Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Perfecting holiness out of reverence for God

Matthew 19:16-22

Intro
“The more holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the unholiness which remains in him”
(Charles Spurgeon.
Point of sanctification is experienced when as believers realize that we cannot progress in our relationship with God because of His holiness and our unholiness.
A Certain young man experienced this and so asked Jesus what he should do about it.
Jesus conveyed that he needs to assess the treasure of his heart.  

His Desire
This young man had a desire to obtain eternal life, because he experienced the presence and power of God as he faithfully observed the commandments. The crisis point: he was unwilling to let go of his earthly treasure.
He was caught in between.
Jesus knew his heart and therefore prompted him to make a decision.
2 kingdoms cannot coincide- God’s and the world’s.

He determined his own destiny
How?
By the choices he made. He chose a destination that had no lasting value.
He chose to hold onto the world’s treasures & pleasures
The treasures of the heart reveal the inner-man.
The desire to please God may be existent in the heart, but the crisis point choice will reveal how deep that desire really is.

His Dream
He accumulated wealth so that he will not need to experience a shortage/lack- to be independent and self-sufficient. No problem with that in itself.
God wants us to prosper and enjoy life, but it should never make us independent of Him.
Even though we may build up riches; we still have to trust in God.
Our loyalty will be tested at some point.
He experienced a sense of discontentment/unhappiness in his life in the midst of his riches.
Why?? His dream was in conflict with God’s original plan for his life.
God’s dream was to build a relationship with the young man, but he built a relationship with his treasures.
He grew to a certain level in his spiritual journey therefore his adherence to the commandments.
This young man lost his first love.
God treasures the relationship with humanity more than everything else he has created. This is why Jesus came to earth to reconcile us to the Father.

Conclusion
The young man experienced the need for a deeper experience with God.
His question: “What do I still lack?” to Jesus reveals this: he reached the Point of Sanctification.
Testing Time: Will the Desire and the Choice measure up?
Will the intent of the heart and the action connect/unite? (they are 2 totally different issues)

The young man also had the wrong perception that good deeds and observance of the Law will lead
to eternal life.

What do you lack/have a need of in your spiritual life?

“To KNOW the will of God
Is the greatest KNOWLEDGE”

To FIND the will of God
Is the greatest DISCOVERY”

To DO the will of God
Is the greatest ACHIEVEMENT”   (Author unknown)

Let us therefore strive towards perfection of holiness out of reverence for a holy God!

Pentecostal holiness

A personal Pentecost

Some Christians seem to think that holiness is unnatural and therefore unnecessary.

Holiness actually makes us what God originally intended in mankind.
Adam was a perfect person before he fell into sin.
The first Adam passed his sinful nature onto the entire human race. Jesus came to restore us to the original state of dignity and honour and moral goodness.
God’s love for the world, which is you and me, is so much that He planned to restore us through the Second Adam.

The Pentecostal baptism with the Holy Spirit is the only solution to reach the impossible ethical standard that God requires for us.
Such a life-changing experience of the work of God’s Holy Spirit entering into our hearts is an exciting, wonderful experience that FAITH alone can bring.

Because of His own holiness, the Holy Spirit cleanses the believer’s heart; of the filth of sin. He starts the perfecting process of developing his own character into the born-again believer, thereby empowering him for effective Christian witness.

Our salvation is free, yet it has an enormous price. It is a great disappointment that many have not paid the full price for such a genuinely Pentecostal experience. Too often we are inclined to settle for a loveless, passionless profession of holiness that has no effect on others who are supposed to be won over to want what is a notable change in the life of the person who claims to be sanctified.
What you are speaks louder than your words.

Acts 2:38-40
38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-- for all whom the Lord our God will call."
 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."

The original Pentecost can never be repeated. The mighty rushing of the wind,
The tongues of fire; and the ability to communicate the Gospel, in an unlearned language.
But the gift of the indwelling Spirit of God is universally available to God’s people; to every generation, after generation until Jesus comes to fetch His people. There are only two types of people living in this world:  Holy and unholy people.
"Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."

Why do we preach holiness? Because. . .  
 . . .It is God’s purpose to have a holy relationship with the greatest object of His creation.
God loves the world, which is you and me, so much that He wants to restore us to have fellowship with Him through the Second Adam.

Matt 7: 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Matt 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart . . . .for they will see God.

. . . Jesus came and lived and died to cleanse the sinful world of their sins and to be made holy.

Matt 1:12 Call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

. . . It is the essential prerequisite of salvation allowing entrance into God’s holy kingdom (heaven).
Heb 12:14  without holiness, no one will see the Lord.

The work of the Holy Spirit can be seen in the impact of the Spirit's moving in our times. Many of us who understand our Wesleyan doctrine, are coming to see clearly that the heart of holiness is to be filled, cleansed, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and, further, that the baptism with the Spirit is a baptism of love.

acquainted with the teaching about righteousness
Who is the Holy Spirit? By His glorification "the last Adam became a life-giving spirit (I Corinthians 15:45).
45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; {45 Gen. 2:7} the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.
 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.
 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.
 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.

