Holiness Unto the Lord conference 1990 #1

we've looked forward for months to being here we've there's such a long story that I could tell about our coming but it really just boils down to the Lord making it so clear that we were to do this that we would have been disobedient to not have come the one thing that saddens me is the necessity of announcing to you that Leonard Ravenhill will not be with us this week Leonard has had a series of strokes that have debilitated him we as recently as three weeks ago he was still struggling and hoping to be here but the process is continued he however will certainly be here in spirit Leonard Martha told me that Leonard has been praying upwards of 10 to 14 hours a day for months now for these meetings and he's convinced that they're very important in the sight of God that they're essential and frankly it was his faith and the reporting of this to me that was one of the initiative aspects of coming in the first place and so I have a great debt to Leonard and I'm saddened by his physical inability to be here but glad that he's praying for us day after day and I thought it would be a good thing if we stopped him for a few moments and prayed for he and Martha would you would like to stand and help me do that I'm just join with me as I pray father we lift up these two to you we thank you for them Lord we thank you for a lifetime of service under you Lord we thank you for a glorious history of Prayer and commitment to you O God we thank you for the call to holiness that has sprung forth from Leonard's life we thank you for the effect of that life on myself and for I'm sure countless others that are here today and we lift these two up to you Lord and we know that they're in their 80s and that there are many aspects of this situation the physic pains and problems of the past but we ask Oh God that you'd reach down right now and touch Leonard strengthen his body Lord we know that he's fiercely committed in his will in his soul we thank you for the candle burning bright Lord in a dark place we thank you for the countless hours of intercession that have come forth from him and Lord we thank you for the model and the motivation he is to all of us for the commitment that he's made but we ask o God that in the midst of that you would have mercy on his body touch him Lord heal him so that he could serve you even more diligently in the future in Jesus name we ask amen please be seated again when you came you would have received a little conference handbook in which we attempted several months ago on the back side to publish a program in reading it there's only one session that's right and that's the one I'm doing right now and that's simply because of shifts and changes that have occurred as a result of Leonard's not being here and so if you'll just bear with us by tomorrow I will announce I know that it's important to some of you to know who's speaking when but for the for now and for this after this evening or this afternoon I will be speaking so you can just put John Wimber in both sessions one and two then after that we will give you some announcements and try to get you organized for the rest of the week and if you'll turn in your booklets to page five I want to begin this afternoon we're talking about holiness and perfection [Music] I think it's very important in talking about a topic like this that we communicate to you from the very start that this is an area of great sensitivity to us in that it's an it was an area of dire need nearly two years ago and the Lord in His mercy sent someone to us that communicated the grace of God and called us to a new commitment to the Lord's holiness and I'm when I'm saying us I'm talking about myself my family the church in Anaheim and the vineyard as a movement and we thank God that that he had mercy upon us in speaking to us and as it were calling us to and then imparting to us a new reality of God's grace a new reality of his mercy and hence a new holiness that's worked into our lives but I would also be remiss if I did not say to you that we know we've not yet come to that that we aspire to that we're not yet walking and all that God has shown us and are not yet complying with everything that he's calling us to but it's our hope that even this week we will inch or step firmly toward that goal that we might walk in all that God has provided us and in this lifetime certainly that will come to that place most definitions of holding this emphasize separation we are separated from the world and to God it's two different economies an economy of the world an economy of the God that has created everything that is and we need to understand that sin is usually defined as missing the mark or acts that are displeasing to God I have no quibble with these definitions I think they're true insofar as they go however I believe that they leave us with an incomplete picture a picture that falls short of the radical nature of holiness and of sin the best term I can use to contrast sin and holiness is a matter of ownership or proprietorship that is to say once we were owned by the Prince of the power of the air the god of this world we were born to sin but now as a result of a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ there is a new owner a new proprietor a new proprietary interest in us and that is of the Lord Jesus the Son of God who has come representing his father and on his father's behalf has redeemed us from one economy and brought us into another the scripture talks