord. Filled the tabernacle. So when you obey him and when you do everything that the Lord commands you to do. You begin to see the manifest presence of God in your life. Are you with me? When you walk in obedience. The result and the fruit of the obedience is that you will begin to see the manifest presence of God. Display in your life. Right. Remember the first time Moses saw a burning bush. Isn't it? In that his God says go and bring my people. In the beginning it was just a burning bush. So Moses obeyed. Not easily but he obeyed. He went. When he comes back the whole mountain is on fire this time. So here's my point. My concluding point of the course. Every time you obey him. The next time when you see him, he always shows himself bigger in your life. Are you with me? When you obey him as a burning bush, the next time you see him, the whole mountain is on fire. So every time you obey him, God becomes bigger and bigger and bigger in your life. Are you with me? So lifestyle of worship, kindness, generous, life of holiness and life of obedience. Amen. Prabhu, thanks for sharing the scripture. So well, that's that. You have come to the end of this course. Everybody online, thank you all for joining. We will not have classes from the following week. This is just an FII for you all. Okay. So thank you all for joining and I hope there was something that you could learn in this course and it's helped you. God bless you. I will share your assignment details online. Okay. Take care guys. God bless you all. Bye-bye.