Stripping Away the Old to Make Way for the New

As a church fellowship for those of you who are visiting, I want to apologize first of all if you haven't heard this before, but for years now the church, Christians in the church, have been walking in everything the New Testament says. I apologize if you've ever heard a Christian member complain that's wrong, it's sinful. I apologize if you've ever heard a Christian let unwholesome speech come out of their mouth. Unnecessary criticism, worldly carnal criticism. I apologize. We're calling each other to repentance. We should have entered a church where the believers actually lived what the Apostles said. And the Apostles said we're not to let any unwholesome speech come out of our mouth. Only what's beneficial for building up according to their needs. There should be no divisions, no factions, no platitudes, nothing but love and unity. And that's the church we should have entered into. How did it happen that that's not been our experience? We're not going to blame sin, and we're not going to blame the flesh, because we had God send His Son, not only to forgive us of our sins, but to crucify the power of the old man so that we could walk in newness of life. And so none of us can point back to the cause of sin or what we received from great-great-great-great-grandpa Adam, or our own great-grandpa, our own father, our own mother, because everything we have received from God the Father is greater than anything that we've received from the world. And Peter said that we've been redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to us by our forefathers. And so believers should already, every single one of us here, if you've been a believer in the Lord very long, you should already be walking in, you should never moan, you should never complain, ever. And that's the way we're going to live. And we're going to help each other, hold each other accountable to this, lovingly. We're going to encourage one another. We're not going to listen to someone complain. We're going to lovingly remind them there's no place for that in a believer's life. We're not going to hear a complaint against another brother or sister. Love covers a multitude of sins. We're going to be what Jesus said, by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, by them witnessing the love you have for one another. And sadly, that is not the testimony that we have in the eyes of the world. That's why they call us hypocrites. Because we speak about the love of Christ and we allow divisions, prejudice, attitudes that are not from God. And we shouldn't anymore. I don't want that allowed here now. What can you do about that? You can't enforce it. No, not necessarily. You know, even the scriptures, the Lord Jesus said that the King of God is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. And while he was asleep, the enemy came and sowed tares in the midst of the wheat. And then when it sprang up after a while, it took a while, but once the wheat and the tares grew up, eventually you could tell that's not wheat, there's tares in the middle of the wheat. And the servants were alarmed and they went to the master and said, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where did these tares come from? Do you want us to pull them up? And he said, no. Leave them, because if you try to pull them up now, you're just going to damage the wheat. Leave them to the end. And at the end, at the harvest, we'll separate the wheat and the tares. So I can tell you now, I can't promise you that there won't be someone here who doesn't continue to murmur or complain, but let me tell you what they'll be. They'll be a tare and not a wheat. Believers in Christ, those filled with the Holy Spirit, and those walking in the power of Jesus Christ will have power from God to follow every instruction written from the apostles. Every single one. Including keeping a tight rein on your tongue. Because if a man can't keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. So we are going to be genuine saints. Saints. Everyone in our lives, everyone who sees us live our Christianity should say, there is a genuine saint. There is a person born of God, not like the world, walking in the power of Christ, led by the Spirit. That's the challenge set before us. You know what I see that as? I see that as our promised land in Christ. We are in a similar situation that the people that were rescued from Egypt were in. That God saved them from slavery to the Egyptians, brought them to Mount Sinai, entered into covenant with them, on the way to where he had a destiny for them, the promised land. So we are on a journey, a spiritual journey to maturity, fullness in Christ, power in Christ, growth in Christ, to re-enter the promise of the power of the kingdom of God here on earth. We're not talking about heaven. I'm talking about living in the power of the kingdom of God, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit here in this life. The reason heaven is not the promised land is because in the promised land that first generation were entering, there were giants in the promised land. There's not going to be any giants in heaven. There's not going to be other nations in heaven. But we're in that position of that people who God brought to the promised