Life University Midweek Bible Study
The Pentecostals of Cooper City 5/21/2026
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67:29
Summary
This sermon explores the journey of discipleship as a process of being conformed into the image of Jesus Christ, emphasizing that biblical holiness is a protective lifestyle rooted in the fear of the Lord and the desire to please Him.
Key points
- •Discipleship is an ongoing journey of being conformed into the image of Jesus, restoring the likeness of God that was lost in the Fall.
- •The grace of God is not a license to sin; rather, true biblical grace is a teacher that instructs believers to deny ungodliness and live righteously.
- •Holiness is rooted in the 'fear of the Lord,' which is a deep reverential respect and a desire to please God rather than following a list of rules for the sake of legalism.
- •Biblical standards and rules (such as modesty) exist to protect believers and uphold spiritual principles that keep them from the destructive nature of the world.
- •Believers are called to be 'living epistles' and 'transformers' in the world, representing heaven's citizenship through their conduct, speech, and appearance.
Scripture
Discipleship
Holiness
Transformation
Image of God
Grace
Life application
This week, identify one area of your life (such as your speech, media consumption, or attitude) and ask the Holy Spirit to transform it to better reflect the image of Jesus rather than the trends of the world. Focus on the principle of pleasing God rather than just following a rule.
Reflection questions
- In what ways has the 'image of God' been restored in your life since you began following Christ?
- How do you distinguish between legalism (following rules for their own sake) and holiness (following principles out of love for God)?
- The speaker mentions that we are 'unequal and incompatible' with God without Christ. How does this realize the necessity of Jesus as the 'Transformer' in your life?
- How does the concept of 'heavenly citizenship' change the way you view your possessions and your daily interactions with others?
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Full transcript
0:00chapter 1. And in your notes, you should
0:00have a handout. If you don't, the ushers
0:00can help us get you one. Genesis 1, 2
0:03Corinthians 3, and Colossians just to
0:06begin with. Hold your hand up if you
0:08don't have one and we'll be glad to uh
0:11make sure that you get a handout uh on
0:13this side over here. Uh there's some
0:15people that need handouts. Praise the
0:17Lord. Amen?
0:18Are you glad to be in God's house on a
0:20Wednesday night?
0:21Amen. Amen. And this coming Sunday
0:25is Pentecost Sunday.
0:29The birthday OF THE CHURCH. I hope that
0:31you're ready and I hope that you come
0:33excited and maybe bring somebody with
0:35you and they can get to learn a little
0:38bit more about Pentecost. Brother
0:40our great missionary from the Dominican
0:42Republic and Haiti is going to be with
0:44us and we're excited what God's going to
0:46be doing in the service on Sundays.
0:49Amen. Genesis chapter 1 and we're
0:51talking about becoming like Jesus and
0:54the journey of discipleship.
0:58It's a journey. This Christian life is a
1:01walk. It's not a destination.
1:04We're we're on a journey. Okay? We're on
1:07a journey. It's not you you'll never
1:09arrive until we arrive.
1:13I don't know about you, but I'm I'm
1:14hoping that's my goal, right?
1:16That's your goal. That's why you're here
1:18on a Wednesday night. Genesis 1, the
1:20Bible says, now notice this, that from
1:22the beginning it was established. God
1:24said, let us make man
1:27in our image after our likeness. Man was
1:31made in the image of God.
1:35Let him have dominion over the fish of
1:36the sea. Let him have the over the fowl
1:38of the air, the cattle over the earth,
1:40every creeping thing that creepeth upon
1:41the earth. So God created man, verse 27,
1:45in his own image.
1:49You were made in the image of God, the
1:51Bible says, created he him male and
1:54female created he them.
1:57The image. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter
2:003
2:01and verse number 18, the Bible says, but
2:05we all
2:06with open face beholding as in a glass
2:11the glory of the Lord. Now, this is what
2:14he's saying. We're seeing God, but it's
2:16like through a glass. Are you with me?
2:19We're seeing the glory of God, but
2:22and we're going to be changed [snorts]
2:24into the same image from glory to glory,
2:28even as by the spirit of the Lord. God's
2:31will is to change you into his image.
2:38If you're not willing to be molded and
2:40you're not willing to be changed, you
2:43might be in
2:45the wrong Bible.
2:46>> [laughter]
2:47>> Because this book is about becoming like
2:49Jesus.
2:51Last verse before you're seated,
2:52Colossians chapter 3 and verse 1 and 2
2:56and verse 8 and 10, 8, 9, and 10.
2:59Colossians 3, the Bible says, "If you
3:02then be risen with Christ." Somebody
3:04say, "Holy Ghost."
3:06When you have the Holy Ghost, you're
3:07identifying with the resurrection. You
3:10got to seek those things which are
3:13above,
3:14where Christ sitteth at the right hand.
3:17Verse 2, YOU SET YOUR AFFECTION
3:20on things above, not on things of this
3:23world.
3:24Our our our
3:25our our our love, our our goal is not
3:29things of this world. Our goal is to get
3:32to heaven.
3:34That's our goal. Our affection is there.
3:36He says this in verse
3:39verse number 8. Jim tell me verse number
3:418. He says, "But now you also, if you're
3:44going to get there, if you're going to
3:45be like him, there's things you have to
3:47put off.
3:49All these things you have to put off,
3:52anger. You have TO PUT OFF WRATH. YOU
3:55HAVE TO PUT OFF MALICE. [clears throat]
3:57You have to put off
4:00blasphemy and filthy communication. That
4:02means lifestyle. IT'S GOT TO COME OUT OF
4:05YOUR MOUTH. ANY ANY ANY FILTHY lifestyle
4:08or communication has got TO COME OUT OF
4:10YOUR MOUTH.
4:11VERSE NUMBER 9, LIE not one to another.
4:15SEEING THAT YOU HAVE PUT OFF THE OLD MAN
4:19WITH HIS DEEDS, AND YOU'VE PUT ON the
4:21new man, which is renewed in knowledge.
4:24Everybody say, "Thank God for the word."
4:26And we're renewed in knowledge after the
4:29image, next verse, after the image of
4:31him that created him.
4:34That's the goal.
4:35To be like Jesus. Let's Let's talk to
4:38the Lord. Heavenly Father, tonight we
4:40thank you for this word. We thank you
4:43for your word. We thank you for the fact
4:45that God, we can be clay in the potter's
4:48hands, and we come that you would mold
4:50us and shape us and make us into your
4:53image, we pray. And every day to be more
4:56like you in the name of Jesus Christ.
4:59Everybody say, "In Jesus' name."
5:01Amen. God bless you. You may be seated.
5:04Now,
5:05when you begin this journey of living
5:09for God, you are literally turning your
5:12life over into God's hands.
5:17You're coming to God,
5:18and and and
5:21there's some terminology that explains
5:23it. You're giving your life to the Lord.
5:25Is that right? You're surrendering all.
5:28This is the Christian life. The
5:29Christian life is a surrendered life.
5:32And and and you're giving it TO GOD FOR
5:34GOD TO DO with your life whatever
5:37pleases him.
5:40See, the bottom line of what true
5:42Christianity is is this. I want to
5:45please God. That's the bottom line of
5:49Christianity.
5:51There's pleasing God or pleasing self.
5:57The old The old story of the preacher
5:59talking about there's two dogs inside of
6:02you. Remember the old story? There's two
6:03dogs, the flesh and the spirit, and
6:05they're fighting, and then you ask which
6:07one's going to win, and the answer is
6:09this, the one you feed the most.
6:12And so, if you feed your spiritual man
6:15the most, he's going to get stronger.
6:17So, again, the bottom line is I want to
6:21give my life completely to God, and I
6:23want to please GOD. EVERYBODY SAY, "ALL
6:25MY LIFE."
6:27There's no true Christianity
6:30without complete surrender.
6:36There's no WAY TO BE ALL in Christian if
6:40I cannot get to the place where I start
6:43to say, "I surrender
6:46all."
6:48all.
6:49And that's when you know that you are on
6:52the right track. If you're holding back,
6:54if you're saying, "Well, I'm going to
6:56hold part of this back, and I want just,
6:58you know, this part of, you know, my
7:00life, or part of my heart, and
7:02everything." Well, then you really
7:04aren't totally submitted and correct
7:06You're not submitted You're not
7:07surrendered. Remember, a lot of people
7:09say,
7:10uh you know, the Lord's Prayer, "Our
7:12Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be
7:14thy name." That was not the Lord's
7:16Prayer.
