[0:00] I greet you in the name of Jesus this morning. Turn to Ephesians 5. It's good to be here.
[0:19] Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 26, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.
[0:31] That's why I want to talk about this. Sanctification, cleansing. And so to start, just back up a little bit.
[0:45] You know, he mixes together marriage, marriage relationship and the church relationship. So let's start.
[1:01] Let's start in verse 24. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
[1:13] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.
[1:28] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that it should be holy and without blemish.
[1:42] That it should be holy and without blemish. You know, someday Jesus is coming back to take his bride home.
[1:55] And he's not coming back for, I think Bert says, some broke down religious machine. No.
[2:08] He's coming back for a pure and a spotless bride, the bride of Christ, walking and living in the power of the Spirit.
[2:20] And, you know, we heard about hearing this morning, hearing from the Spirit of God.
[2:32] And, you know, you know, it's the same, you know, when the Holy Spirit comes and he speaks to us and he puts his finger on something in our hearts, something in our life that he wants us to lay aside.
[2:53] You know, it's of the utmost importance that we listen and we obey. We say, yes, Lord.
[3:04] Because if we don't, if we don't, we will get to the place where those people were at that Joel was reading about this morning. And actually, Matthew sheds a little light on that in the same account in the book of Matthew in chapter 13.
[3:25] In verse 15, he says, For this people's heart is wax gross, their ears are dull of hearing, their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them.
[3:50] And I believe that the way those people got to the place that they were at is they had heard the word of God for so long and they pushed it aside and they went their own way.
[4:06] It's still that way today. If we push aside the Holy Ghost when he talks to us, we will become dull of hearing and eventually he will no longer speak to us.
[4:27] So if we will know the voice of God, we will know the voice of the Holy Ghost speaking to us, the way to get there is to say yes whenever he does.
[4:39] that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the word.
[4:56] You know, as we read this word, as we hear this word preached, as we yield to it, as the Holy Ghost speaks to us, he's washing us and setting us free and better equipping us for the future.
[5:14] You know, let's turn to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12 and we'll see here, wherefore, in verse 1, wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.
[5:33] And he's talking, he's referring back to chapter 11. The chapter, it talks of all the patriarchs and the heroes of faith and those that gave their lives for the gospel's sake.
[5:48] And he's saying, wherefore, because we are, you know, just look at all that cloud of witnesses that has gone before us. They've gone before us and now he says, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
[6:11] You know, you know, there's a work, there's a calling for each one of us. And, and, you know, you young men, especially, you know, you can, the decisions you make now in the young years of your life, they will direct you, they will set your course for the future.
[6:34] You just think, if you go, if you walk the way you're starting off, where will you be in 40 years from now? You know, we're so short sighted, we, we want to, we, we, we look at life and, and the things we can have next week and the things we can have, you know, in a month from now and, and today and tomorrow, but, but look at where your course will go if you walk, if you, if you follow this 40 years.
[7:09] And, not just that, but the small decisions of life, everyone will change your course, just a hair, just slightly.
[7:22] And, and is it good or is it bad? Either way, it will affect your life and your future. He says, let us lay aside every weight and the sin.
[7:39] You know, he's not just talking about the things that are sin, but he's talking about the, the things that hinder us. You know, and he likens this to a race.
[7:51] You know, you, to, if you're going to go out and you're going to run a race, you're not going to put a backpack on with all kinds of gear, are you? No, that's for when you go hunting.
[8:03] Then you take that backpack. But when you're running a race and you're seeing how quick you can get there, it's not that, you, you don't put that backpack on.
[8:14] But you take off whatever you can and you don't put a heavy coat on, even if it's cold, but you get out there and you go. In the Christian life, first of all, we need to lay aside every sin.
[8:34] But he also tells us to lay aside every weight. Those things that hinder us, those things that hinder us from going on, those things that hinder us from fulfilling the will of God.
[8:47] and those things that hinder us from finding out the will of God.
[8:58] Let me put that in there too. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
[9:10] You know, as we run this race of the Christian life, patience, patience is so important.
[9:22] You know, we live in a day when everything is instant, just instant, instant. The Christian life is not a microwave life.
[9:34] God wants us to learn patience. If we don't have patience, we won't wait on Him. We won't wait on Him.
[9:47] We'll figure things out our way. And then it won't work. Verse 2, Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
[10:11] For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
[10:24] Consider Jesus. You know, we have a lot of men that we can consider. There's a lot of examples in the Old Testament that we can consider.
[10:37] But here He admonishes us to consider Jesus. Consider Jesus, the very Son of God. He left the glories of heaven and He came down to this earth and He lived here as a man just like you and I.
