WEBVTT

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 If you have your Bibles, turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 3.

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 We're beginning, or continuing, I should say rather, our series.

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 We started last week's three-part series about what kind of church do we want to be.

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 Let me go back for those of you who weren't here last week and just kind of set the stage.

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 I'll do that very, very briefly.

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 Paul is on his second missionary journey.

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 He is in Philippi and he leads the Philippians to the Lord.

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 Suffers great persecution, has to flee the city, goes ultimately to Thessalonica.

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 There in Thessalonica, he shows up at the synagogue and he begins to preach.

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 And he does that for three consecutive Sabbaths as they gather for worship.

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 A number of those people hear the gospel, respond in faith to what he said.

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 And they establish friendships and they begin growing in their faith.

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 Three weeks, though, after his arrival, suddenly persecution is about to take off in Paul's life in the church.

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 Some of the folk who have come to be a part of this church, they come to Paul and they say,

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 Paul, you need to flee for your life.

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 And so he flees and he goes to the next city.

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 And as we read in 1 Thessalonians, he desires to get back to them because he's concerned about them.

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 He wonders what's happening to them.

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 Have they continued in the faith they have first embraced or have they fallen by the wayside?

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 And so he'd make several attempts to go back.

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 And he says in these first two chapters that Satan continually hinders him from being able to go back.

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 So in chapter 3, verse 1, when he says he can stand it no longer, he's just beside himself, worried about these folk,

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 he sends Timothy, says, Timothy, leave me, go back and check on those folk in Thessalonica.

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 He goes and checks on them.

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 When he comes back, you read about that in verses 6 through 10 of the third chapter.

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 And basically what he finds is this.

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 These folk are doing fine, even in the absence of leadership.

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 These people are growing in their faith.

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 They're loving one another the way they should.

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 And so Paul, in chapter 3, verses 11 to 13, that's the portion of this that we're using as our focus during this three-week study.

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 Paul prays a prayer to these Thessalonians.

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 And the first part we looked at last week.

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 Today we look at the second part, the middle part.

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 What he says in that first part is this.

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 I'm praying that you will increase in your love.

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 Timothy's told me you're loving one another, but increase in that.

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 In fact, increase to the point that it overflows, that it spills over in everything you do.

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 And then he gives them explicit instructions.

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 He says, I want you to love those in the church, but also those outside the church.

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 And we talked about what that looked like.

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 In fact, the telltale sign, the badge of discipleship for all believers,

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 should always be our love for folk around us.

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 Those who we know, those who are in the faith, those who are a part of the family of God,

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 but also those who are opposed to us.

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 Those are our enemies.

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 Those are our neighbors.

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 Those who don't walk with Christ.

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 We're to be known as a church that loves.

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 And I really hope and trust and believe that's what you here at First Baptist Pickens want to do.

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 You want to emulate what it is to love the Lord Jesus Christ and thereby love the world.

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 Well, he goes on in the middle of that next verse.

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 Look at verse 13.

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 He prays this prayer as well.

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 May he make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father.

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 May he make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father.

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 Let's just be honest about it for a moment.

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 Years and years ago, we heard a lot about holiness, right?

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 Most of you who were born in the 40s, the 50s, the 60s, you went to church and you heard a whole lot about holiness.

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 Have you noticed how in the last several decades we've moved away from talking about holiness?

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 In fact, if we're just absolutely honest about it, that's a word we kind of shy away from in all walks of life.

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 If your middle schooler shows up tomorrow and the other middle schooler looks at them and says, hey, there's old Holy John.

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 There's Holy Jane.

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 There's Holy Sally.

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 They're not usually perceiving that to be a compliment, right?

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 And in fact, if you own your job as adults, go in the marketplace, and you overhear people talking, more often than not, sometimes they can say it complimentary.

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 But more often than not, when that word arises in the marketplace, they're not using it in a complimentary fashion.

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 And so we kind of shy away from it.

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 But I want to tell you something.

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 In the church, we need holiness and purity as much as flowers need sunshine and rain.

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 And you can never be pleasing unto God and be the church that God intends for you to be unless your life is marked by what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called an inner, hidden holiness of the heart.

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 I'm not talking about a holiness that you wear on your sleeve.

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 I'm not talking about a holy roller, so to speak.

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 I'm talking about a real, genuine, pure, hidden holiness that emerges.

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 Folk can see it, but you don't wear it on your sleeve.

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 So I want to just mention a few things about this prayer he prays here.

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 Let's look at it again.

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 May he make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God.

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 This is going to scare you, but I'm going to say about 13 things about that, okay?

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 We're not going to be here all afternoon.

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 I'm going to say them just in real staccato fashion.

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 In fact, I'm going to read several of them and then make just a brief comment.

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 But let's just begin.

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 Here's the first.

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 The end result is that they be holy and blameless before the Lord with the underscoring of the word be.

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 The emphasis on the word be.

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 That's what his ultimate goal is for these believers in Thessalonica.

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 Not that they act holy, that they be holy.

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 And there's a difference in those two things, right?

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 We've seen folk act holy and then we've seen folk be holy.

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 You've seen folk who give off the image, they're as pure as the new driven snow.

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 And then you see people in their speech patterns, in their thought patterns, in their lifestyle.

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 Boy, they live a life that is pure.

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 Second thing I want you to say is this.

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 On our own, we are neither holy nor blameless.

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 I don't want to burst your bubble this morning, but there's a lot wrong with all of us.

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 Do you know that?

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 Have you ever noticed that?

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 Have you ever taken just self-inventory and a long, close look at yourself?

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 You're no prize, right?

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 I mean, I'm certainly not.

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 I would readily admit that about myself.

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 I'm just no prize.

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 There's a lot about me that's wrong.

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 I've sinned many, many, many times in my life.

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 And I just want you to know, a lot of us in the church give off to the world

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 that when we became a Christian, we just perfected ourselves.

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 That we're just not like you because you have sin in your life.

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 Let's just be straight about it today.

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 Most of us sin just about every day of our lives.

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 Do we not?

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 In fact, you get behind a slow-moving car on your way to work in the morning,

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 you can sin two or three times before you get to the office, right?

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 A lot of us struggle with sin on an ongoing, daily basis.

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 If they could hook one of those GoPros on you

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 and see everything that you do in a 24-hour period

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 and hear every word that you speak

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 and read your mind and demonstrate graphically every thought you have.

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 Anybody here feel comfortable with us showing that film next week?

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 I didn't think so.

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 Because the truth is we project one image of ourselves,

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 but we know deep down in our heart, mind, and soul,

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 none of us are as holy and pure and righteous as we seem.

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 Third thing I want you to see is this.

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 He asked God to do this because we aren't capable of doing this on our own.

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 That's his prayer.

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 He doesn't say, may you be holy and blameless.

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 May he make you holy and blameless.

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 So let me just clue you in on something.

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 You can try all you want to remake yourself,

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 and we all do that from time to time.

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 In fact, we get that mistaken notion that's what we do

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 when we rededicate our lives to the Lord.

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 We come to the altar, we fall on our knees,

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 and we say, God, I'm going to do better.

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 I'm going to do better.

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 If you're ever going to become holy and blameless before the Lord,

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 you know what's going to have to happen?

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 God's going to have to do a work in you.

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 Because you can't do that on your own.

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 You've tried that last about three minutes, doesn't it?

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 Isn't that right?

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 And you say, I'm going to do better at this,

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 and then suddenly you don't.

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 So if it's going to happen,

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 it's going to happen because God does a work in your life.

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 Fourthly, this process that we're talking about,

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 wherein God does a work of grace in our lives,

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 it is called sanctification.

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 Big, long theological word.

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 You've seen it in your scripture.

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 It's actually a biblical word.

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 One you might want to write down in your notes

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 in the side of this margin of this verse

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 because that's what he's talking about.

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 He's saying, I hope God will do a work of sanctification in your life.

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 Now let me tell you about this work of sanctification.

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 It begins at the moment of conversion.

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 Salvation is an ongoing process.

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 We have been saved, but we are also being saved.

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 And we will be saved.

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 Do you understand that?

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 Conversion is a one-moment experience.

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 You are converted when you come to know Christ as Savior,

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 not when you come and take a preacher's hand,

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 shake his hand, even sit and pray a prayer that he leads you in.

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 You are saved the moment you hear the gospel.

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 It makes sense to you.

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 And you say, I want that.

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 I want God to save me.

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 Before you ever get up out of your seat,

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 before you ever pray a prayer,

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 you are converted the moment you've turned to God in your mind and heart

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 and say, God, I need you.

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 At that very moment, you're converted.

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 What happens is a miracle.

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 The Holy Spirit of God moves into your life.

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 He takes a person who is dead in their trespasses and sins,

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 and he quickens them, he brings them to life.

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 They're regenerated and they are saved, born again,

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 any of those terms you want to use at that moment in time.

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 At that moment in time, the Holy Spirit who comes in

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 begins a process in you known as sanctification.

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 That process of sanctification ends in glorification.

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 You take your last breath.

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 This is a one-time, instant-happening event.

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 You are made like Jesus.

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 That occurs when you die.

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 Everything from death, physical, to death, spiritual,

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 when you invited Christ into your heart,

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 that's this process we call sanctification.

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 The goal of sanctification, the Spirit of God is doing this in your life,

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 Romans 8, 28.

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 He's using everything that occurs, the good, the bad, the ugly,

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 that which you lack to see happen, that which you didn't want to happen.

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 He's using all those events to mold you and to fashion you

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 into the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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 But that doesn't perfectly culminate until your death

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 and you are glorified in the presence of God.

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 Sanctification is a lifelong process.

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 Sanctification is a lifelong process.

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 Both our hearts, and this is so important, get this,

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 and our habits and our thoughts are being changed.

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 Some folk think falsely that sanctification is just me changing my habits.

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 But it's not.

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 And some people get the mistaken idea

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 that sanctification is just my mind and heart being changed

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 and it doesn't matter so much about my habits.

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 And both of those thoughts, that way of thinking, is wrong.

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 Let me just tell you, if our hearts appear to have changed,

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 I've got a new heart, a new spirit about me,

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 but my actions don't,

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 then I've not really genuinely repented.

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 And Bonhoeffer, the World War II theologian,

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 Bonhoeffer would say that where there is no real confession and repentance,

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 there's no salvation.

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 So it's not enough that my heart and mind change,

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 but my actions don't.

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 The evidence that my heart has really changed

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 is that my actions change in the fashion of my heart.

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 You understand that?

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 The next thing I want to tell you is this.

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 If my habits change,

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 and this is the real danger in many churches,

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 if my habits change but my heart doesn't,

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 our holiness is a mere act.

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 And I'm more interested in pleasing men

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 than I am in pleasing God.

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 And I want to tell you,

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 I've witnessed that many, many times in churches.

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 Somebody's going through a rough spot in their marriage

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 and they say,

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 this life's not working,

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 I've got to change my ways.

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 And so they go forward and they say,

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 I want to receive Christ as my Savior.

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 And guess what?

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 They are afraid their marriage is going to end

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 or there's something falling apart in their life.

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 They're afraid of a lot of things.

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 And they say this,

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 I'm going to quit using preparerity.

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 And I'm going to quit drinking.

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 And I'm going to quit smoking.

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 All those things that we think about as being sick.

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 I'm going to quit this.

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 I'm going to quit that.

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 And I'll quit doing this.

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 And I'll start going to church.

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 And I'll attend Sunday school.

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 And I'll give some money to the church.

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 And I'll do all these things.

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 And all their outward habits change.

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 And people say,

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 boy, that guy has cleaned up his life.

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 And he appears to.

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 But the problem is this.

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 His heart never changed.

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 And he's still just as mean and nasty on the inside

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 as he ever was on the outside before that happened.

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 And you've seen folk like that, right?

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 You've seen them in church.

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 You just wonder,

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 how can they be a Christian

00:14:53.859 --> 00:14:55.979
 because they do all these good things

00:14:55.980 --> 00:14:58.420
 and they don't do anything morally wrong.

00:14:59.379 --> 00:15:00.860
 But why do they mean as a rattlesnake?

00:15:00.980 --> 00:15:02.000
 Jesus wasn't mean.

00:15:02.860 --> 00:15:04.159
 Jesus wasn't cruel.

00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:06.300
 Jesus wasn't hurtful.

00:15:07.100 --> 00:15:09.259
 But boy, they're just mean-spirited.

00:15:09.259 --> 00:15:12.139
 And when a man's heart doesn't change,

00:15:12.220 --> 00:15:13.519
 but his outward actions do change,

00:15:13.600 --> 00:15:14.100
 I'm going to tell you something.

00:15:14.360 --> 00:15:16.300
 That's a guy who's wanting to impress people

00:15:16.300 --> 00:15:17.539
 and not God.

00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:19.879
 And there's a real problem

00:15:19.879 --> 00:15:21.480
 when that occurs.

00:15:22.759 --> 00:15:24.120
 Genuine holiness.

00:15:24.920 --> 00:15:25.820
 Listen to this.

