March 29, 2009
Sermon #777
In the Word But Not of the Word
John 17:15 - 19 (NKJV) 15I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
ILL: The reason Christ prayed this prayer for His disciples is because it is only the Holy Spirit that can cause it to happen. It is not what happens on the outside, but what is on the inside that defiles a Christian.
Mark 7:1 - 23 (NKJV) 1Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. 2Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. 4When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. 5Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”
6He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” 9He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. 10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 11But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), 12then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
14When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: 15There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. 16If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” 17When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, 19because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”
20And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
It is not the environment outside but the environment inside
It’s out of the heart
Matthew 5:27 - 28 (NKJV) 27“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
ILL: Sex sells – the only way you can prevent seeing sex exploitation is to die. Ride down the highway, it’s on the billboards with good looking, scantly dressed women or sexually appealing men. Turn on the TV, it’s not only in the programs it’s in the advertisement. Watch the “Super Bowl” as the church did, and there it is “right in the church” in the advertisements. Even if you were in a Muslim country, and the women were dressed in black, faces covered. But, when an ankle is showed lust could jump in. It is not looking at the woman or man it is what is in the heart!
It’s not physical things
Romans 14:12 - 19 (NKJV) 12So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. 14I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
I am convinced that it is impossible to live and not offend some Christians.
Matthew 11:16 - 19 (NKJV) 16“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17and saying: ‘We played the flute for you, And you did not dance; We mourned to you, And you did not lament.’ 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
ILL: The Church has lost thousands, yes tens of thousands of Christ ministers, because of church members judging their pastors about things that were not sin. Our church lost an excellent youth minister because of it, and then the people who were against him, still left the church after he resigned.
ILL: An excellent Pastor, a friend of mine, was forced out of his church because he went to the Indy 500 race on a Sunday.
ILL: The first church I was pastor of the former pastor’s wife was accused of adultery, “because the delivery man stayed to long at her house and she called men honey.” She was a mission appointee and it ruined her and her husband’s ministry.
“Well I can understand that – ‘wisdom is always justified by her children.”’
ILL: It was all over town that I bought a “shameless negligee.” One of the church members who was in the store spread it all over the church.
ILL: My wife was called the name of a female dog because she was “hanging around with rodeo cowboys. “and you know what sort they are!”
“WISDOM IS ALWAYS JUSTIFIED BY HER CHILDREN”
ILL: I was accused of adultery, because a new women to the community was in my office during the Sunday School hour at church. “Well, you should restrain from the appearance of evil” The only evil was in the accuser’s heart.
The church woman who was the accuser was a “closet lesbian.”
“WISDOM IS ALWAYS JUSTIFIED BY HER CHILDREN”
ILL: Recently, during our lay revival we had two men come with a video camera and secretly recorded praise and worship to put it on a local access TV program. Their complaint – Satan is in music and they have stringed instruments and are playing and singing those choruses at the Cathedral. “The Devil’s Music at church”
ILL: When I preached on the 10 commandments and said that Abortion is murder, boy did the e-mail’s go out claiming I was getting “political” in the church.
I wonder how many of the complainers had had an abortion?
“WISDOM IS ALWAYS JUSTIFIED BY HER CHILDREN”
What did Jesus mean by that expression? Those who judge others always think that they are right, that they have been harmed, and are therefore offended.
“Jesus prayed, Lord I do not pray that you take them out of the world”
How do you stay in the world and keep the world out?
Ephesians 6:10 - 18 (NKJV) 10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
Girded with the truth
Matthew 4:1 - 4 (NKJV) 1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Prosperity: (The World says that the economy is going to hell in basket – God says) Philippians 4:19 (NKJV) 19And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Healing: (The doctor and the advertisements say 10,000 things are killing you – God says ) 1 Peter 2:23 - 24 (NKJV) 23who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
Breastplate of Righteousness
Romans 3:10 - 24 (NKJV) 10As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” 13“Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” 15“Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17And the way of peace they have not known.” 18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…
Romans 6:12 - 14 (NKJV) 12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
(The Word says that you have to sin – it’s good for you, Christ says you cannot sin because He paid for you)
Feet shod with the Gospel of Peace
Mark 16:15 - 18 (NKJV) 15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
(The Word says, keep you faith to yourself – you cannot even talk about God here)
ILL: Go! Where? Into the world!
ILL: Jonah in Neiva!
Luke 7:36 - 48 (NKJV) 36Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
40And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” 41“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” 43Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” 48Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Where was Jesus? My God in the house of a Pharisee!
Who was the woman? Can you believe she was a sinner!
And Jesus was in the midst!
(The World says keep away – stay in your church)
ILL: I went into a bar, sat down and ordered a coke a won John Huston, who was playing in the bar to Christ! – Yes, and when I was in my first church Rev. Carey Steele and myself went into a prostitutes trailer, won a woman to Christ and it upset the church when we invited her to services.
Shield of Faith
Romans 1:16 - 17 (NKJV) 16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Romans 14:22 - 23 (NKJV) 22Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
ILL: If it is sin to you – don’t do it or go there!
Keep on the Helmet of Salvation
2 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV) 12For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
(The World says – you cannot be sure of heaven, you cannot trust God)
Conclusion:
What’s on the other side of my armor? Answer, The Word, Sin, Satan. If I keep my armor on it cannot enter. What can defile a man?
Mark 7:20 - 23 (NKJV) 20And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
Those things outside – all we have to do is brush them off and shine our armor!