[10:54] Consider Him. You know, they said, if you be the Son of God, save yourself. If you're the Son of God, come down off that cross.
[11:04] He was the Son of God, therefore He stayed on the cross. Hallelujah. Consider Jesus.
[11:19] Lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Lest you become discouraged. Lest when things aren't going the way you thought.
[11:32] when things aren't working out the way you think they should. Lest you be discouraged. Lest you become weary and faint. It says, Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin.
[11:50] And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him.
[12:07] For whom the Lord loveth, He chasteth and scourges every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is He whom the Father chasteneth not?
[12:22] But if ye be without chastisement, were of all our partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence.
[12:37] Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure.
[12:48] But He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. Not no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous.
[13:01] Nevertheless, afterward, it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. You know, He goes right on into this thing of chastening and notice, He says, Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth.
[13:23] You know, if our heart is toward God and we love Him, you know, He will chasten us that we might be more effective that, you know, if we make a wrong decision and we start going a wrong way, it's His love to bring us back.
[13:44] That's His love to bring us back and He chastens us that we might follow Him and that we will yield to Him.
[13:56] Why? Because, yes, He wants us to live a pure life but He wants us to be effective. He wants us to be full of the power of the Spirit of God that He can use us, that He can use us today and tomorrow and more the next day, the next year and decade.
[14:18] God has a plan for us. He has a plan for each one of us and, you know, just because you don't see it being fulfilled today doesn't say, you know, you know, just look at Moses, look at Moses, you know, it seems like He knew that He was supposed to deliver the children of Israel and so He was out there.
[14:46] He was out there when He was young. He was out there and He saw He saw some misjustice happening and He killed the Egyptian. You know, maybe He felt the calling, maybe He knew the calling in His heart, but it was not God's time, it was not God's way.
[15:13] God took Him out for 40 years out in the desert. He lived His life. You know, can you think with me, with Moses, ah, I really blew it.
[15:29] Well, I guess I'll be a shepherd the rest of my life and that's all I'll ever be. I'll ever be. until one day God showed up.
[15:43] It wasn't that God had forgotten Him, it wasn't that one day God remembered Moses, no, that God was making a man that He could use.
[16:00] And once Moses got to the place where he said, I'm nothing, I can't talk, I'm a nobody, God used Him. Amen.
[16:12] The greatest leader Israel ever had. So back to patience.
[16:27] Patience is so important. Patience is so important especially when we, as we go through God's dealings in our heart.
[16:42] As we go through the times of God dealing with us and chastening and making of us the man He wants us to be.
[17:00] Patience. my son despise not the chastening of the Lord. You know, if we don't have patience, the chastening of the Lord will look like a detour.
[17:11] Here we come along, you know, we're working for God and we're doing this and that and whatever for Him and all of a sudden we go like this. God did put a roadblock up or something and He stops us and He corrects us.
[17:29] whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons.
[17:43] Amen. The end of verse 10. The end goal that we might be partakers of His holiness.
[17:55] Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. verse 12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down in the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed.
[18:17] Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Lift up the hands that hang down.
[18:27] make straight paths for your feet. Follow peace with all men. You know verse 13.
[18:43] Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed. You know that is the will of God.
[18:54] not that not that we become lame and that we become ineffective like when we go through chasing or whatever situation we go through in life but he wants to bring healing that he can take us on into effectiveness.
[19:25] Follow peace with all men as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men and holiness holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.
[19:41] You know you know the verse in Ephesians that he would sanctify us and cleanse us. Why?
[19:52] Because he wants a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Here he says without holiness no man shall see the Lord.
[20:06] Verse 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled.
[20:23] That root of bitterness you know we all have opportunity to become bitter in life. People misuse us people people do things that you know whether they're aware of it or not people do things that can that are against us and delay us they become stumbling blocks in our lives and we can become bitter or we can forgive and be better.
[21:00] He says looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness trouble you.
