Walking by the Leading of the Holy Spirit: A New Way of Thinking for Every Believer

One of the events in history that has really enamored me throughout my life and ministry is the American revolution, everything that took place from 1775-1783. The events of those years, the colonists hiding their weapons, the British searching for their storehouses, the standoff at Lexington and Concord. The desperate nature of their situation always fascinated me, the colonials fighting one of the largest militaries in the world, and the single largest navy in the world.

The battle at bunker hill, which they lost, the amazing siege of Boston where General Washington had no artillery, so General Knox went and stole a bunch of cannons from a British fort, and brought them to Washington.

The defeat at New York, the chaos, the lost battles, all of it was so desperate, looked so bleak, and yet, the great turning point was when Washington crossed the Delaware river on Christmas day to score a key victory.

So much of it was clearly acts of God in human history. Washington himself believed that, he kept speaking of divine providence. All those events eventually led to victory over the British, and a new nation was born.

Freedom and liberty came about through those events for untold millions. And it took God's favor. It's always inspired me, that desperate battle for liberty. That victory bought for us a freedom from tyranny that endures to this day.

But today we speak of another kind of freedom, a freedom that Christ bought for us with his own blood.

We often see in scripture an idea called freedom, or liberty in Christ. And today we’re going to talk about what that means to have freedom in Christ. We’re going to look at what the exercise of that freedom looks like, we’re going to look at the limits of that freedom, and how that freedom leads us into a mindset called living in the Spirit.

We find ourselves today in the letter to the Galatians, the fifth chapter. Paul writes this letter to the church of Galatia, it was originally sent from Paul in Ad. 48, so about 2000 years ago.

The issue was, the church was originally made up of two main groups, Jews who had converted to Christianity. And gentiles (non-Jews) who had converted to Christianity from pagan religions. And, one of the problems that cropped up in the church in Galatia, among other churches at that time, was that some of the Jewish Christians began to insist that believers should have to follow certain ceremonial laws from the Old Testament.

The one in particular, that was being taught by false teachers in Galatia, was that gentile Christians had to be circumcised.

Paul is writing the letter to the Galatian church to deal with this heresy, of requiring gentile Christians to be circumcised according to the law of Moses.

Our scripture today in Galatians 5:1 begins like this, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

It is for liberty, for the concept of liberty, that Christ set us free. The Greek word here, eleutheria (el-yoo-ther-ee'-ah), implies the concept of a slave being released. But it is more than freedom from sin, but also liberty to make free choices, because in fact Christ loves and desires liberty as an end in itself.

I’ve found that to be true about who God is, he loves liberty. He doesn’t force us to do anything and doesn’t want to control our actions. He gives freedom. Now he does desire that we would freely choose the right. But he doesn’t force us. Of course, there are consequences to our actions.

It is Satan and his demonic forces that prefer tyranny and control. If you notice, in the book of Revelation, Satan’s end game, his final plan, is the mark of the beast, which once the person takes it, it forces them to be under the control of the anti-Christ. Satan’s end game is total control, to turn people into cattle.

God’s end game is liberty, but also consequence. If we use our liberty to live in blatant sin, there will be consequences. But, if we use our liberty for love, there will be reward.

Once we are free, we are reminded to stand firm, the Greek word can mean, to remain stationary. Do not let yourself be slowly taken it by yokes of slavery. A yoke is a harness that an animal would wear when it’s being directed.

There are two yokes that we need to avoid. The first is the yoke of slavery to old testament ceremonial laws and regulations. The second, is the yoke of slavery to sin.

Paul is writing to a church, where false teachers are trying to put them back under the yoke of the law of Moses, when Paul knows that Christ has set the people free from sin, yes, but also from adherence to the old testament law.

It continues, verses 2-4, “2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.”

Paul uses the strongest language to call out these false teachings. Imagine if we started saying that we have to obey the old testament law, no mixed fabrics, no pork, no shell fish. Those are old testament ceremonial laws. They do not apply to us today. Same thing with circumcision.

Interestingly enough, circumcision is still done, medically, because it actually is more healthy, but, no Christian would say a new believer must be circumcised.

But Paul says, those who are attempting to be justified through the law, they’ve fallen away. They are alienated from Christ. The Greek word here ekpiptō implies losing something, dropping away, being driven off from one’s course.

That’s how serious it is, that we don’t try to live according to the old testament law of Moses in order to be justified before God. We know our justification comes through Jesus Christ, and what he did on the cross. Jesus fulfilled the law completely. We must trust that Jesus’s victory for us is sufficient.

Paul continues, verses 5-6: "5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."

Here Paul gives us a hint of our true lifestyle as a believer. He says, “through the Spirit…” We as believers do not live by the Old testament law. We don’t live by rules and regulations. We live by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

That relationship with the Spirit is lived through faith, trust. Faith then naturally expresses itself through acts of love. If it doesn’t, something has gone wrong.

Next, verses 7-9: "7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”

The Christian life is comparable to running a race. Pursuing a goal. And it’s a beautiful thing to watch a Christian who really sees their life that way. They are pursuing Christ. They are chasing after Him.

But it is amazing how much damage false teachers can do. They come around with crafty arguments, very clever statements, to try to draw you away from wholehearted devotion to Christ.

There are so many dangerous false teachings out there today. The teaching that claims any sort of call to holiness is legalism. I’ve heard that garbage for years from lukewarm Christians. It is very common unfortunately for this very book of the Bible, Galatians, to be used by some to make the argument that any attempts toward holiness before the Lord are like vain attempts at adhering to the law of Moses. Yet scripture says repeatedly, live the most holy life in response to what Christ has done for you. 

The book of Galatians must never be misused as an antinomian cry to reject the New Testament commands of God because we aren't under the ceremonial law. It is toxic to a believer who can sense within that they are called to live a pure live in Christ, which is repeatedly commanded throughout the New Testament. Watch out for lukewarm Christians who will draw you away from wholehearted devotion to Christ.