about this in various references and I have listed four here by way of introduction first of all we know that Ephesians 2 1 and 2 tells us that we were dead in trespasses it says as for you you were dead in your transgressions and sins in which he used to live when you follow the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient and so to live in holiness is to put yourself under God's hand it's to be owned by God to be owned by the Lord furthermore there are other passages that communicate this in first Corinthians 1:30 it says it is because of him God that you are in Christ Jesus who has become for us wisdom from God that is our righteousness our holiness and our Redemption you see the Christian life is the life of Christ relived the Christian life is a life of holiness this life is not about us but about him and it's the degree to which we understand that is the degree to which we'll be emancipated and freed from one economy into another you see it's his perfection his righteousness his name his work his work of redemption that's a question here Jesus has said that he can save a people to the uttermost and now he's about proving it by drawing the people out of one economy and placing them in another one of the hints of this I think is found in the book of Romans the 4th chapter I was reading that one day as a young Christian and I wasn't really that familiar with the scripture yet I had read Genesis and I was reading the book of Romans through and I had been told it was a very important New Testament book and so I was reading it very carefully when I came to the 4th chapter I began talking about Abraham and it talked about him as a stalwart man of faith I'm great man of God a man that that stood with God and performed the works of God and that spoke those things that were not as though they were and I thought wait a minute is that the same guy that I read about in the book of Genesis and and I and I thumbed back and I you know look through the book of Genesis and sure they're not there it was and I and I looked at the cross references and it was the same guy well the guy in the book of Genesis and he lied he cheated he allowed his wife to be taken from him not once but two times and it goes on and on and on but but this guy in the book of Romans is an exemplary Christian I was so puzzled about this that I went down to the church and I asked my pastor about it knocked on his door and I said this is confusing to me I thought this book was without error I thought this book was thought was God's Word how come the Abraham is presented back here is not so good a guy and up here he's perfect he's wonderful he's exemplary the pastor laughed he said you don't understand that's heavens view of Abraham from the Old Testament to the New Testament we have the same people but we have them referenced from God's perspective this is Abraham under grace I remember staring at him thinking he's telling me something important that in fact this is profound what is he saying and I said pastor I don't understand he said it's like this John what the book of Genesis says about Abraham is entirely true but it's not all the truth what the book of Romans is has added is the other dimension of truth this was Abraham under God and now we see Abraham under grace and under the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and as a result bits and pieces have been edited out Abraham is perfect because Jesus is perfect Jesus has made Abraham what Abraham couldn't make himself I said you mean he said exactly it's the same for you as it was for Abraham I thought this is a better deal than I realized I mean with every head bowed and every eye closed and I raised my hand but I didn't know that he was going to edit out everything I had ever done thought or said and that in that day I wouldn't have to answer for anything that I'd ever done that I would be perfect because Jesus has made me perfect now that doesn't put money in your bank you're not listening you don't understand what I'm saying to you Jesus Christ is perfect and he has made you just like him hallelujah and so with that as an introduction I would add by the way John 15 verses three through five Jesus is speaking and he says remain in me and I will remain in you no branch can bear fruit by itself it must remain in the vine neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me I am the vine you are the branches if a man remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit apart for me you can do nothing you see it's a matter of ownership Jesus seeing us in a pitiful state destined to an eternity separated from the father having sin being children of Adam and every generation from Adam to that generation had sin born with a destiny born in the enemy's plan to be separate from God has reached out to us and through his death and resurrection and ultimate ascension to the right hand of the Father has provided us an entry point as it were into eternity and into heaven and we that were destined to die and go to hell forever have been offered an opportunity to enter into a whole different purpose a whole different heritage a whole different economy and we've become eternal citizens of heaven today born again of the Spirit of God brought into righteousness redeemed by Jesus we've now been and there many metaphors in the New Testament and the one I'm reading here in John 15 is the one of the vine and the branches we've been in grafted into the vine and made just like Jesus in fact the very life of