1 00:00:02,300 --> 00:00:05,500 Well, we've been in the series suit and I've got to say 2 00:00:05,500 --> 00:00:08,800 personally, I found it a real blessing and speaking to many of 3 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:11,000 you, I know it's been a blessing as well as we've gone through. 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,200 Aw toes as book together and we arrive at the Final Chapter 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:20,500 which is really exciting. Just in time for Easter and the 6 00:00:20,500 --> 00:00:25,500 the chapter is entitled sacrament of living which is an 7 00:00:25,500 --> 00:00:29,300 interesting title. It feels a bit ye oldie, doesn't 8 00:00:29,300 --> 00:00:31,800 it in terms of his language? And so I've renamed it for the 9 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:37,200 purpose of today to a call to Holiness which essentially is 10 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:39,600 the same thing and we'll unpack that and look at why that's the 11 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,900 case. But we can look at the call to 12 00:00:41,900 --> 00:00:47,000 Holiness and to do that, I'd like us to turn together to the 13 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,000 verse that we're going to be looking at today, which is found 14 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:54,200 in 1 Corinthians, 10 verses verse 31 and it will be on the 15 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,700 screen if you're a home watching this on any device. 16 00:00:56,700 --> 00:00:58,800 And in the room it will be On the screen behind me as well. 17 00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:02,200 But let's read this together. This is Paul Rita writing to the 18 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:06,500 church in Corinth and he says this whether you eat or drink or 19 00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:11,900 whatever you do, Do it all for the glory of God. 20 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,700 Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 21 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:20,700 And with that I'm going to pray. Let's pray together. 22 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:25,400 Lord, we thank you for your word, your word brings life, and 23 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,400 it brings freedom and your word Lord will accomplish that which 24 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,900 it set forth to do. And I pray this morning Lord 25 00:01:32,900 --> 00:01:34,900 that you would remove any distractions. 26 00:01:37,900 --> 00:01:40,700 Any burdens that we are carrying and Lord. 27 00:01:40,700 --> 00:01:42,700 You would you help us by your spirit? 28 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,500 Not just to listen to your truth. 29 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,200 But make a commitment to act upon your truth today. 30 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:58,100 Lord, Lord God, this word. Is going to be a breakthrough 31 00:01:58,100 --> 00:02:01,800 for so many people and I know law, the enemy is going to try 32 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:07,600 and derail many. Just come against that Spirit of 33 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:14,900 Slumber in Jesus name. Your God. 34 00:02:14,900 --> 00:02:17,100 Would you just help us Lord? I pray in your name. 35 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:20,300 All right. So how is Holiness? 36 00:02:20,300 --> 00:02:24,600 And this verse linked Well, let's first understand what 37 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,100 Holiness is, because if I'm honest, I don't think we ever 38 00:02:28,100 --> 00:02:30,900 truly understand the word Holiness, or we partly 39 00:02:30,900 --> 00:02:35,100 understand it. She Holiness simply means being 40 00:02:35,100 --> 00:02:39,900 set apart for God. Another way to look at it. 41 00:02:39,908 --> 00:02:46,100 He's been dedicated to God. And the fruit of which the fruit 42 00:02:46,100 --> 00:02:49,800 of being dedicated to God being set apart for him. 43 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:54,000 The fruit of that is moral Purity or to put it another way. 44 00:02:54,000 --> 00:03:02,000 Walking like Jesus. but the thing about holiness, Is that it 45 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:07,300 cannot be manufactured. What I mean by that, you can't 46 00:03:07,300 --> 00:03:11,100 shortcut Holiness and go straight to the morale out, 47 00:03:11,100 --> 00:03:16,000 working or fruit of it. And yet that is often how we see 48 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:21,100 and judge Holiness, for example, well, they must be really holy. 49 00:03:21,100 --> 00:03:26,500 Did you see what they did? Wow, they he must be really holy 50 00:03:26,500 --> 00:03:33,200 did you hear what he said? Well, I've met some really holy 51 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:35,300 people. They have done some amazing good 52 00:03:35,300 --> 00:03:40,800 works. Now, that isn't the fullness of 53 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:48,600 Holiness, because Holiness isn't a Works based message. 