As Paul says, a little yeast leavens the whole batch. False teachings have a way of disturbing our entire walk with Christ. One simple lie can mess up our entire concept of Christ and lead us astray.

Next, verses 10-12: “10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!”

Notice here that Paul says if we were to go back to the law, it would mean the offense of the cross would be abolished. But Paul is confident that the cross is not abolished, he is confident that true believers will in fact take no other view, but the truth. Paul reminds them that judgment awaits the false teachers, he even goes as far as to say, that he wishes these false teachers would go all the way and emasculate themselves.

Yes, that’s in the Bible. Paul so wishes to protect the believers in Galatia, that he views the false teachers as a vicious and dangerous threat.

Next, verse 13: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”

Here we’re getting closer to the heart of what it means to have freedom in Christ. The freedom Christ gives is like the freedom a slave would receive when being set free. We were once all slaves to sin. We did not have the power in our flesh to not sin. But when we allowed Christ to reign in our hearts, we received the Holy Spirit, and by the Spirit of Christ, we are able to be free.

That freedom means we can be free from sins in our lives. We’re free from having to strictly adhere to the old testament law of Moses. Jesus has fulfilled it all for us.

So does that mean we can essentially do whatever we want? Absolutely not. We’re instantly told, do not use your freedom as an excuse to indulge the flesh. Rather, we have a freedom yes, but the goal should be, to exercise that freedom to serve one another humbly in love.

It’s kind of like how the United States was setup. It was setup as John Adams wrote, for a moral and religious people. We have a lot of freedoms in our society. And the reason for that is, because each citizen should be a law unto themselves. From within they guard themselves from taking actions that would harm the society. That is American freedom. We govern ourselves. Unfortunately, as people in our society lose touch with that fact, and run wild, our society increasingly has to create new laws to prevent destructive behavior.

Next, verses 14-15: “14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

Through the Spirit, who lives within us, we are able to fulfill not the old testament law of Moses, but the law of Christ, which is to love your neighbor as yourself. Yet we also get a warning, but if you begin to quarrel and backbite each other, you will destroy each other.

We are no longer under the law of Moses. But one could say that we are under a new law, a new yoke, but this yoke is easy and light, as Jesus said. We are under the royal law, the law of love, which puts us under the two great commands of Jesus, to love God, and love our neighbors. By the Spirit, we are able to fulfill this yoke.

Next, verses 16-18: “16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

So we’ve discovered that freedom in Christ, is about personal freedom in your life from regulations and more so, freedom from slavery to sin in the flesh. It’s about full reliance on Christ and what he did on the cross.

It’s about accessing God through faith. This faith expresses itself in love.

We are now in a new pattern of thinking. We no longer look nervously at the endless commands of the Torah, we look to the Spirit within, with the help of the New Testament, and to the command “to love” from Jesus.

We want to see it all in the context of walking by the Spirit vs. walking by the flesh. The Spirit desires what is contrary to the flesh, the flesh what is contrary to the Spirit. They are in conflict. This is the battle within us. So we are in fact not to do whatever we want, that would be a misuse of our freedom in Christ.

But if you are truly led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

I’ve heard it so often described in Christian theology as faith vs. Works, faith vs. Works, or that’s a work, you’re working for your own salvation, blah blah blah. But that is not the key divide in the Christian life. It’s something we should be aware of, that we live by faith, and that faith expresses itself in works. But no, the main divide as we live the Christian life is learning to live by the Spirit’s leading, and to crucify the works of the flesh.

And we as Wesleyans do not believe that one must always keep on sinning endlessly. We believe, that through the Spirit, we can do just what it says, crucify the sins of the flesh. And live free. Does that mean that we’re suddenly perfect? Of course not. But, we believe, we can fundamentally live from a place of freedom, not slavery.

What are the works of the flesh?

They are as follows: 19-21: “19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Notice, the end of verse 21, Paul is talking to believers here, I don’t know why that’s hard for some people to figure out, but it says, if you live like this, you will not inherit the kingdom of God.

When you practice these sins of the flesh, you are in fact putting your salvation on the line. It says it right there. If you live like this, make a practice of willful sinning, you won’t inherit eternal life.

So be wise and repent quickly, if these sort of practices are occurring in your life. God will help us.

Next, we get a picture of the Spirit life: “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

The Spirit is always developing these characteristics within the heart of a believer. And we can trust that God will bring them to completion. We also know that our cooperation is necessary with the Spirit, for these characteristics to develop.

Lastly, verses 25-26: "25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

The battle between the flesh and the Spirit rages intensely in the life of a new believer. And over the years, as those battles are won, the battles die down a bit. But, God is often addressing something new in our lives, depending on what stage we’re in, in our spiritual journey.

So, we want to keep in step with the Spirit. That word “in step” in the Greek pictures “proceeding in a row as the marching of a soldier” in an orderly fashion. The Spirit is our leader. He guides us, and shows us things he wants us to focus in on. So, as you pray, and study the word, and listen for the Spirit, the Spirit will guide you on a journey, from one area of your life to the next, teaching you, training you, convicting you, guiding you, and you’ll be brought to different things in your life. The Spirit will encourage you, crucify this issue, set it aside, repent of it, build up this area, heal in this area, and it’ll be a beautiful journey as you engage on it.

We get one last warning, to not become conceited, provoking or envying each other. That’s always a danger as we grow in Christ, and we see the Spirit doing all these things, we start to think well I'm good now, I don’t have anything else to work on, but, that can be pride, and we want to stay humble, and open to the voice of the Spirit in our lives.

In conclusion, Christ came to give us freedom. That freedom is beautiful. It’s an open space for us to live free from slaveries of the mind or heart. But it’s a freedom that calls us to purity. It’s a freedom that calls us away from rules and regulations of the law. It’s a faith relationship with Jesus Christ, expressing itself in love. And that faith relationship leads us toward the Holy Spirit and the leading of the Spirit in our lives.

We obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit, in accordance with Jesus’ commands to love God and love our neighbors. We utilize life in the Spirit, to put to death the misdeeds of our flesh. And so we learn to walk in step with the Spirit, following His lead, remaining humble, as we journey toward heaven together.

Think back to the American revolution, which we talked about at the beginning. It seemed like a long shot at the time. It seemed in fact, virtually impossible. Sometimes as a believer in Christ, we look at all the wreckage in our lives, the sins, the depression, the anxiety, the difficulties, the distractions, and we throw up our hands and assume there must be no way to find a place of victory over these issues. But we must not allow ourselves to be tempted to think that way. The Holy Spirit is with us, just as divine providence was with the continentals during the American revolution. We can believe that God will again and again grant us victories where defeat seemed certain. 

We can live by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Dare to believe this simple truth today, and watch where that belief begins to take you. Dare to believe it. 

Suffering for the spread of the Gospel

When you look through the pages of history of the church, which is something I love to do, you find so many amazing stories of faith. These stories are so very inspiring, from people like Richard Wurmbrand who suffered under communism in Romania, to Corrie Ten Boom who went through terrible suffering in the Nazi concentration camps, to people like John Wesley who faced such severe opposition, he was kicked out of so many churches or William Booth who had a vision of the lost drowning in the seas and the platform of safety, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer or so many others. They were people who trusted in their God, and their God did amazing things through them. When we read their stories, it inspires us to trust more fully in our God. But, what we must always remember is that part of each of their stories, indeed central to each of their stories, is pain and difficulty.

We admire people like Daniel, from the Bible, because he really did endure a night in the Lion’s den. We admire Elijah because he dared to believe that God would send fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice in front of the false prophets of Baal. We admire Stephen because he spoke so boldly in front of a mob, that then picked up stones and killed him moments after he finished speaking.

I think we all intellectually understand that part of the Christian life involves suffering. But, it’s different when we’re in the suffering. We wonder, what is going on? Where did this come from? Why is this happening?

And for many of us those questions have led us to prayer, and more prayer, and deep prayer and honest crying out. And the result has often been, that as we pray and seek God honestly, something begins to carry us through the suffering. And we bear it, with grace. A grace we didn’t expect, and couldn’t conjure on our own.

Today, I believe we’re going to learn about the grace available in suffering in particular, for the spreading of the gospel. 

I think that when we simply accept that it is going to be painful, and embrace that, we will find that fear loses it’s power over us when it comes to sharing our faith with others.

Our scripture today says, in 1st Peter 3:13-14 “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.”

There are different kinds of suffering in life.

First, there’s the suffering because we made a bad decision. I’ve done this with me and my wife. We cook something, and we start to eat it, and realize, oh wait, this meat tastes funny. My wife stops eating, I don’t. I made it, I’m eating it. It smells good, and I’m hungry. Even though it tastes weird, I keep eating. And then the next day I’m sick. Basic suffering for being stupid.

Second, suffering because people are stupid. Chelsey and I were leaving Walmart about 2 weeks ago. And there was a ton of traffic, and the intersection ahead of me was jammed, but, it trapped the guy behind me in a spot where someone couldn’t get past him. So as he went by me later he did some unique hand signs with his fingers. I became upset, and it caused some suffering for me, albeit small. 

Third, suffering for Jesus. This is when you suffer because you’re a Christian. This is when you do something like risk a relationship to speak up about something in your friend’s life. You share the gospel with someone and they mock you. You go out and witness to people for hours and you get home emotionally exhausted. It's small, but it's still a gift of suffering for Jesus. 

Our suffering is often small in comparison to the greats throughout human history who even gave their lives for their testimony about Jesus. But hey, start small, if you can get out there with your faith, and share the message of truth, and you suffer as a result in some way, you should be excited.

Because to share in the sufferings of Jesus is a noble and beautiful thing. It’s something richly rewarded in heaven. Rejoice if you are mocked like Jesus was mocked. There is in fact a special crown in heaven for those who endure persecution for their faith, it’s called the crown of life.

Second portion of verse 14: “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”

Do you struggle with fear in your life? I know I do. I think many people do. They secretly battle a lot of fear.

I know I’ve struggled with some fear in my life.

Fear can be so paralyzing. If we allow it to get out of control, it can control us, and keep us from sharing our faith openly.

Are you afraid to share your faith with others? Or are you pretty bold and open about Jesus?

For me it all depends on the day. Some days I feel quite bold, other days I just want to hide away and be by myself.

The Lord has encounters written for us, across this city. People you are meant to slow down and minister to. Every single one of you are called to it. 

How do you know when though? When does God want me to act? You will sense a nudging from the Lord.

And he will call you forward to serve someone, in some way. This is really what we’re going to focus in on.

Are you open to God’s openings? We won’t be able to engage in every encounter God has for us. We’re human. We make mistakes. We miss things. We get busy. And the Lord has told me, "Justin I will always forgive if you miss an encounter with someone."

But I don’t want to miss any more encounters.

Watch for these encounters in your life. They are treasure. They are stories you will tell and retell. They are opportunities.

And if every one of you began to see your life that way, and you were watching for nudgings from God, we’d come back here in a week, and 15 of you would have stories where you encountered someone and you blessed them in some way.

And as the weeks go by, hundreds of encounters would happen, and each of those encounters would slowly bring this city closer and closer to Jesus Christ.

Three tips for these encounters:

The first thing to remember, is to slow down and watch for opportunities. We get going so fast as Americans, we miss opportunities. Slow down in your life and watch for "God moments." 

The second, is to see this world as a mission field that you are called to.

Third, understand small things are actually big things. If you can strike up a conversation with someone, whether it’s the waitress at the restaurant, or someone in line at the grocery store, or someone walking on the beach, God can do a lot with those openings.

