Who Is God, Part 3

May come as a shock to you as you hear me constantly the ride camping or going to the beach or just my genuine distain for doing activities outdoors that I might actually like to climb Mount Everest. I think that that would be a cool trip event. What are you messing around with these events around here for we just hop on a plane few days over there climb Everest couple thousand dollars later. It'll be a fun little event for us to do. I think it would be amazing. Can you just imagine how breathtaking it would be to come up to Everest and see it in all its Glory. What an incredible thing. That would be there's a man who climbed it. He was the man that night that won't try to pronounce his last name cuz I don't think I can please a man who pioneered the the ascent on the Westridge and he was talking about a time where he saw a photograph of Everest in listen to the way you described that photograph. He said far from the mountains and winter I discovered the Blurred photo of Everest in Richard halliburton's book of Marvel's listen to this. It was a miserable reproduction in which the jagged Peaks Rose against a grotesquely blackened and scratched Skye Everest itself sitting back from the front didn't even appear to be the highest peak, but it didn't matter because it was I found a way that he talked about that photo really interesting Everest. We know and just from hearing the stories about it how how amazingly glorious it would be to be in that presents but this photo as he called it was a miserable reproduction of that Glory. It was a photo that actually degraded the glory of Everest because all the other mountains around Everest actually looks taller than the mountain that was there because of the way that the mountain was pictured right there. My fear today is that churches have what I would say a miserable reproduction of who God is and it's a picture they put out to other people to where he is not even a great as the amazing things that we see around our culture that he doesn't stand out as Gloria said, he isn't the one that that we want to to to be like that. He isn't the one that we want to worship that he deserves all honor and glory and praise. They have such a a common view of who God is that it's a distorted look at his greatness. I don't want to church to be like that. That's why we're studying the attributes of God so that we can clearly see in Crystal Clear Ultra 3D the greatness of God apart from his creation. He is so far above high and glorious that we would long to Worship in that way. Matter fact you think about it with me? That's right. Just imagine we did take a men's Retreat over there. I'm sure at the bottom of the camp when you are low on the mountain it is easy to focus on what is common and comfortable if they have a little large there and we're getting ready to make you sent when I'm low on the mountain I can focus on the common in the comfortable. I can be concerned with how hot my hot chocolate is, you know, I can be concerned with updating, you know, checking the updates to make sure the Lakers are losing for sure. I can focus on all of these different common and comfortable things. But what happens when I begin to ascend the mountain? I'm no longer able as I Ascend higher and higher It on the Mountain. I'm not able to focus on the common in the comfortable. I have to focus on Survival because I'm forced to succumb to the Majesty of the mountain as I begin to ascend it higher and higher. If you are in a church and all you're looking at common things and you never Ascend to the heights of who God is it's easy to stay with the common in the comfortable. But the more that we force ourselves in the Bible to face the Grandeur in the greatness of God, the more we have to Humble ourselves in the presence of that God and say not to us O Lord not to us but to your name give Glory that's the whole thing is attributes of God series that as we Ascend the heights of the greatness of God were forced to succumb to his Holiness which were going to look at this morning when she tells me her Bible Psalm 145, maybe never be a church that just longs to be common and comfortable but maybe look at the greatness of God in the Bible and say I want to worship that God Psalm 145 kisses that picture cuz we've been discussing it over the past couple weeks. Psalm 145 we're going to do what we've done the beginning of each for these are just going to read the psalm in its entirety to get his great picture of God and then peel off one of these attributes to focus on his Holiness this morning. So I'm 145 verse 1 says a song of Praise of David. I will extol you my God and King and bless your name Forever and Ever every day. I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable one generation shall commend your Works to another and she'll declare your Mighty acts on the Glorious Splendor of your majesty. And on your wondrous works. I will meditate they shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds and I will declare your greatness dayshell tour 4th of Fame of your abundant goodness, and she'll sing aloud of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and merciful slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all in his mercies over all that. He has made all your work. She'll give thanks to you. Oh Lord in all your Saints will bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom in tell if your power to make known to the children of man. You're mighty deeds in the Glorious Splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom your Dominion interest to all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works the Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all her about the eyes of all the to you and you give them their food in due season you open up your hand you satisfy. The desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind and all his works. The Lord is near to all who call upon him to all who call upon him in truth. He feels that is hours of those who fear Him He also hears their cry and saves them the Lord preserve's all who love him, but on the wicked, he will destroy my mouth will speak the praise of the Lord and let All Flesh bless His holy name forever and ever. That is the greatness of our god of greatness that is unsearchable to us, but motivates us weekend and week out the diving deeper into knowing this great and awesome God and like we talked about last week. We wanted to focus on this glorious nature of who God is it sets them apart? No one is like him in this morning. We're going to find something very similar because I'm going to focus on the Holiness of God and there are aspects of the Holiness of God that are right in line with the aspects of the glory of God as we're talking about Glory that makes him transcended that makes him nothing like the creation. There are aspects of the Holiness of God that do that exact same thing that exalt God that separate him from us. So it forces us to look highly upon God and forces us Riley to view ourselves in that mindset. We want to talk about the Holiness of God this morning as we begin to think about it. What we've done each time that we come to this is we want to give you a definition. So you and I are talking about the same thing as we look at the Holiness of God. That's what I'm there for. You can see it right there. So you can write it down on your worksheet. This is the definition of the Holiness of God.