54 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:54,000 How many does isn't about performance? 55 00:03:57,100 --> 00:04:04,200 Holiness is a fruit-based, relationship rooted invitation 56 00:04:04,500 --> 00:04:07,100 to a new way of living. I'm going to say that again. 57 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:14,800 Holiness is a fruit-based, relationship rooted invitation 58 00:04:15,100 --> 00:04:18,300 to a new way of living. Why? 59 00:04:18,300 --> 00:04:25,100 Because the root of Holiness is a life, all of our lives, every 60 00:04:25,100 --> 00:04:31,700 part of our Lives rooted in and devoted to Christ, that's 61 00:04:31,700 --> 00:04:36,600 holiness. And out of that place, you see 62 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:43,100 we become more like Jesus and the works come James says, you 63 00:04:43,100 --> 00:04:45,800 know, works are important because they're in evidence of 64 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,500 our faith. It's not that our faith is based 65 00:04:48,500 --> 00:04:51,600 on works. It's that a fruit of our saving 66 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:55,700 faith. In Christ is the works, but you 67 00:04:55,700 --> 00:04:58,400 see we think Holiness is just the works. 68 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,400 Hey, I know people more quote unquote holy than me. 69 00:05:03,500 --> 00:05:06,400 Oh yeah, they do amazing works, but they don't know. 70 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,600 Jesus is not Holiness, you know, with John Wesley who's heard of 71 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,200 John Wesley. Founder of the Methodist 72 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:19,000 movement, a great revivalists. Before he encountered Jesus, he 73 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,400 was part of thinking went to Oxford or Cambridge. 74 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:23,600 He was part of what was called the Holiness Club. 75 00:05:25,500 --> 00:05:30,000 And it was a worked Bass Club and they would have a diary, no 76 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:34,000 word of a lie, and they would map out the holy work, they 77 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:39,000 would do. They would make sure they prayed 78 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,800 certain amount of times a day. They made sure they would fast 79 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,200 once a week. They made sure then visit the 80 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:46,800 prison's. They'd make sure they would do 81 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:48,900 this. That and the other and they 82 00:05:48,900 --> 00:05:52,100 therefore thought that if they were to do that they would 83 00:05:52,100 --> 00:05:57,100 obtain Holiness wrong. It's the other way around. 84 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:04,200 Once you commit to living a life undivided and committed, holy to 85 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:11,600 Christ, then the fruit comes. And I think one of the problems 86 00:06:11,900 --> 00:06:16,100 with the way we walk, we walk our Christian Life is that we 87 00:06:16,100 --> 00:06:19,300 think Holiness is about works and so we make ourselves do good 88 00:06:19,300 --> 00:06:23,600 works and yet deep down we live an undivided life. 89 00:06:25,100 --> 00:06:29,100 What people say whatever you do, do all for the glory of God. 90 00:06:32,500 --> 00:06:34,300 How do you do all things for the glory of God? 91 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:35,900 I mean, that was my next question. 92 00:06:36,500 --> 00:06:39,100 I would say the twin verse to this is Jesus. 93 00:06:39,100 --> 00:06:43,600 His own words in Matthew, 22:37, and Jesus said, You shall love 94 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:44,700 the Lord. God. 95 00:06:46,100 --> 00:06:48,400 With all your heart, with all your soul and with all your 96 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:52,500 mind, that is what it means to be to live a holy life. 97 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:54,900 That's what it means to be set apart for God. 98 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,300 That's what it means to be dedicated to God. 99 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:02,700 It means that we love the Lord God with all our heart, with all 100 00:07:02,700 --> 00:07:05,200 our mind and with a while. So don't you think that pretty 101 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:09,000 much covers everything? And you know Paul hearing the 102 00:07:09,100 --> 00:07:12,400 letter to the Corinthians is like listen guys, you want to 103 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,400 get down to the basics of it, I'm talking about what you eat 104 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:19,600 or drink that very mundane thing that you share with your dogs 105 00:07:19,700 --> 00:07:22,300 and other animals that very basic thing. 