Fourth, be bold. Recite this scripture over your life, "The righteous are as bold as a lion." Pray for boldness, God will help you. 

One encounter at a time. It can be with family, it can be with friends, it can be with neighbors, it can even be with strangers.

How many of you are willing to put your relationships on the line for Jesus? How many of you are willing to invite your friends and family to church even though you might appear to be one of “those religious people?” How many of you are willing to walk up to a stranger and give them the gospel?

We need something in all this that we can only get from Jesus himself. We need holy boldness. The scriptures say the righteous are as bold as a lion.

I wonder if, when Peter wrote this, he wasn’t thinking about the incident in Acts 4, where Peter and John were arrested by the religious leaders and told to stop speaking about Jesus.

And after being released, Peter and John met with the church and they prayed for boldness, they prayed to God saying, “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” -Acts 4:29

Next, it says: "15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord."

Sanctify the Lord God in your heart. Regard God as holy. Reverence Him. Look to Jesus. Look at Jesus.

He is your God. Worship Him. Trust Him. Reverence Him. Submit to Him. Yield to Him. Surrender yourself entirely to Him.

He will give you everything you need. He will help you. He will carry you. Look at Jesus. Ignore the fear, and look at Jesus.

I think it’s asking yourself the question, “Is Jesus Christ really my God?” Is he really in charge of my life? Or do I live for myself?

That’s the first portion, look to Jesus. Second portion, be prepared.

It says, verse 15: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”

Explain the gospel: Jesus is the Son of God. He came and lived a perfect life. He taught the truth. He died a sacrificial death to cover over all my sins with his blood. He rose from the grave. He is a living savior. He will change your life. Make him the Lord of your life. Jesus will save you from your sins.

If you’re not comfortable giving a gospel presentation like that, go to your testimony. We all have a testimony. Write down the main events of your story, if you haven’t ever done that. And in the future, I’m going to be challenging many of you here, to come forward at a service in the future, and give a 5 minute testimony of how God changed your life.

A simple testimony.

It’s simple. Tell the story. For me, after my parents divorced, I got into drinking and drugs, got into trouble, and became increasingly depressed, until I was suicidal. My grandpa who had recently become a Christian, invited me over, and gave me my first Bible. He shared about the love of Jesus, and how Jesus had died for me. I asked him hard questions. He didn’t have all the answers. I rebelled more. But slowly began reading the Bible, and I connected with the story of Jacob’s ladder. I watched the gospel of John movie over and over, until I finally realized, wait a minute, I need Jesus. And at rock bottom, I got on my knees, and I cried out and said Jesus please help me. His presence came upon me. And he led me on a journey into recovery, healing, and ministry. He saved me, he can do the same for you.

My story is wild, but your story is just as important ,it doesn’t have to be wild, it can be, “I was longing for something more, and a friend invited me to church, and I found out about how much Jesus loves me.” That’s just as powerful and probably more relatable to most people.

Do you have your testimony memorized, in your back pocket? If not, write it down, rehearse it, and then you’ll be ready.

Do all this with gentleness and respect.

If someone is rude to us, we can still be gentle and respectful. Also, if someone is resistant, I try to take a step back, and just listen. And kind of let them talk themselves out. Honestly, once they feel heard and respected, they are more willing to listen. So, even if they are snarky, if you can stop yourself from getting upset, and just listen with kindness, it may actually help win them over.

Next, verse 16: “...keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

Keeping a clear conscience is very important. If on the one hand I have this great testimony and I’m sharing the word with people, but at the same time there’s things in my life that speak a contrary word, it’s going to undercut what I say.

So it’s wise to deal with our sins, and clear them out. Repent of them. Ask Jesus for help to be free. We have the Holy Spirit, so we can expect to find healing and victory over anything that might upset our Christian witness.

At the same time don’t bully yourself, or abuse yourself with shame, accept that where you’re at is where you’re at, and God is doing something beautiful. And understand many sins are stuck because healing is needed, not because you’re a bad person. Invite God to do a healing journey in your life.

Next, verse 17: “For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”

Peter reminds us again here, that is good to suffer for doing God’s will. But I think it’s wise, he mentions the concept of God’s will. I write a Christian blog, I have for about 12 years. Many times I would challenge young people on my blog to take up their places of ministry in the body of Christ, start websites, start podcasts, become ministry leaders, start businesses, and so on. But, I regret this for one reason: I never properly instructed them to do so only if it’s God’s will.

That’s something we all should learn as Christians. Often times we jump into something because we personally want it. But that isn’t how we should operate. We should always check with God, and ask Him, is this your will?

Next, Peter points us to the example of Christ, verse 18: "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”

What Christ did, his crucifixion, effectuated for you, a complete process, of bringing you from total disconnection from God, to connected. His death accomplished this.

Jesus paved a literal trail of blood to bring you from abandoned to adopted by God. A trail of blood brought you home. Is it so much for us to pave a trail to bring the lost to the feet of Jesus? There is no blood involved in that. Only some sweat and some tears. Jesus gave so much more! 

When we minister to someone, we are helping bring them to Jesus, who will then bring them to God, if they allow Jesus to do so. Our task is to be the ambassador, who brings them to Jesus. If they choose to say yes or no, is none of our concern. We’ve been faithful to show them Jesus.

Next, verses 19-21: "19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God."

There is a lot there, but suffice to say, we’re getting a picture of baptism. That when we are saved by Jesus, one of the benefits we receive is the washing away of all our sins. This gives us a clear conscience.

Lastly, verse 22, Peter concludes his gospel presentation, which began with bringing us to God, through baptism, and now to the resurrection.

It says, “It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”

Jesus did not stay dead, he could not be our savior if he did. He is alive. He is in heaven, with all authority under Him.

As you engage in the task of spreading the gospel in this community, sharing your testimony, and bringing people to this church, know that Jesus Christ will be with you always.