00:15:26.539 --> 00:15:29.060
 It is the result of God changing our nature

00:15:29.060 --> 00:15:30.700
 and making our choices,

00:15:31.240 --> 00:15:32.420
 making the choice rather.

00:15:33.100 --> 00:15:35.860
 He is leading us to make in life.

00:15:36.039 --> 00:15:38.000
 That's how sanctification works.

00:15:38.360 --> 00:15:39.600
 How real holiness works.

00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:41.860
 God changes my mind and heart.

00:15:42.060 --> 00:15:42.860
 And as a result of that,

00:15:42.899 --> 00:15:43.960
 he begins to speak to me,

00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:45.860
 here's how you ought to be living.

00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:48.220
 And so as a desire to please him

00:15:48.220 --> 00:15:49.960
 because I'm grateful for what he's done in my life,

00:15:50.220 --> 00:15:51.420
 I listen to that voice.

00:15:51.580 --> 00:15:53.420
 I don't rebuke that voice.

00:15:53.539 --> 00:15:54.980
 I don't walk away from that voice.

00:15:54.980 --> 00:15:56.740
 I obey that voice.

00:15:57.060 --> 00:15:59.500
 And I begin as a result to be holy.

00:16:00.539 --> 00:16:02.420
 Sanctification leads to purity.

00:16:02.420 --> 00:16:03.539
 You need to get this.

00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:05.560
 And not perfection.

00:16:07.460 --> 00:16:10.240
 Sanctification leads to purity,

00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:14.180
 but it doesn't lead to perfection.

00:16:15.220 --> 00:16:15.879
 And I want to tell you,

00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:18.100
 sometimes we mistakenly think that in the church

00:16:18.100 --> 00:16:20.379
 and even teach that in the church

00:16:20.379 --> 00:16:23.279
 and communicate to those outside the church.

00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:25.519
 And that's why people who look at the church

00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:26.459
 oftentimes think,

00:16:26.819 --> 00:16:28.839
 what a bunch of phonies and hypocrites.

00:16:29.740 --> 00:16:30.459
 Because you see,

00:16:30.539 --> 00:16:31.240
 we look at them

00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:32.699
 and we kind of convey this message

00:16:32.699 --> 00:16:35.079
 that I'm just a little bit better than you

00:16:35.079 --> 00:16:36.819
 because I don't smoke

00:16:36.819 --> 00:16:37.720
 and I don't drink

00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:39.100
 and I don't do all these things.

00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:41.559
 And I'm just a cut above you.

00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:43.360
 But they look at us

00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:45.240
 in those low moments in our life

00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:48.079
 where we give way to that old nature within us

00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:49.660
 and they see us sin

00:16:49.660 --> 00:16:50.060
 and they go,

00:16:50.200 --> 00:16:50.440
 huh,

00:16:51.060 --> 00:16:52.460
 he's just like me.

00:16:53.500 --> 00:16:54.259
 And you know the message

00:16:54.259 --> 00:16:55.480
 we ought to be communicating

00:16:55.480 --> 00:16:56.680
 to the world all the time?

00:16:57.480 --> 00:16:59.000
 I am just like you.

00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:01.840
 I am just like you.

00:17:02.520 --> 00:17:03.520
 I am a sinner.

00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:05.960
 I'm capable of everything

00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:07.240
 you're capable of.

00:17:07.940 --> 00:17:09.000
 The difference is this,

00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:10.319
 the grace of God

00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:11.860
 has come into my life

00:17:11.860 --> 00:17:13.420
 and he's forgiven my sin.

00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:15.180
 It's not that I'm a sinner.

00:17:15.340 --> 00:17:16.840
 We pretend sometimes to the world

00:17:16.840 --> 00:17:17.779
 that we're not sinners

00:17:17.779 --> 00:17:18.759
 and we are

00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:20.319
 and we all know we are

00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:22.259
 and we ought to be saying that to them.

00:17:23.019 --> 00:17:24.619
 But the message of the gospel is

00:17:24.619 --> 00:17:25.879
 through God's mercy

00:17:25.879 --> 00:17:26.759
 we've been redeemed.

00:17:26.879 --> 00:17:27.879
 We've been forgiven, right?

00:17:28.920 --> 00:17:30.440
 But any of you perfect in this room?

00:17:31.399 --> 00:17:31.960
 We're not perfect.

00:17:32.299 --> 00:17:33.839
 Sanctification doesn't lead to perfection.

00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:35.299
 Glorification will.

00:17:36.519 --> 00:17:37.680
 But in this life,

00:17:38.700 --> 00:17:41.160
 we're just not perfect.

00:17:42.440 --> 00:17:44.399
 Genuine purity begins in our hearts.

00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:45.660
 Listen to this.

00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:47.559
 Permeates our minds.

00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:50.279
 Captures our wills and attitude.

00:17:51.160 --> 00:17:52.420
 Flows from our lips.

00:17:53.059 --> 00:17:55.779
 Impacts our choices

00:17:55.779 --> 00:17:58.420
 and treatment of other people.

00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:00.599
 That's what happens

00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:02.660
 when God begins to do a work in my life.

00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:04.779
 He begins by changing my mind.

00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:07.079
 He permeates my mind.

00:18:07.619 --> 00:18:08.779
 He permeates my heart.

00:18:08.779 --> 00:18:11.680
 It impacts my attitudes

00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:13.119
 and my actions

00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:14.700
 and my speech.

00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:17.160
 And He takes over every aspect of my life.

00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:18.639
 Genuine purity,

00:18:19.099 --> 00:18:20.379
 this is important,

00:18:20.380 --> 00:18:22.520
 is not simply adhering to dress,

00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:22.900
 speech,

00:18:22.900 --> 00:18:23.800
 or moral codes.

00:18:23.800 --> 00:18:25.680
 It is a response of gratitude

00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:26.320
 and obedience

00:18:26.320 --> 00:18:28.400
 made to please

00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:31.020
 a loving and gracious God.

00:18:31.019 --> 00:18:33.379
 one last thing I want to say

00:18:33.379 --> 00:18:34.940
 about this holiness

00:18:34.940 --> 00:18:36.559
 and then I'm going to press on to something else.

00:18:37.700 --> 00:18:38.180
 Unfortunately,

00:18:38.460 --> 00:18:39.160
 many of us

00:18:39.160 --> 00:18:40.559
 are better at acting

00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:41.240
 holy

00:18:41.240 --> 00:18:44.019
 than we are at

00:18:44.019 --> 00:18:45.319
 being holy.

00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:48.279
 Put the picture on the screen

00:18:48.279 --> 00:18:48.759
 if you will.

00:18:52.159 --> 00:18:53.399
 You recognize that gal?

00:18:55.399 --> 00:18:56.279
 I can remember

00:18:56.279 --> 00:18:57.519
 back when they

00:18:57.519 --> 00:18:58.359
 really

00:18:58.359 --> 00:18:59.939
 made this pretty famous

00:18:59.939 --> 00:19:01.679
 Dana Carvey

00:19:01.679 --> 00:19:03.460
 came up with this skit

00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:04.899
 The Church Lady.

00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:07.859
 It was on Saturday Night Live.

00:19:08.399 --> 00:19:09.220
 I never saw it.

00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:10.759
 I went to bed early.

00:19:11.059 --> 00:19:12.079
 I would have seen it

00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:12.559
 but I just

00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:13.659
 I couldn't stay up that late

00:19:13.659 --> 00:19:14.700
 and preach on Sunday mornings.

00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:16.779
 But I want to tell you

00:19:16.779 --> 00:19:19.740
 when he came out

00:19:19.740 --> 00:19:20.359
 with that skit

00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:22.220
 it just went

00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:22.720
 in

00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:24.339
 not the way they taught them

00:19:24.339 --> 00:19:24.759
 but now

00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:26.179
 it went viral, right?

00:19:27.159 --> 00:19:27.679
 Everybody

00:19:27.679 --> 00:19:29.359
 knew The Church Lady

00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:31.099
 and everybody

00:19:31.099 --> 00:19:31.899
 broke up

00:19:31.899 --> 00:19:32.859
 over The Church Lady.

00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:35.379
 Aren't you special?

00:19:35.939 --> 00:19:36.200
 Right?

00:19:36.500 --> 00:19:37.359
 Remember when he did that?

00:19:38.619 --> 00:19:40.000
 And a lot of church folk

00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:41.220
 got offended by it.

00:19:42.220 --> 00:19:43.059
 I remember the first time

00:19:43.059 --> 00:19:43.559
 I thought of it

00:19:43.559 --> 00:19:44.679
 making fun of the church.

00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:46.619
 And then I began to watch

00:19:46.619 --> 00:19:47.339
 and I tell you something

00:19:47.339 --> 00:19:49.179
 it was funny.

00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:51.519
 You know why it was funny?

00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:53.559
 It was funny to Americans

00:19:53.559 --> 00:19:53.879
 everywhere

00:19:53.879 --> 00:19:55.200
 because they have all

00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:56.359
 met The Church Lady.

00:19:57.859 --> 00:19:58.599
 That's right.

00:19:58.899 --> 00:19:59.619
 I don't mean they met

00:19:59.619 --> 00:20:00.319
 Dana Carvey.

00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:02.759
 They met him in real life.

00:20:04.059 --> 00:20:04.919
 There's one just about

00:20:04.919 --> 00:20:05.700
 in every church.

00:20:06.659 --> 00:20:07.839
 The Church Lady, right?

00:20:08.779 --> 00:20:10.179
 Sometimes it's the church man

00:20:10.179 --> 00:20:11.059
 not the Church Lady.

00:20:11.460 --> 00:20:12.439
 Just as many men out there

00:20:12.440 --> 00:20:13.400
 like that as there are women.

00:20:14.539 --> 00:20:15.360
 But you know what I'm

00:20:15.360 --> 00:20:15.920
 talking about.

00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:18.080
 They just walk on a

00:20:18.080 --> 00:20:18.960
 little higher plane

00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:19.980
 than all the rest of us,

00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:20.320
 don't they?

00:20:21.360 --> 00:20:22.259
 They're just a little

00:20:22.259 --> 00:20:22.980
 holier.

00:20:23.600 --> 00:20:24.200
 It's not that they

00:20:24.200 --> 00:20:24.920
 always condemn

00:20:24.920 --> 00:20:26.400
 but they just always

00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:27.980
 condescend.

00:20:28.980 --> 00:20:29.400
 Isn't that right?

00:20:29.860 --> 00:20:30.820
 They're just a little bit

00:20:30.820 --> 00:20:31.299
 up here

00:20:31.299 --> 00:20:32.480
 and you're kind of

00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:33.559
 down here.

00:20:35.140 --> 00:20:36.080
 The deal is

00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:38.019
 it's not that they've

00:20:38.019 --> 00:20:38.740
 mastered the art

00:20:38.740 --> 00:20:39.199
 of holiness

00:20:39.199 --> 00:20:39.839
 or purity.

00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:41.939
 They've mastered

00:20:41.939 --> 00:20:42.799
 in their mind

00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:43.500
 the art of

00:20:43.500 --> 00:20:44.939
 appearing holy

00:20:44.939 --> 00:20:47.079
 and appearing

00:20:47.079 --> 00:20:47.859
 pure.

00:20:48.899 --> 00:20:49.720
 And you and I

00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:50.220
 both know

00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:51.000
 from real life

00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:51.679
 experience

00:20:51.679 --> 00:20:53.379
 boy there's a

00:20:53.379 --> 00:20:54.259
 real difference

00:20:54.259 --> 00:20:54.899
 in that.

00:20:55.859 --> 00:20:56.819
 When you really

00:20:56.819 --> 00:20:57.579
 are pure

00:20:57.579 --> 00:20:58.419
 and holy

00:20:58.419 --> 00:20:59.059
 can I tell you

00:20:59.059 --> 00:20:59.319
 something?

00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:00.799
 You'll be tempted

00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:01.539
 to gossip

00:21:01.539 --> 00:21:02.240
 when you hear

00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:02.919
 the folk

00:21:02.919 --> 00:21:03.419
 in the office

00:21:03.419 --> 00:21:04.359
 place doing that

00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:06.039
 but you'll hear

00:21:06.039 --> 00:21:06.539
 this voice

00:21:06.539 --> 00:21:07.039
 that says

00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:07.839
 that's not

00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:08.579
 Christ-like.

00:21:10.500 --> 00:21:11.179
 You'll back

00:21:11.179 --> 00:21:11.959
 away from that

00:21:11.959 --> 00:21:13.959
 and you'll be

00:21:13.959 --> 00:21:14.539
 driving down

00:21:14.539 --> 00:21:14.959
 the road

00:21:14.959 --> 00:21:16.559
 and that guy

00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:17.000
 will do that

00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:17.539
 thing that makes

00:21:17.539 --> 00:21:18.199
 you so angry

00:21:18.199 --> 00:21:19.779
 and you'll be

00:21:19.779 --> 00:21:20.519
 tempted to

00:21:20.519 --> 00:21:21.579
 set down the

00:21:21.579 --> 00:21:22.219
 horn or to

00:21:22.219 --> 00:21:23.939
 say something

00:21:23.939 --> 00:21:24.399
 to him that

00:21:24.399 --> 00:21:24.819
 you shouldn't

00:21:24.819 --> 00:21:27.079
 and guess what?

