WEBVTT 00:00:02.869 --> 00:00:11.111 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. 00:00:11.111 --> 00:00:21.420 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 00:00:29.562 --> 00:00:32.031 Well, good morning, Valley View. 00:00:32.031 --> 00:00:35.534 It's great to be with you today while we continue in our study of First Peter. 00:00:35.534 --> 00:00:38.570 We've been working through the first chapter of First Peter. 00:00:38.570 --> 00:00:41.240 We're going to continue in that chapter today. 00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:46.912 And it was about 30 years ago or so that I was driving out here down Old Third Street. 00:00:46.912 --> 00:00:59.359 I had a old pickup truck at the time, and we lived nearby here, so I was often traveling this road, went to church here, and one of the places I would stop in there used to be a little gas station right here, right next to the Dollar General. 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:01.661 Now it's I don't know, it changes every week. 00:01:01.661 --> 00:01:07.099 It's a vape shop or an event center or a food mart or who knows what's going on there. 00:01:07.099 --> 00:01:10.503 But at the time, it was a gas station, and I'd stop in there, here and there. 00:01:10.503 --> 00:01:14.174 One day in particular, I was it was one of those days you've probably had these. 00:01:14.174 --> 00:01:16.575 I hope it's not today where you just are starting slow. 00:01:17.644 --> 00:01:18.378 You know what I mean? 00:01:18.378 --> 00:01:25.819 Where you're waiting for the brain to catch up or the body to catch up, and they're not syncing up, and you're just hoping that you get the day rolling at some point. 00:01:25.819 --> 00:01:28.721 You might seek out extra sources of caffeine at that point. 00:01:28.721 --> 00:01:30.222 And that's what I was doing. 00:01:30.222 --> 00:01:36.763 I pulled in there, still trying to get the day going, not fully engaged, not all the synapses weren't firing yet. 00:01:36.763 --> 00:01:38.331 So pull in there, I think. 00:01:38.331 --> 00:01:40.433 Let me get a a Coke or a coffee. 00:01:40.433 --> 00:01:59.185 I go in the store and while I'm standing there waiting to pay, I just look out into the parking lot and I see two guys pushing my truck back into the parking lot, and I thought, that's strange, I, I parked it up by the front of the of the building and they're pushing it in. 00:01:59.185 --> 00:02:02.355 And so I just let me just keep watching them see what they do. 00:02:02.355 --> 00:02:10.163 They push it all the way up, right up into the parking spot, and they kind of dust off their hands and give each other a handshake and start to walk off. 00:02:10.163 --> 00:02:13.500 And so I've at that point had paid for my beverage. 00:02:13.500 --> 00:02:17.871 I walked outside and I said, hey, guys, what happened with that truck? 00:02:17.871 --> 00:02:20.240 You know, I didn't want to admit that it was mine yet. 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:22.508 I wanted to find out what happened first. 00:02:22.508 --> 00:02:26.312 And they said, well, it was just out in the middle of Third Street. 00:02:26.312 --> 00:02:27.913 So I had it was a stick shift. 00:02:27.913 --> 00:02:38.724 I had failed to put it into gear when I pulled into the parking lot, and it had just rolled right back out into the street, and I said, well, I'm sure whoever owns it appreciated you putting it back up here. 00:02:38.724 --> 00:02:40.225 Have a good day. 00:02:40.225 --> 00:02:44.531 And I waited till they walked off before I got into it and drove off. 00:02:45.198 --> 00:02:49.635 But I thought, man, you have those days where you're just not fully engaged. 00:02:49.635 --> 00:02:52.171 You're not fully aware of what's going on yet. 00:02:52.171 --> 00:02:54.774 You haven't taken the initiative yet to get fully engaged. 00:02:54.774 --> 00:03:03.983 And I think there's times in life where we feel that way, whole seasons where you feel like I'm not fully there, I'm not fully engaged with what God has for me. 00:03:05.117 --> 00:03:12.824 In fact, we've been looking for the last few weeks in verses three through 12, Peter, who's all about action, doesn't start the book with action. 00:03:12.824 --> 00:03:15.061 He starts the book with worship. 00:03:15.061 --> 00:03:18.931 And in that section he says, here's how God intends you to live. 00:03:18.931 --> 00:03:21.935 Here's what he has for you. 00:03:22.034 --> 00:03:24.670 And yet we don't always live it out. 00:03:24.670 --> 00:03:30.643 So today we're going to look at how Peter is calling us to be who we're meant to be. 00:03:30.643 --> 00:03:32.579 Verse three through 12, this is who you're meant to be. 00:03:32.579 --> 00:03:34.747 This is who you are in Christ. 00:03:34.747 --> 00:03:36.348 Here's how we get there. 00:03:36.348 --> 00:03:56.336 This is what we're going to see today as we look at verses 13 through 16 in First Peter chapter one, we're going to see in particular five ways to be who you are, five ways to become who you were meant to be, to be fully engaged, to be there fully not still asleep, but fully engaged. 00:03:56.336 --> 00:03:58.570 So turn with me to First Peter chapter one. 00:03:58.570 --> 00:04:07.145 If you don't have a Bible, we'd love to put a copy of Scripture in your hands for you to keep, to be able to turn with us and follow along as I read. 00:04:07.145 --> 00:04:10.015 If you have a church Bible, the page number is on the screen. 00:04:10.015 --> 00:04:12.618 It'll be on page 953 in that Bible. 00:04:12.618 --> 00:04:14.486 But we're in first Peter chapter one. 00:04:14.486 --> 00:04:17.923 I'm just going to read our section for today, verses 13 through 16. 00:04:19.658 --> 00:04:33.773 Therefore, 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. 00:04:34.439 --> 00:04:47.120 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. 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:54.259 Since it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy. 00:04:54.259 --> 00:05:00.800 So here we have in this section today we're going to see five ways to become who you are. 00:05:00.966 --> 00:05:05.237 If you know Christ, there are truths about you that they are meant to be true of you. 00:05:05.237 --> 00:05:08.206 And yet sometimes we're not fully engaged in those yet. 00:05:08.206 --> 00:05:10.142 How do we get there? 00:05:10.142 --> 00:05:15.514 Peter has been giving us worship, but now he's going to enter into the commands. 00:05:15.514 --> 00:05:17.317 Peter is all about direction. 00:05:17.317 --> 00:05:18.750 He's all about action. 00:05:18.750 --> 00:05:19.985 He's all about commands. 