the vine now flows through the branch the life of Jesus is now flowing in me once I was destined to be cut off and sent to an eternity of damnation but now I've been engrafted born anew of the Spirit of God brought in a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and I am anew creation a new creature in Christ Jesus hallelujah [Music] you don't get it let's try it again there you are on the trash heap where you belonged I might add and Jesus came and spotted you he says I think I can make something out of that I think I can redeem that in fact I am sure that I can and took it for himself [Applause] and it's now is doesn't belong to the trash heap anymore doesn't know any explanations about the trash heap anymore doesn't even have any trash on it anymore it's been brought into a whole new economy by the Spirit of God by the work of the Son of God by the heart of the father we've entered into a redeemed State I think you're beginning to get it you see this work of holiness is provided in a person I've been traveling for a long time I don't want to tell you how many years I've been getting in the airplanes I I can't imagine I can't even tell you how many times I've been in an airplane but I've spent so you know and every time you're in those planes you'll leave a little bit of your brain that might explain you know a few things and I can't tell you how many times I've sat down in a plane and looked at someone next to me that is determined to keep that plane in the air from at the beginning of our journey to the end of the destination sometimes it's um it's laughable wearing these huge airplanes jumbo jets and there and here's a hundred and fifteen pound woman is going to keep this airplane in the air and I you know I have tried to help them I said you know holding on to the side of those sandals but those armrest is not going to help it won't hold it up and it won't hold it down it you know why don't you just relax and take the ride get it your salvation is in a person why don't you just relax and take the ride you can't improve it you can't alter it all you can do is receive it you've entered into it by the blood of Jesus how are you going to improve on that you're gonna add your own blood how are you going to improve on the redemption of God the Son of God himself has provided it it came from the heart of the father because he little later in Ephesians 1 before the world was framed not on how long ago that was but it was way back right before television way back right before the world was framed God chose you for himself now that's called getting your shopping done early huh before the world was made before the Stars were flung before anything that was made was made God says I'll take you and you and you and he knew you by name and you and you and you you're mine and the scripture Ephesians 1 tells us that at that time you were made holy in his eyes before you can mess it up before you could sin before you even thought up he provided all that you would ever need for perfection now that word has the underlying idea of completion being completed in him this is gonna be a good week in it I mean we're starting from this place perfect in Christ Jesus perfect in Christ Jesus hallelujah I like your enthusiasm you see the Bible commands believers to be holy and even to be perfect in Matthew 5:48 it says be perfect therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect in James 1 4 it says perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete there's that word not lacking anything in 1st Peter 1:16 it says be holy because I am holy now I want you to know that's a pronouncement be holy because I am holy some 60 times that's referenced in the Old Testament sounds like God wants to get that message out holiness is something that comes from the Holy One he puts it on you he establishes it in you he provides it for you it's his work you see one of the difficulties that we have and it's astounding to me that we do this but it's almost like do you call it jump-starts here if your car your motor won't start do you call it a jumpstart it's almost though as though many Christians think of conversion as a jumpstart thanks a lot Lord it's great I'll Drive it from here on out huh it you know Oh Lord thank you for the grace all that was a wonderful message Thank You Lord I'm so glad to be saved I'm converted now I'm sanctified now and I'll work out the rest of it I want to take my proper responsibility Lord and now that you've been so kind to overlook my sin I'll take it from here wrong wrong you couldn't be wronger if you tried you see you're entering into a person you're being engrafted in a vine you're being joined to a family you've come into life you were dead in trespasses and sins and I even quickened and brought to life in Jesus Christ he is our Redemption he is our salvation he is the method the model the process of it he is the all along he's the Lord of glory and he's our Savior and he's the only one that can save us [Applause] it's all about him to understand we're not going to get there someday and he's gonna say oh and thanks John for your help the father's not gonna send out Jesus who was it that who was that which one was it that helped you so much to get this thing when they're throwing their crayons at his feet they're not gonna throw a few at yours to understand it's his glory it's his name that's in question today can he save a people today what would television and electric lights and refrigeration and all these modern