God's holiness is his separateness from his creation and his unique position to receive Glory. God's holiness is his separateness from his creation and his unique position to receive Glory. No in that reception or receiving Glory that is for who God is and what he does. So there is an ethical aspect to God's holiness that we don't want to deny but as you look at the pages of scripture, you see this that God in his Holiness is separate from this creation and in the unique position to receive Glory, that's why the Holy One of Israel in Isaiah says, I will not share my glory with another my Holiness puts me in a category all by myself. There's no one like me. I am unique I'm singular in the the worthiness of phrase. There's a there's a cutoff dividedness from me and my creation such that you cannot mold the two together the way that the Bible speaks of Holiness is that way because we have this definition. I think it would be good for us. Number one on the outlines it to to approach the study of the Holiness of God this way member when we need to ponder the essential Holiness of God. Listen to this two aspects to the way we talk about Holiness this morning D essential component of God's nature of him being wholly and then the ethical component the moral component that comes from that because God in his nature is Holy and he acts holy. So we need to understand those two things and then how those will affect us. But this morning we want to we can buy pain during the essential Holiness of God. So as we talked about this definition, we want to just look at it. Like we did last time the definition of the word. So in Psalm 145 verse 21, it says my mouth will speak the praise of the Lord and let All Flesh bless His holy name forever and ever when we talked about the Holiness of God from the Old Testament. It comes from the Hebrew word kadosh. So if you wanted to just phonetically put that down it would be q a d o s. H kajdos q a d o s h kadosh kadosh it it needs to cut literally just to cut and with a sense of Cutting and dividing something. So that is set apart and focused or or used for something different something that's not common. It's not regular it's something that is set apart divided and designated towards something and that's what we're talking about. We're talking about kadosh of when God is Holy were talking about him being in this is singular position to receive Glory because of who he is the essential nature of the Holiness of God and there's a way you can think about it. You you understand it you separate things and you don't use them for, and like if you think whoever's going to Grandma's house going up not my grandma's probably go to my grandma's house. So you went to your grandma's house go to Grandma's house and Grandma typically have a cabinet with what Fine China in the cabinet. But that that fine china was wholly it was set apart. So when the little kids come I don't get to eat my you know bowl of Trix in the with a China because that's common like you just have a bowl of cereal you just going to wash it you might throw a paper bowl the way or you might just wash my throwback in the cupboard. If you don't do that with the China because that is cut off in designated for special use only for these high, you know dinner party that you would have heard or very special occasion. It's worthy only of those. It's not worthy to be treated common. That's what we think about when we think about God he is set apart. That's that's what they did with utensils in the Tabernacle in the Old Testament. You didn't just use those utensils every single day you use them only designated only for this holy aspects. So that would be used to glorify God. There's a separateness to them. It cannot be divided with what is regular or common are pedestrian and that's what we never want to do with God. We never want to associate him with something being just like us he is Other than we are and we want to go through some some pictures of this in the Old Testament terms me to Exodus chapter 3. We want to approach God and we want to realize that he is not like us a difference that should come from us as we worship. The exalted. God Exodus gives us a couple of those pictures. thinking about holiness the essential Holiness of God that we want to ponder Remember Psalm 145 over and over again since I'm going to meditate on your your nature. I'm going to think about you. I'm going to ponder I'm going to rehearse it in my mind. So I know who you are, and I can rightly worship you by knowing you and we want to ponder his essential Holiness Exodus 3 1 2 6. Does not Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro the priest of Midian. Can you let his flock to the west of the Wilderness and came to Horeb the Mountain of God and the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked and behold the Bush was burning yet. It was not consumed and Moses said I will turn aside to see this great sight why this bush is not burned when the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to see God called him out of the Bush Moses Moses and he said here I am then he said to him do not come near take off your sandals from your feet for the place that you are standing on is Holy Ground, and he said I am the god of your father the god of Abraham the