[21:11] you know when these things when we're offended when those offenses come into our life someone misuses you someone mistreats you someone someone says something about you that's not true we have a choice we can forgive or we can allow that root of bitterness to start and to spring up and to grow you know what happens when that when that root of bitterness grows says it springing up it trouble you it will trouble you and it will defile not only you but when that bitterness you know I know how it works we all we probably all know how it works that bitterness it just stirs and it keeps stirring and you think you have it you have it laid down but then it comes again and it just wells up again and what do you do you start talking and the people you talk to they become defiled by that bitterness that root of bitterness that's how it works in our lives it defiles those round about us forgiveness we must forgive verse 17 for you know how that number 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright for you know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears
[23:24] Esau we know Esau as a man that that sold his birthright for what for a little pot of soup he despised his birthright it was it was worthless to him it didn't mean anything to him you know what's the price for you to sell out I'm sure we won't sell out for a pot of soup but what is the price you know if there's something if there's a price if there's a price that you would sell out for I guarantee you the devil's going to pay it Esau sold his birthright he warns us here lest there be any fornicator or profane person you know and fornicator you know let's think of this yes in the physical but let's think of spiritual going after other things instead of
[24:47] God not putting God first in our life not letting him have his proper place see that ye refuse not him that speaketh verse 25 you know you know when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt they came to Mount Sinai and that's what it's speaking about here as we go on through this chapter I wasn't going to read this but we'll just talk about it a little bit in verse 21 he says and so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake but now verse 22 ye are come unto Mount Zion unto the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels to the general assembly of the church of the firstborn which are written in heaven and to
[25:54] God the judge of all to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel see that ye refuse not him that speaketh you know back in that day the children of Israel they you know they were so afraid that they said Moses you you talk to us you hear from God and you talk to us because the whole mountain was shaking and they were afraid but here he tells us it's not Mount Sinai that we've come to but it is Mount Zion and it is Jesus our Lord it is it is the new covenant and it is much better than the old and it is just as how would you say without holiness no man shall see the Lord without holiness we cannot come to this mount of God he says see that ye refuse not him that speaketh
[27:23] Jesus the Holy Ghost speaking to us see that ye refuse not him because for if they escape not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven whose voice then shook the earth but now he has promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth only but also heaven and this word yet once more signify the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain you know he's talking about the kingdom of heaven the kingdom of God and he's talking about a shaking he's talking about a shaking and notice this next verse wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved the kingdom of
[28:31] God the kingdom that we're a part of it cannot be moved and we're living in a day we're living in a day when God is shaking this whole world and he's shaking that everything that can be shaken will crumble you know God wants to expose the false and he wants to he wants the true to shine forth and so he tests and he tries and he shakes that only that which cannot be shaken may remain but we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace let us have grace that what does he say whereby we may serve
[29:33] God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear philippians 2 philippians 2 verse 12 or for my beloved as you have always obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your own salvation with fear and trembling work out your own salvation with fear and trembling you know oh but I thought salvation is a free gift yes it is a free gift but now we will go on to see that God cleanses us but we must also cleanse ourselves so he says here work out your own salvation with fear and trembling verse 13 for it is
[30:41] God which work in you both to will and to do his good pleasure you know if we yield to him in every situation and everything when he speaks to us and we say yes Lord and we hear his voice we yield to him he works in our heart he works in our heart to make us willing to do his will it is God that works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure and let me tell you there's no better place to be than to be in the middle of God's will in his good pleasure do all things without murmurings and disputings they may be blameless and harmless as sons of
[31:41] God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world indeed we are in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation the whole world fits that category and we are the light of the world in the midst of all of that first John three verse one to three behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew him not beloved now are we the sons of God it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure you know you know if we have this hope if we have the hope of eternal life we will purify ourselves we will purify ourselves from what from the works of the flesh from the things that defile from the things that hinder from the things that draw us away from
[33:16] God Almighty and he's talking he's talking to sons of God he's not talking to the worldly man he's talking to us today that if we have this hope we need to purify ourselves in 2nd Corinthians 7 having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God perfecting holiness in the fear of God and how do we do that by cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit all those things that are not of
[34:20] God all those things that hinder us from going on all those things that defile us we need to get rid of them laying aside every weight and the sin that so easily beset us we need to lay them aside why because we are the temple of God in chapter 6 in verse 16 he says what agreement hath the temple of God with idols for ye are the temple of the living God as God has said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people remember Jesus when he came into the temple that day and he cleared out he cleared out the tables there where they were they were buying and selling and they were they he said you made my house which is it's supposed to be a house of prayer and you made it a den of thieves now we are the temple of the living
