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[0:00] Psalm 96 verse 9 Psalm 96 verse 9 I know there's some faith that lost them and got them back.

[1:02] And it's good to get them back, isn't it? There's some things that have been lost in the church of God. Lost things. Lost things. Three things lost.

[1:13] Sadly lost. Sadly missing. Three precious, vital, beautiful things. Lost. Gone. Timeless principles of the word of God.

[1:28] Lost. Maybe never to be regained. Number one. Worship. Worship.

[1:39] It's been lost. Today is the Lord's day. Worship. Worship. It's the highest activity which is possible for you to be involved in.

[1:55] Worship. It's the most beautiful thing that we can be involved in. And yet, sadly it's lost. In some quarters.

[2:06] In some lives. In some homes. There's no worship there. I know many Christians. Many people professing to be Christians. Who don't worship.

[2:18] They don't gather to worship. They don't come to church. They don't fellowship. They don't worship in the corporate gathering. Of God's people. Gathering together. Worship.

[2:29] They've lost it. They've lost it. I don't know what could be more important really. I can't conceive of what could be more important than worship. 1 Chronicles 16.29.

[2:46] There's a like verse to that one we read. 1 Chronicles 16.29. It says, Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name.

[2:58] Bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Worship. It's beautiful. Worship is beautiful.

[3:10] It can be. It should be. Every time we worship, it should be a beautiful thing. A wonderful thing. A precious thing. Worship in the beauty of holiness.

[3:20] Do we? Do we truly? Now sometimes it's words on page. Even though they're beautiful words. And that can be true for us as any other congregation.

[3:31] Words we just mouth. Because they're there to read, to sing, to voice. But do they really mean something to us? The truth of them?

[3:41] Do we worship in the beauty of holiness? Let's not miss that. Worship. It's an expression of our love.

[3:52] Of our adoration. Of our devotion. Do you? Do you delight in him? Delight in him. To long to worship.

[4:03] To long to adore. To praise. Our goal in worship is to please him. To please God. And to instruct and strengthen God's people.

[4:14] Because we're exhorting one another as we sing, aren't we? We're admonishing one another. We're instructing one another. We're strengthening one another. Because there's truth in you. There's beautiful truth.

[4:26] Beautiful worship. And worship. It's glorifying God. It's edifying one another. It's not entertaining so much as edifying one another.

[4:39] We're not here to entertain. I'm sure we have items at times. And it's the human kind of habit to clap, isn't it? As much as really and truly it's clapping unto the Lord, isn't it?

[4:51] I'm blessed when we have items of people singing and praising God. And we do want to acknowledge and thank the Lord for that. That ministry that has been given. But we're not wanting to clap the ones who sing as if they're performers.

[5:06] As if they're there to be praised. But we want to join with them and say amen to their worship that they are offering. That they are exhorting us to join in.

[5:17] That's what we want to join in. It's a sacred time. It's not an entertaining time. Maybe it can be entertaining to a degree. But that's not what it's all about, is it?

[5:28] It's the sacred. It's the sacred. It's worship in the beauty of holiness. That we are to have that sacred space. That sacred place to sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.

[5:42] In your hearts. That's the sanctuary. That's the sacred place. That's the holy place. Your heart, brother. Your heart, Joshua. It's the sacred place.

[5:53] Your heart, Paul. It's the sanctuary. It's the holy place. The holy place. Colina. It's your heart. That he resides in. That he dwells within.

[6:04] Sanctify. Set apart the Lord your God in your heart. Make your heart a sanctuary. A holy space. A holy place that the Holy Spirit can fill.

[6:16] A place for the Holy One. And how can that be? To make it happen. Self has to be dethroned. Self has to be dethroned.

[6:27] Sometimes we don't do that. We want self to still sit on that throne of our heart too. But self has to be dethroned. Denied. Dead. Self has to die.

[6:39] So that Christ can reign on that throne of our heart. So that Christ can have that sanctuary in that holy place that is our heart by his grace. And it's your privilege to worship.