7:17That was the disciples' prayer. That's
7:19the prayer he taught the disciples. The
7:21Lord's Prayer was not my will
7:25When you go to the garden When you go to
7:27the garden, HE WAS PRAYING. What was the
7:28Lord's PRAYER? HE HAD SAID, "NOT MY
7:30WILL but
7:32thy will be done." And that's the prayer
7:35we have to get. So, we started in the
7:37book of Genesis, which is from the
7:38beginning, we see the importance of God
7:42having his people conformed or made in
7:46his image. Now, the moment Adam and Eve
7:48were drawn away by their own desire and
7:51lust and and disobedience, they wanted
7:54to be like gods, they destroyed the
7:57likeness of God. They became unlike God.
8:01And so, So gap or the great gulf that
8:04was now staged between God and man that
8:07was was was crossed. IT WAS THE CROSS
8:10THAT HELPED BRIDGE THE GAP. IT WAS NOT
8:13DISTANCE of measure,
8:15but they were distanced by difference.
8:18Man and God became unequal.
8:22Man and God become incompatible.
8:26Man became unlike God.
8:31They were made like him, they became
8:32unlike him. Yeah, now
8:35in the computer world
8:37there's there's terminology of being
8:39incompatible.
8:41And we we used to be a lot more back in
8:44the day when different computers, if you
8:46remember computers, you had the Apple
8:48computer, you had the IBM computer, you
8:50had a Radio Shack Tandy computer. I'm
8:54I'm dating myself. Some of y'all don't
8:56know what I'm talking about. BUT YOU
8:57COULD NOT TAKE one thing and just jump
9:00over from computer to computer. They
9:02were un- incompatible
9:04with each other. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M
9:06TALKING ABOUT. And man became
9:08incompatible with God. Maybe you
9:10remember uh if you're traveling overseas
9:13and
9:14uh we're we're getting ready to take our
9:15young people to uh the uh country of
9:18Belize to do our missions trip there and
9:21we're trying to figure out the right
9:22kind of plugs. Our team that's
9:24ministering right now in Brazil, they
9:27have different plugs there. So you got
9:29to make sure that your plugins are
9:31compatible with the plugs there. Not
9:35only that, we have to have compatibility
9:38of the volts.
9:41YOU CAN FRY A LOT OF THINGS IF YOU DON'T
9:44have a transformer.
9:46See, most of our stuff is is 110 volts.
9:52Many places overseas are 220.
9:55SO IF YOU PLUG YOUR 110 INTO 220,
9:59YOU'RE GOING TO FRY A LOT OF THINGS. SO,
10:02YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TRANSFORMER. When we
10:04were in Argentina, our transformer was
10:06heavy and we had to carry it all around
10:08this house. Okay, we got to have the
10:09transformer for this. We got to have the
10:11transformer for that. You had to take
10:13this around so that you could transform
10:15from 220 to 110 OR YOU FRY IT.
10:19NOW, HOW MANY KNOW that
10:21God is way higher than we are?
10:25And thank God, Jesus became the
10:27transformer
10:31in more than one way
10:33to be able to have us access God and be
10:37in tune with God.
10:39Amen. Now, interesting fact in Genesis
10:42chapter uh 2 and chapter 3 is how the
10:46devil was able to deceive Adam and Eve.
10:48Look Look at how he lied to them. THE
10:51DEVIL SAID THIS, "GOD KNOWS the day that
10:53you eat of the tree, you're going to be
10:55like him."
10:58Let me remind you,
11:00THEY WERE ALREADY LIKE HIM.
11:03THEY WERE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. THEY
11:05WERE ALREADY LIKE HIM. AND SO, when they
11:08ate of the tree, it changed now their
11:10image and they're no longer a reflection
11:13of him.
11:14And so, that God had to send a second
11:17Adam, Jesus, who's the express image of
11:22the mighty God. Hebrews chapter 1 and
11:24verse 3. These scriptures are in your
11:26notes. Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 3, he
11:28says, "Who being in the brightness of
11:30his glory
11:32and the express image of his person."
11:35The second Adam came to restore the
11:38image that Adam, the first Adam, lost.
11:42Aren't you glad that he didn't leave us,
11:44right? And this second Adam didn't fail.
11:46In fact,
11:48HE CONQUERED SIN.
11:51THANK GOD, RIGHT? PAUL TELLS US IN
11:54ROMANS 8:29, he says, "For whom he did
11:57know, he for who he did foreknow, he
11:59also did predestinate to be conformed to
12:03the image of his dear son." That was
12:06what he wanted to do, to conform you
12:09into his image. Not that we as
12:12individuals are predestined, but there
12:15would be a church
12:17that would be conformed to the image of
12:18Jesus Christ who's predestined. This
12:21church is predestined TO VICTORY. THIS
12:24CHURCH is predestined to be the bride of
12:25Christ. THIS CHURCH HAS ALREADY SETTLED
12:29a place in heaven. Say amen to that.
12:32Those who were conformed to his image
12:35are going to be part of the church and a
12:36reflection of the one true living God.
12:39Now, here's the key.
12:41You and I,
12:43now that we are saved, we are to be the
12:46witnesses to the world so they can see a
12:49glimpse of Jesus Christ in us.
12:53So, he saved us,
12:55transformed us, makes us, molds us to be
12:59like him so the world can see Jesus
13:02through you.
13:04We're a reflection of God. We're a
13:06mirror of God, right? And we want to be
13:09like him. We want to be this reflection
13:11of his glory in our world. We want to
13:13know God greater than we've ever known
13:16him before. And to do that, we've got to
13:18allow the process of God molding and
13:22shaping us in holiness to affect our
13:25spiritual lives. How many know that God
13:28is holy?
13:31And how many know heaven is holy?
13:33How many know the New Jerusalem is holy?
13:35How many know this book that you carry
13:37around is called a
13:39a holy Bible. Everything you know about
13:42God is holy, holy, holy. We talked about
13:45it that last week. And therefore, God is
13:48preparing you for a holy city, a holy
13:52place that we can be forever with a holy
13:56God.
13:59Right? Now, Titus chapter 2. This is
14:02powerful. Titus chapter 2, verse 11 and
14:0412. The Bible says this,
14:07"For the grace of God
14:09I thank God for grace.
14:12I thank God for grace.
14:15But grace didn't come just to cover sin.
14:20Look at what he says. The grace of God
14:23that bringeth salvation
14:26hath appeared unto all men." It's not
14:30just to, you know, put it under the rug,
14:32if I can say it that way. It's not GRACE
14:34DOESN'T JUST PUT it under the rug.
14:35Obviously, we thank God for the blood
14:37that covers our sin and all of that. But
14:39I'm trying to say there's a lot of
14:40people that that think that I can do
14:43whatever I want, live however I want,
14:45and God's grace Oh, yeah.
14:48I'm so glad for God's grace cuz I'm
14:50going to heaven and I'm going to live
14:51like the devil.
14:54I'm sorry, but you don't have a real
14:56revelation of what God's grace is.
14:59Does that make sense? You you you can't
15:02live like the devil and expect Oh, God's
15:04grace. No. Watch the next verse. What
15:07does true grace do? True grace teaches
15:11us
15:12that denying ungodliness,
15:16see, and worldly lust, you have to live
15:20soberly righteously
15:23and godly in this present world.
15:27SO, IF YOU HAVE REAL GRACE, YOU'RE GOING
15:30TO CHANGE. IF YOU HAVE REAL GRACE,
15:33YOU'RE GOING TO GET RID OF UNGODLINESS.
15:35IF YOU HAVE REAL GRACE, you're going to
15:37live soberly. IF YOU HAVE REAL BIBLE
15:39GRACE DEFINITION, YOU'RE GOING TO BE
15:42GODLY AND RIGHTEOUSLY, AND YOU'RE GOING
15:44TO HAVE UH YOU'RE GOING TO GET AWAY of
15:46worldly lust.
15:49In this present world.
15:52So, if what you CALL GRACE
15:56IS NOT teaching you these things,
15:59it might not be the same grace that's in
16:01the Bible.
16:06True grace teaches you.
16:08And the question is, is grace doing this
16:10work in you? Are you allowing grace to
16:12work in you to make you more like him?
16:15Galatians 1:4, he says, "Who gave
16:18himself
16:20for our sins,
16:22that he might deliver us
16:24from this present evil world according
16:28to the will of God the Father."
16:30Why did he come? He came to
16:33He he he came so that you are delivered
16:37from the SNARES AND THE TRAPS AND THE
16:40CHAINS and the bondage of this world.