00:05:19.985 --> 00:05:21.586 And we're going to see five ways. 00:05:21.586 --> 00:05:28.961 And the first one here is just in this very first sentence, therefore, preparing your minds for action. 00:05:30.529 --> 00:05:36.968 The first step in how we become who were meant to be, is to be prepared, is to prepare your minds for action. 00:05:36.968 --> 00:05:39.439 That's the first one, the first in our list of five. 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:41.240 Prepare. 00:05:41.240 --> 00:05:44.744 Now, what's interesting about this phrase? 00:05:44.911 --> 00:05:46.879 It doesn't say that in the original language. 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:49.382 It doesn't say preparing your minds for action. 00:05:52.017 --> 00:05:55.088 gird up your loins for action. 00:05:55.987 --> 00:05:59.524 That's a good kind of Old Testament King James phrase right there, isn’t it? 00:05:59.524 --> 00:06:01.593 Gird up your loins for action. 00:06:01.593 --> 00:06:05.064 Gird up the loins of your minds In fact, is what it says. 00:06:05.064 --> 00:06:07.100 Now what does that mean? 00:06:07.100 --> 00:06:12.338 Gird meant fasten, buckle, and loins is your waist. 00:06:12.338 --> 00:06:23.182 And if you think back to the felt boards when you were in elementary school, maybe if you weren't, but you seen images of people from ancient times, men oftentimes wore robes. 00:06:23.182 --> 00:06:25.151 That would have been the attire of that times. 00:06:25.151 --> 00:06:37.396 But if you needed to do something physical, if you needed to do something, some work, if you needed to run, if you needed to do something active, those robes were going to get in your way. 00:06:37.396 --> 00:06:43.636 And so what they would do is they would gather them up and tuck them into their belt so they would be ready for action. 00:06:43.636 --> 00:06:51.978 Gird up your loins, get your fabric out of the way so that now you're ready to run, to lift something heavy, you're ready for action. 00:06:51.978 --> 00:06:58.817 In fact, one image of this I think it's real helpful comes, comes to us from Exodus chapter 12, verse 11. 00:06:58.817 --> 00:07:00.653 It's going to be on, on the screen. 00:07:00.653 --> 00:07:03.755 This was the setting of the very first Passover. 00:07:03.755 --> 00:07:06.959 They know they're about to leave Egypt, head to the Promised Land. 00:07:08.026 --> 00:07:13.466 And here's how they were to prepare to eat the meal, how they were to be physically ready to eat the meal. 00:07:13.466 --> 00:07:26.512 It says this in this manner you shall eat it with your belt fastened, which means having your clothing out of the way to be ready to move your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. 00:07:26.512 --> 00:07:36.855 You're to eat it in the way, to be ready to go, to be ready to be on the move, to be ready for whatever God calls you to do. 00:07:37.622 --> 00:07:47.867 Of course, there was the physical ready aspect that they were talking about in Exodus, but what we're talking about today is how do I prepare mentally? 00:07:47.867 --> 00:07:49.935 How do I get fully engaged mentally? 00:07:49.935 --> 00:07:53.139 How do I make sure my mind is ready for action? 00:07:54.774 --> 00:07:58.076 Now, I've thought of tried to think of some instances where this happens in life. 00:07:58.076 --> 00:08:01.247 What are some times when you really gear up your mind for action? 00:08:01.247 --> 00:08:08.120 In fact, one of the ways this is translated in some Bibles is roll up the sleeves of your mind, right? 00:08:08.120 --> 00:08:12.757 We don't usually gird up our loins anymore, but you know what I'm talking about. 00:08:12.757 --> 00:08:14.894 We say I’ve got to get my sleeves rolled up. 00:08:14.894 --> 00:08:20.899 I got to get ready to do some work, to to be engaged, fully roll up the sleeves of your mind. 00:08:20.899 --> 00:08:23.836 When I thought about, when do we do that in our lives? 00:08:23.836 --> 00:08:26.973 When do we really want to make sure my mind is fully engaged? 00:08:26.973 --> 00:08:28.074 A couple of things came to mind. 00:08:28.074 --> 00:08:30.642 One might be a job interview. 00:08:30.642 --> 00:08:35.081 If you know you have a job interview coming up, man, you're researching that company. 00:08:35.081 --> 00:08:40.852 You're you're maybe stalking the owner of the company online, learning all you can about them. 00:08:40.852 --> 00:08:42.554 What team do they cheer for or not? 00:08:42.554 --> 00:08:44.624 What soft drink do they like? 00:08:44.624 --> 00:08:46.292 You're you're really engaging. 00:08:46.292 --> 00:08:49.427 You're trying to put yourself in as pleasant of a state of mind as possible. 00:08:49.427 --> 00:08:52.431 You want to come and be cheerful and kind and happy. 00:08:52.431 --> 00:08:55.668 You're doing all you can to fully engage your mind. 00:08:55.668 --> 00:09:03.109 Another instance might be, if you're going out on a first date with someone, you're making sure I'm going to put my best foot forward. 00:09:03.109 --> 00:09:06.778 I'm trying to think, what are some interesting things I can talk about with this person? 00:09:06.778 --> 00:09:10.515 How do I seem more interesting than I really am today? 00:09:10.515 --> 00:09:11.783 Fully engaged? 00:09:11.783 --> 00:09:15.288 Or if you have a test coming up or here's another one. 00:09:15.288 --> 00:09:28.333 If you have a hard conversation to have with someone and you're thinking it through, have I really... am I really coming to this having thought this through, am I in the right place? Are my motives pure? 00:09:28.333 --> 00:09:38.711 Is is my heart after the right things, or do I have selfish motives here? You're making sure my mind is fully engaged, fully active, fully there. 00:09:39.711 --> 00:09:41.346 And this is what Peter is saying to us. 00:09:41.346 --> 00:09:47.986 If you want to live out everything that we said was true of us, prepare your mind. 00:09:47.986 --> 00:09:57.129 Prepare your heart for the action to come. Be there, not just a passive participant to to make sure I'm fully prepared. 00:09:57.129 --> 00:10:02.668 Gear up. Now, I think two practical ways to do this we see in Scripture. 00:10:02.668 --> 00:10:05.738 In fact, there's two passages in particular I want to point you to. 00:10:05.738 --> 00:10:08.039 14. 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:13.578 And I love that passage because that's the whole Armor of God section. 00:10:13.578 --> 00:10:18.918 How do we practically gear up our minds for action? Buckle the belt of truth. 00:10:18.918 --> 00:10:23.688 That's a paraphrase of the translation put on the belt of truth. 