106 00:07:22,500 --> 00:07:25,700 You can do that for God's glory. So if you can do that for God's 107 00:07:25,700 --> 00:07:33,200 glory, or you can do everything, And you see what toes are is 108 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,100 doing. As he ends this book on a 109 00:07:35,108 --> 00:07:38,700 pursuing, God is his, he's throwing down the challenge to 110 00:07:38,700 --> 00:07:40,900 say. If you want to pursue God, 111 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,200 you've got to do it in an undivided manner. 112 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:49,400 There can be no secular and sacred so-called secular and 113 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:53,600 sacred divide which is what the message of this chapter is. 114 00:07:54,700 --> 00:07:58,100 Let me just read some other scriptures that we very very 115 00:07:58,100 --> 00:08:00,800 common to us. What I mean by other ones that 116 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,400 have we say very frequently, Romans 12:1, I appeal to you, 117 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:08,100 brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your 118 00:08:08,100 --> 00:08:10,900 bodies, as a Living Sacrifice. What does that mean? 119 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,600 It's a call to holiness. Holy and acceptable to God. 120 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:16,700 There it is. You see? 121 00:08:17,900 --> 00:08:23,000 Which is your spiritual worship. What about John 14? 122 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,600 15 to 24. I'm going to look at this and 123 00:08:26,900 --> 00:08:29,600 put together different parts of this passage. 124 00:08:29,700 --> 00:08:33,600 If you love me, keep my Commandments. 125 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:37,200 That's what it means to be. Holy, it means about keeping 126 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:41,900 God's Commandments, he who has my Commandments and keeps them. 127 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,500 It is he who loves me? Don't come to me and tell me you 128 00:08:45,500 --> 00:08:51,000 love God and break his rules. But I love God. 129 00:08:51,500 --> 00:08:56,900 I love Jesus so much. But I'll just do half the stuff. 130 00:08:56,900 --> 00:09:00,200 He tells me, I'm Sorry by Jesus his own words, you don't love 131 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:05,300 him or Mark, you're really going for the jugular today, just feel 132 00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:07,500 it, you know. I feel like at the end of this 133 00:09:07,500 --> 00:09:10,000 series we're just going to get rid of all the niceties and just 134 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,100 say it as it is here all over that, you can still like me 135 00:09:13,100 --> 00:09:16,000 afterwards. Wine, if you don't. 136 00:09:20,300 --> 00:09:21,800 What else? If anyone loves me? 137 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,600 He will keep my words. What you mean this? 138 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:27,700 Yes, all of it, but I thought we could pick the B. 139 00:09:27,700 --> 00:09:33,600 We like, apparently not. Apparently this is all this and 140 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,100 if you don't believe this is God's word then well that's 141 00:09:36,100 --> 00:09:38,500 another conversation. But if you believe this is God's 142 00:09:38,500 --> 00:09:40,700 word, then you've got to believe that you got to do all of it. 143 00:09:40,900 --> 00:09:44,700 There's a, if you've got your car manual, you don't go. 144 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,600 Oh, I believe the bit about putting Petrol in but my engine 145 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:51,400 does not need oil. You can try it and what's going 146 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,000 to happen? Your engine's going to break and 147 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:57,000 we have lots of broken people because we look at the word as 148 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:58,200 he. Well, I'll pick that because I 149 00:09:58,208 --> 00:10:00,400 agree with it but culture doesn't agree with that bit. 150 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,100 So I'm not going to agree with that and we wonder why we got 151 00:10:03,100 --> 00:10:06,600 Brokenness everywhere. Mmm. 152 00:10:07,700 --> 00:10:10,800 Oh man, I did not know I was doing one of these days. 153 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:17,600 Hmm. Jesus like carrion and my father 154 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:20,000 will love him and we will come to him and make our home with 155 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,800 him. So are you linking that Jesus 156 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:26,400 with the fact that wow, are you saying that you'll come to 157 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:30,800 those? You'll make our home with us. 158 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:32,300 If we love you and keep your commands. 159 00:10:32,300 --> 00:10:34,900 That's what he's saying. I mean, I'm not making this 160 00:10:34,900 --> 00:10:38,400 stuff up. So what we talked about pursuing 161 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:40,200 God is got to be all in or nothing. 