[0:00] Greetings to all of you and welcome back to the Spirit family. James reminded us last Sunday that we should try to report if somebody wants to listen later.
[0:22] It's not like we need a sound system in here, but we can report. I was really blessed this morning with a psalm service.
[0:34] Thank you for picking some of those psalms about the blood and about cleansing and how Christ cleanses us and all of those things that we sang about.
[0:46] I was blessed with that. Another thing I thought I'd share in the beginning is that I got a text from Martin. I met the church and then he walked in. But within about a minute or two after Enos prayed for Martin, I had a long text with some questions and things.
[1:05] He was probably texting those things while we were praying for him. I just thought that was kind of a good idea. I was like, you know, I had to put that on the card and pray for him.
[1:17] So God is working. He's faithful. I'd like to speak today about being blessed and about having a pure heart.
[1:32] You know, sometimes we just need a reminder. We need to be reminded of God's view of purity and being blessed.
[1:47] You know, we all know that when we get saved and we accept Christ, the thing that happens to us is that we're cleansed of our past.
[2:00] We get a clean slate. We start over. We are forgiven. Those leper spots are gone and washed in the blood. And then from time to time, though, we need to be reminded that that's where God wants us to walk to.
[2:18] He doesn't want us to walk in filth and dirty and whatever else. If you turn to Psalms chapter 24. In Matthew, Jesus said, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
[2:42] He likes to say that if we're not pure in heart, the opposite is true, right? We won't see God. Psalm 24. I'm just going to read about 10 verses here.
[2:58] I have quite a few scriptures here this morning, but we don't have to turn to all of them. If you have a 10, you want to write down some of these. I'll just look them up later, too. But there are some I would like for us to have a Bible to turn to.
[3:12] Psalm 24, verse 1. Then he answers the question.
[3:38] He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn his equally. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart.
[3:54] That's the person that can ascend unto the hill of the Lord. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
[4:07] This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be to lift up the everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come.
[4:24] Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, the everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in.
[4:39] He asks him again, who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory. We know that Jesus is the King of glory.
[4:52] And I believe that it's time that his church lifts up their heads and is pure and has clean hands and a pure heart.
[5:08] That's the only way that we can do that. I remember the first time that we met together at the church there, other church building. I remember the first Sunday there that the burden that the Lord brought to us that Sunday was that God wants and is looking for a clean church, a pure church, undefiled by the world, unspotted from the world.
[5:34] I don't know if you remember that, but I know that burden was real that Sunday. And this past week I was thinking about that again. That God's burden for that never changes.
[5:49] He always wants. He's looking. He's coming for a pure body, a pure church, undefiled and unspotted from the world.
[6:00] The word tells us that. Paul said in Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1, he says, Have therefore these promises, I'm sorry, having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the heart of God.
[6:28] I'm sorry, in the fear of God. Perfecting holiness in the fear of God. So, Paul is saying, with all the promises we have, let us cleanse ourselves, not only from filthiness of the flesh, but of the spirit.
[6:48] And I think he's talking about the deeper things, like the spirit of man can also be defiled.
[7:00] Our spirit can be defiled. With the sins many of us, usually when our spirit is defiled by things, it's things that people can't see.
[7:10] Maybe it's an evil thought against somebody else, or maybe it's just an angry spirit, or whatever that's not pure.
[7:24] Any spirit that's not pure will defile us. And Paul is saying, let us cleanse ourselves from these things.
[7:34] Two more verses here. A couple more verses. Receive us. We have wronged no man, he says.
[7:47] We have corrupted no man. We have reprodden no man. He's speaking of himself, I believe, in the apostles. And then he says, I speak not this to condemn you.
[8:01] For I have said before that me in your hearts, I'm sorry, that I have said before that you are in our hearts to die and live with you.
[8:14] Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my glorifying of you. I am filled with comfort and exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
[8:27] And what I believe Paul was saying here is that he's saying this. He's telling the church in Corinth to cleanse themselves, to be pure and holy in the fear of God.
