Holiness

Several weeks ago I was at Herrin First Church of God and Pastor Dan Smith preached a great message on Holiness.  Here are my notes (with Dan's permission) from that Sunday.  Great preaching Dan!

Lack of service in ministry is a discipleship issue.  Not a 12 step discipleship issue.  Since holiness is a discipleship issue then service and ministry is a holiness issue.

Kierkegaard -  tells a story of a minister dressed in a beautiful robe and beautiful stained glass.  He preached from Luke 9:23, whoever wants to follow me must deny himself and take up his cross... Kierkegaard looked around and no one was laughing.

But most of Christianity today believes that Jesus wasn't serious.

We have made it simple - but deny thyself, take up a cross, daily, to follow Him.

We fight over surrendering a tithe, daily worship, a life of integrity, committed marriage, controlled spending.  What does it mean for a Christian in 2011 to deny, take up, follow? 

Owen Strachan - sanctification is not an antiseptic affair.  We reach out and kill the sin that threatens us. It is not an option. The Word commands us, not suggests to us, it does not meekly consider itself for mankind to consider it. The Word stands as truth no matter what.

What is holiness?

Eph. 4:11-ff

Becoming like Christ. Carrying the fullness of Christ...

Vs.16 says if we don't do our part the body drags down... We are joined together... A Healthy Body Grows!  

Vs.22-24- we put on the new man and take off...that's the process of holiness.

If this is done we will be making a difference.  We have to take off and put on, we have to be willing to invest our lives.

Whatever we take off, the Holy Spirit replaces. Don't try to control it.  You won't be empty, your life will be filled with the Spirits things.

Clay doesn't speak to the potter, the potter is the master.  Sanctification is getting on the wheel of the potter and surrendering.