Brownwood.VL.Church

Habitual Holiness

Step one: Real lasting change isn’t behavior modification but spiritual transformation. 

Not “God, then me.”

Not “God, not me.”

But “God through me.”

Step two: Stop the negative self talk! 

If you want to change what you do, change what you think of you. 

Step Three: Hope alone will not change your life. Habits will.

Habit – behavioral autopilot, (second nature)

What does it mean to be Holy? 

Holiness – set apart, separated, ritually clean. 

Someone who is Holy, isn’t separated from God, therefore they can strengthen their relationship with Him. 

Jesus makes you Holy. Ill of Young tree

Ephesians 4:24 KNJV

and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Just because we have been made Holy doesn’t mean we have the outward display(fruit) of that holiness. 

Are you becoming on the outside who Christ has made you on the inside?

How do we release what’s on the inside?

Communion – the sharing or exchange of intimate thoughts and feelings. Fellowship. 

John 17:3 NKJV – To know HIM!

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, 

the only true God, and Jesus Christ 

whom You have sent. 

Heart Change – transformation ill. Caterpillar to butterfly 

The process of transformation is by Grace through faith! 

Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. 

God reveals His promises to us through the Word. 

It takes faith to believe them!

It’s by His Grace that we become what His Word has promised. 

ill. If you have to think about it before you do it, it’s not a habit. 

A Christ Centered identify leads to Christ honoring habits. 

Christ honoring habits reinforce a Christ centered identify. 

What does it look like? 

Holy Habits from the Bible! 

Daniel 6:10 NKJV

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open 

toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees 

three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Daniel had a natural habit that cultivated a spiritual one! Why?

Intimacy/Communion with God!

2. Mark 1:35 NKJV

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

Jesus had a habit of praying early in the morning! Why?

Intimacy/Communion with God!

3. Ephesians 5:19-20 KNJV

speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ 

Sing to the Lord

Speak scriptures to one another

Giving Thanks

Why these things? It’s spiritual habitual behavior! 

4. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Rejoice!

Pray without ceasing! 

Giving thanks 

5. Galatians 6:10 NKJV

Therefore, as we have opportunity, 

let us do good to all, 

especially to those who are of the household of faith.

do good to all! 

6. Ephesians 4:32

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, 

forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Be kind to one another

Forgive one another

How to create a new habit?

Christ centered habits don’t fix problems they restore/keep your relationship with God.

Make it obvious

Set a day/date, time, place

Set reminders! 

Weave it into your daily routines. 

Make it fun!

Make it clear!  

Habakkuk 2:2 NKJV

then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision

And make it plain on tablets,

That he may run who reads it.

Make it easy

if it is difficult, you will likely quit

MAKE THE CHANGE WEEK 2

VOICES

Start at the end: You can see the real change you need become a reality!

Step 1 Real and lasting change isn’t behavior modification but spiritual transformation. 

Step 2: Stop the Negative Self-Talk

Why do you do what you do?

You feel obligated.

You want to.

You want to be accepted.

What’s the biggest reason you do what you do?

You do what you do because of what you think of you.

Proverbs 23:7 NKJV

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

To understand the temperature of your self-talk, – Subconsciously ask yourself 3 questions:

·     What type of person am I?

·     What kind of situation is this?

·     What does someone like me do in a situation like this?

You do what you do because of what you think of you.

If you want to change what you do, change what you think of you. 

John 8:44-45 NLT

[The devil] has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. (J says) 45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! John 8:44-45 NLT

The Results of a Distorted Identity

Your distorted identity starts to sabotage your success.

Your distorted identity creates destructive habits.

Your destructive habits reinforce your distorted identity.

BUT…

A Christ-centered identity leads to Christ-honoring habits.

Christ-honoring habits reinforce a Christ-centered identity. 

37 Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each eveninghe went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives. Luke 21:37

And [Jesus] came out and went, as was his habit, to the Mount of Olives. Luke 22:39 NASB20

How do you change?—Start with who before do.

Decide who you want to become instead of focusing on what you want to do.

WHO do you want to become?