[6:51] It's your privilege to worship. As was earlier said, for some, they face possible death for worshipping. Because it's illegal to worship.

[7:04] It's unlawful to worship. We should set our minds and our hearts to worship. To adore him. To delight ourselves in the freedom we have to worship. To delight ourselves in the Lord.

[7:21] Worship. It's lost. It's lost. Let's regain it. Let's find it again. Let's refresh it. And it doesn't have to be on a Sunday from 10 to 11.30.

[7:35] It can be 24 by 7. By 365. That we can have worship. Worship. Worship. Secondly, holiness has got lost.

[7:46] Holiness has got lost. Psalm 96.9 again that verse. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Fear before him all the earth.

[7:58] Holiness has got lost. Holiness is something beautiful. You know, some would picture it as something grim and straight-laced and confined and straight-jacketed.

[8:10] But holiness is something beautiful. It's beautiful to know the Holy One. For him to make you holy. For you to set him apart as holy.

[8:22] Holiness is something that has a beauty to it. The beauty of holiness. Holiness is something that has a beauty to it. Holiness is a purpose of holiness. The magnificence of it. The splendour of it.

[8:33] The comeliness of it. The glory of it. The excellency of it. The majesty of it. There's so much wrapped up in that word beauty. The majesty. majesty, the wonder, the adoration, the preciousness of worship.

[8:48] Holiness is something beautiful. And sadly, it's a lost truth. It's a lost practice at times. And we all can be guilty. I'm not saying that we've got it all, that everyone else hasn't got it.

[9:02] But we need that holiness regained, refreshed, restored, revitalized. That lost truth, that is holiness. And a right to put it, holiness has love for its essence, humility for its clothing, the good of others as its employment, and the honor of God as its end.

[9:25] Holiness. Is your life beautiful? You know, we spend much time combing the hair as it gets less in the mirror and looking at the, how can I make myself look more beautiful on the outward?

[9:44] And it's a vain attempt in my case. But is your life beautiful? Do you have the beauty of holiness? Are you clothed with Christ?

[9:55] Is Christ in you? Are you in Him? Holiness. Holiness. It's lost. It's lost. I correspond with some folk.

[10:07] There's a chap on Facebook I've been talking to. And he's got a particular word that he likes to use a lot of.

[10:20] It's the F word. And he sometimes comes here and I've challenged him, don't do it. And he says, I'm an adult, I can do what I want.

[10:32] You're an adult, you can do what you want. You can choose holiness, you can choose unholiness. People, it's up to you today. You can choose holiness.

[10:44] It's beautiful. It's beautiful. It's attractive. It'll make you beautiful on the inside, from the inside out. Don't miss it. Don't miss it. Don't settle for the world's slops.

[10:57] And waste your life. Choose holiness. It's beautiful. James Stewart, an old-time revival writer, writes, Revival is the beauty of holiness adorning the saints.

[11:15] It's your adorning. It's that clothing that is Christ shining out of you. And yet, we always can miss it.

[11:28] Holiness, that Bible truth, it's an imperative. It's an imperative. It's a command. This is not an optional extra for a Christian. William Wilberforce said, There is no shortcut to holiness.

[11:44] It must be the business of our whole lives. The business of our whole lives should be holiness. As Peter writes in 1 Peter 1, That God commands separation.

[11:59] But as he which I've called you is holy, So be ye holy in all manner, In all manner of conversation, Of conduct, behaviour.

[12:12] Because it is written, Be ye holy, For I am holy. There's no ifs or buts there.

[12:25] He says, be. Be. Someone has said, God is the great separatist. He's absolutely separated from all evil and error. And he wants you to be like him.

[12:38] Isn't that amazing? It's amazing that we could conceive that we could even be that way. But by his mercy and grace, It gets sweeter and sweeter as the days go by.

[12:50] It's becoming a more and more perfect day. The path of the just, isn't it? And one day, Peter and Elena, You're going to be like him.

[13:02] You're going to be like him. It's going to be a wonder and a glory about you, That you are like him. Even more than you already are. It's making us more like him.