All authority belongs to Him. By the power of His name, you shall be victorious.

Keep taking everything to that seat of authority. Bathe everything in prayer. If you ever give someone a tract, or share your story with them, or invite them to church, always pray for them after the encounter, when your at home or in your car.

One more thing: Expect the supernatural. Peter and John prayed for a man who couldn’t walk, and suddenly he was leaping and praising God, and this incident sparked everything else in Acts 4. One of the main ways our message goes out is through the demonstration of the power of Christ in healing and miracles. So expect for Jesus to use you and your prayers to bring healing and even miraculous events.

This is going to be a message that I harp on week in and week out, as we grow together as a family, your job is to spread the gospel, to evangelize your city. Have that mindset. Ask Jesus for help and boldness, and you shall succeed.

Think back to the legends we discussed at the beginning of the message. Wurmbrand, Ten Boom, Booth, Daniel, Stephen they suffered for Jesus, because they stop talking about Jesus. None of them did exceedingly complicated things, they simply obeyed the Bible and spoke up boldly. And we regard them as the greats. But they were just average people like you and me. In the great halls of faith, here we come to our hall, the hall of faith for our city, our nation, our time on Earth. By some simple actions by you, in obedience to the word, you become part of the hall of faith, of those who spoke up for Jesus. Pray about it. Make a plan. Then go out and do it.

Mount Sinai and Mount Zion: The Journey of the Believer to the Mountain of God

Long ago, a man named Moses was walking up a hill, and he discovered a bush that was burning, the flames rushed through the bush over and over, but, the bush was not consumed by the flames. The bush held the flames, the bush allowed the flames to flow through it, but the bush remained safe in the flames, bearing the flames without being harmed.

God spoke from the flames to Moses, and called Moses to a great mission, a mission that one day would lead Moses into Egypt, and out of Egypt again, with the entire Hebrew nation, all the way back to Mount Sinai, also known as Mount Horeb, where he first met God in the burning bush.

We’re going to be looking at Hebrews chapter 12 today. The author of Hebrews is writing to Jewish Christians who were facing severe persecution, after having fled persecution in Israel, they now faced new persecutions throughout the provinces of the Roman Empire.

Being Jewish converts to Christianity, their entire history is steeped in the Old Testament, steeped in Jewish traditions and beliefs, much of them centering around the words of Moses in the Torah. The Torah is what Jews called the first five book of the Bible, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Number and Deuteronomy. So, throughout the book of Hebrews, the author is going to reference Old Testament events and activities thoroughly.

Chapter 12 is no exception. In particular, we're going to see Mount Sinai referenced, as well as as second mountain, Mount Zion. 

Today we’re going to be looking at these two mountains, the activities surrounding these two mountains. We’re going to see one of these mountains represents a temporary kingdom and one of these kingdoms an eternal kingdom. We’re going to look at the danger of turning away, as well as the safety of the eternal foundation, the shaking that God brings about, the fire of God, and the we’ll touch on paradise and damnation today.

I hope you’re excited, I know I am.

We come to the first mountain, described in verses 18-21. This is Mount Sinai, the text is taking us back in time to the moments when God had brought millions of Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, and they were now camped at the foot of Mount Sinai, the place where God first met with Moses in the burning bush.

Have you ever gone back to a place that meant the world to you when you were younger? Maybe it was Grandma’s kitchen, or the house you grew up in? Can you imagine the emotions Moses was feeling as he led the Hebrews toward the mount where he met with God in the burning bush?

Yet this was a scary situation for Moses and the Hebrews. They were told, you must not even touch mount Sinai. There was thunder, lightning, and the fear of God. Only Moses and Aaron were permitted to come up to meet with God.

And the writer of the book of Hebrews is helping us understand that the situation is different now, than it was back then. The writer tells us, it’s “not” quite like coming to this mountain.

It’s written, verses 18-21: "18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”[c] 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

Mount Sinai symbolizes justice for us today. A dark mountain, a mountain of fear, and laws, and a system that we could not obey. The law showed us our sinfulness, and that we could not be good without god.

This is not the mountain we are journeying toward as Christians.

We are all on our pilgrimages through this world to a particular mountain, the mountain of God. And though we are grateful for Moses and the burning bush, the 10 commandments, the old testament laws and regulations, they do not primarily define our current journey with God.

Our journey with God is different. It’s built on those events, built on those commandments and historical events, but, our story is centered on Jesus. We’re on a journey, similar to the Hebrews as they journeyed out of Egypt. We’re journeying out of the world of sin, and toward a new world. The author calls is “Mount Zion.”

Verses 22-24 say this: "22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”

We are at the second mountain. But really, it’s a city. Our journey is toward a city. A city that God has made. A home for all of us.

Now I’ve been to a few cities in my life, Chicago, built along the edge of lake Michigan, San Francisco, built along the ocean, St. Louis built at the gateway to the western part of the nation, and Washington D.C. built on seven hills. But this city of God talked about in scripture is very different from any city we’ve visited.

This city is not built along a lake or in a valley, but it is built around the throne room of the eternal infinite God who made the universe in which we currently reside.

If you flip in your Bible back to Revelation 21, it describes the layout of the city, in verses 16-19:

“16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[c] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits[d] thick.[e] 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.”

That’s about 1,500 miles in length, and width and height. 200 feet thick walls. These are very specific measurements, don’t you think? Much like the measurements given for Noah’s ark in Genesis 6:14-16, and the instructions for Solomon’s Temple in 1st Kings 6-7. Which tells me the Bible isn’t speaking in symbolic terms here, but specific terms.

To visualize 1,500 miles, imagine driving from Traverse City, mi to Florida.

Our Christian journey ends at this city. And a new life begins when we reach this city. It is the heavenly Jerusalem. It is filled with endless billions and billions of angels. It is a place in which your names are written right now in heaven.

If you are truly born again through Jesus Christ, your name is written in the book of life right now.

