1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,080 Welcome to Logan City Christian Church podcast where we bring God's Word to you weekly. 2 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:17,600 We pray that what you hear will bring clarity to your situation and open doors in your life. 3 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:18,600 Enjoy the message. 4 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:19,600 Hallelujah. 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:24,080 You know that worship song will just never grow old. 6 00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:27,200 It's anointed and it'll always remain that way. 7 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:28,540 Praise God. 8 00:00:28,540 --> 00:00:33,400 Thank you, Pastor Betty, for the wonderful communion message. 9 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,400 It was just so inspiring. 10 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:42,960 And I hope you don't mind me saying this, but from the most senior person in the church, 11 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:48,160 we honor you, we respect you, and you've been a great influence in Chantelle's life and 12 00:00:48,160 --> 00:00:49,160 my life. 13 00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:53,360 And you're just a wonderful person, wonderful Christian. 14 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:58,520 And being a wonderful pastor that's influenced so many, probably more than you'll ever, ever 15 00:00:58,520 --> 00:00:59,520 notice. 16 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,080 I just want to take that time to say thank you. 17 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:03,080 Thank you. 18 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:08,240 Praise the Lord. 19 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:13,920 It's a good thing to note those who labor amongst us and do what they do. 20 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:19,440 And I just know at many conferences that I've been to, the work and the effort that's been 21 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:25,680 put in will just never, you'll see the seeds of it are standing before you. 22 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:27,160 And it's great. 23 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,600 For the fruit of the works been sown. 24 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:30,600 Praise be to God. 25 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,240 You know, I've had a wonderful week. 26 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:35,240 Just give me a minute. 27 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:36,640 I'm trying to find myself here. 28 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:41,960 Normally I get prepared down there with the Bible and stuff, but I got taken away in worship 29 00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:44,520 and just trying to find where I am. 30 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:45,520 Welcome today. 31 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:47,880 It's lovely to have you guys with us. 32 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:55,520 It's just such a wonderful thing to come together, to worship God together, and to be together 33 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:58,040 and strengthen one another. 34 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:04,400 You know, last week I spoke on the holiness of God and I never finished the message as 35 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:06,280 I really do. 36 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:10,080 I could probably guess why. 37 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:15,000 But I just felt the Lord say to me, I want you to finish what he'd given me from last 38 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:16,340 week. 39 00:02:16,340 --> 00:02:24,440 And so the holiness of God is such an amazing thing that I believe without his word, the 40 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:30,840 word of God, explaining and expressing to us, describing who God is, our natural minds 41 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,260 wouldn't be able to comprehend it. 42 00:02:34,260 --> 00:02:39,680 And we still can't because God lives outside of our time. 43 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:41,640 He lives outside of our... 44 00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:44,320 I mean, God is God. 45 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,640 He's everywhere. 46 00:02:46,640 --> 00:02:49,400 But God is holy. 47 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:55,360 And he doesn't operate the way that we may think that he does. 48 00:02:55,360 --> 00:03:02,480 And God is outside of this realm that things change. 49 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:08,200 The Bible says that, you know, he is God and he changes not. 50 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:17,520 So if God changes not, that means that who he is and what he's established must be good. 51 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:23,200 So that means it doesn't need to be changed because what God has established and who God 52 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,400 is, is already perfect. 53 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:32,800 And when we embrace that truth to know that God will never change, it means that God doesn't 54 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:40,640 have to change because he is absolute truth, he is absolute light, he is absolute holy, 55 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:42,880 he is absolute love. 56 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:51,080 And so when we embrace that, that we begin to change our lives to the very person who 57 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,200 God is. 58 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:59,320 And today, I want to finish last week's message and continue, but I just tweaked it a little 59 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:00,320 bit. 60 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:06,140 I want to encourage each and every one of us today that it is a wonderful thing to do 61 00:04:06,140 --> 00:04:13,760 as a child of God and that is to grow in holiness, to grow in holiness. 62 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:18,400 And so, you know, I've got so much I could say, but I'm going to try and stick to what 63 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:22,880 I've got written here so I don't have what happened last week and only do half of your 64 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:23,880 message. 65 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:27,040 But anyway, so much is spoken about global warming. 66 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,840 We heard global warming, global warming. 67 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:33,840 And then there was this massive freeze in different states in the US and over in Europe 68 00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:39,600 and places were frozen over and so it got changed now to climate change from global 69 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:40,600 warming. 70 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:45,880 Well, it's not getting hot now, it's freezing, so we'll just call it climate change. 71 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:54,360 And so we as Christians need to be alert to the climate change in society, that this society 72 00:04:54,360 --> 00:05:03,480 is changing all the time, but at the meantime, we are serving a God that says, I change not. 73 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:09,680 And so here we are, we can be influenced by the radical changes that are happening in 74 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:19,280 society and out of the guise of love, we think, well, I need to accept and, you know, embrace 75 00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:22,960 what is new, what is the in thing. 76 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:30,400 But the Bible actually says that, you know, you don't have to, what God ordains, we embrace 77 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,880 and what God approves, we live. 78 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:41,560 But what the world deems as progressive or, you know, a change, there's no way that God 79 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,000 says that you have to embrace that. 80 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:53,480 And so we're talking about the decline of morality, respect, honor. 81 00:05:53,480 --> 00:06:01,120 We're seeing the rise of self centeredness in society on the increase and it's accelerating 82 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:05,680 at phenomenal speed and rebellion to authority. 83 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:10,960 You see, respecting others is a Christian value. 84 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,060 It's a Christian virtue. 85 00:06:13,060 --> 00:06:19,440 You know, I remember when I grew up, my parents had taught me and even at school, that they 86 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:26,240 would teach us things like when you're on public transport and you see a lady or even 87 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:34,480 a girl your own age, you give your seat to the lady. 88 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:39,240 How often do we see that today? 89 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:47,520 You know, it's, as I said about things in decline, I was, Chantelle and I were on a 90 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:53,800 train, we don't travel public transport much at all for this very reason for me. 91 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:58,760 One, I don't handle crowds too often and rowdy, unruly people. 92 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:03,400 I'd rather just keep away from that when we're having a day off. 93 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:11,560 But it really alerted me, my conscience, my inner being as to how often we see in public 94 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:18,920 settings where a person, a man or a guy will push in line in front of elderly people in 95 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:24,040 the supermarket and I'm just thinking, where do they get this from? 96 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:28,160 You see, there's a breakdown somewhere. 