00:10:23.688 --> 00:10:29.095 So if you want to have your mind ready for action, envelop it in God's Word. 00:10:30.096 --> 00:10:33.164 Have your mind saturated in God's Word. 00:10:33.298 --> 00:10:39.337 There's no better way to prepare your mind for what he may bring. 00:10:39.337 --> 00:10:42.674 The second comes from Luke 12, and I want to turn to that passage. 00:10:42.674 --> 00:10:47.812 It's on page 819 in the church Bible, but turn to Luke 12. 00:10:50.149 --> 00:10:56.956 This is Jesus teaching to his disciples, and he's talking about the importance of being ready. 00:10:56.956 --> 00:10:59.825 And this is in verse 35. 00:10:59.825 --> 00:11:02.827 Look at how he starts this sentence. 00:11:04.462 --> 00:11:08.100 And it's actually I'm pretty sure it's the exact same wording. 00:11:08.100 --> 00:11:12.303 If some of your Bibles may have a footnote, let your loins stay girded. 00:11:12.303 --> 00:11:19.845 It's the exact same wording, but it's translated stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning. 00:11:19.845 --> 00:11:30.690 Be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. 00:11:32.424 --> 00:11:38.496 The setting here is servants waiting for the master to come. Eagerly expecting him to come. 00:11:38.496 --> 00:11:39.298 Ready. 00:11:39.298 --> 00:11:42.668 They're not off just doing whatever they want. 00:11:42.668 --> 00:11:44.035 They're watching. 00:11:44.035 --> 00:11:44.437 They're. 00:11:44.437 --> 00:11:46.337 They're anticipating his arrival. 00:11:46.337 --> 00:11:47.505 They're eager to see him. 00:11:47.505 --> 00:11:48.908 They're ready. They're prepared. 00:11:48.908 --> 00:11:50.442 Their minds are fully engaged. 00:11:50.442 --> 00:11:51.110 They're alert. 00:11:51.110 --> 00:11:54.080 They're on the lookout even. 00:11:54.080 --> 00:12:05.291 And the context here is, if you want to be ready for action, to have your loins girded up for action is to know where you stand with the master. 00:12:05.291 --> 00:12:18.136 Be ready for his arrival, be anticipating his arrival, and know that when he comes, I'll be ready to know that when Christ comes back, there will be a day when he comes back. 00:12:18.136 --> 00:12:23.775 It may not be in our lifetime, but there will be a day when you meet him and you stand before him. 00:12:24.809 --> 00:12:27.779 Are you ready for that? 00:12:27.779 --> 00:12:31.149 I'm not talking about, are you, do you have everything in your life figured out? 00:12:31.149 --> 00:12:32.485 Are you perfect? 00:12:32.485 --> 00:12:34.953 That's never going to happen. 00:12:34.953 --> 00:12:36.288 But have you said yes? 00:12:36.288 --> 00:12:38.758 I will follow you. 00:12:38.758 --> 00:12:42.061 I'm submitting my life to you. Now, I know I won't be perfect. 00:12:42.061 --> 00:12:43.428 I know I won't have it all figured out. 00:12:43.428 --> 00:12:47.332 By the way, he doesn't require that you don't get cleaned up before you go take a shower. 00:12:47.332 --> 00:12:51.537 You come to him first, and then he changes your life. 00:12:51.537 --> 00:12:53.072 You come to him broken. 00:12:53.072 --> 00:12:55.508 You come to him admitting that I'm messed up. 00:12:55.508 --> 00:12:56.775 I've tried it myself. 00:12:56.775 --> 00:13:00.546 I've messed up my life trying to figure it out myself. 00:13:00.546 --> 00:13:07.186 You come broken, you come eager and you say, Lord, I don't know how to live this life. 00:13:07.186 --> 00:13:08.687 I need you to take it over. 00:13:10.589 --> 00:13:12.691 But you know where you stand. 00:13:12.691 --> 00:13:15.927 You know that when he comes looking for his. 00:13:15.927 --> 00:13:18.931 That he's going to be looking for you. 00:13:19.164 --> 00:13:24.769 That's one of the ways we prepare for action, is to know where we stand with him. 00:13:24.769 --> 00:13:30.375 And if you don't know where you stand with him, man, I'd love to talk with you about that. After the service today. 00:13:30.375 --> 00:13:31.309 Come find me. 00:13:31.309 --> 00:13:35.147 Come find one of the people who were standing down front here. 00:13:35.147 --> 00:13:44.590 We would love to talk about what it means to follow Christ, to know him, to confess your sins, to repent of your sins, to put your trust in him fully. 00:13:45.890 --> 00:13:47.960 So prepare your minds for action. 00:13:47.960 --> 00:13:50.528 That's the first way we move towards who are we meant to be? 00:13:50.528 --> 00:13:52.764 How do we live out fully who we're meant to be? 00:13:52.764 --> 00:13:54.399 The second way here is in the verse. 00:13:54.399 --> 00:14:00.239 Turn back to First Peter, preparing your minds for action and being sober minded. 00:14:00.239 --> 00:14:02.307 And the second way is to sober up. 00:14:03.908 --> 00:14:05.244 And I thought about this phrase. 00:14:05.244 --> 00:14:09.748 There's a clear distinction between those who are sober and those who are intoxicated. 00:14:09.748 --> 00:14:12.116 It's usually quite obvious. 00:14:12.116 --> 00:14:17.655 What are some of the characteristics of the sober minded person? 00:14:17.655 --> 00:14:23.261 Obviously it's obvious physically when people are intoxicated, but what about the sober minded person? 00:14:23.261 --> 00:14:25.397 A few things came to mind. 00:14:25.397 --> 00:14:30.535 We're going to put a few of these up on the screen. First, the sober minded person lives in reality. 00:14:31.836 --> 00:14:35.106 Usually, if you're intoxicated, you're seeking to escape reality. 00:14:35.106 --> 00:14:36.875 You don't want to deal with reality. 00:14:36.875 --> 00:14:38.476 You're trying to get away from reality. 00:14:38.476 --> 00:14:44.682 But the sober minded person says, I may not like reality, but here it is and I'm going to deal with it. 00:14:44.682 --> 00:14:45.683 I'm going to press into it. 00:14:45.683 --> 00:14:51.557 I'm going to trust Christ, but I'm not going to try to escape from what is happening around me. 00:14:52.791 --> 00:15:00.599 Second characteristic of a sober minded person is they are attentive, but the intoxicated person is not attentive. 00:15:00.599 --> 00:15:02.967 They aren't sure what's happening around them. 00:15:02.967 --> 00:15:07.907 They depend on others to guide and direct them and to help them see what's going on. 00:15:07.907 --> 00:15:10.909 But the sober minded person is attentive. 00:15:11.277 --> 00:15:12.745 They're watching. 00:15:12.745 --> 00:15:15.047 They're aware of challenges. 00:15:15.047 --> 00:15:18.984 They're aware of something that may be awry. 00:15:19.751 --> 00:15:23.389 When I've been in places that are sketchy with my family. 00:15:23.389 --> 00:15:31.864 We were on a family vacation recently, and we were in the city and sketchy part of town, and my eyes are just constantly scanning around for any trouble. 