Ultimately, coming home to the new Jerusalem is coming home to God himself, your true father, the God who designed you, spoke you into existence, crafted your soul, and placed you into the body within the body of your mother before you were even born.

Your mom and dad cared for you and raised you, but something deep within you longs for your true Father, your God, the one who made you, and knows you more deeply than anyone ever could imagine.

He Knows You.

To enter the city of God we must be washed in the blood of Jesus. We must be as the text says, 'the righteous ones, made perfect.'

And in that city we will meet Jesus, our King, our Lord, our friend, our brother. The one who loves us and died to bring us there safely.

By his sprinkled blood, on the altar, his blood removed all our sins. And that blood speaks a word over us.

It’s not like the blood of Abel, mentioned here in the text. The blood of Abel if you recall in Genesis, cried out from the ground to God, as God told Cain his brother: "The blood of your brother cries out to me." It cried out for justice. 

So it was during the time at Mount Sinai, the law cried out for justice, the ten commandments, and no one could fulfill the law. Everyone fell short. We were guilty, like Cain, with the blood of his brother calling out for justice.

Does this mean that Mount Sinai was bad, or that the law was wrong? Not at all. The law was perfect. It displayed God’s perfect standard. And Jesus did not do away with the law, he fulfilled the law, he lived under the law, and he perfectly obeyed the law for us.

But now the sprinkled blood of Jesus speaks a new word over us, not like the word Abel’s blood spoke, crying out for justice. Instead, Jesus’ blood cries out a new word over us: Justified. Redeemed. Forgiven. Innocent.

This blood of Jesus covered us, covered over our sins, and we were declared clean. But it did more than that. It didn’t end there, it began there. When Jesus was pierced on Calvary by the spear, a flow of blood and water came from his side.

Jesus said, (John 4:14) “Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

This represents the Holy Spirit. The blood covers us, and instantly we are born again, of water and the spirit, and this begins our journey toward the eternal city, like a spring within us, bubbling up toward eternal life.

Again, turn back to Revelation, 22:1-5: "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”

That is your destiny. That is your future. The living water bubbling up within you now, is the water that flows down the great main street of the city of God. And it flows from the Father and the Lamb, down from the throne like a waterfall, and toward the tree of life. That is the city we long for, that is the place our hearts long to be. No place really feels like home in this life, our hearts always long for something more. They long for this city, for the God at the center of this city, and the adventure we shall enjoy for all eternity at this city, and in the new heavens and new earth. Praise God!

So we’ve looked at the two mountains, Sinai, and Zion. Now the author of Hebrews is going to challenge us.

Verse 25: "See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?"

Again we’re getting a comparison between the two mountains. The Hebrew nation traveling through the wilderness was warned by Moses, obey the Lord, follow the Lord, don’t turn aside to idols. But as scripture says, their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. The generation that was delivered from Egypt died in the wilderness without seeing the promised land, except for Moses (saw it), Joshua and Caleb (went in).

Similarly, we today are on a journey through another wilderness. The wilderness of this world. This world is not our home. The author of Hebrews challenges us, do not turn away from the God who speaks from heaven. If they didn’t escape in the wilderness of sin (Exodus 16:1), how will we escape in our wilderness of sin, if we turn away from the living God?

I’ve seen it happen many times. A once dedicated believer begins to drift away from the Lord, and eventually they end up back in the world, worse off than before. Guard against this danger. Hold fast to the Lord. He who endures to the end shall be saved. Indeed, much of the book of Hebrews deals with this command: Do not fall away. Do not drift. Hold close to the word of truth.

Next, verses 26-27: "26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”[e] 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain."

At Mount Sinai God’s voice when he spoke, shook the Earth. But now, God promises he will not only shake the Earth, but also the heavens. What does that mean? The author of Hebrews tells us, the “once more” statement points to an end, and a new beginning. Meaning, we currently dwell in the old heavens and old earth system. They will be removed, destroyed, and replaced with the new heavens and new earth discussed in Revelation 21 and 22. That is one form of shaking, shaking that removes the old and reveals the new.

Another form of shaking, is how God "shakes" us. God shakes us from time to time through trials and difficulties, so we are slowly becoming mature, we become spiritual, which is to be unshakable. But the shaking will continue on the Earth, and the culmination is the end times talked about in Revelation, leading to the end of the old system, and the beginning of a new system, new heavens and new earth.

When the author writes, what cannot be shaken may remain, he’s talking about you.

Lastly, verses 28-29: "28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Let’s pull all this together: We are receiving an eternal kingdom as our inheritance: The new city of God, the new Jerusalem. We must not turn aside on the journey. We must not let ourselves be distracted by worldly pursuits.

I’ve seen so many different layers and levels of being a Christian. From a Christian who you can barely tell they’re a believer, to a Christian who is growing but still caught in sins, to a Christian who is devoted but distracted by the world at the same time, to a fully devoted believer who is truly on fire for Jesus. My only challenge to you is, to have the mindset of slowly giving more and more of yourself to Jesus. See it as a spectrum in which you’re moving from one end to the other. You do that through slow gradual changes. If you do that, you’ll be moving toward full devotion, and arrive there one day.

Therefore, let us be thankful for what is coming. It’s exciting. Let us thank God every day for the good things he provides. And let us then worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Going all the way back to Mount Sinai and Moses standing in front of the burning bush, the scriptures say, the bush burned but was not consumed by the fire. God was even speaking to Moses in the bush, saying to him, if you believe in me, you will be like the bush, a clay pot, average, but you will carry the fire of God within you. And it will not harm you. It will not consume you. It will burn within you.

So it is for us as Christians. The Holy Spirit of God burns within us. The fire of God does not consume us, it burns within us, and we are consumed with Him.

You will be consumed by something in life, let that thing that we are consumed with, be God.

Consumed with, or consumed by.

The choice is ours: Countless souls are being consumed by the fire of God in a place called hell. They did not seek God. They refused God. And so the fire consumed them.