97 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,520 We weren't taught that when I was at school, when I was at home. 98 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:38,240 We were taught very differently that you respect others and especially men that we respect 99 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:44,480 women, ladies, that we give them the honour that is due to them. 100 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:51,920 And you know, things like opening a car door for your wife. 101 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:57,520 I remember a particular preacher, I won't mention his name, but it was so funny. 102 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:03,880 He was at a conference and this car pulled up and a lady was in the passenger side and 103 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:05,960 he thought, I'll open the door for her. 104 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:11,000 And he opened up the door for her and she got out and she said, I can do it myself. 105 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,240 Do you think I'm a paraplegic? 106 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,000 And he was shocked. 107 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,700 And so it can happen both ways. 108 00:08:18,700 --> 00:08:23,920 As far as men, we honour women. 109 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:27,240 And women, allow men to honour you. 110 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:29,640 Allow men to open the door for you. 111 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:31,720 Men, we listening today? 112 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:35,480 These are little things you might think, well, what's this got to do with holiness? 113 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:39,680 You see, holiness is a Christian attribute. 114 00:08:39,680 --> 00:08:41,960 It's our character. 115 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:42,960 It's our behaviour. 116 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,440 And I'm going to get to that in just a moment. 117 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:50,560 And all the ladies, I'm sure, are feeling really encouraged right now. 118 00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:53,640 But I haven't finished the message. 119 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,280 Praise the Lord. 120 00:08:56,280 --> 00:09:01,240 How about when you're walking along the road and holding your wife or guy's girlfriend's 121 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:05,080 hand and if you're married, you've got a girlfriend, I'll be talking to you later. 122 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:10,400 But you would walk, you would stand on the curbside and she would stand more closer away 123 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:11,400 from the road. 124 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:13,200 Who remembers those things that we were taught? 125 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,920 Well, hands going up, I felt the wind of those hands going up. 126 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:17,920 And that's good. 127 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:24,160 Now, the next question is, with those hands that were raised, how often do we do it? 128 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,480 Half of the hands, that's right. 129 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:33,440 You see, we can forget you're a bit of a late comer, late bloomer, Ian, but you got there 130 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:34,440 eventually. 131 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:35,440 Okay. 132 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:36,440 Yeah. 133 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:43,280 That's the plan. 134 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:47,960 But there is a decline. 135 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,640 There is a decline in morality in society. 136 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:58,160 I remember where we lived, our neighbours weren't called, hey, go Mr. Smith. 137 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:02,840 I mean, Smilly, we called him Mr. Smith or Mr. So-and-so. 138 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:04,800 Mr. So-and-so. 139 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:10,560 That we didn't grow up with this first name basis with your neighbours or elders or the 140 00:10:10,560 --> 00:10:13,320 butcher or whoever it was. 141 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:17,240 It was Mr. So-and-so or Mr. Baker or Mr. Butcher. 142 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:22,800 It was just ingrained into us this respect for people. 143 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:27,960 But we're not seeing that like I remember it, especially how it used to be. 144 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:31,740 Can anybody say amen to that this morning? 145 00:10:31,740 --> 00:10:34,900 And it's fading away. 146 00:10:34,900 --> 00:10:41,960 And I believe society has almost lost the value of respect and honour. 147 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:46,600 You see, this was something that was taught to us. 148 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,040 Amen. 149 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,040 It was valued. 150 00:10:52,040 --> 00:11:02,720 And I believe holiness is something the Bible teaches us that we need to have a value of 151 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:06,240 holies, need to value holiness. 152 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:12,760 You know, a person might say that, what does it mean to honour, let's say, your mother 153 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:14,460 and father? 154 00:11:14,460 --> 00:11:21,460 To honour your mother and father, the word honour actually means to place apprised value 155 00:11:21,460 --> 00:11:23,220 on them. 156 00:11:23,220 --> 00:11:30,720 And if we lose that value of our parents, that's where strife comes in. 157 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:32,600 That's what happens. 158 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:40,880 If in a marriage that husband begins to dishonour his wife or vice versa, that means that they 159 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:46,520 have devalued their wife or their husband. 160 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:54,680 And that's when criticism comes in and things that damage relationships because the value 161 00:11:54,680 --> 00:11:57,080 of that person has been diminished. 162 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:00,340 And most times you can find it's by association. 163 00:12:00,340 --> 00:12:01,880 That's how it happens. 164 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:05,440 Someone that you're hanging around, someone that's influencing you. 165 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:07,000 And it's very dangerous. 166 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:13,800 We are seeing that this holiness is something that I believe that is one of the first steps 167 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:19,400 of Christianity once we've been saved is that to walk in holiness. 168 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:22,280 Holiness, I believe, is a wonderful thing. 169 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:27,960 Now people, as I said last week, will say, when I got born again, I was 100% holy and 170 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,760 anything after that is works if I try and be holy. 171 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:33,180 No, that's not correct. 172 00:12:33,180 --> 00:12:40,040 We were made holy, but the Bible has a lot to say about our progression in holiness. 173 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:43,440 Our salvation, we didn't earn it. 174 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:45,000 We didn't do anything to deserve it. 175 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:51,000 The Bible says that we can't, that it's a free gift of God so that we don't boast, 176 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:55,080 that we appreciate the work of grace, this free gift of salvation. 177 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:58,280 We could not ever, ever earn it. 178 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:05,140 However, once we are saved, holiness is the evidence of a saved life. 179 00:13:05,140 --> 00:13:10,840 That a person desires to live and continue and grow in holiness. 180 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,800 And it's just really that simple. 181 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:19,000 And so holiness in the life of a Christian is so, so important. 182 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,800 We are seeing this problem in society. 183 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:26,680 Some of you guys that have been in ministry a lot longer than me have said, Rob, we've 184 00:13:26,680 --> 00:13:27,680 seen it. 185 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:32,680 We experienced this when we were in ministry back in the 70s and 80s. 186 00:13:32,680 --> 00:13:45,080 And that is this, what would you call it, seeing that society is feeling and adjusting 187 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:51,240 to the room temperature of what is the norm, considered the norm. 188 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:57,960 So you heard the saying about how do you boil a frog in a pot of water. 189 00:13:57,960 --> 00:13:59,960 You heard that one? 190 00:13:59,960 --> 00:14:01,260 Easy. 191 00:14:01,260 --> 00:14:06,680 If you had the water boiling and you dropped it in, the frog would want to jump out, right? 192 00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:11,640 But what you do is you put the pot on the stove, room temperature water, and you put 193 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:17,620 the frog in and you turn the hop plate on very low. 194 00:14:17,620 --> 00:14:21,840 And so what happens, that frog sitting in there thinking, oh, this is my climate. 195 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:23,780 This is where I'm at. 196 00:14:23,780 --> 00:14:29,160 But what he doesn't realise is minute by minute the water temperature is increasing and his 197 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:35,520 body is starting to adapt to the water temperature that's increasing so slowly that it doesn't 198 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,360 realise it until it's too late. 199 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:42,680 And we are seeing this happening in Christian churches today. 