god of Isaac the god of Jacob and Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look at God. Number for God manifest his presence right there. The ground was ordinary the ground was common. It was like all the other dirt that was around it. But when the essential Holiness of God descends on a place that place now becomes holy set apart and you cannot treat this area like you do the other areas Moses as you approach this place. You can't just walk on it with your sandals. I need you to take those off because now this site with my Holiness here is designated for something different. It's cut off its set apart. You cannot treat it as as common. So we see them were talking about the essential Holiness of God. It means that we have to approach him as something other than we are with a difference the way that the scriptures talk about. Turn The Exodus 15 flip over a few more chapters to talk about the essential holiness. God Exodus 15 You know, the story after Moses was there. He was called To Go rescue the people by being got spokesperson and God was going to put the Great Signs on display and defeat all the pharaoh's armies and he gets the great Glory because he pulls the children of Israel through the Red Sea and then crashes the enemies and with all that great Majestic tower. That was shown Moses has an interesting song that begins to praise and worship this God Exodus 15:1 the Moses and the people of Israel singing this song for the Lord. I will sing to the Lord for he has triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider has thrown him into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song he has become my salvation. This is my God and I will praise him. My father's God and I will exalt him. This Lord is a man of war. The Lord is his name Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea the floods covered them. They went down into the Apps like a stone your right hand O Lord is glorious Empower your right hand elorde shatters the enemy in the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries. You send out your Fury. It consumes them like stubble at the blast of your nostrils to the waters piled up the flood sit up in a heap the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said I will pursue and overtake. I will divide the spoil my desire shall have it filled of them. I will draw my sword and my hand shall destroy them you blew them with your wind and the Sea covered then they sank like lead in The Mighty Waters know after that great description of God and what he did by rescuing them redeeming them from Faro notice how Moses describes him verse 11 who is like you? Oh Lord among the gods who is like you Majestic in Holiness awesome and glorious deeds and doing wonders. What a description of God. Majestic in holiness This is again getting us to ponder the essential nature of God. Yes. There is a Holiness that we are to strive after we'll talk about that in a moment. There's a moral perfection to this this Holiness. But this is a majestic Holiness that belongs to God and God Alone look at it in contrast to the other dogs, who is like you? Oh Lord among the gods. There is no one like you you are in a unique position of being majestically. Holy set apart cut off from what is common and consecrated for praise. There is no one like you you are awesome and glorious thing you do these wonders only God can do this is essentially what it means for God to be God. This is him and his Transcendent greatness like we talked about last time God is transcendent meaning he is great and preeminent over his creation. This is what we mean when we meet the essential Holiness of God, it separates him from everything else. another passage number for Samuel

4 Samuel chapter 2

I just again one of the descriptions of the people as they encounter God when he does these incredible things. It causes them to pause in to ponder exactly. How holy is this God? 4 Samuel 2 great story in chapter 1 of Hannah and hurt for desired have a kid and God finally answered her and gives her a kid and she promises to give him back to the Lord after she's done that she begins to pray in first Samuel to enforce email to one and to listen to the way she describes God who's done these amazing things. 4 Samuel 2:2

and Hannah prayed and said my heart exults in the Lord. My horn is exalted in the Lord my mouth derived my enemies because I rejoice in your salvation verse to there is none. Holy like the Lord for there is none beside you there is no Rock like our God. God is set apart in this no other gods could compare. And if we as a church want to be separate from other people who would worship a distorted view of God, that's not going to exalt him. Above All Things was going to keep him, and make him even look smaller than the things around him. We're doing a disservice to The God Who really no one can compare to him. There was none. Holy like this lord and there is none besides him. This God is great different than us Transcendent Majestic in Holiness. Now, it's good that we looked at last week, Isaiah 6 and consider this This is all under the idea of kadosh what it means for this guy to be separate approaching him with deference with a sense of trepidation with a sense of of all, Isaiah 6 and 7. At 6133 sorry. It's a 6 1 2 3.