land and said that they're in this promised land. They were going to inherit fields that had already been cultivated, orchards that had already been established, vineyards that had already been established, cities that had already been built, houses that were filled with all kinds of good things, and God was going to bring them into it, a land flowing with milk and honey. And spiritually, Jesus said, I have come that you might have life and have it, say it, more abundantly. And that's the testimony that our Father deserves, that He pours out His grace upon us, He pours out His power upon us, and we have everything we need for life and godliness now through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, because His power is made perfect in our weakness. His grace is sufficient, so no matter what we face, He does not allow us to be tempted above what we're able to bear. He provides a way of escape so that we can bear up under it. We have no reason to sin, even though we have this flesh. There's a promise of God we can live in. A power in the spirit, the kingdom of God in this life. But just like that former generation that was facing the physical promised land, there were seven nations there. Let's see if I can recall them. Hivites, Girgashites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites, and the Girgashites, I believe there were seven nations. And they were strong nations, and they lived there a long time. And here's the thing about these nations. God categorized them as ungodly. In the Septuagint, it says that the Lord was not bringing Israel into that land and giving them the land because they were so great, but He was going to drive out those nations that were living in the promised land because they were so ungodly. So you and I, to live in the spirit, and some of you have already, maybe you've been experiencing this, because if I'm talking in reality, no more ugly words, no more outbursts of wrath, no more loss of self-control, no more living in the flesh and giving to sin, you're all going to struggle. Because that's just not automatic. Some of you may not be experiencing that. And so here's the face. Remember when that generation was told and the Lord told them through Moses, go in and take the land? Remember how they reacted? They had sent a delegation, remember? Twelve men, one in each tribe. And that delegation came back and told them, all twelve men were in perfect agreement, the land is full of milk and honey. It's a fabulous land. But they had an issue. They were divided ten versus two on whether they could actually do it or not. Ten actually said, no, no, there's no way. You can't do that. Those nations are stronger than we are. They live in fortified cities. They're so big they look like grasshoppers in our own eyes. There's no way we can do it. And two men of a different spirit named Joshua and Caleb said, we can certainly do it. Let's go up. The Lord will make them bread for us. But the testimony of the ten won the day and caused the entire generation to weep in unbelief. And they murmured in their tents saying, it would have been better for us to die. Because they didn't believe that they had power to go and face those nations because they had forgotten something. And it's something that's very critical that you do not forget. Don't follow their example of disobedience. The things that happened to them were written down for us. So we could learn from it, take warning from it. They forgot what the Lord had spoken to Moses. And if you want to follow me, I'm going to read from Deuteronomy chapter 7. And I'll start with verse 1. When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and He clears away, lifts away literally, when He lifts away many nations before you, the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Tivites, Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and stronger than you, and when your God gives them over to you, you are to put them to death. You see what they forgot? What did the ten spies and the rest of the people forget? They didn't have to fight the giants on their own. They didn't have to do that. God would lift them away and God would hand them over to them and they would be put to death. So that means this. Entering and taking possession of the promised land means they had a role to play. They had a responsibility to cooperate with God to take the land and live in the promise. And this is where you and I are. We have giants. We have all Canaanites. Our mouth, our mind, our hormones, our emotions, our habits, our practices, things that were corrupt because sin dwelled in our flesh. The law of sin in our members producing all kinds of corrupt desires, causing us to act out, to lose it, to blow a top, to run at the mouth, to freak out, fear, recoil, all these ugly, carnal, human, natural reactions to life. And those are the things that you and I need to put to death. And I hope some of you are not sitting there thinking there's no way. You mean you're telling me, Pastor, that I can never complain again? I can put to death murmuring and complaining? You're telling me that I can so gain, bring my own thoughts and my words under the power of Christ that I will never let an unwholesome word come out of my mouth again? Yes, I am telling you that. Because God will