Holy Living is a Choice - Pastor Rob Urban

Welcome to Logan City Christian Church podcast where we bring God's Word to you weekly.

We pray that what you hear will bring clarity to your situation and open doors in your life.

Enjoy the message.

Hallelujah.

You know that worship song will just never grow old.

It's anointed and it'll always remain that way.

Praise God.

Thank you, Pastor Betty, for the wonderful communion message.

It was just so inspiring.

And I hope you don't mind me saying this, but from the most senior person in the church,

we honor you, we respect you, and you've been a great influence in Chantelle's life and

my life.

And you're just a wonderful person, wonderful Christian.

And being a wonderful pastor that's influenced so many, probably more than you'll ever, ever

notice.

I just want to take that time to say thank you.

Thank you.

Praise the Lord.

It's a good thing to note those who labor amongst us and do what they do.

And I just know at many conferences that I've been to, the work and the effort that's been

put in will just never, you'll see the seeds of it are standing before you.

And it's great.

For the fruit of the works been sown.

Praise be to God.

You know, I've had a wonderful week.

Just give me a minute.

I'm trying to find myself here.

Normally I get prepared down there with the Bible and stuff, but I got taken away in worship

and just trying to find where I am.

Welcome today.

It's lovely to have you guys with us.

It's just such a wonderful thing to come together, to worship God together, and to be together

and strengthen one another.

You know, last week I spoke on the holiness of God and I never finished the message as

I really do.

I could probably guess why.

But I just felt the Lord say to me, I want you to finish what he'd given me from last

week.

And so the holiness of God is such an amazing thing that I believe without his word, the

word of God, explaining and expressing to us, describing who God is, our natural minds

wouldn't be able to comprehend it.

And we still can't because God lives outside of our time.

He lives outside of our...

I mean, God is God.

He's everywhere.

But God is holy.

And he doesn't operate the way that we may think that he does.

And God is outside of this realm that things change.

The Bible says that, you know, he is God and he changes not.

So if God changes not, that means that who he is and what he's established must be good.

So that means it doesn't need to be changed because what God has established and who God

is, is already perfect.

And when we embrace that truth to know that God will never change, it means that God doesn't

have to change because he is absolute truth, he is absolute light, he is absolute holy,

he is absolute love.

And so when we embrace that, that we begin to change our lives to the very person who

God is.

And today, I want to finish last week's message and continue, but I just tweaked it a little

bit.

I want to encourage each and every one of us today that it is a wonderful thing to do

as a child of God and that is to grow in holiness, to grow in holiness.

And so, you know, I've got so much I could say, but I'm going to try and stick to what

I've got written here so I don't have what happened last week and only do half of your

message.

But anyway, so much is spoken about global warming.

We heard global warming, global warming.

And then there was this massive freeze in different states in the US and over in Europe

and places were frozen over and so it got changed now to climate change from global

warming.

Well, it's not getting hot now, it's freezing, so we'll just call it climate change.

And so we as Christians need to be alert to the climate change in society, that this society

is changing all the time, but at the meantime, we are serving a God that says, I change not.

And so here we are, we can be influenced by the radical changes that are happening in

society and out of the guise of love, we think, well, I need to accept and, you know, embrace

what is new, what is the in thing.

But the Bible actually says that, you know, you don't have to, what God ordains, we embrace

and what God approves, we live.

But what the world deems as progressive or, you know, a change, there's no way that God

says that you have to embrace that.

And so we're talking about the decline of morality, respect, honor.

We're seeing the rise of self centeredness in society on the increase and it's accelerating

at phenomenal speed and rebellion to authority.

You see, respecting others is a Christian value.

It's a Christian virtue.

You know, I remember when I grew up, my parents had taught me and even at school, that they

would teach us things like when you're on public transport and you see a lady or even

a girl your own age, you give your seat to the lady.

How often do we see that today?

You know, it's, as I said about things in decline, I was, Chantelle and I were on a

train, we don't travel public transport much at all for this very reason for me.

One, I don't handle crowds too often and rowdy, unruly people.

I'd rather just keep away from that when we're having a day off.

But it really alerted me, my conscience, my inner being as to how often we see in public

settings where a person, a man or a guy will push in line in front of elderly people in

the supermarket and I'm just thinking, where do they get this from?

You see, there's a breakdown somewhere.

We weren't taught that when I was at school, when I was at home.

We were taught very differently that you respect others and especially men that we respect

women, ladies, that we give them the honour that is due to them.

And you know, things like opening a car door for your wife.