[8:42] And all these things he's preaching to them. The church at Corinth had a lot of problems. They had a lot of guilt that wanted to come into the church. But then he says that I speak not this to condemn you.
[8:56] And I want to say the same thing this morning. That I'm not speaking these things to condemn any of us. Or to speak to any particular person here.
[9:08] But rather just what God's heart is and what his word tells us. If Paul had to say that, I speak not to condemn you, then we do too. It's not to condemn anyone.
[9:20] But rather to lift up the standard of Christ and his holiness. Another verse is in James 3.17.
[9:31] You don't need to turn there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated.
[9:44] Full of mercy and good fruits. Without partiality. Without hypocrisy. Trust me.
[10:17] You don't need to get in some water. That's the place. Is that our life? Are we peaceable?
[10:30] Am I gentle? Easy to be entreated? Wow, that's a question for somebody else, isn't it? You know, you and I might think we're easy to be entreated.
[10:49] Easy to be approached. Approached. But, you know, rather than me deciding that I'm easy to be entreated, I need to ask you that, right?
[11:03] That's what we're supposed to be. Without partiality. Psalm 73, verse 1, it says, Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.
[11:30] God is good to such that have a clean heart. In Titus chapter 1, verse 15 and 16, it says, Unto the pure all things are pure.
[11:50] But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God, but in works they deny them, being abominable and disobedient unto every good work reprobate.
[12:11] We see that a lot, don't we? Unto the pure are all things pure.
[12:25] Some people want to say, you live like you want, and it's pure. That's not what it says. It says, unto the pure are all things pure.
[12:35] But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure. But even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God.
[12:48] They say they're Christians. They say they're a good person. These are people that usually think everybody's a good person. But in their works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate.
[13:09] Look at that word reprobate again this morning. It says that it's abandoned in sin. It's a person just left, left go in sin.
[13:20] And they have lost virtue or grace. No virtue. That's reprobate. From Noah Webster.
[13:34] But we see that a lot in our day. Where good works, and disobedient to Christ and his word, but yet they profess to know God.
[13:47] No, they don't. Or even through this they don't. Let's turn to Psalm 119. We'll get some scripture there.
[14:03] You know, if we are pure in hearts, then we live pure in hearts. That's just the bottom line. If our heart is pure, then we'll live a pure life.
[14:16] Psalm 119, starting in verse 4.
[14:49] Psalm 119.
[15:19] Sin against thee. Sin against thee. Very familiar scripture. Very familiar verse. That is often quoted. I believe David. I believe David here was just saying this is how you cleanse yourself.
[15:36] By your word. Taking in the word of God. Taking in the word of God. Taking in the word of God. Taking in the word of God. Absorbing it. Meditating upon it. Loving it. Loving his commandments. And then he says, in fact, I've hid your word in my heart so I don't sin against you.
[15:52] Now that's often our problem. When we get defiled is people don't hide the word of God.
[16:03] They don't meditate. There's no time to really get into the word of God. To study it. And to learn it. And to understand God's heart. On the issues of life.
[16:15] When we don't know that. According to this. We would sin against God. But David said, not him. He says, I've hidden it. I've memorized it.
[16:26] I've studied it. I have it in my heart. So I won't sin against you. We can be the same way. It takes commitment though. Proverbs.
[16:38] Which was now written by David's son. Solomon. Proverbs 4. You don't have to turn there. There's about three or four verses there. I'd like to read.
[16:49] Proverbs 4 verse 20. And when I say you don't have to turn there. That doesn't mean you shouldn't. You may. You want to. But he says. My son attend to my words.
[17:01] And find an ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes. Keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are light.
[17:12] Unto those that find them. And help to all their flesh. There's the verse I want. Keep thy heart. With all diligence. For out of it.
[17:23] Are the issues of life. Put away from the forward mouth. And the first lips. Far. Put far from thee. Keep thy heart.
[17:37] With all diligence. I believe what he's saying there is. Protect. And guard. What goes into your heart. What goes into our ears.