·     I am a mom who is fully present and wholly intentional.

·     I’m a teenager who has found purity in Christ and doesn’t look at porn.

·     I am a man of God who will lay down my life to serve my wife and my children.

·     I am someone who is sober and is a testimony to the power of Christ to change a life. 

Get Specific on the DO based on the WHO!

·     I am a person who doesn’t skip workouts.

·     I am a Christian who reads my Bible every day.

·     I am a person who puts God first in my finances.

·     I am disciplined. Christ in me is stronger than wrong desires in me.

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.” James Clear 

Devil wants you to believe you are what you do.

A sinner can’t change, right? Trapped, tethered to life, with no release, no freedom, and no deliverance from the mess you got yourself into!

Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT

Since you have heard about Jesus and learned the truth from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Eph 4:21-24 NLT

LIFE COLLEGE WEEK  Sessions 30 and 31 – THOUGHT LIFE 

PRACTICAL COURAGE

MATTHEW CHAPTER SIX AND VERSES NINETEEN TO TWENTY-ONE 

KNOW THYSELF

The most dangerous part of spiritual warfare is ourselves. Our free will is an incredible gift from God, but it’s probably the most fickle and treacherous part of ourselves. 

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?Jeremiah 17:9 NIV

Another way of looking at spiritual warfare is the battle that rages between the flesh and the spirit. In previous sessions, we have studied the battle introduced in Eden and still rages in our psyches today.

This is why self-awareness is vital in becoming a victor, not a victim, in this crazy spiritual battle. 

We have to learn the art of war. What do we need to protect? And how do we attack?

PRACTICES THAT PROTECT AND COURAGE TO ATTACK

Peace is our greatest asset. Even in the midst of battle, a good plan that leads to victory needs planning and strategy. Peace does not come when we are making decisions out of desperation. Lashing out or bursts of spiritual energy that create a fleeting sense of victory leave us feeling broken and desperate when they pass. Moving elements of our lives into the “Open Quadrant,” or the Arena of Peace, will give us the greatest advantage over our spiritual enemies, one of whom is ourselves.

We need to be able to use the spiritual weapons we have been given to protect what God has done for us. We need to protect our hearts.  

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23 NLT

To guard our hearts, we are, in fact, protecting ourselves from the corrosion and erosion of the redemption of Jesus. We don’t want it to be drained from us by the process of a flesh life. We do not use blame, shame, and condemnation to build walls of offense and hurt as our protective measure; we use practices that ensure we are constantly being encouraged to operate in the realm of what Jesus has done to our lives, not what life has done to us. 

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV

In studying the Joharis Window, we find the practices we need to intentionally embrace so as to enable the spiritual weapons we have been given to protect what God has done in us. We need to protect our hearts.

In the “Open” Quadrant, we are given the POWER OF PEACE and the WONDER OF WISDOM. 

The Lord gives strength to his people, and the Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11 NLT

Blessing is an element of your identity and authority! When you know, they know, God knows, everyone knows, lies can not trap you, and secrecy will not dog you! And with that comes our next spiritual defense: FREEDOM! 

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 NLT

Bringing the things in the HIDDEN area into the OPEN, you are blessed with HEALING through the growth of TRANSPARENCY with those you TRUST.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16 ESV

When we can admit that we need help to understand something about ourselves and struggle through the issues in our BLIND SPOT,we develop a powerful weapon called HUMILITY. Humility is the seed of VULNERABILITY. If we are copying the mind of Christ, we copy His inability to stay within His comfort and understanding and truly make himself vulnerable to the point of death in defense of His beloved church and the attack on sin and Satan.

In the UNKNOWN space, seeking REVELATION through conversations with the HOLY SPIRIT and meditating on the WORD creates a self-awareness of your

MAKE THE CHANGE

STUCK!

The vast majority of us quit our resolutions by the second Friday of January. 

Romans 7:15, 19, 24 NLT

7I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. …19I don’t want to do what is wrong,but I do it anyway. … 24Oh, what a miserable person I am! … 

Real change isn’t behavior modification. 