49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

Christ will finally change our lowly existence to be like His glorious heavenly existence,
(Phil 3:20, NIV).
20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

We are programmed to be conformed to the image of the Son,

Rom 8:29. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

(2 Cor 3:18, NASB)
 And so we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit".

The Holy Spirit is the sanctifying Spirit of Christ.
It was the spiritual genius of John Wesley that he saw with penetrating clarity that this sanctifying ministry of the Spirit lies at the very heart of Christ's redemptive activity.
In his classic interpretation of John Wesley, George Croft Cell says:
"Wesley's theocentric doctrine of Christian experience is first, last, always a doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Holiness is the primary attribute of the Christian Church. Holiness is the essential quality of Christian experience. Holiness is the third term of the Trinitarian revelation of God. This is the highest conceivable position for the doctrine of holiness in the Christian faith and interpretation.

Conclusion
Don’t depend only on your initial Pentecost experience, you can enjoy many refreshing renewals of your spiritual growth when you ask for the Holy Spirit to cleanse you afresh at any time.
Holiness allows us to have intimate relationship with God
Holiness is made possible though the life and death of Jesus Christ, our Saviour
Holiness is essentially the prerequisite component of our salvation to enter the Holy Zion of God.

Motherhood is NOT defined by the physical aspects of giving birth only

Psalm 113:9 

In tribal society a woman’s “status” was defined by the number of children/sons she brought into the world.
A Mother displays the glory of God through her every being-ie , Character,  competencies, dedication, selflessness, patience and the raising of her children . 
Barrenness is not an impossibility to God.
Sarah was one of the many women who experienced a miracle.  
God promised Abram that Sarah will be the Mother of all nations, but it was only realized through the third generation-Jacob and Rachel.
Rachel was a woman who overcame the challenge of barrenness through the birth of Joseph and Benjamin. Unfortunately she died while giving birth to Benjamin.
Joseph’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh received a double blessing from Jacob.
Read Genesis from Chapter 29 to Chapter 49

Excellence
Her success as a mother is evident through the life of Joseph, who became a powerful, influential ruler in Egypt.
Joseph was able to resist the sexual temptations that Potiphar’s wife made towards him. 
He had the Spirit of God in him and was therefore wise and discerning in governance and the interpretation of dreams. 
He prospered during adversity because of a good attitude and God’s favour on him
Do whatever your hands find to do, with excellence.
Do it as unto the Lord, not for praises from people/children/family. 

Extraordinary
She was not exempted from pain and problems in her life, but she handled her situations and challenges in a dignified and graceful manner at times and sometimes not.
She experienced great emotional turmoil at times 
Laban, her dad, married her sister (Leah) off to Jacob; before she could marry him
This led to insecurities; envy toward Leah.
She got angry and sad at times
She protected her family ‘s financial well-being  and future
What is extraordinary about Rachel’s story is that her son, Joseph came to the Hebrew nation’s rescue during the famine. 
She prepared him for this role as leader during his childhood. Mothers have the privilege to lay 
the foundation in a child’s life like a value system. 
She is highly regarded by the Jewish nation, even though Leah was Jacob’s first wife. 

Example
Rachel must have raised Joseph by setting the example this is why he made such a remarkable impact wherever he found himself.
He in return, influenced and raised his 2 oldest sons-Manassah and Ephraim to be leaders of great nations.
When Jacob met them, he adopted them as his own; and blessed them with a double blessing.
She did not only have a beautiful appearance, but was beautiful from within too.
She was willing to risk her life to make Jacob a happy and proud father-.

There are numerous children, without parents/mothers .Likewise, there are numerous parents who cannot have children. 
Child-headed households in South Africa are becoming a norm in some communities.
Some children may have biological mothers, but they are failing in their roles as caregivers, nurturers, teachers, mentors and Intercessors. 

Conclusion
God can make any woman a happy mother; even if she is barren.
He can do so by giving her a baby of her own or he can give her adopted children to care for.
Ways in which a Mother can represent Christ through :
Setting the example when raising her children (her own or as a Surrogate Mother) to be caring, well-balanced, God-fearing individuals.
Whatever she puts her time and energy to, is done in excellence
By being  extraordinary through her personality and diligence in following His Commands
Motherhood is not defined by the physical aspect of giving birth only, but by a woman’s 
emotional, spiritual and mental input in someone else’s life.