I remember a particular preacher, I won't mention his name, but it was so funny.

He was at a conference and this car pulled up and a lady was in the passenger side and

he thought, I'll open the door for her.

And he opened up the door for her and she got out and she said, I can do it myself.

Do you think I'm a paraplegic?

And he was shocked.

And so it can happen both ways.

As far as men, we honour women.

And women, allow men to honour you.

Allow men to open the door for you.

Men, we listening today?

These are little things you might think, well, what's this got to do with holiness?

You see, holiness is a Christian attribute.

It's our character.

It's our behaviour.

And I'm going to get to that in just a moment.

And all the ladies, I'm sure, are feeling really encouraged right now.

But I haven't finished the message.

Praise the Lord.

How about when you're walking along the road and holding your wife or guy's girlfriend's

hand and if you're married, you've got a girlfriend, I'll be talking to you later.

But you would walk, you would stand on the curbside and she would stand more closer away

from the road.

Who remembers those things that we were taught?

Well, hands going up, I felt the wind of those hands going up.

And that's good.

Now, the next question is, with those hands that were raised, how often do we do it?

Half of the hands, that's right.

You see, we can forget you're a bit of a late comer, late bloomer, Ian, but you got there

eventually.

Okay.

Yeah.

That's the plan.

But there is a decline.

There is a decline in morality in society.

I remember where we lived, our neighbours weren't called, hey, go Mr. Smith.

I mean, Smilly, we called him Mr. Smith or Mr. So-and-so.

Mr. So-and-so.

That we didn't grow up with this first name basis with your neighbours or elders or the

butcher or whoever it was.

It was Mr. So-and-so or Mr. Baker or Mr. Butcher.

It was just ingrained into us this respect for people.

But we're not seeing that like I remember it, especially how it used to be.

Can anybody say amen to that this morning?

And it's fading away.

And I believe society has almost lost the value of respect and honour.

You see, this was something that was taught to us.

Amen.

It was valued.

And I believe holiness is something the Bible teaches us that we need to have a value of

holies, need to value holiness.

You know, a person might say that, what does it mean to honour, let's say, your mother

and father?

To honour your mother and father, the word honour actually means to place apprised value

on them.

And if we lose that value of our parents, that's where strife comes in.

That's what happens.

If in a marriage that husband begins to dishonour his wife or vice versa, that means that they

have devalued their wife or their husband.

And that's when criticism comes in and things that damage relationships because the value

of that person has been diminished.

And most times you can find it's by association.

That's how it happens.

Someone that you're hanging around, someone that's influencing you.

And it's very dangerous.

We are seeing that this holiness is something that I believe that is one of the first steps

of Christianity once we've been saved is that to walk in holiness.

Holiness, I believe, is a wonderful thing.

Now people, as I said last week, will say, when I got born again, I was 100% holy and

anything after that is works if I try and be holy.

No, that's not correct.

We were made holy, but the Bible has a lot to say about our progression in holiness.

Our salvation, we didn't earn it.

We didn't do anything to deserve it.

The Bible says that we can't, that it's a free gift of God so that we don't boast,

that we appreciate the work of grace, this free gift of salvation.

We could not ever, ever earn it.

However, once we are saved, holiness is the evidence of a saved life.

That a person desires to live and continue and grow in holiness.

And it's just really that simple.

And so holiness in the life of a Christian is so, so important.

We are seeing this problem in society.

Some of you guys that have been in ministry a lot longer than me have said, Rob, we've

seen it.

We experienced this when we were in ministry back in the 70s and 80s.

And that is this, what would you call it, seeing that society is feeling and adjusting

to the room temperature of what is the norm, considered the norm.

So you heard the saying about how do you boil a frog in a pot of water.

You heard that one?

Easy.

If you had the water boiling and you dropped it in, the frog would want to jump out, right?

But what you do is you put the pot on the stove, room temperature water, and you put

the frog in and you turn the hop plate on very low.

And so what happens, that frog sitting in there thinking, oh, this is my climate.

This is where I'm at.

But what he doesn't realise is minute by minute the water temperature is increasing and his

body is starting to adapt to the water temperature that's increasing so slowly that it doesn't

realise it until it's too late.

And we are seeing this happening in Christian churches today.

It's the frog in the pot.

By the time we realise that the water is cooking us, it may be too late.

Growing in holiness is an essential part of our relationship with God.

I'm going to read again 1 Peter chapter 1 from verse 13.

1 Peter 1 · chapter mention

I was there last week, which I believe is just so, I hold it so highly valued.

I honour the word of God.

