SERMON: PURSUING HOLINESS -- PATIENCE

PURSUING HOLINESS: PATIENCE
28 June 2009

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to James 5

7. Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.
8. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
9. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10. Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

-- this morning, we are continuing our sermon series on pursuing holiness through the fruit of the Spirit -- so far, we have covered the first three attributes of God listed in Galatians 5:22-23 -- love, joy, and peace -- this morning, we're going to look at the next attribute of God that is listed there -- patience
-- of all the attributes of God -- of all the Godly characteristics that we are trying to acquire in our lives -- I don't think there's any as hard as patience -- there's just something about patience -- about waiting -- about persevering -- that is difficult for us in this modern age
-- for instance, you probably heard the story about the man in Waco, Texas, who got tired of waiting -- On May 20, 2008, Kevin Waits -- which, by the way, is his real name -- Kevin Waits called for a cab to come pick him up, but the driver didn't arrive fast enough -- when the cab didn't come as fast as he thought it should, Waits called 911 fifteen consecutive times to express his frustration about having to wait on a cab
-- the dispatcher repeatedly told Waits the police could not help with such issues -- After the fifteenth call, the police realized that Waits really wanted a ride and was tired of waiting, so they came by and gave him a handcuffed ride to the police station -- when they got him there, they found out that Waits didn't even have the $26 required to pay for the cab service he was complaining about

-- what is it about patience? -- what is it about waiting that drives us so crazy? -- I consider myself a fairly patient person -- I developed patience on the side of a fish pond -- when I was kid, all I did was fish -- all I did was sit on the side of a pond with a pole -- I could sit out there for hours, even if I wasn't getting a bite -- I could wait forever
-- even today, when I have to wait because of things, it doesn't bother me a whole lot -- I can get stopped by every red light, and I'm fine -- I can have to wait on the computer to boot up, and I have no problem -- but, lately, I have noticed that I have been losing patience in other areas -- especially, with people
-- just yesterday, I was at Walmart -- Brooke and I had swung by there to pick up something for supper -- we weren't in any great hurry, but everyone in that store just tried my patience -- there was this one family that just really got on my last nerve -- they got in the aisle in front of us with a buggy and they spread out -- they acted like they had never been in a store before -- they were just walking along, extremely slow, and looking at everything in sight -- they took up the whole aisle and wouldn't let us pass -- it's like we didn't matter to them -- and I found myself getting more and more frustrated at having to wait for them to get out of our way
-- and, all the while, as I'm getting more and more impatient, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, "and I've got to preach a sermon on patience in the morning"

-- patience is a virtue -- the Bible says "blessed is he who waits" (Daniel 5:12) -- but, honestly, patience is one of the hardest characteristics to acquire -- one of the hardest things to do
-- patience shows up near the front in the list of attributes of God -- after love, joy, and peace, Paul tells us that patience is the next key characteristic of God -- and if we want to reflect His image -- if we want to be holy as God is holy -- then we must learn to grow this characteristic in our own lives -- we must learn to be patient people

-- now, as I started to study this topic of biblical patience, I came to realize that patience is lived out in three separate areas -- patience with things -- patience with people -- and patience with God
-- as I can so firmly attest to in my own life, you can patient in one area but fail in another -- I can be as patient as Job waiting at red lights but fail to be a patient person when an employee at work just won't get their job done in time -- I can be patient in persevering through a particular trial in my life but get impatient when God doesn't answer my prayers when I think He should
-- Webster picked up on this multi-faceted dimension to patience in his dictionary,although he didn't specifically mention patience with God in his definition
-- Webster defines patience in three ways -- patience is "perseverance in performing a task" or "endurance without complaining" -- that is patience with things
-- he further defines patience as "bearing suffering and provocation with calmness and self-control" and "refraining from retaliation" -- that is patience with people
-- and, finally, he defines patience as "the ability to wait calmly, tolerating a delay" -- which I contend is most clearly seen in the spiritual realm as patience with God
-- so, in order to be truly patient people -- in order to grow in holiness and reflect the goodness of God -- we have to seek to be wholly patient in all three areas of patience -- wholly patient in all that we do and with all that we come into contact with and with God Himself

II. Scripture Lesson
-- here in this passage in James, we read about being patient in all three of these areas of life -- patience with things -- patience with people -- and patience with God
-- so, let's look at each of these separately and see what we might learn from James on this topic
-- I have always liked the Book of James -- it's a hard book -- it's a convicting book -- it's very much in your face about how you are living and how you should be living -- but that's what we need -- I think it's a shame that James is not taught as much as it should be in our day and age
-- here in the fifth chapter of this epistle, James is summarizing his teaching throughout the book -- he's bringing it all home and making it real
-- in the previous four chapters, James has hammered the church on how they had failed to live out their faith in their lives -- on their lack of works and acts of service -- on their favoritism towards those who were wealthy over those who were poor -- on their divisiveness and their grumbling and complaining towards others, especially others in the church -- and on their lack of faith in waiting on God to come again
-- James is trying to get them to see that true faith is not just lived on the mountaintops, but down in the valleys of life -- that we say more about what we believe by how we respond to things and people and God when life isn't going like we expected -- when God isn't doing what we expected
-- so, here, in these verses, James is making the case to his readers and to us that faithfulness is demonstrated through patient endurance in the three areas of life -- with things -- with people -- even with God

-- look back at verse 7

7a. Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming.

-- in other words, hold on, brothers -- don't give up -- wait for the Lord's return and everything will be as it should be
-- until then, be patient -- be patient when trials and troubles come your way -- when you get stopped by every red light on the way to work -- when you get sick -- when you lose a loved one
-- be patient when others talk about you and persecute you -- when others put you down because you are not as wealthy or as famous or as well-dressed and mannered as others -- be patient when people don't act like you think they should -- be patient when people try to drive you crazy
-- and be patient when God doesn't answer in your timing -- when God doesn't come and make things right when you think He should -- be patient when you're walking through the fire and trust and believe that God is with you
-- that is what James is trying to get across to us when he tells us here, "be patient"
-- look back at verse 7 again

7b. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.
8. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

-- the first area of life that James tells us to be patient with is with the things around us -- he uses the example of a farmer waiting for the rains and for his crops as an illustration of patience -- as any farmer can attest, there's just so much you can do with the weather -- I don't care how much you stand up and yell -- how much you beg or plead -- how much you rant and rail against the sky -- you are powerless to make the clouds come and send rain or to make the clouds go away and send sun
-- weather is a thing -- it's something that is external to us -- it's something that we can't control and so we shouldn't get bent out of shape because of it -- the only thing we can do is control how we react to it and the other things in life that cause us concern
-- to paraphrase a famous quote, "Things happen" -- we live in a fallen world -- we live in a world where it seems like the universe conspires against us from time to time -- where things seldom go our way -- where people get sick and die -- where people lose their jobs and their homes -- where people face catastrophes and and natural disasters -- where people find themselves having to wait to do what they want to do because a vehicle breaks at the wrong moment -- a tire goes flat -- a light turns red -- a printer runs out of ink
-- things go wrong -- big things and little things -- small irritations and great problems -- but they have one thing in common -- there's just not much we can do about them
-- so, what do we do? -- well, as James says here, "be patient" -- now, that doesn't mean that we do nothing -- the Greek word for "patience" here is not passive -- it implies an active waiting
-- that means that we do what we can in our own power and leave the rest up to God -- for instance, think again about farming -- if the weather's not right, what can we do? -- we can sort of make rain through irrigation, although it's not quite the same as the real thing -- but that's about it -- we can't control the sun or the temperature or the wind
-- so, we do what we can and trust God for the rest -- we make our needs known to Him -- and we wait and trust that everything will turn out just like He wants -- that doesn't mean it will turn out like we want -- but it does imply that we trust God will take care of us -- we quit trying to do things on our own -- we quit getting worked up over something that we can't really control -- and we trust God
-- as Andrew Murray wrote, "The waiting is to teach us our absolute dependence upon God’s mighty working, and to make us in perfect patience place ourselves at His disposal"
-- that is what James means here by patience with things -- that is how we can be faithful through waiting

