Acceleration: Holiness | Pastor Chris Sakai

Worship begins in exaltation and expectation, moving quickly into practical community life with announcements, a testimony, and a focus on generous giving and mission. The congregation is encouraged to support an upcoming Mexico missions team and to understand giving as partnership in kingdom work. A clear policy on severe weather underscores a conviction that corporate gathering is essential: online streaming serves when necessary, but the gathered assembly is irreplaceable for mutual life, equipping, and mobilization.

Teaching centers on holiness redefined: it is not merely outward behavior, ritual, or moral performance, but the attribute of God—otherness—into which believers are invited. Holiness describes God’s category, not a checklist; it marks a realm apart from the corruption of the fallen world. Biblical portraits from Isaiah’s throne‑room vision, Peter’s collapse at the miraculous catch, and John’s Revelation encounter illustrate the appropriate human response of awe, brokenness, and recognition of divine otherness.

Because God’s realm cannot tolerate sin, holiness necessitates atonement. The sacrificial system pointed to the truth that access to God requires cleansing; the cross and the shed blood of Jesus accomplish that once for all, transferring believers from the realm of darkness into the kingdom of the Son. Positional holiness is granted by faith—believers are declared holy, sanctified, and qualified to partake in God’s inheritance—and personal holiness flows as the fruit of that identity.

Practical application presses toward a life yielded to the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit (Galatians) is presented as the means by which the lusts of the flesh lose their grip; surrender and abiding in Christ produce the conduct that flows from being in God’s category. The service closes with an extended time of worship and an altar invitation to receive revelation of God’s greatness, accept the cleansing work of Christ, and step into active participation in the holy life to which believers are called.

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. Holiness is God’s radical otherness Holiness names God’s category—He is set apart in essence, not merely “better” within creation. Recognizing otherness recalibrates worship and life: awe replaces familiarity, and reverence shapes decisions. This is the starting point for wisdom and for spiritual transformation. [56:30]
• 2. Holiness is positional, not performance Being holy begins with a status granted by God, not by human achievement; identity precedes behavior. Once viewed as saints by faith, conduct becomes fruit rather than the root of standing before God. This shifts spiritual effort from proving worth to living out a received identity. [80:51]
• 3. Atonement through Christ’s blood The separation between God’s realm and fallen humanity requires cleansing; Jesus’ shed blood removes sin and relocates believers into God’s kingdom. That removal is judicial and transformative—sin is pardoned, not merely excused, enabling true access to God. Faith applies this work so believers can genuinely partake in holiness. [72:27]
• 4. Walk by Spirit, not striving Spiritual transformation happens by yielding to the Holy Spirit rather than by moral effort alone. As attention fixes on Christ and the Spirit’s life, the influence of old patterns diminishes and holy fruit emerges more naturally. Habits of surrender and abiding enable endurance, joy, and effective witness. [85:55]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [25:47] - Opening prayer and praise
• [27:14] - Greetings and worship team
• [28:24] - Announcements: seminar & lunch
• [38:18] - Testimony and online viewers
• [38:54] - Offering and ways to give
• [41:23] - Missions trip focus
• [43:51] - Snow policy: church essential
• [50:22] - Series intro: Acceleration & Holiness
• [53:19] - Defining holiness vs behavior
• [61:29] - Isaiah’s vision: awe before God
• [68:10] - Peter and the miraculous catch
• [72:27] - Atonement, blood, and access
• [85:55] - Walking by the Spirit
• [91:15] - Invitation, worship, and altar call

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon summary and transcript:

Bible Reading

Isaiah 6:1-8 (ESV)
> In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another:
> “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
> the whole earth is full of his glory!”
> And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
> Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips. Your iniquity is இஸ் taken away, and your sin purged.”
> And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Luke 5:4-11 (ESV)
> When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and caught nothing! Nevertheless, at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a great amount of fish, so that their nets were breaking. And they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken. And so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Observation questions

1. Isaiah's vision of God's throne room is filled with descriptions of God's glory and the worship of the seraphim. What specific phrases do the seraphim use to describe God? [01:03:43]
2. After seeing God's glory, Isaiah's immediate response is "Woe is me! For I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips..." [01:06:07] What does this reaction reveal about the nature of God's holiness in relation to humanity?
3. In Luke 5, after the miraculous catch of fish, Peter's response is to fall at Jesus' knees and say, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." [01:08:32] What does this reaction suggest about the impact of encountering the divine?
4. The sermon stated that "Holiness is not behavior." [50:41] Based on the biblical accounts of Isaiah and Peter, what was the primary characteristic that led to their profound reactions of awe and brokenness?

Interpretation questions

1. The sermon emphasized that holiness is God's "otherness," meaning He is in a category entirely separate from creation. [55:13] How does the repeated cry of "Holy, holy, holy" by the seraphim in Isaiah 6 amplify this concept of God's unique and incomparable nature?
2. The sermon explained that the sacrificial system and Jesus' blood are necessary because God's realm cannot tolerate sin. [01:12:15] How does Peter's reaction of wanting Jesus to "Depart from me" illustrate the separation caused by sin between humanity and a holy God?
3. The sermon highlighted that "Holiness is positional, not performance." [01:18:48] Considering Isaiah's experience where his "iniquity is taken away and your sin purged" [01:29:11] and Peter's confession of sin, how does the concept of positional holiness, granted by Christ's work, allow for access to God's presence?
4. The sermon stated that "God has qualified us... to be partakers of his holiness." [01:21:42] How does the transformation seen in Isaiah (from "woe is me" to "Here am I! Send me") and Peter (from "Depart from me" to "left everything and followed him") demonstrate this qualification and the resulting call to participate in God's work?

Application questions

1. The sermon described holiness as God's radical "otherness." [56:30] When you think about God's otherness, what emotions or thoughts arise in you? How can cultivating a sense of awe and reverence for God's distinctness recalibrate your daily decisions and worship?
2. The sermon explained that holiness is positional, meaning believers are declared holy by faith, and this identity precedes behavior. [01:16:09] How does understanding your identity as a "saint" or "holy one" in Christ, regardless of your current feelings or performance, change the way you approach your daily life and choices?
3. The sermon emphasized that atonement through Christ's blood is essential for access to God's holy realm. [01:12:27] Reflect on the cleansing work of Christ. In what specific areas of your life do you need to consciously apply the reality of your sins being pardoned and washed away by His blood?
4. The sermon encouraged walking by the Spirit, not by striving. [01:25:55] What are some practical ways you can intentionally "walk in the Spirit" this week, yielding to His guidance rather than relying solely on your own efforts to live a holy life?
5. The sermon highlighted that the church is essential and should not shut down, but rather mobilize. [47:43] How can you, as an individual believer, be more actively involved in the "mobilization" aspect of the church, bringing God's light and life into the world around you?
6. The sermon concluded with an invitation to receive revelation of God's greatness and step into active participation in the holy life. [01:31:15] What is one specific step you can take this week to deepen your revelation of God's greatness and actively participate in the holy life He has called you to?