00:15:31.864 --> 00:15:43.375 And if I see a sketchy person, I'm kind of subtly nudging my family in a slightly different direction, trying to get between them and that person and or maybe putting the least favorite child out front toward them at that time. 00:15:43.375 --> 00:15:50.115 You know it, whatever it takes to protect us all, they can take it for the team, whatever it takes. 00:15:50.115 --> 00:15:53.085 But I'm attentive on what you're watching. 00:15:53.085 --> 00:16:03.361 And if you've served in the military or in law enforcement, you're one of those people that you sit in the corner of the room so you can see and scan the whole room, and you're watching every crazy person that walks in. 00:16:03.361 --> 00:16:04.964 You've given them all names and numbers. 00:16:04.964 --> 00:16:06.966 You know who every one of them are in the room. 00:16:06.966 --> 00:16:09.934 You're attentive. 00:16:09.934 --> 00:16:14.673 A sober minded person is also attentive to what the spirit is doing. 00:16:14.840 --> 00:16:17.710 Aware. God is at work. 00:16:17.710 --> 00:16:18.910 God is moving. 00:16:18.910 --> 00:16:23.716 I heard them say something, and behind that, I know there's more to that story. 00:16:23.716 --> 00:16:25.317 God is working in their lives. 00:16:25.317 --> 00:16:27.485 They're attentive. 00:16:27.485 --> 00:16:30.688 Number three-- spiritually sensitive. 00:16:32.291 --> 00:16:35.827 The sober minded person is spiritually sensitive. Sensitive. 00:16:35.827 --> 00:16:40.264 They're they're listening for the spirit to to speak to them. 00:16:40.264 --> 00:16:45.703 Their senses aren't dulled to the place, to where they they can't hear from the Spirit. 00:16:48.173 --> 00:16:57.249 In fact, just a few verses later in chapter four, he says, be sober minded for the sake of your prayers. 00:16:58.149 --> 00:17:03.187 Your prayer life is affected by the nature of your mind. 00:17:03.589 --> 00:17:12.030 Is your mind intoxicated not just by beverage but by the world? 00:17:12.030 --> 00:17:13.398 Or is it spiritually attentive? 00:17:13.398 --> 00:17:20.305 And then, number four, the sober minded person adjusts quickly to adversity. 00:17:20.305 --> 00:17:21.205 And here's what I mean by this. 00:17:21.205 --> 00:17:22.007 I'm going to read a quote. 00:17:22.007 --> 00:17:25.544 Don't put it up yet, but I'm going to read a quote to you from a guy named Josephus. 00:17:25.544 --> 00:17:28.480 I've mentioned him a number of times. 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:33.218 You need to become familiar with him because I'm going to keep talking about him because he was an ancient Jewish historian. 00:17:33.218 --> 00:17:35.753 He he was a contemporary of Jesus. 00:17:35.753 --> 00:17:38.757 So was another Jewish historian, Philo. 00:17:38.856 --> 00:17:43.996 I quote from them a lot, because these guys lived around the same time as Jesus and they were historians. 00:17:43.996 --> 00:17:46.397 They captured a lot of the history of that era. 00:17:46.397 --> 00:17:50.435 That's how we have learned a lot about what life was like then. 00:17:50.435 --> 00:17:51.769 And Josephus wrote in Greek. 00:17:51.769 --> 00:18:00.679 So when he uses a Greek word and the New Testament’s in Greek and he uses a word and it's the same word, we learn more about how other people would have used that word at that time. 00:18:00.679 --> 00:18:03.115 So there's a lot to draw from with Josephus. 00:18:03.115 --> 00:18:14.192 He also, interestingly enough, was a general in the Jewish army and led part of the army against the Romans in an uprising that eventually led to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. 00:18:14.192 --> 00:18:23.469 So he was heavily involved in the history of the of of the Israelites, of the Jewish nation at the time. 00:18:23.469 --> 00:18:28.539 But here's what he said when he was describing a warrior using the same phrase sober minded. 00:18:28.539 --> 00:18:29.508 What makes a good warrior? 00:18:29.508 --> 00:18:32.176 Go ahead and put that quote on the screen and you'll see what he said. 00:18:32.176 --> 00:18:32.911 Here's a good warrior. 00:18:32.911 --> 00:18:39.484 “He is the best warrior who is of a sober mind...” There's that phrase being sober minded. 00:18:39.585 --> 00:18:43.188 “...under misfortunes...” And misfortune happens. 00:18:43.188 --> 00:18:58.769 If you have sober mind, here's what will happen--“...that he may continue in that temper and cheerfully recover what had been lost formerly.” It's a mouthful, but here's what that means-- a sober minded warrior can take adversity and bounce back. 00:18:58.903 --> 00:19:00.138 And you know what I mean. 00:19:00.138 --> 00:19:08.346 There are those who the slightest little things happen, and there are days maybe where we all are there and you're unraveled. 00:19:08.346 --> 00:19:10.182 You can't handle it. 00:19:10.182 --> 00:19:12.416 Someone tapped their brakes too quickly in front of you, and that's it. 00:19:12.416 --> 00:19:13.085 That's the end of the day. 00:19:13.085 --> 00:19:14.086 It's all over. 00:19:14.086 --> 00:19:16.488 Can't recover. 00:19:16.488 --> 00:19:20.526 But the sober minded person says, no big deal. 00:19:20.526 --> 00:19:25.364 I can absorb that, and I can recover and I can get back into the battle like that. 00:19:26.431 --> 00:19:28.099 It seems like we're under attack. 00:19:28.099 --> 00:19:29.300 It seems like it's all over. 00:19:29.300 --> 00:19:31.068 I'm back and engaged. 00:19:31.068 --> 00:19:46.652 The sober minded person is attentive, can adjust quickly, and can get back in the battle, whereas the intoxicated person is slow to react, can't tell what's going on, is easily put aside and derailed. 00:19:47.553 --> 00:19:48.053 Now last. 00:19:48.053 --> 00:19:49.054 Lastly, I want to point out the last one. 00:19:49.054 --> 00:19:50.154 Number five. 00:19:50.154 --> 00:19:55.894 And this is probably the essence of sober mindedness is abstinence. 00:19:56.528 --> 00:20:01.500 The sober minded person abstains from that which dulls the senses. 00:20:01.967 --> 00:20:07.372 And of course, that's true of intoxicating substances physically, whether it's alcohol or drugs. 00:20:07.372 --> 00:20:12.076 But spiritually, what dulls the spiritual senses? 00:20:12.076 --> 00:20:16.181 What things do I allow into my life that dull the spiritual senses? 00:20:16.181 --> 00:20:19.518 Some of those are absolutes that will dull everyone's spiritual senses. 00:20:19.518 --> 00:20:23.922 Some things might dull yours and not others, and we need to be honest about that. 00:20:23.922 --> 00:20:28.160 I can't let that into my life that pulls me away from Christ. 00:20:30.929 --> 00:20:33.932 What we want. 00:20:34.165 --> 00:20:36.234 Is to be away from those things. 