conveniences is poor old God so confused today and boggle down by the scientific development of our time that he can't handle it or can he save a people can tear edema people can he make a people holy get he cause him to shine in a dark land and a difficult time I think he's up to it I vote for him you see the Bible urges us to follow the example of Christ who didn't sin in first Peter 2:21 is's to this you were called because Christ suffered for you leaving your example that you should follow in his steps it's possible to reach sinless perfection if you've reached Jesus you've reached sinless perfection he is our sinless perfection in fact scripture says that holiness and perfection is a call to all men and women both believers and unbelievers however just because scripture requires holding its imperfection does not mean that we have the ability and our own strength to be holy and perfect the measure of our ability cannot be inferred from the scriptural commandments now it's interesting the way the Bible treats these issues believers are frequently described as holy and perfect in Scripture for instance in Romans 6:22 it says but now that you've been set free from sin and have become slaves to God the benefit you reap leads to holiness and the result is eternal life we are to live as it were in him or for him and on ourselves 2nd Corinthians 5:17 says therefore if anyone is in Christ he's a new creation the old has gone the new has come I mentioned a moment ago that God chose us you see he initiated this process he didn't make a mistake it he didn't he didn't it wasn't a misjudgment on his part oh my I didn't mean you now hasn't the enemy told you that you laugh but the enemy's told you that well it works for everybody else but obviously there's been an error here there's been a some sort of slip-up it's been miss package someway surely you don't believe that's for you the enemy says but the scripture says for he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight it fees is 424 goes on to say and to put on on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness now you love John 3:16 how do you like these verses you love the idea that God so loved the world that He sent Jesus but you see he Jesus was not just a jumpstart Jesus wasn't just a step up to a new reality Jesus was the whole ride the whole process it begins and ends in him is just Jesus all day long every day until you're finally delivered into his presence in perfection [Music] one time for years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years I traveled tourist class because that was all I could afford and I couldn't justify it even if I could have afforded more but one time I I get on an airplane and I don't know exactly how it happened but the next thing I know they're putting me in first class on a big one of these big 747s always wonderful and then a guy was sitting there and enjoying it you know and suddenly I realize they're gonna come up here and embarrass me in a minute I don't really belong here and I thought well how are they gonna know that I don't belong here Oh somebody will figure it out you don't belong here well I don't look any worse than anybody else how they gonna know I don't belong well your ticket says you don't belong here no because they said that on my and I went through this kind of process in my mind I couldn't enjoy it even if it was a free gift cuz I didn't think I belonged [Music] just an it's a free gift that we're talking about salvation is the gift of God given by God for those that he has chosen that he has selected and you're it the bad news is that you're a sinner the good news is they're not any longer a sinner you're now a saint and you get a free ride to heaven and what's more you deserve it I can see you're gonna be a tough group well let's read on this is some of the fine prints you overlooked with every head bowed and every eye closed and a hand raised you see the Bible urges us to follow the example of Christ I skipped places do that let me pick up with F on page six when the Bible speaks of believers is holding perfect it doesn't necessarily mean that they are without sin since both words are often used in a different sense sometimes God sets aside people for special service and they're called holy in the Bible even though they may have sin in their lives Paul for instance in his letters frequently addresses his readers as Saints the Ephesians letter was opens that way holding one's and then proceeds in several cases to take them to task for their sins to all the saints at Ephesus he doesn't then put except for Charlie MO Jack Tommy that you know well all the non sinners stand up what are you doing Martha sit back down and it's not that kind of deal you see in Christ we are in Christ now we have weakness and from time to time we may sin but the pattern of sin is broken the identity with sin is no longer there we've now come into a new economy a new world there's a new proprietorship here I belong to God it grieves me when I sin now hello I don't feel good about it I liked it better when I'm not so to see whether we in curtain the first Corinthians 1 1 it says 1 1 & 2 Paul's to the Church of God and corner to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and call to be holy and then of course we've read the Corinthian letters and you know there was sin in the camp Paul had to address all kinds of issues backbiting sectarianism just I mean sins are unmentionable one situation and yet he's addressing the