162 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:45,900 I think that's the point I was trying to make But here is where 163 00:10:45,900 --> 00:10:49,900 we have a massive disconnect. In the owl can of our faith. 164 00:10:50,900 --> 00:10:53,000 And let's take a step back for a moment and look at it from 165 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,600 another angle as Christians. We have some internal tensions. 166 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:58,100 Let's be completely Frank about this. 167 00:10:58,100 --> 00:11:00,400 Now I'm not talking about the city and not sinning. 168 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,600 That's an obvious one. I'm talking about other tensions 169 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:07,300 like Do I carry on praying for something? 170 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:10,400 Because if I carry on praying, does that mean I don't have 171 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,000 faith for the first time I prayed anyone else thing like 172 00:11:13,008 --> 00:11:16,300 that and I do, do I hear God's voice was at me? 173 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,300 What about this? One if God's heals why isn't 174 00:11:20,300 --> 00:11:22,900 healing? Now these are some valid 175 00:11:22,900 --> 00:11:26,300 tensions that we feel right as Christians and there's many 176 00:11:26,300 --> 00:11:30,800 more, besides isn't it? But this is what toes are says. 177 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:37,100 One of the greatest hindrances to internal peace, which the 178 00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:41,300 Christian encounters is the common habit of dividing. 179 00:11:41,300 --> 00:11:45,600 Our Lives into two areas, the sacred, and the secular. 180 00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:52,100 The one area we believe our lives to be holy, we pray, 181 00:11:52,100 --> 00:11:56,000 that's holy, we come to church. That's holy, we read our Bible. 182 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,000 That's holy, I'm being really good to someone at the moment. 183 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,900 I'm clearly being wholly. I'm giving my tires. 184 00:12:01,900 --> 00:12:05,100 Therefore, I'm hopefully, and then we have our so-called 185 00:12:05,100 --> 00:12:08,000 Unholy live swell. I'm walking the dog that's not 186 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,100 very holy really, let's be honest, I'm shouting at my kids, 187 00:12:11,100 --> 00:12:15,800 that's not very holy, you know, I'm making my dinner, that's not 188 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:17,100 wholly. You see my point here. 189 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:21,300 And we fall into this trap of saying that stuff is really only 190 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,000 and God loves that and this stuff is really Unholy and we 191 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,200 call it the sacred and secular divide. 192 00:12:27,900 --> 00:12:31,700 And the problem with this is if we live like this we will often 193 00:12:31,700 --> 00:12:35,900 times till I Jekyll and Hyde who has had that you know for your 194 00:12:35,900 --> 00:12:38,900 hands up. I have had that struggle before 195 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:43,900 feeling like a Jekyll and Hyde. I-i've had someone say to me, 196 00:12:44,300 --> 00:12:48,700 long, long time ago, and you call yourself a Christian And it 197 00:12:48,700 --> 00:12:51,400 was in that moment that by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit 198 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:53,300 over my eyes and go. You know what I think I've got 199 00:12:53,300 --> 00:12:56,600 something there because I feel like I'm a Christian on a Sunday 200 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:00,300 and on Monday, I'm not Sunday's my holy day and Monday's my 201 00:13:00,300 --> 00:13:03,900 terrible day. But we're not cool to live like 202 00:13:03,900 --> 00:13:08,200 this, it was never intended to be the case that we would look 203 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:12,300 at our life through the lenses of sacred and secular everything 204 00:13:12,300 --> 00:13:17,600 is sacred and no better person to look at the model of this and 205 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:21,300 Jesus. I'm going to quote Tozer again. 206 00:13:21,500 --> 00:13:26,200 The Lord Jesus Christ himself is our perfect example and he knows 207 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:31,600 no divided life in the presence of his father he lived on earth 208 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:36,900 without strain. I don't want strain from boy 209 00:13:36,900 --> 00:13:38,900 babyhood to his death on the cross. 210 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:43,900 God accepted the offering of his total life and made no 211 00:13:43,900 --> 00:13:47,300 distinction between an act and another Act. 212 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,100 I do always the things that pleases him was Jesus is brief 213 00:13:52,100 --> 00:13:55,100 summary of his own life, as he related to the father. 