00:20:36.234 --> 00:20:45.743 In fact, there's a word you might hear someone who has been through recovery, shout out Theresa, what you want. 00:20:45.743 --> 00:20:47.378 Say it again. Louder. 00:20:47.378 --> 00:20:52.217 So that's where we're headed is freedom. 00:20:52.250 --> 00:20:55.787 Freedom from those things that enslave you. 00:20:55.787 --> 00:20:57.655 We want freedom. 00:20:57.655 --> 00:21:00.659 Sober mindedness is freedom. 00:21:01.960 --> 00:21:05.963 That's how we begin to become who we are in Christ. 00:21:06.097 --> 00:21:08.700 So be sober minded. 00:21:08.700 --> 00:21:10.134 That's the second phrase in here. 00:21:10.134 --> 00:21:12.436 How are the ways we come to know who he is? 00:21:12.436 --> 00:21:15.273 Be prepared, who we are. Be prepared. 00:21:15.273 --> 00:21:17.608 Be sober minded. 00:21:17.608 --> 00:21:22.381 Now, here's why. This sets us up for this action. 00:21:22.381 --> 00:21:26.183 To be able to, look back at verse 13, be prepared in your minds for action. 00:21:26.183 --> 00:21:35.559 Be sober minded so that you can set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:21:35.559 --> 00:21:37.729 This is the third way we become who were meant to be. 00:21:37.729 --> 00:21:39.498 Set your hope fully. 00:21:39.498 --> 00:21:42.334 Hope in grace fully. 00:21:44.068 --> 00:21:46.337 Now, that word hope we've talked about before. 00:21:46.337 --> 00:21:53.478 But I'll bring it back up again because we tend to use the word hope differently than the Bible uses the word hope. We use it. 00:21:53.478 --> 00:21:54.712 Not sure if it will happen or not. 00:21:54.712 --> 00:21:57.648 I hope it doesn't rain today. 00:21:57.648 --> 00:22:00.919 I hope they include me in their will. 00:22:00.919 --> 00:22:02.988 I hope people will come to Wednesday Night Supper. 00:22:02.988 --> 00:22:07.858 By the way, we're having Wednesday Night Supper start up again this week. 00:22:07.858 --> 00:22:08.326 Thank you. 00:22:08.326 --> 00:22:12.130 All seven people who are excited about that. 00:22:13.464 --> 00:22:14.499 New menu. 00:22:14.499 --> 00:22:19.671 We're doing, like a Taco Nacho Mexican bar this week. 00:22:20.071 --> 00:22:26.144 Others are very excited about all four of them, but point being, I hope people will come. 00:22:27.211 --> 00:22:28.846 But here's the difference with biblical hope. 00:22:28.846 --> 00:22:30.214 Let me put this quote up on the screen. 00:22:30.214 --> 00:22:31.249 This is from Paul Tripp. 00:22:32.384 --> 00:22:34.051 Biblical hope is different. 00:22:34.051 --> 00:22:46.330 Biblical hope is “a confident expectation of a guaranteed result,” rooted in what it says here in verse 13, the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:22:47.432 --> 00:22:53.505 Our hope is that he will come and that is rooted in a guaranteed result because he already rose from the dead. 00:22:53.505 --> 00:22:57.642 It's not crazy to think that Jesus will come back when he rose from the dead. 00:22:57.642 --> 00:22:58.276 You see this? 00:22:58.276 --> 00:23:01.278 We, the hope we have right now. 00:23:01.313 --> 00:23:04.182 It's rooted in a guaranteed result. 00:23:04.182 --> 00:23:10.622 It's a confident expectation of a guaranteed result. 00:23:10.622 --> 00:23:12.824 Now, the key word in this, there's two key words. 00:23:12.824 --> 00:23:18.497 Set your hope fully-- it's set, and fully. 00:23:18.497 --> 00:23:23.934 Set your hope fully in the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:23:24.068 --> 00:23:25.002 Here's what we're going to talk about. 00:23:25.002 --> 00:23:30.375 I'm going to illustrate this with a prop. 00:23:30.375 --> 00:23:45.523 If you've ever set a fence post, which I have, although I promise never to do it again, this may be one example why. You can see this is not the kind of fence post you want to use, although I might be tempted to do that. 00:23:45.523 --> 00:23:52.263 If you go to set a fence post in the ground, it's not about your effort in setting it. 00:23:52.297 --> 00:23:57.868 Look, I can all day long put great forth effort in setting this fence post here. 00:23:57.868 --> 00:24:02.339 I could spend the whole day doing my best to set this fence post right here. 00:24:02.339 --> 00:24:05.343 It's not about my effort. 00:24:05.977 --> 00:24:16.188 When I set my hope fully in something, if you want this fence post to be set fully to not move, do not fall over. 00:24:16.188 --> 00:24:20.659 When I just let go, I need to set it in a substance that's strong. 00:24:20.659 --> 00:24:26.163 I need to put it in concrete and then let it dry and cure and be ready and strong. 00:24:26.163 --> 00:24:27.865 It's not about my effort to set. 00:24:27.865 --> 00:24:32.436 It's about the focus of the substance in which upon I set my hope. 00:24:32.436 --> 00:24:38.809 You see, if I can set my hope all day long in my ability or what might happen, or someone here who I'm trusting. 00:24:38.809 --> 00:24:42.780 Let me get this out of the way before I injure myself. 00:24:42.780 --> 00:24:47.384 I could do that all day long, but my hope needs to be set in Christ. 00:24:48.019 --> 00:24:48.854 He is the... 00:24:48.854 --> 00:24:53.258 It's about how strong he is, not how great I am at hoping and setting. 00:24:53.258 --> 00:24:57.895 Put your focus fully, and that's the other word, fully. 00:24:57.895 --> 00:25:03.268 If my hope is set even partially on anything else, it's going to fail. 00:25:03.434 --> 00:25:04.603 It's not going to endure. 00:25:04.603 --> 00:25:05.836 It's not going to stand up. 00:25:07.204 --> 00:25:09.540 I could have half concrete, half mud. 00:25:09.540 --> 00:25:11.509 It's going to fall over. 00:25:11.509 --> 00:25:15.313 Set your hope fully in Christ. 00:25:16.615 --> 00:25:18.048 That's what's going to prevail. 00:25:18.048 --> 00:25:26.124 That's the third way that we continue to grow into who we're meant to be, set our hope fully on the resurrection of Jesus Christ to come. 00:25:26.124 --> 00:25:29.126 The grace that will come through that. 00:25:29.126 --> 00:25:32.063 Now, the interesting part of these first three commands, we're going to get into the next two. 00:25:32.063 --> 00:25:37.368 But these first three are really mostly about our way of thinking. 00:25:38.403 --> 00:25:46.845 You know, before he really tells you to take direct action, his first step is make sure you get your thinking right, because how you think is how you live. 00:25:46.877 --> 00:25:49.079 You got to get your mindset right. 00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:56.855 If you're gearing up to do something big, man, I got to get my head around it first to get fully engaged, to get my heart fully engaged. 