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And then moving quickly over to...

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How scary time to see the kind of growth that we've seen.

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So we need to bathe this in prayer.

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I appreciate what Dick said tonight and that song that we sang about all the time power.

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Because that's what it takes to build a church.

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And you can build a crowd without building a church.

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God has not called us here to build a crowd.

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If we want to build a crowd, we can bring in hamburgers next Sunday and probably even double our size.

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But we're not particularly interested in doing that.

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God has called us here to be wise master builders and to establish a spiritual rook.

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It takes a great deal of wisdom in doing that.

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And we need a lot of prayer.

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I'm not just saying that. I'm not just glibly suggesting we should pray.

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I mean we need to truly pray.

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And to just penetrate every aspect of our ministry in prayer.

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From our children's work, our junior high and high school ministry, we're just filled with such potential.

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And obviously the outreach to the college campuses throughout this area, we're in a strategic location for them.

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The career ministry to our single career people is just waiting to blossom and explode.

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It's all right there waiting to happen.

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And then in all of our adult areas, our young couples class began I think with about five couples.

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And now we have about 30 couples that are coming as a part of that.

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And so there is so much that's taking place and how we need God's ministry during this time to us.

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We must not think that we are producing it or that we and ourselves can't even be good stewards of what's taking place.

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What is taking place is of God and I want it to remain that way.

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And the only way we can see that happen is for us to be marching in prayer on our knees.

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So I hope that you'll join me in that.

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As a result of next Saturday, I don't know what could happen.

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In some of the things that have happened in the past with our church in Edina, we have seen a return of 18 percent.

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That is if 100 homes were visited, 18 families visited.

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And whether we'll see that kind of return and this massive of an outreach or not, only God knows.

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But obviously next Sunday, who knows what could show up here at church and who could show up here at church.

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You know, it's possible, we had nearly 600 this morning, it's possible we could have 800 next week or two weeks from today.

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And that's what's scary.

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So let's just pray.

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God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound, healthy mind.

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And it's that sound, healthy mind I want to maintain right now, I think.

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Obviously we're in need of another full-time staff member.

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And we're thinking right now primarily in the area of personal education.

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We want to do a better job, especially with our children.

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We want that whole area to be fine-tuned so that we can minister to families.

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And we're asking the Lord right now for direction regarding that.

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But before it can happen, we have to have more commitment financially.

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Our financial commitment has grown unbelievably.

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When it began last March, the auditors indicated very clearly to me that they did not expect us to financially take care of ourselves this year.

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And that if we were in the red as much as $25,000 or $30,000 by December, that they would not be the least bit concerned about that.

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But as it turns out, we are only behind, quote unquote, about $6,000 after these more now than seven months of ministry.

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With all of the expansion and the additional staff that we've seen, right now we're at that critical point.

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We need another staff member.

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Before that can happen, before that person can be on scene, we have to find them and get God's mind.

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And that has to be the financial commitment on our part so that we will be able to underwrite the full-time ministry of that individual.

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So pray with us about these important matters.

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When you see Dave Sulak running around here with his tongue hanging out to his bar button, there's a reason for that.

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He's running in circles.

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And I thank God for him.

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He's a faithful Yolk fellow.

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It's a delight to have him on the staff.

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He's been up on the roof and down in the basement and in his study and all over the place this week.

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And we need additional help.

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So you pray for our staff now and pray for the additional ones that God will bring here.

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Well, that's enough.

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Get your tongue in there.

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Now let's consider tonight what God would have for us.

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I'll hear about that tomorrow.

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What God would have for us tonight.

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I want to speak about a theme this evening that is, I suppose, often mentioned.

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And that is too little understood by too many of us.

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It is the will of God.

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Does God have a specific will regarding my vocation?

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Does God have in mind the person that I should marry?

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How do I know if I should go to this college or to that school?

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Does God have a pleasure in mind for me in these things?

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Is there something that would please him?

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If so, then how can I know the will of God in these matters?

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These are practical questions.

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And I suppose all of us have asked a few of them at some time or another.