Real change is spiritual transformation. 

Romans 7:24-25 NLT

… Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. … 

The Way to Real Change 

• Not “God, then me.”• Not “God, not me.”• But “God through me.” 

1 Corinthians 15:9-10 NIV 

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of GodI am what I am, andhis graceto me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

The grace that saves you is also the grace that changes you. 

• Your spiritual “why” is God’s purpose for you.• Your spiritual “how” is God’s power through you. 

Zechariah 4:6 NIV

“…‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

I am disciplined. Christ in me is stronger than the wrong desires in me. 

If you change your behavior but don’t change your heart, the behavior will come back. 

You’re trying to meet a need or relieve a hurt with something besides God’s grace. 

2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT 

… [God] said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

Additional Thoughts

Read Zechariah 4:6. What are some specific areas in your life where you need God’s power? 

Journal about a time when you made a lasting change in your life. What role did God have in that decision? 

Are you trying to meet a need or relieve a hurt without God’s grace? What would taking a step toward His grace this week look like?

LIFE COLLEGE WEEK  Sessions 1 and 2 (28-29) – THOUGHT LIFE 

INTENTIONAL BEHAVIOR & QUADRANTS OF YOUR MIND

 FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 2, VERSES SIX, SEVEN, AND EIGHT

SPIRITUAL WISDOM

One of the most powerful statements in scripture is that we have the mind of Christ. Because of His mind staying fixed on the things of the Spirit, Christ was able to go about his life with intentionality, despite sacrifice, was able to defeat Satan, conquer death, and liberate us from sin.

Having Christ’s mind leads us to have Christ’s intentionality. 

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

THE THREE ELEMENTS OF AUTHORITY

We have the same power and can see the same results. We can also see Satan defeated, sin thwarted, and released from the fear of death. If we are in a spiritual battle, we need to know what it looks like to win the war. To fully understand our victory, let’s imagine for a moment the consequences if we lose. We give our authority to Satan, lose our faith to fear, and the consequences of sin take us to death from which there is no recovery!

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He  walked. 1 John 2:6

So to be victorious, we have to establish an intentionality that conforms us to Jesus’s image and His thinking. This means our efforts and thoughts place us on the opposite spectrum of defeat. Sin and death have no grip, fear is left behind, and Satan has no effect. This is the real battle we are in – the battle of believing that the spoils of spiritual victory are ours and not what the news from the flesh realm would have us believe.  

Satan is a dodgy news anchor in a system that broadcasts fake news about your spiritual status!

PEACE THAT SURPASSES FAKE NEWS 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Aligned spiritual thinking gives us wisdom that creates peace in us that will not have us acting in fear, sin, or desperation!

Peace or clarity of mind, coupled with Godly Wisdom, are the two biggest weapons in the spiritual war we find ourselves in To move towards that peace and wisdom, we have to begin understanding ourselves and dismantle our conquered thinking to establish the thought life of the Conqueror! 

Course correction is as much about knowing where you want to be (mind of Christ) as where you find yourself.

To truly begin the process of discovering the power of intentional thought and, therefore, intentional behavior, you have to be willing to _________________ yourself. Why did I not…? Why did I…? How can I…? What prevented me from…?

The more you discover in relation to God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and others, the greater _____________ you find. The greater the peace, the greater the wisdom, the greater the wisdom the closer to the mind of Christ.

We have plenty of sources to study Jesus. But we can better understand ourselves by looking at three main sources:

What we ____________ about ourselves

What ____________ know about us

What ____________ needs to reveal to us

JOHARI WINDOW

American psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham developed a model in 1955 calle

The Power of One 

John 17:20 – 23

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Reference: Deuteronomy 6:4 

One Church

We are ONE!!!  We, Victory, are one church. 

Good, Bad & Ugly

We are only as strong as our weakest link. 

Brownwood is one with Victory Life Church. 

You are you, and we are us, but we are one!!! 