214 00:13:55,300 --> 00:13:57,800 I do all things to please. My father. 215 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:02,100 As he moved among men, he was poised and restful. 216 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:05,600 That's true, isn't it? You think about Jesus, he never 217 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:07,700 rushed anywhere, but yeah, he did so much. 218 00:14:09,100 --> 00:14:10,800 Why? Because he was restful that he 219 00:14:10,808 --> 00:14:15,000 did all things for God. What pressure and suffering? 220 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,400 He endured grew out of his position as the world's sin 221 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,600 Bearer. They were never the result of 222 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,900 moral uncertainty, or spiritual maladjustment. 223 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:28,300 I find this fascinating. It's true. 224 00:14:28,300 --> 00:14:32,700 When you reflect Jesus did not live as sacred and secular life, 225 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:37,900 and yet he was fully human like we are Fully human and yet fully 226 00:14:37,900 --> 00:14:44,400 God. And yet he didn't live a sacred 227 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:49,600 secular divide. Whether you eat or drink or 228 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:54,500 whatever you do, do all for the glory of God, it might sound 229 00:14:54,500 --> 00:14:59,100 like an impossible task. One, which is suited maybe to 230 00:14:59,100 --> 00:15:01,600 monks and nuns a bit. They have it easy, don't lie. 231 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:05,500 Don't you think like, I think some time to like, Lord please. 232 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:08,800 I just want to escape. I want to live in a monastery. 233 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,200 It will be so much easier to just wake up prayers and go to 234 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:14,500 bed, praying. I mean, I'm sure it's not that 235 00:15:14,500 --> 00:15:18,500 easy but I wouldn't have to juggle this so-called secular 236 00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:24,500 and sacred divide that I somehow seem to have a tension with And 237 00:15:24,500 --> 00:15:26,200 you know, in case we don't think it's the everyday. 238 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:28,900 I mean goodness sake, eating and drinking. 239 00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:34,900 Now, I want to take a step back. Come with me into my time 240 00:15:34,900 --> 00:15:37,500 machine. Back to Israel. 241 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,600 And I want to try look at this from another angle. 242 00:15:41,500 --> 00:15:44,100 I feel like part of the talk today is about taking a few 243 00:15:44,100 --> 00:15:47,300 different threads and trying to weave something that it makes 244 00:15:47,300 --> 00:15:49,900 sense to us. But let's go back to Israel. 245 00:15:49,900 --> 00:15:52,300 When they were in Egypt, they were in slavery in bondage. 246 00:15:52,300 --> 00:15:56,700 And we know that by the hand of Moses, by God's power, they came 247 00:15:56,700 --> 00:16:03,700 out of Egypt, correct? If they were surrounded by 248 00:16:03,700 --> 00:16:05,500 idolatry and other gods won't lie. 249 00:16:08,300 --> 00:16:11,800 But the time came they came out and they were heading for the 250 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:15,200 land of promise. But there was a problem Tozer 251 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,100 points out. The problem was the very idea of 252 00:16:18,100 --> 00:16:22,400 Holiness that God is set apart, but they are called to live a 253 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:24,200 life of Holiness was lost on them. 254 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:27,500 And so to create this, God began at the bottom. 255 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:32,100 And God wanted to teach Israel, the difference between holy and 256 00:16:32,100 --> 00:16:33,600 Unholy. And so, what did God do? 257 00:16:33,700 --> 00:16:36,300 He localized himself in the cloud and fire? 258 00:16:36,300 --> 00:16:38,900 First? That was a holy place. 259 00:16:40,100 --> 00:16:43,000 And later, when the Tabernacle was built, he dwelt in the holy 260 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:46,900 of holies. And when he met Moses on the 261 00:16:46,900 --> 00:16:50,700 mountain that was a holy place. There were holy days. 262 00:16:50,900 --> 00:16:54,800 Holy vessels. Holy garments and conversely. 263 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,100 There were days that were not. There were Washington's. 264 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,500 There were sacrifices, there was offerings of many kinds now. 265 00:17:01,500 --> 00:17:06,800 What was the point of this? it was so that Israel learned, 266 00:17:06,900 --> 00:17:12,900 the God is Holy It was that that he was teaching them. 267 00:17:14,300 --> 00:17:18,200 It wasn't the Holiness of the place or the things. 