[35:30] God he says I will dwell in them he dwells within us and there's not room there's not room for anything besides him self and sin those things of this world they have to go there's no room for them if God will truly dwell in us he says I will dwell in them I will walk in them he will walk in us God wants to walk in us that as we walk down the street people will see Jesus as we talk they will hear that we have been with Jesus we will be a witness and a shining light for them he says I will dwell in them I will walk in them and I will be their God and they will be my people wherefore because of this because he is our
[36:34] God and we are his temple and he dwells in us he says come out from among them and be separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you touch not the unclean thing you know there's so many things that defile there's so many things that defile you know and he goes on he says and we read this already in verse one cleanse yourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit you know there's so many things that that want to enter in that will defile our spirit they will defile they will hinder us they will make us dirty they will make us dirty and then we need to confess it we need to read the Bible that we can be washed again but it is much better if you block it and don't let it in he says touch not the unclean thing you know
[37:53] I've heard people say oh it'll be alright we can do this we can do that or whatever we'll just renounce it later we'll you know that's not that's not how God works yes he might forgive and he might cleanse and he might set you free and give you victory over it but that's not a true heart that's not a true heart he says touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you it will be a father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord almighty is there anything better than being a son of the Lord almighty wow hallelujah praise the Lord 2nd
[39:00] Timothy 2 verse 15 he admonishes a study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth but shun profane and vain babblings for they will increase into more ungodliness vain talk vain things vain you know there's we might I'm not sure we'll read that far but even vain questions questions that gender strife questions that have you know that they're really not of God the increase in the more in God their word will eat us do with a canker and here we have we have two men hymenaeus and philetus who concerning the truth have erred they were teaching false doctrine saying that the resurrection is past already and they overthrow the faith of some nevertheless the foundation of God stand assured having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his the Lord knows if we belong to him he knows us yes he does and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity let everyone that names the name of Christ live a pure life live a clean life be careful that we don't become defiled by the things of this world verse 20 but in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver but also wood and of earth some to honor some to dishonor if a man therefore purge himself from these he will be a vessel unto honor sanctified and meat for the master's use and prepared unto every good work purge himself you know verse 20 he's talking about vessels of gold and vessels of silver the the the the spendy vessels but then there's also the the ones that are used for dishonorable things they're made out of wood and earth and so on but he says to purge ourselves purge ourselves from those things of dishonor purge ourselves and to be sanctified to be set apart to be cleansed and meet for the master's use and prepared to every good work flee also youthful lust but follow righteousness faith charity peace with them that call on the
[42:33] Lord out of a pure heart but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender stripes and the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach and patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will you know he gives us much practical rich admonition foolish and unlearned questions those things those discussions that lead nowhere but but just to bring strife and division and the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle to all men verse 25 in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves you know not everyone that you meet not everyone that you meet out there that is going to agree with you and there's there's you know you know you know how it is out there but give them the truth give them the truth if God per adventure will give them repentance you know we meet people and this I believe he's talking about religious people that that are not walking right and we give them truth we give them the truth of the word of
[44:31] God he says in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves you know when people reject the truth they're they're not just opposing God they're opposing themselves yes and as we give them truth if God her adventure you know it is still the will of God though some though a man has walked away from him though a man has rejected the truth though a man is walking in deception it is still God's will to bring him back and to reconcile him to Jesus Christ that is God's will and as we talk to people he will talk to them the Holy
[45:35] Ghost will minister to their heart and give them that opportunity to repent and to acknowledge the truth says that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil you know I believe there's many people that are in that snare of the devil they are but we have the truth and we have the power of God to deliver them but they must desire it and notice what it says here it doesn't tell us to go and deliver them from this snare but it says that they may recover themselves as we give them truth they need to see it and grasp a hold of it and recover themselves out of the snare of the devil
[46:40] Ephesians again that he might sanctify and cleanse it with a washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing that it should be holy and without blemish this is the will of God and it's the will of God for each one of us and it's the will of God for all those people out there God is not willing that any should perish but that all should have eternal life might he use us might he use you you know as God dwells in us he dwells in us and he walks in us how does that work out how does that work out in everyday life
[48:16] I believe as the Holy Ghost can lead us and work in us and work through us and speak through us that's how it works that's how it works and he will use you to reach those people you know whoever he puts in your path is God opening the door for you to witness to testify to to share some truth of the gospel to share some truth that might set this man free you know you meet a man that is overtaken with a root of bitterness share with him share with him you know he needs to forgive you know it will set him free it won't set the other man free that he is bitter against but it will set him free because he's in bondage to that bitterness
[49:31] God wants to dwell in us he wants to walk in us he wants to be our God and us to be his people amen let's pray Lord we thank you for your great love for us Lord we thank you that we are your people Lord I pray that we would allow you to freely walk through us walk in us and through us the life of your son Jesus that the world might know that the religious people might see life and truth oh Lord help us to be that shining light for you this week everywhere we go that people will see
[50:35] Jesus in our lives we pray in Jesus name amen amen