fight with you to do it. That's what Paul said. Look with me and turn to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Not quite midway through the chapter. Probably about verse 11. I'll start with verse 11. But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you. That's the key you've got to remember. Don't act like mere men. You're not mere men. The Bible says, Paul said in Corinthians, we have this treasure in an earthen vessel. What treasure is he talking about? The very spirit of God dwelling in you and I. This treasure in earthen vessels to show that the excellency of the power is of God and it's not of us. With Christ's presence through the Holy Spirit living in us, it doesn't matter how weak we are in ourselves. God supplies the power. We just have to receive it. So we have this treasure through his spirit dwelling in us. Verse 12. So then, brothers, we are under obligation not to the flesh. So I don't know what you've been taught in your past. I don't know what your religious history is, but I'll tell you this. If you are consoling yourselves that the reason you sin is because of your flesh, you need to reread what the apostles said. Not a single one of us are under any obligation to the flesh to obey it. We've been set free from the power of living under the flesh just like the people of Israel were set free from living under slavery to the Egyptians. Flesh does not have to dominate a believer, even though the flesh rules against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. We know that, but we are not under obligation to the flesh. And actually, he says in Romans 8, ye are not in the flesh in that same way if Christ is in you. So we have no obligation to the flesh to live according to it. And then he says in verse 13, for if you're living according to the flesh, you are about to die. You're near death. That's the idea in the Greek. Death is near. If you're living according to your flesh, you're living according to sinful desires. And if you live according to sinful desires, it's going to do what sin always does. The wages of sin is death. And if you live according to the flesh, death is going to be the result. But he goes on to say, but if by the spirit you put to death the practices of the body. What practices are we talking about? The practice of running at the mouth. The practices of losing it and yielding to your emotions and letting them drag you along or acting like that little child on the trail riding with something to spook the horse and the horse takes off and just hanging on for dear life. We need to stop allowing our emotions and our thoughts and our hormones and our circumstances and our jobs cause us to respond that way. We are not under obligation to let those things control our life. But instead when we encounter those things and they are difficult, the power of the Holy Spirit is there for us to put those things to death. So every member of this church had better put to death murmuring and complaining. Never, I don't want to ever hear a single one of you ever do it again. Put it to death and bury it. I don't want you criticizing in a carnal way. I don't want you criticizing Republicans. I don't want you criticizing Democrats. Put it to death. Don't speak against other people. Don't have attitudes. Don't form cliques. You love everyone the way Christ loves you. Anything that is not loving, not kind, not the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Any practice that you did not receive from Christ dwelling in you. Anything you inherited from your family. Put it to death. Put that practice to death. How can you do that? Because God has already fought for you. Just the way the Lord went before Israel and handed those nations into their hands for them to put to death, the Lord has done that. Turn to Romans chapter 6. If you are still in the book of Romans, flip back to chapter 6. Let's start right at the first of the chapter. Romans 6.1. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid! Listen, if anyone has ever told you that somehow God's grace is magnified because you just keep on sinning and keep being forgiven, you heard the wrong thing. God's grace is glorified by the transformation that happens when a man in Christ becomes a new creation and all things pass away and all things become new. That's how God is glorified. He is not glorified by our continuing in sin and somehow we think His forgiveness is so wonderful. It is wonderful! But listen, anyone in your life that you are sinning against that is watching you act out and live according to their flesh, they would much rather see you put that to death than continually ask them for forgiveness for the pain in the neck you are in. Right? And I tell you, they will glorify God when they see a transformation in you way more than you putting a bumper sticker on the back of your car saying, well Christians aren't perfect, they are just forgiven. Listen, that's not. That's why the world calls us hypocrites. Because we say we believe the Bible and we allow ourselves to sin in ways the apostles said not to. We don't put to death what they said to put to death and we allow things to live that are ruining and wrecking our testimony. And I don't know how it happened. I don't know how churches allowed it to be as if it's the