-- verse 9

9. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

-- as I've already shared, there are times in my life when my patience is really tried by other people -- that's what James is talking about here -- patience with others -- patience with people
-- we all, from time to time, have problems with other people -- who is it that gets on your nerves? -- slow or careless drivers -- rude clerks -- undisciplined children -- unproductive coworkers -- disorganized people -- indecisive people -- inconsiderate people -- people who call attention to themselves -- self-centered people -- people who interrupt while you talk -- people who repeat themselves -- know-it-alls -- habitual latecomers -- habitual complainers -- people who won’t take responsibility -- argumentative and divisive people -- people who argue from ignorance -- people whose opinions differ from yours -- gossips -- hypocrites -- others?
-- did you find someone on that list? -- I guarantee you that there's someone out there who really tries your patience -- someone that just frustrates you by being there in your way or in your life
-- what do we do with these abrasive people? -- how do we respond?
-- James says "don't grumble against them" -- don't rail against them -- don't moan and complain about what they are doing -- think about what you're doing and whether you are reflecting Christ to them in your words and your actions
-- to quote Andrew Murray again, "Look upon every man, woman, or child who tries your patience or angers you as a means of grace to humble you"
-- these people are a means of grace -- in other words, these abrasive people are like sandpaper in your life -- smoothing off the rough edges of your character and helping to make you look more like Jesus
-- how you respond to these people speaks worlds about your faith in God and your desire to be holy as He is holy
-- keep in mind that Paul listed patience as a fruit of the Spirit -- this tells us that we are incapable of being patient with some people on our own -- we just don't have the strength or inner willpower to deal with them, and we have to rely on God's own presence working in us and through us to respond to them
-- we tend to respond to abrasive people with our flesh and not our spirit -- when you find yourself getting irritated or getting angry or getting upset with someone else -- when you find your patience is growing thin -- the answer is to detach yourself from the situation -- to shift your focus off of yourself and what this person is doing to you and to shift it back to God
-- when you find yourself getting annoyed and impatient with another person, take a breath and ask God to calm your soul and your spirit -- ask Him to give you His patience to deal with this situation -- or, if nothing else, to make a way of escape so that you can avoid sinning in your actions or behavior
-- remember that you can't change this other person, but you can change the way you respond to them -- ask God to help you to respond in a more positive way -- ask God to help you reflect His nature and His character in this situation

-- verse 10

10. Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

-- finally, James gets to the hardest area of patience -- waiting on God
-- this is the area where our faith is most sorely tested -- where we truly demonstrate with our life if we believe what our lips say
-- it's one thing to come to church and know the right words -- to understand the Bible and to accept the gospel message -- but, as James points out in this epistle, it's another thing altogether to live it out -- to actually receive the message in our lives
-- we've all experienced times in our lives when it seems like God doesn't hear us -- when we pray and our prayers don't seem to go past the ceiling -- when we pray and God doesn't answer like we expect -- when we pray and He doesn't answer at all or the thing that we prayed wouldn't happen, does
-- we've all experienced times when our faith has been shaken -- when trials and troubles have come our way -- and God doesn't work -- He seems to be absent -- and things just keep getting worse
-- it's in these times that we are forced to wait -- that we are forced to persevere -- that we are forced to endure what we think we can't endure
-- it's in these times that faith is forged

-- when you are forced to wait on God, you are faced with a decision -- you can either choose to believe in His promises and His message and His goodness -- or you can choose to believe that God is either not there or, if He is, that He doesn't care -- how you respond demonstrates your level of faith and spiritual maturity
-- James points us to the example of Job and the prophets in these verses -- these men and women, he writes, suffered in their lives -- they were beset with troubles too great to mention -- with persecution and martyrdom that took their lives and the lives of those around them
-- their faith was sorely tested, but they didn't give up -- they persevered -- they trusted God and His providence in their lives -- they trusted in God's compassion and mercy -- and they knew that God would take care of them
-- they lived out what James Rye wrote about patience -- "True patience is a calm endurance based on the certain knowledge that God is in control."
-- throughout the Bible, we are told to wait on God
-- Psalm 62:1 -- "My soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation." (Psalm 62:1)
-- Psalm 27:14 -- "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart"
-- Psalm 59:9 -- "I will wait for You, O You his Strength; for God is my defense"
-- Isaiah 25:9 -- "We have waited for Him and He will save us."

-- when we wait on God, we are saying that we trust Him -- that even though things may not work out as we hope -- we trust and believe that God's will and plan for our lives is better than what we hope for -- we have that "calm endurance" that affirms that "God is in control"
-- James says, "Wait on the Lord -- be patient -- and see what God will do -- see what God will bring about"
-- waiting on God -- trusting in Him -- is the essence of true faith and holiness

III. Closing
-- The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poise and quiet manner -- At times, however, even he suffered moments of frustration and irritability -- One day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion -- “What’s the trouble, Mr. Brooks?” he asked -- “The trouble is that I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t!”
-- patience is one of those characteristics of God that just takes time to develop -- it doesn't happen in a moment, but happens over a lifetime of minor and major irritations
-- but, as Kent Crockett points out, "Once God develops the attitude of patience in you, life becomes easier [because] petty things don't bother you anymore."
-- patience works wonders in the life of a person -- it helps us to deal with the things and the people of life -- it helps us to respond to them as Jesus would -- and, it helps us develop our faith as we learn to trust in God in the waiting

-- I know I've gone on a bit long this morning -- and I appreciate your patience with a wandering preacher -- but, this is an important topic and an important attribute that we must develop in our lives if we are to be like Jesus in all that we do -- if we are to be Holy as He is Holy
-- just to sum up our teaching on this, when you are confronted with the irritations of life -- from things and from people -- remember to turn to God -- remember that you have within you His Spirit who will give you the patience and faith that you need to persevere -- take a moment -- say a prayer -- and ask God to give you His patience so you will respond as Jesus would
-- and, let me warn you, when you start to work on this attribute of patience in your life, you are going to be come face-to-face with every little thing that causes you irritation -- because it's in the testing and the trials that patience is forged
-- so, as you leave here, get ready -- if you get annoyed by things, get ready to be stopped by every red light in town and expect other petty problems to come up -- if you get annoyed by people, get ready for abrasive people to get in your way -- if you have a problem trusting in God, get ready for Him to build your faith in this area
-- regardless of what methods God uses to mold your patience, yield to Him and the Holy Spirit, and persevere, trusting that what the Lord finally brings about will be for your good
-- as James says here, "Be Patient"
-- let's pray

Passing along some wisdom

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone.

2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.

3. It’s always darkest just before dawn. So if you’re going to steal your neighbor’s newspaper, that’s the time to do it.

4. Don’t be irreplaceable. If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.

5. Always remember that you’re unique. Just like everyone else.

6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

7. If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away and you have their shoes.

9. If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is probably not for you.

10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably a wise investment.

12. If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.

13. Some days you’re the bug; some days you’re the windshield.

14. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

15. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

16. A closed mouth gathers no foot.

17. Duct tape is like ‘The Force’. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

18. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

19. Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your lips are moving.

20. Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.

21. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

22. Never take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

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SERMON: Pursuing Holiness -- Peace

Pursuing Holiness: Peace

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to John 14

27. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

-- the story is told about a farmer who needed an extra hand to help on his farm -- several people came to apply, but one young man stood out from the others -- when the farmer asked him "What are your qualifications?" -- the young man simply replied, "I can sleep when the wind blows"
-- the farmer didn't quite understand this answer, but he needed help and it was obvious that this young man was confident in his abilities and looked like he knew his way around a farm, so he hired him -- sure enough, the young man turned out to be an outstanding employee -- but every now and then, the farmer would think about his answer and wonder what the young man had meant when he said, "I can sleep when the wind blows"
-- Autumn ended and the first cold storm of winter came late one night --The farmer panicked as almost hurricane-force winds began to blow in across the plains -- he knew that the wind and rain would damage their newly cut hay if he didn't get it covered -- he was worried about his cattle and horses and knew they needed to get secured in the barn and he worried that his equipment would be damaged if it was left out in the field
-- he went to the bunkhouse and yelled at the young man to come and help, but the boy didn't respond -- he stayed in bed and wouldn't get up, no matter what the farmer did -- finally, desperate to save his hay and animals and equipment, the farmer gave up and rushed out into the yard to do what he could and decided right then and there that he would fire the young man first thing in the morning
-- However, when the farmer reached the barn all the animals were tucked safely inside -- In fact, clean hay had already been set out for the new day and all their water buckets were filled -- all the holes in the roof had been fixed -- the tractor was secured in the shed -- and when he went to check on the hay stacked on the edge of the field, he found a tarp secured over the hay -- staked down and standing secure despite the high winds -- all of a sudden, it hit him, and he finally understood why the young man didn't rush out of bed and what he had meant when he said in his interview that he could "sleep when the wind blows"