Saints at Corinth when believers are described as perfect this means in some cases merely that they're fully ground that they're mature we do however speak a message of wisdom among the mature but not the wisdom of this age or the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing 1st corinthians 2 6 but solid food is for the mature who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil and so there's a maturation process yes I am in the vehicle let's go back to the airplane image I am in the in the plane Jesus but I can mature in the process I can grow up in the process I can learn what not to look at and what not to taste and what not to touch and why not speak a lot I can be disciplined and taught to live in this new vehicle dog confuse immaturity with rebellion it's so commonly confused in the church don't confuse weakness with wickedness it's so commonly confused in the church understand that immaturity is the state at which you start but it's not where you're going to finish out there's a process going on called growing up into the fullness of Christ when believers are described as perfect then it can sometimes mean that they are fully grown in four and other instances perfect means that we are fully equipped for our task so the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work it means completed we have all the equipment we have everything we need to do that that God wants us to do look a Roman numeral four here's some biblical examples of Saints who were the highest examples of holiness and perfection such as Noah and and Jove and ASA naw for instance in Genesis 6:9 this is the account of Noah Noah was a righteous man blameless among the people of his time and he walked with God and yet you know if you look at a little closer that there were certain indiscretions and difficulties and problems in Noah's life and yet if you look at the New Testament version of Noah's life what do you see stalwart man of faith a man of God there's obviously been some editing that's gone on there's obviously been some changing of the story and it's come under the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ [Music] joke the Land of Oz they're late live the man whose name was Joe this man was blameless and upright and he feared God and shunned evil and yet if you read through the many pages of dialogue you know that there were all kinds of issues that could have been brought up so jobs life wasn't perfect and yet it was perfect in God's sight under grace job's heart was right before God his life was aligned it didn't say that there weren't things that didn't happen that that he was totally sinless but as to say that he knew what to do with sin we have Bob Carol and I have seven grandchildren now and we have a an eighth one coming and by logits been one of the nicest things that's ever happened in our lives we love being grandparents and there are many aspects that are fun but one of the aspects is just sort of watching our children through our grandchildren that is to say revisiting children have you noticed those of you have been around a while and had a few children you know that some that your children well really that you raised four or five children in one body the child you first have becomes a different child a little later on becomes a different child a little later on becomes a different child and then finally somebody else leaves home right and you miss those little guys and gals you miss you missed that two-year-old you missed that five-year-old with all the sweetness you missed that seven-year-old that thought you were the smartest man in the world you don't miss that an 11 year old that decided you weren't huh and so raising children is fun and I remember on numerous occasions you know that that we would call them to to dinner or to lunch or something and and we'd say did you wash your hands and often they would raise these hands up you know that the the palms were still wet from having been washed but you as you look you see River lots of mud and dirt and muck you know running down your arms now as far as they were concerned they were perfect you see in the provision of God he's made provision for this that you don't see that you don't know about I'm not sure about you but I know about me when I got converted 27 years ago I didn't know how bad off I was I mean I knew I was a sinner but I thought I still had a white hat oh yes it was marked up but I didn't really know what a sinner I was but 27 years later I can't believe that there's still stuff coming up still issues unresolved still things that are not in conformity still patterns of thinking and being that have not yet come to the full light of God's grace and the impact of his mercy and I don't know about you but I feel like I get saved again every day or it's some sort of continuous saved or I don't know how to depict it or communicate it it's it's it's an ever increasing awareness of his perfection in my lack of it you say well that's a bad illustration aren't you arguing the other way yes it's an ever increasing awareness of his perfection and my lack of but in him I'm burping why because he is burping and he has said that I'm in there are many that don't believe him there many that would argue against it but Jesus says I'm in and as I understand the book that'll get you in right do you believe that I like your enthusiasm now there are many biblical examples of Saints who had the highest were the highest examples of perfection and we've talked about Noah