Do you honour the word of God this morning?

And the word of God is true.

It says here, therefore, gird up the loins of your mind and be sober and rest your hope

fully on the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Verse 14, as obedient children, not conforming yourself to the former lust as in your ignorance,

but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct because it is

written, be holy for I am holy.

Now God's word is making a statement.

It's not a suggestion.

God's not saying, hey, I got a great idea.

If you choose to do this, it'll work for you.

But he's, you know, he just said, if you want to be holy, be a good idea to be holy.

No, the scripture, the way that it's written, it says be, be.

In other words, God's done something.

He's left us standing on a platform of possibilities, which is our salvation.

And he's saying from this point on, it's your choice to grow in holiness.

Be holy.

It's an encouragement of such a depth that is so amazing.

But notice what it says in verse 14, as children, not conforming yourselves to the former lust

as in your ignorance.

Before we were Christians, there were things that we did that we weren't aware of that

was wrong.

The unsaved, you know, we're doing things and but when we get saved, we start reading

in the word of God things we go, oh man, I didn't know.

I didn't realize that wasn't God's best for my life.

Not long after I got saved, every time it seemed like I picked up a Bible to read it,

it was like, oh, you can't do that.

You read something else, oh, I can't do that.

And it's almost like, what can you do?

And a preacher told me one day, he said, Rob, if you focus on all the things that God has

asked you to do, you won't have time to do the things that you shouldn't do.

And it's so true.

You see, God's word is not to, you know, he doesn't want to destroy your life, he wants

to enhance your life.

And it's not like God doesn't want you to have fun, he wants you to be holy.

He wants us to be safe.

He wants to surround us in the center of his will.

And as good parents do with our children, when we're there growing up, parents will

guide them, guard them, surround them, say, no, you can't do that.

Yes, you can do that.

But today, that is considered as child abuse in some levels.

As I speak right now, we are hearing it.

I heard of a story just two weeks ago of a parent making absolutes, you know, what their

child should not do.

And next thing you know, the school was in touch with the parent.

You see, when the rights get taken off the parent to parent their children, society is

in deep trouble.

And especially within Christian circles, when we know that the word of God has given us

very clear directions on how to raise children and the world is in conflict to what we believe

and how we've been trained, there is a problem.

But it says here in our ignorance, we didn't know.

But as he who called you is holy, God has called you and God is holy.

It says here, you also be holy.

It doesn't just say just be holy.

He says be holy in all your conduct.

Oh, that means that I've got to do something.

I've got to do something.

So I need to be aware of my conduct, our conduct.

And this is where we can grow in holiness.

Holiness, growing in holiness is a choice.

Let me encourage you folks.

Holiness is a choice that we make.

It's a choice, something we choose to do.

Do we choose to be holy?

I'd say yes.

So what does holy mean?

The holy means or holiness, God's holiness.

It means of like nature with the Lord because we're different from the world.

It's a good thing to be different from the norm.

You ever heard people say, well, everybody's doing it.

Anybody heard that?

Everybody's doing so it must be right.

Is that true?

No.

Well, what's wrong with this pastor?

He's the only one that's saying something.

Not only one standing up saying that it's wrong, so he must be wrong.

And when you stand in a situation like that, you say, well, it's not so much me.

It's what I uphold.

This is how we live our lives, church.

There are so many variations now of God's word that people have engineered to adapt

to this progressive Christianity.

You see, I remember Pastor Keith Hanna said to me one day, he said it used to shock him

so deeply when he would see people, children, disrespecting elders, parents, elders.

And he said, and then over the years went by, he said he saw the things gradually getting

worse and worse and worse year by year, generation by generation to now, in many circles, it's

not considered to be a big deal that if someone's being dishonored or disrespected, especially

younger people to the elderly people.

Because now the focus has all shifted when we hear and see about transgender preachers

and this whole thing.

So the pendulum has swung that far that we look back 50 years when someone used to, it's

like, oh, that's nothing anymore.

Dishonoring people, oh, that's nothing.

We're dealing with this big stuff up here.

But no, the word of God is saying, God says, I don't change, my principles never change.

I require us as children of the living God to maintain the principles of God's word.

Amen.

And so now it's like, you know, fornication, it's like, oh, there are worse things than

fornication.

Look at what we're dealing with.

No, we can't turn our backs on that.

It's still a real deal to God and it's still a real deal to the church.

You see, generations before us, preachers, teachers, evangelists, and so on, had given

their entire lives to defend the faith, to grow the church.

Some of them had even given their lives as martyrs to see the church remain pure and

holy and strong.