-- this morning we're going to talk about sleeping when the wind blows -- about being so secure and confident in our Father that no matter what winds blow our way -- no matter what storms or troubles or trials roll across our lives -- we can sleep securely because we know that we are prepared -- because we know that everything is in control
-- we are continuing this morning in our sermon series on pursuing holiness by striving to capture and reflect the nine attributes of God that we call the fruit of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control
-- so far, we have covered love and joy -- and if you missed either of those studies, I would invite you to visit my blog and you should find all of the sermons in this series there by the end of today
-- this morning, we're going to talk about peace -- about what peace is and how we can experience God's peace in our lives

II. Three Types of Peace
-- let's start by defining peace -- what is peace?
-- over the last week or so, we've heard that word a lot in our news coverages -- a lot of discussion in the media this week has been about the need for peace in Iran -- about the conflict that is raging in that country as the young people there are protesting against the presidential elections that supposedly put Ahmadinejad back in power for another four years
-- as the violence swept across Tehran and other cities in Iran, calling to mind the similar events of Tiananmen Square in Bejing, China, twenty years ago -- everyone from the talking heads on the television to our elected officials around the world called for peace and an end to the violence
-- the word, "peace," is always a favorite of those running for political office -- rarely do you hear a candidate anywhere who runs on a platform of war or violence or aggression -- but most candidates get elected because they run on a platform of peace -- I think it's safe to say that's one of the reasons why President Obama was elected over John McCain this past year in America

-- so, what is peace? -- what do we mean when we use that word? -- more importantly, how does the Bible define "peace?"
-- well, actually, there are three different meanings or types of peace in the Bible

-- the first type of peace that we see mentioned in the Bible is the same type that the media has been talking about all week -- peace as being the absence of violence -- peace as being the absence of war and hostilities -- peace among men
-- this doesn't only mean peace among nations but also peace among each other -- it means that everyone is living together in harmony without arguing or disturbance or agitation
-- this type of peace is what God promised to the people of Israel as He was bringing them into the Promised Land -- in Leviticus 26:6, God told them, "I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove savage beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. " -- this is the type of peace that is referred to in the Bible when it says in Judges Chapter 3 that "the land had peace for eighty years"
-- this is peace among men -- peace among nations -- the absence of war and violence
-- this is worldly peace -- this is the only peace that the world knows -- this is the only peace that the world understands -- this is not spiritual peace, so you know that this is not the peace that we are concerned with this morning -- this is not the peace that is referred to as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23

-- the next two types of peace mentioned in the Bible are types of spiritual peace that are only known to those who receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior -- they are only known to those who are justified by the blood of Christ by asking Him to forgive them of their sins and to make them holy

-- the next type of peace that I want to talk about is peace with God -- this is the peace of the cross -- this is the peace that comes to us through the sacrificial death of Jesus in our place
-- if you would, hold your place right there in John and turn over with me real quick to Ephesians 2 and follow along as I read verses 1-3

1. As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2. in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
3. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.


-- here Paul tells us what we used to be like before we were saved -- before we came to know Christ -- he tells us that we were dead in our transgressions and sins -- we were willfully disobedient and hostile to the God who created us -- we followed the ways of the world and of the flesh and of Satan -- and he says that God viewed us as objects of wrath
-- down in verses 12 and 13 he tells us that we were separated from Christ -- excluded from citizenship in His kingdom -- foreigners to the covenant of the promise and without hope and without God -- he says that we were far away from God
-- in other words, we were at war with God -- you may not have thought about it in those terms, but that was what was going on -- before you came to Christ, you were actively working against God -- you were actively living against God -- you were opposing His attempts to lead you in your life
-- that's why Jesus came -- Jesus came to bring peace with God -- Jesus came to reconcile us with the Father -- to offer up His life and His righteousness in place of our own, so that for all who receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are no longer at war with God -- we are at peace with Him and now are heirs of the kingdom -- and made to be His sons and daughters
-- Look over at Romans 5:1-2 -- here Paul summarizes this peace with God that came through Jesus --

1. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2. through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

-- because of Jesus -- because of His death on the cross in our place -- we now have peace with God -- that is the second type of peace that is mentioned in the Bible -- it is spiritual peace -- the peace of the cross -- the peace of justification and reconciliation
-- this is the peace that Paul mentions at the start of most of his epistles when he writes, "Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ" -- you have to have grace -- the grace of the cross -- before you can have peace with God

-- the third type of peace mentioned in the Bible is the peace I want you to think about this morning -- this is also a type of spiritual peace -- instead of being peace among men or peace with God, this is peace from God
-- this is the peace that we see mentioned as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 -- this is the peace that lets you sleep when the wind blows -- this is internal peace -- peace that comes from within -- that develops as you pursue holiness and a life with Christ
-- let's look again at John 14:27

27. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

-- these words from Jesus come in the Upper Room during the Last Supper -- this was the last night that He was going to be with His disciples -- this would be the last time that they would all be together until after the resurrection
-- after Judas Iscariot had left, Jesus began to pour out His heart and His emotions to the remaining disciples -- they didn't really understand what was going on, but Jesus knew that they were about to face discouragement and doubt as the trials of that night were about to unfold
-- so here in this verse, Jesus speaks words of comfort to them -- first, He tells them that He is giving them His peace -- this is not the peace of the cross, reconciling them to the Father -- the peace Jesus is referring to here is not peace with God, but peace from God -- peace being given from Jesus directly to His disciples
-- this peace is what you see lived out in Jesus throughout the gospels -- the state of total well-being, inner harmony, and complete oneness with God -- this peace is the peace of the heart that lets you walk through troubles and trials with the assurance that God is in control -- this is the peace that comes from faith and trust in God
-- Jesus had this peace -- that's why He is called the Prince of Peace -- for instance, when the men of the synagogue in Nazareth tried to throw Jesus off the cliff after He told them that He was the fulfillment of Isaiah's messianic prophecy, we read in Luke 4:30 that Jesus simply walked through the crowd and went on His way -- there was no fear -- there was no worry -- there was no panic -- Jesus simply walked through them and continued on His journey -- He could only have done this because of the peace that was in His heart -- the peace that came from God
-- we see this in other times, as the Pharisees attacked Him -- as the crowds shouted "Crucify"
-- as the temple guards beat Him -- Jesus remained filled with an inner calm -- an inner peace -- a sense of well-being in the midst of His trials and troubles -- He trusted God -- He had confidence in God -- and that is reflected in Jesus' response to the chaos around Him
-- this is the peace that He was giving His disciples in the Upper Room -- this is the peace that God offers us through the Holy Spirit as we pursue holiness through Him
-- that's why Jesus says here, "Don't let your hearts be troubled -- don't be afraid." -- if you have this peace in your heart, then you can walk through trouble with confidence -- you don't have to worry -- you don't have to be afraid -- you can simply trust and believe in God and His promises

III. Acquiring Peace from God
-- so, how do we get this peace from God? -- how can we go through life with this state of total well-being and inner harmony and quietness regardless of what storms we face or what winds might blow against us?
-- well, as we mentioned at the start of this series, this type of peace -- peace from God -- only comes to those who have peace with God -- so, first, you have to be saved -- first, you have to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior and ask Him to forgive you of your sins and to come into your life -- you have to believe in Jesus and trust in Him for your salvation
-- as soon as you do that, the Bible tells us that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit -- in other words, God moves into our hearts -- and when God moves into the neighborhood, everything starts getting better
-- so, the second thing you must do is allow the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you to sanctify you and make you holy -- this means that you stay in close relationship with God by reading the Bible and praying and worshiping with other believers on a regular basis -- and, as you do so, your ability to perceive the prompting of the Spirit and your ability to express the attributes of God, including the attribute and characteristic of peace that we're talking about here, will get greater and greater
-- third, since you have been forgiven, you must live a life of forgiveness -- in other words, peace will only come when you let peace flow from you -- you can't experience the peace of God if you are constantly at war with your neighbors -- at war with your brothers and sisters -- you have to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and even quicker to respond with forgiveness and understanding
-- in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said in Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God." -- to experience this peace, you have to intentionally make peace with those around you through forgiveness
-- finally, we acquire this peace from God over time -- just like anyone who has ever tried a hobby or a sport will tell you, when you first start, it's very difficult -- we always hear about these piano prodigies who are able to just sit down and immediately start playing like a concert pianist -- but, for most of us, when we sit down to learn to play the piano, it's difficult -- it takes time and it takes practice to be able to play the piano competently
-- it's the same way with living out this peace from God in your life -- it takes time and practice -- when troubles come our way, our first impulse is usually to panic -- when storms blow in and disrupt our lives, we get anxious and upset -- we react with the flesh instead of the spirit
-- part of becoming holy is to learn to react with the spirit instead of the flesh -- instead of getting anxious or upset when things happen, we need to learn how to turn to God -- we need to learn to take a moment to recenter our lives on Him and what He is doing -- we need to learn to take a deep breath, to say a quick prayer, and to ask God to give us His peace and His understanding of the situation
-- over time, with practice, you'll see your capacity for inner well-being and harmony through the peace of God increase and grow