norm. And some of you may be sitting out there like those ten spies saying that ain't never going to happen. I've never seen it. Well, I'm talking to the Joshua and the Caleb. The rest of you can just tune me out. Okay? I'm talking to someone who believes what God says I can do this in your life. For my honor and my glory. That this is the way it ought to be. Romans, let's go back to Romans 6. I don't want to chase that rabbit trail. May it never be. How should we who died to sin. Do you see that? We died to sin. What are you talking about? The law of sin that they remember. We died to sin. How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Did they explain that to you that when you were baptized, you were baptized into the death of Jesus? And what did he die to? The death he died, he died to sin. The life he lives, he lives to God. For if we become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. And it says there in verse 4, we were buried with him in the baptism of the death so that just as Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. What is newness? If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. And for there to be a new creation, something has to happen with the old. If not, we've added something new to the old. Knowing all things, that I'm simply expecting that this should be our Christian experience. It is past time for this to be our Christian experience. All things need to pass away. All things need to become new. We were united with him through baptism into death so that we could be raised like him to the glory of the Father so that we could walk in newness of life. And then in verse 6, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him. Now you were taught and you've heard that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins. You've got that. Nearly every person I'm assuming, nearly every person listening to me today knows that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins. But not nearly enough of us know our old man was crucified with him. Part of that old stinking man where the problems lie died with Christ to set us free from having to live like the old man. And it's high time we recognize that. He who has died has been justified. I'm going to read verse 6 again. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be done away with so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. See, I'm not saying you're not going to be tempted, but you're not a slave. Slaves have to obey their master. But if you're free, what do you get to say? You get to use the word that children like. No. No. But you get to say no to sin. You get to say no to the devil. You get to say no to yourself. If any man would, Jesus said this, if any man would come after me, if anyone would be my disciple, let him do what? Deny himself. You get to say no to yourself and reckon yourself to be dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ. Your old man was crucified with him. Paul actually said that this is how we're to think. Turn to Colossians. I'm going to show you Colossians chapter 3. I'm going to start in verse 1. Colossians 3. Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not the things on the earth. For you died. See that? There it is. Paul must have thought this all the time. This is a different letter, different church. Same truth. You died. And it's you, Paul. In other words, all the believers there, you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When did you die? You died when you were buried with him into baptism into death. So that you could be raised to walk in newness of life. The death he died, he died to sin. In the same way, reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, alive to God in Christ Jesus. You died. Your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ as your life appears, then you will also be manifested with him in glory. Therefore, and this is a tricky translation from the Greek language to this in verse 5. Therefore, some of your believers will say put to death your members upon the earth. But it's the Greek word to be recognized as dead. Recognized as dead. Yes, every single one of us have an old man. Every single one of us has the flesh. And you know how we review the flesh? That's just our old rotten corpse. It doesn't control me. It doesn't determine what I do. It doesn't cause me to live in any way. It's just my old rotten corpse. I am dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passions, evil desires, and greed which is idolatry. So every believer here, you should be dead to pornography. You should be dead to lust and temptation like that. You should be dead to lonely and complaining. You should be dead to looking at bad images. You should be dead to those things. You should view it as dead. Live on in your life. Through your union with Christ. And Paul says it's because of those things that the wrath of God is coming. Aren't you glad you're dead to those things? The wrath of God is coming upon those who are still alive in those things. On account of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience. And then you also once walked past tents. You used to walk in those things. Verse 8. Colossians 3 verse 8. But now you also strip away. Follow me. Strip away. Look at the list. Strip away