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What is the will of God?

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What we know ultimately God's will is what is found in Romans 8, verses 28 and 29.

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Would you turn there with me?

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God has clearly told us in his will what his ultimate will for us is, his purpose.

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Now all of us nearly have memorized verse 28, I suppose.

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It says, We know that our things work together for God, to them that love God,

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to them who are the called according to his purpose, his will.

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For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,

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that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

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God is so well pleased with his Son Jesus Christ that he wants a whole heaven full of people just like him.

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And that is exactly what his purpose is for you and for me who trusted the Lord.

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It is his purpose that we be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, both inwardly and outwardly.

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God's purpose will be realized, there is absolutely no doubt about that.

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The work that God has started in us, he will finish.

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It is the day of Jesus Christ and we are caught up to be with our Lord in the rapture.

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At that moment we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

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God's purpose ultimately will be accomplished in the life of every Christian.

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But, does God have any will that is taking place in me right now?

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And the answer to that is absolutely yes.

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You see, in the Bible there are some things that are specifically said to be the will of God.

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Did you know that?

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I really have no right to ask what does God want regarding my vocation,

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or what does God want me to do regarding my education,

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until first I have gone to this book and have discovered what God has already specifically said is his will for me.

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I might first tonight consider a couple of these things, which God specifically has already stated is his will.

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Would you turn please to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

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We are all familiar with the last part of the chapter, which speaks about the rapture.

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I will not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep,

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that you saw not even as others who have no hope, and so on.

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When was the last time you read the first part of the chapter?

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For in these verses we find one of the things that is said to be the will of God for us.

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There is no question about it. You don't have to pray about it. You don't have to fast.

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You can know right now tonight this is the will of God.

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Verse 1, Furthermore then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus,

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that as ye have received of us how ye opt to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

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For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

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For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication,

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that ever none of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor,

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not in the lust of sensuality, even as the Gentiles who know not God.

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That no man go beyond and deflod his brother in the matter,

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because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you when testified.

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For God has not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness.

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He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who have also given unto us his Holy Spirit.

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Let's pray.

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Now, Father, I pray that you will speak to us through this word,

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and that we might come to an understanding tonight of the revealed will of God.

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And then by your grace that we may be able to put that into practice in our lives, in Jesus' name.

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What is the will of God for your life and for mine?

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Answer number one is separation from sin.

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That is the will of God for you, separation from sin.

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In verse 3 it says, this is the will of God even your sanctification.

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And that's one of those ten bottle of theological words, sanctification.

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What does it mean?

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Well, in the English Bible there are a number of words that are all related to the same original word.

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Those are the words, saint, sanctify, sanctification, holy, holiness.

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They are all related to a word in the original language, which simply means to set apart.

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They all mean basically that a saint is one who has been set apart.

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To sanctify something means to set it apart.

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To be holy means to be set apart.

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There is a negative and a positive aspect to it.

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When you set something apart, you set it apart from something to something else.

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God's will for us is that we be set apart from sin unto himself.

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That's what sanctification is all about.

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It is used in the Bible of things, material things.

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For example, it is used of the vessels of the tabernacle and the temple of the Old Testament.

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The instruments that were used as a part of the sacrifices.

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They were to be sanctified, God said, by a ceremonial cleansing and the sprinkling of blood.

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Now there was no moral implication involved.

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It simply meant that these vessels, whatever they were made, were set apart from an ordinary use to a special use.

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To be used only in the service of God.

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Thus they were sanctified.

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Another example is when Israel went into Jericho.

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You remember the mighty victory came through God's miraculous power.

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And God said, now when you go into the city, you are not to touch any of the things.

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You are to destroy everything except for the vessels that are made out of gold and silver and bronze and iron.

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Those you are to keep for they are holy unto the Lord.

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H-O-L-Y.

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What does that mean?

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God said those vessels are now to be set apart from whatever their use was before.

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To be used in my service in the tabernacle.

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Those vessels became holy and so it is used of things.