00:21:27.139 --> 00:21:27.500
 You hear the

00:21:27.500 --> 00:21:28.019
 spirit of God

00:21:28.019 --> 00:21:28.559
 within you

00:21:28.559 --> 00:21:30.159
 and say you

00:21:30.159 --> 00:21:30.399
 know what?

00:21:30.439 --> 00:21:30.659
 That wouldn't

00:21:30.659 --> 00:21:31.479
 be Christ-like.

00:21:32.679 --> 00:21:33.379
 He loved me

00:21:33.379 --> 00:21:33.619
 when

00:21:33.619 --> 00:21:34.739
 I was just

00:21:34.739 --> 00:21:35.359
 crazy as this

00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:35.619
 guy.

00:21:37.139 --> 00:21:37.819
 And you back

00:21:37.819 --> 00:21:38.479
 away from that.

00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:40.279
 That's the

00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:40.819
 evidence of

00:21:40.819 --> 00:21:41.419
 real purity

00:21:41.419 --> 00:21:42.019
 and holiness

00:21:42.019 --> 00:21:43.339
 is when the

00:21:43.339 --> 00:21:43.859
 spirit of God

00:21:43.859 --> 00:21:44.379
 prompts you

00:21:44.379 --> 00:21:45.000
 and you listen

00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:45.519
 to it

00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:46.839
 and you say

00:21:46.839 --> 00:21:47.219
 I'm not going

00:21:47.219 --> 00:21:47.819
 to go there.

00:21:49.019 --> 00:21:49.839
 You don't jump

00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:50.339
 up and cut

00:21:50.339 --> 00:21:51.319
 off the TV

00:21:51.319 --> 00:21:52.979
 when the pastor

00:21:52.979 --> 00:21:53.579
 knocks at the door

00:21:53.579 --> 00:21:54.000
 and you see him

00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:54.819
 through the glass

00:21:54.819 --> 00:21:57.339
 because you don't

00:21:57.339 --> 00:21:57.819
 want him to see

00:21:57.819 --> 00:21:58.259
 you watching

00:21:58.259 --> 00:21:58.939
 whatever it is

00:21:58.939 --> 00:21:59.419
 you're watching.

00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:01.339
 You get up

00:22:01.339 --> 00:22:01.839
 when the pastor

00:22:01.839 --> 00:22:02.479
 is not at your

00:22:02.479 --> 00:22:03.000
 front door

00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:04.119
 and you cut

00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:04.619
 off the TV

00:22:04.619 --> 00:22:05.099
 because you

00:22:05.099 --> 00:22:05.680
 know you

00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:06.259
 say to yourself

00:22:06.259 --> 00:22:07.480
 that's just

00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:07.920
 not something

00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:08.740
 I need to see.

00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:10.440
 That's not

00:22:10.440 --> 00:22:11.059
 going to make

00:22:11.059 --> 00:22:11.440
 me more

00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:12.200
 Christ-like.

00:22:13.400 --> 00:22:13.980
 You don't

00:22:13.980 --> 00:22:14.599
 need somebody

00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:15.400
 beating you

00:22:15.400 --> 00:22:15.859
 over the head

00:22:15.859 --> 00:22:16.339
 with a list

00:22:16.339 --> 00:22:16.859
 of rules

00:22:16.859 --> 00:22:17.759
 and regulations

00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:18.500
 and saying

00:22:18.500 --> 00:22:19.660
 do this

00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:20.000
 and don't

00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:20.480
 do that

00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:21.079
 and you're

00:22:21.079 --> 00:22:21.440
 okay.

00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:22.900
 When I was

00:22:22.900 --> 00:22:23.299
 a kid

00:22:23.299 --> 00:22:24.099
 you know

00:22:24.099 --> 00:22:24.740
 what Baptists

00:22:24.740 --> 00:22:25.579
 thought by and

00:22:25.579 --> 00:22:25.880
 large?

00:22:26.660 --> 00:22:27.140
 You couldn't

00:22:27.140 --> 00:22:27.539
 drink.

00:22:28.380 --> 00:22:28.980
 You couldn't

00:22:28.980 --> 00:22:29.359
 smoke.

00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:30.400
 I'm not saying

00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:30.859
 you should do

00:22:30.859 --> 00:22:31.219
 those things

00:22:31.219 --> 00:22:31.479
 now.

00:22:32.279 --> 00:22:32.619
 But this

00:22:32.619 --> 00:22:33.099
 was how we

00:22:33.099 --> 00:22:33.439
 looked at

00:22:33.439 --> 00:22:33.699
 holiness.

00:22:34.159 --> 00:22:34.459
 You shouldn't

00:22:34.459 --> 00:22:34.799
 drink.

00:22:35.199 --> 00:22:35.500
 You shouldn't

00:22:35.500 --> 00:22:35.859
 smoke.

00:22:36.299 --> 00:22:36.639
 You shouldn't

00:22:36.639 --> 00:22:37.019
 curse.

00:22:37.819 --> 00:22:38.119
 You shouldn't

00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:38.399
 go to the

00:22:38.399 --> 00:22:38.679
 movies.

00:22:39.459 --> 00:22:39.779
 You shouldn't

00:22:39.779 --> 00:22:40.559
 fish on Sundays.

00:22:41.779 --> 00:22:42.359
 You shouldn't

00:22:42.359 --> 00:22:42.839
 eat out.

00:22:43.919 --> 00:22:44.139
 You shouldn't

00:22:44.139 --> 00:22:45.199
 we had a long

00:22:45.199 --> 00:22:45.539
 list of

00:22:45.539 --> 00:22:46.219
 shouldn'ts right?

00:22:47.419 --> 00:22:47.919
 You shouldn't

00:22:47.919 --> 00:22:48.599
 play cards.

00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:49.740
 You can't do

00:22:49.740 --> 00:22:50.000
 this.

00:22:51.319 --> 00:22:52.099
 I knew a lady

00:22:52.099 --> 00:22:52.619
 one time.

00:22:53.299 --> 00:22:53.659
 She was from

00:22:53.659 --> 00:22:54.839
 another denomination

00:22:54.839 --> 00:22:59.959
 and she was

00:22:59.959 --> 00:23:01.039
 a hairstylist

00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:04.879
 and this

00:23:04.879 --> 00:23:05.819
 pastor's wife

00:23:05.819 --> 00:23:06.279
 who was of

00:23:06.279 --> 00:23:06.619
 that same

00:23:06.619 --> 00:23:07.179
 denomination

00:23:07.179 --> 00:23:07.619
 would come

00:23:07.619 --> 00:23:08.419
 see her on

00:23:08.419 --> 00:23:09.119
 Saturday night

00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:10.699
 and she would

00:23:10.699 --> 00:23:12.480
 say would you

00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:13.019
 trim my hair

00:23:13.019 --> 00:23:13.919
 just a half

00:23:13.919 --> 00:23:14.339
 an inch or

00:23:14.339 --> 00:23:14.559
 an inch

00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:15.339
 get the dead

00:23:15.339 --> 00:23:15.799
 ends off.

00:23:16.619 --> 00:23:17.240
 Just about

00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:17.619
 every other

00:23:17.619 --> 00:23:18.159
 week she'd

00:23:18.159 --> 00:23:18.559
 do that.

00:23:19.579 --> 00:23:20.199
 Because in

00:23:20.199 --> 00:23:20.659
 that particular

00:23:20.659 --> 00:23:21.259
 denomination

00:23:21.259 --> 00:23:21.899
 at that time

00:23:21.899 --> 00:23:23.059
 they wore

00:23:23.059 --> 00:23:23.399
 their hair

00:23:23.399 --> 00:23:24.039
 way up here.

00:23:24.839 --> 00:23:25.740
 And you

00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:26.079
 know why?

00:23:26.599 --> 00:23:27.000
 I asked

00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:27.480
 one time.

00:23:27.939 --> 00:23:28.240
 I was a

00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:28.779
 teenager and

00:23:28.779 --> 00:23:29.099
 I was over

00:23:29.099 --> 00:23:29.399
 at her house

00:23:29.399 --> 00:23:29.740
 and I said

00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:31.259
 why do all

00:23:31.259 --> 00:23:31.740
 you wear it

00:23:31.740 --> 00:23:32.259
 so high?

00:23:33.379 --> 00:23:34.019
 And she

00:23:34.019 --> 00:23:35.740
 said because

00:23:35.740 --> 00:23:36.099
 we're not

00:23:36.099 --> 00:23:36.439
 supposed to

00:23:36.439 --> 00:23:36.679
 cut our

00:23:36.679 --> 00:23:36.959
 hair.

00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:38.459
 And I

00:23:38.459 --> 00:23:39.299
 thought but

00:23:39.299 --> 00:23:39.679
 your hair

00:23:39.679 --> 00:23:40.220
 having your

00:23:40.220 --> 00:23:40.740
 hair cut.

00:23:41.779 --> 00:23:42.480
 Yeah but not

00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:42.839
 so much

00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:43.319
 anybody can

00:23:43.319 --> 00:23:43.639
 tell.

00:23:46.599 --> 00:23:47.139
 And I'm

00:23:47.139 --> 00:23:47.740
 17 years

00:23:47.740 --> 00:23:48.119
 old and I'm

00:23:48.119 --> 00:23:48.379
 thinking to

00:23:48.379 --> 00:23:49.919
 myself so it

00:23:49.919 --> 00:23:50.359
 really doesn't

00:23:50.359 --> 00:23:50.959
 matter if you

00:23:50.959 --> 00:23:51.220
 have your

00:23:51.220 --> 00:23:52.019
 hair cut just

00:23:52.019 --> 00:23:52.519
 so nobody

00:23:52.519 --> 00:23:53.419
 tells you have

00:23:53.419 --> 00:23:54.079
 your hair cut.

00:23:54.839 --> 00:23:55.559
 Right?

00:23:56.899 --> 00:23:57.539
 You see how

00:23:57.539 --> 00:23:58.379
 crazy that is?

00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:00.299
 Now we see

00:24:00.299 --> 00:24:00.939
 that as Baptists

00:24:00.939 --> 00:24:01.419
 because most of

00:24:01.419 --> 00:24:01.819
 us don't wear

00:24:01.819 --> 00:24:02.480
 hair cut and we

00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:02.980
 laugh at it but

00:24:02.980 --> 00:24:03.399
 don't taste it.

00:24:03.559 --> 00:24:04.559
 We do just as

00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:05.720
 stupid things as

00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:06.059
 that.

00:24:06.959 --> 00:24:07.919
 Where we think we

00:24:07.919 --> 00:24:08.659
 can make ourselves

00:24:08.659 --> 00:24:09.480
 look holy by

00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:10.000
 following this

00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:10.720
 long list of

00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:11.799
 regulations and

00:24:11.799 --> 00:24:12.299
 guidelines.

00:24:13.299 --> 00:24:13.899
 Don't make us

00:24:13.899 --> 00:24:14.199
 holy.

00:24:16.839 --> 00:24:17.919
 You are holy

00:24:17.919 --> 00:24:20.059
 from what comes

00:24:20.059 --> 00:24:20.480
 out of your

00:24:20.480 --> 00:24:20.980
 heart.

00:24:21.899 --> 00:24:22.559
 You understand

00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:22.859
 that?

00:24:22.859 --> 00:24:24.279
 Because you

00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:24.759
 have a heart

00:24:24.759 --> 00:24:25.500
 for Jesus and

00:24:25.500 --> 00:24:25.819
 you say I

00:24:25.819 --> 00:24:26.119
 want to be

00:24:26.119 --> 00:24:26.839
 obedient to

00:24:26.839 --> 00:24:27.859
 Christ and I

00:24:27.859 --> 00:24:28.779
 don't impure it

00:24:28.779 --> 00:24:29.459
 in my life.

00:24:29.539 --> 00:24:29.939
 It doesn't mean

00:24:29.939 --> 00:24:30.439
 you won't mess

00:24:30.439 --> 00:24:30.619
 up.

00:24:30.659 --> 00:24:31.159
 You will mess

00:24:31.159 --> 00:24:31.279
 up.

00:24:31.500 --> 00:24:31.819
 But you

00:24:31.819 --> 00:24:33.039
 immediately confess

00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:33.619
 it to God and

00:24:33.619 --> 00:24:34.179
 get right with

00:24:34.179 --> 00:24:34.619
 Him again.

00:24:35.579 --> 00:24:36.399
 That's what real

00:24:36.399 --> 00:24:37.319
 genuine holiness

00:24:37.319 --> 00:24:38.759
 looks like.

00:24:42.759 --> 00:24:43.279
 I want you to

00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:43.979
 look with me to

00:24:43.979 --> 00:24:46.179
 Thessalonians chapter

00:24:46.179 --> 00:24:47.000
 4 the very next

00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:47.359
 chapter.