[13:13] One day we will be. What will we choose meantime? Will we choose the sacred or the vulgar? Will we choose the corrupt, The crude, Or the pure?

[13:31] When God changes you from the inside out, It touches every part of you. Every part of your being. It touches your tongue. The words you speak.

[13:43] It touches you. Holiness. Ryle said, Surely that man must be in an unhealthy state of soul, Who can think of all that Jesus suffered, And yet cling to, And yet cling to, Those sins, For which that suffering was undergone.

[14:02] It was sin, That wove the crown, Of thorns. It was sin, It was sin, It was sin, It was sin, That pierced, Our lord's hand, And feet, And side.

[14:15] It was sin, That brought him to Gethsemane, And Calvary, To the cross, And to the grave. Cold, Must our hearts be, if we do not hate sin and labour to get rid of it.

[14:36] Though we may have to cut off the right hand and pluck out the right eye in doing it. Holiness, it's a lost tree. Younger people, older people, we're all in a combat zone.

[14:52] We're all behind enemy lines as it stands and we are in the face of the flack and the temptation, constantly tugged and torn and tested, tried.

[15:08] We know that, every one of us. You know, sometimes you used to say, well, the younger people get tempted more than the older people. But I know us older saints too, those older than me too, sin is still there, isn't it?

[15:21] Amen? Temptation is still there. It's still staring you in the face. It's still trying to grab a hold of you and catch it in its net, the snare of the fowler. It's still real for older and younger.

[15:34] But it takes that stand of commitment to say, I will stand with Christ. I will not settle for less. Holiness, it's lost.

[15:47] Our heart grows cold. The Lord God Almighty. He is the thrice holy God. Holy is the Father. Holy is the Son. Holy is the Holy Spirit.

[16:03] Holy yesterday. Holy today. Holy forever. Holy, holy, holy. Lord God Almighty.

[16:14] And this Holy One says to you, Be ye holy. Holy. Even as I am holy. This one says, Habakkuk 1.13, He is of purer eyes.

[16:30] Purer eyes. And to behold evil. You cannot look on iniquity. God is pure and separated from sin or anything that would defile. And He expects you.

[16:42] What a challenge. That you can be a man of God. That you can be a woman of God. To stand for that which is true and pure and holy.

[16:53] To follow in His stead. To follow in His footprints. Even if it be those bloody footprints to the cross. As you carry the cross. Those bleeding prints on the ground.

[17:06] That you can walk as it says. To follow His steps. Brothers and sisters, sanctify yourselves. Therefore, and be ye holy. For I the Lord, I am the Lord your God.

[17:19] Holy, it means set apart. Sanctified, separated. Separated from sin unto God. God says, Touch not the unclean thing. Don't mess with it.

[17:30] Don't even touch it. Come out. Will we obey? Holiness. It's lost. It's lost. Do we live it practically? We could talk about all manner of things that we could say in practical terms.

[17:51] Issues that face us day by day. Do we apply the word of God to daily life? And there's areas and issues that for all of us we've got to come to a decision of conscience about.

[18:11] He that knows to do good and does it not, to him it is sin. And it talks about that whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

[18:23] Now, every one of us may have different views on some of these things. For example, alcohol. I would not want to support the alcohol industry personally.

[18:36] The booze industry that destroys so many lives. I wouldn't want to support that. Clothing that's not appropriate. It's not modest.

[18:51] Would I want to go and join in dancing, worldly dancing? Would I want to do that? Would that be a shameful thing for me as a Christian? Entertainment, you know, there's different views and decisions we all have to make.

[19:06] What we choose to purchase, DVD, or what we choose to watch and partake of. Let's ask God. What does He think of it? Before we partake of it.

[19:18] Gambling. Some Christians mess around with that. I can't conceive why. I can't understand why you would want to support something that brings broken homes and ruins lives.

[19:31] Why would you? Why would you waste God's money? Because 100% of your money is God's. Why would you waste a cent of your money to gamble it away on the chance of making and winning at someone else's expense?