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But the primary way we are thinking of it is when this idea of being set apart is used of people.

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That's the context of our text tonight.

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We who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ are said to have been sanctified.

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That is a position that we have because of our relationship to God through Christ.

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Come with me back to the book of Acts for a moment.

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Chapter 26.

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Let me see an example of this.

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Paul as he speaks before Agrippa to defend himself gives his testimony.

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He explains what happened to him on the road to Damascus in verse 15.

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Paul says, and I said, Who art thou Lord? Acts 26.15. And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

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And then he quotes the Lord as saying, but rise and stand upon thy feet for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose.

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To make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen and of those things in which I will appear unto thee.

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Delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee.

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To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God.

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That they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith that is in need.

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So Paul has given his commission to go primarily to the Gentiles but to the Jews as well.

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To preach the Gospels that their eyes may be opened, that they may be turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God.

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That they may have a forgiveness of sins and receive an inheritance among those who are sanctified, who are set apart.

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At the moment that an individual trusts the Lord Jesus Christ, he is in the mind by the act of God sanctified.

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In the mind of God by the act of God sanctified or set apart from sin, from Satan unto righteousness and unto God.

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The moment that you trusted Christ assuming that you have, what happened to you?

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You may not have felt it take place, indeed you did not.

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But it nonetheless occurred, you were sanctified.

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It makes no difference how rough your past may have been, how deep the stain of sin may have been in your life.

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If you trusted Jesus Christ, if you have trusted Christ, you have been sanctified.

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Let me remind you of what Paul says to some of the Corinthians.

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Some of them were involved in thievery and covetousness, immorality of every kind, drunkenness, they were extortioners.

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And he says, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

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What does he say to those people who are involved in these gross sins?

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He says, when you trusted Jesus Christ, you were sanctified.

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You were set apart to a holy use, to a special use.

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And what sanctification is based upon your faith and upon Christ's work for you.

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So that is one aspect of our sanctification.

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It is a position that we have, that was given to us at the moment of salvation.

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But there's another important aspect, and that is our practice.

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The one is what we are, what I'm speaking of now in practice is how we live.

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Sanctification is a very practical doctrine because it has to do with the way that you and I live day after day.

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Those of us who have been coming together on Wednesday night for Bible study and prayer have been looking into what the Bible says about the fear of the Lord.

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We have found that one of the results of the fear of the Lord is that we separate ourselves from a sinful lifestyle.

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And the key verse for that is 2 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1.

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Verses, having therefore these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

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The word holiness is the same basic word we're looking at now.

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He is saying, brothers, God has given to us a marvelous promise.

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He has said, if you will separate yourselves from the unclean things, separate yourselves from those things that are unrighteous, then you will be my sons and my daughters.

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And he says, we have these promises, therefore let us cleanse ourselves and perfect holiness in the fear of God.

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Sanctification on the one hand is the work of God.

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It is the work of the Holy Spirit.

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But there is another aspect to it which we have to cooperate with God.

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We are responsible for working with God, and that's why Paul says we're to cleanse ourselves from every filthiness of the flesh,

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those bodily kinds of sins, and of the spirit, the mind, the world, the emotions, the inward kinds of sins.

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Of both aspects of sin, we are to cleanse ourselves by to perfect holiness.

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That is to allow God's work of sanctification to be brought to completion, to fulfillment in our lives.

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Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

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This is a very practical thing, dealing with my lifestyle, my conduct, and whether or not I'm living according to my calling.

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Let me try to illustrate it this way.

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I was born Dylan Clark on April 24th, back a few years ago, 1945.

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I was born into a family.

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By virtue of the fact I had a certain father and a certain mother, I was related to a family, and my last name is Clark.

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That is a position I have received in life.

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I didn't ask for it.

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It's mine. It was given to me.

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It was a work beyond my power.

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I was born with that relationship.

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But now that I bear that name, Clark, I must live in such a way that I bring honor to my family name.

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I can remember growing up as a young person that I wanted to be careful that I did not do anything that would bring shame to our family.

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How many of you can identify with that?

