Embracing Holiness: Navigating Life's River with God

And so God's just allowed a multi -generational family to grow up in this city. And here's what I'm concerned about, burdened by, encouraged by. Um, I'm seeing pictures of the church, um, like a river, uh, and people are in the river and they're going downstream because that's what happens when you're in a river. You go the direction of the current and, and church is supposed to be God's river, uh, where you and I are in the body of Christ. We're worshiping together on Sundays. We're, we're worshiping together in house church. We're breaking bread together day. And studying God's word. And what are we doing in that? We are saying, I'm going to go in God's river. [00:35:30]

And I'm mindful of two things that I'm just burdened to, to share with you this morning. Uh, and this isn't like a, I really need you here on Sundays or you really need to be in house church, but guys, I'm just becoming a lot more convinced that the culture's stream is getting stronger and more dangerous. Uh, and what do I mean by that? Oh, you just like scared of the world. Yeah. Yeah, I am that, that media, that social media, that, uh, entertainment, that the content that our culture is putting out and the rate that it is putting it out is deeply concerning to me that you and I can be rocked to sleep on a river that is leading to a waterfall that ends in death. [00:36:19]

And, and so I share this for two reasons. One, I do want to plead. If you are not a part of a house church, now I just think you're, you're flirting with danger. Uh, you need to be anchored in the stream of God, which is the life of his church. Uh, two, would we be on the lookout to pull some people off a river headed to a waterfall and pull them in with us? Uh, man, I think about people in my life who have done that. I think about some of y 'all who have seen your friends. There was a young lady in the first service said, Chris, my whole friend group came. I've been praying for them that they would come and get to know Jesus. And they all came today. Like I'm praying for more people that would go, man, you got to get out of that river and you got to get into God's river. Um, because the current is taking you somewhere. Social media is taking you somewhere. News is taking you somewhere. There is a stream that our culture is running in and it always leads to death. [00:37:21]

Now, part of why I say that is because this morning we're talking about holiness and we're talking about the gathering of the saints. And we're talking about the gathering of the saints. And holiness is something that you're not really going to talk about in a different stream. The culture is not going to talk about holiness, uh, living a life that is very different than what our world looks like. You might, if you have some side of religious background, you might think of holiness. Are those, those Christians that like wear blue jeans down to their ankles? Like, is that what holiness is about? Maybe that's just confusing to you, but, uh, if you know what I mean and no, they just take holiness seriously. Holiness. [00:38:37]

And I'll tell you, holiness has fallen on hard times. We don't talk about it a lot in the church house. We talk a lot about, man, I got grace. I'm a, I'm a Jesus kind of Christian. I'm forgiving of my sins. I can do whatever I want. I've been forgiven. And there's a world in which that is true, that grace has covered us for those who have placed their faith in Jesus. But grace and holiness were always meant to go together. [00:39:14]

Here's a big idea for today is holiness really matters when God really matters. And so you can essentially look at our lives and go, hey, like how much does God matter to you based on how eagerly and passionately you pursue holiness? What do I mean by holiness? Holiness is this set apartness, this otherness, this very different than the norm. [00:40:10]

Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober -minded, set your hope fully on the grace that'll be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. We're going to see kind of three different parts of our pursuit of holiness. The first is pursuing holiness in our minds. If you're a note taker, pursuing holiness in our minds. Secondly, pursuing holiness in our conduct, in our very actions and lives. So pursuing holiness in our minds, pursuing holiness in our conduct. And then lastly, the fuel for our pursuit of holiness, the fuel for our pursuit of holiness. Verse 13 says, therefore, in light of all the incredible salvation of God through Jesus that's been talked about in verses 1 through 12, preparing your minds for action. [00:44:11]

It's a leader quote that's hung with me for a really long time. If you're going to win your day, you got to win your morning. And I'm just convinced if you and I are going to take pursuing holiness seriously, we've got to figure out how to be prepared in the morning. Now, I say this, and I do. I care a lot about you. I joked with the 915 service. I said, no, y 'all are going to say yes and amen. It's our 11 o 'clock family that's going to be saying that. Now, don't be talking to me about those early mornings, all right? [00:46:41]

And if you and I are going to take the pursuit of holiness seriously, I think we've got to be people who learn how to win our mornings. Now, I'm not saying... I know my dad was going to say amen to that. I'm like, this is the OG morning man over here. Like, you think you wake up early. You're hanging out with Colin. You don't even know. He's waking up when some of y 'all go into bed. And I'm not... Here's what I'm not saying. I'm not saying you got to wake up early so that God will love you. That's not what I'm saying. I'm not even saying you have to wake up early, although I think there is some worry. What I am saying is whatever way you wake up, you've got to have a plan for how that's going to prepare you for a day of pursuing holiness. [00:48:22]

Nothing has helped me be sober minded like godly friends. And it's honestly part of why as a church, we lead through teams. Our house churches are led by teams. Our finances are led by teams. Our churches is led by teams. I don't lead in a vacuum. Why? Because I know outside of godly relationships, my brain will go off to the races. It'll do all sorts of crazy things. And so I would just ask you, like, do you have godly friends that help you live sober mindedly? [00:52:33]

Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways in inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. Like that of a lamb without blemish or spot, he was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you. You who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him, glory so that your faith and hope are in God. [01:10:00]

What is the fuel for our pursuit of holiness? It's not found in ourselves. It's not found in our ability to dress up. It's not found in our ability to dress ourselves up, to take off the dirt. It is found in the price that the Father paid for a wedding. Namely, Jesus Christ, the Lord. Who paid for the wedding, not with things like silver and gold that are here today and gone tomorrow, but paid for the wedding with his own blood. The spotless lamb of God. What is the fuel that the church finds for a pursuit of holiness? It's not work harder. It's know what God paid for you. [01:11:29]