00:25:58.490 --> 00:26:05.262 But as you know, and if you've been in these seasons, the theme of the whole book of First Peter is finding joy in suffering. 00:26:05.262 --> 00:26:09.768 And if you've been in those seasons of suffering, you've got to get your head engaged. 00:26:09.768 --> 00:26:12.436 But there comes a point where you got to take action. 00:26:12.436 --> 00:26:19.644 There comes a point where action needs to happen, and he's going to turn the corner here with our last two ways that we become who we are. 00:26:19.644 --> 00:26:22.480 Look at verse 14 and 16, 00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:36.094 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. 00:26:36.094 --> 00:26:39.196 Since it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy. 00:26:39.196 --> 00:26:41.098 Two things here to highlight. 00:26:41.098 --> 00:26:46.570 First, don't be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. 00:26:48.373 --> 00:26:50.808 Reject conformity. 00:26:50.808 --> 00:26:52.576 Now we looked at that word. Conformed. 00:26:52.576 --> 00:26:59.017 If you remember our study in Romans 12, as we looked at the habit series, that word can also be expanded. 00:26:59.017 --> 00:27:04.689 Translation would be something like don't let the world press you into its mold. 00:27:05.490 --> 00:27:06.490 That's what the world wants. 00:27:06.490 --> 00:27:11.028 It wants conformity to a a life that rejects Christ. 00:27:11.028 --> 00:27:21.772 The world wants you to press you into its mold, wants you to become like it, not like Christ, but hear what is pressing you into its mold. 00:27:21.772 --> 00:27:27.077 It's your your own passions that have been shaped by your former life. 00:27:27.077 --> 00:27:34.853 And how many times have you been in this situations, and you've seen others who are completely driven by their passions, their desires? 00:27:34.952 --> 00:27:37.188 They can't say no to their impulses. 00:27:38.823 --> 00:27:41.826 That's a two year old. 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:48.666 They can't say, no, I'm not calling you two year olds, but you've been around. 00:27:48.666 --> 00:27:55.105 They call it, boys who shave, men who still are controlled or women. 00:27:55.240 --> 00:28:00.711 I'm not saying the women shave, but adults who are controlled by their impulses. 00:28:00.711 --> 00:28:01.813 They can't say no. 00:28:01.813 --> 00:28:08.586 They're constantly driven by whatever they feel in the moment, that they have no self-control. 00:28:09.086 --> 00:28:11.155 Reject that. 00:28:11.155 --> 00:28:20.464 That is a type of intoxication that is being driven by something else, rather than being sober minded, self-controlled. 00:28:21.432 --> 00:28:34.778 Instead, he says, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but instead the picture here is as obedient children. 00:28:34.778 --> 00:28:40.684 That's how the verse starts “as obedient children.” I love that phrasing because it does a couple of things. 00:28:40.684 --> 00:28:47.357 It points to the nature of a childlike innocence, but it also points to the nature of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. 00:28:49.693 --> 00:28:56.267 I think there's nothing quite as strong in the heart of the child as their desire for their parents approval. 00:28:57.367 --> 00:29:02.440 Every kid wants their parents love, approval, attention. 00:29:02.440 --> 00:29:07.679 Even the kid who has gone off the rails, they're still looking for that. 00:29:07.679 --> 00:29:08.880 I know that's complicated. 00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:14.586 I'm not trying to pass a very clear parenting principle here, but you know what I'm saying? 00:29:14.586 --> 00:29:23.894 There's something in the heart of the child, and you could go to the most difficult prison, the most maximum security prison. 00:29:23.894 --> 00:29:32.269 And I bet if you went around and asked people, did your father ever tell you he loves you? 00:29:32.269 --> 00:29:35.573 You're going to hear no. 00:29:35.573 --> 00:29:36.673 Over and over again. 00:29:36.673 --> 00:29:39.510 You'll also hear, I didn't even know him. 00:29:39.510 --> 00:29:40.511 I don't even know who he is. 00:29:42.247 --> 00:29:45.383 And you take the meanest, the baddest, the toughest guy in there. 00:29:45.383 --> 00:29:49.487 And his dad calls that day and says, son, I'm sorry. 00:29:49.487 --> 00:29:51.990 I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. 00:29:51.990 --> 00:29:53.724 I'm sorry I wasn't around. 00:29:53.724 --> 00:29:55.692 I've done a lot of things wrong. 00:29:55.692 --> 00:29:56.795 I want to change my life. 00:29:56.795 --> 00:30:00.832 And I want you to know how much I love you. 00:30:01.598 --> 00:30:13.678 Man, I tell you, no matter how tough that guy is, he's going to weep like a baby, more than likely, to hear that from his father. 00:30:13.678 --> 00:30:19.017 What we all long for as obedient children. 00:30:19.017 --> 00:30:27.925 Don't be pressed into the mold of your former passions, but find delight in obeying your heavenly father as it was designed. 00:30:27.925 --> 00:30:32.230 As a child longs to delight in their father. 00:30:32.396 --> 00:30:34.231 Don't be conformed. 00:30:34.231 --> 00:30:36.901 That's the negative side of the actions here. 00:30:36.901 --> 00:30:39.837 But here's the positive side don't be conformed to the world. 00:30:39.837 --> 00:30:41.806 Instead, what should we look to? 00:30:43.273 --> 00:30:50.448 But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. 00:30:50.647 --> 00:30:55.720 As it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy. 00:30:56.054 --> 00:31:08.066 The last way today we're going to look at the fifth way that we become who were meant to be is to imitate holiness, imitate the holiness of Christ, imitate the holiness of the Father. 00:31:08.499 --> 00:31:11.269 Now, what I want to point out here is what Peter does here. 00:31:11.269 --> 00:31:12.737 And Peter. 00:31:12.737 --> 00:31:14.439 And by the way, I know this about you guys. 00:31:14.439 --> 00:31:19.509 I know that you love it when the New Testament quotes the Old Testament. 00:31:19.509 --> 00:31:20.411 I love seeing that. 00:31:20.411 --> 00:31:22.646 I love digging in and seeing why did it quote here? 00:31:22.646 --> 00:31:24.648 What did it mean in the original context? 00:31:24.648 --> 00:31:27.417 Well, how is the author in the New Testament now presenting it? 00:31:28.819 --> 00:31:34.157 Peter's quoting from the book of Leviticus when he quotes this be holy as I am holy. 00:31:34.157 --> 00:31:36.326 12. 00:31:36.326 --> 00:31:41.531 And Leviticus, that section of Leviticus is often called the Holiness Code. 