[19:48] Why would you? I can't conceive of that. These are things that you need to make decisions about for your life. Wise decisions. What of our lives?

[19:59] Do we choose worship? Doctrinal purity? Do we choose those things that count? Or do we just partake of any old kind of stuff? Any old kind of junk that comes our way without exercising discernment about it?

[20:13] We need to be wise to follow after holiness. It's got the sense of chasing after it, racing after it, pursuing it. And what is our holiness? Christ's life in you is your holiness.

[20:26] It's Christ in you. He is your holiness. He is your sanctification. He is your righteousness. It's Christ's life in you. That's what we need. Worship. It's lost.

[20:37] Where did it go? Holiness. Where is it today? Thirdly, the fear of the Lord. The text says, Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

[20:55] Fear before Him all the earth. The fear of God. It's lost. It's lost in church. It's lost again. Do we regain it?

[21:07] Can we? We must regain it. Paul urges the saints to be actively perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

[21:19] Perfecting it. It's got a sense of developing it, of maturing it, of growing that holiness in the fear of God. The fear of God is lost today. When you've got people wearing funny hats, excusing sin in the sanctuary.

[21:39] when you've got people with funny hats and funny dresses declaring absolution and cover-ups over grossness and abomination and vile things.

[21:56] The fear of the Lord is gone. It's gone. Long gone. If it ever was in such institutions. The fear of God. The psalmist cries out, Unite my heart to fear thy name.

[22:08] Psalm 86, 11. Where has the fear gone? The fear. We should be the people that tremble at his word. The one who will come with purer eyes than to behold evil and he's going to stare right at you.

[22:25] Look you in the eyeballs. Eye to eye. Eyeball to eyeball. Face to face. Flies as a flaming fire. And he's going to search you.

[22:36] He's going to search your hearts and reins. And that one with whom we have to give account, with whom you have to deal, shouldn't we fear him? Shouldn't we fear him? In the sense of that honour, that reverence, that adoration, that love, that regard, that wonder of who he is, of what he's done for you, of what he's done for me.

[22:59] The fear of God. And Proverbs 9, 10 says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. You haven't even started to learn what life is about without the fear of the Lord.

[23:14] You might have numbers of letters behind your name or maybe doctor or something or other in front of your name. But if you don't have the fear of the Lord, you don't even have the beginning of wisdom.

[23:27] You haven't even started. And then it goes on and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding. The knowledge of the Holy is understanding. When we have the fear of the Lord, we begin to understand what really matters.

[23:43] What really matters. Life has a new determination, a new desire. A new comprehension happens when the fear of the Lord happens.

[23:54] And Matthew 6, 24, the Lord says, it's impossible to please two masters. You can't have it both ways, people. The fear of the Lord, the beginning of wisdom, the knowledge of the Holy, or will you settle for the slops?

[24:12] Will you settle for the muck and the make-believe and the sham of the world? The hollow things, the empty things, the vain things.

[24:23] Life is but a vapour. Life is a vapour. It's here and gone before you know it. We know for some of us we're staring down the barrel. The light at the end of the tunnel is looking pretty bright because we know it won't be long for some of us and you've got a blessing ahead of me getting there before me.

[24:42] Amen. And it's going to be good to know Him, to be with Him. But meantime, make the most of every moment, make the most of every minute, of every second, of every bit of life you've been given to make it count.

[24:57] The fear of the Lord. Do we fear His wrath? One day it will come. Do we fear His wrath? We've lost the knowledge of the holy. Do we recognise His power?

[25:08] He is powerful. Without fear, we are without power. Without the fear of God, we're without the power of God. I think that's what's sadly missing and lacking and we need more power.

[25:22] We need more power. We need more fear. The power of the Holy Spirit. It's the power of God at work of transforming lives, energising, changing us.

[25:33] You know, there's a word in the Greek, energeo. You've got a sense of, guess what that means in the English. I mean, that would be Einstein to work that one out.