16:45HE CAME TO SET THE CAPTIVES FREE.
16:48AND AND AND AND AND IF you're still in
16:50prison of addictions and you're still in
16:53prison of of of lust or you're still in
16:55prison of all kinds of carnal things of
16:58the world, HOW CAN YOU SAY HE'S YOUR
17:01SAVIOR IF HE'S NOT SAVED YOU FROM
17:03ANYTHING?
17:07IF HE'S NOT DELIVERED YOU.
17:09NOW, HERE'S THE THE the the news is
17:11this. See, God
17:13has examples
17:15and living epistles, and he still NEEDS
17:18YOU AND I TO BE those living testimonies
17:21of the holy testimonies OF HEAVEN. HE
17:24NEEDS YOU and I TO BE A REFLECTION.
17:27DIDN'T HE SAY TO US THAT HE WANTED us to
17:29be salt and light?
17:32That's what he WANTS US TO DO. SALT and
17:34light. We're supposed to be that to the
17:36world. Now, Ephesians 2. I I know I'm
17:39reading a of scripture, but you can't
17:41improve on the word, right, brother
17:42Sosinski? You just got that word right
17:44there. Ephesians 2:1-10. We're going to
17:46be reading a little bit here, so join me
17:47cuz we got a few verses to cover. And
17:49thank you for all of you that are online
17:51and you got your Bible open maybe at the
17:53table or at the
17:55on your couch or hopefully you're not
17:57reading your Bible while you're driving.
17:58Praise God. Amen. Hallelujah. But here
18:00it says, Ephesians 2:1,
18:02"And you hath he quickened,
18:05WHO WERE DEAD in your trespasses and
18:08sins."
18:09He found you. He quickened you. He
18:12brought you back TO LIFE. THAT'S WHY the
18:14word is used born again.
18:18You're born again.
18:20"Wherein in time past
18:23before you were walking according to the
18:26course of this world."
18:29You're You're like the You're like the
18:31horse that's being led around. And And
18:33the thing is, most people in the world
18:35think that they're free and they think,
18:37"Oh, yes, I am free." You don't
18:39understand that you've been led around
18:42according to the course of this world,
18:44according to the prince of the power of
18:46the air, the spirit that worketh in the
18:49children of disobedience. Verse 3,
18:52"Among whom also we had all of our
18:55conversation
18:57our lifestyle in times PAST IN THE LUST
19:00OF THE FLESH OUR OUR OUR OUR BEFORE LIFE
19:04IS ALL ABOUT the flesh.
19:06WHAT MY FLESH WANTED, WHAT MY FLESH
19:09DESIRED, AND AND AND what you know, I
19:11just want to please the flesh. I want to
19:13please the flesh. I want to please THE
19:15FLESH. THAT'S ALL I WANT.
19:17BUT WHEN YOU GET SAVED, YOU WANT TO
19:19please him.
19:22YOU YOU YOU YOU CONTINUE HAVING THOSE
19:24DESIRES TO PLEASE, BUT YOU WANT TO
19:26PLEASE HIM. HE SAYS, "I WAS FULFILLING
19:29THE DESIRES OF THE FLESH AND OF THE
19:31MIND." LIKE ANYTHING THAT CAME TO MY
19:34MIND, I DID IT.
19:36I JUST DID IT. AND WE WERE BY NATURE, it
19:39was in our nature. See, when Adam AND
19:42EVE FELL, NOW the nature, THE FALLEN
19:45NATURE WAS PASSED DOWN, NEIL, TO ALL OF
19:48US.
19:50Let me let me help you.
19:53We are not sinners because we sin,
19:58but we sin because we are sinners.
20:04Does that You got to flip it. You got to
20:05look at it from the other angle, okay?
20:07That's where We were by nature, it was
20:09in our nature, the children of wrath,
20:10even as others. Uh next verse, number
20:13four. HE SAYS, "BUT GOD,
20:16WHO IS RICH IN MERCY,
20:19FOR HIS GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH HE LOVED
20:22US,
20:24He He starts looking, "Hey, this is what
20:26I used to be, but something happened.
20:29Something I went to the meeting one
20:30night. MY HEART WASN'T RIGHT, BUT
20:33SOMETHING GOT A HOLD OF ME." I'M SINGING
20:37AN OLDIE NOW, if you all know that one.
20:39Okay, he's rich in mercy for his great
20:42love wherewith he loved us. He says
20:45this,
20:46"EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD, EVEN WHEN you
20:49were dead in your sins and and and and
20:51trespasses, HE QUICKENED US. HE BROUGHT
20:53US ALIVE AGAIN TOGETHER with Christ, for
20:57by GRACE ARE YOU SAVED."
20:59VERSE SIX,
21:01"NOT ONLY DID HE DO THAT, BUT HE also
21:03raised you up
21:06together and made us sit together in
21:08heavenly places in Christ Jesus." How
21:11many remember the story of the prodigal
21:12son?
21:14We all pretty much have the idea of the
21:16prodigal son. Now, watch this.
21:20THE PRODIGAL SON
21:22WAS IN THE PIGPEN.
21:24THANK GOD HE HAD ENOUGH SENSE TO NOT
21:27STAY IN THE PIG PEN.
21:30BUT JUST GETTING OUT OF THE PIG PEN
21:32WASN'T THE WHOLE SALVATION STORY.
21:36THE WHOLE SALVATION STORY IS GET BACK TO
21:38DAD'S HOUSE.
21:43UH
21:43FORGIVE ME FOR USING the analogy, but
21:45I've used it before and that is this,
21:47when someone is drowning in the ocean.
21:51You're drowning in the ocean,
21:53at what point are you saved?
21:57Are you saved when you see a boat coming
21:59toward you?
22:01Are you saved when the boat gets to you?
22:04ARE YOU SAVED WHEN THEY THROW THE LIFE
22:06VEST OR TO YOU?
22:08Are you saved when you get back in the
22:10boat?
22:11Or are you saved when you get back to
22:13shore?
22:17How many understand what I'm trying to
22:18get at?
22:19Salvation is a process. You're being
22:22saved. We're saved and we're being
22:24saved. How many know we're going to the
22:26shore?
22:27And we're going to get there.
22:28Hallelujah, one day. Now, he's raised us
22:31up,
22:32got you out of the pit, but he didn't
22:34just get YOU OUT OF THE PIT, HE ALSO
22:37TOOK YOU AND PLACED YOU in heavenly
22:39places.
22:41He wanted TO GET YOU OUT, BUT THAT'S NOT
22:43JUST THE GOAL.
22:45EGYPT, A SIGN IN THE BIBLE of sin IN THE
22:47WORLD. GOD'S GOAL WAS NOT JUST TO GET
22:50ISRAEL OUT OF EGYPT,
22:55I'm waiting. I'm waiting. GOD'S GOAL WAS
22:57NOT JUST TO GET ISRAEL OUT OF EGYPT,
23:00BUT GOD'S GOAL WAS TO GET EGYPT INTO THE
23:02PROMISED LAND.
23:04SO, IN OUR CASE, GOD'S GOAL IS NOT JUST
23:06TO GET US OUT OF THE WORLD, BUT GOD'S
23:08WORD WILL IS THAT WE WOULD SIT together
23:11in heavenly places here and there in
23:14Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come,
23:16verse 7, WE MIGHT SHOW the exceeding
23:19riches of his grace and his kindness
23:21toward us through Christ Jesus. For by
23:23grace
23:25are you saved through faith. THAT'S NOT
23:28OF YOURSELF.
23:31IT IS A GIFT OF GOD. SOMEBODY SAY,
23:33"THANK YOU, JESUS."
23:35NOT OF WORKS.
23:37Lest any man should boast. This is not
23:39something THAT WE DO OURSELVES. Verse
23:4110, for we are his workmanship.
23:44Created in Christ Jesus unto good works
23:48which God hath before ordained that we
23:51should walk in them.
23:53That we should walk in them. So, let me
23:56make sure you understand this. God's
23:58idea and God's plan is to give you some
24:03some words in the scripture to help you
24:07keep growing.
24:08Uh uh I'll explain it this way.
24:11Old Testament, New Testament.
24:13I had a uh
24:15uh I was I was at a special Shabbat
24:18dinner with a Jewish friend's family
24:20with us and one of the uh uh one of the
24:23gentlemen there,
24:24he knew everything about everything
24:26about all, okay?
24:27And he's like, "Well, preacher,
24:30if if if the first testament was
24:32perfect, why did there have to be a
24:33second testament?"