wrath, anger, malice, slander, abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you have, same word again, put off or stripped away the old man with his practices. Okay. I need your attention up here to look at me. Many of us like to take shortcuts. We don't like the hard work. We want quick results. I am guilty of this and the Lord sent me a brother to work with me. His name is Joe Hernandez. I'm embarrassing. Because I was willing to, well this will do. But Joe's not like that. I was willing to paint the floor. Joe says we need a new floor. And that means we have to actually take the floor and strip everything off of it. It's called prep work. This is something that not many of us like. We don't like the prep work for a job. But you know why prep work is so important? If you want something to bond. If you want it to stick and hold and last. You have to strip away the old. Prepare the surface so that the new can bond and remain permanent. And some of us have been trying to put Jesus Christ on an old flesh that has not been stripped off. And he doesn't stick. It flakes. And the flesh keeps bleeding through. And we keep having problems with our mouth and our hormones and our emotions and our thoughts. Because we have not done what the apostles said to do. Strip these things away. Strip them off of you. And then do what? This thing. This thing of stripping away is so thorough in the New Testament. It's found by nearly all the contributors of the New Testament. Let me give you some examples. James chapter 1. See there? James chapter 1. You've got to strip away the old before you take in the new. Here's how James puts it. I'll start with James 1.19. Know this, my beloved brothers. Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. For the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, stripping aside all filthiness and all superfluity of naughtiness, or all remains of wickedness, and meekness, receive the implanted word which is able to save your soul. You see what you have to do first? Some of us want to jump right to receiving meekness, the implanted word. But it doesn't start there. Get rid of all malice and filthy worldliness. Get rid of it. And then, in meekness. You know, Jesus said, Blessed are the pure in heart. What will they do? They will see God. Some of us are living with a mixture. You're living with a mixture of the old you have not yet stripped away. And part of you sometimes is living in their flesh. Part of you sometimes is living in their spirit. And that's the reason you're not experiencing the fullness and the power of Christ. Because you have not followed the imposter's instructions to strip off the old and fully clothe yourself with the new. I'm just being honest with you. That will never work. But I told you I was going to give you several examples. That's James. We already heard from Paul. What about Peter? Does Peter feel the same way? Oh yeah, look in 1 Peter chapter 2. 1 Peter chapter 2. Same thing. You're going to see the same principles. Strip off the old to make way for the new. Do the prep work. Do your due diligence to do the prep work. With the power of the Holy Spirit's help. 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 1. Therefore, laying aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy. You've got to lay it aside. You've got to strip it off. You've got to take off the old. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Like newborn babes, crave the pure spiritual miracle of the word. You can't go on feeding your flesh and drinking the milk of the word and think something's going to change. Does not happen. When we do not follow the instructions the apostles have given us to by the power of the spirit put to death the practices of the body. Something's going to happen. And you know what's going to happen to us? The same thing that Joshua and the Lord reminded the Israelites what would happen to them if they didn't follow through and do their part to drive out those inhabitants of the promised land completely and entirely. I'll show you. Go with me to Joshua chapter 24. Joshua's after the book of Deuteronomy. Joshua 24. Actually, Joshua 23. I'm sorry. 23. Chapter 23. Okay. I'm going to start with verse 6. Follow with me from verse 6. This is Joshua speaking to the people. Now let me set up this situation. They have been fighting and driving out nations in the promised land for five years now. For five years, not a single nation has been able to withstand them. But Joshua, they have now driven out a sufficient number of the nations that they can call the people together and divide up the inheritance and begin to enjoy the land. The job's not finished. They're partly done. So Joshua is going to remind them there's work still to be done. And some of us are kind of at this place. Some of us have seen some victory in Christ. Some freedom. Some change. But the work's not finished. There's still practices of the body that have not been put to death. There's still areas of our flesh that we're still getting into rather than driving it out, stripping it away. So let's see what happens with Joshua 23. Be very strong then to keep and do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses so that you may not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. So that you will not belong