8/2/2020 - More of God. Holiness

After three months of self-isolating and live-streaming from home, my husband and I were among many of the people of our church who were delighted to receive the call from the school that we could begin meeting in person as a church once more!

That was the beginning of June.
That was also the beginning of a sermon series entitled “On the Other Side of the Divine Reset.” Because of the covid-19 virus, there was no doubt that life became different for all of us secondary to the pandemic.

Some of us learned to slow down. Some learned to spend more time with family and friends. Some have become more creative. Some more technically skilled. Some have learned to cook. Some are spending less money. Some are exercising more and even getting to know their neighbors. Many are learning how to conquer fear, worry and anxiety.

Then there was the rise in social issues and protests and unemployment and politics and more and more division throughout our country. Our messages in June included finding joy and strength through God’s Presence; Looking at life as if it was “the first day of the rest of our life,’” and knowing Christ and His Word to be essential for the peace which comes from that. We also had an important message from Mike Shannon on Father’s Day; and we looked at the importance of Spiritual Parenting.

We thought things would be better by July. They were not.
So we have continued to “reset.” What does life look like after the pandemic?
We don’t know yet. We’re not there yet. The “new normal” is still yet to be seen.
Or is it possible that we’re in it already? “The bubble burst.”
And maybe that’s a good thing. We’re praying for an Awakening in our country, and throughout the world, towards God. We’re praying for Revival in our churches.

So the next set of sermons was entitled “Still Resetting.” As we watched our land torn apart, we realized the healing has to come from us! We’re still resetting our hearts and our lives to adjust to what’s happening all around us. The Church, the people of God, the followers of Christ have to rise up and lead the way with hope and encouragement.

“Heal our Land” was July 4th’s message with 2 Chron 7:14 as a heart’s cry to all of us “If MY people, who are called by MY name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

This theme carried over to next week’s message about our true citizenship being in Heaven. Our ultimate identity is that of citizens of the Kingdom of God.

As Kingdom people, it is up to us to be helping others through this difficult time in sharing the love of Christ. “Hands” was the message addressing this topic, with a little help from the story of the Good Samaritan.

Then John Smith gave us a powerful message on the importance and power of our praise!

Last week we wrapped up “Good Sam Part II” and are watching ourselves closely to make sure we don’t fall into “the priest or the Levite” trap when someone around us is hurting - looking the other way instead of rolling up our sleeves and helping. I imagine many of us have had an opportunity this past week to share God’s love in some small way if we were willing to see the need and meet it.

Now it’s August. Not only are we still dealing with covid-19, but we also get a visit from a little hurricane named “ee sah ee as,” “Isaias.” (This is a great opportunity to learn the Spanish/Portuguese form of the name Isaiah!) So guess what? The “Divine Reset” isn’t finished! We’re still resetting! What is it God would have us do? What is it we’re missing?!

My question to you this morning, is, how are you responding to everything?
Has all of this driven you closer to God? Are you more boldly declaring your belief in and love for Jesus Christ more than ever? Are you asking for more of God’s Holy Spirit? Are you walking in peace and no fear despite everything swirling around you?

Or are you running the other way? In fact, have you been running the other way for a while?

This morning we have a divine invitation from God to draw close to Him and stay there.
This morning we have the opportunity to truly and honestly examine ourselves and leave behind whatever is keeping us from living empowered, holy lives.
This morning we will share in the Lord’s supper and receive a fresh infusion of the life-giving blood of Jesus Christ. Prepare yourselves. Get rid of all distractions. Open your hearts. Open your minds. Receive a fresh infusion of the Holy Spirit today! [Pray]

2 Timothy 1:9 says “He has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace.”

When we choose to believe in Jesus the Christ, we know our souls are saved. When we choose to be baptized to tell the world we belong to Him, we know we’re “sealed with a deposit.” When we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit we know it is Him at work within us. But none of it stops there. It’s only the starting point.