24:35Was it not perfect?
24:37Well, the first testament was good. The
24:40problem wasn't the first testament. The
24:42problem was the testament nobody in the
24:45No human could live up to it.
24:50I mean, there's 613 laws, not just 10
24:53commandments. And the Bible says if you
24:55break one, you're guilty of them all,
24:56right?
24:57So, here comes Jesus. Now, Jesus takes
25:01the commandments to a whole other level.
25:04So, don't don't answer this.
25:07But if you've ever lied, ever lied,
25:09you're a liar.
25:10If you've ever cheated,
25:13you're a cheater. If you've ever
25:14coveted, you're a coveter. If you've
25:16ever committed adultery, YOU'RE AN
25:17ADULTERER. YOU GET ALL OF THESE THINGS.
25:19NOW, JESUS WENT A STEP FURTHER
25:22and he said this, "If you hate your
25:23brother,
25:25you've already killed HIM IN YOUR
25:25HEART."
25:28WELL, I DIDN'T KILL ANYBODY, BUT YOU'VE
25:30ALREADY DONE IT IN YOUR HEART. AND HE
25:32SAYS, "IF YOU LOOK UPON A WOMAN AND YOU
25:34LUST after her, YOU'VE ALREADY COMMITTED
25:36ADULTERY IN YOUR HEART."
25:39NOW, please help me understand this,
25:41okay?
25:42The consequences are different, so just
25:45just so you know, whether you do it or
25:46not. Really, if you kill somebody or if
25:49you just hate them, I'd rather you just
25:50hate them, okay?
25:54Are you Are you picking up what I'm
25:55saying? I mean, I love jail ministry,
25:57but I don't want you to start one, okay?
25:59We already have jail ministry going on.
26:01Are you with The consequences are
26:03different. My point though is this,
26:05God's plan was to elevate man and he's
26:09still doing that. Now, I'll I'll I'll
26:11make sure you understand. It This cannot
26:13be about rules
26:15or we miss the message of conforming to
26:18his image.
26:20Nobody likes to be told what to do.
26:22In fact, it's in our nature to reject
26:24the rules, but and but but but can I CAN
26:27I EXPLAIN THIS?
26:29GOD DOES NOT CHANGE this word
26:32to fit your lifestyle.
26:36GOD'S NOT GOING TO COME, FRANKIE, and
26:37change this.
26:39HE CHANGES US
26:41to be able to live in the world,
26:43surrounded, protected, right? From the
26:47things. I've said it before, they will
26:49never put a screen door on a submarine.
26:56Think about it.
26:58Because you got to keep the elements
26:59out. Now, John 17:14, 15, and 16. He
27:03says this, "I have given them thy word
27:06and the world hath hated them because
27:09they are not of the world, even as I am
27:11not of the world."
27:13First thing you got to remember, a true
27:15disciple of Jesus Christ is not of this
27:18world.
27:20This world is not my home.
27:23I'm just a passing through. My treasures
27:27are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
27:30And that's your goal. Your goal is here.
27:32So, I'm in the world and he says this,
27:34they they HATED THEM
27:36BECAUSE THEY'RE not of the world. YOU
27:38SHOULD NOT FIT INTO THIS WORLD, RIGHT?
27:42Verse 15, I PRAY NOT THAT YOU SHOULD
27:45TAKE THEM OUT OF THE WORLD. IT SAYS
27:47I'M NOT just trying to I don't want you
27:48to be taken out of the world, but I want
27:50you to be
27:52kept from evil in the world.
27:57There's a different plan here. He wants
27:58to keep you from evil in this world.
28:02Because verse 16, THEY ARE NOT OF this
28:04world, even as I'm not of the world.
28:05Again, when you got saved, you got a
28:08heavenly citizenship, brother Sasha.
28:11You got a heavenly citizenship, brother
28:13Manny. We became heavenly citizens now.
28:17And you may have a passport from one
28:19country or some people may have two or
28:20three passports. But let me tell you
28:22this, THE BEST PASSPORT THAT YOU GOT TO
28:25HAVE is the heavenly passport.
28:30And and and if you're going to go to
28:33another country, now thankfully the
28:36Americas have
28:38agreements and visa agreements with many
28:42countries.
28:43But certain countries you're going to go
28:45in, you cannot even get on an airplane
28:48without the visa
28:50to get into the country. You have to get
28:52a visa to get in. I mean, many people
28:55coming to America, you to come to
28:56America, you can't just show up at the
28:58airport, you got to get a visa to get
29:00in.
29:01My brother at the time, my oldest
29:03brother,
29:04um he was flying for his company and he
29:07was in London. He was flying down to
29:09India, an 8-hour flight. And for some
29:13reason, Mom, you remember this, right?
29:14For some reason, at the airport, they
29:17forgot to check his passport for the
29:19visa into India.
29:22He got to India.
29:24He'd been traveling all day.
29:26Dead tired, ready to go, take a shower,
29:28and take a nap.
29:30And they said, "Sir,
29:32you're not coming into this country. You
29:34don't have a visa."
29:36They literally put him right back on the
29:38same airplane,
29:40flew him all the way back to London,
29:43and he had to go to the embassy in
29:45London of India, get the visa, go back
29:49to the airport, and fly all the way back
29:51another 8 hours all the way back down to
29:54India.
29:55Was it 8 hours, or how many hours was
29:56it? I can't remember. IT WAS A LONG
29:58TRIP.
29:59BECAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE PERMISSION. NOW,
30:01hear me out.
30:03There's people that think they're going
30:04to get into heaven
30:06without their born-again passport. The
30:08Bible says, "If you're not born again of
30:10the water and of the spirit, you're not
30:11going to enter into heaven." That's the
30:13visa. You got to have your passport
30:15stamped, water and spirit. And it's
30:17through His word that we're given these
30:19principles to live for Him in this
30:22world. This is the road map. I started
30:24talking about Old Testament, New
30:25Testament. In the New Testament,
30:27Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, teachings
30:29of Jesus, miracles of Jesus. THE BOOK OF
30:31ACTS IS THE BOOK WHERE YOU COME INTO THE
30:34CHURCH.
30:36THE BOOK OF ACTS IS BY THE WAY, ACTS
30:38CHAPTER 2 is the day of Pentecost. If
30:39you want to read it between now and
30:41Sunday to remind you what a great day
30:43that was, the birthday of the church.
30:45And so here, this is the book to get
30:47into the church. How to be saved, get
30:51saved.
30:52But after THE BOOK OF ACTS, YOU HAVE ALL
30:55OF THE epistles teaching YOU HOW TO STAY
30:58SAVED.
31:01ONE BOOK TO GET SAVED, ALL OF THE
31:04EPISTLES, HOW TO STAY SAVED.
31:08HOW MANY KNOW THAT staying saved is a
31:11little harder than getting saved, right?
31:14And that's what the Bible talks about
31:15this. And the Bible gives us this word
31:17to keep specifically says to keep them
31:20from evil. So the word of God and the
31:21principles of holiness that we teach and
31:24preach from the Bible are given from God
31:27as a means of protection. These are to
31:30protect us. These principles keep you
31:32from evil. Some say, "Well, you know, I
31:34can manage myself. Don't tell me what to
31:36do."
31:37Well,
31:38there is a bad track record of those
31:40words in the Bible in Judges 21 and 25.
31:44It's the same thing in 17 and 6. And
31:47this is what he says, "In those days
31:48there was no king in Israel and every
31:50man did that which was right in his own
31:53eyes."
31:55You want the definition of chaos? Right
31:58there it is.
31:59And in the book of Judges, it was it was
32:02every judge trying to call them back to
32:03God. They're going off. They're
32:05They're going crazy. And all these
32:07judges are trying to bring them back and
32:08bring them back. Proverbs chapter 3 and
32:11verse 5 through 8, very popular. He
32:13says, "Trust in the Lord." Everybody
32:15say, "With all your heart."
32:17And lean not on your own understanding.
32:20In all of your ways, acknowledge him and
32:24he shall direct thy paths. We're going
32:28to acknowledge him. Be not wise, verse
32:317. BE NOT WISE IN YOUR own eyes.
32:35Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
32:39There's another scripture says, "The
32:40fear of the Lord is to depart from
32:42evil."
32:43That's how you know you have the fear of
32:44God, when you depart from evil. Proverbs
32:4714,
32:4812 and Proverbs 16:25, the same verse
32:51repeated. THERE IS A WAY
32:54THAT SEEMETH RIGHT UNTO A MAN,
32:56but the end thereof is the ways of
32:59death.