And they gave all their reputations, their money, their family, everything.

They gave the lot.

For centuries, this has been going on and we are living in an hour.

We are living in an hour today that we are seeing the pressure on the Christian church

to maintain holiness within its walls.

To be that person, you to be that person, me to be that person in the family or wherever

it may be, that people can look and see that you're different, that you have a different

standard, that you don't run with the crowd, but you're a nice person, you're not judgmental,

you're not argumentive, you walk in love, but you have convictions that the Word of

God says this, I am not going to entertain that.

Is somebody with me this morning?

Amen?

Praise the Lord.

I want to look at Ephesians chapter 5 from verse 25 to 27.

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

Now this is, the Word of God is just so amazing.

The Word of God that we have with us today is a light, is a lamp unto our feet and a

lamp unto our path.

I'll probably get there in just a moment.

But God does not conform to or resemble the world and the ways of the world and neither

should we.

Ephesians chapter 5, I'm going to read from verse 25.

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

It says, husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself

for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word,

that he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any

such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

You see the analogy here is just, you know, the Bible's speaking about husband and wife,

Christ and the church.

The similarities there are striking.

But something I'd like to bring out here that I think is incredible, because many will tell

you today that as I said before, that when I was born again, that I was made holy and

anything that I try to do after that is works.

And I'm not going to take away from what Christ did in me, because when I was born again,

I was made holy.

So I'm not going to get involved with trying to do anything to build on what Christ has

done in me.

How many of us have heard that teaching?

Well, I'm glad that only three or four hands have gone up, because it is sweeping the Christian

church today like a wildfire.

And all it's doing is breeding rebellion.

That's all it's doing.

Independence, the very thing that took place in the Garden of Eden, was the devil tempted

Eve.

Just eat of this tree.

It has the ability to make you wise, that you can be independent, that you can have

your own kind of relationship with God.

When anything is off from the Word of God or amiss, it will not lead us to God, it will

lead us away from God.

There are no parallels even.

It's opposite or together.

So why am I bringing this up again two Sundays in a row?

Because we have seen many people or know of many people that have taken hold of this,

I would say, false doctrine and has led many astray.

So what is the truth in the matter?

The truth in the matter is very clear, that when you and I were born again, Christ in

us, our hope of glory, that Christ ended our life and we were justified, just as if we'd

never sinned once in our life.

Isn't that good news?

And He took away our sins when we confessed our sin to Him.

The work that Christ did in our life is enormous and is eternal.

And so we were justified just as we never ever sinned once in our life.

And that's where I believe a lot of it ceases Christianity.

But the Bible makes it very clear in three parts.

There's the justification that you and I, when we come to Christ, we experience this

wonderful work, the saving grace of God in our lives.

And we have been made clean, we've been made pure, and there is holiness in us.

It's Christ in us, our hope of glory.

But then comes the process that is very rarely spoken about, is that once we've engaged into

the family of God, the process of sanctification continues.

And sanctification means to clean, to set apart, so that there, between the Word of

God and the Holy Spirit, we begin to learn our behavior, the things we say, the things

we do, the places we go, the things we watch, the things we listen to, suddenly becomes

uncomfortable to us.

And then these things that once used to entertain us as unsafe people are things that now that

convict us.

And so in our walk with God, this sanctifying process is bringing us out of the past, of

our past sins, our past life, the things we used to do.

Like for me, getting on the juice was a big deal.

And I could, listen, I could not imagine life without seeing 40 cartons of beer in my shed.

Yep.

I mean, I'm not boasting about it, I'm just saying how, you know, the mind thinks.

And I could never imagine that life could exist without this.

But I want to let you know that when I met Jesus, I prayed, Lord, I want you to make

me sick when I drink.

After a few days, Lord, can we talk about that?

I can only have a couple of drinks and I'm sick, man.

But God kept His promise and I had to keep mine.

And whether there's alcohol around or not, for me, it makes no difference.

I'm not overrun by it anymore.

And it was something that I tried to do over and over again in my own strength and in my

own power, but I knew that I was powerless.

The more I tried, the more of a failure I felt when I failed.

And so what do you do then?

You drink more.

That's what happens.

But Christ began to work inside of me.

And when I yielded myself to Him, a grace came upon my life, an empowering ability to

do what I can't do in the natural.

And when I yielded to that and I opened up to the Lord, I can't do this myself, can you

help me?

And this sanctifying process, and after the drink, there were other things, guys, women,

ladies, men, we can all, we've all got different stories and different backgrounds that we

could talk about until the cows come home.