And I hope that you notice here. Did you see a connection between again the Holiness of God in the glory of God and number of these other passages to look at after this has the glory of God in the Holiness of God coming together because they are both categorically putting God in a place that makes him not like us and it's good for us to be thinking about God this way. Look at Isaiah 6 1 2 3 says this 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 and above him stood the seraphim each of them having six wings and to he covered his face in with two he covered his feet and was too he flew and one called to another and said holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. You see the connection between the glory of God in the Holiness of God here. Now this is something so fast me. I don't remember when Patrick just appreciate that. He talked about this. What other attribute can you say of God that is repeated 3 times other than holiness. There's nothing. Never love love love Mercy Mercy Mercy wrath wrath wrath but we have is Holy Holy Holy. This is the emphasize something if you were to repeat it in Hebrew either say it like great great. That means magnificent. But you said great-great-great, that would be a superlative that we probably can't even begin to comprehend and that's what's going on here. He's not just holy. Holy he's holy. Holy holy separate from anything else. And that means that this supremely holy God fills the Earth with his glory that glorious nature that we talked about last time know something else. That's very interesting from this you think about the angels that are there those are sinless creatures. And those seamless creatures ethically, holy still have to cover their face and cover their feet in deference to God because he's still other than them that let you know that this idea of Holiness means we can never come to God in a common way. We can't treat him as regular and we should never approach him as somebody who's just like us there should be a trembling. What I never want is a trembling in dread as we'll talk about in a moment but a trembling and awe of a god whose other than I am. He is the I am he's the only one who deserves this he is he's other than me. This is the only time in the Bible that this shows up is it you can write down Revelation 4:8 Revelation 4:8 in the New Testament that we've been looking at kadosh in the Old Testament hagios in the New Testament. Holy same idea cutoff set apart that is uniquely in that position to get that and it's designated. He's designated for Glory Revelation 4:8. The angels are still saying holy holy. Holy see the repetition in the New Testament. All of this is an incredible thing slip over to one more passage, Isaiah 57. We look at this last time. Isaiah chapter 57

this is what should begin to help us. Isaiah 57 talking about the Transcendence of God in his Eminence because this God is lifted up. It's so amazing that he would condescend to minister to us people who aren't worthy of anything. Unless God gives it to us Isaiah. 57:15 says this for us as the one who is high and lifted up who inhabits eternity. Here we go whose name is Holy. He says I dwell in high and holy place and also with him who is contrite and lowly of spirit to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite that's good for us. Because if we're comprehending rightly what we've been saying we have no right to approach this God and if we stood like Isaiah in his presence, we would be ruined but if we come humbly and say God provide a way for us to be with you, he does that and he allows us to come into His presence and he allows it to experience his Holiness in a way. We're not consumed but we can worship Him in all but we've got to understand God as holy as separate that way to experience them as something that is transcendentally different than us. I think it'd be good for us to comprehend this we did this last time with Cory, you know that all members of the Trinity are described as holy. I Just Wanna Give You a few passages you write this down for Father Son and Holy Spirit just so we know this one, God the Father God the Father God. The son God is attributed with Holiness to think about this God the Father numerous times in the Old Testament. I'll just give you one Isaiah 43 14, Isaiah 43:4 teen calls God the Father the Holy One of Israel, Isaiah 43 14 c43 14 is the Holy One of Israel. There's a great one loaf of God the father Jesus in John 17:11 praise this Holy Father. And that gives us the Transcendence of God in his Holiness and the evidence of God his closeness into things together. You are the holy God who separate from me and yet you're my father. That's Jesus Friend at Holy Father. You see that of the father list in those places to Sun numerous times is called that you remembered Mark chapter 1 did the demon rolls up Jesus rose up in the demon. See somebody I know who you are the Holy One Of God by chapter one some around 4:24 ish and then acts 3:14. Jesus is described as holy and righteous acts 3:14.

