10Oct09 2022 – PURSUE HOLINESS – Ps. Bethmound Mensah

Amen. Or if you're excited, give the lot of shout-out to POO! Amen. It's good to be home. I miss this place. I miss the pulpit. I miss the people. Let's hear what a prayer. Father, we thank You. We give You praise, we give You glory. Father, this morning, do all you what you can do in our midst. I pray, O Lord, I ye stand by hearts unto You. In the name of Jesus. You praise, you wish and say your skill. Father, this morning, do all you what you can do in your midst. Carlos, Carlos, You are mighty on Your throne. You are right, You are right, since I am King. ♪ You're rain, you're rain, you're rain ♪ ♪ You're rain, you're wasting time ♪ ♪ I don't know, I don't know ♪ ♪ You're my dear ♪ ♪ I don't know ♪ ♪ You're rain, you're rain ♪ ♪ You're rain, you're wasting time ♪ ♪ I don't know ♪ ♪ You're my dear, you're grown ♪ ♪ You're rain, you're rain, you're rain ♪ ♪ The way since I unskilled ♪ Amen. Amen. I bring you things from ICGC Tournament. I wish my wife and daughter could make it, but they had some pride, goodness, they're tired, but they bring you the ingredients as well. This morning, I'm speaking on what I've tied to pursue holiness. Pesu holiness. I followed your comp this year. I can tell it was a very powerful one, and some of you were charged. But there are times where, and I understand, they're absent the flows of their youthful life. Sometimes you go to camp and you come back, and life gets at you, and the fire that you left come with goes down. Today, I am just here to stare you up and let you know some of the things that you must do in order to live at the pinnacle with God, in order to enjoy a life of God's presence, in order to enjoy a life of power, because sometimes we, as Charisma-Tex, we tend to want to live in God's power, but we are not ready to pay the price that comes with living in God's power and living in God's presence. This message initially was part two of a series that I was doing in church called Divine Persuade. Part one, we did. Pesu the Kingdom, part two of the special holiness, which I'm going to do today, and part three was the special one. The word holiness, I hope you brought your pens and your notebooks. We are going to do a Bible set for the first 15-20 minutes, then we zoom into preaching. Are we together? Okay. So the word holiness in your Bible, if you. So the Bible, as we have it, some of you may know, was not written in English, right? So it's written in Hebrew and in Greek, and we have the translation for us in English. So the Greek word in our New Testament that is usually translated holiness is the word hagyus, H-A-G-I-O-S, hagyus. And the word means to be set apart. So when you go home and it's time for supper, and your mom takes your dad's plate, and he puts it aside, and says that do not touch this plate, it belongs to daddy. That plate has been set apart. That is the idea behind the word holiness or hagyus. But the interesting thing is that when the Greek authors of the New Testament are writing in Greek, they are actually thinking in Hebrew. The analogy I can give you for those of you about writing in English, or even your, yes, your B.C. When you ask to write a French essay, most of us are native thinkers in English, right? So even though you are writing in French, your thought-partings and your thought-process is in English. So you are translating your English into French. Similar things happen with the New Testament writers. The language of the day they are speaking is Greek, but their thought-partings and the way they think is in Hebrew. So even though they are using Greek words, they are actually referring to a Hebrew term. And the Hebrew term they are referring to is the word "kadosh". The word "kadosh" in the Hebrew means holy. But in actual fact, if you're looking for the technical language, it means that which belongs to the realm of the gods. So whenever we say something is holy, we say that it is different from any other thing, because in that moment, that thing has been set apart and it now belongs to God. You know, whenever we think about holiness, we are thinking about something that does not have sin, something that is sexually pure, something that has not contaminated itself, all of those things are true. The only foundational meaning of the word holiness is that it belongs to God. For instance, the Bible tells us in the book of Genesis chapter 2, that after God made the heavens and the earth, God separated and sanctified the seventh day, and he called it holy. The seventh day does not have the capacity to not sin. It does not have the capacity to be pure. The only thing that makes the seventh day holy is that God separated the seventh day for himself. He set it apart and he added himself to the day. So that made that day holy. If you study the Old Testament, you realize that when they were setting up the Tabanacl, there were plates, there were spoons, there were utensils and tables. That was set apart in the Tabanacl, and these utensils and items were considered holy. Not because they had the intrinsic ability, not to sin, but because they were set apart for God, and they belonged to God. So when we say something is holy, we are saying that that particular thing belongs to God. Are you tracking with me? In the Bible, there are two types of holiness. One is foundational to the other. The first type of holiness we have in the Bible is what we call positional holiness. Somebody say positional holiness. Positional holiness is the holiness you and I have by virtue of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. So it is not the holiness that you and I can work for. It is not a holiness that you and I can do anything to acquire. It is a holiness that is given to us strictly by virtue of Jesus' finished work on the cross. Tell me if you will to officially chapter 1 from verse 3 to 4. Efficiency chapter 1 from verse 3 to 4. So blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. in heavenly places in Christ. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. In the Fisayah chapter 1 from verse 3, Paul is us lining the blessings that we have been blessed with and says primarily we have been called by God to be holy and blameless before him. Not because you and I have done anything, but the moments you are you are upon a game believer you are engrafted into the body of Christ and now that you are part of the body just as God is holy and Christ by extension being one where the Father is holy you as being baptized into the body of Christ also become holy. Hallelujah. So if you read Romans chapter 1 verse 7, can I get Romans chapter 1 verse 7 on the screen? Romans 1, 7. So Paul is writing to the church in Rome and he's addressing his audience. He's asked to all who are in Rome beloved of God called to be saints. The word saints there is also the same way that is translated holiness. So these people have been called not to anything else, but called them to become saints, to be sanctified people. You know there are there are certain branches of the Christian faith where you have to live a certain life before you get the title saint, but the moments you are born again God has called you to be a saint. Hallelujah. And that is a positional a positional blessing. It's not something that you and I can wait for. You can't work your way out to your positional holiness. And I want us to have this foundation clearly. Let's then have my books one more time to first Corinthians chapter number one 27 to 30. First Corinthians chapter one 27 to 30. That's what God has chosen the foolish thing from the world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of this world to put to shame the things which are mighty 28. And the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are 29. That's no flesh should glory or should boast in its presence. That's it. But of him the him here is God. So you can read it as we but of God you are in Christ Jesus who became for us. So Paul is saying that but because of God you and I are now in Christ Jesus. And just Christ Jesus has become certain things for us. He says he has become for us one wisdom from God. Number two righteousness. Number three sanctification and number four redemption. The same verse that he gave me the translation in the NIV. Just who has become for us wisdom from God. That is our righteousness, our holiness and our redemption. So Jesus Christ is not just our Lord and Savior. He is the basis and the foundation for our holiness. It means that you belong to God because you are in Jesus Christ Hallelujah. But beyond our positional holiness we are called to pursue holiness because there is a holiness that if you and I do not have we will not see God. The Bible tells us in John chapter three when Nicodemus came to Jesus Jesus said to him very, very, very exhale unto you and said to man be born again. He cannot see the kingdom of heaven and that's the first entry level. That is perception. If you are not born again you cannot perceive the kingdom of heaven. And that is why when you speak to all your unbeliever friends and you engage with the eighties out there and you are talking about heaven. You are talking about the things of God. It seems as though it is foolishness unto them because until you are born again you cannot even perceive the kingdom of heaven. And Jesus went on to say that except a man be born of the word and of the spirit of the water and of the spirit he cannot enter. That is access. So you first need the level of perception. They need a level of access. But he says in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 14. He brews up the 12 verse 14. Just pursue peace with all people and holiness without which no one will see the Lord. So when it comes to our life even though we have been given a positional holiness there is a certain aspect of that holiness that you and I are responsible for that we need to begin to work out. The Bible says in the book of Philippians chapter number two is as much as you have been obedient in my presence much more so in my absence work out your salvation with fear and trembling. What is this component of salvation that we need to work out? We have been given we have been redeemed we need to work that redemption out. We have been made righteous. We need to work that righteousness out. And most importantly we have been made holy and you and I need to begin the work of working out that holiness. And the most important thing is this the Bible says without that holiness you and I will not see God. You can come to church spend the rest of your life and church. Your parents being born again does not automatically transfer to you. If you live a life without holiness without pursuing holiness there will come a time where you stand before God. Like I said the word holiness I said call me you belong to God. And that is why Jesus said that on the last day many shall say to me Lord Lord we did these miracles in your name we did that in your name and you said departs from me I never knew you. I don't know how difficult it would be for you but to have spent your entire life and church. To have come to church I saw those of you singing those of you dancing I was remembering my youthful days where we used to dance and sing and save God. And after doing all of these things imagine standing before God and God tells you he never knew you. Because when you lived on earth you did not live like you belonged to him. So in the final analysis God will deny you because you were never his. Are we together? I know I don't like preaching the nice few good messages but bear with me. You feel good in the way. So that is our responsibility. We have been called to pursue holiness. In 1st Peter chapter 1. 