IV. Closing

-- let me close by bringing to mind again the seminal event of our lifetime -- the wind that blew in on 9-11 and that threatened our peace and our way of life

-- when the events of 9-11 began to play out, the initial reaction of the country was one of disbelief then denial then panic -- we didn't know what was going on -- we didn't know if this was the first of many attacks -- we didn't know who was behind it -- and people ran for their lives in the streets of New York and Washington
-- when the first planes hit the World Trade Center and the government realized that this was an intentional attack on our nation, the Secret Service issued an evacuation notice for the White House -- they ran through the halls telling everyone to get out -- to run away from the danger
-- Tim Goeglien was there in the White House on that day -- he worked for President Bush -- on a recent Focus on the Family broadcast, Tim talked about the panic as people rushed out of the entrances of the White House and onto Pennsylvania Avenue -- he said it was total chaos -- total panic
-- but, as he ran through the gates, he noticed small groups of Christian White House staffers who had gathered together in the middle of the street in small prayer circles -- as chaos streamed around them -- as the winds blew -- they were at peace -- they trusted God -- they turned to God -- and the peace that flowed through them by the Holy Spirit calmed the crowds around them
-- God wants us to have that same peace in our hearts -- He wants us to have the peace and inner harmony to go through this life without panic or fear -- without anxiety or disturbance by the things around us
-- it is this peace that the Spirit gives us as we seek His presence in our lives -- it is this peace that God gives us that helps us to trust Him in all situations -- even when the wind blows

-- this morning, as I close, I want to invite you to ask God to quiet your anxious hearts -- to still the waves of trouble and doubt and discouragement that might be plaguing you -- and to ask God to fill you with His peace -- the peace that passes all understanding -- the peace from God for us
-- as we go through this day and this week -- as trials and troubles continue to come upon us -- let's not lose heart but let's take time to practice this peace -- let's trust in God -- let's seek Him calming presence -- and let's learn to develop this peace in our lives as we pursue holiness in Him
-- let's pray

SERMON: PURSUING HOLINESS -- JOY

PURSUING HOLINESS: JOY
14 June 2009

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Galatians 5

22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23. gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

-- this morning, we are continuing in our sermon series on pursuing holiness -- as we've talked about over the past several weeks, as Christians, we are called to be holy people -- to be spiritually mature men and women who reflect God's goodness and righteousness in our behavior and our attitudes and our thoughts
-- too many Christians are living lives devoid of power -- too many churches are going through the motions of religion without expressing God's power and presence in this world -- and the answer to this is for us to quit trying to do church in our own power but rather to let God transform us from the inside out into people who reflect His holiness
-- Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that He came that we might have life -- abundant life -- and have it to the full -- He wanted us to experience His kingdom and His righteousness and His power here on earth -- but we can only do that if we become spiritually mature -- if we become holy as He is holy
-- so, for the past several weeks, we've been working on pursuing holiness in our lives by focusing on the nine attributes of God that we see listed here in this passage
-- these nine attributes of God -- love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control -- come to us through the workings of the Holy Spirit in our lives -- rather than producing the fruits of the world with our lives like we used to, the Apostle Paul here tells us to produce the fruit of the Spirit with our life -- to let Him produce in us the very characteristics of God that will lead us to a deeper, spiritual maturity -- to a deeper understanding of God -- to that place that we call "holy"
-- this is something that we can all attain in our lives -- it's not just for pastors or church leaders -- it's not just for Sunday school teachers or bishops -- it's for all Christians -- it's what God wants from us -- it's what God expects from us -- but it's not something that is going to just magically appear -- it's something that we have to strive for -- that we have to pursue in our lives in order to develop
-- last week, we began our pursuit of holiness by looking at the first of these nine attributes -- we spent quite a bit of time talking about learning how to love on a whole 'nother level by loving our enemies as well as our family and friends
-- this morning, we are going to look at the next aspect of holiness in our pursuit -- the attribute of joy
-- so, if you would, let's turn over to Acts 16 and we'll begin our study there
-- look down at verse 25

25. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
26. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.
27. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.
28. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"
29. The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31. They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."
32. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
33. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.
34. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God--he and his whole family.

II. Difference Between Joy and Happiness
-- this concept of joy is something that we seem to struggle with in the church -- even though it's mentioned in the Bible almost 250 times, we don't really seem to understand it -- we tend to get joy confused with the concept of happiness -- and, so when we read in the Bible that we are to be joyful, we interpret that as meaning that we are to be happy -- but joy and happiness are not the same thing
-- I think part of our confusion goes back to our school days when we learned about the Declaration of Independence -- probably the most famous line in that document says "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"
-- and I think that line, more than any other, has gotten us confused about the biblical concept of joy -- you know, the Declaration of Independence is a remarkable document, but it's not a spiritual text, and it's flat wrong in regards to the pursuit of happiness as being something that God wanted in our lives
-- no where in the Bible are we told to pursue happiness -- no where in the Bible are we promised happiness -- in fact, the word "happy" is not mentioned much in the Bible at all -- depending on your translation, "happy" only occurs in the Bible about 26 times
-- what the Bible does tell us to do, like in the passage on the fruit of the Spirit, is to pursue joy -- and what the Bible promises us if we follow God is joy in our lives
-- so, before we go any farther in our study on joy, let's first clarify what the difference is between joy and happiness and get a good definition of joy to build on

-- let's start with happiness -- what is happiness?
-- happiness is the good feeling you get when you are living in favorable circumstances -- in other words, happiness is based on the things around you -- if everything around you is favorable -- if everything is going your way, then you're happy

-- I heard about this man who was driving and wasn't paying much attention to what he was doing -- he didn't realize the light in front of him had turned red, and he ran right into the back of the car in front of him -- the door to the car in front of him opened up, and the driver, a dwarf, jumped out and ran back to his window -- the dwarf said, "I'm not happy" -- and the man replied, "Well, then, which one are you?" -- at that point, the fight broke out, and no one was happy
-- that's the problem with happiness -- you can only be happy if your circumstances are good

-- another way to think about it is like this -- happiness is that feeling you get when everything is going just like you want it -- as Steve Nelson points out, if we get what we want, the way we want it, when we want it and at the right price, we are happy
-- so, happiness is external -- it depends on our circumstances -- it depends on whether we are getting what we want

-- let me give you another example -- I read a story about this man in Budapest who went to his pastor and complained, "Life is unbearable -- there are nine of us living in one room -- what can I do?" -- the pastor replied, "Take your goat into the room with you." -- the man was incredulous, but the pastor insisted -- "Do as I say -- take your goat into the room with you and come back in one week"
-- a week later, the man comes back looking more distraught than ever -- "We can't stand it, " he tells the pastor. "The goat is filthy." -- the pastor tells him, "Go home and let the goat out and then come back in one week"
-- one week later, the man returns and he is just radiant -- he exclaims, "Life is beautiful -- we enjoy every minute of it now that there's no goat -- only the nine of us living in one room"
-- this man was pursuing happiness -- his happiness depended on what was going on around him at that moment -- originally, he was not happy because there were nine people living in one room -- then he really got unhappy when the goat was added
-- his external circumstances determined how he felt -- just removing the goat from the room made him happy, even though his original circumstances hadn't changed

-- happiness is all about the external -- it's all about your wants and your wishes -- and if everything is going good, then you're happy -- but if everything is not going good, then you're unhappy -- that's why you really can't pursue happiness, because your happiness is dependent on things that you can't control