And then we think of the spirit. I mean how easy is it to describe the Holy Spirit as holy he sits in his name might the Holy Spirit over and over again. You can write down first s48 as the Holy Spirit. All that the essential nature of this God is Holy. That means we cannot approach him as common we cannot treat him as ordinary. We must come with a sense of of deference intrepidation again, not like I've said this is not a a trepidation of dread if we're coming the way that he's asked us to for us that's coming through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't need to be trepidatious because I'm fearful he's going to cast me into hell, but just because he saved me doesn't mean that I'm not in all of him. I all divorce should be an all them if this God who is majestically Holy allows me in his presence because of the work of his son. But without that I should dread should feel that sense of trepidation. See if we can describe it. Abraham Lincoln after the Battle of Gettysburg. He was describing Gettysburg itself. You know, he called it. He called Gettysburg Hallowed Ground how load you know how loud you died named? Holy is your name. How old is the idea of Holiness? Why would Abraham Lincoln say that cuz if you roll up to Gettysburg, if you know what happened there, you don't just roll up and walk on it like no big deal. There's a profound sense of the astonishment at what went on there to think of the whores to think of the men fighting to think of them giving their lives what they were fighting for and all that happened. You cannot treat that as normal. It is hollowed in that sense, but probably better for you and I think about it this way think about the 9/11 Memorial Maybe some of you have been there. Not just Google pictures of it or watch a video. As you approach that place. Could you be Cavalier about it knowing what took place that day? As you roll up on there is there not a lump in your throat thing about the people who lost their lives. It's not a pit in your stomach thinking about the courage it took for for men to to pull people out of that building to think of the other astonishing picture of that building from the crumbling into the ground that place you would not treat as normal or ordinary. You would feel a sense of trepidation. In fact, I was reading an article about that in the OC Register. Probably three years ago. One of the writers was going there and I think he captured it while he says I want to go to the 911 memorial because I want to pay tribute and honor the the the the aerobic nature of what went on there, but there's also a sense you said of trepidation. When you mix match tribute Intrepid trepidation together, I think you have the right idea of what we're doing with Holiness. I long to be here and and to honor what happened but there still a reservation in me because I realized this is something that's not normal. We approach God that way and if you don't there are consequences to that. Can you trust me in the Bible to Leviticus chapter 10? What happens if you do not treat God Ponder God as holy and you approach him, whatever what you want. There are consequences to in the Bible. the big Leviticus chapter 10 This is one two three.

There are consequences for poaching God and not treating him as holy. Is essential nature demands that and by his grace? He's revealed to us who he isn't and how we can worship him that we don't approach him as something so pedestrian. Leviticus 10 I need a panda by who the sons of Aaron each took his sensor and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord which he had not commanded them. What is that mean? Can you just write down Exodus 39 and 10? I'm going to read it to Exodus 39 + 10. Listen to what God Said approaching him. Exit 39 intense as you shall not offer unauthorized incense on this altar or burnt offering or a grain offering and you shall not for a drink-offering on it. Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. He shall make atonement for it once a year throughout your Generations. It is most holy to the Lord. God said my holy presence can dwell among these common people these creatures because I'm going to allow it and the way that you can approach me and Holiness is if you make the right sin offering one time of year to make atonement for your sins. We can have Fellowship the holy with the Unholy the righteous for the unrighteous because I've graciously made a way for you, but you don't get to come. However you want you can't just come in a regular fashion and treat me as if I am your equal. I'm God Majestic in Holiness and made Avenue by hand in care. And approach got in they put unauthorized fire on there. 10 to Celsius and fire came out from before the Lord and consume them and they died before the Lord than Moses. And Aaron says this is what the Lord has said among those who are near me. I will be Sanctified and before the people I will be glorified. Do GNC the connection between Holiness and Glory? What is Sanctified set apart as holy is what is to receive glory and if you approach him in a way that he's not listed out in the scriptures is being appropriate you are not glorifying him sending him apart as unique. You are treating yourself as if you have a higher standard than him and you can't do that. You just realize how amazing that makes the work of Jesus Christ on behalf of us to allow us access to God. Because Jesus came and lived the holy life that we're required to live and died the death that we deserve to die because of our sins and because of his resurrection three days later if we put our faith and trust in that we are counted as if we lived a fully holy life to God coming into his presence and enjoying trepidatious all of this great God. Think about what the work of Jesus does one of the great passages in the New Testament Ephesians 5:25 husbands. Love your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her that he might what sanctify her set her apart make her holy. That's what the work of Christ did on the cross. So it puts us in the position of Holiness as 1st Corinthians. Not you were washed. You were six nine. You were washed Justified Sanctified you were set apart in that moment. So you could receive the blessings of God and Holiness. This is what pain during the essential Holiness of God will do. Would you just think about Holiness for a moment and the last week you spent in prayer? How did you approach those times in prayer?