to these nations, these which remain among you, and you will not mention the name of their God, and you will not make anyone swear by them, and you will not serve them, and you will not bow down to them. But you are to cling to Yahweh your God. And as you have done this to this day, for Yahweh has dispossessed great and mighty nations from before you, and as for you, no man has stood before you. Not one yet to this day. But up to this point, all we have is victory. One of your men will pursue one thousand for Yahweh your God is he who fights for you just as he promised you. So keep your souls very carefully to love Yahweh your God. I believe that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And here's what I'll tell you. So if you want to live with those practices of the body, you don't like the struggle, you don't like me telling you you should never, never, never complain again, you don't like that, you just want to live with it, I'll tell you this, you will live with it, and God will no longer help you. He'll stop fighting with you. The Spirit will not be there in power for you, because you have made the choice to live with what God said to put to death. That's the situation they're in. Look what it goes on to say. It gets worse. Know with certainty that God will not continue to dispossess these nations before you, but they will be a snare and a trap to you, a whip on your sides, horns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which Yahweh your God has given you. In other words, Joshua was warning them, if you don't finish the job, and you don't finish putting these nations to death and driving them out, the ones you allow to remain are going to be a pain in your rear the rest of your life. And they will end up causing you to forfeit the very land that God has given you. Isn't that what Paul warned about? For if you live according to the flesh, you're about to die. If you start giving into the flesh, and you decide it's just too hard. I just don't know how to control my mouth. I don't know how to control my emotions. I don't know how to take my thoughts captive. We're just like those ten spies. We're just like that generation that says, no, no, these things have been in my life too long. After all, we're just human, aren't we? If anybody is in Christ, he is a new creation. That's not just human, it's a new creation. The Spirit of God now dwelling in you, enabling you, giving you power, that with his help, to put to death the practices of the body. So that tempers, passions, emotions, hormones, fears, the works of the flesh, will be put to death. You know about those works of the flesh, right? Galatians, if you'll turn there with me, Galatians chapter 5. Paul describes the works of the flesh. These are the things that we need to make sure are put to death. Now, and what am I saying? What if they're not dead? What if just this week, or just recently, you've been doing some of these works? You've been murmuring, you've been complaining, you've been critical, you've slandered someone, you've shared your opinion about them. What if you've been doing this? We'll address that in a minute, but let's first see what these works of the flesh are. Verse 17, you know this, don't you, already? Let's go back to 16. Galatians 5.16. But I say this, walk by the Spirit, and what will happen if you walk by the Spirit? You read it to me. What does it say? Okay, you will not turn it out. It doesn't say you won't feel it. It doesn't say you won't be tempted by it. It just says you'll be able to say no. I don't have to do that. I don't have to lose it. I don't have to run at the mouth. I don't have to murmur. I don't have to complain. I don't have to respond that way. Just walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desire of the flesh. It'll be there, but you're not on the obligation to do it. Verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. They war with each other. Yeah, sure. And you live with that war. But whose side are you on? That's the question. Whose side are you on? Are you going to defend your flesh? Or are you going to walk in the Spirit? These are in opposition to one another, so you do not do the things you want. But if you're led by the Spirit, you're not under law. Now the works or the deeds of the flesh are evident. Now here's what they are. You want to see what we're talking about with the death? Listen very carefully. Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality. The Greek word for sensuality is asodia. It means living without restraint. And some of us don't like the restraint. They don't like the restraint. They put the restraint on your mouth. And the restraint on your mind. And the restraint on your responses. But you know what the idea of restraint is? The very idea of meekness. Jesus said, Lord of me, for I am meek. I only say what the Father tells me to say. I only do what the Father shows me to do. And when we learn Christ, we learn to live under restraint. We don't do what we want to do. Idolatry. Sorcery. Enmity. Strife. Jealousy. Outbursts of anger. Rivalry. Feuds. Selfish ambition. That's another word for it. Dissensions. Factions. Envy. Drunkenness. Carousing. And things like these. Of which I could warn you. And again. That includes. Strife. Jealousy. Outbursts of