and we mentioned job and we could talk about ace in first Kings 1514 these were men that were commendable in the sight of God and yet there were limitations in their lives some of the most notable Saints of the Bible are men who had their failings and who sinned in some cases very grievously this is certainly true of Noah and Moses and Jove and Abraham David and many others the Bible talks about it in proverbs 29 this way who can say I have kept my heart pure or I am clean and without sin Ecclesiastes talks about it in 7:20 this way there is not unrighteous man on earth who does what is right and never says Romans 3:10 says it this way it is written there is no one righteous not even one what's the conclusion what am I getting - you see their holiness and perfection was not something that they attained in the past men and women that have walked with God on sin in some circles have been looked at and we've been seeing all what a godly man well that's alright but it's very limited in scope and understanding you see our attainments however marvelous they may be are not what it's all about I mentioned Leonard Ravenhill a while ago he came and spent several weeks with us earlier this year I think right over the first of the year I think he was there six or seven weeks I don't know if you know how much well you know Leonard but he's in his 80s I think 83 at the time I think he's 84 now he had been hurt a number of years ago he had to jump out of a hotel that was burning down I think the third or fourth story he broke his heels he broke his legs in three places his back in two or three places he's just a constant ball of pain his body's never healed well and to stand for long periods of time and preach is for him to be in agony and he would preach to us sometimes upwards of two hours at a time and Momma Shing exhorting and calling us to our best effort for Christ and I tell you after several weeks of that he left a repository of godliness and exhort of understandings about the necessity of walking with God that that will work in our hearts for years to come but you see it's really not about Leonard it's not about the 14 to 16 hours a day of prayer it's not about a lifetime of service I love Leonard and I'm grateful for that and I'm sure that the Lord loves him but it's not about Leonard it's about Jesus because some of us are never going to spend more than 10 minutes a day praying and it's still all about Jesus some of us are going to walk with God but we're going to limp most of the way are you hearing me but it's still about Jesus the very best of us and the very weakest of us it's still about Jesus you see it's about Jesus holiness is about Jesus his perfection his glory his work his name his ministry his word and his father's work on it it's all about him in first John the Apostle John sorts out the confusing issues surrounding Christian holiness perfection at least in my opinion the key to understanding what he teaches is his different uses of the word sin first he teaches that anyone who says he never sins is to see this is in first John 1:8 sin here means all manifestations next he teaches if we were born of God we won't continue sitting for instance in first John three six eight nine says no one who lives in him keeps on sinning that is continues a life of continuing to sin no one who continues to sin as either seen him or known him he does he who does what his sinful is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the beginning the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work no one who was born of God will continue to sin because God's seed remains in him he cannot go on sinning because he has been born of God now sin here points to those who by nature and habit continue to willfully sin we can't continue sinning by nature because our nature has been transformed by God's grace I've been a pastor for a number of years now we have a large church several thousand people and time to time I I'll have someone come to me and say you know I'm a Christian but I can't quit sinning I said let's call the newspapers this needs to be on the six o'clock news and they'll say what what do you say I'm saying well somebody's finally proved that the Word of God is not true the Word of God says you can quit sinning you say you can let's call the newspapers Ted Koppel needs to hear about this this is this is an important announcement after two thousand years we've finally found someone that can prove this Bible's not true and of course they laugh say well what are you saying to me I said well what I'm saying to you is that your word isn't the last word on it your best effort is not the last word on it the last word on it is God God says you can quit sinning now just knock it off stop it cut it out quit going there quit doing it just eliminate it don't do it anymore leave it alone do you understand it's really that simple it's that profound and it's that simple just quit doing it you see what has happened here is we have a person who has not made the economic transition they've had an experience they've had an Enlightenment but they've not changed lives and they're still there trying to hang back in the old places among the old situations to do the old things what they need to do is make a step over into the new economy and begin living like a Christian quit hanging around the people that you get drunk with and guess what you won't get drunk quit going to the places where they serve alcohol she that's the novel idea never thought of