33:02Matthew chapter 7 verse 13 and 14. He
33:05says, "Enter into the STRAIGHT GATE.
33:09FOR WIDE IS THE GATE
33:11and broad is the way that leads to
33:14destruction and there's a lot of people
33:16on that road.
33:18We're not This is not a popularity thing
33:20here BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT MORE PEOPLE
33:22ON THE WIDE road than there is on the
33:24straight and narrow.
33:26Can I remind you only eight people went
33:28in the boat? They were the minority, but
33:30when they came out, they were in the
33:31majority.
33:34All right. He says, "Enter at the
33:35straight gate. For wide is the gate,
33:37broad is the way that leads to straight
33:39and there are many be there that go in
33:40thereat." Verse uh next verse 14. He
33:43says, "Because straight is the gate,
33:45narrow is the way which leadeth unto
33:47life.
33:49And few
33:51there be
33:53that find it."
33:55Proverbs chapter 9 and verse number 10.
33:58He says this. He says, "The fear of the
34:01Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
34:04And the knowledge of the holy is
34:07understanding."
34:08Wow. I know but I I need to be have more
34:11fear of the Lord in my heart and my
34:12life. Anybody else want to join me and
34:14say I I really could use a little more
34:16fear of the Lord?
34:18And Solomon really gets to the root of
34:19the problem for most people when it
34:21comes to defining living holy before God
34:23and that is the fear of the Lord. We
34:25certainly are not living any longer in a
34:28God-fearing nation if you haven't
34:30figured that out yet. Our nation has
34:32become morally bankrupt and that's what
34:35happens when the fear of the Lord is
34:36removed and without the proper respect
34:39and reverence for the Lord in our lives,
34:41we're going to get a
34:44a wrong understanding of holiness and
34:46it's not going to lead us to the true
34:48understanding of holiness because the
34:49process to begin in our lives, we got to
34:51develop a fear of the Lord.
34:54It's not fear as in fearful,
34:57but it's fear as reverential. It's a
35:00respect for the Lord. It's when you come
35:02to God not in fear, but you come to God
35:05and say, "God, I really want to please
35:07you. I really want to be all that you
35:10want me to be. God, I want you, God, to
35:13be glorified in me. God, I want you to
35:15take all the glory and take all the
35:17honor in my life, God. I want you to be
35:20praised and blessed, God."
35:23Ooh.
35:25So, so our challenge is this.
35:28Our challenge is to get to know him
35:30better cuz the closer you get to him,
35:32the more you're going to be like him.
35:36And by the same token, the further you
35:38get away from God, the more like the
35:40world you become.
35:43There was a There was an old preacher
35:44that was trying to visit a family that
35:47had been missing church and, you know,
35:49everybody's got excuses and stuff and he
35:51went in the winter time. He got to the
35:53house and there was a fire, beautiful
35:56fire in the fireplace going on.
35:58Preacher came, sat down, didn't say
36:00much.
36:01He just went and grabbed a log, took it
36:03out of the fire, and put it over to the
36:05side and sat down.
36:07In just a few minutes,
36:08that fire on that log went out and the
36:11fire died
36:12on that log.
36:14He went, took it, put it back into the
36:15fireplace, and it came on again.
36:18He says, "God bless you. Good night."
36:20And they said, "That was the best sermon
36:22we've [laughter] ever heard."
36:24IF YOU DON'T STAY CLOSE TO THE FIRE,
36:26YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE THE FIRE.
36:28And so here, our goal is to be here more
36:31like Jesus.
36:33And the more you're with the world, the
36:35more you In Spanish, dime con quién
36:37andas y te diré quién eres. Tell me who
36:39you're running with and I'll tell you
36:41who you are, right?
36:43Look at 1 Peter chapter 1. Watch this.
36:481 Peter 1:13, 15, 14:56.
36:51Wherefore,
36:52gird up the loins of your mind.
36:56This this girding up is when they were
36:58going to battle, the men would gird up.
37:00They would They would They would wrap
37:01They would basically take their robes
37:03and gird them up so that they could run
37:06and they could get out there. I want you
37:07to gird up the loins of your mind. Be
37:09sober and hope to the end for the grace
37:14the grace that is that be brought He
37:17says this,
37:19be brought unto you at the revelation of
37:20Jesus Christ. Verse 14, as obedient
37:23children, not fashioning yourselves
37:25according to the former lusts in your
37:27ignorance,
37:29but as verse 15, as he which hath called
37:31you is holy,
37:33you got to be holy in all manner of
37:35conversation.
37:37Because it is written,
37:40be ye holy,
37:41for I am holy.
37:44Now,
37:45he's not expecting you to be as perfect
37:48He didn't say be perfect.
37:52How many of you know God's perfect?
37:54He didn't say be perfect.
37:56He said be holy. And holy is is is a
37:59lifestyle and holy is an attitude of
38:02trying to be more like him.
38:06Now, there's a lot of people that want
38:08to focus on the rules,
38:10but I'm not saying we don't do the
38:11rules. I just want you to understand the
38:13two aspects of this.
38:15A rule by definition is a prescribed
38:17guide for conduct or action.
38:20Rules are instituted for reasons of
38:22order and protection.
38:24At times they feel restrictive,
38:26but they're in place for a reason.
38:29You know that that that when you came
38:30down Flamingo Road, does anybody know
38:32the the speed limit on Flamingo Road?
38:37Y'all don't know the speed limit on
38:38Flamingo Road?
38:40The speed limit on Flamingo Road right
38:42in front of the resort right
38:43here when you're going to the resort
38:45I didn't ask if you were doing the speed
38:47limit. I was just GOING TO SEE IF YOU
38:48KNOW THE SPEED LIMIT.
38:5045 MILES AN HOUR.
38:53NOW, DON'T RAISE YOUR HAND, BUT HOW MANY
38:55HERE WERE TRYING TO GET TO CHURCH A
38:56LITTLE BIT MORE THAN 45 miles an hour?
38:59And I'm not raising my hand. Hallelujah.
39:01Praise God.
39:03You see,
39:04the rule is 45 miles per hour.
39:07Some people want to go 65.
39:10But because of where we're at and
39:12because of the cross streets and the
39:14neighborhood and we've got schools here
39:16and everything else, the rule is 45
39:19miles an hour.
39:20But this is what I'm trying to say.
39:22Behind the rule, there is a principle.
39:26Did you get that?
39:28Behind every rule, there is a principle.
39:31It's not just about do this, don't do
39:33that, do this, don't do that. It's
39:35because behind every rule, there is a
39:37principle.
39:39Let Let me remind you. When When Jesus
39:41was asked Jesus was asked, "What is the
39:43greatest commandment?"
39:46Jesus said, "You're going to love the
39:47Lord your God with all your heart, your
39:48mind, your soul, your body, your speed,
39:50your Is that not right?"
39:52But he went on to say, "And you're going
39:53to what?"
39:55Love your neighbor as
39:57And he finished by saying, "On these two
39:59laws hang all the laws and the prophets.
40:02On these two." So, watch this. If you
40:04love God
40:07MORE THAN ANYTHING,
40:09YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO PLEASE GOD. IF
40:11YOU LOVE YOUR BROTHER LIKE YOURSELF,
40:13YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WANT TO STEAL FROM
40:14HIM, LIE TO HIM, CHEAT from him, covet
40:16from him.
40:19DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?
40:20SO, WHAT IS THE PRINCIPLE? SO, NOT only
40:23do we need to know the rules, but the
40:24principle is this. It's unsafe to travel
40:28Flamingo Road more than 45 miles an hour
40:32because it produces accidents.
40:37So, the principle IS SAFETY
40:39SO THAT YOU DON'T CRASH.
40:42BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GOING 100 MILES AN
40:44HOUR DOWN FLAMINGO ROAD, I CAN BE FREE
40:48AND I CAN DO WHAT I WANT TO DO. NOBODY'S
40:50GOING TO TELL ME.
40:52TRUE.
40:54BUT YOU'RE GOING TO MEET JESUS REALLY
40:55FAST.
40:57BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S NOT GOING TO SEE YOU
40:59AND THEY'RE GOING TO PULL OUT AND YOU
41:01KNOW, we're we're going to have a a
41:03problem of you know, moving object where
41:07it's a versus a slower moving object and
41:09we're going to have a problem. Now, they
41:11didn't institute 45 miles an hour to
41:14punish you.