200 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:44,840 It's the frog in the pot. 201 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:51,100 By the time we realise that the water is cooking us, it may be too late. 202 00:14:51,100 --> 00:14:55,960 Growing in holiness is an essential part of our relationship with God. 203 00:14:55,960 --> 00:15:00,200 I'm going to read again 1 Peter chapter 1 from verse 13. 204 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:06,720 I was there last week, which I believe is just so, I hold it so highly valued. 205 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:07,720 I honour the word of God. 206 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,200 Do you honour the word of God this morning? 207 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,000 And the word of God is true. 208 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:18,480 It says here, therefore, gird up the loins of your mind and be sober and rest your hope 209 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:26,080 fully on the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 210 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:33,220 Verse 14, as obedient children, not conforming yourself to the former lust as in your ignorance, 211 00:15:33,220 --> 00:15:39,900 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct because it is 212 00:15:39,900 --> 00:15:43,080 written, be holy for I am holy. 213 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,120 Now God's word is making a statement. 214 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,680 It's not a suggestion. 215 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:50,960 God's not saying, hey, I got a great idea. 216 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:53,920 If you choose to do this, it'll work for you. 217 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:57,880 But he's, you know, he just said, if you want to be holy, be a good idea to be holy. 218 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:03,280 No, the scripture, the way that it's written, it says be, be. 219 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:05,920 In other words, God's done something. 220 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:10,680 He's left us standing on a platform of possibilities, which is our salvation. 221 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:15,380 And he's saying from this point on, it's your choice to grow in holiness. 222 00:16:15,380 --> 00:16:16,900 Be holy. 223 00:16:16,900 --> 00:16:23,240 It's an encouragement of such a depth that is so amazing. 224 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:30,080 But notice what it says in verse 14, as children, not conforming yourselves to the former lust 225 00:16:30,080 --> 00:16:31,520 as in your ignorance. 226 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:35,300 Before we were Christians, there were things that we did that we weren't aware of that 227 00:16:35,300 --> 00:16:36,400 was wrong. 228 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:41,200 The unsaved, you know, we're doing things and but when we get saved, we start reading 229 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,580 in the word of God things we go, oh man, I didn't know. 230 00:16:44,580 --> 00:16:48,440 I didn't realize that wasn't God's best for my life. 231 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:52,960 Not long after I got saved, every time it seemed like I picked up a Bible to read it, 232 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:54,880 it was like, oh, you can't do that. 233 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,120 You read something else, oh, I can't do that. 234 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:59,500 And it's almost like, what can you do? 235 00:16:59,500 --> 00:17:03,600 And a preacher told me one day, he said, Rob, if you focus on all the things that God has 236 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:07,960 asked you to do, you won't have time to do the things that you shouldn't do. 237 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:09,760 And it's so true. 238 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:16,680 You see, God's word is not to, you know, he doesn't want to destroy your life, he wants 239 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:19,240 to enhance your life. 240 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:23,840 And it's not like God doesn't want you to have fun, he wants you to be holy. 241 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:25,920 He wants us to be safe. 242 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,480 He wants to surround us in the center of his will. 243 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:34,800 And as good parents do with our children, when we're there growing up, parents will 244 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:39,880 guide them, guard them, surround them, say, no, you can't do that. 245 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:41,240 Yes, you can do that. 246 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:45,560 But today, that is considered as child abuse in some levels. 247 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:47,760 As I speak right now, we are hearing it. 248 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:53,880 I heard of a story just two weeks ago of a parent making absolutes, you know, what their 249 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:56,380 child should not do. 250 00:17:56,380 --> 00:18:01,000 And next thing you know, the school was in touch with the parent. 251 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:05,940 You see, when the rights get taken off the parent to parent their children, society is 252 00:18:05,940 --> 00:18:07,800 in deep trouble. 253 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:12,860 And especially within Christian circles, when we know that the word of God has given us 254 00:18:12,860 --> 00:18:18,960 very clear directions on how to raise children and the world is in conflict to what we believe 255 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:23,540 and how we've been trained, there is a problem. 256 00:18:23,540 --> 00:18:27,700 But it says here in our ignorance, we didn't know. 257 00:18:27,700 --> 00:18:33,280 But as he who called you is holy, God has called you and God is holy. 258 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:35,680 It says here, you also be holy. 259 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:37,980 It doesn't just say just be holy. 260 00:18:37,980 --> 00:18:44,600 He says be holy in all your conduct. 261 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:50,080 Oh, that means that I've got to do something. 262 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:52,200 I've got to do something. 263 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:55,940 So I need to be aware of my conduct, our conduct. 264 00:18:55,940 --> 00:18:59,440 And this is where we can grow in holiness. 265 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:03,660 Holiness, growing in holiness is a choice. 266 00:19:03,660 --> 00:19:05,640 Let me encourage you folks. 267 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:10,320 Holiness is a choice that we make. 268 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:12,360 It's a choice, something we choose to do. 269 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:15,760 Do we choose to be holy? 270 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:17,680 I'd say yes. 271 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,120 So what does holy mean? 272 00:19:20,120 --> 00:19:23,640 The holy means or holiness, God's holiness. 273 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:29,160 It means of like nature with the Lord because we're different from the world. 274 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,960 It's a good thing to be different from the norm. 275 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,880 You ever heard people say, well, everybody's doing it. 276 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:37,440 Anybody heard that? 277 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:41,800 Everybody's doing so it must be right. 278 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:43,400 Is that true? 279 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:44,400 No. 280 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:48,720 Well, what's wrong with this pastor? 281 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:50,680 He's the only one that's saying something. 282 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:55,780 Not only one standing up saying that it's wrong, so he must be wrong. 283 00:19:55,780 --> 00:20:01,160 And when you stand in a situation like that, you say, well, it's not so much me. 284 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:03,820 It's what I uphold. 285 00:20:03,820 --> 00:20:06,620 This is how we live our lives, church. 286 00:20:06,620 --> 00:20:14,500 There are so many variations now of God's word that people have engineered to adapt 287 00:20:14,500 --> 00:20:18,240 to this progressive Christianity. 288 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:25,880 You see, I remember Pastor Keith Hanna said to me one day, he said it used to shock him 289 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:36,000 so deeply when he would see people, children, disrespecting elders, parents, elders. 290 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:41,840 And he said, and then over the years went by, he said he saw the things gradually getting 291 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:49,520 worse and worse and worse year by year, generation by generation to now, in many circles, it's 292 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:54,960 not considered to be a big deal that if someone's being dishonored or disrespected, especially 293 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:58,360 younger people to the elderly people. 294 00:20:58,360 --> 00:21:04,540 Because now the focus has all shifted when we hear and see about transgender preachers 295 00:21:04,540 --> 00:21:07,800 and this whole thing. 296 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:13,760 So the pendulum has swung that far that we look back 50 years when someone used to, it's 297 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:17,640 like, oh, that's nothing anymore. 298 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:18,640 Dishonoring people, oh, that's nothing. 