268 00:17:20,300 --> 00:17:25,200 But the Holiness of Jehovah was a lesson, they had to learn that 269 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:27,900 he was set apart for them bats. What happened then? 270 00:17:29,100 --> 00:17:31,800 Then fast forward to the great day of of Jesus. 271 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:35,400 When he arrived immediately began to say, you have heard his 272 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:39,500 said by them of old. But I now say unto you, in other 273 00:17:39,500 --> 00:17:43,300 words, the Old Testament School in had finished God came to 274 00:17:43,300 --> 00:17:46,400 fulfill, the law didn't come to abolish that but there was now a 275 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:49,700 new message. And when Christ died on the 276 00:17:49,700 --> 00:17:51,300 cross, what do we know that happened? 277 00:17:51,300 --> 00:17:53,000 The veil of the temple was torn in two. 278 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,500 Right from top to bottom. So, what's happening here? 279 00:17:56,700 --> 00:18:00,100 The holy of holies was opened up to everyone who would enter by 280 00:18:00,100 --> 00:18:07,100 face, Why is this Jesus said this in John 4:23 but the hour 281 00:18:07,100 --> 00:18:10,600 is coming. And is now here when the true 282 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:14,400 worshipers will worship the father in spirit and in truth, 283 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:17,900 for the father, is seeking such people to worship him. 284 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:22,100 No more. Then we need to go to the 285 00:18:22,100 --> 00:18:23,400 temple. No more. 286 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,700 Did we need to go to the holy place? 287 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:28,200 No more! Do we need to go to Jerusalem to 288 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:29,800 worship the father? No more. 289 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,300 It was there a divide between the holy and the the holy 290 00:18:33,500 --> 00:18:37,800 because we are now made holy and set apart by God because of the 291 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:45,100 shed blood of Jesus, The Divide went Do you see what's happening 292 00:18:45,100 --> 00:18:49,100 in the Arc of redemption here in that meta-narrative of this 293 00:18:49,500 --> 00:18:56,100 biblical story of rescue? The holy Unholy divided was 294 00:18:56,100 --> 00:19:00,500 there, but when Christ came, there was no more a divided 295 00:19:00,500 --> 00:19:05,900 because those who believe in the shed blood of Jesus and now make 296 00:19:05,900 --> 00:19:09,800 holy because we've been washed with that very blood. 297 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:15,600 That is great news. That is why the so-called 298 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:18,100 secular is sacred because we are made. 299 00:19:18,100 --> 00:19:22,600 Holy be holy for, I am Holy, we walk in that holiness. 300 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:28,600 You have been made clean so that you can enter the very presence 301 00:19:28,600 --> 00:19:31,500 of God. There was now no more 302 00:19:31,500 --> 00:19:38,000 distinction between secular and sacred, all things are sacred 303 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:40,300 and then Paul went and built on this. 304 00:19:41,700 --> 00:19:45,200 And toes are says he took up the Cry of Liberty and declared all 305 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:49,000 meat clean. And then he said every day is 306 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,600 holy or places are sacred and Every Act is acceptable to god. 307 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,900 Wow this New Covenant is amazing. 308 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:03,400 The sacredness of times and places toes are said a half 309 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:07,600 light necessary to the education of a race to point us to the 310 00:20:07,608 --> 00:20:11,600 need of Jesus. Now has passed away before the 311 00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,800 full sun of spiritual worship, that is what it means for us to 312 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,300 worship. The father, it means that we can 313 00:20:18,300 --> 00:20:21,200 have an undivided life because we have been made Holy by 314 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:25,100 Christ's blood. But over time, do you know what 315 00:20:25,100 --> 00:20:27,900 happened? The church decided to go and add 316 00:20:27,900 --> 00:20:33,000 all the New stuff back in. The natural legality of men's 317 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:35,300 Fallen Hearts. When we looked at this last week 318 00:20:35,300 --> 00:20:39,200 with the burdens that that Greek word for burden was all those 319 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:42,600 rules and regulations which are not of God, the church decided 320 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:47,100 to Pilot back on again. Certain places were chosen and 321 00:20:47,108 --> 00:20:50,600 marked as holy certain days, were observed as more holy than 322 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:54,200 others. The sacraments were installed. 