00:24:48.359 --> 00:24:48.879
 I want to read

00:24:48.879 --> 00:24:49.519
 quickly eight

00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:49.899
 verses.

00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:50.679
 Verses one

00:24:50.680 --> 00:24:51.340
 through eight.

00:24:52.060 --> 00:24:52.660
 Finally then

00:24:52.660 --> 00:24:53.740
 brothers we ask

00:24:53.740 --> 00:24:54.480
 and encourage you

00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:54.960
 in the Lord

00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:55.960
 Jesus that you

00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:56.720
 have received

00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:57.500
 from us.

00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:00.019
 You must walk

00:25:00.019 --> 00:25:01.100
 and please God

00:25:01.100 --> 00:25:02.539
 as you are

00:25:02.539 --> 00:25:02.920
 doing.

00:25:03.299 --> 00:25:03.900
 Do so even

00:25:03.900 --> 00:25:04.240
 more.

00:25:05.120 --> 00:25:05.640
 For you know

00:25:05.640 --> 00:25:06.259
 what commands

00:25:06.259 --> 00:25:06.940
 we gave you

00:25:06.940 --> 00:25:07.580
 through the Lord

00:25:07.580 --> 00:25:07.980
 Jesus.

00:25:08.759 --> 00:25:09.880
 This is God's

00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:10.600
 will, your

00:25:10.600 --> 00:25:11.620
 sanctification, that

00:25:11.620 --> 00:25:12.539
 you abstain from

00:25:12.539 --> 00:25:13.560
 sexual immorality

00:25:13.560 --> 00:25:14.820
 so that each one

00:25:14.820 --> 00:25:15.560
 of you knows how

00:25:15.560 --> 00:25:16.320
 to possess his own

00:25:16.320 --> 00:25:16.880
 vessel in

00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:17.779
 sanctification and

00:25:17.779 --> 00:25:18.160
 honor.

00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:19.640
 Not with lustful

00:25:19.640 --> 00:25:20.460
 desires like the

00:25:20.460 --> 00:25:21.580
 Gentiles who do

00:25:21.580 --> 00:25:22.340
 not know God.

00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:23.620
 This means one

00:25:23.620 --> 00:25:24.560
 must not transgress

00:25:24.560 --> 00:25:25.600
 against and defraud

00:25:25.600 --> 00:25:26.420
 his brother in this

00:25:26.420 --> 00:25:27.660
 matter because the

00:25:27.660 --> 00:25:28.720
 Lord is an avenger of

00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:30.040
 all these offenses as

00:25:30.040 --> 00:25:31.259
 we also previously

00:25:31.259 --> 00:25:32.519
 told and warned you.

00:25:32.980 --> 00:25:33.700
 For God has not

00:25:33.700 --> 00:25:34.740
 called us to impurity

00:25:34.740 --> 00:25:36.340
 but to sanctification.

00:25:37.740 --> 00:25:38.680
 Therefore the person

00:25:38.680 --> 00:25:40.100
 who rejects this does

00:25:40.100 --> 00:25:41.620
 not reject man but

00:25:41.620 --> 00:25:43.580
 God who also gives

00:25:43.580 --> 00:25:45.500
 you his spirit.

00:25:45.500 --> 00:25:49.920
 Paul has prayed

00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:50.660
 two things for

00:25:50.660 --> 00:25:51.140
 these people.

00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:53.299
 That they increase

00:25:53.299 --> 00:25:54.660
 in love and

00:25:54.660 --> 00:25:55.559
 overflow in love

00:25:55.559 --> 00:25:56.299
 because he knows

00:25:56.299 --> 00:25:57.079
 unless you do that

00:25:57.079 --> 00:25:57.599
 the world is not

00:25:57.599 --> 00:25:57.920
 going to believe

00:25:57.920 --> 00:25:58.440
 your testimony.

00:25:59.920 --> 00:26:01.180
 That's how Jesus

00:26:01.180 --> 00:26:01.500
 lived.

00:26:01.619 --> 00:26:02.240
 That's how you all

00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:03.880
 live as ambassadors

00:26:03.880 --> 00:26:05.039
 of Christ.

00:26:05.960 --> 00:26:06.420
 But then he

00:26:06.420 --> 00:26:07.059
 follows it up by

00:26:07.059 --> 00:26:07.460
 this.

00:26:08.339 --> 00:26:09.180
 You have to

00:26:09.180 --> 00:26:10.079
 authenticate the

00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:11.339
 message you're

00:26:11.339 --> 00:26:12.220
 declaring and the

00:26:12.220 --> 00:26:13.059
 way you do that is

00:26:13.059 --> 00:26:14.079
 by living as holy

00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:15.259
 and pure as

00:26:15.259 --> 00:26:16.139
 Jesus was.

00:26:17.179 --> 00:26:17.799
 And that's why he

00:26:17.799 --> 00:26:19.299
 prays I pray you

00:26:19.299 --> 00:26:20.359
 will be blameless

00:26:20.359 --> 00:26:21.839
 in holiness when

00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:23.259
 you stand before

00:26:23.259 --> 00:26:24.539
 our God.

00:26:25.460 --> 00:26:27.439
 Now some of you

00:26:27.439 --> 00:26:28.279
 most of you

00:26:28.279 --> 00:26:28.879
 probably won't but

00:26:28.879 --> 00:26:29.599
 some of you will

00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:30.720
 recall I said last

00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:31.399
 week when I began

00:26:31.399 --> 00:26:32.819
 this series I've

00:26:32.819 --> 00:26:33.899
 got two expert

00:26:33.899 --> 00:26:34.899
 witnesses or two

00:26:34.899 --> 00:26:37.220
 expert folk I'm

00:26:37.220 --> 00:26:37.759
 going to bring and

00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:39.039
 let you hear what

00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:39.659
 they have to say

00:26:39.659 --> 00:26:40.779
 about how do you

00:26:40.779 --> 00:26:41.460
 really do church

00:26:41.460 --> 00:26:41.779
 right.

00:26:41.919 --> 00:26:42.159
 Right.

00:26:42.379 --> 00:26:42.939
 And we've been

00:26:42.940 --> 00:26:43.640
 looking at Paul

00:26:43.640 --> 00:26:44.680
 and Paul says I'm

00:26:44.680 --> 00:26:45.400
 praying that you

00:26:45.400 --> 00:26:46.420
 will increase in

00:26:46.420 --> 00:26:47.140
 love and overflow

00:26:47.140 --> 00:26:47.880
 and I'm praying

00:26:47.880 --> 00:26:48.299
 that you will be

00:26:48.299 --> 00:26:49.240
 holy and blameless.

00:26:49.660 --> 00:26:50.539
 Let's bring up our

00:26:50.539 --> 00:26:53.019
 second expert James.

00:26:53.440 --> 00:26:54.039
 Remember that?

00:26:54.640 --> 00:26:55.640
 James the pastor

00:26:55.640 --> 00:26:56.500
 of the church in

00:26:56.500 --> 00:26:56.840
 Jerusalem.

00:26:57.259 --> 00:26:58.100
 Now I'm just going

00:26:58.100 --> 00:26:59.360
 to point out one

00:26:59.360 --> 00:27:00.680
 verse that James

00:27:00.680 --> 00:27:02.620
 gives us because it

00:27:02.620 --> 00:27:03.539
 is an incredibly

00:27:03.539 --> 00:27:04.820
 great great great

00:27:04.820 --> 00:27:05.220
 verse.

00:27:05.500 --> 00:27:06.259
 If you have your

00:27:06.259 --> 00:27:07.160
 Bibles turn with me

00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:07.720
 to the book of

00:27:07.720 --> 00:27:09.539
 James chapter 1

00:27:09.539 --> 00:27:11.220
 and let's just read

00:27:11.220 --> 00:27:12.299
 one thing he says

00:27:12.299 --> 00:27:14.720
 in verse 27.

00:27:15.599 --> 00:27:16.220
 You ready?

00:27:16.559 --> 00:27:17.159
 In fact let's go

00:27:17.159 --> 00:27:17.759
 back and read verse

00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:19.119
 26 because it ties

00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:19.519
 to it.

00:27:19.720 --> 00:27:21.059
 Verse 26 and 27.

00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:21.839
 Here we go.

00:27:22.399 --> 00:27:23.180
 If anyone thinks

00:27:23.180 --> 00:27:23.799
 he is religious

00:27:23.799 --> 00:27:24.680
 without controlling

00:27:24.680 --> 00:27:25.480
 his tongue but

00:27:25.480 --> 00:27:26.419
 deceiving his heart

00:27:26.419 --> 00:27:28.220
 his religion is

00:27:28.220 --> 00:27:29.079
 useless.

00:27:30.399 --> 00:27:30.859
 Now listen to

00:27:30.859 --> 00:27:31.299
 what he says.

00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:32.000
 I love this.

00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:34.500
 Pure and undefiled

00:27:34.500 --> 00:27:35.200
 religion.

00:27:35.399 --> 00:27:36.039
 Just look up a

00:27:36.039 --> 00:27:36.180
 minute.

00:27:37.159 --> 00:27:37.440
 Have you ever

00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:37.839
 wondered about

00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:38.379
 that phrase?

00:27:38.500 --> 00:27:39.519
 Pure and undefiled

00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:39.759
 religion.

00:27:39.759 --> 00:27:40.740
 What is true

00:27:40.740 --> 00:27:41.559
 spirituality,

00:27:41.779 --> 00:27:42.500
 true religion

00:27:42.500 --> 00:27:43.720
 really like?

00:27:44.660 --> 00:27:45.259
 You ever wonder

00:27:45.259 --> 00:27:45.879
 when you go into

00:27:45.879 --> 00:27:46.339
 church?

00:27:47.079 --> 00:27:47.839
 Is this what it

00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:48.559
 really should be?

00:27:50.079 --> 00:27:51.519
 Is this what real

00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:52.559
 spirituality looks

00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:53.140
 like or we

00:27:53.140 --> 00:27:53.920
 convinced ourselves

00:27:53.920 --> 00:27:55.140
 this looks the way

00:27:55.140 --> 00:27:55.579
 it should?

00:27:56.440 --> 00:27:57.359
 But is it really?

00:27:57.740 --> 00:27:58.359
 Well here's what he

00:27:58.359 --> 00:27:58.720
 says.

00:27:59.099 --> 00:28:00.259
 Pure religion and

00:28:00.259 --> 00:28:01.400
 undefiled religion

00:28:01.400 --> 00:28:02.879
 before our God and

00:28:02.879 --> 00:28:03.779
 Father is this.

00:28:04.700 --> 00:28:05.420
 And guess what?

00:28:06.119 --> 00:28:06.759
 He's going to say

00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:07.500
 two things.

00:28:08.640 --> 00:28:09.379
 To look after

00:28:09.379 --> 00:28:10.079
 orphans and

00:28:10.079 --> 00:28:10.759
 widows in their

00:28:10.759 --> 00:28:12.920
 distress and to

00:28:12.920 --> 00:28:13.759
 keep oneself

00:28:13.759 --> 00:28:17.079
 unstained by the

00:28:17.079 --> 00:28:17.519
 world.

00:28:18.900 --> 00:28:19.319
 Wow.

00:28:20.420 --> 00:28:21.420
 Paul says I'm

00:28:21.420 --> 00:28:21.900
 praying for you

00:28:21.900 --> 00:28:23.200
 guys to be two

00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:23.500
 things.

00:28:23.619 --> 00:28:25.960
 To be loving and

00:28:25.960 --> 00:28:26.480
 that you'll be

00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:26.779
 holy.

00:28:28.119 --> 00:28:29.140
 And James says

00:28:29.140 --> 00:28:30.299
 you know what

00:28:30.299 --> 00:28:31.220
 real religion is

00:28:31.220 --> 00:28:31.519
 like?

00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:32.220
 I mean real

00:28:32.220 --> 00:28:33.039
 true religion

00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:33.740
 cutting all the

00:28:33.740 --> 00:28:34.660
 phony baloney

00:28:34.660 --> 00:28:35.299
 out of it and

00:28:35.299 --> 00:28:35.859
 look at the real

00:28:35.859 --> 00:28:36.220
 heart of the

00:28:36.220 --> 00:28:36.299
 matter.

00:28:36.299 --> 00:28:37.019
 Here's what it

00:28:37.019 --> 00:28:37.220
 is.

00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:38.399
 To take care of

00:28:38.399 --> 00:28:39.139
 widows and

00:28:39.139 --> 00:28:39.700
 orphans.

00:28:40.879 --> 00:28:41.419
 Now why would he

00:28:41.419 --> 00:28:41.919
 say that?

00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:42.339
 What does that

00:28:42.339 --> 00:28:42.559
 mean?

00:28:43.740 --> 00:28:44.480
 I want to ask

00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:44.579
 you.

00:28:44.680 --> 00:28:44.919
 Who are the

00:28:44.919 --> 00:28:45.680
 most vulnerable

00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:47.559
 people on the

00:28:47.559 --> 00:28:47.859
 planet?