299 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:22,040 We're dealing with this big stuff up here. 300 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:27,040 But no, the word of God is saying, God says, I don't change, my principles never change. 301 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:36,280 I require us as children of the living God to maintain the principles of God's word. 302 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:37,680 Amen. 303 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:42,440 And so now it's like, you know, fornication, it's like, oh, there are worse things than 304 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:43,440 fornication. 305 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:44,440 Look at what we're dealing with. 306 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:48,600 No, we can't turn our backs on that. 307 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:54,120 It's still a real deal to God and it's still a real deal to the church. 308 00:21:54,120 --> 00:22:02,940 You see, generations before us, preachers, teachers, evangelists, and so on, had given 309 00:22:02,940 --> 00:22:09,640 their entire lives to defend the faith, to grow the church. 310 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:15,840 Some of them had even given their lives as martyrs to see the church remain pure and 311 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,480 holy and strong. 312 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:24,240 And they gave all their reputations, their money, their family, everything. 313 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:25,740 They gave the lot. 314 00:22:25,740 --> 00:22:30,180 For centuries, this has been going on and we are living in an hour. 315 00:22:30,180 --> 00:22:35,440 We are living in an hour today that we are seeing the pressure on the Christian church 316 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,560 to maintain holiness within its walls. 317 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:45,300 To be that person, you to be that person, me to be that person in the family or wherever 318 00:22:45,300 --> 00:22:50,520 it may be, that people can look and see that you're different, that you have a different 319 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:55,280 standard, that you don't run with the crowd, but you're a nice person, you're not judgmental, 320 00:22:55,280 --> 00:23:00,320 you're not argumentive, you walk in love, but you have convictions that the Word of 321 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,740 God says this, I am not going to entertain that. 322 00:23:03,740 --> 00:23:05,840 Is somebody with me this morning? 323 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:06,840 Amen? 324 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:07,840 Praise the Lord. 325 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:14,720 I want to look at Ephesians chapter 5 from verse 25 to 27. 326 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:21,120 Now this is, the Word of God is just so amazing. 327 00:23:21,120 --> 00:23:27,760 The Word of God that we have with us today is a light, is a lamp unto our feet and a 328 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:28,760 lamp unto our path. 329 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:33,440 I'll probably get there in just a moment. 330 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:40,040 But God does not conform to or resemble the world and the ways of the world and neither 331 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,040 should we. 332 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:46,920 Ephesians chapter 5, I'm going to read from verse 25. 333 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:53,600 It says, husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself 334 00:23:53,600 --> 00:24:01,100 for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, 335 00:24:01,100 --> 00:24:08,000 that he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any 336 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:13,800 such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 337 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:22,040 You see the analogy here is just, you know, the Bible's speaking about husband and wife, 338 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:24,560 Christ and the church. 339 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:28,200 The similarities there are striking. 340 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:33,920 But something I'd like to bring out here that I think is incredible, because many will tell 341 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:41,840 you today that as I said before, that when I was born again, that I was made holy and 342 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:47,480 anything that I try to do after that is works. 343 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:52,960 And I'm not going to take away from what Christ did in me, because when I was born again, 344 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:55,960 I was made holy. 345 00:24:55,960 --> 00:25:00,140 So I'm not going to get involved with trying to do anything to build on what Christ has 346 00:25:00,140 --> 00:25:01,620 done in me. 347 00:25:01,620 --> 00:25:04,280 How many of us have heard that teaching? 348 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:12,240 Well, I'm glad that only three or four hands have gone up, because it is sweeping the Christian 349 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:16,440 church today like a wildfire. 350 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:21,440 And all it's doing is breeding rebellion. 351 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,440 That's all it's doing. 352 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:30,440 Independence, the very thing that took place in the Garden of Eden, was the devil tempted 353 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:32,120 Eve. 354 00:25:32,120 --> 00:25:34,280 Just eat of this tree. 355 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:40,400 It has the ability to make you wise, that you can be independent, that you can have 356 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:45,520 your own kind of relationship with God. 357 00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:51,440 When anything is off from the Word of God or amiss, it will not lead us to God, it will 358 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:53,440 lead us away from God. 359 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:56,920 There are no parallels even. 360 00:25:56,920 --> 00:26:00,440 It's opposite or together. 361 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:07,680 So why am I bringing this up again two Sundays in a row? 362 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:15,600 Because we have seen many people or know of many people that have taken hold of this, 363 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:24,060 I would say, false doctrine and has led many astray. 364 00:26:24,060 --> 00:26:26,680 So what is the truth in the matter? 365 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:35,040 The truth in the matter is very clear, that when you and I were born again, Christ in 366 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:43,720 us, our hope of glory, that Christ ended our life and we were justified, just as if we'd 367 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:45,480 never sinned once in our life. 368 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:47,800 Isn't that good news? 369 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:53,320 And He took away our sins when we confessed our sin to Him. 370 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:59,120 The work that Christ did in our life is enormous and is eternal. 371 00:26:59,120 --> 00:27:06,320 And so we were justified just as we never ever sinned once in our life. 372 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:12,280 And that's where I believe a lot of it ceases Christianity. 373 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:15,600 But the Bible makes it very clear in three parts. 374 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:20,540 There's the justification that you and I, when we come to Christ, we experience this 375 00:27:20,540 --> 00:27:24,840 wonderful work, the saving grace of God in our lives. 376 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:30,480 And we have been made clean, we've been made pure, and there is holiness in us. 377 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,800 It's Christ in us, our hope of glory. 378 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:39,400 But then comes the process that is very rarely spoken about, is that once we've engaged into 379 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:45,240 the family of God, the process of sanctification continues. 380 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:50,960 And sanctification means to clean, to set apart, so that there, between the Word of 381 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:57,360 God and the Holy Spirit, we begin to learn our behavior, the things we say, the things 382 00:27:57,360 --> 00:28:03,440 we do, the places we go, the things we watch, the things we listen to, suddenly becomes 383 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:05,520 uncomfortable to us. 384 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:11,920 And then these things that once used to entertain us as unsafe people are things that now that 385 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:13,800 convict us. 386 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:21,360 And so in our walk with God, this sanctifying process is bringing us out of the past, of 387 00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:25,120 our past sins, our past life, the things we used to do. 388 00:28:25,120 --> 00:28:28,800 Like for me, getting on the juice was a big deal. 389 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:37,720 And I could, listen, I could not imagine life without seeing 40 cartons of beer in my shed. 390 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:39,680 Yep. 391 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:46,560 I mean, I'm not boasting about it, I'm just saying how, you know, the mind thinks. 392 00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:52,280 And I could never imagine that life could exist without this. 393 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:59,560 But I want to let you know that when I met Jesus, I prayed, Lord, I want you to make 394 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:02,320 me sick when I drink. 