41:19I hope that you hate 45 miles AN HOUR
41:22CUZ I HATE YOU and if YOU UNDERSTAND, I
41:26JUST HATE YOU. SO I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU
41:28GO 45 MILES AN HOUR. IS THAT WHY THEY
41:30PUT 45 MILES AN HOUR?
41:32NO, they did it to bring order and
41:35protection.
41:36God's plan is to you to have order
41:40and protection.
41:42This whole book is about having order
41:45and protection. This is the reason FOLKS
41:47GET TRIPPED UP. THEY focus on the rules
41:50and they forget the principles.
41:52There's principles behind the rules.
41:54We're We don't just make things up. And
41:56oh God, don't do this. Don't do that.
41:58And And
41:59there's principles behind these rules
42:02that the Bible talks about. Behind every
42:04rule there's a principle, the reason why
42:05the rule exists. Does that make sense?
42:08But if we're not careful,
42:10there's people that focus too much on
42:12the rule and miss the power of the
42:14principle.
42:16And before you dissect the rule and
42:18dismiss it out of your life, you got to
42:20look for the values in the principle
42:22that God is trying to instill through
42:25the rule.
42:28The rule is not the most important part
42:29of the process. The important part,
42:31everybody say, is holiness.
42:33When the rule is the most important part
42:35of the process, it's called legalism.
42:37And then you have the Pharisees and
42:39Sadducees, and all they did is walked
42:41around and going, "Oh, I got to make
42:43sure that you don't walk too far on the
42:46Sabbath day. Oh, sir, you are carrying
42:48something on the Sabbath day." And they
42:50would follow Jesus around and go, "We're
42:52going to trip him up. Oh, he healed
42:54somebody on THE SABBATH DAY. HOW
42:56TERRIBLE."
42:58JESUS IS LIKE,
43:00"HOLD ON.
43:01Slow your roll.
43:03If you had a mule and that that mule got
43:06in the ditch on the Sabbath, are you
43:08GOING TO LEAVE HIM THERE TILL SABBATH IS
43:10OVER?
43:12OR ARE YOU GOING TO GET HIM OUT?" They
43:13all go, "Well, you're going to get him
43:14out."
43:15"Well, how much MORE IS A LIFE WORTH
43:17MORE THAN A MULE?"
43:21YOU KNOW, THERE IS COMMON SENSE IN THIS
43:22THING RIGHT?
43:24And so
43:26people they can get caught into traps
43:29when they start focus on the minimum
43:30required. See, this is what happens when
43:32people just focus on the rules and and
43:34and and and all they want to do is I
43:36just want to focus on the rules. When
43:38you had your cereal today, on that
43:40cereal box there was a statement that
43:42says minimum daily requirements of
43:45vitamin A or B, whatever cereal you're
43:47eating.
43:48Just the minimum daily requirements. And
43:50when you focus on the rules, all you
43:52want to do is just live as close to the
43:54line as you can. Well, I'm not doing
43:56that, bless God. And you just want to
43:58look for loopholes.
44:01There was a trucking company that was
44:03hiring and they were looking for some
44:05drivers and they they they had a
44:08an area where it's okay, here's the
44:10keys, I want you to drive and drive
44:12around this pit. Well, they were wanting
44:14to show off how good they could drive.
44:16So, they were driving these trucks
44:18around and getting close to the pit.
44:19Everyone was getting closer and closer.
44:21One of them even was like the wheels
44:23were kind of like slipping a little bit,
44:25but he got out and said, "See, I know
44:27how to drive." And the last driver got
44:29in the truck, and he went as far away
44:31from that pit as he could, and the owner
44:34says, "You're my driver. I wasn't trying
44:36to see how close you can get. I'm trying
44:38to see how far away you can get."
44:43You see, we're not trying to see how
44:44close we can get to the world. We're
44:46trying to see how we close we can get to
44:48Jesus. We're not trying to see how close
44:50we can walk to this world. We're trying
44:52to see how close we can be like him. And
44:54so, when you start focusing on these
44:56minimum requirements, oh, now we look
44:58for loopholes. Oh, that's what they were
45:01doing in the days of Jesus. They're
45:02looking for loopholes. Well, you know
45:04what? I can't do this on the Sabbath,
45:05but I can do this. And so, they start
45:07now getting caught caught up in
45:09judgmental and condemning attitudes. And
45:12that's now leading to hypocrisy and
45:14inconsistency.
45:16So, you got to be cautious. Living
45:18lawless
45:19is not an alternative to legalism.
45:22That's not what we want. You have to
45:24have knowledge. You must have knowledge
45:26of biblical principles that help you
45:28understand the rules and biblical
45:30commands for our life. That's why you
45:32have teachers. That's why we get in the
45:34word. That's why you dig in the word.
45:35The purpose of these rules for living
45:37are totally free us from the destructive
45:40nature of the world, of our society, and
45:42our own our own lust. Look, let's look
45:45at some of these these ideas here. 1
45:47Timothy chapter 2 and verse number 9.
45:49Let me throw you out. This is what Paul
45:51was doing. And he's teaching Timothy. He
45:53says, "In like manner also that women
45:56adorn themselves in EVERYBODY SAY
45:58MODEST.
46:00MODEST APPAREL, WITH SHAMEFACEDNESS
46:03and sobriety." I want you to understand
46:05this is how women OUGHT TO DRESS, NOT
46:07with broided hair, gold, or pearls, or
46:10costly array. That's not how you do
46:12this. Now, the principle that he's
46:14trying to teach here IS EVERYBODY SAY
46:15MODESTY.
46:17MODEST IS TO BE decent or to be
46:21to be chaste. That's what it is.
46:24And so the principle, he he says the
46:27word shamefacedness. This means a
46:29reluctance to behave in a way that is
46:31sexually provocative or arrogant or
46:35attention-seeking.
46:37You understand that modesty in dress
46:40started way back in the book of Genesis,
46:42in the book of beginning. Adam and Eve,
46:44they were covered by the glory of God.
46:47They stood in his presence. They were
46:48naked, they were unashamed, they were
46:50clothed in glory
46:52until the moment that sin entered into
46:54the garden.
46:56And when they ate of the fruit, the tree
46:57of the knowledge of good and evil, they
46:58lost the glory IN THE MOMENT THAT moment
47:00they realized that they were naked.
47:04Their man-made covering now I I I've
47:06I've talked to you
47:08uh a little bit and I've actually talked
47:09about this in my my class in Genesis. If
47:11you was in my class in Genesis, we were
47:13talking about what the possibility of
47:16that fruit might be. Are you Are you Can
47:18I just play with your mind just a little
47:20bit?
47:22No, I can't. Okay.
47:25I'm going to just use your imagination,
47:26okay? If you were in a garden,
47:30huge garden,
47:32and you automatically found out that you
47:34were naked at that moment,
47:36don't you think you're going to grab the
47:38closest thing to you?
47:43Do you think they went in the garden
47:44going, "Hey Eve, Eve, Eve, we got to
47:46find the fig tree. We got to find the
47:48fig tree because those leaves are the
47:49best leaves. It's like Louis Vuitton fig
47:51leaves are just amazing.
47:53We're going to have Coach and Louis and
47:55we're going to have these
47:57spec- They didn't go looking for leaves.
47:59They grabbed the thing probably closest
48:01to them.
48:05Is that That's not far-fetched, right?
48:08And then you move to the New Testament
48:10when Jesus is on his way to the cross
48:13and he saw a tree.
48:16What kind of tree did he see?
48:19Fig tree, and the Bible says it was not
48:21the time of figs
48:23and yet Jesus cursed it. Now, I'm I'm
48:26not going to add or take away from the
48:27Bible, but I am going to use your
48:28imagination.
48:29What if Jesus is looking at that tree
48:32going, "Because of you, I have to go to
48:35that tree."
48:39Could be.
48:41The Bible doesn't say.
48:43But there are some things that would
48:44lend you think that, okay? Now, what do
48:46you want to do? The principle here is is
48:49is is Now, they started sewing
48:51themselves fig leaves.
48:53Was that enough? Was that good enough?
48:56It wasn't. So, God had to take innocent
49:00lambs and COVER THEM. AND GOD covered
49:03them and their covering
49:05it WASN'T SUFFICIENT, SO GOD GAVE THEM
49:07CLOTHES. HE WANTS HIS creation to be
49:09decently clothed.
49:11My question to you is,
49:13what do you think those clothes look
49:14like?
49:19You think he looked like Tarzan?
49:23Or do YOU THINK HE COVERED THEM?