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I wanted to be careful that in my actions, the way that I lived, I did not disgrace the Call family.

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You see, on the one hand, I have a position as a member of the Call family.

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On the other hand, I have a lifestyle that I want to bring honor to that family name.

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I want to bring that across spiritually.

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I was born into God's family back in 1954.

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It was the act of God.

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I was given a position as a child, as a son of God.

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It was God's work of grace in my life.

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I was sanctified.

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I was set apart from the world unto God at that point.

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Now my concern is that my lifestyle, my conduct, be not disgraceful to my spiritual family.

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You see, those are the two aspects of sanctification.

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On the one hand, it's a position I have.

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On the other hand, it's a practice.

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It's the way that I live.

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And that's what Paul is getting at, going back now to 1 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, excuse me, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.

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The pastor tells us here that there are three parts to this matter of my sanctification in my lifestyle, my conduct.

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He says, this is the will of God, even your sanctification.

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And now he gives three specific phrases that explain what he means.

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And the one, that you should abstain from fornication.

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We know what fornication is.

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It is sexual immorality.

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It is any sexual relationship that is outside of the holy bonds of marriage for which God has created it.

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That is fornication.

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And God's will for me is my sanctification, which includes abstaining from sexual immorality.

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Now this word abstain means to hold yourself away from it, to push it away, not to even brush up against it,

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but to keep yourself completely away from sexual immorality.

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He goes on to explain it further.

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He says that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor,

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not in the lust of sensuality or in the flaming passion of lust.

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Every one of you should know how to possess his vessel.

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There is a difference of interpretation of Galilee people as to what vessel means here.

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There are those who believe that when he speaks of the vessel, he's speaking about the wife.

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And he's saying that each man should know how to possess his wife,

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that is to conduct himself in his marriage relationship to keep himself pure.

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He should know how to possess his wife, his vessel, in sanctification and in honor.

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Marriage is honorable, the marriage bed is undefiled according to God's word.

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And that's part of sanctification.

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He says here that you should abstain from fornication, that's kind of a negative for us,

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but in the positive sense that you should possess your vessel.

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He may mean your wife.

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Now frankly, I don't think that's the meaning of vessel here, it's a possibility.

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It seems to me that Paul is addressing more than just men here.

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I think he's speaking to women too.

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And I think he's speaking to more than just married men.

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He's speaking to all the believers.

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And so I think that vessel in this sense has a broader meaning.

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It was used with the wife in 1 Peter chapter 3,

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but here I believe he's speaking about one's body.

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That too is called a vessel in the Bible.

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And it seems to me that that's what Paul has in mind.

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He's saying whether man or woman, married or unmarried, all of us should possess our bodies,

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acquire mastery over our bodies, here's the thought, in sanctification and honor.

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Not allowing our bodies to get out of control with the lust of sensuality like those who do not know God.

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Now that does not need to be illustrated to any of us that live in 20th century America.

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As we work around this, we see it on the blue tube,

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we cannot escape the lust of sensuality, the flaming passions of the unsaved of our day.

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We can't escape being confronted with it, but we can escape participating in it.

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And that's part of sanctification.

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Now there's a third part here.

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He says in verse 6, that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in the matter,

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because the Lord is the avenger of all such.

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In other words, none of us transgress, that's what go beyond has to say there,

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and wrong his brother in this matter.

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The idea is that none of us should arouse in another person desires which cannot be righteously fulfilled.

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That's the thought.

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It involves young people who are dating, it involves office relationships, neighbor relationships.

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He's saying the part of sanctification, and brother is this practical,

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is that we do not go beyond the bounds of propriety

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and cause arousal of feelings in another individual that cannot be fulfilled in the role of God.

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Do not go beyond and wrong your brother, he says, in this matter.

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Very specific, in the matter I'm talking about, he says.

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He says God is the avenger of those who are taken advantage of in that way.

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Then he says God has not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness.

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And he says he who despises what I'm saying or rejects what I'm saying,

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is not rejecting me, but is rejecting God who has given to us his Holy Spirit.