[17:48] And into our minds. I heard a statement this past week. From somebody. And that said that our heart.
[17:59] And our mind. And our ears. And our eyes. Are not a garbage dump. They're not to be full of garbage. They're not. That's not what it's meant for. As a Christian.
[18:10] So next time you hear. A dirty joke or something. You might want to just say. Look. My mind's not a garbage dump.
[18:20] Don't dump it in there. And Solomon. Said to. Keep. Your heart. With all diligence.
[18:30] Protect your heart. Because out of it. Are the issues of life. Out of it. Is where we have to make decisions. Where we have to make. Good choices. And everything that we deal with.
[18:44] Comes from the heart. So protect your heart. There's many practical ways. That we can protect our hearts. From evil.
[18:54] To keep it pure. Turn now to Timothy. 2 Timothy. Chapter 2. Verse 19.
[19:12] 2 Timothy. 3. 2 Timothy.� I want to come back to that unbelieving after a bit or toward the end and talk about believing versus unbelieving because it has a lot to do with the subject.
[19:52] Or were we? 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 19 Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are His and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
[20:15] But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood and of earth and some to honor and some to dishonor.
[20:27] Verse 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified and meet for the master's use and prepared for every unto every good work.
[20:43] The question there is can God use us? Sometimes people are just scared and we're inferior feeling inferior or not quite we're inadequate and those feelings.
[21:04] But I wonder how many times God can't use people in His kingdom because they're not vessels of honor or they're not vessels that are pure.
[21:15] If a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified and meet or useful to the master's use and prepared unto every good work.
[21:35] Is God using us? Are we cleansed by the blood of Jesus? He is looking for pure vessels that He can use in His kingdom for His glory.
[21:48] It reminds me of the Romans 12 where it says about presenting our bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to Him. And then in verse 22 it says flee also youthful lusts but follow righteousness faith charity peace with them that fall on the Lord out of a pure heart.
[22:12] We are we are asked here we are called here to flee youthful lusts and to follow after righteousness faith love and peace.
[22:31] What are we doing that? I'm already a few verses and a few verses Hebrews 10 verse 19 having therefore brethren boldness to come boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which He hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to save His flesh and having a high priest over the house of God who is the high priest of all of heaven Jesus Jesus yeah not Joseph Smith not anybody else no other person not the priest we have one high priest and having a high priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water have our hearts been sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water
[23:56] Peter said this is for the church Peter said 1 Peter 1 22 seeing you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfamed love of the brethren see that you love one another with a pure heart perfectly not only to be pure but to love each other with a pure heart perfectly that's like not just love I mean love is enough but perfectly like seriously we really love each other you put effort behind that word perfectly is like there's some effort behind it you know and I know these are a lot of verses and we're looking out of scripture but not even
[24:58] I'm sure we're not even turning to half of them these are just some verses about how they were called to live a pure life before God I believe that we're not only it's not only a suggestion I believe it's a commandment these are commandments of God and yet people make them less than that they make them suggestions but I feel like it it's not the way it should be David took it very seriously you read the whole chapter of Psalm 119 I know it's the longest chapter of the Bible but you can read it and you'll see that he was perfect he was serious about knowing the commandments of God and understanding wanting to know what God thought let's turn to 1st
[26:04] John now chapter 3 yeah 1st John chapter 3 I think we'll just read most of this chapter yeah 1st John chapter 3 behold what manner of love behold it said 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 now beloved now are we the sons of God and it does 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 so we want to be like
[27:25] Jesus we want him to see us and we see him said we're going to be like him and we're going to be pure we're going to have a pure heart pure mind pure thoughts yes I know it's a battle but we can't we can overcome and be like Jesus verse four whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law for sin is the transgression of the law and you know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin talking of Jesus whosoever abided in him sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him little children let no man deceive you he that doeth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous he that committed sin is of the devil for the devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil do you think