395 00:29:02,320 --> 00:29:06,000 After a few days, Lord, can we talk about that? 396 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:10,120 I can only have a couple of drinks and I'm sick, man. 397 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:12,760 But God kept His promise and I had to keep mine. 398 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:17,680 And whether there's alcohol around or not, for me, it makes no difference. 399 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:19,880 I'm not overrun by it anymore. 400 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:24,280 And it was something that I tried to do over and over again in my own strength and in my 401 00:29:24,280 --> 00:29:26,960 own power, but I knew that I was powerless. 402 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:30,640 The more I tried, the more of a failure I felt when I failed. 403 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:31,920 And so what do you do then? 404 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:33,920 You drink more. 405 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:36,160 That's what happens. 406 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:40,200 But Christ began to work inside of me. 407 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:47,400 And when I yielded myself to Him, a grace came upon my life, an empowering ability to 408 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:50,520 do what I can't do in the natural. 409 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:55,600 And when I yielded to that and I opened up to the Lord, I can't do this myself, can you 410 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:57,120 help me? 411 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:02,760 And this sanctifying process, and after the drink, there were other things, guys, women, 412 00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:07,600 ladies, men, we can all, we've all got different stories and different backgrounds that we 413 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:10,080 could talk about until the cows come home. 414 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,160 And I don't think any of us have any cows. 415 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:13,840 So we'll be there a long time. 416 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:17,400 But Christ does a thorough work in our life. 417 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:23,680 And so from salvation to the time of glorification, there's what we call sanctification. 418 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:28,940 And that's where God works on us to be less like the world and to be more like Him. 419 00:30:28,940 --> 00:30:31,760 So what is this depicting? 420 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:38,720 Come on, somebody encourage me here. 421 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:41,400 It's holiness. 422 00:30:41,400 --> 00:30:49,200 We cannot rely on the holiness at that point of salvation to get us through to the end. 423 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:52,120 It's something that needs to be developed by our choice. 424 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:59,960 That's why Peter said, he said about, you know, be holy in all your conduct. 425 00:30:59,960 --> 00:31:01,500 So it's a choice. 426 00:31:01,500 --> 00:31:10,120 So therefore, when I am, let's say, there's a person that really aggravates me, and they're 427 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:13,920 in the wrong and I'm in the right, which we always see that way, I'm sure anyway, but 428 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:17,440 let's just say they were really in the wrong. 429 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:19,840 And they are ripping into you. 430 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:24,300 In the natural, the old man, the old nature that we came out from, the one that should 431 00:31:24,300 --> 00:31:30,480 be dead or dying, would want to defend itself, right? 432 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:33,680 But right there, you and I have a choice to make. 433 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:37,360 Am I going to let this fall on deaf ears? 434 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:41,840 Am I going to starve it of the oxygen that it's desiring? 435 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:43,520 Or am I going to feed it? 436 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:46,620 See, it's our conduct, our choices. 437 00:31:46,620 --> 00:31:51,520 How we treat people is our choice. 438 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:56,920 How we handle situations, they're the choices that we make. 439 00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:01,160 And our choices determine our conduct. 440 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:03,900 It's so simple. 441 00:32:03,900 --> 00:32:09,640 And so Peter's saying, inspired by the Holy Ghost, the Lord's saying, hey, church, you 442 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:11,080 can do this. 443 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:13,980 Be holy in all your conduct. 444 00:32:13,980 --> 00:32:15,260 What if I make a mistake? 445 00:32:15,260 --> 00:32:16,260 That's all it is. 446 00:32:16,260 --> 00:32:17,260 It's a mistake. 447 00:32:17,260 --> 00:32:18,260 And don't leave it a mistake. 448 00:32:18,260 --> 00:32:19,260 Lord, I'm sorry. 449 00:32:19,260 --> 00:32:20,260 I missed it. 450 00:32:20,260 --> 00:32:21,320 I got it wrong. 451 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:22,640 Please forgive me. 452 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:23,900 Please forgive me. 453 00:32:23,900 --> 00:32:25,120 And he'll give you that other chance. 454 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,000 He'll empower you and say, hey, I'm with you. 455 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:28,000 I'll never leave you. 456 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:29,520 I'm always going to be there. 457 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:34,620 But long we'll bring out something very important here that it says that he might sanctify and 458 00:32:34,620 --> 00:32:38,520 cleanse her with the washing, the water of the Word. 459 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:43,120 This here is written present continual tense. 460 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:46,440 It's not just the present done with. 461 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:51,480 Continual, washing, not washed with the water of the Word, but the washing of the water 462 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:56,920 of the Word, meaning that it's a washing that's keeping... it's washing, not washed. 463 00:32:56,920 --> 00:32:58,440 Are you still with me? 464 00:32:58,440 --> 00:32:59,440 I'm not a very... 465 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:04,920 I wasn't a very good student at school, but there are some things that you just see that 466 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:09,440 are just there. 467 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:12,440 There's only one kind of church that Jesus is coming back for. 468 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,640 You know which one it is? 469 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:19,360 A church that is holy without spot and wrinkle. 470 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:25,160 So there's a lot of emphasis on a particular church that all the apostles had made reference 471 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:30,000 to and teachers in the Word of God, Jesus making reference to it. 472 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,320 Be holy. 473 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:36,120 Take the time to think about it and to pray about it. 474 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:40,520 God, I want to be holy, just like you. 475 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:43,920 I want to grow in that holiness. 476 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:50,800 And when we make that decision, our walk with God gets closer and closer and closer and 477 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:51,800 closer. 478 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:52,800 Amen? 479 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:55,440 You know, let's talk about some... 480 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:58,040 I don't see any little kids here. 481 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:01,600 I don't think... 482 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:04,600 Let's just say a person's addicted to... 483 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:11,080 Let me put it this way, something they see on a screen. 484 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:12,360 Amen? 485 00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:21,000 I want to let you know, whether it's substance abuse or whether it's whatever, I want to 486 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:26,120 let you know that God doesn't condemn you. 487 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,560 You got that? 488 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:30,160 God wants to help you. 489 00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:31,160 Why? 490 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:32,440 Why would God do that? 491 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:34,400 Because He loves you. 492 00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:36,320 He really, really loves you. 493 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:40,840 So, what does He do? 494 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:47,360 God will encourage you to say, Lord, I am sorry that I've been doing this. 495 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:48,360 Please help me. 496 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:53,920 And there, a great grace will come upon your life. 497 00:34:53,920 --> 00:35:00,640 Somehow, the devil seems to turn that around, make you think and make anyone think that 498 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:03,680 you're beyond help, you're beyond redemption. 499 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:05,840 No, that is not true. 500 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:07,620 That is a lie of the devil. 