anger. Enmities. Dissensions. Divisions. Factions. You know what factions are and dissensions are? It's when you use the language we and they. Oh they. We. Them. Those. Those Democrats. Those Republicans. Those this. Those that. You like the little factions? You like the little groups? You like those little cliques that agree with you? Come to church and you with your little. You know. Why. Why is the church allowed. Why is it now. Almost 2,000 years later. And you and I did not enter the church where there's no such thing as a faction. We're not supposed to be even allowed in the church. We're supposed to be one family. Having the same love. Same attitude. Same heart. Same honor. Towards every member here in this fellowship. And that's the way we should. That's the kind of church we should have entered. The apostles have given these instructions years ago. How is it that we do not live this way? I do not understand it. You know what I have to blame? I have to blame the church leadership for allowing it. How in the world did church leadership ever allow this to go on? I do not know. I do not intend to continue walking that sin. There's no place for any factions and divisions. Because you know what Paul goes on to say? I forewarn you. As I have been forewarning you. That those who live like this. Will not inherit the kingdom of God. So you know what I'm doing you a favor. You say, Pastor. What do you mean, Pastor? Well. We can either come to the place where we live without divisions and factions and envyings and attitudes. Or we can inherit the kingdom. And we can inherit the kingdom of God then. Or I can relax and just say, well that's just going to be a part of it. Some of us are just going to always be that way. And let those people who are that way go to hell. And not inherit the kingdom of God. Do you see what I'm actually seeking to do? I'd like every person here to inherit the kingdom of God. And if we create that environment by simply following what the apostles said. And by the power of the Holy Spirit. Do what the Holy Spirit said to do. Put to death these practices of the body. Strip off the old man. Clothe ourselves with Christ. Live in perfect unity of the Spirit. Having the same heart. The same love. The same respect. Same honor towards one another. That I believe as a group, as a church, as saints, we can inherit the kingdom of God together. And I believe if I allow. Or if we allow together. If we allow things like factions. And divisions. And attitudes. And opinions. Towards one another. I believe we're in danger. Of actually seeing people. Lost eternally. For doing that. I for one don't want that weight of that responsibility on me. It just becomes so simple to me. It's just so simple. I don't make any apology for that. All the writers of the New Testament. Gave us instructions. And then they worded. In a little bit different way. They basically say this. Do the prep work. Strip away. The old man. Carnal man. The man of the flesh. The man of sin. Remember. You died with Christ. So that the body of sin might be rendered powerless. So that you don't have to be slaves to sin anymore. You have the freedom and the power of the Holy Spirit. You can say no to sin. No to temptation. You can walk by the spirit. You don't have to fulfill the desires of the flesh. And then. Your life can be filled with the fruit of the spirit. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Guidance. Goodness. Faithfulness. Meekness. And self-control. And against such things. There's no law. You don't need law. For people who are living. Filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. All of it. We can be a church like that. Can you imagine being a church like that? Where you come in. And all you encounter. Is people filled with the Holy Spirit. In the form of his fruit. And I was talking to my brother Sam. After last Sunday. Or recently. And I said. It is a shame. That this is not the type of church we were introduced to. When we were just young believers. But you know what would be even a greater shame? That now that we know this. That this is not the type of church we leave. To everyone else. At least we should fix the situation. And repent. And humble ourselves from God. Before God. And trust that God. Will finish driving out these things. That cause a mess in our life. Because the good news is. I said I'd come back to this. And I'll finish with this. You still may be dealing with some of these areas. The Israelites were told. That they were not going to drive out. All the nations at once. But little by little. And so some of us are still dealing. With some strong areas of resistance. Maybe some of those habits. Have been very deeply ingrained. I'm here to tell you. That's not condemnation to you. I don't want you to feel guilty about that. What I want to warn you is. Do not determine. That you're just going to live with it. You keep fighting. In the power of God. And as you grow strong in the Lord. And in the power of his might. Get strong spiritually. And finish. Putting the things to death. So they don't end up. Putting you to death. And we'll fight together. We'll help one another. We will encourage one another. We will exhort one another. We will come together. And we will. We will just simply. Experience this unity of