49:27I I think he covered them.
49:30Because he had to TO KILL THOSE LAMBS TO
49:33COVER THEM.
49:34NOW, now think think of it this with me.
49:36Luke chapter 8:27, this is the
49:38demon-possessed man at Gadara. Because
49:40the Bible says in verse 27, "When he
49:42went forth to land, there met him out of
49:43the city a certain man which had devils
49:46a long time, and he wore no clothes."
49:52Devil's
49:53in the details, right?
49:55And so, he wore no clothes, neither
49:57abode in any house but in tombs. This
49:58man was distinguished, full of the
50:00devils, and he was naked.
50:03But watch this.
50:05After Jesus gets a hold of him in Luke
50:07chapter 8 and verse 35, jumped out of
50:09verse 31, "Then he went out to see what
50:11was done, and came Jesus and found the
50:13man out of whom the devils were
50:15departed. When the devil leaves, he is
50:17what? He's sitting. He says sitting in
50:20the feet of Jesus.
50:21What's the word there?
50:23CLOTHED, AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND.
50:26And they were afraid.
50:29Sad thing that they weren't afraid when
50:31he's demon-possessed screaming and
50:32yelling, but now that he's all well,
50:33THEY'RE LIKE, "WHOA, THERE'S SOMETHING
50:35CRAZY going on here."
50:37Now, here's the key.
50:39Immodesty brings temptation and
50:42enticement.
50:44Hello?
50:46Now, we're adults and I'm not I'm hoping
50:49you can understand what I'm about to
50:50say.
50:53There are parts of the world
50:56that have certain areas in cities
51:00that are called
51:02red-light district cities. Does anybody
51:05know what I'm talking about?
51:07There's There's There's places where
51:09women are selling themselves. Let me say
51:11it that way. Okay, I'm trying to
51:13Can I Can I ask you this? Does anybody
51:16have to guess
51:17who those women are?
51:22Does anybody go, "Excuse me, ma'am,
51:25are are you one of those?"
51:30Are you Are you I hope you're picking up
51:32between the lines here with me.
51:34THEY ARE ADVERTISING.
51:37NOT WITH A SIGN,
51:39BUT WITH THEIR CLOTHES.
51:44YOU DON'T HAVE TO GUESS. YOU DON'T HAVE
51:46TO WONDER. You don't have to go, "Excuse
51:48me, uh um uh
51:51Ma'am, are you
51:54They are telling YOU WITH THE WAY THEY
51:56DRESS WHAT THEY REPRESENT.
52:00And and and and and and and therefore, I
52:02believe that we tell the world what we
52:05represent BY THE WAY WE DRESS.
52:15IF IF YOU'RE WALKING DOWN THE STREET AND
52:18YOU SEE SOMEBODY WITH A BROWN uniform
52:20and a little patch,
52:22how many know that that GUY IS A DRIVER
52:24FOR
52:26If you're going down the street and you
52:28see A MAN WITH A STRIPE DOWN HIS HIS
52:30PANTS AND HE'S GOT A BLUE SHIRT AND IT'S
52:33GOT AN EAGLE on it, you know he works
52:34for the U.S. Post Office.
52:37IF YOU'RE GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND YOU
52:39SEE SOMEBODY THAT MAY HAVE A HAT ON, A
52:42yellow shirt, or I think it's And And IT
52:44HAS A BIG M ON IT, HE WORKS FOR
52:51Thank you. You're good.
52:54You represent who you're with by how you
52:57dress.
53:04Simple.
53:06And And And And by the way, some of you
53:09We We're thankful that we have so many
53:11nationalities in our church.
53:14Do you know that you can tell what part
53:17of the world people are by how they
53:18dress?
53:22We have I thank God for our our our
53:24Africans that come in the African robes
53:26and and they come and hallelujah, makes
53:29my heart happy cuz uh cuz I'm part
53:31African, so there you go.
53:34But even even even in countries like
53:37China, as vast as it is, we would go to
53:40the Chinese Cultural Village and there's
53:42such a diverse part and they have
53:45different dresses and mode of dressing
53:48from different parts of the country.
53:51You can tell, "Oh, they're from the
53:52northeast. They're from the southeast.
53:54They're from the northwest." because of
53:56how they dress.
53:57I want to dress to be able to see Now
54:00Now I know that we're living in a
54:02society that is, you know, people wear
54:03suits and ties. I'm not I'm just suit
54:05and tie holy. How many know what I'm
54:07talking about? Okay?
54:09A suit and tie ain't holy.
54:12But I'm talking about modesty.
54:15Hello?
54:17Let let me ask you this. Let let me I'm
54:18I'm I'm sorry I'm going to give you a
54:20bad picture and image and I hope you can
54:21get it out of your mind. But if I come
54:23in here and I have a wife beater on and
54:26speedos and I grab a microphone to stand
54:29in front to preach to you,
54:34I went there. I did.
54:37Are are you understand what I'm trying
54:38to say?
54:39You're going to say, "Wait a minute.
54:41You're not representing the brand.
54:44You're You're YOU'RE NOT A
54:45REPRESENTATION of heaven.
54:48Because what you dress like tells a lot
54:51about who you belong to and where you
54:54belong in this.
54:55So immodesty
54:57can bring temptation and enticement. I
54:59won't I won't read it, but Remember when
55:02when David is in your notes there, the
55:03scripture, David is out walking on the
55:06rooftop and David starts looking.
55:10First of all, he should have been at
55:11war.
55:12But you know what? I don't think a woman
55:14should have been bathing right down
55:15there.
55:18We all throw stones at David, BUT HEY
55:20GIRL, COVER UP!
55:23LIKE, YOU KNOW?
55:26BUT SHE WAS BATHING. That's what
55:28happened. He saw a woman washing
55:29herself.
55:30That's what happened.
55:32Now Now Matthew, we read it. We talked
55:34about this. Whoever looketh on a woman
55:35to lust after her hath committed
55:38adultery with her already in his heart.
55:41Let me help you all.
55:42You're adults. Men are visual.
55:45So, if you apply the principle is this,
55:48you must be modest.
55:52You don't want to draw attention. You
55:54don't want to indecently expose the body
55:57to the opposite sex. Somebody say amen.
56:00That's what modesty is trying to teach
56:01us. And so when you talk about the lines
56:03that are drawn, they they they shouldn't
56:05be drawn effectively to protect yourself
56:07from becoming a stumbling block.
56:10So to be be dressed modest apparel is
56:13simply to be dressed in a way as to not
56:15expose the body that are to the opposite
56:18sex.
56:19Now, if you think about it this way, the
56:21sleeve length,
56:23the neckline, the length of your
56:25clothes, tight clothing, ultra-thin
56:29clothing.
56:30Now, I'm going to I'm going to shock
56:31some of y'all.
56:33But in the Bible I was I was actually I
56:35don't have time to do it, but I did a
56:37whole research on it today again. Do you
56:39know that the uncovering of your thigh
56:42in the Bible was considered nakedness?
56:47It's a whole different story today.
56:49But in the Bible just the uncovering of
56:52your thigh
56:53was considered naked. So when you hear
56:54about standards and the rules that have
56:57been established, they're there to help
56:59us fulfill the principle. The principle
57:00is the reason the rule exists. Now some
57:02focus so much on the rule they forget
57:05there biblical principles that we follow
57:07in the search of the scripture the
57:08principles that ultimately bring
57:10protection and true design of the
57:13holiness they bring us closer to God and
57:16they're trying to help us to be more
57:17like him. This book will teach you how
57:20to be more like Jesus.
57:23LOOK, JOHN 5:39.
57:27JOHN 5:30 SEARCH the scriptures for in
57:30them you think that YOU HAVE ETERNAL
57:32LIFE AND THEY ARE THEY THAT testify of
57:35me.
57:37Now verse chapter 1 of Joshua chapter 1
57:40and verse 8. He says the book of the law
57:42shall not depart out of thy mouth but
57:44thou shalt meditate therein day and
57:46night that thou mayest what? That thou
57:49mayest observe to DO ACCORDING TO ALL
57:53THAT IS WRITTEN THEREIN for then shalt
57:55thou make thy way prosperous, and then
57:58shalt thou have good success.
58:00Psalms 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in
58:02my heart, that I might not sin against
58:04thee." Musicians are coming.