00:28:49.480 --> 00:28:50.200
 Aren't they the

00:28:50.200 --> 00:28:52.440
 youngest and the

00:28:52.440 --> 00:28:52.819
 oldest?

00:28:54.359 --> 00:28:55.460
 And especially the

00:28:55.460 --> 00:28:56.099
 youngest who have

00:28:56.099 --> 00:28:57.000
 no one to care for

00:28:57.000 --> 00:28:57.119
 them.

00:28:57.240 --> 00:28:57.799
 They're orphans.

00:28:57.899 --> 00:28:58.500
 They've lost their

00:28:58.500 --> 00:28:59.019
 mother and their

00:28:59.019 --> 00:28:59.220
 father.

00:28:59.539 --> 00:29:00.019
 How are they going

00:29:00.019 --> 00:29:00.460
 to support

00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:00.980
 themselves?

00:29:01.980 --> 00:29:02.339
 They don't have

00:29:02.339 --> 00:29:03.159
 a means of income.

00:29:04.200 --> 00:29:04.899
 When you're talking

00:29:04.899 --> 00:29:05.619
 about orphans,

00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:06.180
 you're talking about

00:29:06.180 --> 00:29:07.220
 the most vulnerable,

00:29:07.480 --> 00:29:08.380
 the most in my

00:29:08.380 --> 00:29:08.680
 opinion,

00:29:09.220 --> 00:29:11.100
 vulnerable people on

00:29:11.100 --> 00:29:11.799
 all of God's

00:29:11.799 --> 00:29:13.440
 earth because they're

00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:13.799
 children.

00:29:14.100 --> 00:29:14.620
 They can't protect

00:29:14.620 --> 00:29:15.420
 themselves physically,

00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:16.779
 can't protect

00:29:16.779 --> 00:29:17.680
 themselves emotionally,

00:29:18.060 --> 00:29:18.580
 can't protect

00:29:18.580 --> 00:29:20.580
 themselves mentally,

00:29:20.940 --> 00:29:21.440
 intellectually.

00:29:21.900 --> 00:29:22.539
 People can take

00:29:22.539 --> 00:29:23.340
 advantage of them.

00:29:23.820 --> 00:29:24.299
 They don't have a

00:29:24.299 --> 00:29:25.140
 means of support.

00:29:26.279 --> 00:29:26.759
 James said, you

00:29:26.759 --> 00:29:27.180
 want to know what

00:29:27.180 --> 00:29:27.940
 real religion looks

00:29:27.940 --> 00:29:28.120
 like?

00:29:28.180 --> 00:29:28.820
 That you've got a

00:29:28.820 --> 00:29:29.560
 heart to take care

00:29:29.560 --> 00:29:30.299
 of the orphans.

00:29:30.299 --> 00:29:33.019
 the most easily

00:29:33.019 --> 00:29:35.500
 persecuted, put

00:29:35.500 --> 00:29:36.879
 down, offended

00:29:36.879 --> 00:29:37.659
 people on the face

00:29:37.659 --> 00:29:38.059
 of the earth.

00:29:38.980 --> 00:29:40.960
 And widows.

00:29:41.919 --> 00:29:42.399
 And who are these

00:29:42.399 --> 00:29:42.779
 widows?

00:29:43.879 --> 00:29:44.759
 Paul's already told

00:29:44.759 --> 00:29:46.799
 us in Timothy, when

00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:47.559
 it comes to widows,

00:29:48.419 --> 00:29:48.960
 you know who you take

00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:49.559
 care of first?

00:29:50.139 --> 00:29:51.099
 Not all the widows,

00:29:51.180 --> 00:29:51.819
 but the widows who

00:29:51.819 --> 00:29:52.759
 have no children.

00:29:54.339 --> 00:29:55.899
 These elderly ladies

00:29:55.899 --> 00:29:57.139
 or men, as the case

00:29:57.139 --> 00:29:58.419
 might be, who've lost

00:29:58.420 --> 00:30:00.340
 their spouse, and

00:30:00.340 --> 00:30:00.860
 they don't have

00:30:00.860 --> 00:30:01.300
 children.

00:30:02.460 --> 00:30:03.600
 Who's more vulnerable

00:30:03.600 --> 00:30:04.560
 than that other

00:30:04.560 --> 00:30:05.340
 than these orphans?

00:30:06.340 --> 00:30:07.220
 I mean, folks who

00:30:07.220 --> 00:30:07.820
 are on limited

00:30:07.820 --> 00:30:09.880
 income, they don't

00:30:09.880 --> 00:30:10.840
 have anybody to help

00:30:10.840 --> 00:30:12.240
 them, they're getting

00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:14.100
 older, life's harder,

00:30:14.420 --> 00:30:14.740
 there are more

00:30:14.740 --> 00:30:15.940
 difficulties on them.

00:30:17.060 --> 00:30:17.560
 You know what he's

00:30:17.560 --> 00:30:17.800
 saying?

00:30:18.500 --> 00:30:19.500
 He's saying the same

00:30:19.500 --> 00:30:20.480
 thing that Paul said.

00:30:21.300 --> 00:30:22.420
 He's emphasizing that

00:30:22.420 --> 00:30:23.740
 we love one another.

00:30:24.360 --> 00:30:25.100
 I want you to take

00:30:25.100 --> 00:30:26.220
 care of those who

00:30:26.220 --> 00:30:27.320
 others have forgotten,

00:30:27.580 --> 00:30:28.400
 who've cast aside

00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:30.280
 who ostracize, who

00:30:30.280 --> 00:30:30.700
 are the beaten

00:30:30.700 --> 00:30:32.060
 down, the helpless.

00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:33.780
 He's talking about

00:30:33.780 --> 00:30:34.460
 loving people.

00:30:35.620 --> 00:30:36.980
 True religion is that

00:30:36.980 --> 00:30:39.040
 you lie folk, that

00:30:39.040 --> 00:30:40.240
 you just pour yourself

00:30:40.240 --> 00:30:41.740
 out in loving other

00:30:41.740 --> 00:30:42.120
 folk.

00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:43.900
 Then he says this, and

00:30:43.900 --> 00:30:44.680
 let me add one thing

00:30:44.680 --> 00:30:46.360
 he says, that you

00:30:46.360 --> 00:30:48.800
 keep yourself undefiled,

00:30:48.920 --> 00:30:49.960
 some translations have

00:30:49.960 --> 00:30:52.780
 it, unspotted, other

00:30:52.780 --> 00:30:53.840
 translations have it.

00:30:54.420 --> 00:30:54.740
 You know the

00:30:54.740 --> 00:30:55.780
 translation I like best

00:30:55.780 --> 00:30:56.420
 because it uses a

00:30:56.420 --> 00:30:57.019
 modern word?

00:30:58.560 --> 00:30:58.880
 Unpolluted.

00:31:00.460 --> 00:31:01.380
 You keep yourself

00:31:01.380 --> 00:31:03.039
 unpolluted from the

00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:03.400
 world.

00:31:04.800 --> 00:31:05.580
 Well, I don't know

00:31:05.580 --> 00:31:06.300
 about you, but that

00:31:06.300 --> 00:31:07.380
 speaks to my heart in

00:31:07.380 --> 00:31:08.039
 the culture in which

00:31:08.039 --> 00:31:08.759
 we're living because I'm

00:31:08.759 --> 00:31:09.060
 going to tell you

00:31:09.060 --> 00:31:09.240
 something.

00:31:09.800 --> 00:31:10.240
 They're doing

00:31:10.240 --> 00:31:11.720
 everything they can in

00:31:11.720 --> 00:31:13.140
 our culture to pollute

00:31:13.140 --> 00:31:15.220
 our minds and our

00:31:15.220 --> 00:31:17.180
 lifestyles and to tell

00:31:17.180 --> 00:31:18.180
 us that that which God

00:31:18.180 --> 00:31:18.820
 has always said is

00:31:18.820 --> 00:31:20.120
 wrong is right and that

00:31:20.120 --> 00:31:22.560
 which we have said is

00:31:22.560 --> 00:31:24.480
 right is wrong.

00:31:24.480 --> 00:31:25.740
 Isn't that true?

00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:31.160
 So, James says, boy,

00:31:31.220 --> 00:31:31.620
 you're going to have to

00:31:31.620 --> 00:31:32.579
 be real careful if you're

00:31:32.579 --> 00:31:33.599
 in the church because

00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:34.620
 pure religion is like

00:31:34.620 --> 00:31:34.819
 this.

00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:35.839
 You're living in this

00:31:35.839 --> 00:31:36.180
 world.

00:31:36.440 --> 00:31:37.140
 You can't come out of

00:31:37.140 --> 00:31:37.480
 the world.

00:31:37.640 --> 00:31:38.319
 You're in the world.

00:31:38.819 --> 00:31:40.259
 But don't let the world

00:31:40.259 --> 00:31:41.220
 pollute you.

00:31:42.500 --> 00:31:43.099
 Now, how does things

00:31:43.099 --> 00:31:43.660
 get polluted?

00:31:44.819 --> 00:31:46.059
 Either the contaminant

00:31:46.059 --> 00:31:47.180
 enters into that which

00:31:47.180 --> 00:31:50.259
 is pure or that which is

00:31:50.259 --> 00:31:51.299
 pure passes through

00:31:51.299 --> 00:31:53.059
 something that is impure

00:31:53.059 --> 00:31:54.059
 and thereby becomes

00:31:54.059 --> 00:31:54.799
 contaminated.

00:31:55.899 --> 00:31:57.299
 Factories have these

00:31:57.299 --> 00:31:57.700
 chemicals.

00:31:57.859 --> 00:31:58.559
 They release them into

00:31:58.559 --> 00:31:59.059
 the stream.

00:31:59.240 --> 00:32:00.200
 It gets into the water

00:32:00.200 --> 00:32:01.500
 and the pure water

00:32:01.500 --> 00:32:02.679
 becomes contaminated.

00:32:03.339 --> 00:32:04.659
 Or pure water passes

00:32:04.659 --> 00:32:05.740
 through something, a

00:32:05.740 --> 00:32:06.720
 stream, there's a dead

00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:07.599
 animal and it becomes

00:32:07.599 --> 00:32:08.200
 contaminated.

00:32:08.740 --> 00:32:09.919
 Or it passes through

00:32:09.919 --> 00:32:12.859
 rusty pipes, red

00:32:12.859 --> 00:32:13.899
 zinc and all that and

00:32:13.899 --> 00:32:15.000
 it becomes contaminated.

00:32:15.259 --> 00:32:15.460
 Right?

00:32:16.220 --> 00:32:17.200
 We're living in the

00:32:17.200 --> 00:32:18.039
 world and the world's

00:32:18.039 --> 00:32:18.899
 doing everything it can

00:32:18.899 --> 00:32:20.019
 to contaminate us and

00:32:20.019 --> 00:32:21.299
 Paul says or James

00:32:21.299 --> 00:32:22.279
 says don't let that

00:32:22.279 --> 00:32:22.579
 happen.

00:32:22.819 --> 00:32:23.160
 You know what?

00:32:23.240 --> 00:32:24.379
 Same thing Paul said,

00:32:24.859 --> 00:32:25.539
 just a different way

00:32:25.539 --> 00:32:26.039
 of saying it.

00:32:26.619 --> 00:32:29.319
 Be blameless in holiness.

00:32:30.500 --> 00:32:31.059
 I'm going to show you

00:32:31.059 --> 00:32:32.559
 one passage we're going

00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:33.720
 as soon as I read this

00:32:33.720 --> 00:32:36.079
 passage and then I give

00:32:36.079 --> 00:32:36.779
 you one illustration.

00:32:37.079 --> 00:32:38.180
 Go with me to the last

00:32:38.180 --> 00:32:39.119
 book of the Old Testament,

00:32:39.660 --> 00:32:40.500
 the book of Malachi.

00:32:41.319 --> 00:32:42.660
 Look at chapter 1,

00:32:43.279 --> 00:32:44.420
 verse 6.

00:32:45.519 --> 00:32:47.099
 A son honors his father

00:32:47.099 --> 00:32:48.259
 and a servant his master.

00:32:48.779 --> 00:32:49.619
 Look up and just listen

00:32:49.619 --> 00:32:49.799
 a minute.

00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:50.839
 He's just making,

00:32:50.839 --> 00:32:52.639
 Malachi's just making a

00:32:52.639 --> 00:32:53.839
 statement that he knows,

00:32:54.000 --> 00:32:54.959
 everybody knows is

00:32:54.959 --> 00:32:55.879
 universally true.

00:32:56.220 --> 00:32:57.740
 He's saying this to the

00:32:57.740 --> 00:32:58.659
 priest of Judah.

00:32:59.559 --> 00:33:00.939
 He says a man honors his

00:33:00.939 --> 00:33:01.779
 father and a servant

00:33:01.779 --> 00:33:02.759
 honors his master.

00:33:02.879 --> 00:33:03.439
 We know that.