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:49.773 It's this whole list of laws about how Israel was to live, to set themselves apart from the country, the nations around them. 00:31:49.773 --> 00:31:51.276 They were to be set apart. 00:31:51.276 --> 00:31:53.711 We talked about that phrase when we talked about sanctification. 00:31:53.711 --> 00:31:57.515 Holiness is similar, meant to be set apart from everyone else around them. 00:31:57.515 --> 00:32:00.518 I've set you apart for a special purpose. 00:32:02.119 --> 00:32:05.022 Now, Peter, by doing that, he is quoting the Old Testament. 00:32:05.022 --> 00:32:05.923 He's doing a couple things. 00:32:05.923 --> 00:32:10.127 One, he is saying the Old Testament is a dependable authority. 00:32:10.127 --> 00:32:19.103 That's something you can trust in, but notice he doesn't then list off a bunch of those laws from the Old Testament. 00:32:19.103 --> 00:32:21.138 He says, be holy like God is holy. 00:32:21.138 --> 00:32:24.107 Imitate him in his character. 00:32:24.541 --> 00:32:31.848 Now, the hard part of that is this is also probably one of the most confusing parts of understanding scripture. 00:32:31.848 --> 00:32:34.117 I'm just going to wade into this briefly. 00:32:34.117 --> 00:32:39.022 How do I know what parts of the Old Testament to follow I mean, people want to talk about. 00:32:39.022 --> 00:32:41.659 See, you can't trust the Bible because it says not to eat shellfish. 00:32:41.659 --> 00:32:43.428 I saw you eating shrimp. 00:32:43.428 --> 00:32:45.963 Are you really a Christian? 00:32:45.963 --> 00:32:48.598 No, what parts of the Bible do you follow? 00:32:48.598 --> 00:32:53.237 What parts do you not in the Old Testament in particular? 00:32:53.237 --> 00:32:55.272 That is a complex topic. 00:32:55.272 --> 00:32:58.843 I'm going to point at just a couple of quick things to highlight. 00:32:58.843 --> 00:33:03.347 One is there are many laws in the Old Testament that were pointing forward to Christ. 00:33:03.347 --> 00:33:08.519 In fact, the whole Old Testament, the whole point of the Old Testament is to lead us to Christ. 00:33:08.519 --> 00:33:10.087 24 says this. 00:33:10.087 --> 00:33:12.589 The law, it says, is a guardian. 00:33:12.589 --> 00:33:17.028 The picture there is of someone who didn't just teach their kid, they took the kid to the teacher. 00:33:17.028 --> 00:33:19.663 They were meant to usher a kid to school. 00:33:19.663 --> 00:33:21.665 You could almost say the law is like a school bus. 00:33:22.666 --> 00:33:25.169 It's meant to take you to the place where you really learn. 00:33:25.169 --> 00:33:29.874 The Old Testament was like that. The Old Testament law was meant to point us to Christ. 00:33:30.775 --> 00:33:32.609 And so it's not about the law in and of itself. 00:33:32.609 --> 00:33:35.046 It's not about how good we can keep whatever laws are listed. 00:33:35.046 --> 00:33:39.584 It's pointing us to find ultimately our joy and delight in Christ. 00:33:40.617 --> 00:33:45.155 Now, many of those laws ultimately then, as a result, were fulfilled in Christ. 00:33:45.155 --> 00:33:47.592 No one brought a sacrifice with him today that I can see. 00:33:47.592 --> 00:33:48.826 I don't see any animals bleeding. 00:33:48.826 --> 00:33:51.229 We hear lots of other noises, but we don't see any animals. 00:33:51.229 --> 00:33:52.029 I don't see any oxen. 00:33:52.029 --> 00:33:53.730 I don't see bulls, I don't see pigeons. 00:33:53.730 --> 00:33:57.535 I don't see sheep because that was fulfilled in Christ. 00:33:57.535 --> 00:33:59.537 His sacrifice was the final sacrifice. 00:34:00.872 --> 00:34:05.108 There's plenty of places in Scripture, plenty of Old Testament laws that were fulfilled in him. 00:34:05.108 --> 00:34:10.313 There were other laws that were meant just for Israel while they were under God's rule in their land. 00:34:10.313 --> 00:34:17.387 His government, when we lived overseas, the rule there was to drive on the left side of the road. 00:34:17.387 --> 00:34:18.456 I did that while I was there. 00:34:18.456 --> 00:34:19.056 I didn't say no. 00:34:19.056 --> 00:34:22.159 My my rule is that I drive on the right side of the road. 00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:24.161 That wouldn't have lasted very long. 00:34:24.161 --> 00:34:27.764 When I come back here, I switch back to the right side of the road. 00:34:27.764 --> 00:34:30.802 Foreign land, foreign government, foreign time. 00:34:30.802 --> 00:34:34.572 Some of those laws passed away because that. 00:34:34.572 --> 00:34:43.280 Ultimately all of this is pointing to the law of Christ following him, loving him, knowing him, pursuing him. 00:34:45.516 --> 00:34:49.353 And at his core is holiness. 00:34:50.320 --> 00:34:53.157 He is holy. 00:34:53.157 --> 00:34:55.293 He is perfect. 00:34:55.293 --> 00:35:01.398 Holiness is, at the, at its core, set apart from sin completely, entirely. 00:35:04.101 --> 00:35:08.271 I think a great place to look at for this is to turn to revelation chapter four. 00:35:08.271 --> 00:35:14.344 And it's so great that this morning we were singing Holy, Holy, Holy. 00:35:14.744 --> 00:35:18.583 Flip over just a few pages to Revelation chapter four. 00:35:18.583 --> 00:35:29.393 You know, one of the things I learned in seminary that I found really helpful, but surprising at first, is that of all the attributes of God that you study and you study all his different attributes that show up in Scripture. 00:35:29.393 --> 00:35:31.762 Yes, he is love, but he's also justice. 00:35:31.762 --> 00:35:34.764 He's also just; he's also jealous. 00:35:35.398 --> 00:35:36.867 He's holy. 00:35:36.867 --> 00:35:41.539 One of the things we learned that's really important is to never put any one attribute above the others. 00:35:43.474 --> 00:35:50.780 You don't say this is his one most important defining attribute when you do that, because the Bible doesn't do that. 00:35:50.780 --> 00:35:52.849 When you do that, you're making him in your own image. 00:35:52.849 --> 00:35:54.719 This is the thing I think he's really about. 00:35:54.719 --> 00:35:55.686 Yeah, it says God is love. 00:35:55.686 --> 00:35:57.788 So he's only love. 00:35:57.788 --> 00:36:00.992 Well, no, there's a whole lot more to his character. 00:36:00.992 --> 00:36:02.293 He's also sovereign. 00:36:02.293 --> 00:36:03.960 He's also omnipresent. 00:36:03.960 --> 00:36:06.963 He's also omniscient. 00:36:07.797 --> 00:36:09.300 I'm going to go out on a limb here. 00:36:09.300 --> 00:36:09.534 Okay? 00:36:09.534 --> 00:36:13.271 Don't repeat this to any actual theologians. 00:36:13.670 --> 00:36:19.577 Maybe the one attribute that could be most central is holiness. 