And I don't think any of us have any cows.

So we'll be there a long time.

But Christ does a thorough work in our life.

And so from salvation to the time of glorification, there's what we call sanctification.

And that's where God works on us to be less like the world and to be more like Him.

So what is this depicting?

Come on, somebody encourage me here.

It's holiness.

We cannot rely on the holiness at that point of salvation to get us through to the end.

It's something that needs to be developed by our choice.

That's why Peter said, he said about, you know, be holy in all your conduct.

So it's a choice.

So therefore, when I am, let's say, there's a person that really aggravates me, and they're

in the wrong and I'm in the right, which we always see that way, I'm sure anyway, but

let's just say they were really in the wrong.

And they are ripping into you.

In the natural, the old man, the old nature that we came out from, the one that should

be dead or dying, would want to defend itself, right?

But right there, you and I have a choice to make.

Am I going to let this fall on deaf ears?

Am I going to starve it of the oxygen that it's desiring?

Or am I going to feed it?

See, it's our conduct, our choices.

How we treat people is our choice.

How we handle situations, they're the choices that we make.

And our choices determine our conduct.

It's so simple.

And so Peter's saying, inspired by the Holy Ghost, the Lord's saying, hey, church, you

can do this.

Be holy in all your conduct.

What if I make a mistake?

That's all it is.

It's a mistake.

And don't leave it a mistake.

Lord, I'm sorry.

I missed it.

I got it wrong.

Please forgive me.

Please forgive me.

And he'll give you that other chance.

He'll empower you and say, hey, I'm with you.

I'll never leave you.

I'm always going to be there.

But long we'll bring out something very important here that it says that he might sanctify and

cleanse her with the washing, the water of the Word.

This here is written present continual tense.

It's not just the present done with.

Continual, washing, not washed with the water of the Word, but the washing of the water

of the Word, meaning that it's a washing that's keeping... it's washing, not washed.

Are you still with me?

I'm not a very...

I wasn't a very good student at school, but there are some things that you just see that

are just there.

There's only one kind of church that Jesus is coming back for.

You know which one it is?

A church that is holy without spot and wrinkle.

So there's a lot of emphasis on a particular church that all the apostles had made reference

to and teachers in the Word of God, Jesus making reference to it.

Be holy.

Take the time to think about it and to pray about it.

God, I want to be holy, just like you.

I want to grow in that holiness.

And when we make that decision, our walk with God gets closer and closer and closer and

closer.

Amen?

You know, let's talk about some...

I don't see any little kids here.

I don't think...

Let's just say a person's addicted to...

Let me put it this way, something they see on a screen.

Amen?

I want to let you know, whether it's substance abuse or whether it's whatever, I want to

let you know that God doesn't condemn you.

You got that?

God wants to help you.

Why?

Why would God do that?

Because He loves you.

He really, really loves you.

So, what does He do?

God will encourage you to say, Lord, I am sorry that I've been doing this.

Please help me.

And there, a great grace will come upon your life.

Somehow, the devil seems to turn that around, make you think and make anyone think that

you're beyond help, you're beyond redemption.

No, that is not true.

That is a lie of the devil.

You are still in the family of God.

God still loves you.

He's still with you and He will always be with you.

Amen.

But the washing of the water of the Word, what does the washing mean here?

This washing means a sanctifying that Christ desires to sanctify the church.

The church is us.

Now, people will say that we are the bride of Christ.

That's not until later.

We are the church, the church of Jesus Christ.

The bride is the church that when it's presented in its beauty, right at the end, when the

church is presented to Christ as the bride of Christ.

But right now, before Christ comes, before the rapture of the church, we are the church.

And that is something to, in timeline of eschatology, to remember.

We are now the church.

And so this washing is resembling and speaking about in the culture of the Galilean culture,

when a lady was betrothed to her future husband, that a year before the marriage, that for

six months she would anoint herself with oil.

And then the last six months, she would be washing herself with water.

So the bride is being prepared and being sanctified for the glorious day of the wedding.

This is a striking resemblance is what the word of God is teaching that the church, we

already have been anointed in Christ.

But then there's our part to allow the washing, the washing of the word of God to cleanse

us so that we'd be less like the world and to be more like Christ when he comes.

You see, this process here is speaking to us to encourage us to say, hey, you're on

the road of holiness.

You are here today because you love God and you're working toward it all.

And you know, we are probably at all different levels in our Christian walk.

But I know one thing is greatly desired by each and every one of us is that we want to

grow in holiness, right?