-- joy, on the other hand, is different -- it doesn't depend on what's going on around us -- it doesn't depend on our circumstances -- joy comes from within -- it is the peace, contentment, and satisfaction that come from God when we are in a right relationship with Him -- or, as Ed Young says, joy is the "positive confidence I feel from knowing and trusting God regardless of the circumstances"

-- you can plainly see the difference between joy and happiness here in this passage in Acts -- just to remind you of the context, Paul is on his second missionary journey -- this time he is traveling with Silas, and he has passed through Syria and Lystra and has made his way to Philippi in the region of Macedonia
-- it was here that Paul and Silas ran into trouble -- they got harassed by a slave girl who was possessed by an evil spirit, and when they cast the evil spirit out of her, they also cast away her ability to tell the future -- since her master had been making a lot of money from this ability, he got mad and had Paul and Silas turned over to the officials and thrown in to prison
-- Paul and Silas were stripped and beaten -- they were flogged severely and then thrown into the inner cell in the prison with their feet locked down in stocks so they couldn't even stand up or move
-- you want to talk about bad situations, this was it -- Paul and Silas' external circumstances were not good -- in fact, they couldn't hardly get much worse -- the inside of that prison would have been completely dark -- no windows -- no ventilation -- no toilet -- probably no food and just stale water -- surrounded by criminals and other prisoners -- just a horrible place to be
-- do you think Paul and Silas were happy? -- No -- I don't think so -- who could be happy in that place? -- so, how did they respond to their circumstances? -- how would you have responded?

-- look back at verse 25

25. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

-- they sang -- can you believe that? -- locked up in a Roman prison -- chained together with their feet bound in stocks -- sitting in total darkness and in pain from the flogging and the beating that they had just endured -- and they're singing hymns and praising God
-- they didn't do that because they were happy -- they did that because they were joyful -- they trusted God -- they had confidence in Him regardless of their circumstances -- in spite of what was going on around them, they were able to sing because they had confidence in God and they knew that He was with them in the midst of their trial
-- you have to be a spiritually mature Christian to do what Paul and Silas did -- you have to reach that point in your life where you realize that what happens here and now pales in comparison to your eternal life with God
-- joy leads to contentment -- that is why Paul later wrote in a letter to the people in Philippi where he was imprisoned, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. -- I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty -- I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want -- I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

-- you can think of joy as a gauge that determines where you are in your relationship with God -- it measures your degree of holiness -- your degree of spiritual maturity
-- let me give you an example -- in your car, there is a relationship between the engine and the cooling system -- in order for you to go anywhere, the water must be flowing through the engine to keep it from overheating -- that is the normal perfect relationship
-- now, in most cars, there is a temperature gauge on the dash -- this gauge tells you how the relationship is between your engine and the cooling system -- so long as the relationship is strong and everything is working together, the temperature gauge stays in the "normal" position
-- but if the relationship goes wrong -- say you run out of water in your radiator or the thermostat gets stuck and won't let the water circulate -- then that gauge will start to move to let you know that something is wrong -- if you don't do anything about it, your engine may overheat and lock down on you
-- when that gauge says that you have a problem, you have a choice to make -- you can either listen to that gauge and stop and fix the problem or you can ignore it
-- well, joy works the same way in our lives -- when we're in a right relationship with God, our external circumstances don't matter -- when we are in a right relationship with God, gratitude and joy well up from within us, causing us to sing with praise to God for what He has done and giving us the ability to walk through storms and trials with peace and contentment, knowing that in the end, everything is going to work out because we have been saved by the mighty right hand of God
-- joy is what enabled Paul and Silas to sing and praise God in a Philippian prison

-- look back at verse 26

26. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.

-- joyful Christians are different -- they think differently, they act differently, they react differently
-- joyful Christians don't let negative thoughts fill their minds -- they don't let the cares and troubles of this world take away their joy -- they're able to walk over the troubles and trials and unhappy circumstances just like Jesus walked on the water -- they stay above it all
-- everyone in that prison was locked up and chained because of their circumstances -- but, when Paul and Silas rose above their circumstances -- when they looked at their situation with eyes of faith rather than eyes of flesh -- the prison walls were shaken -- the doors sprung open -- and the chains fell away
-- that's what joy does to you -- it frees you from bondage to your circumstances -- it frees you to walk with God -- joyful Christians have positive attitudes because they put their trust in God and not in their situation -- joyful Christians can even find contentment in a prison cell in Philippi because their sense of well-being comes from within

-- verse 27

27. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.
28. But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"
29. The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31. They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household."
32. Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
33. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.
34. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God--he and his whole family.

-- joyful Christians affect those around them -- they honor God with their actions -- they don't let the world affect how they live, but they let Christ live through them
-- people can tell when you are filled with joy -- they'll see that in you -- and they'll be drawn to that sense of peace and confidence and contentment that comes with the joy of trusting in God
-- when the walls shook and the doors opened and the chains fell free, the jailer lost hope -- his circumstances had changed -- he became extremely unhappy and started to kill himself because he knew his life would be forfeit if the prisoners in his care escaped
-- but Paul called out to him and told him that everything was o.k. -- that no one had left -- and when the jailer came to them and saw joy and confidence shining out of their eyes despite their circumstances, he was shaken to his core
-- he fell trembling before Paul and Silas and asked them what he must do to be saved -- what he had to do to get that same presence of joy that they had in their lives
-- in verses 33-34, Luke tells us that the jailer believed in God -- that he and his whole family were baptized -- and that he was filled with the same joy that Paul and Silas had
-- joyful Christians affect those around them

III. Closing
-- as a third century man was anticipating death, he penned these last words to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world -- but I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret -- they have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life -- they are despised and persecuted, but they care not -- they are masters of their souls -- they have overcome the world -- these people are the Christians -- and I am one of them" (Today in the Word, June 1988, Page 18)

-- for centuries, men and women have pursued joy in every avenue imaginable -- some, like Paul and Silas, successfully found it -- most did not

-- Voltaire pursued joy through atheism, believing it would free him from the cares of this world -- but he didn't find it, and late in life he wrote, "I wish I had never been born"
-- Lord Byron pursued joy through a life of pleasure -- but he found nothing but unhappiness -- he wrote, "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone"
-- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, pursued joy in money -- but even though he died rich, he never found joy and said, "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth"
-- Lord Beaconsfield pursued joy through position and fame, but he, too, never found it -- he wrote, "Youth is a mistake -- manhood a struggle -- old age a regret"
-- Alexander the Great pursued joy through military glory -- but even though he conquered the entire known world in his day, he wept in his tent and said, "There are no more worlds to conquer"

-- so, where, then do we find joy? -- the answer is simple -- in Christ alone -- that is where Paul and Silas found joy -- and that is where you will find it, too

-- joy -- that positive confidence that we feel in knowing and trusting God regardless of the circumstances of life -- comes only through the Holy Spirit working in us and through us
-- it only comes as we walk though trials and troubles and experience God's deliverance -- it only comes as we grow spiritually mature and learn to trust in God in all situations -- looking to Him for our contentment rather than our own wants and wishes or the circumstances where we find ourselves
-- joy is a fruit of the Spirit that comes from abiding in God -- in trusting in God -- in seeing God at work in all things -- joy is essential for spiritual maturity -- and it is a part of becoming holy in all that we do

-- this morning, as we close in prayer, I want to invite you to pray with me for discernment -- for the ability to see past our circumstances and our trials and troubles to the truth that lies within
-- let's pray that we will stop pursuing happiness through the things of this world
-- let's pray that we will stop letting other things and other people determine our behavior and our thoughts and our attitudes
-- and, let's pray that we will start pursuing joy by letting God's presence in our lives shape us and mold us from the inside out so that we will live holy and righteous lives through Him

-- let us pray

SERMON: PURSUING HOLINESS -- LOVE

PURSUING HOLINESS: LOVE
7 June 2009

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Galatians 5

22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23. gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

