Michael Youssef - On Earth As It Is In Heaven
You know, we often see the world out of focus, right? We see the world as indecipherable. And we think if we need more light or if we need more power or we need more money or we need more faith or we need more of this and more of that, but beloved, the truth is God has already given us all the light and the power and the faith and the strength that we need. We already possess all of the blessings in the heavenly places. What is truly needed is to put on some biblical spiritual reading glasses to see all of the blessings that he has already given us, that we already have, that we already possess.
If you turn into your Bible to Ephesians chapter 1, beginning at verse 3, you read the following words, in fact, keep it open there. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he has blessed us in the heavenly realm". Remember, a few weeks ago, the heavenly realm, the first heaven, where we are? But there is a spiritual war that's going on, invisible within that realm, the first heaven. "He has blessed us in the heavenly realm," where we are, "with every," how many? "Spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus".
Verses 18 to 19, he goes on. Paul goes on to say in that first chapter of Ephesians. He said he continually prays for them. What is Paul asking God on behalf of the Ephesians? Was he asking for more strength? No. Was he asking for more power? No. Was he asking for more blessings? No. Was he asking for more faith? No. Was he asking for more joy? No. Was he asking that they would have more love? No. He said, "I pray that the eyes of your heart be enlightened to know the hope to which you're called". Get some spiritual reading glasses. What is that hope? He goes on to tell us. It is "The riches of his glorious inheritance, and the incomparable," can you say the word "incomparable"?
Think about this for a long time. "His incomparable great power for us, the believers". He's praying. He has prayed for them to have spiritual reading glasses to be able to see what they already have. Please listen to me. God has already given us all of the power and all of the strength and all of the blessings and all of the faith and all of the joy and all of the love that we need. We already possess everything we need. What we need to do is to be able to see those. Somebody will say, "Well, Michael, what has all this got to do with the series on heaven"? Everything. Just be patient with me. We've been looking at heaven as our future home, and rightly so. But in reality, the Word of God tells us that the kingdom of heaven is already in the believers, is in you.
Jesus said in Luke 17:20 and 21, he said, here's a Youssef paraphrasing, okay? I'm not interpreting, it's a paraphrasing. "The kingdom of God cannot be looked at objectively". The rule of God, the reign of God, in the hearts of his children, in the hearts of his elect, in the hearts of his believers, cannot be looked at objectively. "No one can say, 'Well, here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom," the rule of God, "is in you". It's already inside of you. When you walk with Jesus moment by moment, when you walk in his power and in his strength, not yours, on a daily basis, when you live with an absolute trust in the fact that his will for you and you and you is the best that you can ever imagine, then you have all that you need. When his rule and his reign supremely on the inside of us, we become exhibit A for his kingdom.
I know often some people have a hard time comprehending how can the kingdom of God be here and now and yet to come, but that is the paradox of the scripture. That's why we need the Holy Spirit constantly to keep our eyes open, more open, more open, to keep them open. Why? So that we can keep on comprehending the incalculable power, blessing that we already have. Don't miss this. It is impossible to live a life of obedience until you comprehend who Christ is. But you say, "Well, I know who Christ is". But no, no, no. I'm talking about what he actually has done for you, even beyond salvation, all the blessings that Paul talks about. Listen to Ephesians 1:19, 20, 21. "The power that God gave us is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead".
Now, that blows my mind. I still can't comprehend it. I guess in heaven, I will. "And seated him in the heavenly realm, far above the rulers, authorities, power, and dominions, and every name that is invoked, not only in this present life but in the age to come". So I come to the point. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 6, where he said not only that Jesus is seated in the heavenly realm right now. Not only Jesus is there right now, are you ready for it? But you are seated in the heavenly realm right now. Can you get that? I know, I know, I know, someone will say, "Well, Michael, I don't feel like I'm in the heavenly realm right now. I don't really feel that".