We really do.

And when we grow in holiness, when we grow closer to God, he grows closer to us.

God really does love you so much.

And so the washing, it means a sanctifying.

There it is again, the water, the purifying.

And as I mentioned, the bride purified herself and it's in preparation.

And however, for us, there is to be a holiness of heart.

The bride washed herself externally, the word of God washes us internally.

And that, I believe, is the great difference.

But the word, the washing of the water of the word, the word of God cleanses.

The word of God sanctifies.

The word of God, when we take it to heart and we listen to the word of God, it will

place us on that road of growing in holiness.

How else can we know God apart from his word?

Yes, the Holy Spirit, I know, gives us revelations, but without the word of God, how would we

ever know?

And so the word, it's the personal acceptance of God's word and the application of God's

truth that cleanses us, that sanctifies us, that leads us deeper in holiness.

Amen?

It's impossible.

It's impossible to grow in holiness if we ignore God's word.

It's impossible.

That's where we stay.

I don't say that as a judgment, I say it as it's biblical.

And so we cannot be cleansed by polluted water.

Did you know that?

Let's just say that, you know, you're riding a horse.

How many horsemen, women here?

I thought there'd be more than that.

Anyway, just say you fall off your horse and you're covered in mud.

Do you try and wash yourself off in the mud?

What's going to happen?

The natural thing that we do is we go to a place where there's clean water to wash off

the mud.

Amen?

This is what this is speaking about here, that God's word is pure.

It's pure, clean water, so to speak, and it has the ability to wash us clean if we yield

our lives to the word of God.

See, we can't be cleansed by polluted water.

We cannot be cleansed by half truths.

We can't be cleansed by modern interpretations or what they call today is cultural catch-up.

Oh, brother, you know, you're still in the dark ages.

You're not long off the arc.

You need to catch up with where the church is at today.

Of course we accept that.

We are now the church of the accommodation.

Whatever's around, we'll accommodate because of love.

But do you know, because of love, if you really love somebody, if you truly do love them and

care for them and you know they're going the wrong way and making mistakes, the love inside

of you reaches out to them and says, hang on a minute, you're going the wrong way.

Amen?

I remember a time when this particular man who had children and his marriage just didn't

work for whatever reason and he was about to make some decisions that would have really

harmed him and more so his children.

And he came to my home one day and he was very displeased with me because I wouldn't

back down from what is written.

And then he came to the church where we were, not here, a different place, and he was most

upset with me and I realized that there was no way of holding an intelligent conversation,

that this has already reached a level where it was out of control.

And I said to this man, some of you heard this story before, I said, look at your two

children here, they're playing with a ball.

If one of them kicked the ball and went over the fence onto this highway and they jumped

the fence, they're just running, just tunnel vision to get this ball and there's a big

semi coming, what would you do?

Would you just allow them to go and just see just utter destruction and...

Or would you yell out to them, stop?

Good to have you awake again, Sam.

What would you do?

What would you do?

But you see, that's deemed now is that you're controlling, it's abusive, it's directive,

it's this and it's that.

And it's like, but I said that because I love you.

Hebrews 12, it says that those whom God loves, he chastises, he corrects them, he reputes

them, reproves them.

Why does he do it?

Because he loves you.

We have a standard, we didn't write the Bible, maybe, well, I know I didn't and I'm sure

you didn't write the Bible.

We have been asked to uphold the values written within, is that right?

That is exactly right.

As children of God, we do well to focus on growing in holiness.

Second Corinthians chapter six, I'm nearly finished if you're thinking, I hope he's not

going to go on all day.

Second Corinthians chapter six, I'm going to read from verse 11.

You know, it's like I said last week, you're never going to make holiness a popular subject.

It's never going to happen.

Especially in the world we live in today, holiness is not a popular thing.

But yet it is so necessary, it is the foundations of our walk with God.

Holiness, be holy for he is holy.

I'm going to read from verse 11, please follow me in this, oh Corinthians, we have spoken

openly to you, our heart is wide open, but you are not restricted by us, but you are

restricted by your own affections.

What was happening?

The Corinthians at that time, they were thinking, oh, Paul, everything we want to do, you come

in and you say we can't do it.

The things that Paul desired for the church was holy, was pure, was right, but the Corinthians

are saying, but we've always done this before and you know, give us a break, cut us some

slack Paul.

And Paul's saying no, you've been held back by your own affections and sometimes we can

be held back by the things that we love of the world that are really in conflict with

the things of God.