58:06Second Timothy chapter 3 and verse
58:08number 16, he says, "All scripture is
58:11given by inspiration of God." This Bible
58:13is given and is profitable for doctrine,
58:16for reproof, for correction. Sometimes I
58:18need to be corrected. Sometimes I need
58:20to be reproved and for instruction in
58:22righteousness. Why? Why preacher? Verse
58:25number 17, "That the man
58:28of God may be perfect, thoroughly
58:31furnished unto all good works."
58:33Now, I realize styles have changed
58:36throughout the years.
58:38And they've changed drastically from
58:40Bible times.
58:42But you've got to take biblical
58:44principles and you still have to apply
58:46them to us today.
58:50See See, there's a biblical principle.
58:52We talked about this last week. There's
58:54a biblical principle that my body is the
58:57temple of the Holy Ghost.
58:59The Bible says that you are not your
59:01own. This body was purchased with the
59:04price.
59:05So, the old the old man that was saved
59:08and he's running around because on his
59:11job he was you know, there's some people
59:13and all they want to do is gamble,
59:14gamble, gamble. He says, "Why don't you
59:15gamble?" And they they're playing cards
59:17and gambling. He says, "I I can't
59:19gamble." "Well, why?" He says, "Cuz I
59:20don't have any hands."
59:22He says, "What's that AT THE END OF YOUR
59:23ARMS?" HE SAYS, "OH, THOSE ARE NOT my
59:25hands, those are God's hands."
59:30These are God's feet. This is God's
59:32heart. THESE ARE GOD'S EYES. THIS IS
59:33GOD'S EARS. This is God's mouth. THIS IS
59:36GOD'S TEMPLE.
59:38The temple of the Holy Ghost.
59:41And so, that's what we've got to do.
59:43We've got to apply these biblical
59:45principles every day. Romans chapter 12,
59:49as you stand Romans chapter 12
59:52and he says this
59:53he says I beseech you therefore brethren
59:57by the mercies of God
59:59that you present your offerings
60:04is that what it says?
60:07THAT YOU PRESENT YOUR TIES thank God for
60:09offering and ties
60:11no but that you present your bodies a
60:14living sacrifice
60:18HOLY
60:19ACCEPTABLE UNTO GOD which is your
60:22reasonable service
60:25and then he goes on to say this
60:28I don't I want to make sure that you're
60:29not conformed don't be conformed
60:33that and this is the problem
60:35the world is trying to conform your
60:37thinking
60:41it cracks me up when people think oh my
60:43God I'm just going to you know go out I
60:45want to be free and and and they they go
60:47out and they start looking like
60:49everybody else in the world
60:51you don't conform to this world but be
60:54transformed by the renewing of your mind
60:57that you can prove what is the good and
60:59acceptable and perfect will of God
61:02I'm going to read Psalm 17 but before I
61:04do
61:06there there is a major
61:09plan of the enemy
61:11to try to erase the image of God in
61:13mankind
61:16and if you've seen anything
61:19of of
61:20extreme extreme
61:23people piercing their faces and
61:25disfiguring themselves
61:28that comes from the enemy
61:29people that are splitting their tongue
61:31that they can look like
61:33snakes and dis-
61:36horrible things
61:38they're they don't realize they were
61:40made beautiful in the image of God
61:44God don't no junk.
61:48You don't have to
61:50Can I help you?
61:53When you look in the mirror
61:55You need to say God, thank you for
61:57making me the way I am.
62:00I don't need to add anything to this
62:01look. I I was made in the image of God
62:04and you think I'm beautiful and if you
62:06think I'm beautiful
62:08I'm beautiful.
62:11Don't buy in the problem is the world
62:13has sold everybody this bill of goods
62:15that you have to look like you're 22 for
62:17the rest of your life.
62:20And if you don't have a certain
62:21measurement
62:23a certain look
62:25and if you don't
62:27put all kinds of stuff on your face that
62:30you're not valuable.
62:32Hear me.
62:33GOD THINKS YOU'RE VALUABLE.
62:36GOD THINKS YOU'RE VALUABLE.
62:38GOD THINKS YOU'RE HE MADE YOU IN HIS
62:40IMAGE. GOD THINKS YOU'RE VALUABLE.
62:42AND YOU CAN SAY, "GOD, I WANT TO please
62:44you with my life. Everything I do." Look
62:47at chapter 17
62:49and verse number 15 of Psalms.
62:52As for me
62:54Remember what Joshua said, "As for me
62:55and my house, we will serve the Lord."
62:57Well, the psalmist brings it and asks
62:59for me in there and he goes, "You know
63:00what? As for me
63:01I I can't do this for you. I can't sell
63:03It's It's not your In my life, as for me
63:07I will
63:08behold your FACE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
63:11ONE day I'm going to see him and I'm
63:13going to behold his face in
63:14righteousness and he says this, "And I
63:17am going to be satisfied
63:20when one day I wake up
63:25with your likeness."
63:30I'll be satisfied.
63:32And that is what happened when God
63:33created Adam.
63:36Angels started looking and go
63:40He looks like him.
63:42Look at that.
63:43Do you see this?
63:45HE LOOKS LIKE HIM CUZ HE WAS made in the
63:47image of God. And that's the whole
63:49purpose that God keeps trying to restore
63:51the image.
63:53Hell
63:54is the ultimate eraser.
63:56Hear me.
63:57Hell is the ultimate eraser of the image
63:59of God. Nothing in hell will have any
64:02resemblance of heaven or God.
64:06Nothing.
64:08There will be no peace, no joy, no love.
64:11There'll be nothing that resembles
64:13anything from God in hell. And [music]
64:15every human that goes to hell is going
64:18to be void of any image of God.
64:21So, when you take a human and you take
64:23everything of God out of him, he becomes
64:26an absolute beast.
64:29An animal
64:30unrecognizable
64:32no more human.
64:36That's why God is making us and molding
64:39us to be more like him.
64:41I'm asking you to come and let's gather
64:43around this altar tonight. And let's
64:45continue to have God working on us. I
64:47want to be satisfied when I wake with
64:49his likeness. God, I'm going to be
64:51satisfied. One day I'm going to look
64:53like you. I'm going to I'm going to be
64:55more like you. I know I'm on this life
64:57now, but God I'm working. I'm working.
64:59I'm becoming. I'm growing. I'm growing.
65:01That's what I'm doing. You see I'm
65:03growing. I'm becoming. I'M NOT WHAT I
65:05USED TO BE. I'M NOT WHAT I WAS
65:06YESTERDAY.
65:08I'M CERTAINLY GOING TO BE BETTER
65:09TOMORROW THAN I WAS TODAY. I'M LEARNING
65:11HOW TO WALK WITH HIM.
65:13I'M LEARNING HOW TO WALK LIKE HIM. I'M
65:15LEARNING HOW TO WALK WITH HIM.
65:17I'M becoming like Jesus.
65:20I'm becoming like Jesus. To be
65:24>> That's it.
65:26Oh.
65:28>> [singing]
65:28>> I've got to be like Jesus.
65:32To be like Jesus. [music]
65:35>> [singing]
65:39>> Oh, on this earth. That's my desire.
65:42That's my prayer.
65:44God,
65:45that you mold me and that you make me in
65:47your image, GOD. YOU'RE THE POTTER AND
65:49I'M THE CLAY.
65:51TAKE ME, mold me, and make me, God.
65:55OH.
65:57OH, GOD, HERE I AM.
66:00>> [singing]
66:02>> Let my life, let the words of my mouth
66:05and THE MEDITATION OF MY HEART BE
66:07acceptable
66:08in thy sight, oh God.
66:11Create in me a clean heart, oh God.
66:15Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and
66:18renew a right spirit within me, God.
66:23Oh, help me.
66:25Help me.
66:26Help us.
66:27Continue working.
66:30Continue molding us.
66:33Less like the world and more like you.
66:39This is what I MY GOAL, GOD, IS TO WALK
66:42WITH YOU, TO be like you.
66:45Oh God
66:47every day, every day, every day, every
66:50day, every day.
66:53All through life's journey.
66:55>> [music]
66:56>> YES, LORD. YES, LORD.
67:00>> [singing]
67:03>> HALLELUJAH.
67:05We're going to sing this [music] song
67:06again. Why don't you find somebody to
67:08pray with? Ladies, find a lady or man,
67:11find a man. Let's pray one with another.
67:14Let's pray, God, we want your image.
67:16God, we need your image. God, mold me
67:18and [music] make me, God. Here I am.
67:20Here I am. Here I am. HERE I AM.
67:24PRAY WITH SOMEBODY. FIND SOMEBODY. PRAY
67:26WITH SOMEBODY.
67:28JESUS.