It's amazing that we can go to God right? It's amazing. We can call to his father. But the fact that he's a father doesn't make it any different that use the Majestic Holy Father it should. He's so great high and lifted up that we're not worthy to be in there. Unless he's graciously condescended in the loudest 2. I want to be very deferential when I pray. I don't want to just make prayer time at I'm just begging for my wants. I want to know the God who is so great and made me to glorify his name by living a holy life. And that now makes my approach to him and my worship of him take greater shape as I pursue living holy forgot because I've understood who's essential Holiness. That's where we want to go. Now in the sermon. We've seen the truck Edition in all that we should had not of dread because of what he's done in Jesus, but if we have this trepidation in all of this, holy God, what does holy God calls us to do so number two on your outline write it down this way. if we pondered the essential nature Of the holy God number two. We want to pursue ethical Holiness. We want to pursue ethical Holiness. This is the moral aspect to Holiness The God Who is set apart has a standard for those who he is set apart to live by so you can think of many Old Testament passages most of them from The Book of Leviticus. You just write down the viticus 11:44 and 19 to Leviticus 11:44 and 19 to God says you are to be holy for I am Holy so there's an aspect of our conduct our life that should match the Holiness of God now Majestic Holiness, we can't but his ethical holding us now that we've understood of this set of Parts not, not something that we treat as mundane or pedestrian. It's now how we live our life in this moral Purity as we try to chase after the the Excellence of God in Holiness. That's what we need to do. I want to think about it under three terms three different ways. It's it's what we focus on as a church upward Inward and outward. So the first way that we're going to pursue ethical Holiness is pursuing it upward in our worship. That's letter A pursue it up word in your worship. pursue ethical Holiness awkward in your worship This is what we want to do when we've comprehended the greatness of this God when we had her, you know our feet shaking because we realize this is not something, this is something so great. And I'm allowed to be in his presence because of the work that he's done on my behalf. Now, I want to live a life. It's pleasing to the net includes worship turn the song 29, so I'm 29. Are we going to think about this?

Psalm 29 this is going to be very helpful for us as we begin to think about worship. Psalm 29 Orchard it says a Psalm of David Psalm 29. Give me my sis ascribe to the Lord. Oh Heavenly beings ascribe to the Lord glory and strength ascribe to the Lord. The glory due his name Worship the Lord in the Splendor of his Holiness. See this is why we need to start with pain during the essential Holiness of God. So we rightfully put him in the place of receiving worship and we don't want just think about worship as Sunday morning singing that's a component of it. That's a great component. You know, it was a good thing for you guys to do. We just be to pray for the people who lead in that mean. If you really begin to think about the gravity of that to play songs that are trying to honor this holy glorious God and to do so with the life that matches that is very difficult thing and we get to do we get to join in that when we come together and sing but isn't worship so much more than just singing. What is Romans 12:1 and to say it's your whole life and accept the acceptable sacrifice? That is Holy One of the descriptions show in our worship. You want to Worship the Lord in the Splendor the Majesty of his Holiness and we want that to be a regular aspect of us thinking about the Holiness of God. So we don't make pursuing Holiness a man-made standard of Holiness, which is very easy for us to get into when we rightfully comprehend the Holiness of God from the Bible. Now when we start to talk about Holiness, we're not going to Veer off into the realm of legalism and setting up some standard of Holiness that I think but we're going to drive ourselves to the Bible to say if this God is this holy and he's described the way he wants to be worship. Then I'm going to follow it and I'm going to ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name Worship the Lord in the Splendor of his Holiness, you see glory and Holiness together again, he's separate and unique in that the only one who's worried. Of that and we want our lives to match that. the reason why we want to do this because we talked about it a moment about developing Holiness in our life and it is a rigorous struggle to be holy it's hard. But if our rigorous struggle is not matched with a rejoice in heart, then we're going to have a lifeless religion. I don't want that. But if I exalt God for his holy nature and the Holiness that he's called me too, and I depend on him to live out that Holiness then it's not just rigger. It's a rigorous Pursuit with a rejoicing heart and then I think that's going to be very helpful. Can you just write down Hebrews? 12:14 Hebrews 12:14. We're going out for dinner worship to Worship the Lord in the Splendor of his Holiness the greatness of who he is so that we don't just have a rigorous Pursuit, but of a rigorous Pursuit that rejoices and what God has done. Hebrews 12:14 says this strive for peace with everyone and for the Holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Can you fathom how important that verse is for you if you say, you know, God. Strive for peace with everybody there's a sense where we do that even with our enemies. I need to have peace with these people strive for peace with everyone and the Holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See God is Holy and will be treated as holy and if you think that you can be called his child without striving after Holiness you're missing it, but don't make it a Holiness that lacks rejoice in it should be full of rejoicing worshipping God for who he is and the Splendor of that Holiness. We want to go upward in our worship of this. Glorious. God to develop his Holiness. Number two. We want to grow inwardly in our pursuit of Holiness grow in Ridley in our pursuit of holiness.