-- I once heard a story about a guy who was far away from home in a very small town -- the only thing he had with him was a $1,000 bill -- he had nothing else -- no small change -- no identification -- nothing
-- he was very hungry, but was unable to buy any food because no one in that town would take his $1,000 bill -- they just couldn't provide change for it -- it was not until he found a way to break that large bill down into smaller bills that he could spend any of it
-- that is very much like the concept of holiness -- of being holy in all that we are and all that we do -- over the last couple of weeks we have established that God is calling us to be holy -- that He expects us to be holy
-- the holiness that God seeks for us is more than just a list of do's and don'ts in how to act -- that would be easy to do -- easy to gage -- easy to understand
-- but, that's not what God is expecting from us -- He expects us to be holy not only in our behavior -- but also in our thoughts and in our attitudes -- we see that in passages such as this and in Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount, which we're going to look at in just a moment
-- righteous outward behavior -- conformance to a written list of standards is not the goal -- the Pharisees did that -- they perfected following lists to be holy in their own eyes, but they were far from holy in their hearts and in God's eyes -- God wants us to do more than just to be holy on the outside -- He wants us to be holy and righteous inside and out -- to be holy in all that we do
-- this concept of complete holiness that God calls us to is just too large for us to wrap our minds around -- it's too daunting -- it's like that $1,000 bill in story -- we need to break it up into smaller, more manageable parts so that we can understand it and apply it in our lives

-- fortunately, God does just that for us -- here in this passage in Galatians, Paul introduces us to the fruit of the Spirit -- parts of God's holy character and nature that are transmitted to us and through us by the Holy Spirit -- what this means is that instead of worrying about the big picture of "becoming holy," we can instead focus on different parts of God's character and nature
-- it's kind of like a jig-saw puzzle -- when you start on a jig-saw puzzle, you don't expect to be able to just pour out all the pieces on the table and have them look just like the picture on the box immediately -- you have to start work on the individual pieces -- maybe you start with the edges -- then you work on another part that you can recognize easily -- until, over time, the puzzle is complete and you see a finished product that looks just like the picture on the box
-- it's the same way with pursuing holiness -- in this case, the nine attributes of God listed here -- love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control -- are the individual parts that we are going to work on and put together in our lives -- and, at the end, it will all come together to make us holy as God is holy -- to make our lives look like the picture of Jesus that we see in the Bible
-- so, our pursuit of holiness begins here -- over the next several weeks, we're going to go over each of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in greater details as we seek to acquire these attributes of God in our own lives
-- let's start this morning by looking at the first of these mentioned here -- love

II. Love
-- if you would, go ahead and turn over to Matthew Chapter 5
-- over this past year, God has led us to focus on the concept of love through the Fireproof Sermon Series and other messages -- in those messages, we focused on the concept of love as defined in 1 Corinthians 13, "The Love Chapter," and mostly concerned ourselves with improving our relationships with our family and our friends and our God -- this gave us a very firm foundation on the concept of God's love in our lives
-- but, as we move into the realm of sanctification and progressive holiness, we have to build on this foundation -- this means that we move past just focusing on our relationships with family and friends and God -- we have to do more
-- here in Matthew 5 we find a section of Scripture that we call, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount -- in this section of Scripture, Jesus builds on the foundation of the law that was given to the Israelites and carries it to a whole 'nother level
-- for instance, the law tells us that it is a sin to have sex with a person outside of marriage -- but here in verses 27-28, Jesus carries this to a whole 'nother level by saying that if you even look at another person with lust, you have sinned because you have committed adultery in your heart
-- so, what is going on in this passage of Scripture is that Jesus is building on the foundation of the law -- the law was concerned with external obedience -- with how you act -- in this sermon, Jesus is trying to get the Israelites to see that holiness involves more than just what you do -- it involves your thoughts and your attitudes, as well
-- down in verses 43 through 48, Jesus builds on the foundation of love -- He carries the concept of love to a whole 'nother level of holiness -- this is what I want us to look at this morning as we seek to pursue holiness in the area of love in our lives

-- first, though, let's start with a definition of love in regards to holiness -- as you know, in the Greek -- the original language that the New Testament was written in -- there are several words that we translate as "love"
-- there is the love of a person for their spouse -- passionate love -- erotic love -- the Greek word for this is "eros"
-- there is the love of a person as a brother -- the love that you feel for your friends -- brotherly love -- the Greek word for this is "phileo"
-- there is the love among families -- the love that binds you together as a family unit with your parents and your siblings and your children -- the Greek word for this is "storgia"
-- and finally, there is the love of God -- the unconditional, sacrificial love that God has for us -- the love that knows no boundary but that loves in spite of what the other person is or does -- the Greek word for this is "agape"

-- so, when you read the word "love" in the Bible, it's important to know what type of love the passage is referring to -- whether it's romantic love or brotherly love or family love or unconditional love -- if your Bible doesn't tell you, then I want to suggest that you get a Strong's dictionary or a commentary or some other resource that will let you know what type of love is being referred to -- it's important to know that
-- for instance, in the list of the fruit of the Spirit, Paul tells us that one of the fruits is "love" -- is that romantic love? -- is that brotherly love? -- what type of love is it we need to be trying to obtain if we want to become holy?
-- as you probably guessed, the Greek word that Paul uses in Galatians 5 is "agape" -- the unconditional, sacrificial love of God for us -- the type of love that allowed Jesus to sacrifice Himself on the cross in our place, even though we had sinned against Him and rejected Him and cursed Him with our lives -- in spite of what we did, Jesus showed us His agape love by dying in our place
-- this is the type of love that we are seeking to show to others in our pursuit of holiness

-- let me give you an illustration that shows you what this looks like in practice -- Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross is a psychiatrist in San Francisco -- and over the last couple of decades, she has tried to help comfort homosexual men who were dying of AIDS -- as you can imagine, most of these men had been rejected by society and by their families -- they were angry at people -- angry at life -- angry at God for what they were going through -- so Dr. Kubler-Ross tried to work with them to help them through these emotions as they went through the dying process
-- she writes that one time she went to see a new patient, and instead of finding him angry and bitter as all the others, she said he was radiant -- he was in very good spirits and was not angry or bitter at all -- so, she asked him why he was different from the rest
-- he told her that he had grown up in a small, conservative mid-western town -- and when he decided that he was a homosexual, he broke all relations with his family and friends in that place and left home -- he expected that they would reject him and hate him for who he was, so he just left without saying a word to anyone -- he told Dr. Kubler-Ross that after he got sick and found out he was dying, he felt like he needed to see his family, but he didn't know how they would react -- so the week before, he called home and told his mother, "I'm a sick man -- I would like to come home" -- she told him, "We'd love to see you" -- and he went home
-- he said when he came up to the door and his mother opened it, she must have been shocked at the condition of his body because of the AIDS -- but she didn't show it -- she just threw her arms around him and told him how much she loved him -- the man told Dr. Kubler-Ross, "You know, everyone should have a moment of unconditional love -- I had that moment [last week at home], and now I'm ready to die. That's why I'm radiant."

-- it is exactly this type of unconditional, sacrificial agape love that God expects us to show to others in our lives -- our God -- our family -- our friends -- our neighbors -- even our enemies
-- look down at verse 43 here in Matthew Chapter 5

43. "You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
44. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45. that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

-- here we see Jesus taking love to a whole 'nother level -- you know, for most of us, this concept of agape love is something that we strive for in our relationships with our family and our friends -- we don't always succeed, but we try
-- even in our relationships with our spouses and our children -- with our parents and our siblings -- we don't always find ourselves loving them unconditionally -- loving them in spite of what they have done
-- a lot of times, our love for others is based on how they are treating us -- on how they are loving us or obeying us -- and we find it hard to love them with that agape love like Jesus had -- and that's with our families

-- here in this passage, Jesus shocked the Israelites by telling them that, not only were they to love their family and friends at a whole 'nother level -- at the agape standard all the time -- they were to love their enemies in the same way
-- they were to look at people who hated them -- people who had wronged them -- people whose sole desire was to hurt them -- and love them
-- let me put it a different way -- on September 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden orchestrated an unprovoked terrorist attack on our country -- he convinced other men to hijack airplanes and fly them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon -- eventually killing over 3,000 American civilians -- men, women, and children just like you -- men, women, and children who had done nothing wrong -- who died simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and who died because an evil man did an evil act
-- as far as I know, no one in here lost a family member in the attacks of 9-11, but still, we recognize that Osama bin Laden was and is our enemy -- and that right now -- today -- he is plotting how he might continue to attack and kill Americans where ever he can find them
-- and what does Jesus tell us to do about Osama bin Laden? -- Jesus tells us to love him -- and not only to love him like a brother or like a neighbor or like an acquaintance -- but to agape him -- to love him with the greatest love there is -- and to pray for him and his well-being
-- Jesus wants us to love Osama bin Laden and all our enemies just as much as we love God and we love our families
-- we're definitely talking about loving at a whole 'nother level -- we're talking about living at a whole 'nother level -- we're talking about being holy as God is holy