One Church. The Capital C church is made up of  ones (1st Peter 2:4,5  The church/us are kings and priests) 

Never underestimate the power of ONE – you 

1 Corinthians 12:12 (The body is one but many members) 

1 Corinthians 12:22 (The less needed you feel, the more you’re needed)

There’s No “I” in team! But there are 3 “I”’s in Individual, and teams are made up of individuals! 

STEP UP

The team often needs ONE to step up 

Ex. David against Goliath 

Ex. David’s mighty men (Adino killed 800 men w/spear) 

Ex. Some having compassion “Making a difference” (Jude 22) 

2nd Cor. 1:3- 11 “You and your prayers…” 

*Changing the world is just too overwhelming. So, just change your world. 

Ex. Nehemiah rebuilding the wall: Every” ONE” did what they could do. 

How to make a difference as one! 

Show up  (Do something) Ex. Workdays 

Understand you and God are a majority 

God uses what you have 

Moses’ rod (Exodus 4:2 “What is that in your hand?”

The widow’s jar of oil (2nd Kings 4:2 “Tell me what you have in your house”) 

Woman’s faith (Mark 5:33) 

Ministry is where God’s provision meets the needs of humanity!!

LIFE COLLEGE WEEK 25 and 26 – COVENANTS 2 

THE NEW GENERATION

 HEBREWS CHAPTER 8

Studying the Covenants of scripture is not a way of building a Covenant Theology but rather a way of increasing our understanding of how God _______________________ Himself towards His people. He presents different aspects of His personality to different historical situations and eras. The presentation of His personality to restore the balance of our relationship with Him is called grace.

The laws and covenants, since the time God made man, were and are still about a relationship that would bring life. (John 17:3). Certain spiritual laws needed to be adhered to in order to maintain the ___________________________ of the relationship between the divine and the physical.

IMBALANCE: THE ERA OF DECEPTION

In many instances, the bible refers to the ‘era of man – first Adam’ as the period of _______________________. The physical steward of the relationship, man, was tricked and deceived so that the balance of the relationship was disrupted. 

So the great dragon was thrown down once and for all. He was the serpent, the ancient snake called the devil, and Satan, who deceives the whole earth. He was cast down into the earth and his angels along with him.  Revelation 12:9 TPT

So began the wrestle with spiritual divine balance. 

In the midst of this era of confusion, humans should have realized that God blesses human beings—nations, families, or individuals—to the degree that they choose to live by God’s basic spiritual covenants and that if they stand outside of the covenants that truthfully outline their behavior, they will fall prey to the deception and darkness of disobedience.

Jesus demonstrated the ability of man to remain in balance AND irradicated the consequence of humanity’s broken relationship with God. No other sacrifice had ever been able to do both! 

And keep in mind that our Lord’s extraordinary patience simply means more opportunity for salvation, just as our dear brother Paul wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him. He consistently speaks of these things in all of his letters, even though he writes some concepts that are overwhelming to our understanding, which the unlearned and unstable love to twist to their spiritual ruin, as they do to other Scriptures.  

2 Peter 3:15-16 TPT

IMBALANCE: THE FOUNDATION LAW (OLD TESTAMENT)

The imbalance of deception reached such a _____________________ crescendo that God had to destroy the world in flood and save only those who had not yet completely severed their relationship with God (“sinned”). 

Mankind got so out of balance that they had forgotten the basic spiritual and relational constraints that kept the physical in balance with the divine. He gave Noah, Abraham, and the Israelites, through Moses, not laws but spiritual principles (ten of them to start) that would, in their now imperfect state and at the very least, keep the connection alive.

Later, religious practices would be developed to help the people hold to these spiritual principles (Levitical law). These practices, just like today, should not be  confused with the spiritual principles of our divine relationship. 

Sin is not about practice but about participation.

It is not about doing everything right; it’s about allowing Jesus to see you as righteous – good enough to have a life-giving relationship.

Sin is losing sight of the things that keep us in a relationship with the Divine. 

God was not just laying out a set of laws for His ____________________ people, He was demonstrating His desire to set aside (make Holy) an elite group of people that would win ALL nations back to Him. With all their faults and issues, He made it possible to establish a pathway (Matthew 1) for a system that would establish His Kingdom permanently, and all people would know of HIm and be given the opportunity to choose light. 