But we know God. We have accepted his son Jesus into our hearts. And so we are led by the flame of God. It does not consume us. It does not harm us. We’ve allowed that fire to forge us and mold us and shape us. And so we now carry the flame within us, but more so, it carries us.

You may be wondering: How do I apply this to my life? The application for today is simple: See yourself as on a journey to the eternal city of God. See yourself as a pilgrim on the Earth. See yourself as one who carries and follows the flame of God within you. And if you have that mindset about your life and your journey, that God is writing your story, you will be seeing the world rightly, and that is truth, and when you see through the lenses of truth, you will succeed, because the truth will set you free. 

How do you see your life? Let God define it. You are journeying home to the New Jerusalem.

Perfecting Holiness out of Reverence for God

Before we start today, I want to tell you a little about myself. My name is Justin Steckbauer, I’m originally from Wisconsin. I’m 40 years old. I became a follower of Jesus when I was 27, and God radically changed my life. I have a past, a dark past, which you’ll hear me touch on from time to time, I shared on Pentecost that I was once an atheist. But once I came to know Jesus, I was called by Him to the ministry.

I have several degrees in the study of theology, a bachelors in Christian counseling from Liberty University, I’m a graduate of Salvation Army training college in Chicago, with a two year degree. And I hold a masters degree in the study of ministry from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL.

I’ve served in ministry in various roles for the past 12 years. 6 of those as an ordained minister in The Salvation Army. So Chelsey and I are coming from an extended ministry in the Salvation Army.

I’ve served in ministry with The salvation army, in Wausau wi, Escanaba, mi, Owosso, Mi and Gary, In. Chelsey and I met in Owosso when I was the pastor there, and we worked together in ministry for several years, and got married in 2024. We don’t have any kids yet.

We are very passionate about doing ministry together, Chelsey has served in the past as the program coordinator, and I as the pastor. So we’re looking forward to continue doing ministry together here.

In the last year we felt God calling us toward the church of the Nazarene, and in particular we’ve felt drawn for years toward traverse city. In fact, I was so sure that Chelsey and I would end up in traverse city one day, that I asked Chelsey to marry me here on the beach at mission point light house.

Chelsey and I believe with all of our hearts, that it is God’s will that we are here

I’m going to ask my wife to share a bit about herself as well...

Generally the way that I select a scripture for Sunday morning is I ask God, and God will lead me to a particular passage, so unless we’re in a sermon series, where it’s one section after another, it’s something God brought up.

So let’s get into the passage for today, 2nd Corinthians 7, we’re going to focus in on verse 1, then we’re going to comb through the rest of the chapter.

Verse one says, “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

There are three parts of this verse, the first is “since we have these promises.” Meaning, as Christians we are living from a place of already having the promises of God.

We are not working our way toward the nest, we’re not climbing the tree to get to the nest, we are in the nest, accepted by God, children of God, loved by God, and holders of the promises.

We are not a teenager working toward the keys to his new car, we already have the new car, the keys are in our hands, and we are going for a drive in it.

We are not working on the house, hoping to live in it, we are living in the house, as we are working on it.

Second portion of this scripture, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit.”

As we live the Christian life month by month, year by year, God brings things to our attention, things he wants to purify out of us. When we notice those things, we take action, the Holy Spirit within us, helps us. We pray, we repent, we seek God’s help, we confess what’s going on to a trusted friend, we grieve, and turn. We often seek healing, and that healing will help us, in whatever sin we’re struggling with, it breaks free, when the healing comes.

Third portion, “perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

Our God is holy. In fact he is holy, holy, holy. If we could see him right now, we would all instantly, feel completely undone, and we would cry out as Isaiah did, I’m a man of unclean lips.

Therefore, since we have these promises, from a place of acceptance, we purify ourselves of anything that could contaminate our body or spirit, which is, perfecting holiness. That process is perfecting holiness. Slowly we are setting ourselves apart for special use.

What is our motivation? It is reverence for God. The NIV translates that word there reverence, but almost every other translation renders it the fear of the Lord.

We’ll say reverent fear of the Lord. And I’ll share this illustration. Back in 2022 I met my future wife Chelsey. One thing she told me, was that other men treated their faith a bit like a happy go lucky game, and what she saw in me, was that I really did fear the Lord, and really wanted to do what God wanted.

Is it good to have a healthy fear of God? Yes it is. The fear of the Lord keeps us from evil. It’s like a guard rail, and it keeps us from the edge. Now, at the same time, the main thing in my life is the ever flowing love of God. That’s the main thing, daily, all day, every day, all night, all the time. But, at the appropriate moments, the fear of the Lord will come upon me, and it helps guide me away from evil, away from danger, and toward the right. Then the fear fades again, and its replaced by love. The love is the constant, the fear pops up when it’s needed.

Those three portions helps us understand how it works. We are at home with God already, we hold the promises in our hands. This leads us to purify ourselves on the sanctification journey. The motivation in this is the fear of God, that prompts us, to not play games with sin, but to put those sins to death quickly with the help of the Holy Spirit.

The rest of the chapter, Paul is going to be dealing with a very specific situation at the Corinthian church. He’s dealing with issues like repentance, facing difficulties, joy and endurance. I don’t want to get too into the weeds with all of this, so for the rest of the chapter, we’re going to jump around a bit, and try to mine out some gold nuggets, key principles ,we can apply to our own lives today.

Chapter 7 of 2nd Corinthians continues like this, “2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. 4 I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.”

A few things to glean here… The command to “make room for us in your hearts” is beautiful to me. It reminds me that we need to make room in our hearts for Jesus. We need to also make room in our hearts for each other. There’s a beautiful Christian Christmas song that includes the phrase, “Is there room in your heart, for God to write your story?”

Often times, we have so many things in the world that we love, there isn’t room in our hearts for the things of God. Can you relate today?