[28:38] John would be accepted as a preacher today he just says it how it is so clear so plain and I believe John when he wrote this was an older seasoned apostle he was they say the youngest disciple when Jesus was here he himself called him the disciple that Jesus loved he was a young very young now I believe he's older but he still just says it how it is he spent a lot of time with Jesus probably more perhaps more than most of the disciples but I believe he also knew the heart of God and he spoke with such clarity today we try to many people try to just kind of smooth everything over and preachers have become politicians and smooth not all politicians are that way most most of he that committed sin is of the devil for the devil sinneth from the beginning in fact the devil is the one that brought sin in the first place whosoever is born of God does not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God you remember here a while back I think we were talking about that what is he talking about because in another place it says that we sin we have an advocate of the father and he's quick to forgive us and cleanse us and confess so which is it we sin well it says right here because his seed that seed that remains in you the spirit of God that remains or dwells in us cannot sin we sin it's because of our flesh not because because God can't sin his spirit won't sin in us we need more of him in this verse 10 in this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devil whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of
[30:59] God neither he that loveth not his brother for a while now what about that for this is the message that we heard from the beginning that we should love one another so often when it talks about a right heart or right spirit or right you know pure heart it comes right back and brings in not only John but others as well about love about loving one another not as Cain who was that wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous marvel not my brother if the world hates you that thing of loving each other and that if we don't love our brother you know there's people that there are people that literally hate each other all through their Christian life and yet they're
[32:02] Christians they say and John he just lays it out he says no you don't love your brother you're of the devil in fact Jesus or the Bible says and Jesus also indicated that if you hate your brother you're murder and we'll read that in a moment here from John as well marvel not my brother if the world hate you verse 14 we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren yet loveth not his brethren abided in death and I appreciate the love that we that I sent here the love that we have for each other the commitment to love each other I think is very important but here it says that we know that we have passed from death to life we were all in death every last one of us if we're saved today we were in death but we know that we have passed from death into life
[33:18] John says because we love God's people we love God's people and the things of God but if we don't then you're still in death that's what he says pretty easy gauge isn't it whosoever hated his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him again pretty simple we read this and think these things are optional sometimes but I believe John was a very godly man a very holy man seasoned with a lot of wisdom and he spoke clearly and plainly and today he would probably be I don't know but not too well accepted or alike verse 16 hereby perceive we the love of
[34:21] God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brother but whosoever hath this world's good and seeth his brother hath me and shutt up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him answer simply doesn't doesn't we turn from our brother when he has need and we don't care my little children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in need and in truth and hereby we know that we are the truth and shall assure our hearts before him for if our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and know all things now there's people that struggle with condemnation they just always struggle and I think this is a good verse for that
[35:29] God is bigger than our heart let your heart condemn verse 21 beloved if our heart condemn us not then we have confidence toward God and whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight is that our testimony we do those things that are pleasing in his sight and this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of the son of his son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us command there it is reminder that Jesus commanded us to love each and he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him listen to this and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us everyone that says that we can't know need to think about that verse says and hereby we know that he abided in us how by the spirit which he hath given us somebody says you can't know and they preach you can't know it's because they don't have the spirit that's how we know different times different people philippians chapter 1 verses starting verse 9 9 through 11 and this
[37:38] I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all judgment that our love may have found more and more in knowledge and in all judgment I thought we weren't supposed to judge verse 10 that he may approve things that are excellent how does that happen how does that work that he may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God I like that about that he may approve you know there's things if we're going to approve things doesn't that mean that we also disapprove things it's pretty obvious