But now Jesus the Messiah has accepted a priestly ministry which far sur

Unordinary Purpose

Summary

Unordinary Faith gives us an Unordinary Perspective that creates in us Unordinary Values that shape in us a passion for an Unordinary Purpose.

PURPOSE BREAKERS

“Everything I do never works out. My whole life is a struggle!”

What’s the point? Not worth it—Exhausted! Why keep trying?

Why keep praying?—Doing what is right—Doesn’t seem to matter!

Don’t see the purpose!

Why is this happening?—Where is God?—Good person—Try help!

Read the bible—Church—What’s the purpose? Not fair!

We may need to walk through the pain to walk out our unordinary purpose!

People hate pain!

Not true. There is incredible resilience in the human spirit!

People hate pain without a purpose! 

Truth—People can endure much pain If there’s a purpose. Marathon, breaking pain of withdrawal to attain sobriety, Childbirth!

We can walk through the pain if we know the purpose.

Hurt, Uncertainty, Frustration, Pain – Walk through the cross to step into our purpose – resurrected life!

THERE’S PURPOSE IN YOUR PAIN!

 Luke 22:31

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 

By allowing the pain to overwhelm your faith perspective, you stamp your approval on Satan’s request to relinquish your authority.

We have divine authority found in our unordinary faith and an unordinary perspective of pain that prevents us from quitting.

Luke 22:31-32 NIV

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail…” 

Sometimes God’s preparation comes packaged as pain. 

The story of Simon Peter makes me feel better…

Can’t get anything right!

A friend like Peter makes you feel better?

Peter’s Pain and Preparation!

Jesus says, “Stumbling block. Get behind me Satan!”

Matt 26 – Garden, Jesus asks Peter “Stay awake”

John 18 Jesus arrested—Peter swings at the head of a Roman soldier.

Luke 22 Peter denies Jesus 3X (Jesus looks on!)

Luke 22:61-62

The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. 

Don’t just look at life from a perspective of pain.

Here’s what I’ve lost—What hurts—What’s not fair!

See your pain from a perspective of purpose.

Romans 8:28 NIV

And we know that in all thingsGod works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

God works in all things—For the good

According to God’s PURPOSE—Not according to your PAIN.

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 

Sometimes God’s preparation comes packaged as pain!

 Luke 22:31-32

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 

Jesus knew Peter would—Fail—Doubt—Cower—Deny Jesus!

Jesus also knew Peter would turn back—STRONGER!

The pain was preparation to preach at Pentecost!

There is a Purpose!

Don’t always see it—But I choose by faith to believe it!

God never wastes a hurt!

Use your pain—Hurt—Fear—Uncertainty—Bring about good!

See pain from a perspective of purpose! 

Purpose in pain!

2. “What is the point?”

You have lost the why…

LIVING A RESURRECTED LIFE RESTORES THE WHY

If you don’t know something’s purpose, you’ll likely abuse it.

Acts 13:36 NIV

“Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed. 

“The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without purpose.” 

Dr. Myles Munroe (preacher from Bahamas) 

TH

LIFE COLLEGE WEEK 23 and 24 – COVENANTS 2 WEEK 23-24 

MARRIAGE AND LIFE

 JOHN CHAPTER 17

THE AUTHORITY OF LIFE-GIVING COVENANT 

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are  from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity. Luke 13:27 NKJV

AUTHORITY = IDENTITY + BLESSING + PURPOSE

OBEDIENCE IS TRUST IN THE AUTHORITY GIVER

IDENTITY – Who I Am IN CHRIST

BLESSING – Walking towards the promises OF CHRIST

PURPOSE – Fulfilling the fullness of salvation THROUGH CHRIST 

Covenants that have anything to do with our authority are treated with sanctity because our authority comes FROM God! We can not have authority unless we are under authority. To be under the authority of God means we adhere to how he structured the covenants of Holiness! Holy – to be set aside by GOD. (Gathered to Himself by our acceptance of His covenants).