In verse 12, 13, now in return for the same, I speak as to you, as to children, see now

he had to step down and say, look guys, you're not getting it, I've got to go back to the

beginning.

You also be open.

Listen to what he says.

Now what is written here was what was happening in the church and their relationship with

God was failing, it wasn't happening, there was strife in the church, there was strife

in the families, the marriages were in trouble and apostle Paul addresses some things here.

He says, do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness and what communion has light with darkness

and what accord has Christ with Belial or what part has a believer with an unbeliever

and what agreement has the temple of God with idols for you are the temple of the living

God.

God had said, I will dwell in them and I will walk among them, I will be their God and they

shall be my people.

Therefore, listen to this, come out from among them, come out from among them and be separate

says the Lord, do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you.

I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters says the Lord Almighty.

Verse 7 verse 1, therefore because of what has just been said, having these promises

beloved let us cleanse ourself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness

in the fear of the Lord.

Is it possible to grow in holiness?

Yes.

Is there a measure of responsibility on us as children of the living God to grow in holiness?

Yes there is.

Yes there is.

Praise God.

I would like to finish here, John chapter 14 verse 6, 16 sorry, John 14, 6 and this

John 14:6

is where I would like to close off.

Sometimes we may feel that, oh man you know I need someone to sit with me and to read

the word of God with me because I do desire to be holy, we all do.

It's in our nature, our new nature, we all desire to be holy and that is a good thing.

But sometimes it's like why is it that I feel that I keep falling short?

There is another person that I met back in 1994 and he is the Holy Spirit after I was

saved, I remember the day that I was baptized in the Spirit, it was an incredible experience.

My salvation experience was just indescribable.

The infilling of the Holy Spirit, this incredible power that came from on high into my life

is something that I will never ever forget.

Later on in my Christian walk I realized that this is more than just a power, it's a person

that has come into my life and empowered me and it is the Holy Spirit.

So anything that the Holy Spirit does will be holy according to His nature.

The word of God says, it doesn't just say He is a spirit or the Spirit, it said He is

the Holy Spirit.

That means that the Holy Spirit will not operate according to the ways of this world, the ways

of our old nature.

That the Holy Spirit would ever and however God would respond in any given circumstance

is how He would prompt us to be and empower us in this life.

And I will pray the Father and He will give you another helper that He may abide with

you forever.

I think only a week or two ago I was sharing about the helper in the Greek, the Parakletos,

the one that's called alongside of us to walk with us, to empower us.

Now this is where I see, I said before that it's holiness, to grow in holiness is a decision,

it's a choice we make, we choose to grow.

And so it comes back to, say you're in a place right now that you're really struggling

and you go, Rob I'm here and everything you're saying but if you're in my shoes you would

see that, you know, why I'm struggling.

I love God, I love people, I just love everything about church but I'm struggling.

Listen to what I have to say because I have seen so many people set free from bondage

and it makes no difference what it is.

Here it is.

The Parakletos, the Holy Spirit, so important that you be filled with the Spirit of God.

Now I know there are some denominations that don't believe in the infilling of the Holy

Spirit as Pentecostals do with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.

It is a power.

The early church received this power not because God thought it was a good idea, it was because

they needed it and we too need this very person, the Holy Spirit.

So He's called alongside of us.

It doesn't say that He's called to be in front of us or behind us.

Holy Spirit won't push you and go on you can do it.

He doesn't do that.

He doesn't drag you by your shirt and say come on get in here and just, you know, He

doesn't do that.

He's linked in us and like beside us.

So what He does, He will empower right choices.

He won't empower wrong choices.

So if I choose Lord, I don't know what to do but I know one thing is for sure.

I don't want this anymore.

I don't want to go down that road anymore.

Please help me Lord.

And as you take that step, the Holy Spirit's been given the right.

You've given, you've opened up to Him to help you and to empower you.

He will empower your right choices.

Remember a preacher told me one day he had to speak in front of Parliament and he said

I was so scared.

He said I was shaking in my boots.

My knees were having fellowship with each other and he said I didn't know what to do

and he had this idea.

Holy Spirit, I don't think you would be nervous or scared to be able to do this.

So could you impart into me the attributes of God, this boldness to be, some of you know

I'm talking about just as I'm saying this and He would.

And as He stepped out when He was in the room praying, He was still feeling this nervousness.

This I don't feel that I'm good this, you know, a stockman farmer that all of a sudden

it seems like you're standing in front of these very important people.

But as He stepped out and went forward the Holy Spirit, He, here it is, and He did amazing

things.