501 00:35:07,620 --> 00:35:09,640 You are still in the family of God. 502 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:10,640 God still loves you. 503 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:13,800 He's still with you and He will always be with you. 504 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:15,080 Amen. 505 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:18,600 But the washing of the water of the Word, what does the washing mean here? 506 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:24,760 This washing means a sanctifying that Christ desires to sanctify the church. 507 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:25,920 The church is us. 508 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:30,040 Now, people will say that we are the bride of Christ. 509 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:32,840 That's not until later. 510 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:36,880 We are the church, the church of Jesus Christ. 511 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:44,480 The bride is the church that when it's presented in its beauty, right at the end, when the 512 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:48,920 church is presented to Christ as the bride of Christ. 513 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:56,480 But right now, before Christ comes, before the rapture of the church, we are the church. 514 00:35:56,480 --> 00:36:00,820 And that is something to, in timeline of eschatology, to remember. 515 00:36:00,820 --> 00:36:02,600 We are now the church. 516 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:11,240 And so this washing is resembling and speaking about in the culture of the Galilean culture, 517 00:36:11,240 --> 00:36:18,520 when a lady was betrothed to her future husband, that a year before the marriage, that for 518 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:23,160 six months she would anoint herself with oil. 519 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:27,760 And then the last six months, she would be washing herself with water. 520 00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:35,240 So the bride is being prepared and being sanctified for the glorious day of the wedding. 521 00:36:35,240 --> 00:36:40,620 This is a striking resemblance is what the word of God is teaching that the church, we 522 00:36:40,620 --> 00:36:44,440 already have been anointed in Christ. 523 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:51,280 But then there's our part to allow the washing, the washing of the word of God to cleanse 524 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:57,740 us so that we'd be less like the world and to be more like Christ when he comes. 525 00:36:57,740 --> 00:37:03,920 You see, this process here is speaking to us to encourage us to say, hey, you're on 526 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:06,760 the road of holiness. 527 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:11,240 You are here today because you love God and you're working toward it all. 528 00:37:11,240 --> 00:37:14,960 And you know, we are probably at all different levels in our Christian walk. 529 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:19,520 But I know one thing is greatly desired by each and every one of us is that we want to 530 00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:21,400 grow in holiness, right? 531 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:22,740 We really do. 532 00:37:22,740 --> 00:37:28,440 And when we grow in holiness, when we grow closer to God, he grows closer to us. 533 00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:31,920 God really does love you so much. 534 00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:35,040 And so the washing, it means a sanctifying. 535 00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:38,280 There it is again, the water, the purifying. 536 00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:43,320 And as I mentioned, the bride purified herself and it's in preparation. 537 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:47,860 And however, for us, there is to be a holiness of heart. 538 00:37:47,860 --> 00:37:53,520 The bride washed herself externally, the word of God washes us internally. 539 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:56,740 And that, I believe, is the great difference. 540 00:37:56,740 --> 00:38:03,100 But the word, the washing of the water of the word, the word of God cleanses. 541 00:38:03,100 --> 00:38:05,840 The word of God sanctifies. 542 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:11,400 The word of God, when we take it to heart and we listen to the word of God, it will 543 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:16,560 place us on that road of growing in holiness. 544 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:19,880 How else can we know God apart from his word? 545 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:26,880 Yes, the Holy Spirit, I know, gives us revelations, but without the word of God, how would we 546 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:28,840 ever know? 547 00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:36,480 And so the word, it's the personal acceptance of God's word and the application of God's 548 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:43,760 truth that cleanses us, that sanctifies us, that leads us deeper in holiness. 549 00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:45,800 Amen? 550 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:48,360 It's impossible. 551 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:55,000 It's impossible to grow in holiness if we ignore God's word. 552 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:56,720 It's impossible. 553 00:38:56,720 --> 00:38:57,720 That's where we stay. 554 00:38:57,720 --> 00:39:02,800 I don't say that as a judgment, I say it as it's biblical. 555 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:06,520 And so we cannot be cleansed by polluted water. 556 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:09,160 Did you know that? 557 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:12,960 Let's just say that, you know, you're riding a horse. 558 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:17,120 How many horsemen, women here? 559 00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:20,360 I thought there'd be more than that. 560 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:25,960 Anyway, just say you fall off your horse and you're covered in mud. 561 00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:30,080 Do you try and wash yourself off in the mud? 562 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:33,500 What's going to happen? 563 00:39:33,500 --> 00:39:38,040 The natural thing that we do is we go to a place where there's clean water to wash off 564 00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:40,040 the mud. 565 00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:42,100 Amen? 566 00:39:42,100 --> 00:39:48,240 This is what this is speaking about here, that God's word is pure. 567 00:39:48,240 --> 00:39:54,400 It's pure, clean water, so to speak, and it has the ability to wash us clean if we yield 568 00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:57,400 our lives to the word of God. 569 00:39:57,400 --> 00:40:00,920 See, we can't be cleansed by polluted water. 570 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:04,680 We cannot be cleansed by half truths. 571 00:40:04,680 --> 00:40:11,200 We can't be cleansed by modern interpretations or what they call today is cultural catch-up. 572 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:15,760 Oh, brother, you know, you're still in the dark ages. 573 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:17,160 You're not long off the arc. 574 00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:20,400 You need to catch up with where the church is at today. 575 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:22,060 Of course we accept that. 576 00:40:22,060 --> 00:40:24,720 We are now the church of the accommodation. 577 00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:28,480 Whatever's around, we'll accommodate because of love. 578 00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:36,000 But do you know, because of love, if you really love somebody, if you truly do love them and 579 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:42,440 care for them and you know they're going the wrong way and making mistakes, the love inside 580 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:49,280 of you reaches out to them and says, hang on a minute, you're going the wrong way. 581 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:51,280 Amen? 582 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:59,480 I remember a time when this particular man who had children and his marriage just didn't 583 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:06,680 work for whatever reason and he was about to make some decisions that would have really 584 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:10,920 harmed him and more so his children. 585 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:16,960 And he came to my home one day and he was very displeased with me because I wouldn't 586 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:20,120 back down from what is written. 587 00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:26,960 And then he came to the church where we were, not here, a different place, and he was most 588 00:41:26,960 --> 00:41:33,780 upset with me and I realized that there was no way of holding an intelligent conversation, 589 00:41:33,780 --> 00:41:39,420 that this has already reached a level where it was out of control. 590 00:41:39,420 --> 00:41:43,960 And I said to this man, some of you heard this story before, I said, look at your two 591 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:49,100 children here, they're playing with a ball. 592 00:41:49,100 --> 00:41:54,720 If one of them kicked the ball and went over the fence onto this highway and they jumped 593 00:41:54,720 --> 00:42:00,360 the fence, they're just running, just tunnel vision to get this ball and there's a big 594 00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:08,680 semi coming, what would you do? 595 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:19,000 Would you just allow them to go and just see just utter destruction and... 596 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:21,840 Or would you yell out to them, stop? 597 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:30,240 Good to have you awake again, Sam. 598 00:42:30,240 --> 00:42:31,240 What would you do? 599 00:42:31,240 --> 00:42:34,240 What would you do? 600 00:42:34,240 --> 00:42:43,400 But you see, that's deemed now is that you're controlling, it's abusive, it's directive, 601 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:44,800 it's this and it's that. 602 00:42:44,800 --> 00:42:52,080 And it's like, but I said that because I love you. 603 00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:58,120 Hebrews 12, it says that those whom God loves, he chastises, he corrects them, he reputes 604 00:42:58,120 --> 00:42:59,920 them, reproves them. 605 00:42:59,920 --> 00:43:00,920 Why does he do it? 606 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:14,560 Because he loves you. 607 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:24,000 We have a standard, we didn't write the Bible, maybe, well, I know I didn't and I'm sure 608 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:27,600 you didn't write the Bible. 