The covenants that God has instituted are what provide our authority to walk out the blessings of the resurrected life that He has given us.

SANCTITY

In its simplest definition, the word “sanctity” means, “the quality of being sacred or holy.” 

We value the values of God and heaven by treating certain elements of our lives as Holy or God-authored.

How we manage our life-giving (procreation) relationships is a holy activity.

Two covenants that originated in the old testament and were heavily focussed on in the new testament were the sanctity of marriage and the resultant life that it would bring.

One of the reasons marriage is Holy is that it was God-breathed to be the mechanism by which life would come and by which life would be nurtured.

It is a generational mechanism through which God’s promises would be worked.

GOD-ORDAINED

“Therefore, shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” Genesis 2:24.

The sacredness of marriage should be revered as a crucial expression of every spouse’s life. Marriage isn’t as simple as uniting two individuals through paper and law. 

It is the holiest covenant between each husband and wife and a covenant between that couple and the Lord. Every couple can have a God-fearing and God-favored married life when done in the right spirit.

The meaning of “sanctity of marriage” and how it is regarded by people is derived from the written Word of God. We often seem to forget that God Himself created the union of man and woman. Marriage isn’t manmade like many other binding agreements and contracts. Marriage is as enduring as the creation of mankind, and God is the one who invented it.

SANCTITY MARKERS

It involves submission to the creator of marriage.

Our submission to the creator is evidenced by submitting to one another with the honor of the other image bearer in our marriage.

It is life-giving.

It has God-defined parameters.

It is between A man and A woman.

God’s par

UNORDINARY VALUES

HOLY VALUES IN AN UNHOLY CULTURE 

The world is not your home! 

Because this world is not your home — You are called to be different! 

1 Peter 1:13-17 NLT

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. [temporary residents] 

For many of us, the greatest obstacle to following Jesus is our desire to fit in. 

God didn’t create you to fit in, He made us and gave us everything we need to STAND UP AND STAND OUT.

What is called normal in the world is called conquered in the heavens.

Broke, Hurting, Stressed,  Divorced, Afraid, Anxious.

And we pray for the values of heaven to be on earth now. The heavens don’t value the unholy values of the world.

We are not normal!

1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

If you are a control freak—This message is for you.

This message is for you if you are stubborn and set in your ways.

Your words reflect your values.

Matthew 12:34-40 NKJV

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure, brings forth evil things.

The friends you choose reflect your values.

Your bank account reflects your values.

But it does not stop there… You may be able to stop saying it, but have you stopped thinking it?

The De-Value Approach

Why does it even matter? 

1 Peter 1:14-16

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 

Your values demonstrate your embrace or ignorance of Jesus

Holy values give room for the Holy Spirit.

Theology of happiness empowers personal justification: 

Since I’m not happy I am allowed to do something that would otherwise be wrong. 

Not happy in my marriage—I’m simply leaving.Want this thing—Can’t afford this thing—Gonna get this thing! 

Dating – we know we should wait but we’re in love—God understands. Married. 

1 Peter 1:14 

So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your 

old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. 

So many people wrongly believe God’s highest calling is your happiness. 

God’s highest calling for you is not your happiness but your holiness. 

When we believe that God wants us happy above all else, discomfort, delay, risk, and suffering can’t be God’s will.

BUT A FAITH THAT IS TESTED IS A FAITH THAT CAN BE TRUSTED.

We begin to worship the false gods of comfort, money, pleasure, and things without knowing it. 

God exists to serve me 

God does not exist to serve us—We exist to serve him—HOLY! 

Hágios—holy, set apart, different, pure. 

1 Peter 1:15

But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct. 

He calls us we don’t call upon Him.

I don’t have to be Holy – Jesus just makes me Holy. He calls you Holy in the spirit so your flesh will follow. But we have to allow our flesh to move towards the promises released at His resurrection.

How do you instill those values?We dont. We follow Jesus and have the courage to be different. 

Holiness takes work. Values need to be valued!Can’t expect to raise children who are different from the world if you’re not. 

Holiness is not a miracle!

How many know you can s