Holy Spirit I think is probably one of the least spoken about people in the Bible, yet

is the most to me, post salvation is the one that is here to empower us, to comfort us,

to lead us, to guide us into all truth.

Amen.

And He is the person.

He is powerful.

He is good.

So if we need to be watched by the water of the Word, the truth, we also have the Holy

Spirit that the two, remembering the Holy Spirit is the author of the Word of God.

He inspired it, inspired mankind to write it, but it came through Him as the Bible teaches

us.

He empowers our right choices to walk in holiness, and even if we feel so worthless and undeserving,

guess what?

Focus on the truth.

Focus on the other side of our confession.

What confession?

Repentance and forgiveness.

You see, this is what this other doctrine I was telling you about saying, you don't

have to confess sin anymore, you don't have to acknowledge any wrongs, you just keep living

and God will just be in front of you all the time, fixing up your sin.

Never, don't be sin conscious.

I agree with that.

But they're saying, don't you ever, ever think that you have to repent for anything you do

wrong or confess anything you do wrong because you're holy.

And so because you're holy, you didn't really do it.

Okay, you get where I'm coming from.

One John one nine, that if we confess our sin to Him, it says He is faithful and just

to forgive us.

Forgive us of what?

The sin.

But it doesn't stop there.

And to cleanse us, sanctify us, wash us clean from all unrighteousness.

This is another facet of sanctification that is so valuable in the Christian church today.

That if we desire to be holy, which we do, and that is a wonderful thing to desire.

But know this, that if you feel that you have failed, you haven't.

If you feel that you're not making the grade, that you're not cutting it.

Yes you are.

Christ in you is your hope of glory.

And the same Jesus said, I am never ever going to turn my back on you.

I'm never going to walk away from you.

When you invited me into your life, I'm there.

I'm going to be there right to the end.

And so therefore, when we keep that in mind, that we think, hang on a minute.

Yes, that wasn't a good choice.

No, that was a wrong thing to say.

That was not the best way to treat someone.

It was not the best thing to see, watch, listen or go to.

But I've come to the point now and realizing, Lord, please forgive me.

And the scripture says that he will forgive you and he won't leave it at that.

He'll cleanse you.

The sanctification just happening again and again, every time that we confess to the Lord.

Amen.

The sanctifying work of God.

Choose to be holy.

Make that choice every day in our life.

Choose to be holy.

You ever lay in bed at night and just think about being in heaven?

Have you ever done that?

Some of you are thinking, you know, I'm not that far off it anyway.

So the reality is.

It's good to imagine what the scriptures say about the holiness of God's throne, his presence.

And place yourself there, think, man, just standing in his holiness.

To know that God himself in that different realm altogether has called you to be holy here on earth.

To make a difference here on earth, to be God's spokesperson, to be his mouth, his hands, his feet.

The world looks and sees you.

You may be the last chance of somebody's hope in God.

Allow Christ to shine in you, allow your decisions to be clear before all, regardless who they may be.

Because so many people are quietly relying or maybe looking for a champion, someone in the workplace,

someone in a home thinking I'm too weak to speak up, but would there be a champion to speak up for me?

You might be that champion.

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.

I don't want to be disrespectful, but I disagree.

And the answer is no, I will not support that.

You'd be surprised how many people come behind you and say, I wish I had the courage to do that.

Be holy. It's OK to be holy.

It's OK to be different.

It's OK not to run with the crowds. It is OK.

Choose to be holy.

Ask the Holy Spirit.

Check my attitude, how I deal with people, how I respond, what I do, our behavior as it says, be holy in our behavior.

It's a choice we make.

And I know you're doing that. It's wonderful.

But I want it today to be an encouragement to each and every one of us.

That it's a good thing to be holy.

It's not an old dying thing.

It's not like that fell off the ark and that's no longer needed.

Holiness is what's missing in society today.

With holiness comes godly conviction. Amen.

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.

What will we do without your word?

And, Father, when we read the word of God, there are times we know that it instructs us, it corrects us.

And, Lord, that we wouldn't fight it, but we would embrace it and that we would yield to the truth of your word.

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.

The Lord, that we may know you just that more in the name of Jesus.

And I pray for people today that may be struggling with certain areas in life.

Holy Spirit, I ask that you would come upon them right now where they are.

And if that's you today, reach out to the Holy Spirit.

Ask him, Holy Spirit, help me.

I need your help.

Please help me.

And he will.

And, Lord, I pray that there would be breakthrough in the lives of so many people in the name of Jesus.

We all say it.

Amen. Amen.

Thank you for joining us.

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See you next week.