Last week at an elders meeting someone said, “You can be related to God, or you can be in relationship with God.” {Repeat if led…}

Are you just related to God? You believe in Him but you’re not living for Him?
Just like some distant relative to whom you’re related. You may have family connection, but never see, or talk with, or do anything with that relative? Or are you in a relationship, where you talk with each other frequently, you share life together, you do things together? God invites us to be in relationship with Him through Christ.

We all have a calling. We all have something God has prepared for us ahead of time to do for Him. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

We are called to a life of purpose, and a life of holiness. And notice this is all God’s work. We don’t have to do a thing, except line up our lives with His and let Him do it.
Perhaps we can begin to prepare ourselves for Holy Communion this morning by asking the Lord to help us to fully surrender to Him.

Perhaps we can ask His Holy Spirit to help us move forward in holiness.
If we want to be with Him, live for Him, walk on this earth in His power, we must also live holy lives.

For most believers, the thought of holiness brings up a lot of mixed emotions. Mostly, it’s a mystery. But there is no word which better captures the splendor of who God is and the destination to which He has called us, than holiness.

The word itself is simple, if you think about it. The ending, “ness,” means full of. And holy equals God! So holiness is simply being full of God!

Yes. He has called us to be holy.
I Peter talks a lot about how we are now “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, (that’s God’s Kingdom), and “God’s special possession.” (2:9)

I Peter 1:15 says, “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” God can’t be with us if we aren’t holy!

The call to pursue holiness is an invitation to experience the blessings and joys of intimacy with God, to be free from the weight and the burden of sin, and to become all He created us to be. [Repeat!]

Please. Seek intimacy with God. Be free from the weights and burdens and “everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” (Hebrews 12:1) Today is the day to break free from all of that once and for all.

The opposite of sin and death is LIFE.
Paul writes his last letter from a cold dungeon, in chains, to his beloved spiritual son Timothy, and to us, and says this is “in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim 1:10

Paul kept that vision to the last. Despite what was going on around him HE KNEW who was the author of LIFE. He knew who was ultimately in charge. We do not have to walk in any fear or worry or anxiety at all regarding viruses or pandemics or hurricanes or anything else that threatens us because we know “the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.”

In my private Bible reading, lately, I’ve been in the book of Ezekiel. Towards the end, God gives Ezekiel the vision of the temple, and the priesthood being restored. Remember, according to Peter, we’re the priests, now. Those who belong to Christ, the ultimate high priest, are His holy people now.

The point of the temple was holiness. In all He does, God is holy, perfect and blameless. There is no trace of evil or sin in Him.
And, yes, just as God is holy, so we are to be holy. Us. We.
If we do not understand the basic concept of holiness, we will never progress very far in our Christian growth.

But it’s never too late! Decide it’s what you want and He’ll show you the way. Others who love Him can help us too! And there are practical steps we can take…

Here’s the goal: “People are holy when they are devoted to God and separated from sin!” Start with being devoted to God. Decide to put Him first. Talk to Him. (Prayer) Worship Him. (Z88.3 radio; Pandora Hillsong/Bethel music radio; Sirius XM The Message; Amazon music name whichever contemporary Christian artist/music you can think of; UTube; Dappy T Keys instrumental worship music…) Read His word. Take notes. Write down your thoughts. Write down what you hear about Him.

Recently I was thinking about how sometimes people seem like they’re interested in God, you think they’re going to make it for the long haul, and then they fizzle out and next thing you know they’re not even around anymore.

Then, there are those who come along who you never expected would be passionate about and hungry for God and they become your most committed and devoted followers of Christ!

In thinking about this, I was reminded of the parable of the four soils. You remember the story. It’s found in Matthew, Mark and Luke.
In Luke 8:4-15. A farmer goes out and tosses seed for planting. The first set of seeds hits hard ground. It gets trampled on. Birds eat it up.

Next, seed falls on rocky ground. The plants shoot up, but they wither away because they have no moisture.

The third toss falls among thorns. The plants, again, grow up, but the thorns and weeds grow up with it and choke out the life of the plants.

Finally, the fourth set of seeds fall on good soil. The plants grow. They flourish. They do so well they even produce crops a hundred more than were sown.

