Digging into Holiness

Here at Christ Community, our mission is joining Jesus in going out to make disciples. So if you’ve taken that to heart, or maybe that’s what attracted you to giving it a try, you might be thinking, why do we need to talk about holiness? God will change me while I’m out there - and he does!

But I also know this to be true in my own story - if you don’t pay attention to the inside, a time comes when you won’t be able to go outside.

Luke 11:27–36 CSB

As he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the one who nursed you!” He said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” As the crowds were increasing, he began saying, “This generation is an evil generation. It demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look—something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching, and look—something greater than Jonah is here. “No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light. Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad, your body is also full of darkness. Take care, then, that the light in you is not darkness. If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

Our pursuit of holiness sets the pace for God breaking new ground in our lives.

This is the last sermon before we have Love Shelbyville, and then break into our Christmas series, Drawing Names. That series is going to be a weekly opportunity to invite friends and loved ones who are more open to spiritual conversations. We want people to know who Jesus is this Christmas.

Isaiah 9:6 “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

Tonight, we’re going to get together and celebrate things we’ve seen God do in 2023 and look forward to 2024.

So, today, we kind of put a temporary cap on a year that we started by saying, “We want to be more certain about Christ.” That’s why Luke wrote this gospel and that’s what we want to be: more certain about Christ.

And as we’ve become more certain about Christ, I think we find ourselves in a similar situation to this woman in the crowd who raised her voice in Luke 11:27 “As he was saying these things, a woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the one who nursed you!””

She’s just so overwhelmed by who Jesus is, and her certainty in that, that she has to respond. The more certain about Christ we are, the more we want to respond. We want to be as close to him as we can be. The woman says, “what a blessing it would be to be your mom!”

I know from conversations with many of you that you’re itching for what’s next in your journey with God. You’re ready for him to break some new ground.

That might mean learning how to share Jesus with your lost family and friends - not just for your obedience, but because you want to be with them in God’s kingdom.

Breaking new ground might be related to your work. That might mean sensing a call to ministry where you are or missions somewhere else and not knowing what that means or how to step into that.

For some, you’re coming a little beat up and hurting and you’re just hoping this next season is restoring.

Regardless of your hopes and expectations of how God might be breaking new ground in your life, I know this, based on how Jesus responds to this woman: Your pursuit of holiness sets the pace for God breaking new ground in your life.

Look at what Jesus says in Luke 11:28

Luke 11:28 CSB

He said, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”

In other words, I appreciate your passion lady, but the blessing will come from your pursuit of holiness, not your passion.

Now, the word holiness itself is a little intimidating. Sounds pretty churchy. Maybe even snobbish depending on how it’s used. And because of that, it’s often misunderstood. But I believe what Jesus says right here could be a simple definition that helps get us started in pursuing it. Pursuing holiness is hearing God’s word and keeping it.

Now, if we believe that God created us in his image, we believe that we are created with the capacity to be holy like he is holy.

I would argue that all of us, even unbelievers, have this desire to pursue the holiness that we were created for. Though we might not be able to say it, we want to hear God’s word, the words of the one who created us with the capacity for holiness, and we understand that keeping that word, makes us holy.

So, when I say that your pursuit of holiness sets the pace for God breaking new ground in your life, what I mean is that if you want more of God in your life, if you want to see more of his power working in and through you, you have to pursue his holiness. You have to dig into whether you are hearing God’s word and keeping it.

And so, we see that your pursuit of holiness sets the pace for God breaking new ground in your life. It’s one of his greatest mercies.

We always want a little more from God before we begin to pursue holiness.

The crowds did too. Luke 11:29 “As the crowds were increasing, he began saying, “This generation is an evil generation. It demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”

Everybody always wanted one more sign just to be sure that they were sure. Give me one more affirmation, Lord. Show me just a little more. Give me one more sign. Because, honestly, it’s a whole lot easier to just keep doing what I’m doing.

With no judgment, because I do that too, Jesus calls the generation demanding a sign evil.

We always want a little more from God before we begin to pursue holiness.

God, just get me through this and then I’ll start taking things more seriously.

God, if you’d just bless me with this, then I’d be able to do that.

God, I’ll confess everything if you’ll just help me get it clean up the mess first.

We always want a little more from God before we begin to pursue holiness.

Jesus has already given you the holiness he has called you to.

2 Timothy 1:9 CSB

He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

Before time began, Jesus had given you a purpose and a calling. According to his purposes - not your works. And that calling is holiness.

1 Peter 1:15–16 CSB

But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

But we can’t miss the beginning of 2 Tim 1:9 that says, he has saved us.

To be saved means that you have believed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and that he is the only one who can save you from your sins. When you’re saved, the only work you do is to believe that’s true. But when you do believe that and confess that to God, Christ’s righteousness is credited to your account.

Romans 4:5 CSB

But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness.

Jesus has already given you the holiness he has called you to.

Growing up my family raised Great Pyrenees dogs. And like others who sell puppies, we would have people come and look at them before they could be weaned from their mothers. They would come, play with them, pick one out, and if they wanted to make sure they got their pick, they’d pay. That puppy was theirs. But they couldn’t have it yet. It wasn’t ready to go to it’s forever home because there was nourishment it needed from mom and training it needed from being with other dogs.