-- verse 46

46. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47. And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

-- here Jesus gives us the two choices in our lives -- we can go on like before -- loving only those who love us -- greeting only our brothers -- greeting only those who love us
-- or, we can go to a whole 'nother level -- we can love like God in all our relationships and with all the people we meet -- our family and friends -- our neighbors -- our acquaintances -- even our enemies
-- Jesus never said it would be easy -- He said the path to follow Him was narrow -- that the way was difficult and fraught with peril -- He told us that to follow Him we had to die to self and pick up our cross and follow Him
-- if you want to follow Jesus -- if you want to be His disciple -- if you want to be holy as He is holy -- then you have to learn to love on a whole 'nother level -- as Henry Blackaby said, "You can't stay where you are and go with Jesus" -- if you want to go with Jesus, you're going to have to change what you think and say and do in the area of loving others
-- Jesus is calling us to perfection -- the Greek word that He uses here in verse 48 is "telios" -- it means complete -- it means mature -- it means whole
-- what He's telling us is that if you want to be complete -- if you want to be mature -- if you want to be whole and holy -- if you want to follow God, you have to love your enemies as well as your neighbors -- even if that means loving Osama bin Laden -- even if that means loving that person at work or school or in your club that you call your enemy

-- so, how is possible? -- how can we even hope to do this on our own? -- the truth is, we can't -- we do not have the capacity within us to even love our family and friends with agape love -- we certainly can't love our enemies or even strangers with agape love -- it's impossible
-- but, as Jesus said, "with God, nothing is impossible" -- remember what Paul told us in Galatians 5:22-23 -- this type of agape love that we are being called to is an attribute of God -- Paul tells us that in our lives, this agape love comes forth as a fruit of the Spirit
-- in other words, we can't do it on our own -- we have to open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit who lives within us and let Him love through us -- and let Him help us learn to love through His power and presence
-- we have to draw the agape love from God through the Holy Spirit, like drawing water from a well, in order to have it available to love others, especially to love our enemies
-- what this means is that we start relying on God to help us love others -- when we find ourselves in a situation where love is required, we need to get into the practice of praying for help -- "God, I don't like this person -- I certainly don't love them -- please give me your love for them -- help me to see them with Your eyes -- help me to hear them with Your ears -- help me to love them with Your heart"
-- it will be hard at first -- heck, it will be hard at second and third and fourth -- but, over time, as you seek God's will -- as you seek His presence and His power in your life, you will start to feel His love flowing through you to others -- and, eventually, His love will so permeate your life that you will begin to look like Him and you will find yourself loving like Him more and more and more

-- let me give you some advice -- don't start with trying to love Osama bin Laden -- don't start with trying to love that enemy of yours -- start with your family -- start with your spouse -- start with your parents and your brothers and sisters and your children
-- you'll find it is easier to learn to love them with agape love because you already are in a love relationship with them
-- start with them and then, as you learn to draw on the Holy Spirit's power and presence, start to love others

-- and keep in mind two things:
-- first, keep in mind that we are talking about progressive holiness -- this is a process -- not an instantaneous event -- it is going to take time to become holy as God is holy
-- we need to start off with baby steps as we start on this journey of love and holiness -- knowing that we might take two steps forward and then one back -- but our goal should be progress -- it should be moving forward -- it may take you years and year and years before you reach the place that Jesus is talking about here -- but as long as you are moving forward, then you are doing what God has called you to do
-- secondly, keep in mind that the word "love" is a verb -- not a noun -- love as described in the Bible is not static and it's not a feeling or an emotion -- it's an action -- it's a choice on our part -- it's a way that we choose to relate to someone else -- it's a way that we show God to another person
-- you may not "feel" love for another person in an emotional sense, but you show love through your actions to them -- just as Jesus showed His love for us by dying on the cross in our place

III. Closing
-- in the Jewish temple, there was a lamp -- a light of sacrifice that was always kept lit -- it never went out -- day and night -- summer and winter -- the priests kept it filled with oil so that this light would fill the holy place
-- we see that light burning in the life of Jesus -- nothing could put it out -- no scorn or hostility or hatred -- no betrayal or cursing or persecution -- it was the light of His love and it shined brightly where ever Jesus went, even the cross of Calvary as He loved even those who nailed Him to that tree
-- in the same way, we have a lamp in our lives and in our churches that is fueled by the agape love of God -- as Christians, we are called to keep our lamp lit -- to keep it burning bright -- so that all around us will see the light of Christ and be drawn to His presence
-- this lamp is filled with the love that comes from the Holy Spirit -- and we must learn how to draw on His power and His presence so that our lamp will always stay full and will always burn brightly

-- as Christians, we are called to be more than we could possibly be on our own -- to do more than we could possibly do on our own -- to love more than we could possibly do on our own
-- we should not live as the world lives -- we should not love as the world loves -- we should not just love our family and friends -- instead, we should love everyone with the agape love of Christ -- our family -- our friends -- our neighbors -- our acquaintances -- our enemies
-- this is our calling -- this is our goal -- this is our first step on the path to pursuing the holiness of God in our lives

-- as I close in prayer, I want to invite you to pray with me for God's power and presence in your life -- we can't love like this on our own -- we need His help -- we need His strength -- we need His love -- in order to love like Him -- in order to be holy as He is holy
-- let's pray for that power now -- let's pray for His presence now -- and let's leave here loving as never before
-- as always, as the last hymn is played, the altar is open for any who wish to physically come before God -- to kneel before His presence -- for whatever reason -- maybe just because you need a moment with Him today
-- I'd be happy to pray with you if you want -- I'll ask you when you come forward, and if you just want to pray alone with God, just let me know
-- let us pray

SERMON: THAT OLD TIME RELIGION

THAT OLD TIME RELIGION
May 31, 2009

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Acts 2

1. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
2. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
4. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
6. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
7. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?
8. Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?
9. Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10. Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome
11. (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!"
12. Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
13. Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine. "
14. Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
15. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!
16. No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17. "`In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
18. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
19. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

-- John Wimber was a charismatic preacher and one of the founders of the Vineyard Movement, which helped start the creation of all of the non-denominational churches that we see in our area and throughout the country right now -- "The Spirit Song" in our hymnals was written by John Wimber
-- Wimber came to Christ in the height of the Jesus movement in the 1960s as God moved through the hippies and the young people in those days -- he began reading the Bible -- starting with the Gospels and then went through the book of Acts and he got excited about what God had done in the early church
-- so, Wimber went out and found a church, but he was disillusioned by what he found -- the service was nice and polite and very structured -- it began exactly on time -- it ended on time -- and nothing much happened in the middle
-- Wimber looked at the people in the church and he asked them, "When are you gonna do the stuff? -- "What stuff?" they wanted to know -- "You know...the stuff!"
-- Wimber had been reading about the miraculous conversions -- the healings and the deliverance from sin and the other miracles that took place in the early church as recorded in the book of Acts -- but instead of signs and wonders, he saw no sign of life at all -- no sign of anything that would make him wonder -- that would leave him speechless -- all he experienced in that church was the deadness of the ritual that he had just sat through1

-- if we're honest with each other, we have to say that we know exactly what Wimber experienced in that church -- we've had our share of dry services -- of services without much happening -- of doing the same-old, same-old Sunday after Sunday after Sunday
-- in our lives, we have experienced the same thing -- even after coming to Christ and having our sins forgiven, our spiritual lives can become dry and powerless and rarely look like the lives of Paul or Peter or any of those mentioned in the Bible -- in fact, they rarely look that different from those around us who are not Christians
-- but this is not what God intended -- God intended for us to live amazing and exciting lives through Him -- He intended that we would walk through this land as shining beacons of light -- that we would live lives of such holiness and goodness and righteousness and power that when others looked at us, they would be drawn to the God who made us like this
-- this is the reason for this passage today -- this is the reason why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with us -- this is the reason for Pentecost -- as Jesus told us in Acts 1:8, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you"
-- power for what? -- power to overcome sin -- power to live holy lives -- power to speak the name of Christ to the world around us -- power to do wondrous signs and miracles in Jesus' name