Jesus unpacked this parable for His disciples and described it this way: The seed is the Word of God. The first group hear, but the devil comes and snatches it away from their hearts. They do not believe. They are not saved.
The second set, on the rocky ground, hear it and receive it with joy. But they have no root. They believe for a while, but in a time of testing, they fall away.

Third set - thorns. These fine folks hear and receive but get all choked up from life’s worries, riches and pleasures. They do not mature.

But then, finally, the seed on good soil stands for those with “a noble and good heart.” These followers hear the Word, retain it, and persevere. And there is much spiritual fruit in their lives.

Which one are you? If one of the first three, it’s never to late to turn it around!
You can become the good soil. It occurs to me that walking in holiness is a solution to all three!

If you’re on the hard path and you decide to believe and walk in holiness, the devil can have nothing to do with you because he can have nothing to do with holiness!

If you’ve been without roots, again, holiness will give you the roots and the security and the assurance that you belong to Christ and no one can take that away from you! (Romans 8:31-38) As you face testing, you won’t fall away now because you know “in whom you have believed!” In fact, 2 Timothy 2:19 tells us “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm.” No matter what is going on around us right now, God is a solid foundation which will stand firm no matter what!

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Isiah 54:10

2 Tim 2:19 also tells us, “The Lord knows those who are His.” Are you His?
If so, let’s live like it?! If not, let this be the day this changes!

Won’t you please “fan into flame the gift of God which is within you?” (2 Tim 1:7)
2 Tim 2:19 also ends with “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” That would mean turning towards holiness.

Today let’s get to work on doing just this. Today let’s get some blood.
Most people are, frankly, grossed out by real blood. When you work in the medical field you get used to it. And, most of us understand that, without blood, there is no life.

We need blood to live. There is no greater symbol of life than blood; blood keeps us alive. This is why it’s so important to understand that we are cleansed and made holy, and made truly alive by the blood of Jesus Christ! Let’s look closely at Hebrews 9:11-14 to get a better understand of this. [Read Hebrews 9:11-14]

Though you know Christ, you may believe that you have to work hard to make yourself good enough for God. But rules and rituals have never cleaned people’s hearts. By Jesus’ blood alone, we: 1) have our consciences cleaned; 2) we are freed from death’s sting and can live to serve God; and 3) we are freed from sin’s power.

If we’re carrying a load of guild because we are finding we can’t be good enough for God, (and we can’t!); take another look at Jesus’ death and what it means for you!
Choose to believe. Choose to receive. It’s not about what we do, it’s about what He’s already done!

Christ can heal your conscience and deliver you from the frustration of trying to earn God’s favor. Bring your guilt-ridden life to Christ, confess your inability to clean up your own conscience, ask Him to forgive you.

So here’s what we’re going to do. Before you ever receive the elements here, or at home, this morning, take some time to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal sin within your life. Then confess it to Him.

Now this is very important. This is not about others’ sin. It’s yours. It’s not about your spouses anger, or excuses, it’s yours! It’s not about what someone else said or did, it’s what you have said or done. (Or thought about...) If you’re doing this with another person, and that’s healthy too, (James 5:16) don’t sideline it to anyone else. It’s yours’ to own and get rid of.

Avoid sharing unnecessary details of the sinful action itself. It’s enough to know that you are convicted of gossiping about someone else—without repeating the gossip! Or that you spoke harshly to your spouse—without repeating the insult you uttered to him or her. Too much detail isn’t helpful or necessary in most cases.

Let’s allow God’s Holy Spirit to gently convict us, then let’s confess the sin and get rid of it, then let’s get connected once more to our loving Savior who’s already done everything needed to move us forward into more holiness. Conviction. Confession. Cleansing. Connection.
With this will come more peace and more power.

At the end of his life, Moses summarized everything for his people one last time. Essentially he said to them, “Today, I put before you will you Life, or death?
Blessings, or curses?” Won’t you choose Life? Holiness? More of God?

Transition to Holy Communion...
PERSONAL MINISTRY AT HOME TOO!