want to grow inwardly as we pursue Holiness, so we're going to operate in our worship of God in his Holiness and we're growing inwardly inside the church developing one another as you do this to me the First Peter chapter 1 416 1st Peter 1 a 13 to 16

Great to think about the book of 1st Peter never getting to the round. We're using the word hagios in the New Testament, but it's the same idea in 1st Peter over and over again. Let him be able to describe the book of 1st Peter under this heading the sojourners sanctification cuz God calls his people in here sojourners and Exiles as they're living out their lives for the glory of God. Damn. It's the very perverse generation that's around and there's a shine as lights there and to do that. They have to pursue this ethical sense of Holiness from a god who's calling them to do that. So we see this in 1st Peter chapter 1 verses 13 to 16. 1st Peter 1 1316 says this while she's there for preparing your minds for action and being sober minded set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ as obedient. Children do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. But as he who called you is Holy you also be holy in all your conduct since it is written you shall be holy for I am Holy. I hope you hear that differently after just thinking about the Holiness of God for 30 minutes. As he who called you is Holy you also be holy in all of your conduct. It is up to us to strive for the Holiness without which no one will see when no one will see the Lord and that's not what we do by ourselves. We'll talk about that in the moment, but it is the requirement to pursue this Holiness because we've been saved by the grace of God. I want to think about it this way. We want this Holiness that we talked about not to go off in the wrong direction. We want Holiness not that isolates but differentiates. Can you think about the difference with that if we begin to talk about Holiness that isolates us that makes us into a holy huddle. We don't talk too unsafe people. We don't go out into the world and we don't get involved because we're Sanctified. Holy you're missing the idea of what true Holiness is Holiness is not designed to isolate God's people from the world, but to differentiate them as they're in the world living for his glory. So as we pursue this idea and was thinking about this we want to make sure that that is our aim. I love the way that Peter begins to put the covers 14 as obedient children. This is against us being brought into the family of God. Your pursuit of Holiness is not you outside the kingdom of God being Unholy and then doing enough. Holy Acts 2, then be put inside the kingdom of God because Holiness is there. That's not what it is that all you were Unholy and by his grace he brought you in and made you holy again like we said, positionally, holy set apart Sanctified 1st Corinthians 6 9 and 10 but now because we've been brought in the pursuit and the progress of Holiness is our requirement as obedient. Children and guys can can I just ate this if you pursue Holiness you're going to look weird dentist and that you're going to look weird. Okay. I look what I just I look weird right now, like people like that. That's a weird dude right there. Did you see me? I look weird. But the way that I live should make me look even stranger, you know, if they did a documentary of my life could be stranger things as it gets stranger and stranger with the things that I do because I should look more and more not like the common age that I live in I should be differentiated from that in my actions. So my Pursuit and my progression in Holiness should increasingly make me distinct not isolated where I'm trying to keep Unholy things away from me, but I'm differentiated from the Unholy that's around me and I can make a difference for the Holiness of God that is there. What's a live as a child of God is going to make you look weird. Happens with my kids right the way that they live according to my rules makes them look weird to other kids are we were able to go for a we did our staff Christmas party music everyone. We went to Medieval Times never been before I went to Medieval Times. It's fun to go in to get in that parking lot is insane. I don't know if you've been there. It's just so hard and cars are coming this way and cars are going that way in a parking lot right next to Porto's. If you don't pour Tous is it's just a bakery that people act insane around like will do whatever they can to get inside photos as fast as I can to people are zipping and pulling into the parking lot. The parking lot is a dangerous place for kids at that point in time. So what do we do in the other house? So this is what we do it might be doing what you do, but when we get the kids out of the car and we're taking the the van what we'll do is we'll say kids hand on the fan. That's our Command to our kids hand on the van that is going to make my kids look weird because they're going to do that so I can put her in the van and then because we have like a thousand kids we're going to be there while getting the rest of them out. So my son's each one that gets out. He's just going to stand there like this by all the other kids went by them being sick of you know, poor little Hudson, you know, what his dead little eyes just All the kids are running having fun wanting to go inside but my son is trying to obey the command of his father. Like they're my command is going to differentiate them. But you know why I do that I do that because that's a dad. I know that cars can't see little kids and so the different command that I'm giving them. It's for their protection the Holiness them being set apart as my kids. I'm trying to protect them so they can get to what they most want to inside without being injured by the cars around them. We look at the commands of God to strive for Holiness the same way it might make us look we are but God knows what is most joyful in most glorious and most good for us. So he will tell us the things that are going to make us look weird by the people around us so that we can get that Joy unharmed when we pursue Holiness this way and think about it that way it's not a rigorous man-made system that we're just trying to make people conform to our standard. We're trusting a holy God. Get us to what is most holy and most joyful for us. It will make us look weird as kids but you should expect that and you