323 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:58,500 There was first to then there was three then four until and I 324 00:20:58,500 --> 00:21:02,100 quote toes are here and I do so in a spirit of Charity, the 325 00:21:02,100 --> 00:21:05,000 Triumph of romanism, was they fixed it at seven? 326 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,200 Why do you think there was a Protestant Reformation? 327 00:21:09,300 --> 00:21:13,800 Because we had lost that it was by Christ Alone, it was all done 328 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:17,500 on the cross the church. It added it all back in again. 329 00:21:18,500 --> 00:21:20,400 But hold on a minute. We've come out of Egypt. 330 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:24,500 No. It's that fair pharisaical, 331 00:21:24,500 --> 00:21:29,900 spirit. That is bundled in legalism and 332 00:21:29,900 --> 00:21:33,100 it will already does is propels that notion of sacred and 333 00:21:33,100 --> 00:21:36,600 secular and I don't think the charismatic churches help too 334 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:37,700 much. In some ways. 335 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:42,900 What? You can't say that we're a 336 00:21:42,900 --> 00:21:44,400 charismatic church. I know. 337 00:21:45,700 --> 00:21:49,800 But the danger we have of the holy man of God of the front is 338 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:52,100 that we make that really holy and we want to be like the man 339 00:21:52,100 --> 00:21:53,600 of God at the front of the church. 340 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,100 And one of the things about Vineyard and many other parts of 341 00:21:57,100 --> 00:22:00,700 the charismatic movement, don't get me wrong, is everyone gets 342 00:22:00,700 --> 00:22:06,200 to play? It's not about a special holy 343 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:11,500 stage and holy thing and a holy man or woman. 344 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:15,200 It's about that. We are all made, Holy by Christ, 345 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:19,400 sacrificial Blood on the cross and we can all walk in the gifts 346 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:22,000 of the Spirit. And we are all anointed for such 347 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,700 a time as this to declare the good news of Jesus. 348 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:28,100 There is no more a secular and sacred divide. 349 00:22:28,100 --> 00:22:30,900 And yet there is something in our hearts, the Fallen part of 350 00:22:30,900 --> 00:22:32,800 our heart that wishes to reinstall it. 351 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:34,800 Because it's very comfortable for us. 352 00:22:38,100 --> 00:22:42,200 I can prove this as soon as you walk in this building, you're 353 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:43,300 not going to swear. Are you? 354 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:47,300 But it's easy to do at your house. 355 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,700 Isn't that fair point? You're unlikely to look at stuff 356 00:22:52,700 --> 00:22:55,600 on your mobile when you on your own in here, things you 357 00:22:55,600 --> 00:23:00,100 shouldn't, because while I'm in church and yet somehow we think 358 00:23:00,100 --> 00:23:01,500 God doesn't exist that you're home. 359 00:23:04,700 --> 00:23:07,600 You see the sacred secular divide is something that we lean 360 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:12,100 to because it gives us an excuse to have an undivided life 361 00:23:12,900 --> 00:23:17,100 because deep down we want to justify our sin and so the 362 00:23:17,100 --> 00:23:20,100 secular sacred divide allows us to do that. 363 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:22,500 It's okay. This place isn't wholly. 364 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,000 It's okay. It's not Sunday, it's Tuesday. 365 00:23:27,700 --> 00:23:30,800 I hope you get the point and I'm only explaining to you, the 366 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,500 things that I feel the Lord is saying to me and challenging me 367 00:23:33,500 --> 00:23:36,600 on. But if Paul is saying, even when 368 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:42,000 you eat that is, Holy There's something that we're missing and 369 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,900 I think to add another stream of a thread to this. 370 00:23:44,900 --> 00:23:49,100 We have a problem. We squash together, holy and 371 00:23:49,100 --> 00:23:51,700 valuable, Let me Give an example. 372 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:55,600 We rightly think that leading someone to Christ is more 373 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,000 valuable than having a glass of water. 