Paul also says, “in all our troubles, my joy knows no bounds.” Is that not wild? Paul had constant problems in his ministry, yet he also claimed joy that was boundless in the troubles.

Joy is the mark of a true believer, a joy that overcomes everything else. I remember being with the church board and sensing a joy among us, because we could all sense God was doing something. Despite all the difficulties, and it’s been difficult! And despite the difficulties, I had a joy with me through all of it. A sense that God was doing it, and it would all work out. If you are going through something, look for the joy.

We’re mining nuggets from this chapter, two nuggets, make room in your heart, and joy despite difficulties.

Let’s look at our next portion, verses 5-7:

5 For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.”

You will face seasons in your life when you will feel like Paul, harassed at every turn, conflicts outside, fears within. That’s real. I’ve been through some seasons like that. Conflicts going on around us, and fear within. But, God always brings comfort and consolation in those seasons. He will bring someone, or some event, that encourages you, and give you new strength and new hope to keep going.

For Paul, this encouragement came through Titus who came and visited him. And the end result was, Paul says, his joy was greater than ever. Paul knew he wasn’t alone. 

I was on vacation in Minocqua wi and I had an experience that brought me great joy. The vacation had gotten a little rough that day, some traumas from the past came up, and I felt overwhelmed. But, we got to sit around a camp fire with some old friends that night, Skip and Sandy, and the conversation was spiritual, deep, meaningful, and it encouraged Chelsey and I. It was like a cold drink on a hot day. God does that. He may do it for you, or use you to help someone else. When you feel that nudge to call someone, or reach out, or have someone over, maybe they need it more than you realize. Act on it!

Next, verses 8-11: 8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.”

Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church brought about sorrow, but, it’s clear that his letter, used by the Holy Spirit, brought about godly sorrow. Godly sorrow, leads to good things.

Godly sorrow leads to repentance, that leads to salvation, and leaves no regret.

This brings us back to our key passage for today, 2nd Cor 7:1, purify yourself from all things can pollute spirit and body.

How does this happen? It happens through the process described in verse 10.

It happens like this, first, the Holy Spirit identifies the issue. We begin to notice, something in our lives, is causing a slight alarm bell to go off in our conscience. It’s not often very loud at first, but each time we do it, it goes off a little louder.

Soon we identify it, and say, ah, the Holy Spirit is saying something to me about this thing.

What follows is something called godly sorrow. We see it, we wrestle in our mind back and forth, trying to justify why it’s ok for us to do that, but, eventually sorrow takes over. And we start to feel sad, that this thing is in our lives, and it shouldn’t be.

It leads us to a valley of decision. What am I going to do? And often times we tell someone about it, we confess it, to our pastor, or a trusted friend. Often we start to study the issue, we read books about it, or even talk to a counselor, and eventually we come to the altar, not necessarily at church, but the altar at home, and we pray: “Lord forgive me, I’ve done this and I see you pointing it out. Please forgive me Lord by the blood of Jesus, and we use the power word, Lord, I repent.”

Which means to turn away from that activity or thing or person or action, and we turn toward God. And this brings a victory. And afterward we may feel tempted to do it, but we stand firm, with the help of prayer, friends, scripture, even support groups if necessary, and we find true and lasting freedom.

For some things, it may be more difficult. A lot of these things I’ve found, are connected with something from our past that needs healing.

Again, we take that to God, and God brings healing. We confess it. We journal about it. We ask God to heal our heart. We bring it to a counselor or pastor, and we share about it. We grieve the original hurts, even with tears, and this brings lasting healing.

This all may seem difficult, sad, like walking through a fire, it may include wrestling, painful memories, and ugly tears. But, the fruit that flows from it, there is no regret after it’s been confessed, healed, and repented of. It’s gone. It’s forgiven. And that hurt that sin that’s been sitting there for years like a splinter in your mind is GONE, and you just want to jump for joy, you’re so excited that your free.

It took walking through the godly sorrow, and hurt and healing and repentance, and exposure, but, the result is a harvest of righteousness.

You’ve fulfilled 2 Corinthians 7:1, you’ve perfected holiness in the fear of God. And you’re free.

God did this with me most recently, with coffee, I’m not saying all coffee is sinful. But for me, God convicted me about 6 months ago, and I was misusing it. Using it to power me through each day. That isn’t right. And I repented, I simply stopped using it. And that splinter in my mind was suddenly gone, and I rejoiced. And I’m glad, I’m glad to be free.

Whatever it is in your life, sometimes we hide it, but it just nags at us, just let it out, confess it, repent of it, and enjoy freedom.

Lastly, verses 13-16:

In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 14 I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. 15 And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. 16 I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.

Paul writes that Titus when he visited the Corinthian church during this controversy, his spirit was refreshed.

I think the key here, with repentance, and cleansing ourselves from things that would contaminate us, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, the end result after each victory along the journey, is an incredible refreshing of our spirit.

Every time God grows me through some challenge, afterward, I feel stronger, cleaner, refreshed, renewed, and revived.

That will be your experience individually as well, as you engage in this process with the Holy Spirit.

But in conclusion today, let’s expand it, to say, what will the experience of the body of Christ be?

It will be, if the believers are not hiding their sins, or ignoring them, but actively allowing the Spirit to remove them, the body of Christ will experience, refreshing, renewal and revival.

What two things have led to revivals in the body of Christ on Earth? Prayer, and repentance from sins. Those two things when combined, have moved the heart of God to pour out revival on Earth.

Do you long for a new day in the body of Christ? Do you long for a new time in Michigan? Do you long for a new season in Traverse City? Do you long for revival?

Let it start with you. What if each one of us, were praying, and exposing our sins, repenting of them, perfecting holiness in the fear of God? We may yet see a move of God that will shake the foundations of this city forever.

Remember, it starts with you, getting honest, asking God for help, repenting, and praying. Then we will see a revival, in these end times in which we live.