How to Open ourselves to Holiness (Open the Gates) Sanctificaiton

Announcements

book table

ladies small group— Nancy announcement

return of normal Wednesday

Opening Prayer

Lord you made the world and all that is in it, you've established the land and waters. Your son alone has clean hands, he is always truthful, he is the most blessed by you father, he is mighty in battle n He is the king of glory, the Lord of Hosts. Yet, you oh Lord you cause me,us to seek his face, Oh Lord lift our heads to worship you, Lord we ask that your glory be made known among us Amen

Call to Worship

Say: Let us now begin to worship the Father the Son, the Holy Spirit, Our Call to worship Comes to us from

1 Peter 2:24–25 ESV

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Introduction

The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott The Hallowing Places of Coventry Cathedral

In November 1940 Coventry was devastated by aerial bombardment, including its fourteenth-century cathedral. After the war, the ruins of the old cathedral were preserved, while a new cathedral was built beside it.

Ever since the Middle Ages, Coventry has been famous for its crafts and craftsmen’s guilds. Although the old cathedral’s guild chapels were destroyed, in their place “hallowing places” have been set round the ruined walls, expressing implications of the prayer “Hallowed be Your Name”:

In industry, God be in my hands and in my making

In the arts, God be in my senses and in my creating

In the home, God be in my heart and in my loving

In commerce, God be in my desk and in my trading

In healing, God be in my skill and in my touching

In government, God be in my plans and in my deciding

In education, God be in my mind and in my growing

In recreation, God be in my limbs and in my leisure.

When you hear that it you might be thinking, Yah I’d like that but I‘m not one of those super Christians. So my Question to you is have you shut the door on growth in Christ? Have you closed the gates to grow in Holiness? The Problem our text points in is in verse Psalm 24:3

Psalm 24:3 ESV

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?

How do I get to that place? How can I live like that prayer, how can I open myself up to God changing me? How can I open myself to Jesus?

Text

Psalm 24 ESV

A Psalm of David. 1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, 2 for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. 3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. 5 He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah 7 Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! 9 Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah

Background

This was sung on the way into the worship on the Sabbath days when the wine/drink offering was made. This was an offering that was completely consumed in the burning of the offerings. The priests didn’t partake of any of it it was totally for God. Numbers 28:7

Numbers 28:7 ESV

7 Its drink offering shall be a quarter of a hin for each lamb. In the Holy Place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the Lord.

So this was a service of complete dedication to the Lord. The Lord’s day service was meant and made to remind his people of their forgivness and complete dedication.

So that brings us to our question how can we be likewise?

How to open yourself up to growth in Christ

Step 1) Knowledge that You’re God’s (1-2)

This is necessary because God owns everything. The failure of the Jewish people in the first century and still largely today is that they thought and think still today that they alone are God’s people. The reality is that you Christian are really God’s people. You are his son, his daughter, because of your adoption in Christ.

Application:

Jesus did the work so you can rest, stop trying to earn your salvation, or be the salvation for someone else. Trust him

Hard work is good, but what God has done is free, truly, actually. You don’t need to earn his salvation or his love.

For those who feel like they fail, he doesn't.

Remeber what he said from the cross, it is finished, you have the victory in Jesus!

For those unsure what God is up to, he is your sound footing and refuge.

Living with debt? Unsure of the next paycheck? Everything is his. Remeber the prayer our Lord taught us. He will meet your needs.

Are you always in worry over your salvation, maybe you think you can’t keep up your faith or feel like your backsliding, become more like the world or the old man that you were.

You are his, he will not forsake you, he will continue to keep you to himself John 10:28-30

John 10:28–30 ESV

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Step 2) Jesus has done it for us (3-6, 8-9)

The way your gates are opened to change is by the person of Jesus.

He has clean hands and a pure heart (v4)

He worships God Alone (4)

You see this in Matthew 4:9–10 (ESV) 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ”

Imagine if you will all the world being offered to Jesus, every kingdom and all it’s riches, just to worship satan to get it all. Many people would take that option, but not Jesus. So you can see that he has devoted worship to God alone. And When you fail, his works by your faith are applied to you!

He has never lied or said afoul thing (4)

In the NT the word used for truth is Aletha, that may sound fimaler, btw!

Jesus is the embodiment of truth. Numbers. 23:19

Numbers 23:19 ESV

19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

The Bible teaches the following:

The Lexham Bible Dictionary As Reality

• Jesus is the true light (John 1:9).

• The Father desires true worshipers (John 4:23–24).

• Jesus’ body is true food (John 6:32, 55).

• Jesus is the true vine (John 15:1).

• The truth of God is exchanged for a lie (Rom 1:25).

• Jesus ministers in the true tabernacle (Heb 8:2; 9:24).

• Love must be performed not with words, but in truth (1 John 3:18).

Application for Kids

So to the children in the room are you a truth teller? Bearing false witness is breaking the commandments of God! I can promise you this, if you tell the truth, even when you’ve done something wrong your parents and grandparent will correct you, but your correction will be lighter because your didn’t add the sin of covering up onto your lies. (take note parents, Correct, but encourage truth telling at all times).

He is blessed of the father (5)

Mark 1:11 NKJV

11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

God the Father is pleased with God the son. He is blessed, and by or union with him through faith we to are blessed.

Application

If you’re feeling cut off from god, not feeling parrticualr spiritual or Christian you are in christ, and so you’re blessed. The world may make you feel one way, but in Christ you’re blessed. Anything that says otherwise to you believe is lying!

Step 3) Open your gates (7,9)

I believe Paul gives us a method to learn how to open our gates so we can let Holiness and Christ-likeness into our

Philippians 2:1–18 (ESV)

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,

2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Seeking unity in the church and in your families (2)

Do nothing out of conceit or selfish ambition (3)

Put yourself second (3)

Take care of others as well as yourself (4)

Serve as Jesus served (Expand)

(Break down this section as you will)

As you live this out in your life as you pour your self out as a drink offering allow all of your actions to be consumed by the Lord you will find your gates are open to the Lord changing you.

You will find that you’re growing, in Holiness, in Christ-likness. This will make your relationships better, your family better, you will see your heart change. You will sin beset sins defeated, you will not have as large of backslides.

Remember while you do these things Phil 2:13

Philippians 2:13 ESV

13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

He is doing this in you and he who started this good work will bring it to completion.

Application:

Some specific questions

How can I pour myself out as a drink offering at work? In my family? At church? In my nation?

What gates and doors do I have shut from being holy?

I find when I put others before myself I have to be open to what God is doing.

Step 4) the Outcome (4-6)

You will be able to go into His Holy place.

Give the Gospel

Benediction

Say: As we close our service of worship dear brother and sister please stand for our benediction and receive by faith this blessing from God

Jude 24–25 ESV

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.