that you what you need is a change of life it's kind of like a change of clothes something has to come off something else has to clog step into the life that has been offered you in Christ you know get up every morning begin praying spend a little time praising the Lord spend a little time in the scripture get your bottle reasonably clean get on down to your work think about God every time you get a chance throughout the day pray for everyone you know and then pray for them again spend your evenings with Christians who are doing the same thing and guess why you will not have spent a lot of time sinning that day [Music] take it from an old hand this works learning to live out in a practical way your Christian experience works and it's the very the sheer act activity of it separates you from a life of sin you begin living in a whole new way we can't continue sinning by nature because our nature has been transformed by God's grace we may sin but there's no joy in it for us there's no pleasure in it it doesn't taste as good it doesn't feel like it used to feel in fact the other sinners will say what are you doing here huh so I recognize that laugh the others pretty soon they'll gang up what are you doing here you don't belong here anymore I've had him report that because you belong in a new crowd you belong at a different place you've got a new name a new identity a new relationship a new purpose a new reason for existence quit trying to bring that new thing end up the old thing just leave the old thing and enter into the new thing we may sin but there is no joy in it our new nature hates and is repulsed by sin so why continue why to continue to do it it might surprise you but I believe it's easier for a Christian not to sin than it was for a Christian for non Christian to sin didn't compute unbelief I saw it in your eyes all right now listen to me think think it through for just a minute as a non-christian the issue was never should I send the only issue was how much can I get away with how much of it can I do and I get caught how much of it can I do and not get sick how much up again I do and you know and it never was like should I do it it might have been early on I don't remember that far back you notice it starts pretty young have you noticed that I remember when my brother-in-law Bob Fulton son was 2 years old and we had him in a crib and they had the door open and he was supposed to be going to sleep he was not doing it Bob heard him getting up and and I just happened to be up at the same time and I looked into the room and David was walking across the room in there and the light was shining into the room and you saw David and he got in this position and he saw his dad and he turned around and ran towards his crib and said fall fall fall otherwise he fell down into the middle of the floor and I started laughing I said nobody ever has to lecture me on original sin two years old he's already learned to lie he really needed a savior and he found one a few years later are you hearing me you see we've been called to something better than that we've been called it something more perfect than that we've been called into a glorious Enterprise we get to hang around with God and thought it was just that we had we get to talk to him hear from him worship him serve Him we get to pass out food to the hungry clothes to those that need clothing we get to heal the sick and cast out devils we get to nurture the flock we get to win the lost I mean it's a long list but there's a hundred thousand I don't know maybe a million things we get to do in this new economy but one thing we don't get to do is stay in the old economy I was leading somebody to Christ one time he says well what about my friends I said forget him the appeal was well my friends you know I want to stay with my friends I said they won't want to stay with you if this thing works they will not want to stay with you they'll get rid of [Music] your very presence will be a problem to them they'll be upset by the way you look the way you talk the way you act they'll be convicted to even be in the same room with you they'll be so uncomfortable that'll want you to leave it's odd I don't believe that that's not gonna have these are men my friends all my life two or three weeks went by II came to church one night he said you're right so I was down there playing pool with him they said what are you doing here we don't want you here anymore you're different you're not who you used to be now in that amazing he had to hear it from the world before he believed it he'd already heard it from God but he had to hear it from the world before he believed it don't make his mistake we can't possibly continue to sin because the Spirit of Christ resides in us and his purpose is to destroy the devil's works finally he teaches that the reward of holiness is protection from the devil that's in first John 5:18 in summary what I'm saying trying to say is this we don't have to sin in fact we've been freed from it we are new creations in Christ and His Spirit dwells in us so that we have are equipped to live lives of a visual holiness and protection perfection but because of the nature of the world in which we live already that is to say they already know not yet of the kingdom we're caught in spiritual warfare according to Scripture there's a constant warfare between the flesh and the spirit the lives of God's children and even the best of them are still striving for perfection Paul talks about it this way in in