That’s like our holiness. The moment we believe that Jesus’s holiness is counted on our accounts, salvation is ours. Eternal life is ours. But we can’t go yet. We haven’t taken hold of the holiness that’s already ours.

Jesus has already given you the holiness he has called you to. Pursue it!

What the crowds that day didn’t realize was that they had that good news standing right in front of them.

So Jesus reminds them of two signs they had from Jewish history. And if today, you’re thinking, God just give me one more sign, or perhaps you’re thinking, this good news about the holiness of God credited to me seems too good to be true, then maybe you’ll be encouraged by the signs Jesus reminded them of that day.

He first reminds them of the sign of Jonah. This is a sign for all those who might believe that holiness is too hard. You might remember some of Jonah’s story.. didn’t want to go to Nineveh because of how evil the people were. Killers. So he tries to run away. Gets stuck in a storm. Jumps in the ocean. Swallowed by a fish. Spit up on the shore. But do you remember what he said to the men of Nineveh? What his sign to them said? Jonah 3:4

Jonah 3:4 CSB

Jonah set out on the first day of his walk in the city and proclaimed, “In forty days Nineveh will be demolished!”

And Jesus says that he’s a sign like that! You see, when the Lord begins to help you see that sin is destroying your life, that if you keep living like you are you’re going to be demolished, it’s a motivation to pursue the holiness that Jesus has already given to you and called you to.

If the sin that you’re stuck in or the past that you’ve lived or the trauma that you operate from makes holiness feel like a unrealistic pursuit, holiness is too hard!… take heart - the Ninevites had forty days until they were going to be demolished, but when Jonah came as a sign of their need for God, they repented. And we’ll see them one day in eternity.

Jesus has already given you the holiness he has called you to.

Some of you are saying, Blake, that’s not really me. I’ve always lived a pretty moral life. Pursuing holiness isn’t high on my priority list because, all things considered, life is pretty good. I’m doing ok. So was the Queen of Sheba, or the queen of the south, as Luke called her. She lived and reigned during the time of King Solomon who famously asked God for wisdom. Her sign was a sign for those of us who might say, “I’m not sure holiness is worth it.”

Let me read just a bit of her story from 1 Kings 10:1-2

1 Kings 10:1–2 CSB

The queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s fame connected with the name of the Lord and came to test him with difficult questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke to him about everything that was on her mind.

The Queen of Sheba was loaded -with stuff - and with questions about God. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you don’t have the riches of the Queen but you do have questions. Maybe you have more riches than you realize. Either way, why pursue holiness when life is going pretty good? But when the Queen of Sheba starts asking Solomon questions like that, it shines light on life in a whole new way. Scripture says she couldn’t believe the reports of what God was doing in Solomon’s life until she saw it with her own eyes. I love her response in 1 Kings 10:9-10 when she begins to see God’s hand.

1 Kings 10:9–10 CSB

Blessed be the Lord your God! He delighted in you and put you on the throne of Israel, because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel. He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.” Then she gave the king four and a half tons of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such a quantity of spices arrive as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

Once she realized that God was the only one who had what she needed - she was willing to give up whatever it took to know him and his holiness.

And Jesus says he’s a sign greater than Solomon! In his presence, we will be so in awe that we’ll be ready to lay down whatever it cost to have him and his righteousness.

For some of you, God wants to break new ground in your life. But you have so much that you won’t let go of in order to pursue holiness. Let the Queen of Sheba be a sign to you today - her laying down of her treasure in response to the revelation of God broke ground in her life. Jesus says we’ll see her in eternity one day, too. She saw life in an entirely different light that day, and she lived life differently because of it. She heard God’s word and kept it. And that’s what Jesus wanted for the crowds that day.

And that’s what he wants for you! For you to take hold of the holiness he’s already given you. So to help them, and us, Jesus used an illustration to teach us

3 Ways to pursue holiness

Luke 11:33 CSB

“No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light.

Look at the light.

Luke 11:34 CSB

Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad, your body is also full of darkness.

Our eyes can be used to see good or evil, things that are beneficial or harmful, and the things we see and perceive affect our whole being. If we perceive goodness, that will radiate outward from within our hearts and minds. But if we allow our eyes to linger on evil, we are so affected by what we see that darkness actually begins to emanate from within and can corrupt us and those around us.

So one of the first things we have to do in our pursuit of the holiness we have in Christ is ask ourselves, “What’s coming in? Is what I’m taking in light? Am I keeping my focus on things in the light?”

Instead of crying foul over the darkness of the world we live in or perhaps even just beginning to be numbed by it, we have to keep looking at the light. I’m not suggesting we turn a blind eye. But what if instead of pointing out the flaws in everyone else’s ideologies, we took a good, long, hard look at the truth we believe about God and his plan for living the human life?

In fact, we’re going to start 2024 off doing just that as a church.. The 10 commandments producing in us holiness that flows out in Bold Humility. We want to look at the light. We want to hear the words of God and learn that keeping them actually sets us free!