609 00:43:27,600 --> 00:43:34,380 We have been asked to uphold the values written within, is that right? 610 00:43:34,380 --> 00:43:37,040 That is exactly right. 611 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:45,480 As children of God, we do well to focus on growing in holiness. 612 00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:49,160 Second Corinthians chapter six, I'm nearly finished if you're thinking, I hope he's not 613 00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:52,180 going to go on all day. 614 00:43:52,180 --> 00:44:05,600 Second Corinthians chapter six, I'm going to read from verse 11. 615 00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:13,240 You know, it's like I said last week, you're never going to make holiness a popular subject. 616 00:44:13,240 --> 00:44:16,320 It's never going to happen. 617 00:44:16,320 --> 00:44:22,160 Especially in the world we live in today, holiness is not a popular thing. 618 00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:28,040 But yet it is so necessary, it is the foundations of our walk with God. 619 00:44:28,040 --> 00:44:31,360 Holiness, be holy for he is holy. 620 00:44:31,360 --> 00:44:36,760 I'm going to read from verse 11, please follow me in this, oh Corinthians, we have spoken 621 00:44:36,760 --> 00:44:43,560 openly to you, our heart is wide open, but you are not restricted by us, but you are 622 00:44:43,560 --> 00:44:46,040 restricted by your own affections. 623 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:47,960 What was happening? 624 00:44:47,960 --> 00:44:53,160 The Corinthians at that time, they were thinking, oh, Paul, everything we want to do, you come 625 00:44:53,160 --> 00:44:55,800 in and you say we can't do it. 626 00:44:55,800 --> 00:45:01,800 The things that Paul desired for the church was holy, was pure, was right, but the Corinthians 627 00:45:01,800 --> 00:45:06,520 are saying, but we've always done this before and you know, give us a break, cut us some 628 00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:07,520 slack Paul. 629 00:45:07,520 --> 00:45:12,760 And Paul's saying no, you've been held back by your own affections and sometimes we can 630 00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:17,360 be held back by the things that we love of the world that are really in conflict with 631 00:45:17,360 --> 00:45:20,100 the things of God. 632 00:45:20,100 --> 00:45:28,400 In verse 12, 13, now in return for the same, I speak as to you, as to children, see now 633 00:45:28,400 --> 00:45:32,760 he had to step down and say, look guys, you're not getting it, I've got to go back to the 634 00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:33,760 beginning. 635 00:45:33,760 --> 00:45:35,760 You also be open. 636 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:37,400 Listen to what he says. 637 00:45:37,400 --> 00:45:43,200 Now what is written here was what was happening in the church and their relationship with 638 00:45:43,200 --> 00:45:48,000 God was failing, it wasn't happening, there was strife in the church, there was strife 639 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:53,000 in the families, the marriages were in trouble and apostle Paul addresses some things here. 640 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:58,240 He says, do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. 641 00:45:58,240 --> 00:46:03,840 What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness and what communion has light with darkness 642 00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:08,840 and what accord has Christ with Belial or what part has a believer with an unbeliever 643 00:46:08,840 --> 00:46:13,800 and what agreement has the temple of God with idols for you are the temple of the living 644 00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:14,800 God. 645 00:46:14,800 --> 00:46:20,560 God had said, I will dwell in them and I will walk among them, I will be their God and they 646 00:46:20,560 --> 00:46:22,200 shall be my people. 647 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:29,720 Therefore, listen to this, come out from among them, come out from among them and be separate 648 00:46:29,720 --> 00:46:34,520 says the Lord, do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you. 649 00:46:34,520 --> 00:46:41,480 I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters says the Lord Almighty. 650 00:46:41,480 --> 00:46:46,960 Verse 7 verse 1, therefore because of what has just been said, having these promises 651 00:46:46,960 --> 00:46:56,720 beloved let us cleanse ourself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness 652 00:46:56,720 --> 00:46:59,880 in the fear of the Lord. 653 00:46:59,880 --> 00:47:01,960 Is it possible to grow in holiness? 654 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:02,960 Yes. 655 00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:08,800 Is there a measure of responsibility on us as children of the living God to grow in holiness? 656 00:47:08,800 --> 00:47:11,080 Yes there is. 657 00:47:11,080 --> 00:47:15,000 Yes there is. 658 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:16,000 Praise God. 659 00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:28,000 I would like to finish here, John chapter 14 verse 6, 16 sorry, John 14, 6 and this 660 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:32,200 is where I would like to close off. 661 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:38,240 Sometimes we may feel that, oh man you know I need someone to sit with me and to read 662 00:47:38,240 --> 00:47:42,000 the word of God with me because I do desire to be holy, we all do. 663 00:47:42,000 --> 00:47:46,600 It's in our nature, our new nature, we all desire to be holy and that is a good thing. 664 00:47:46,600 --> 00:47:51,520 But sometimes it's like why is it that I feel that I keep falling short? 665 00:47:51,520 --> 00:48:02,240 There is another person that I met back in 1994 and he is the Holy Spirit after I was 666 00:48:02,240 --> 00:48:11,120 saved, I remember the day that I was baptized in the Spirit, it was an incredible experience. 667 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:16,600 My salvation experience was just indescribable. 668 00:48:16,600 --> 00:48:26,040 The infilling of the Holy Spirit, this incredible power that came from on high into my life 669 00:48:26,040 --> 00:48:29,600 is something that I will never ever forget. 670 00:48:29,600 --> 00:48:37,720 Later on in my Christian walk I realized that this is more than just a power, it's a person 671 00:48:37,720 --> 00:48:44,160 that has come into my life and empowered me and it is the Holy Spirit. 672 00:48:44,160 --> 00:48:51,840 So anything that the Holy Spirit does will be holy according to His nature. 673 00:48:51,840 --> 00:48:57,160 The word of God says, it doesn't just say He is a spirit or the Spirit, it said He is 674 00:48:57,160 --> 00:49:00,960 the Holy Spirit. 675 00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:07,760 That means that the Holy Spirit will not operate according to the ways of this world, the ways 676 00:49:07,760 --> 00:49:10,840 of our old nature. 677 00:49:10,840 --> 00:49:17,200 That the Holy Spirit would ever and however God would respond in any given circumstance 678 00:49:17,200 --> 00:49:22,960 is how He would prompt us to be and empower us in this life. 679 00:49:22,960 --> 00:49:27,560 And I will pray the Father and He will give you another helper that He may abide with 680 00:49:27,560 --> 00:49:28,560 you forever. 681 00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:33,560 I think only a week or two ago I was sharing about the helper in the Greek, the Parakletos, 682 00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:38,800 the one that's called alongside of us to walk with us, to empower us. 683 00:49:38,800 --> 00:49:45,040 Now this is where I see, I said before that it's holiness, to grow in holiness is a decision, 684 00:49:45,040 --> 00:49:48,140 it's a choice we make, we choose to grow. 685 00:49:48,140 --> 00:49:52,120 And so it comes back to, say you're in a place right now that you're really struggling 686 00:49:52,120 --> 00:49:57,200 and you go, Rob I'm here and everything you're saying but if you're in my shoes you would 687 00:49:57,200 --> 00:50:00,120 see that, you know, why I'm struggling. 688 00:50:00,120 --> 00:50:05,840 I love God, I love people, I just love everything about church but I'm struggling. 689 00:50:05,840 --> 00:50:11,400 Listen to what I have to say because I have seen so many people set free from bondage 690 00:50:11,400 --> 00:50:13,960 and it makes no difference what it is. 691 00:50:13,960 --> 00:50:14,960 Here it is. 692 00:50:14,960 --> 00:50:23,120 The Parakletos, the Holy Spirit, so important that you be filled with the Spirit of God. 693 00:50:23,120 --> 00:50:29,040 Now I know there are some denominations that don't believe in the infilling of the Holy 694 00:50:29,040 --> 00:50:33,640 Spirit as Pentecostals do with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. 695 00:50:33,640 --> 00:50:36,880 It is a power. 696 00:50:36,880 --> 00:50:42,560 The early church received this power not because God thought it was a good idea, it was because 697 00:50:42,560 --> 00:50:48,360 they needed it and we too need this very person, the Holy Spirit. 698 00:50:48,360 --> 00:50:52,040 So He's called alongside of us. 699 00:50:52,040 --> 00:50:57,440 It doesn't say that He's called to be in front of us or behind us. 700 00:50:57,440 --> 00:51:00,480 Holy Spirit won't push you and go on you can do it. 701 00:51:00,480 --> 00:51:01,480 He doesn't do that. 702 00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:04,680 He doesn't drag you by your shirt and say come on get in here and just, you know, He 703 00:51:04,680 --> 00:51:06,240 doesn't do that. 704 00:51:06,240 --> 00:51:09,600 He's linked in us and like beside us. 705 00:51:09,600 --> 00:51:14,800 So what He does, He will empower right choices. 706 00:51:14,800 --> 00:51:19,560 He won't empower wrong choices. 707 00:51:19,560 --> 00:51:26,520 So if I choose Lord, I don't know what to do but I know one thing is for sure. 708 00:51:26,520 --> 00:51:27,520 I don't want this anymore. 709 00:51:27,520 --> 00:51:30,600 I don't want to go down that road anymore. 710 00:51:30,600 --> 00:51:33,840 Please help me Lord. 711 00:51:33,840 --> 00:51:38,240 And as you take that step, the Holy Spirit's been given the right. 