00:33:03.939 --> 00:33:05.579
 If I am a father,

00:33:05.819 --> 00:33:06.579
 where is my honor?

00:33:07.099 --> 00:33:07.799
 God's talking about

00:33:07.799 --> 00:33:08.079
 himself.

00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:08.859
 That's the reason that

00:33:08.859 --> 00:33:09.980
 pronoun my is

00:33:09.980 --> 00:33:10.720
 capitalized.

00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:12.319
 He says so if I'm your

00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:14.099
 father, why am I not

00:33:14.099 --> 00:33:14.399
 honored?

00:33:15.299 --> 00:33:16.199
 And then he says,

00:33:16.200 --> 00:33:17.920
 and if I am a master,

00:33:18.259 --> 00:33:19.840
 where is your fear of me?

00:33:20.440 --> 00:33:21.420
 Why don't you fear me?

00:33:22.380 --> 00:33:23.740
 Says the Lord.

00:33:25.960 --> 00:33:27.299
 Yet you ask,

00:33:27.559 --> 00:33:28.539
 the yet's the priest,

00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:30.640
 how have we despised

00:33:30.640 --> 00:33:31.000
 your name?

00:33:31.340 --> 00:33:31.920
 Can you see these

00:33:31.920 --> 00:33:32.279
 priests?

00:33:32.539 --> 00:33:33.480
 God's indicting them.

00:33:33.920 --> 00:33:34.720
 If I'm your father,

00:33:34.880 --> 00:33:35.620
 why don't you honor me

00:33:35.620 --> 00:33:36.140
 as your father?

00:33:36.240 --> 00:33:37.000
 If I'm your master,

00:33:37.220 --> 00:33:38.019
 why don't you fear me?

00:33:38.680 --> 00:33:39.620
 We do fear you.

00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:40.340
 What do you mean we've

00:33:40.340 --> 00:33:41.059
 despised your name?

00:33:41.120 --> 00:33:41.740
 That's the question

00:33:41.740 --> 00:33:42.340
 they're asking.

00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:43.980
 How have we despised

00:33:43.980 --> 00:33:44.440
 your name?

00:33:44.440 --> 00:33:45.460
 Verse 7,

00:33:45.860 --> 00:33:47.080
 by presenting defiled

00:33:47.080 --> 00:33:48.420
 food on my altar,

00:33:48.600 --> 00:33:49.039
 you ask,

00:33:49.299 --> 00:33:50.220
 how have we defiled

00:33:50.220 --> 00:33:50.500
 you?

00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:51.940
 And then God responds,

00:33:52.640 --> 00:33:53.920
 when you say the Lord's

00:33:53.920 --> 00:33:55.180
 table is contemptible,

00:33:55.860 --> 00:33:56.600
 and then he gives them

00:33:56.600 --> 00:33:57.180
 an example.

00:33:57.759 --> 00:33:58.840
 When you present a blind

00:33:58.840 --> 00:34:00.180
 animal for sacrifice,

00:34:00.259 --> 00:34:01.120
 is it not wrong?

00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:02.420
 And when you present a

00:34:02.420 --> 00:34:03.580
 lame or sick animal,

00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:04.600
 is it not wrong?

00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:05.880
 Bring it to your

00:34:05.880 --> 00:34:06.320
 governor.

00:34:07.320 --> 00:34:07.680
 He says,

00:34:07.720 --> 00:34:07.840
 hey,

00:34:07.920 --> 00:34:08.579
 try that with your

00:34:08.579 --> 00:34:08.920
 governor,

00:34:09.019 --> 00:34:10.019
 your political leaders.

00:34:10.480 --> 00:34:11.519
 Would he be pleased

00:34:11.519 --> 00:34:12.800
 with you or show you

00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:13.200
 favor?

00:34:13.200 --> 00:34:14.300
 Ask the Lord.

00:34:14.880 --> 00:34:15.619
 Of hosts.

00:34:16.900 --> 00:34:17.420
 He says,

00:34:17.480 --> 00:34:17.800
 you see,

00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:20.400
 you treat me

00:34:20.400 --> 00:34:22.599
 with disrespect.

00:34:23.820 --> 00:34:24.840
 Because you come to

00:34:24.840 --> 00:34:25.440
 my house,

00:34:25.480 --> 00:34:26.139
 and you say you're

00:34:26.139 --> 00:34:27.019
 coming to worship me

00:34:27.019 --> 00:34:27.820
 and honor me,

00:34:28.700 --> 00:34:29.980
 and guess what you do?

00:34:30.700 --> 00:34:31.539
 You go into your

00:34:31.539 --> 00:34:32.360
 herd of sheep,

00:34:32.820 --> 00:34:33.940
 and you find those

00:34:33.940 --> 00:34:34.820
 sheep that are blind,

00:34:34.940 --> 00:34:35.639
 and you come and say,

00:34:35.720 --> 00:34:36.900
 this will do for God.

00:34:36.940 --> 00:34:37.840
 It's good enough for Him.

00:34:38.460 --> 00:34:39.240
 And you offer this

00:34:39.240 --> 00:34:39.860
 blind sheep,

00:34:40.320 --> 00:34:41.380
 and you clearly see

00:34:41.380 --> 00:34:42.420
 what the Levitical law

00:34:42.420 --> 00:34:42.980
 called for.

00:34:42.980 --> 00:34:44.199
 It was a sheep

00:34:44.199 --> 00:34:45.519
 without spot or blemish.

00:34:46.320 --> 00:34:47.199
 And you get these

00:34:47.199 --> 00:34:48.000
 sick sheep,

00:34:48.400 --> 00:34:49.900
 or spotted sheep.

00:34:50.599 --> 00:34:51.519
 And you know

00:34:51.519 --> 00:34:52.740
 that's not kosher.

00:34:52.840 --> 00:34:53.280
 You know you

00:34:53.280 --> 00:34:54.320
 shouldn't be doing that.

00:34:55.199 --> 00:34:56.559
 But we can get

00:34:56.559 --> 00:34:57.119
 away with it.

00:34:57.579 --> 00:34:58.400
 What's God going to

00:34:58.400 --> 00:34:58.940
 say about it,

00:34:58.960 --> 00:34:59.179
 right?

00:34:59.179 --> 00:35:02.500
 Now just pause

00:35:02.500 --> 00:35:03.599
 and put that on hold.

00:35:04.879 --> 00:35:05.679
 I invite you

00:35:05.679 --> 00:35:06.359
 to my house.

00:35:07.239 --> 00:35:08.000
 Let's say today

00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:08.599
 for lunch.

00:35:09.279 --> 00:35:09.559
 Okay?

00:35:11.139 --> 00:35:12.159
 You get to my house,

00:35:12.199 --> 00:35:12.940
 and I say to you,

00:35:13.139 --> 00:35:14.539
 what would you like

00:35:14.539 --> 00:35:15.099
 to drink?

00:35:16.379 --> 00:35:16.819
 You say,

00:35:16.859 --> 00:35:18.199
 I'd like to have water,

00:35:18.279 --> 00:35:18.859
 if that's okay.

00:35:19.279 --> 00:35:19.719
 All right?

00:35:20.419 --> 00:35:20.980
 And I go to the

00:35:20.980 --> 00:35:21.460
 refrigerator,

00:35:21.799 --> 00:35:22.719
 and I pull out this

00:35:22.719 --> 00:35:24.639
 bottle of water.

00:35:24.639 --> 00:35:27.159
 I just got to tell you,

00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:29.019
 there was pure water

00:35:29.019 --> 00:35:29.420
 in there,

00:35:30.099 --> 00:35:31.079
 but I put some

00:35:31.079 --> 00:35:32.440
 contaminants in it.

00:35:33.480 --> 00:35:33.739
 Okay?

00:35:35.460 --> 00:35:36.579
 Assume that they got

00:35:36.579 --> 00:35:37.420
 there because the

00:35:37.420 --> 00:35:38.219
 bottle was dirty,

00:35:38.319 --> 00:35:38.559
 maybe.

00:35:39.559 --> 00:35:40.739
 But you don't have to

00:35:40.739 --> 00:35:41.940
 be a rocket scientist

00:35:41.940 --> 00:35:42.599
 to look at this

00:35:42.599 --> 00:35:43.500
 and know that's not

00:35:43.500 --> 00:35:44.119
 good water.

00:35:44.440 --> 00:35:44.639
 Right?

00:35:45.219 --> 00:35:45.699
 Anybody here want

00:35:45.699 --> 00:35:46.299
 a sip of this?

00:35:47.679 --> 00:35:48.500
 I won't tell you

00:35:48.500 --> 00:35:49.179
 what I contaminated

00:35:49.179 --> 00:35:49.659
 it with,

00:35:49.719 --> 00:35:50.759
 but it's contaminated.

00:35:50.900 --> 00:35:51.460
 You just take my

00:35:51.460 --> 00:35:52.000
 word for it,

00:35:52.000 --> 00:35:52.219
 okay?

00:35:52.579 --> 00:35:53.239
 It's contaminated

00:35:53.239 --> 00:35:53.480
 water.

00:35:53.719 --> 00:35:54.619
 So if I set this

00:35:54.619 --> 00:35:55.139
 in front of you

00:35:55.139 --> 00:35:55.359
 and say,

00:35:55.419 --> 00:35:55.579
 here,

00:35:55.759 --> 00:35:56.299
 have this.

00:35:58.419 --> 00:35:59.119
 You think you'd

00:35:59.119 --> 00:35:59.500
 drink it?

00:36:01.199 --> 00:36:02.059
 You maybe would

00:36:02.059 --> 00:36:02.239
 say,

00:36:02.339 --> 00:36:02.819
 have you lost

00:36:02.819 --> 00:36:03.299
 your mind?

00:36:04.459 --> 00:36:05.119
 Or if you're

00:36:05.119 --> 00:36:05.759
 a real plight,

00:36:05.859 --> 00:36:06.359
 you just say,

00:36:06.519 --> 00:36:06.739
 hmm,

00:36:06.959 --> 00:36:07.919
 I'm not too thirsty.

00:36:08.439 --> 00:36:08.719
 Right?

00:36:09.539 --> 00:36:10.299
 And you'd never

00:36:10.299 --> 00:36:10.819
 touch it.

00:36:12.139 --> 00:36:12.980
 And then you see

00:36:12.980 --> 00:36:13.500
 me go to the

00:36:13.500 --> 00:36:13.839
 refrigerator,

00:36:14.219 --> 00:36:15.039
 and I pull out

00:36:15.039 --> 00:36:16.419
 these two bottles

00:36:16.419 --> 00:36:16.799
 of water.

00:36:17.959 --> 00:36:18.759
 And I give one

00:36:18.759 --> 00:36:19.259
 to my wife,

00:36:19.299 --> 00:36:19.980
 and I take one,

00:36:20.139 --> 00:36:20.579
 and you say,

00:36:20.799 --> 00:36:20.959
 well,

00:36:21.019 --> 00:36:21.500
 why didn't he

00:36:21.500 --> 00:36:22.099
 give me that?

00:36:22.759 --> 00:36:23.039
 Right?

00:36:24.039 --> 00:36:24.919
 So I'm going to

00:36:24.919 --> 00:36:25.099
 tell you,

00:36:25.119 --> 00:36:25.619
 you can have

00:36:25.619 --> 00:36:26.199
 one of these,

00:36:26.839 --> 00:36:28.559
 because they

00:36:28.559 --> 00:36:29.439
 both contain

00:36:29.439 --> 00:36:30.219
 nothing but

00:36:30.219 --> 00:36:30.799
 water.

00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:32.379
 Okay?

00:36:33.179 --> 00:36:33.859
 But I've got to

00:36:33.859 --> 00:36:34.159
 tell you,

00:36:34.259 --> 00:36:34.839
 one of these,

00:36:34.939 --> 00:36:35.500
 I've got little

00:36:35.500 --> 00:36:36.299
 dots on the top.

00:36:37.339 --> 00:36:37.919
 One of these,

00:36:37.980 --> 00:36:38.359
 I know,

00:36:38.619 --> 00:36:39.219
 is clean,

00:36:39.419 --> 00:36:40.219
 pure water,

00:36:41.000 --> 00:36:41.500
 just the way

00:36:41.500 --> 00:36:42.159
 it was packaged.

00:36:43.399 --> 00:36:44.119
 But the other

00:36:44.119 --> 00:36:46.139
 one is an empty

00:36:46.139 --> 00:36:48.079
 bottle that I

00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:48.879
 filled with water.

00:36:50.019 --> 00:36:50.439
 Did I tell you

00:36:50.439 --> 00:36:51.099
 how water went

00:36:51.099 --> 00:36:51.500
 out the other

00:36:51.500 --> 00:36:51.719
 day?

00:36:53.599 --> 00:36:54.440
 So I had to

00:36:54.440 --> 00:36:55.039
 fill this with

00:36:55.039 --> 00:36:55.559
 water from

00:36:55.559 --> 00:36:56.239
 my toilet.