-- as Rick Kirchoff says, “When God sends forth the Spirit amazing things happen --barriers are broken -- communities are formed -- opposites are reconciled -- unity is established
-- diseases are cured -- addiction is broken -- cities are renewed -- races are reconciled -- hope is established -- people are blessed -- and church happens.
-- Today the Spirit of God is present -- God is up to something. . . [so] discouraged folks [are going to cheer up] -- dishonest folks ‘fess up -- sour folks sweeten up -- closed folk open up -- gossipers shut up -- conflicted folks make up -- sleeping folks wake up -- lukewarm folk fire up -- dry bones shake up -- and pew potatoes stand up! -- But most of all, Christ the Savior of all the world is [going to be] lifted up.”2
-- doesn't that sound better than what we do now? -- doesn't that sound more exciting than the Christian lives we live now?
-- so, how does this come about? -- how can we see transformed churches and lives today? -- how can we experience for ourselves the dynamic life of Christ portrayed in the Bible -- lives characterized by purity and power -- signs and wonders?
-- well, it all starts with holiness -- it all starts with the commitment to be holy in all we do because God is holy -- it all starts with the belief that God will make us holy and will empower us to do mighty things in His name

II. Holiness -- Positional and Progressive
-- last week, we started our Summer Sermon Series on holiness -- and I talked about Jesus washing the feet of His disciples -- just to jog your memory, we talked about the fact that Jesus came for two reasons
-- first, Jesus came to give us a bath and cleanse us from unrighteousness -- that's what He meant when He told Peter in the Upper Room that if you've had a bath, you are clean and only need your feet washed
-- Jesus gave us a bath by becoming our substitute on the cross -- He took our place on the cross -- He died for our sins so that we might be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life with Him -- in the church, we call this "justification" -- another word is "salvation" -- it's the life-changing event that occurs when we receive Jesus as our Savior
-- another way to think of this is that justification or salvation is "positional holiness" -- because Jesus substituted His life for ours, our position -- our standing -- before God has been changed -- the Bible says that we were once objects of wrath -- far away from God because of our sin -- now, we are near to God because of what Jesus has done for us -- because Jesus paid our sin debt in full on the cross

-- the second reason Jesus came was to wash our feet, just like He washed the feet of His disciples -- in other words, Jesus came to wash off the dust of this world so we could walk through the world with clean feet -- in the church, we call this "sanctification" -- it's just a fancy way of saying that Jesus came to make our walk holy -- to make our lives holy -- so that we might experience His power working through us
-- in sanctification, Jesus becomes our substitute for life -- in other words, Jesus lives in us and through us and empowers us to live a life of holiness instead of the life we would live without Him -- it is Christ's righteousness within us that sanctifies us and delivers us from sin -- we have to keep in mind that the Jesus' death on the cross did not only pay our sin debt and offer us forgiveness from sin, but it struck at the very capacity to sin -- the cross broke the chains of sin in our life -- the cross destroyed the power of sin and opened up the path to living a life free from sin
-- that's what most of us think about when we consider the word "holy" -- this is "progressive" holiness -- it is how we make Jesus Lord of our life -- it is how we show Him our love -- by following His commands and living lives in obedience to Him -- progressive holiness or sanctification is becoming holy in our behavior

-- This is the area where the church and where Christians are failing today -- more than anything else, it is a lack of holiness that has led us to experience powerless lives and churches -- it is a lack of holiness that has led us to continue to be trapped and plagued by sin just as much as the world -- if we want to experience the dynamic life that Christ called us to -- the dynamic life that we see portrayed in the men and women of the Bible -- then we have to start with holiness
-- the good thing is, we don't have to do this on our own -- actually, we can't do this on our own -- we are totally incapable of doing good -- of being holy -- in our own lives -- so, we need someone else who can live our lives for us -- who will substitute His power and His righteousness for our own -- someone who will empower us to be obedient to God and to quit living lives of sin on a daily basis
-- that's where the Holy Spirit comes in -- the Holy Spirit is the source of holiness in our lives

III. The Holy Spirit
-- today is the Day of Pentecost -- According to the Bible, this is the day when the Israelites made their way to Mt. Sinai after they left Egypt -- when they got to Mt. Sinai, God met them there and gave them the law -- this moment, more than any other, defined the Israelites as a nation, as the people of God
-- about 4000 years later, God sent the Holy Spirit to the church on the Day of Pentecost -- and just like the giving of the law defined the nation of Israel, the giving of the Spirit defined the church -- it gave birth to the church and to the miracles and wonders and signs that were supposed to be part of the Christian experience
-- let's look at this passage about Pentecost and see how we might receive and experience a fresh outpouring of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives today

-- look back at verse 1

1. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
2. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
4. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.


-- as this passage opens, we read that the disciples were all together in one place -- now that can mean a couple of different things -- first, it can mean a literal place -- Luke might mean that the disciples were all together in the Upper Room or they were all together in the temple or in some other area -- that is probably the case
-- but, there is a different meaning to this that we need to understand -- for the first time since Jesus had brought the disciples together, they were in one place in their spirit and in their understanding -- they were of one accord
-- if you read through the gospels, it's obvious that the disciples were rarely of one accord -- they constantly bickered and quarreled with each other -- they constantly wanted the best places at the table and the highest positions in the kingdom -- but, now, something has happened
-- Jesus has died and come back -- their sins have been forgiven -- and Jesus has spent the last 40 days with them in an intense Bible course -- teaching them how the Old Testament Scriptures all pointed to Him and His ministry
-- and, so, for the first time since we have read about the disciples, we find them in one place -- physically and spiritually -- finally, they are ready to be baptized with the Holy Spirit

-- contrary to popular opinion, they had already received the Holy Spirit -- in John 20:22, we read that after Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them, "He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." -- the Holy Spirit already lived within them -- but the disciples couldn't experience His power because they were not open to His presence
-- it's the same way with us -- once we have been saved -- once we have asked Jesus to forgive us of our sins and live within our hearts, He sends the Holy Spirit to indwell us -- to live within us
-- the problem is that we don't really believe it -- we don't let the Holy Spirit work through us but continue to try to live life in our own strength
-- the first step to holiness, then, is being open to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives -- if you are saved, the Holy Spirit is already there -- we just have to believe it and allow Him to substitute His power and His righteousness for our own -- that is what the disciples were doing in this passage

-- and, as they opened themselves up to God's presence, Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples like a mighty rushing wind and in tongues of fire that rested on them
-- this is not the normal way the Spirit comes upon us now -- we don't see the Spirit coming upon anyone else in the Bible in this way -- but this was what the disciples needed at this moment -- Jesus had ascended to heaven 10 days earlier -- and, for the first time, the disciples were truly physically alone -- so they needed to hear God's presence -- they needed to see God's presence -- and so the Spirit came on them and baptized them in power in this miraculous way -- it was what the early church needed to know that God was with them
-- now, as soon as the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, Luke tells us that a crowd gathered because of the noise and commotion -- when is the last time you heard of people being drawn to a church service because of the noise and commotion? -- but that's exactly what happened here

-- Peter began to preach to the crowd and to tell them the good news of Jesus -- he recognized that what was happening was the fulfillment of the promise that God gave to the prophet Joel -- skip down to verse 17

17. "`In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
18. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
19. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

-- God was pouring out His Spirit on all people -- men and women -- young and old -- everyone who turned to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins would now receive the Holy Spirit in their lives -- this gift of God was for everyone -- from the youngest Christian to the oldest saint -- all could receive and be filled with the presence of God in their lives
-- and with the coming of the Holy Spirit, the church would experience signs and wonders -- transformed lives and changed hearts -- with the coming of the Holy Spirit, we would be empowered to live holy and obedient lives, following Christ's commands and walking in His paths and not the paths of the world

IV. Closing
-- this is what God considers normal for Christians and churches -- this is what we should expect in our worship services and in our lives -- this is our goal -- and this is what we're going to be focusing on over the next several weeks
-- if you are not experiencing signs and wonders in your life -- if you are not living lives of obedience to God -- if you can't describe yourself as "holy" -- then I want to encourage you to open yourself up to the presence of the Holy Spirit
-- I can't think of any better way to do this today than to receive Holy Communion this morning on this Pentecost Sunday -- to receive within us again the power and presence of the living Christ -- to come before His table for cleansing and the forgiveness of sins and to rise from the altar filled with His presence
-- I'm going to close in prayer right now and then we'll share Holy Communion together
-- let's pray

1Modified from sermon by Rodney Buchanan, Pentecostal Power, http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=59048
2Modified from sermon by Rodney Buchanan, Pentecostal Power, http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon.asp?SermonID=59048