374 00:23:59,500 --> 00:24:03,900 I think that's true. But that doesn't mean that 375 00:24:03,900 --> 00:24:07,500 leading someone to Christ is more holy than drinking a glass 376 00:24:07,500 --> 00:24:10,200 of water. That's the point here. 377 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:14,100 All can be done for the glory and honor of God. 378 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:19,900 Thank you, Lord, for this water. Bless you for the freedom that I 379 00:24:19,900 --> 00:24:23,000 have. That's just as holy as praying 380 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:27,600 with someone to receive Christ. But you see because we squash 381 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:31,200 and we conflate valuable and holy we created divided in how 382 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:33,700 we look at things. I wish I could work for the 383 00:24:33,700 --> 00:24:36,700 church, that's really valuable know. 384 00:24:36,700 --> 00:24:40,100 What's what's really valuable and holy is walking in the corn 385 00:24:40,100 --> 00:24:45,300 in the God's place on your life. But we think that the holy thing 386 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:48,800 is to do the full time. Ministry thing, that's not more 387 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:53,600 holy than going and getting on the bus and go into your work or 388 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,100 go in and standing outside the school gates for your kids. 389 00:24:56,400 --> 00:25:01,200 That's just as holy I'm going to end as I invite the band up with 390 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,000 this statement from toza and I realize I've quite a lot of 391 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,800 Tozer, but hey, we are being used in his book. 392 00:25:07,900 --> 00:25:11,100 And I feel like this is a summary of 10 weeks worth of 393 00:25:11,100 --> 00:25:16,200 teaching on pursuing God and I feel like that this summary is 394 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:21,700 the challenge that we need to answer deep in our hearts as to 395 00:25:21,700 --> 00:25:23,200 whether we're going to pursue God. 396 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:27,400 Because if we can't sign up to this statement and we're not 397 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:32,800 ready to pursue God yet, Those who pursue God and his 398 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:35,400 righteousness, who takes seriously. 399 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:40,700 The command to love him above all else, is that you Are those 400 00:25:40,700 --> 00:25:43,900 who are consumed with the things of God? 401 00:25:44,700 --> 00:25:49,000 They are eager to study, God's word, eager to pray, eager to 402 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,900 obey and honor, God in all things and eager to share Jesus 403 00:25:52,900 --> 00:25:55,900 Christ with others. It is through these spiritual 404 00:25:55,900 --> 00:26:00,300 disciplines the love. For God, grows and matures to 405 00:26:00,300 --> 00:26:06,100 the glory of God. Now, I'm not saying that any of 406 00:26:06,100 --> 00:26:09,600 that is easy because life is tough. 407 00:26:11,700 --> 00:26:15,500 I'm not saying we wake up with a skip in our step, saying today's 408 00:26:15,500 --> 00:26:18,100 gonna be an amazing day as I do. All these things. 409 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,800 What I'm saying is it's about a choice. 410 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,900 We made to say, Lord, I might not even feel like that every 411 00:26:23,900 --> 00:26:26,000 day, but I want to be like that every day. 412 00:26:27,100 --> 00:26:30,600 It's about Sinai recognized Lord that you have called me to offer 413 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:34,100 my whole selves as a Living, Sacrifice on the altar. 414 00:26:34,900 --> 00:26:36,900 I recognize Lord that you have said, Jesus. 415 00:26:36,900 --> 00:26:39,800 Your own words were pick up your cross and follow me. 416 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:42,000 That means I need to die to the Flesh. 417 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,600 And the and the things that I want to do this, and I 418 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:49,300 recognize, this is a hard word, but it is through this word. 419 00:26:49,900 --> 00:26:53,500 And as we say, yes to Jesus that we walk in a new level of 420 00:26:53,500 --> 00:26:55,600 freedom and victory in our lives. 421 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:04,800 So how do we respond to this? I want to go back to 2 422 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:08,500 Chronicles 7:14. Which is a verse that I use near 423 00:27:08,500 --> 00:27:13,300 the start of this series. It says this, my people who are 424 00:27:13,300 --> 00:27:18,400 called by, my name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek, 425 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:22,400 and they seek my face and turn from their Wicked Ways. 426 00:27:23,100 --> 00:27:27,600 Then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and 427 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:32,900 will heal their land. But it is through repentance. 428 00:27:33,700 --> 00:27:37,500 We confess our sins as we get right with God and pursue his 429 00:27:37,500 --> 00:27:42,500 presence. The we experience him and but 430 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:46,700 pursue him. Like us all to stand as I pray. 431 00:27:45,100 --> 00:27:46,700 Like us all to stand as I pray.