should want that to differentiate yourself and the people around you notice what you differentiate yourself from do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. That is what the life of Holiness calls the believer to do. You cannot confess God is your father and live in the same ignorance that you did before you were saved your character in your nature now match this holy God and it must progress this way not conforming more and more to the life that you left. Just realized that's what's happening today in the baptisms. People are confessing that there was this time when I lived this way and I was my own God, but then I struck a vision of the holy God somebody share the gospel the words of God with me. I was struck by his Holiness and my inability to be holy and his presence. I confess my sins God Wash Me cleanse me made me new so now I could be put into his family and now I'm confessing his Lord and when you look at my life, it should be matching the pursuit of Holiness not the Conformity to your former passions. That's what confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and being put in the family of God is y415 the essential nature of God, but if he who called you is Holy You also be holy in all your conduct. the phrase strike you be holy in all your conduct. Does that mean for us? That means you don't get to compartmentalize your life and say I will be holy at church, but over here with my friends, you know, imma do what I want or I'm going to be holy when I'm around Christian people cuz I'm playing softball with no buds than guess. What's going to happen? I'm going to live differently be holy in all your complete pervasive every action that you have. Cuz that is difficult. That's why it's hard to pursue Holiness right sitting up here saying this is going to be easy the Bible describes it as the flesh Waging War against your soul. So the pursuit of Holiness is is a war. It's a battle and it's it's hard to remind yourself of why you're doing it is going to be what's going to help you get to the end. Why are you doing it? Because as he who called you is Holy you also be holy in all your conduct. You got the right motivation to do things. Hope the pursuit of Holiness is all about the right motivation motivation. I'm going to be off in the direction that I don't want to go. You might not be able to tell that I workout I go to the gym every now and then go to the gym. I have the worst motivation for going to the gym. It is so that I can eat junk food is my pure motivation sole motivation to go to the gym not trying to be healthy. I'm not trying to set a good example for my kids. I just want to eat junk food and not get fat because the older I get what I need junk food. It just stays so wanted to go that's why I go to the gym like it so bad. I literally went to Germantown. This is not an exaggeration. I went to gym one time when I get into the car. And sitting next to me in the car is a closed box of Krispy Kreme Donuts. That's how health conscious our families. We just have random boxes of Krispy Kreme Donuts around there. I'm dressed to go to the gym. I'm driving to the gym. I'm going to the gym right now and I look at that box I go there's no way there's a donut in there. So I pray to God, please. Let there be a donut in there and I flip open the box and there is a Krispy Kreme donut left in the box. And on my way to the gym. I couldn't shove it in my house. And I'm not fast enough. I don't have the right motivation for working out. You need the right motivation to last to be in during what you're trying to do. In fact that I was reading a book Charles duhigg. I believe is his name smarter better faster stocking about how successful people succeed. He was looking at boot camps and how they're designed them, but they have the cadets go through and they get very rigorous training August. It's very difficult and there's points and times where you want to quit and one thing that is stressed in there that they did teach the cadets to help one another with when you see somebody lagging behind that you can keep up there. So tired they feel like they can't do it anymore. You asked me this question. Why are you doing this? Cuz you got to get down to the fundamental motivation of why you're putting yourself through this torture. Why am I doing this? I wrote a touching story of a man and he was telling the reason why is it every time somebody asked me this question to say I was trying to build a better life for my kids. Will that help you hold the another pack a little bit longer will help you climb a little higher. Absolutely if that's your motivation. The pursuit of Holiness is rigorous and tiring and it's hard but when you do it and you feel tired. Can you look at a brother or sister in Christ? He say why are you doing this? Because as he who called me is Holy I have to be holy in all my conduct and that is not the motivation. I don't think you're going to last but if it is because I long to be holy like my father, but then I think you're going to be able to do it three quick helps. Let me give you three. Could you want to go on this Holiness and running this rigorous Pursuit the set yourself apart to differentiate yourself number one. Depend on holy people around you. Depend on holy people around you should be surrounded by people who are pursuing Holiness as well. You know what one of the most common terms to describe Christians in the New Testament is Saints. Holy ones set apart ones. That's what you and I should be. That's what our small group accountability should be. That's what this should be people who are all pursuing Holiness together. I'm not in a vacuum. I'm not doing it isolation. I'm doing it together with people who helping me run the race. So surrounding yourself with these holy people if you want a reference for that destroyed on 1st Corinthians 1 1 2 8 Frisco TX 11282 watch the way that Paul talks to the Corinthians a church that was not pursuing Holiness that needed to be reminded very starkly and frankly that if you serve a holy God you better live a holy life, but he starts at the beginning of a condom Saints and set apart by God so you in the surround ourselves with those right people who are willing to challenge that way number to depend on the holy scriptures. Depend upon the holy scriptures were depending on other people to help us do this number if you were depending upon the holy scriptures.