Dig out all the darkness.

Luke 11:35 CSB

Take care, then, that the light in you is not darkness.

This is deeper than false news or being lied to - although those impact you.

There’s a real temptation when we are ready to pursue holiness to instead pursue behavior modification.

There’s an old Bob Newhart clip in which he’s playing a therapist. A client comes in and begins to describe her problem: She’s afraid of being buried alive in box. Dr. Newhart diagnoses it as claustrophobia and then begins to prescribe his solution. He says, “I’m going to say two words to you. Listen very carefully, then take them out of the office with you, and incorporate them into your life.”

Should I write them down? The client asks.

Dr. Newhart says, “Well, most people can remember them. You ready?”

STOP IT!

A bit confused she asks some follow up questions, to which Dr. Newhart doubles down on his advice: STOP IT!

Finally he concludes: “That’s scary to think about being buried in alive in a box like that. You don’t want to live your whole life like that do you?”

She of course replies NO, to which he says, “Well then, STOP IT!”

Have you been trapped by that line of thinking when it comes to your sin?

Jesus says, take care, then, that the light in you is not darkness. In other words, what’s coming out of you, the sin that rears it’s head, is a product of some darkness deeper in you.

Your actions are an overflow of your emotions which are an overflow of what you believe. Many times the darkest things in life aren’t bad things we do, but false ideas we believe. Digging out all the darkness, then, isn’t simply stopping that sin that’s wrecking your life, it’s getting down to the false belief that’s producing that sin.

Don’t just stop gossiping. Ask what false belief causes that. Do you wrongly believe that you need to prove yourself worthy of friendship?

Don’t just stop lying. Ask what false belief causes that. Do you wrongly believe that you won’t be loved if people know the truth?

Don’t just stop cussing. Ask what false belief causes that. Do you wrongly believe that your words don’t matter?

Don’t just stop looking at porn. Ask what false belief causes that. Do you wrongly believe that it’s the way to numb the pain of rejection?

Don’t just stop being greedy. Ask what false belief causes that. Do you wrongly believe that it’s up to you to provide?

Dig out all the darkness. Not by behavior management, but by correcting the wrong beliefs underneath your actions. The hard work is heart work: Make sure the light in you isn’t darkness.

Live in the light.

Luke 11:36 CSB

If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

That phrase - entirely illuminated - is really enlightening. When we get that darkness dug out, we don’t want to give it any dark corners to hide in! We want our whole bodies to be full of light. We want to see the dust in the corners because it means we’re seeing more of God’s work in our lives.

Matt Chandler tells the story of coming home one night and finding his son in the living room playing a game on his Xbox, instead of cleaning his room. So he asked him to clean his room.

After a pause he went to clean his room and start on his other main household chore—vacuuming the house. Chandlers says, “As I left to start unloading the dishwasher, I heard him turn on the vacuum—for about forty-five seconds. His son found me and happily reported, "I'm done."

I said, "You vacuumed the whole house?"

"Uh-huh."

"Son, Superman could not vacuum this whole house in forty-five seconds."

"I did, Dad."

So I did what a loving father would do. I grabbed his hand and said, "Let's just walk around and see." We walked around the house, and over in this corner, we found an entire bag of Goldfish crackers that looked like someone had intentionally dumped them on the floor and danced on them.

I said, "Reid, did you vacuum this?"

"I didn't see it."

"Okay, but it's on the floor. You're supposed to vacuum the floor. I don't know how you missed this."

We vacuumed. We walked around and I showed him other obvious things he failed to see. This is what the Holy Spirit does. He takes us around the house of our heart and says, ''Hey, look at these crushed up Goldfish. It's going to be awesome for them to be gone. Bugs are going to get in here, and bad stuff is going to happen. There's going to be a smell in here. Let's get this cleaned up. I'm going to help you get that cleaned up. He wants to clean up places that we didn't even know were dirty. "

Live in the light - it’s an invitation to spend time with God - to invite the accountability that walks you around the room and helps you see every unholy thing you’ve missed - and it sets the pace for breaking new ground in our lives.

So ask God this week to search you and show you sin. Ask your d-group to not be shy about asking the hard questions. Live in the light - entirely illuminated.

Invitation

1 Thessalonians 4:7–8 CSB

For God has not called us to impurity but to live in holiness. Consequently, anyone who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Today’s invitation is simply an invitation to believe in God instead of reject him.

Do you believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, credited his righteousness as yours? Or does your heart still reject him?

Maybe you’ve never actually believed that Christ’s faith was credited to you as righteousness. That’s why you’ve never trusted him or pursued righteousness. Today’s the day. Come forward when we start to move.

If you have believed that, the first step in your pursuit of holiness is baptism. God’s word says that if you repent and be baptized you will be saved. In other words, when you believe and are baptized, it’s a sign to you and others that you have been saved by our holy God. Hear God’s word and keep it today.

1 John 1:7 CSB

If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

For those of you who are baptized believers, we invite you to the Lord’s Supper where we take the bread and the juice as a proclamation of Christ’s body and his blood which cleanses us from all sin.