the faith. That says this. Everything that the apostles. Have written to us. Is how the Lord Jesus wants us to live. And we're not going to create a new standard. We already have the standard. We are going to repent. Of unbelief. And lack of doing our due diligence. And doing the prep work. And we're going to cooperate. With the Holy Spirit. And put to death. The old practices. And experience. The power of the kingdom of God. Right here on the earth. Wouldn't it be nice. To walk into a place. That is so unified in spirit. There's not a single carnal opinion. In the mind of anybody. There's not a single carnal judgment. You know Jesus said it in such a simple way. Hey. Hey. Hey you. I think he's talking to me first. Hey you bastard. Why are you looking at the speck in your brother's eye? What do you say to do first? You hear it? Take out the beam. In your own eye. And what happens after you take out the beam? Then you will see clearly. How to help someone else with their speck. Listen. We can't help each other. If we have still. If we are still allowing the practices of our own body. To get the best of us. It is. It takes the power of the spirit to be forbearing. And kind. Gentle. I've been appealing to this. I just. And I want to tell you. There's so much promise. I believe the power of gentleness. Will do more for you than your. Every outburst of anger has ever done. Put together. You see it. Don't you believe that? Doesn't your spirit resonate with that? How many of us think that when we have lost it. In our outburst of anger. How many of us really think that that has really done. Served us well. Maybe it shut someone up. Maybe it put them in their place. Maybe it backed them off. Let me tell you. There's something better than that. It's called meekness. And gentleness. And kindness. And forbearance. A gentle tongue. Can break a bone. A soft answer. Can turn away wrath. Blessed are the. Peacemakers. For they shall be called. The Son of God. And the fruit of righteousness. Are sown in peace. Of them that make. Peace. You know. I believe in holiness. But. I've seen something in my past. Idea of holiness. I'm just going to give you. My own visual illustration of this. Holiness people. When I was. Very concerned. About the standard of God. The purity of God. The testimony of God. The church of God. And I could quote that scripture well. Without holiness. No man shall see the Lord. But I did not quote that scripture right. Did I? How many of you know that scripture? I did not quote it right. Because I missed something entirely. Because that's not what the scripture said. This is what the actual scripture says. Follow after peace. And holiness. Without which no man shall see the Lord. You know what I used to do? I used to trample right over following after peace. I didn't even know it was there. I just obliterated it. I was so concerned about holiness. I just jumped on it. Not anymore. I can't do that. I believe in the truth. But the truth needs to be spoken in. Love. See the difference? It's not one or the other. Jesus was full of grace and truth. And I genuinely believe that if we will learn to live by the power of his spirit. And put to death the practices of the body. Strip off the old man. And clothe ourselves with compassion. Clothe ourselves with kindness. Clothe ourselves with meekness. Of all things. How in the world is this a Mother's Day sermon? I'll tell you how it is. Let not your beauty be that which is outward and physical. The braiding of hair and the wearing of fine jewelry. Let it be that of the inner person. The hidden manner of the heart. The unfailing beauty of a meek and quiet spirit. Which is of great worth in the sight of God. And we are the bride of Christ. In its past time, we as a people need to learn how to walk in a meek and quiet spirit. As the bride of our husband. He, our husband, is meek and lowly of heart. And we as his bride know he reveres meekness and lowliness. And that's how we should walk. The other thing it says in Proverbs 31 about the virtuous woman. I'll leave with you as I close this. It says that the law of kindness is in her mouth. It so struck me. I have spent too many years not being very kind. Dogmatic. Conservative. Argumentative. Defender of the faith. Yes, those things. I want to defend the faith. I want to keep the things entrusted once for all to the saints. But I want to do it in the meekness and the lowliness of Christ. Paul said this. And it's just a vision that I have. I'm asking God to make it a reality in my life. When he says that the weapons we have are not carnal. They're mighty through God. To the pulling down of strongholds. And this is what grips me. I've tried the might of my own passion. My own intensity. My own aggression. I've tried that. It's not been mighty through God. I have this vision. That power through God is going to be very gentle. Very meek. Firm. Unmovable. Like the rock of your altar. Steady. Unafraid. Unintimidated by the world. Not ashamed of a single word of God. But in proper fear. In reverence. In lowliness. Just like our Lord. Because through the help of the Holy Spirit. Stripped away the old. Put to death the old practices. And actually clothe myself with the Lord Jesus. Living in the power of the Spirit. It's where I want us to go. As a church.