I understand. I'm going through the humdrum of life, and there is nothing heavenly about it. Believe me when I tell you that I fully understand. And that is why I'm begging you this morning. I'm begging you this morning to begin to comprehend where God sees you, not where you see yourself. That's the easiest thing in the world. We can always say, "Oh, look at my problems. Look at my circumstances. Look at this and look at that". But think of where God sees you. He sees you in heaven with him. Please comprehend that. You are seated in the heavenly realm, and he sees you as if you're already in heaven. That will radicalize your life, trust me.
Beloved, this actually should be completely and radically transform our lives, and when we comprehend that and our lives are transformed, our culture will be transformed. This thought should make us stop living our lives like the rest of the world. Well, someone will say, "I don't know how to do that". Okay. Begin to ask God. Begin to ask God specifically, and I'll make you a deal. Do this for a week. Just do it for a week, and you will not be able to stop after a week. Ask God, not for more stuff, but please, not for anything else. Just ask God to open your eyes to comprehend his power in you. For my beloved friends, that will be so impactful as you do this for a week, then another week, then another week.
This is gonna be so impactful, not just for you, but everybody around you. They will notice the transformation. Your family be transformed. The surroundings will feel the transformation. And those over whom you have influence, those to whom you minister, those lives that you touch every day, those people that you impact, they are going to feel it, which will lead you to rejoice in the will of God for your life. I'm going to explain this. You will be able to pray like you have never prayed before. Your will be done in me here on earth as it is in heaven. You will pray that prayer in a very different way.
I know many people, you know, and the traditions, they rattle through the Lord's prayer, and especially these words: "Your will be done on earth as in heaven," and kind of move on without comprehending the depth of what our Lord is teaching us. Others may mouth the words, but deep down, deep down, and I've been there, deep down, they want their will to be done. Hello. But listen, for those who love the Lord, for those who are faithful to the Lord, there can be no greater joy than joyfully accepting the will of the Lord in our lives, even when we don't like it.
When Jesus taught the disciples, "Your will done here on earth in my life, be as if you want it in heaven". He was imparting on them a life-changing principle. He wanted to transform the way they viewed the life here on earth. He wanted to elevate their vision during this earthly life to the heavenly realm, where they'll be spending eternity. Randy Alcorn, in his book on heaven, said the following. Please listen carefully. "Those of us whose citizenship is in heaven, we are homesick for our home in heaven". We're homesick for our home. Ah, but listen: "But we often mistake our home sickness for heaven for some human needs or wants". And then he continues. "Nothing is more often misdiagnosed than our homesickness for heaven". It's often misdiagnosed. Felt needs are a bottomless pit. It's never going to get satisfied.
What we really, really, really, really need is Jesus. And when you come to the realization that all you need is Jesus, you will never crave anything else. Why do I say this? I say this out of first-hand experience. Until Jesus become all I need, I realized that Jesus provided for all of my needs. And that is why Jesus starts, when he taught his disciples, he taught them to pray, "Our Father in heaven". And when you start with that, you will have a heavenly perspective on your earthly life. Then it says, "Hallowed be your name". Honor be your name. Glory to your name. Then, "Your kingdom come in my life," and then, "your will be done in my life here on earth as it is in heaven".
Don't miss this. Don't miss this. Every one of these phrases at the beginning of the prayer is focused where? On God. On the Father. The holiness of his name. On heaven, where God is. On his will that is in heaven. The prayer doesn't get even for the needs, real needs, until halfway through. God cares deeply about your real needs. God does not only know about your needs, he says that he will provide for every one of them. But here's the catch. What is it? When does he provide for these needs... all of them? When his kingdom and his ruling and his reigning is paramount in our life.