[25:44] Energy. Energy. God's people are meant to have energy. Amen? God wants you to be energised. Like that little bunny, the energiser bunny.

[25:55] But it doesn't run out. Amen? Because His power is everlasting. He is forever. We need to be energised, God's people. Energised with the power of the Holy Spirit. That energising, that working, that operating, that transforming grace of Ephesians 1.19.

[26:12] To know what is the exceeding greatness of His power. towards us who believe. According to the working of His mighty power. God's power is mighty, it's working, it's energising, or it should be.

[26:27] If you're a Christian, you should be activated, energised, enthused. Philippians 2.13, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

[26:40] It's got that same word in there somewhere. Worketh in you, energising in you both to will and do of His good pleasure. We can have the best of intentions.

[26:54] You can have the best of motives and a heart of gold. But put the life into action. Put your mouth into action. But put your walk into action.

[27:04] Live the life. Application. The Christian life is meant to be applied. It's meant to be lived out. The mind of Christ He wants to give you.

[27:14] His will He wants to give you. The desire to do His will. To make you conform to His image. Friends, today, just to wrap up, the lost things can be regained. They can be.

[27:25] They're still here. The promises of God in Him are yea and amen. Exceeding great and precious promises. They're still exceeding great and precious promises.

[27:37] And Christ in you, the hope of glory. He says, you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you. And people today, you can be energised with His power working in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

[27:52] The Christian life. Worship. Our life should be worshiped. It says, that one, present your bodies a living sacrifice which is your reasonable service.

[28:08] The word service is elsewhere translated worship. Your life should be a worship. Your life should be a worship. You should be a sacrifice on the altar and you should be living worship.

[28:21] Living, breathing. Let everything that have breath praise the Lord. While you've got breath, praise Him. Praise Him. Worship Him. Honor Him. Worship. Holiness.

[28:34] Holiness. It's been said that the word holy and whole, they've got the same kind of foundational term in the midst there, the common terminology, holiness and wholeness.

[28:49] I know in the German and I believe in the English too, there's a sense where these words are allied. There's a common sense to them. And wholeness comes from holiness.

[29:01] It comes from that wholeness that Christ brings. Without Christ, you're incomplete. You're missing the most vital component for which you were created to know Him.

[29:14] If there's anyone here, you're not saved yet. You're incomplete. There's a huge vacuum within you that's unfilled. There's a huge empty space that only Christ can fill.

[29:28] You're incomplete without Him. But if you are in Christ, you are complete in Him. You've found that authentic relationship with Him. And God isn't wanting to improve your old sinful nature.

[29:43] Some think that, some preachers try to preach that as if God can improve your life. Improve that sinful heart of yours. Improve that sinful lifestyle of yours.

[29:56] Improve that prosperity of yours so that somehow you can become more affluent and influential and prosperous and successful. No! God is not going to try to improve old Andrew Craig's sinful nature.

[30:12] It's too far gone. It's beyond help. The only thing that God can do is to deal it a death blow and give Andrew Craig a new nature.

[30:25] And in that new nature, God plants the principle of holiness within the heart of an old rotten sinner. That's what He can do for you today. If you're not saved, if you're incomplete, Christ can come and live within you, reside within your heart by faith, make you whole and holy.

[30:43] And God's people are meant to be a testimony to have that courage, that character to restore that worship, to restore that holiness, the beauty of it, to restore the fear of God.

[30:56] It's been said, live so that the preacher can tell the truth at your funeral. You know, you can put on airs and graces and pretend.

[31:07] There's people here who can pretend you might be such a good con artist that you might deceive me into believing that you're a Christian today. Don't make that mistake.

[31:21] Don't pretend to be a Christian. Be a real Christian, a real one who knows the Holy One. The Holy One comes and lives in your heart by faith.

[31:31] To know the wonder of that beauty of holiness. To know the wonder of who calls you to worship.

[31:46] To know the wonder of the fear of his name. Give unto the Lord the glory. Due unto his name, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29.2 Give unto the Lord the glory.

[32:03]  Psalm 29.2