00:36:20.344 --> 00:36:23.114 Maybe. And here's why. 00:36:23.114 --> 00:36:27.784 Because what happens in revelation four verse eight, the four living creatures. 00:36:27.784 --> 00:36:28.219 Creatures. 00:36:28.219 --> 00:36:31.054 This is a picture of the throne room. 00:36:31.054 --> 00:36:49.840 And there's four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around him within and day and night they never cease to say, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come for all of eternity. 00:36:49.840 --> 00:36:57.748 These four living creatures are standing around the throne, and the word that repeating over and over again the thing they're most enamored with about him is holiness. 00:36:57.748 --> 00:37:00.751 He is set apart from sin. 00:37:01.052 --> 00:37:02.987 Again, strong caveat there. 00:37:02.987 --> 00:37:09.492 Maybe that is his essence of defining character quality. 00:37:10.494 --> 00:37:14.931 At the bare minimum, it's highly praised by those who are closest to him. 00:37:14.965 --> 00:37:23.173 The challenge for us when it comes to holiness, we don't have a positive view of holiness. 00:37:23.173 --> 00:37:27.744 Think of the last time you called someone holy. 00:37:28.746 --> 00:37:29.880 Maybe it was the Pope. 00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:31.615 That might be his title. 00:37:31.615 --> 00:37:34.184 Some people call him His Holiness. 00:37:34.184 --> 00:37:38.856 In general, when I call someone holy, it's usually more like he thinks he's holy. 00:37:38.856 --> 00:37:45.195 He's holier than thou, going around thinking they're holy and they're not. 00:37:45.195 --> 00:37:46.463 You really mean hypocrite. 00:37:46.463 --> 00:37:46.963 You really... 00:37:46.963 --> 00:37:49.833 you probably really mean annoying. 00:37:49.833 --> 00:37:52.869 We don't usually put holy. 00:37:53.670 --> 00:38:04.547 I think we think of God is holy and we think that's good, but how are we to imitate his holiness in a way that we value? 00:38:05.750 --> 00:38:09.119 I think what we want when we want holiness and this is what we all want. 00:38:09.119 --> 00:38:16.793 Whatever you call it, freedom from sin, that's what we all want. 00:38:16.793 --> 00:38:17.728 Every one of us. 00:38:17.728 --> 00:38:21.132 If you're here, you want freedom from sin. 00:38:21.132 --> 00:38:25.969 Some days you wonder because you find yourself falling back into it. 00:38:25.969 --> 00:38:27.538 But Christ is there guiding you. 00:38:27.538 --> 00:38:34.210 His Holy Spirit is guiding you, turning you away from sin. 00:38:34.679 --> 00:38:39.916 That's only going to happen when we set our hope fully in him, not in anything else. 00:38:41.552 --> 00:38:42.952 I was talking with a man recently. 00:38:42.952 --> 00:38:44.288 He gave me permission to share this. 00:38:44.288 --> 00:38:48.958 He said for years I knew God was after me. 00:38:50.094 --> 00:38:59.336 And I had this sense one day that he was saying to me I'm about done pursuing you. 00:39:00.938 --> 00:39:06.443 I just sensed that he was saying you need to turn soon. 00:39:06.443 --> 00:39:10.914 This isn't-- my patience won't endure forever. 00:39:11.614 --> 00:39:14.617 And he said, you know what, Lord? 00:39:15.052 --> 00:39:17.420 I hear what you're saying. 00:39:17.420 --> 00:39:20.056 And at first when he told me this, I laughed. 00:39:20.056 --> 00:39:23.027 But I'm going to share it with you and explain. 00:39:23.027 --> 00:39:24.427 You can laugh too if you want. 00:39:24.427 --> 00:39:25.429 I hear what you're saying, Lord. 00:39:25.429 --> 00:39:28.398 Will you give me one more year? 00:39:28.733 --> 00:39:34.771 Because I want to make sure that if I make this commitment to follow you, that I really mean it. 00:39:34.771 --> 00:39:37.307 I don't want to go into it half hearted. 00:39:37.307 --> 00:39:42.413 I don't want to just say it so that something bad doesn't happen. 00:39:42.413 --> 00:39:43.313 I really want to. 00:39:43.313 --> 00:39:48.719 I want to take this next year and really make sure I'm I'm really fully going to commit to following you. 00:39:48.719 --> 00:39:53.958 He said I was 54 years old. By the way, it's never too late to follow him. 00:39:53.958 --> 00:39:56.594 54 is not that old, by the way. 00:39:56.594 --> 00:39:59.597 It's never too late to follow him. 00:39:59.996 --> 00:40:02.032 It's never too late. 00:40:02.032 --> 00:40:04.068 He can turn your life around. 00:40:04.068 --> 00:40:08.204 You can have a completely different life in a moment. 00:40:09.139 --> 00:40:22.286 And he said, I'm so glad that I can look back at that day at the end of that year, it was Mother's Day, and I told my mom, I'm committing to following Christ today. On Mother's Day. 00:40:24.088 --> 00:40:26.456 To walk in holiness. 00:40:26.456 --> 00:40:28.425 To walk in freedom from sin. 00:40:28.425 --> 00:40:29.360 To know Christ. 00:40:29.360 --> 00:40:30.894 There's no greater delight in life. 00:40:32.630 --> 00:40:36.434 And I pray if you don't know him, don't wait another day. 00:40:36.634 --> 00:40:38.268 Come to know him today. 00:40:38.268 --> 00:40:39.969 Come talk with me. 00:40:39.969 --> 00:40:41.070 Come talk with one of the elders. 00:40:41.070 --> 00:40:44.574 In fact, if you're one of the elders, would you stand so that others around you can see you? 00:40:44.574 --> 00:40:45.576 Go ahead and stand right now. 00:40:45.576 --> 00:40:50.447 Just for a second, you can see here's a couple of our elders here. 00:40:50.514 --> 00:40:53.516 One, two more upstairs. 00:40:53.550 --> 00:40:54.851 Come talk to one of us. 00:40:54.851 --> 00:40:55.820 Talk with my wife, Julie. 00:40:55.820 --> 00:40:58.822 She was down here praying with others. 00:40:58.856 --> 00:41:01.358 We'd love to talk with you about what it means to follow Christ. 00:41:01.358 --> 00:41:03.893 Let's pray. 00:41:03.893 --> 00:41:06.896 Jesus, thank you for your holiness. 00:41:07.130 --> 00:41:12.335 Thank you that through you we can come to know who we are meant to be in you. 00:41:13.003 --> 00:41:18.074 Jesus, help us to set our mind fully on the hope we find in you. 00:41:18.074 --> 00:41:22.445 Help us to prepare our minds for action, to walk sober minded in life. 00:41:25.248 --> 00:41:29.420 Would you go before us today and give us freedom in you? 00:41:31.255 --> 00:41:35.291 And if there's anyone here who doesn't know you. 00:41:36.293 --> 00:41:39.230 Jesus, would you speak to them today? 00:41:39.230 --> 00:41:44.367 Would they hear your voice like never before? 00:41:45.568 --> 00:41:48.572 Would you move in their life? 00:41:48.739 --> 00:41:53.143 Help each of us this week to long for holiness like never before. 00:41:53.244 --> 00:41:55.746 We love you, Jesus. 00:41:55.746 --> 00:41:56.146 Amen.