[38:48] I do believe that as we were talking earlier that many times the reason that we are not pure in heart and mind as believers is because of unbelievers I struggle with that sometimes I know I do but I just struggle with believing that I'm pure believing that I'm I've been washed I've been you know if we really believe that it makes a big difference in our victory people struggle with believing that they have been cleansed but if Christ was willing to shed his blood to cleanse us to wash us to forgive us don't you think he wants us to stay clean he doesn't want us to be dirty if you are born again then you are made clean and God wants to keep us clean that should be one of the biggest differences in the world that we see in Christianity somebody that's a believer is not just believing different he is different from the person that doesn't believe because he has a pure heart and he's free we talk about being free in Christ what does that mean being free being delivered that freedom in Christ is not so we can stay filthy so we can be clean and I just this whole message and subject has just been something that God has just laid on my heart for myself to
[40:57] I don't know to refresh me and to remind me that God wants me to be a clean person and not and reject anything that is not so I have some verses here yet but I want to read there are just single verses and then we'll close here soon we'll close here a little stuffy in here again should we open the door my help why don't we stand as I read these next few verses just make sure we're awake not because I'm saying it but guys in verse John it says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of
[42:00] Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin Titus not by works of righteousness we have none but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost washing the renewing what we're talking about and he's a Holy Ghost for death 2nd Corinthians having therefore these promises dear to the other let us cleanse ourselves from all filthy holiness of the flesh and spirit and perfecting holiness in the fear of God we read that earlier Romans 12 2 and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God 1st Corinthians know ye not that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of
[43:01] God dwell in you don't you know that you know that you may receive it think over all the verses that I'm going to read this point ask some questions for all of us has God claims to you have you been washed in the blood of the land are your garments white as snow or is there still spots of sin if our garments are dirty and all stained you know Mike likes to work on vehicles or stuff or something he does now is dirty he doesn't mind getting dirty but his clothes are dirty right I'm talking in the physical here when our clothes are dirty and we've just got an old pair of jeans or coveralls or whatever we have and it's all dirty we don't mind laying down in the dirt laying upside down and welding dirt everywhere but if you're dressed up for a wedding and you have a wedding suit on and you're all just as clean as you possibly can be you wouldn't get anywhere near that right stay away from anything dust dirt mud get the picture no grease one little speck of dirt or grease like now what now we gotta go get clean but too many people have too much dirt on them in their mind in their heart that they don't mind getting even dirty but when we believe that we are pure and white and cleansed as pure as snow whiter than snow and we'll stay away from whatever is garbage anything that defiles remember our hearts and our minds are not a garbage dump we have been cleansed
[45:24] Christ wants us to belong to him to remain a clean vessel for his honor the temple of him to live in what should I be meditating about what should my eyes see my ears hear you know Satan hates our relationship with Christ we need to keep that in our minds he hates that when I'm pure I'm walking in the love of God with a pure heart and open heaven above me we have an enemy that hates that and he will do anything he can to destroy that is it even possible in this dark world to live a pure life or is that standard too high is it possible you know if a man or woman child that is saved and you're pure in heart you will stand out in this dark world the darker the world gets the more you will stand out the more you will be hated by some
[46:44] Jesus was hated too he said if the world hated me they're going to hate you you're going to follow me you're going to be like me they're going to hate you too they'll mock you that's alright in the end we're going to win we're on the winning side winning team with Christ where do we find ourselves today pure heart cleansed by the blood and washed is our garment dirty and deviled by this world if it is Jesus is fake and he will cleanse us from all sin do you seem to believe that you need to believe that the word of God is true and that whatever God said about this subject of sin and defilement that he will cleanse us that he has cleansed us we don't belong to ourselves we don't belong to the world anymore we've been washed and redeemed we need to say so the
[48:05] Bible says let the redeemed of the Lord say so let's pray father we just come to you at this time Lord Lord in humility and brokenness before you Lord knowing that our hearts have news our hearts and our minds are speared we bring before you Lord Jesus we ask you Lord to bring a cleansing to us and to our hearts and yes Lord even even just the thought of not loving someone or having a hatred in our heart or an evil thought that's allowed to think of knowing or whatever it is maybe it's a sinful thought a lossful thought God I pray that you would bring cleansing our hearts Lord I pray that you would remind us of what we've been cleansed from what we've been delivered from and that we would want to remain free and clean and Lord then we can use us for your glory
[49:17] I pray that you use everyone of us that's in here today for your glory that we would be an example of the world like the apostle Paul said follow me as I follow Christ Lord may that come our testimony our soul that we would truly say forgive us Lord for our faith we pray this is Jesus the Lord Amen