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And so we're talking tonight about what is the role of God for me.

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The role of God is my separation from sin, and Paul specifically applies it to sexual purity.

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Abstaining from every kind of sexual immorality, possessing my vessel,

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meaning acquiring mass over my body with sanctification and honor,

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and not allowing it to erupt in a flame of passion,

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and then not creating in someone else unrighteous desires.

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God has called us to purity, to holiness.

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And how is that realized?

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For all of us know the kind of pressures that we face, whether old or young.

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There's not a lot of us here tonight who is not aware very keenly of the kind of temptations that are around us everywhere,

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and the kind of stress we're put under in the very area we're talking about.

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How can we know victory?

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Well, there are a couple of things that God has done for us.

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In the first place, he says here he has given us his Holy Spirit.

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What kind of a spirit? His Holy Spirit.

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The Holy Spirit dwells within us, and he is there with the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.

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He is there to make real to us the victory that Christ accomplished for us through his death and resurrection.

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According to Romans chapter 6, we have died to sin,

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and we have been raised together with Christ that we might walk in newness of life.

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It is the Holy Spirit who is within us that makes that real.

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We don't have time to expound upon that, as I would like to,

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but just know that truth and study it for yourself that God has given us his Holy Spirit.

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And we are not the hapless victims of temptation at all.

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We are by the grace of God victors over it.

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We need not yield to temptation.

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It is possible to know victory over temptation. Indeed, that is the will of God.

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And by the way, has God given us his Holy Spirit, but he has given us this book.

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You say, what good is that? Oh, you love it.

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Jesus said, sanctify them through thy truth.

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Thy word is truth.

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You see, this book is one of the agents by which God sets us apart and gives us victory.

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Right now, he is washing us by the water of the word.

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Therewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to thy word.

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Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.

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It has been often said, I can remember it as a child.

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It is true today, it will be true forever.

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This book will keep me from sin, for sin will keep me from this book.

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God has not only given us the Holy Spirit to live within us,

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to show us the victory that Christ has accomplished,

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but he has given us this book.

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And as you and I meditate on the words of this book, what does it do?

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It restores and refreshes our minds.

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Our minds are the battlefield.

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This is where the battle takes place with temptation, it's in the mind.

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And this book right here is where we find the victory.

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It cleanses the mind.

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It restores the mind. It sets us apart.

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Sanctification is a very practical thing.

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How much time are you spending in the book?

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Are you consciously aware of the Holy Spirit's ministry throughout each day?

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As we become more aware of the Spirit's presence and his ministry in our lives,

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as we spend more time in the book, meditating upon the words of God,

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we have victory and we know what it means to be sanctified and set apart

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in this very practical area we've talked about.

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What is the will of God for me?

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It is that I be separated from sin unto God and unto holiness.

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Let's pray.

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Father, we struggle with sin.

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Part of the problem may be that we are fighting for victory instead of fighting from victory.

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We thank you for the victory that you have given us through Jesus Christ.

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We thank you that we are not only raised with him, but we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies.

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We can know his victory day by day over temptation.

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We thank you that we, the work of the Spirit and the work of the world,

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are being set apart in our conduct and our lifestyle so that we don't bring disgrace to your name.

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This week, may we bear the name Child of God with dignity and honor

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and bestow on men to inquire after us as to how we're different

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and then give us the courage to tell them why and to share our faith.

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May we this week be a holier people than we have been in the past.

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We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

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I'd like for us to conclude by singing, and Dick, you can look up the number if you will.

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Take time to be holy. Speak oft with thy Lord.

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Holiness does not happen overnight.

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422, thank you, is the number.

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These are great words that we're going to sing. I hope that you will note them.

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And allow us, my share together, this aspiration of holiness.

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Take time to be holy. Speak oft with thy Lord.

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Now, if you have a particular need to know, we encourage you to come.

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We might pray with you and help you.

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Please feel free to slip out and meet us here at the front.

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Both of us sharing the singing and this invitation here is concluding here.

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Let's stand together.