00:37:00.159 --> 00:37:00.659
 But now,

00:37:00.719 --> 00:37:01.159
 we keep

00:37:01.159 --> 00:37:02.099
 clean toilets.

00:37:04.900 --> 00:37:05.480
 It was clean

00:37:05.480 --> 00:37:05.940
 a couple weeks

00:37:05.940 --> 00:37:06.199
 ago.

00:37:08.960 --> 00:37:09.659
 So here's my

00:37:09.659 --> 00:37:10.360
 question to you.

00:37:11.719 --> 00:37:12.139
 You're going to

00:37:12.139 --> 00:37:12.679
 take a chance

00:37:12.679 --> 00:37:13.260
 of guessing

00:37:13.260 --> 00:37:13.860
 which one is

00:37:13.860 --> 00:37:14.699
 contaminated water,

00:37:14.760 --> 00:37:15.179
 because it looks

00:37:15.179 --> 00:37:15.659
 just like the

00:37:15.659 --> 00:37:15.960
 other one.

00:37:17.039 --> 00:37:18.119
 It looks exactly

00:37:18.119 --> 00:37:18.659
 like the other

00:37:18.659 --> 00:37:18.839
 one.

00:37:19.199 --> 00:37:19.579
 You won't

00:37:19.579 --> 00:37:20.179
 come and look

00:37:20.179 --> 00:37:20.420
 at it,

00:37:20.460 --> 00:37:20.759
 put it under

00:37:20.759 --> 00:37:21.259
 my scope,

00:37:21.339 --> 00:37:21.719
 see any

00:37:21.719 --> 00:37:22.179
 difference.

00:37:23.219 --> 00:37:23.559
 They're the

00:37:23.559 --> 00:37:23.819
 same.

00:37:24.019 --> 00:37:24.400
 They look the

00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:24.639
 same.

00:37:25.539 --> 00:37:26.139
 But we know

00:37:26.139 --> 00:37:26.980
 this one is

00:37:26.980 --> 00:37:27.259
 real,

00:37:27.420 --> 00:37:27.639
 pure,

00:37:27.779 --> 00:37:28.440
 clean water,

00:37:29.440 --> 00:37:30.079
 and one of

00:37:30.079 --> 00:37:30.199
 them is

00:37:30.199 --> 00:37:30.619
 contaminated

00:37:30.619 --> 00:37:31.000
 water.

00:37:31.119 --> 00:37:31.339
 And I want

00:37:31.339 --> 00:37:31.599
 to tell you

00:37:31.599 --> 00:37:31.779
 something.

00:37:32.239 --> 00:37:32.880
 Every one of

00:37:32.880 --> 00:37:33.339
 us in this

00:37:33.339 --> 00:37:33.900
 room today,

00:37:35.839 --> 00:37:36.699
 your life's in

00:37:36.699 --> 00:37:37.239
 one of these

00:37:37.239 --> 00:37:37.960
 three shapes.

00:37:39.900 --> 00:37:40.859
 Either you

00:37:40.859 --> 00:37:41.440
 can look at it,

00:37:41.440 --> 00:37:41.859
 and other people

00:37:41.859 --> 00:37:42.279
 can look at it

00:37:42.279 --> 00:37:42.460
 and say,

00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:42.659
 yeah,

00:37:42.719 --> 00:37:43.279
 that guy's not

00:37:43.279 --> 00:37:43.579
 holy.

00:37:43.579 --> 00:37:45.059
 that's

00:37:45.059 --> 00:37:45.699
 contaminated

00:37:45.699 --> 00:37:46.139
 water.

00:37:49.400 --> 00:37:49.880
 Or,

00:37:51.259 --> 00:37:51.840
 you're like

00:37:51.840 --> 00:37:52.559
 one of these.

00:37:54.099 --> 00:37:54.819
 One looks like

00:37:54.819 --> 00:37:55.179
 the real

00:37:55.179 --> 00:37:55.619
 article,

00:37:56.239 --> 00:37:57.400
 because it's

00:37:57.400 --> 00:37:58.099
 pure and

00:37:58.099 --> 00:37:58.480
 clean,

00:37:59.599 --> 00:38:00.079
 and it's

00:38:00.079 --> 00:38:01.119
 good for you

00:38:01.119 --> 00:38:01.599
 to drink.

00:38:02.940 --> 00:38:03.319
 But the

00:38:03.319 --> 00:38:03.559
 other,

00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:04.739
 I got news

00:38:04.739 --> 00:38:05.099
 for you,

00:38:06.319 --> 00:38:06.799
 it just

00:38:06.799 --> 00:38:07.299
 looks that

00:38:07.299 --> 00:38:07.619
 way.

00:38:09.360 --> 00:38:10.179
 It's not

00:38:10.179 --> 00:38:10.880
 really clean.

00:38:12.440 --> 00:38:12.900
 But here's

00:38:12.900 --> 00:38:13.360
 what the

00:38:13.360 --> 00:38:13.800
 sad thing

00:38:13.800 --> 00:38:14.000
 is,

00:38:14.079 --> 00:38:14.539
 every week

00:38:14.539 --> 00:38:14.740
 when we

00:38:14.740 --> 00:38:15.019
 come to

00:38:15.019 --> 00:38:15.260
 church,

00:38:15.559 --> 00:38:15.920
 a lot

00:38:15.920 --> 00:38:16.320
 of us,

00:38:16.599 --> 00:38:17.360
 we just

00:38:17.360 --> 00:38:17.760
 put that

00:38:17.760 --> 00:38:18.140
 up there,

00:38:18.240 --> 00:38:18.539
 and we're

00:38:18.539 --> 00:38:19.039
 okay with

00:38:19.039 --> 00:38:19.140
 it,

00:38:19.160 --> 00:38:20.120
 because it

00:38:20.120 --> 00:38:20.820
 looks clean.

00:38:22.760 --> 00:38:23.019
 I mean,

00:38:23.059 --> 00:38:23.519
 nobody can

00:38:23.519 --> 00:38:23.760
 tell.

00:38:23.840 --> 00:38:24.260
 I can't

00:38:24.260 --> 00:38:24.519
 tell.

00:38:25.099 --> 00:38:25.340
 He's your

00:38:25.340 --> 00:38:25.539
 pastor.

00:38:25.620 --> 00:38:25.980
 I can't

00:38:25.980 --> 00:38:26.200
 tell.

00:38:26.980 --> 00:38:27.460
 Ryan can't

00:38:27.460 --> 00:38:27.700
 tell.

00:38:28.760 --> 00:38:29.380
 You can't

00:38:29.380 --> 00:38:29.720
 tell about

00:38:29.720 --> 00:38:30.059
 us.

00:38:31.780 --> 00:38:32.120
 But I'll

00:38:32.120 --> 00:38:32.460
 tell you,

00:38:33.620 --> 00:38:34.519
 God always

00:38:34.519 --> 00:38:35.140
 knows.

00:38:36.420 --> 00:38:37.099
 He always

00:38:37.099 --> 00:38:37.500
 knows.

00:38:38.300 --> 00:38:38.680
 He looks

00:38:38.680 --> 00:38:38.960
 and He

00:38:38.960 --> 00:38:39.519
 knows what's

00:38:39.519 --> 00:38:39.880
 the real

00:38:39.880 --> 00:38:40.220
 deal.

00:38:41.120 --> 00:38:41.440
 Whether there's

00:38:41.440 --> 00:38:42.760
 real holiness

00:38:42.760 --> 00:38:43.380
 and purity,

00:38:44.540 --> 00:38:44.980
 and He

00:38:44.980 --> 00:38:45.940
 knows where

00:38:45.940 --> 00:38:46.340
 it's not.

00:38:46.680 --> 00:38:46.880
 And I'm

00:38:46.880 --> 00:38:46.960
 going to

00:38:46.960 --> 00:38:47.180
 tell you

00:38:47.180 --> 00:38:47.320
 something.

00:38:47.380 --> 00:38:47.580
 If you

00:38:47.580 --> 00:38:48.140
 want anything

00:38:48.140 --> 00:38:48.500
 for your

00:38:48.500 --> 00:38:48.920
 church in

00:38:48.920 --> 00:38:49.180
 the days

00:38:49.180 --> 00:38:49.680
 to come,

00:38:49.960 --> 00:38:50.240
 you need

00:38:50.240 --> 00:38:50.420
 to be

00:38:50.420 --> 00:38:50.900
 concerned about

00:38:50.900 --> 00:38:51.200
 getting a

00:38:51.200 --> 00:38:51.420
 pastor,

00:38:51.520 --> 00:38:51.860
 but more

00:38:51.860 --> 00:38:52.200
 than anything

00:38:52.200 --> 00:38:52.460
 else,

00:38:52.720 --> 00:38:53.020
 you need

00:38:53.020 --> 00:38:53.220
 to be

00:38:53.220 --> 00:38:53.440
 concerned.

00:38:53.760 --> 00:38:54.120
 We're a

00:38:54.120 --> 00:38:54.600
 church that

00:38:54.600 --> 00:38:55.040
 loves,

00:38:55.120 --> 00:38:55.480
 really,

00:38:55.740 --> 00:38:56.100
 genuinely

00:38:56.100 --> 00:38:56.720
 loves.

00:38:56.820 --> 00:38:57.040
 Let me

00:38:57.040 --> 00:38:57.460
 just say

00:38:57.460 --> 00:38:57.840
 that we

00:38:57.840 --> 00:38:58.780
 really love

00:38:58.780 --> 00:38:59.240
 other people.

00:38:59.540 --> 00:38:59.920
 And secondly,

00:39:00.280 --> 00:39:00.900
 that we're

00:39:00.900 --> 00:39:01.760
 holy.

00:39:02.920 --> 00:39:03.620
 That we're

00:39:03.620 --> 00:39:03.900
 pure.

00:39:04.000 --> 00:39:04.360
 Not that

00:39:04.360 --> 00:39:05.160
 kind of flashy

00:39:05.160 --> 00:39:06.020
 holiness that

00:39:06.020 --> 00:39:06.420
 you wear on

00:39:06.420 --> 00:39:07.080
 your sleeve,

00:39:07.800 --> 00:39:08.540
 that calls

00:39:08.540 --> 00:39:09.220
 attention to

00:39:09.220 --> 00:39:09.640
 yourself,

00:39:09.720 --> 00:39:10.000
 that says,

00:39:10.200 --> 00:39:10.480
 look at me,

00:39:10.480 --> 00:39:11.139
 how holy I

00:39:11.139 --> 00:39:11.340
 am,

00:39:11.920 --> 00:39:12.219
 but that

00:39:12.219 --> 00:39:12.539
 kind of

00:39:12.539 --> 00:39:13.280
 holiness that

00:39:13.280 --> 00:39:14.420
 results in

00:39:14.420 --> 00:39:15.460
 integrity and

00:39:15.460 --> 00:39:16.099
 character of

00:39:16.099 --> 00:39:17.719
 life and

00:39:17.719 --> 00:39:18.440
 loves people

00:39:18.440 --> 00:39:18.800
 and is

00:39:18.800 --> 00:39:20.380
 honest and

00:39:20.380 --> 00:39:21.840
 is godly and

00:39:21.840 --> 00:39:23.260
 is pure and

00:39:23.260 --> 00:39:23.800
 who does the

00:39:23.800 --> 00:39:24.219
 right thing

00:39:24.219 --> 00:39:25.119
 because it

00:39:25.119 --> 00:39:25.460
 doesn't matter

00:39:25.460 --> 00:39:25.980
 who's looking

00:39:25.980 --> 00:39:27.079
 other than

00:39:27.079 --> 00:39:27.440
 God.

00:39:28.420 --> 00:39:28.980
 I'm doing

00:39:28.980 --> 00:39:29.900
 this because I

00:39:29.900 --> 00:39:30.400
 know God's

00:39:30.400 --> 00:39:30.599
 looking.

00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:32.159
 And that's all

00:39:32.159 --> 00:39:32.639
 it has to be,

00:39:32.740 --> 00:39:33.679
 just know that

00:39:33.679 --> 00:39:34.219
 He's looking.

00:39:34.820 --> 00:39:35.159
 That's all that

00:39:35.159 --> 00:39:35.340
 matters.

00:39:35.579 --> 00:39:35.860
 So I don't

00:39:35.860 --> 00:39:36.300
 have to brag

00:39:36.300 --> 00:39:36.659
 about the

00:39:36.659 --> 00:39:36.940
 holiness.

00:39:38.079 --> 00:39:38.599
 I don't have

00:39:38.599 --> 00:39:39.079
 to put it on

00:39:39.079 --> 00:39:39.719
 display for

00:39:39.719 --> 00:39:39.980
 anybody.

00:39:40.480 --> 00:39:40.940
 You don't

00:39:40.940 --> 00:39:41.380
 have to show

00:39:41.380 --> 00:39:41.880
 it off for

00:39:41.880 --> 00:39:42.240
 anybody.