When your focus is on the heavenly Father, when our focus is on the glory of the heavenly Father, when our focus is entrusting the will of God the Father in our life to be for our best, then he promised he will meet all our needs, all of them, is what Jesus said. Matthew 6:31. "Do not worry about what you eat. Do not worry about what you drink. Do not worry about what you wear. The Pagan run after these things". And here it comes. Here it comes, are you ready for it? Here it comes. "Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of them". Ah, here's that catch I told you аbout: "But seek first that rule of God. Seek first that kingdom of God. Seek first that righteousness, and all of these things, all of your needs, are going to be met as well". Not, "May be given to you". Not, "Possibly would provide them". Not that he could do it. No, no, no, no, he said he will give them to you.
Question: How do I pray, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," and really mean it? What do you mean by that? How can I mean it? Well, great question. Glad you asked it. You have trusted Jesus for your salvation. That's why I'm speaking to believers today. You have trusted Jesus for your salvation. All right? You have trusted Jesus for your eternal life. Now, the challenge is how can you totally and absolutely trust God that he actually, truly loves you enough that he not only save you eternally, but he loves you at this very, very, very moment in which you are living, where you are right now? He loves you enough to provide for your needs as much as he love you to save you eternally. And that he wants the best for you.
I want to tell you why. God is our Father, right? We're his children, right? Question: What do our earthly children ask for when they're young? What do they ask their earthly parents for? Sweets instead of broccoli, right? Screen time instead of homework. Playing instead of chores. I've been a father, remember? A lavish allowance, an expensive smartphone. This is more modern than in my day. No rules. Well, the list can go on. No responsibility, no discipline, right? That's how children behave, and it's understandable. Just as children do not see eye to eye with their parents on what is good for them, we often do not see eye to eye with our heavenly Father for what is best for us. When God does not do what we think is best for us, is our best interest, or delaying the answer, sometimes we accuse him of not loving us. "If God loves me, he would not have let that happen. If God loves me, this would not happen. If God loves me".
Remember this: God is in heaven, we still on earth. That means you cannot see over the horizon, but he does. You can only see today, but he sees eternity. What we might think is good for us now might bring misery in the future. If I know anything about God, that he often protects us from some of our prayers. Oh my goodness. I have begged God for things that I now bow before him in thanksgiving that he did not answer my prayer. Back yonder, when God did not answer my prayer and slammed the door shut, I accused him of not loving me. I'm so glad that I lived long enough I can testify to the goodness of God for protecting me from my sorry prayers.
Now, I recognize that these shut doors were truly his deepest expression of love for me. Had God indulged me in those foolish prayers, I may not be alive or serving today. When you pray and mean it, "Your will be done in my life here on earth as it is in heaven," you can rest in total peace knowing that whatever his will is for you is for your best. It's for you best, as he sees it from heaven. Listen to just few things about his characters from the Word of God. Psalm 143:8. "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I trust my life". Isaiah 54:10. "'Though the mountain be shaken and the hills be moved, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you".
Lamentation 3:22. "Because of the Lord's great love we were not consumed, for his compassion never fails". Say it with me, never fails, never fails. They are new every morning. In Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord is with you, and He will take great delight in you". Of course, we all know Romans 8:38. In 1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all of your anxiety on Him because He cares for you". In 1 John 4:9 and 10, "This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us first and he sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins". 1 John 4:16. "And so we know and rely on the love of God that he has for us. God is love. And whoever lives in love lives in God, and God is in them".
These are just few examples that you learned about the character of God. You spend time with him on a daily basis. I love talking about heaven. I really do. Next to Jesus, I love talking about heaven. More importantly, that I seek to conduct my life and ministry with heaven in mind. It's not just a theory. It's not just a nice doctrine to believe. Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 4:18 is what controls my life, my ministry, moment by moment, and every decision that I come to, and he said, "We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is only temporal, but what is unseen is permanent or eternal". It motivates us to persevere when trials come our way. It motivates us to forge ahead in the middle of our position. And when we do it cheerfully, as well, not with resentment, it motivates us to gratefully serve. It motivates us to bless and forgive our enemies. It motivates us to store up treasures in heaven.