712 00:51:38,240 --> 00:51:43,960 You've given, you've opened up to Him to help you and to empower you. 713 00:51:43,960 --> 00:51:48,720 He will empower your right choices. 714 00:51:48,720 --> 00:51:52,720 Remember a preacher told me one day he had to speak in front of Parliament and he said 715 00:51:52,720 --> 00:51:54,200 I was so scared. 716 00:51:54,200 --> 00:51:55,800 He said I was shaking in my boots. 717 00:51:55,800 --> 00:52:00,680 My knees were having fellowship with each other and he said I didn't know what to do 718 00:52:00,680 --> 00:52:02,560 and he had this idea. 719 00:52:02,560 --> 00:52:09,000 Holy Spirit, I don't think you would be nervous or scared to be able to do this. 720 00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:15,640 So could you impart into me the attributes of God, this boldness to be, some of you know 721 00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:20,440 I'm talking about just as I'm saying this and He would. 722 00:52:20,440 --> 00:52:25,800 And as He stepped out when He was in the room praying, He was still feeling this nervousness. 723 00:52:25,800 --> 00:52:31,000 This I don't feel that I'm good this, you know, a stockman farmer that all of a sudden 724 00:52:31,000 --> 00:52:33,960 it seems like you're standing in front of these very important people. 725 00:52:33,960 --> 00:52:39,280 But as He stepped out and went forward the Holy Spirit, He, here it is, and He did amazing 726 00:52:39,280 --> 00:52:41,800 things. 727 00:52:41,800 --> 00:52:50,320 Holy Spirit I think is probably one of the least spoken about people in the Bible, yet 728 00:52:50,320 --> 00:52:57,320 is the most to me, post salvation is the one that is here to empower us, to comfort us, 729 00:52:57,320 --> 00:53:00,160 to lead us, to guide us into all truth. 730 00:53:00,160 --> 00:53:01,160 Amen. 731 00:53:01,160 --> 00:53:03,280 And He is the person. 732 00:53:03,280 --> 00:53:05,240 He is powerful. 733 00:53:05,240 --> 00:53:07,320 He is good. 734 00:53:07,320 --> 00:53:12,520 So if we need to be watched by the water of the Word, the truth, we also have the Holy 735 00:53:12,520 --> 00:53:18,600 Spirit that the two, remembering the Holy Spirit is the author of the Word of God. 736 00:53:18,600 --> 00:53:25,120 He inspired it, inspired mankind to write it, but it came through Him as the Bible teaches 737 00:53:25,120 --> 00:53:26,120 us. 738 00:53:26,120 --> 00:53:32,080 He empowers our right choices to walk in holiness, and even if we feel so worthless and undeserving, 739 00:53:32,080 --> 00:53:34,040 guess what? 740 00:53:34,040 --> 00:53:35,960 Focus on the truth. 741 00:53:35,960 --> 00:53:38,320 Focus on the other side of our confession. 742 00:53:38,320 --> 00:53:39,320 What confession? 743 00:53:39,320 --> 00:53:41,220 Repentance and forgiveness. 744 00:53:41,220 --> 00:53:45,880 You see, this is what this other doctrine I was telling you about saying, you don't 745 00:53:45,880 --> 00:53:51,080 have to confess sin anymore, you don't have to acknowledge any wrongs, you just keep living 746 00:53:51,080 --> 00:53:54,880 and God will just be in front of you all the time, fixing up your sin. 747 00:53:54,880 --> 00:53:56,360 Never, don't be sin conscious. 748 00:53:56,360 --> 00:53:57,680 I agree with that. 749 00:53:57,680 --> 00:54:01,600 But they're saying, don't you ever, ever think that you have to repent for anything you do 750 00:54:01,600 --> 00:54:04,600 wrong or confess anything you do wrong because you're holy. 751 00:54:04,600 --> 00:54:08,760 And so because you're holy, you didn't really do it. 752 00:54:08,760 --> 00:54:13,280 Okay, you get where I'm coming from. 753 00:54:13,280 --> 00:54:23,160 One John one nine, that if we confess our sin to Him, it says He is faithful and just 754 00:54:23,160 --> 00:54:25,160 to forgive us. 755 00:54:25,160 --> 00:54:26,160 Forgive us of what? 756 00:54:26,160 --> 00:54:27,160 The sin. 757 00:54:27,160 --> 00:54:30,400 But it doesn't stop there. 758 00:54:30,400 --> 00:54:40,360 And to cleanse us, sanctify us, wash us clean from all unrighteousness. 759 00:54:40,360 --> 00:54:49,640 This is another facet of sanctification that is so valuable in the Christian church today. 760 00:54:49,640 --> 00:54:57,400 That if we desire to be holy, which we do, and that is a wonderful thing to desire. 761 00:54:57,400 --> 00:55:01,960 But know this, that if you feel that you have failed, you haven't. 762 00:55:01,960 --> 00:55:07,200 If you feel that you're not making the grade, that you're not cutting it. 763 00:55:07,200 --> 00:55:10,480 Yes you are. 764 00:55:10,480 --> 00:55:13,800 Christ in you is your hope of glory. 765 00:55:13,800 --> 00:55:17,640 And the same Jesus said, I am never ever going to turn my back on you. 766 00:55:17,640 --> 00:55:20,080 I'm never going to walk away from you. 767 00:55:20,080 --> 00:55:21,760 When you invited me into your life, I'm there. 768 00:55:21,760 --> 00:55:24,760 I'm going to be there right to the end. 769 00:55:24,760 --> 00:55:29,640 And so therefore, when we keep that in mind, that we think, hang on a minute. 770 00:55:29,640 --> 00:55:31,520 Yes, that wasn't a good choice. 771 00:55:31,520 --> 00:55:33,680 No, that was a wrong thing to say. 772 00:55:33,680 --> 00:55:35,720 That was not the best way to treat someone. 773 00:55:35,720 --> 00:55:39,920 It was not the best thing to see, watch, listen or go to. 774 00:55:39,920 --> 00:55:43,960 But I've come to the point now and realizing, Lord, please forgive me. 775 00:55:43,960 --> 00:55:49,440 And the scripture says that he will forgive you and he won't leave it at that. 776 00:55:49,440 --> 00:55:50,360 He'll cleanse you. 777 00:55:50,360 --> 00:55:58,920 The sanctification just happening again and again, every time that we confess to the Lord. 778 00:55:58,920 --> 00:56:00,640 Amen. 779 00:56:00,640 --> 00:56:02,800 The sanctifying work of God. 780 00:56:02,800 --> 00:56:04,280 Choose to be holy. 781 00:56:04,280 --> 00:56:08,120 Make that choice every day in our life. 782 00:56:08,120 --> 00:56:10,040 Choose to be holy. 783 00:56:10,040 --> 00:56:13,800 You ever lay in bed at night and just think about being in heaven? 784 00:56:13,800 --> 00:56:15,560 Have you ever done that? 785 00:56:15,560 --> 00:56:18,480 Some of you are thinking, you know, I'm not that far off it anyway. 786 00:56:18,480 --> 00:56:24,320 So the reality is. 787 00:56:24,320 --> 00:56:32,360 It's good to imagine what the scriptures say about the holiness of God's throne, his presence. 788 00:56:32,360 --> 00:56:41,720 And place yourself there, think, man, just standing in his holiness. 789 00:56:41,720 --> 00:56:50,000 To know that God himself in that different realm altogether has called you to be holy here on earth. 790 00:56:50,000 --> 00:56:57,360 To make a difference here on earth, to be God's spokesperson, to be his mouth, his hands, his feet. 791 00:56:57,360 --> 00:57:00,720 The world looks and sees you. 792 00:57:00,720 --> 00:57:08,080 You may be the last chance of somebody's hope in God. 793 00:57:08,080 --> 00:57:18,560 Allow Christ to shine in you, allow your decisions to be clear before all, regardless who they may be. 794 00:57:18,560 --> 00:57:27,040 Because so many people are quietly relying or maybe looking for a champion, someone in the workplace, 795 00:57:27,040 --> 00:57:33,560 someone in a home thinking I'm too weak to speak up, but would there be a champion to speak up for me? 796 00:57:33,560 --> 00:57:36,080 You might be that champion. 797 00:57:36,080 --> 00:57:43,960 You might be that person that Christ has in any given place that would stand up and say, you know what, I have to say this. 798 00:57:43,960 --> 00:57:46,360 I don't want to be disrespectful, but I disagree. 799 00:57:46,360 --> 00:57:49,120 And the answer is no, I will not support that. 800 00:57:49,120 --> 00:57:58,200 You'd be surprised how many people come behind you and say, I wish I had the courage to do that. 801 00:57:58,200 --> 00:58:00,920 Be holy. It's OK to be holy. 802 00:58:00,920 --> 00:58:02,400 It's OK to be different. 803 00:58:02,400 --> 00:58:06,880 It's OK not to run with the crowds. It is OK. 804 00:58:06,880 --> 00:58:09,640 Choose to be holy. 805 00:58:09,640 --> 00:58:12,040 Ask the Holy Spirit. 806 00:58:12,040 --> 00:58:21,080 Check my attitude, how I deal with people, how I respond, what I do, our behavior as it says, be holy in our behavior. 807 00:58:21,080 --> 00:58:22,840 It's a choice we make. 808 00:58:22,840 --> 00:58:26,560 And I know you're doing that. It's wonderful. 809 00:58:26,560 --> 00:58:31,800 But I want it today to be an encouragement to each and every one of us. 810 00:58:31,800 --> 00:58:34,320 That it's a good thing to be holy. 811 00:58:34,320 --> 00:58:36,160 It's not an old dying thing. 812 00:58:36,160 --> 00:58:40,160 It's not like that fell off the ark and that's no longer needed. 813 00:58:40,160 --> 00:58:43,840 Holiness is what's missing in society today. 814 00:58:43,840 --> 00:58:48,160 With holiness comes godly conviction. Amen. 815 00:58:48,160 --> 00:58:57,760 Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you, Almighty God, that your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. 816 00:58:57,760 --> 00:59:00,360 What will we do without your word? 817 00:59:00,360 --> 00:59:08,960 And, Father, when we read the word of God, there are times we know that it instructs us, it corrects us. 818 00:59:08,960 --> 00:59:16,520 And, Lord, that we wouldn't fight it, but we would embrace it and that we would yield to the truth of your word. 819 00:59:16,520 --> 00:59:28,400 And Holy Spirit, we ask that you would continue to walk with us because it's our desire today to be holy, just as you are holy, just as you are holy. 820 00:59:28,400 --> 00:59:33,840 The Lord, that we may know you just that more in the name of Jesus. 821 00:59:33,840 --> 00:59:41,720 And I pray for people today that may be struggling with certain areas in life. 822 00:59:41,720 --> 00:59:47,800 Holy Spirit, I ask that you would come upon them right now where they are. 823 00:59:47,800 --> 00:59:53,440 And if that's you today, reach out to the Holy Spirit. 824 00:59:53,440 --> 00:59:56,080 Ask him, Holy Spirit, help me. 825 00:59:56,080 --> 00:59:57,920 I need your help. 826 00:59:57,920 --> 00:59:58,960 Please help me. 827 00:59:58,960 --> 01:00:00,640 And he will. 828 01:00:00,640 --> 01:00:07,360 And, Lord, I pray that there would be breakthrough in the lives of so many people in the name of Jesus. 829 01:00:07,360 --> 01:00:08,920 We all say it. 830 01:00:08,920 --> 01:00:10,080 Amen. Amen. 831 01:00:19,040 --> 01:00:20,240 Thank you for joining us. 832 01:00:20,240 --> 01:00:22,880 We pray God's richest blessing on your life. 833 01:00:22,880 --> 01:00:27,560 If you haven't already, make sure to join us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. 834 01:00:27,560 --> 01:00:31,520 You can also find us at LoganCityChristianChurch.com. 835 01:00:31,520 --> 01:00:57,800 See you next week.