00:39:43.820 --> 00:39:43.960
 Now,

00:39:44.019 --> 00:39:44.159
 of course,

00:39:44.219 --> 00:39:44.599
 if I tell you,

00:39:44.659 --> 00:39:45.159
 asking you

00:39:45.159 --> 00:39:45.440
 this,

00:39:45.940 --> 00:39:46.460
 that kind of

00:39:46.460 --> 00:39:46.980
 holiness you

00:39:46.980 --> 00:39:47.480
 got today.

00:39:49.579 --> 00:39:50.139
 I haven't

00:39:50.139 --> 00:39:50.619
 been here long,

00:39:50.679 --> 00:39:51.000
 but I've been

00:39:51.000 --> 00:39:51.420
 here three

00:39:51.420 --> 00:39:51.920
 months and

00:39:51.920 --> 00:39:52.420
 long enough to

00:39:52.420 --> 00:39:52.860
 know this.

00:39:53.780 --> 00:39:54.300
 You're a

00:39:54.300 --> 00:39:54.639
 sweet,

00:39:54.780 --> 00:39:55.400
 wonderful people

00:39:55.400 --> 00:39:55.920
 and I love

00:39:55.920 --> 00:39:56.059
 you.

00:39:56.260 --> 00:39:56.559
 You can

00:39:56.559 --> 00:39:56.940
 believe I'm

00:39:56.940 --> 00:39:57.300
 just saying

00:39:57.300 --> 00:39:57.480
 that.

00:39:57.880 --> 00:39:58.360
 It's the

00:39:58.360 --> 00:39:58.599
 truth.

00:39:58.699 --> 00:39:58.980
 I've told

00:39:58.980 --> 00:39:59.440
 everybody I

00:39:59.440 --> 00:39:59.780
 know I

00:39:59.780 --> 00:40:00.219
 love

00:40:00.219 --> 00:40:00.619
 first pick

00:40:00.619 --> 00:40:00.719
 and

00:40:00.719 --> 00:40:00.980
 if I was

00:40:00.980 --> 00:40:01.219
 a young

00:40:01.219 --> 00:40:01.460
 guy,

00:40:01.840 --> 00:40:02.159
 I'd be

00:40:02.159 --> 00:40:02.519
 putting my

00:40:02.519 --> 00:40:02.820
 name in

00:40:02.820 --> 00:40:03.300
 that pile.

00:40:04.679 --> 00:40:05.460
 I love

00:40:05.460 --> 00:40:06.000
 this church.

00:40:06.760 --> 00:40:07.019
 But I've

00:40:07.019 --> 00:40:07.460
 come to find

00:40:07.460 --> 00:40:07.820
 this out

00:40:07.820 --> 00:40:08.179
 about you.

00:40:10.480 --> 00:40:11.400
 be demonstrative

00:40:11.400 --> 00:40:12.179
 about what's

00:40:12.179 --> 00:40:12.619
 going on in

00:40:12.619 --> 00:40:12.980
 your life

00:40:12.980 --> 00:40:13.420
 spiritually.

00:40:13.920 --> 00:40:14.340
 And that's

00:40:14.340 --> 00:40:14.719
 okay.

00:40:15.679 --> 00:40:16.219
 That's okay.

00:40:16.539 --> 00:40:16.780
 You don't

00:40:16.780 --> 00:40:17.000
 have to

00:40:17.000 --> 00:40:17.460
 respond to

00:40:17.460 --> 00:40:18.179
 every invitation.

00:40:18.599 --> 00:40:18.760
 You don't

00:40:18.760 --> 00:40:19.079
 have to go

00:40:19.079 --> 00:40:19.699
 and stand

00:40:19.699 --> 00:40:19.920
 at the

00:40:19.920 --> 00:40:20.340
 altar all

00:40:20.340 --> 00:40:20.740
 the time.

00:40:21.059 --> 00:40:21.280
 But I'm

00:40:21.280 --> 00:40:21.340
 going to

00:40:21.340 --> 00:40:21.500
 tell you

00:40:21.500 --> 00:40:21.820
 what is

00:40:21.820 --> 00:40:22.219
 important.

00:40:23.059 --> 00:40:23.480
 You do

00:40:23.480 --> 00:40:23.880
 business

00:40:23.880 --> 00:40:24.539
 with God.

00:40:26.539 --> 00:40:27.219
 You be

00:40:27.219 --> 00:40:27.980
 honest with

00:40:27.980 --> 00:40:28.440
 God.

00:40:29.579 --> 00:40:30.119
 And you

00:40:30.119 --> 00:40:30.920
 know today

00:40:30.920 --> 00:40:34.340
 which of

00:40:34.340 --> 00:40:34.740
 these two

00:40:34.740 --> 00:40:35.400
 bottles you

00:40:35.400 --> 00:40:35.760
 are.

00:40:37.840 --> 00:40:38.360
 And if

00:40:38.360 --> 00:40:38.679
 you're that

00:40:38.679 --> 00:40:39.039
 one that

00:40:39.039 --> 00:40:39.740
 looks holy,

00:40:40.480 --> 00:40:41.059
 you're

00:40:41.059 --> 00:40:41.719
 going to

00:40:41.719 --> 00:40:42.719
 pass the

00:40:42.719 --> 00:40:43.139
 test.

00:40:43.880 --> 00:40:44.240
 The eye

00:40:44.240 --> 00:40:44.639
 test.

00:40:45.539 --> 00:40:45.760
 And I'm

00:40:45.760 --> 00:40:45.820
 going to

00:40:45.820 --> 00:40:46.039
 tell you

00:40:46.039 --> 00:40:46.159
 something.

00:40:46.240 --> 00:40:46.539
 You need

00:40:46.539 --> 00:40:46.900
 to be doing

00:40:46.900 --> 00:40:47.400
 some business

00:40:47.400 --> 00:40:47.820
 with God

00:40:47.820 --> 00:40:48.179
 right now

00:40:48.179 --> 00:40:49.079
 because if

00:40:49.079 --> 00:40:49.340
 you want

00:40:49.340 --> 00:40:49.719
 your church

00:40:49.719 --> 00:40:50.079
 to be the

00:40:50.079 --> 00:40:50.400
 church it

00:40:50.400 --> 00:40:50.740
 needs to

00:40:50.740 --> 00:40:51.320
 be, you

00:40:51.320 --> 00:40:51.579
 need to

00:40:51.579 --> 00:40:52.019
 be people

00:40:52.019 --> 00:40:52.780
 who genuinely

00:40:52.780 --> 00:40:54.019
 are holy.

00:40:54.980 --> 00:40:55.440
 And I

00:40:55.440 --> 00:40:55.740
 don't know

00:40:55.740 --> 00:40:56.199
 that about

00:40:56.199 --> 00:40:57.360
 you anymore

00:40:57.360 --> 00:40:57.579
 than you

00:40:57.579 --> 00:40:57.820
 know it

00:40:57.820 --> 00:40:58.300
 about me.

00:40:59.460 --> 00:41:00.039
 I could be

00:41:00.039 --> 00:41:00.420
 a fake

00:41:00.420 --> 00:41:00.860
 and a phony

00:41:00.860 --> 00:41:01.340
 and you

00:41:01.340 --> 00:41:01.699
 wouldn't tell

00:41:01.699 --> 00:41:02.059
 it just by

00:41:02.059 --> 00:41:02.420
 listening to

00:41:02.420 --> 00:41:02.960
 me preach.

00:41:04.800 --> 00:41:05.400
 But you

00:41:05.400 --> 00:41:05.860
 know about

00:41:05.860 --> 00:41:06.360
 you and I

00:41:06.360 --> 00:41:06.760
 know about

00:41:06.760 --> 00:41:07.480
 me and

00:41:07.480 --> 00:41:07.719
 you're going

00:41:07.719 --> 00:41:08.079
 to have to

00:41:08.079 --> 00:41:08.500
 ask,

00:41:09.099 --> 00:41:09.699
 am I the

00:41:09.699 --> 00:41:10.119
 real deal?

00:41:10.219 --> 00:41:10.679
 Am I what

00:41:10.679 --> 00:41:11.159
 God wants

00:41:11.159 --> 00:41:11.939
 me to be?

00:41:12.059 --> 00:41:12.279
 And if

00:41:12.279 --> 00:41:13.079
 not, right

00:41:13.079 --> 00:41:13.480
 now is a

00:41:13.480 --> 00:41:14.099
 good time

00:41:14.099 --> 00:41:15.139
 to make

00:41:15.139 --> 00:41:15.559
 that right.

00:41:15.639 --> 00:41:15.759
 And it

00:41:15.759 --> 00:41:16.279
 begins by

00:41:16.279 --> 00:41:16.839
 just doing

00:41:16.839 --> 00:41:17.039
 this.

00:41:17.159 --> 00:41:18.500
 God, I'm

00:41:18.500 --> 00:41:18.939
 sorry, I've

00:41:18.939 --> 00:41:19.359
 been more

00:41:19.359 --> 00:41:20.119
 concerned about

00:41:20.119 --> 00:41:20.919
 what people

00:41:20.919 --> 00:41:21.480
 think than

00:41:21.480 --> 00:41:22.159
 you think.

00:41:23.439 --> 00:41:24.039
 And I want

00:41:24.039 --> 00:41:24.619
 you to change

00:41:24.619 --> 00:41:24.759
 that.

00:41:24.839 --> 00:41:25.259
 I want you to

00:41:25.259 --> 00:41:25.399
 do it.

00:41:25.399 --> 00:41:26.039
 I can't do

00:41:26.039 --> 00:41:26.239
 it.

00:41:26.559 --> 00:41:26.899
 I'm just

00:41:26.899 --> 00:41:27.379
 too big a

00:41:27.379 --> 00:41:27.599
 sinner.

00:41:28.199 --> 00:41:28.679
 But I'm

00:41:28.679 --> 00:41:29.259
 asking you to

00:41:29.259 --> 00:41:29.819
 do a work

00:41:29.819 --> 00:41:30.319
 in me.

00:41:30.419 --> 00:41:30.839
 I'm asking

00:41:30.839 --> 00:41:31.199
 you to

00:41:31.199 --> 00:41:31.980
 shape my

00:41:31.980 --> 00:41:32.679
 heart, change

00:41:32.679 --> 00:41:33.199
 my thinking,

00:41:33.359 --> 00:41:33.779
 change my

00:41:33.779 --> 00:41:34.219
 attitudes.

00:41:34.219 --> 00:41:34.299
 change.

00:41:34.939 --> 00:41:35.239
 I want to

00:41:35.239 --> 00:41:36.239
 be the real

00:41:36.239 --> 00:41:36.819
 deal for

00:41:36.819 --> 00:41:37.079
 you.

00:41:38.659 --> 00:41:38.959
 We're going

00:41:38.959 --> 00:41:39.759
 to have

00:41:39.759 --> 00:41:40.259
 Brian come

00:41:40.259 --> 00:41:40.579
 and sing

00:41:40.579 --> 00:41:41.099
 one verse

00:41:41.099 --> 00:41:41.819
 of an

00:41:41.819 --> 00:41:42.299
 invitation.

00:41:43.959 --> 00:41:44.519
 Maybe you

00:41:44.519 --> 00:41:44.939
 need to get

00:41:44.939 --> 00:41:45.359
 up and come

00:41:45.359 --> 00:41:45.619
 and just

00:41:45.619 --> 00:41:46.139
 kneel somewhere

00:41:46.139 --> 00:41:46.480
 along the

00:41:46.480 --> 00:41:46.619
 surface.

00:41:46.739 --> 00:41:47.039
 Maybe you

00:41:47.039 --> 00:41:47.399
 just right

00:41:47.399 --> 00:41:47.759
 there at your

00:41:47.759 --> 00:41:48.199
 seat, just

00:41:48.199 --> 00:41:48.419
 kneel.

00:41:48.739 --> 00:41:49.159
 Maybe you

00:41:49.159 --> 00:41:49.459
 just stay

00:41:49.459 --> 00:41:50.980
 seated or

00:41:50.980 --> 00:41:51.459
 be seated

00:41:51.459 --> 00:41:51.959
 after we

00:41:51.959 --> 00:41:52.299
 stand.

00:41:53.439 --> 00:41:54.179
 But I

00:41:54.179 --> 00:41:54.919
 urge you to

00:41:54.919 --> 00:41:55.379
 do business

00:41:55.379 --> 00:41:55.939
 with God.

00:41:56.339 --> 00:41:56.579
 Let's

00:41:56.579 --> 00:41:57.679
 stand as we

00:41:57.679 --> 00:41:58.799
 hear Brian

00:41:58.799 --> 00:41:59.239
 sing this

00:41:59.239 --> 00:41:59.559
 hymn of

00:41:59.559 --> 00:41:59.919
 invitation.

00:42:00.099 --> 00:42:00.299
 Join

00:42:00.299 --> 00:42:00.559
 him if

00:42:00.559 --> 00:42:00.879
 you'd like

00:42:00.879 --> 00:42:01.099
 to.

00:42:01.099 --> 00:42:02.000
 Bye.

00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:02.299
 Bye.