Seasons

Seasons
It prepares us for the Second Coming of Christ
2 Peter 3 :2-18

Seasons are both temporary & permanent.
 temporary –bound within a specific period. 
permanent –linked to earth’s existence. 
Genesis 8:22
“As long as the earth endures,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Summer and winter,
Day and night
will never cease” 


Seasons on earth
 Season defined:” Periods marked by specific weather conditions; temperatures and length of days”
Summer-
Autumn- 
Winter-
Spring- 

Good harvest prerequisites 
Quality seedlings
Sowing, nurturing & reaping done within timeframe

Seasons in heaven
Did time/ seasons exist in heaven? 
period when Lucifer and his followers  worshipped God.
time when they became rebellious and were removed from heaven.
a season to restore creation and to deal with rebellion.
Waiting Period-prophesies 
the season to restore creation with its Creator arrived .
season to punish/rebuke rebellion still awaiting.
Seasons will cease to be, because Eternity is timeless.


Seasons in human life
Life Seasons defined: Different stages of growth or development and function within living organisms.
Every living thing experience seasonal changes-it’s a prerequisite for maturity and completeness.
Seasons in human life are both within and beyond our control.
Success & Prosperity is within our control because it’s impacted by our choices and actions.
Accept whatever is beyond our control 
Glorify God with what is within our control .
Seasons  have different effects on individuals-
become strong in faith. 
become distant from God.
The Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials (2 Peter 2: 9)
We also experience seasons in which to sow and to reap (Galations 6:7). 
Each one of us will go through bad and good seasons.
What should you do during waiting season? 
Wait it out. Stand firm in the faith
Take courage and be strong
Continue to uplift the Name of the Lord.


Conclusion
A well-balanced and fruitful disciple of Jesus Christ must develop in all facets of their being and endure a variety of seasons.
Life’s difficult seasons prepares us for the season of Christ’s second coming.
The Holy Spirit purifies us during difficulties.
A new heaven and earth will be established when Jesus returns.
“If God can move you from January to December,
He can surely move you from
Shame to fame;
Sorry to glory;
Disgrace to grace;
Labour to favour;
Mockery to victory
And raise you from glory to glory”(author unknown)
Which season of life do you find yourself in? 
Assess the factors within and beyond your control during this specific season
How does it impact your character and walk with the Lord?





Nothing to prove; nothing to lose

Nothing to prove; nothing to lose.
2 Corinthians 1:1-12
Text V 12
Intro
Believers will be much more effective if we can adopt a
nothing to prove; nothing to lose (except our salvation) mentality.
This will eradicate unhealthy competitiveness 
It will create a genuine bond of love and camaraderie
It will cause people to feel safe to share their struggles and weaknesses
Believers do not need to prove our salvation or holiness to any person. 
This causes rigidness
It hinders the Spirit’s working through us
It places a huge burden on believers shoulders
Believers do not need to fear losing anything because what we treasure most cannot be taken away by any human being.

1 .Suffering
(Chapter 10-12)
Paul had to complete a huge task - to implement the doctrine of the newly established church.
His background as a Pharisee and his studies under one of the greatest scholars of the time has prepared him well for the task.
Purpose of suffering: Reliance on God and not on skills, qualifications or giftedness
His suffering was beyond his ability to bear, but God strengthened him
His suffering was in mind, heart, spirit and body
He had to deal with heresies in the Church; conflict amongst believers; Misconduct amongst believers;
Discipline; Correction of heresies and conflict are complex issues to deal with, but he succeeded.
He was able to influence policy makers and people in power (governers, religious leaders) as a 
result.


2. Sincerity
Sincerity requires openness and honesty of opinion and feeling.
It may be misinterpreted and misunderstood, but do that which will appease conscience.
Sometimes it is very difficult to address certain issues, when you are sincere with others,
you must move pass that uncomfortable feeling.
When you need to speak candidly it is to be done in God’s timing, with His grace and in wisdom.

3. Sanctification
It starts with a relationship with Christ - salvation.
Paul had to meet Jesus on the Road to Damascus to experience the point of salvation.
Every true believer has a point of connection with Jesus 
As you grow in relation to Him, then you become more like Christ. Old habits and ways are slowly
chopped away through suffering because it teaches reliance on God.
Our Lord will even take you to the most awkward/unusual places to teach you a lesson if need be.

Conclusion
Believers will impact lives if we know who has assigned/called/mandated us
In Paul’s opening statement said that he was an apostle by God’s will ,not the church’s nor the remaining  disciples 
We will stand by our convictions if we know what we believe in
Paul stood by his convictions of morality (1 Corinthians Chapter 5)
We will endure suffering because it is intertwined with achievement and growth
Paul suffered greatly in mind, spirit, heart and body, but he achieved his unique mission to implement doctrine in the church for generations to come.(Chapter 10-12)
Paul had every right to prove his standing with Christ because of his persecution of the church at 
every opportunity he got ,but he only did so when distrust grew with regard to his authority and 
sincerity.
His life is a portrayal of someone who had nothing to prove and nothing to lose because what he
treasured most no man could take away from him!!
Can you testify like Paul that you have conducted yourself in the world and ESPECIALLY in your relations with fellow believers in holiness and sincerity??