Romans 7 7 through 26 he talks about and gives a very striking description of the struggle of the Christian Galatians 5:16 2:24 Paul talks however or speaks of that very same struggle as a struggle that characterizes all the children of God in Philippians 3:10 through 14 speaks of himself particularly at the end of his career as one who has not yet reached perfection but is pressing on toward the goal if we do sin however we have an advocate in Christ's confession of sin and prayer for forgiveness are continually required Jesus taught all of his disciples without any exception to pray for the forgiveness of sins for the deliverance from temptation and from the evil one so we have many texts for instance first John 1:9 that says that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us then that means we don't have to walk around thinking about what we've done we just we just think about what he's done that is to say if you sin you know it's it's like someone all dressed in a white garment if you get a dark spot on a white garment you think oh I've ruined the garment I remember one time in a wedding the bride came out and she got a spot on her dress and one of the children were standing there and then the mother of the bride was just you know just hug her mind over this spot and a little four-year-old kid that was going to carry the ring to one of the ring bearers he says well standing behind the bride he said that it looks pretty good from this side all the mother of the bride and the bride could see was the spot the child could see that there was no spot on the other side you see when we come to Jesus Jesus he's got the spot remover that we need and you know in the aftermath of having had a spot you don't have to go around like this I had a spot here earlier today but it's gone now I think but I still feel it you ever met a Christian like that it's almost like a metal or an emblem you know I had a spot here today went on sin do you understand that if Jesus took the spot the spot is gone gone gone gone all your sins are gone because of Jesus I ain't gonna sin no more no more no more no more ain't gonna say no moon I am decided to follow Jesus remember the Sun did you mean it you did the tears ran down your face I've decided to follow Jesus not gonna go into the world anymore I'm gonna follow Jesus I'm gonna live for him it's gonna be glorious and then you said the devil said I've been waiting for you I knew you'd be back because you really do like this stuff but see there's the there's the ultimate aspect of the line you don't like that stuff you just liked it a little bit for a moment but you don't like the effect of it you hate it see the very thing that the enemy uses as a lie to convince you that you really do like what he is is the ultimate testimony that you don't the very reason that he can accuse you and you feel guilty is because you're a saint do you understand it I wouldn't feel given whether there was a sinner they said oh you drink too much I said so that's what I'm for [Applause] you understand the reason that has impact is because you're seen of God when the enemy accuses you so understand that first John 1:9 has has its fruition it has its fact that has its benefit to you when you confess your sins Jesus forgives your sins and furthermore he shuts down the sin Factory changing metaphors now Here I am I got a big warehouse full of sin Jesus says I'll take that sin off your hands you will yep I got the wherewithal I'll buy it all oh man I was hoping to get rid of it let's begin to pile up on me had so much in it I don't know what I was gonna do with it you'll take it all yep what's more I'll shut down the machines that are producing it take over management of the factory will produce something new from now on oh you don't have to go to all that trouble just take the sin I sure I'm sure I can run the factory and you know something he'll do it he'll take that sin and move that stuff out of there man those tracks for those trucks back up and they take I don't know where they store it but it's somewhere deep the book says and it's all gone and then and and you're still running the factory in a few days later guess what it's beginning to pile up again Jesus comes back by same deal I'll take all the sin but I want to run the factory [Music] it's a good deal in it isn't it a good deal he wants to put his name on the factory he wants to put his name behind the factory he wants to produce something new and pure and right out of you and me hallelujah you see it all begins with him and ends with him he got you into this deal he'll get you on with this deal and he'll bring you out of this deal it's all him all of it is him he is our salvation but Stan [Music] I think Nigel ring announced to you when we started the day if he didn't I'll refresh you we have a half-hour break now and we'll come back I think there there's coffee and refreshments so available at the stands and so it then we'll come back and we'll minister again unfortunately the day is today has kind of changed around because of the registration needs so I hope we don't wear you out this evening we come back at 6:00 what time is it now ten minutes after five Oh wonderful sit back down [Applause]

Channel: Ashley Collishaw

Views: 7,259

Rating: 4.9327731 out of 5

Keywords: John Wimber, Christianity, holiness, grace, Vineyard Church, Holiness Unto the Lord Conference

Id: GSltpQ_466E

Length: 61min 43sec (3703 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 08 2017