1st Peter chapter 1 from 13 to 16. It is therefore get up the lines of your mind and be sober. Rest your hope fully upon the grace that is brought to you as the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children not conforming yourselves to the former last as in your ignorance but as he who has called you as holy. Also be holy in all your conduct for it is written. Be holy for I am holy. So over here we have a clear injunction from God. It is said that we have to we have to shine the former way of life put aside the things that we used to do in our ignorance and become holy because God is holy. The reason why this is important especially in our work with God is that sometimes we want to move in the power of God. How many of you wish you could prophesy see things in the spiritual realm and you are so enamored when you see it happening and you are wondering God how can I do these things? The secret is the life of holiness. See when it comes to God God really does not work with people based on the family you are from. God does not work with you based on the fact that you may be born and extremely gifted with the ability to stand and speak but your ability to speak will not make you an anointed preacher. Your ability to sing will not make you an anointed singer. You must fast belong to God. You must fast be holy and I am going to teach you two things about holiness. So if you look at positional holiness and the second part of holiness we are supposed to pursue is what I call experiential holiness. You need to pursue holiness in your day to day experience. You need to wake it up somebody tells you anybody tell him wake it up. It's not just enough you need to wake it up. In 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 I am reading from verse 14 2nd Corinthians chapter 6. I will be preaching from Halt at halta. 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 from verse 14. It's interesting that whenever we come to this particular text, we always talk about it in the context of marriage and relationship and get in every love it. But this text was never meant for this purpose. There's do not be on equally young together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? Let's go to the next verse. And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? Let's go to the previous verse. The 14. Paul is doing something very interesting here. Paul is well versed and he understands the Hebrew Old Testament. In the Old Testament in the chronometer chapter 10, God gave them a unique law. And he told them that whenever they are plowing the field, they should not plow an ox together with a donkey. Because in those days, whenever they want to sow their seeds and they want to prepare the land for farming, they would first plow the land and they would put a yoke on the neck of either a donkey or an ox. The yoke is a divisor that hooks at the neck of the animal and connects to the plow. So as the animal is moving along, the plow is breaking the soil and preparing the land for the farmer to come and sow his seeds. And God told them not to yoke together the donkey and the ox. Here's the reason why. That donkey, even though it's a strong animal, it's a lazy animal, that donkey works on its own terms. You can't tell the donkey when he should work. You can whip the donkey. It will still move when it wants to move. And then comes the oxen. The oxen is a very powerful strong animal just like the donkey. But the ox is a humble creature. It will work when you demand it to work. It will do whatever you need it to do. But the problem is when you yoke the oxen together with the donkey, the donkey usually has a stronger personality. And the donkey will now begin to influence the weak partings and the strength of the oxen. So poor things about this particular instruction in the autonomy. And when he's writing to the church, he says, "Do not be on equally joked together with unbelievers." Because when you become joked with unbelievers, that means you have been tied together with them. But here's the thing. You are pulling in a different direction. The unbeliever is pulling in a different direction. You are pulling towards heaven. The unbeliever is pulling towards hell. You are supposed to be pulling towards holiness. The unbeliever is pulling towards its own life. And God says that what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness. Look at the categories he uses here. He says what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness. What communion has light with darkness. The next verse. What accord has Christ with paleo? So he says light darkness, righteousness, unrighteousness, Christ paleo. Then he comes to the believer and an unbeliever. Whenever we as believers become equally joked, you are pulling in the same direction as the world. Sometimes you look at the church today. And there is no difference between the church and the world. And that is where the problem has started. We look at John Christians today. And we can't tell the fact that you are a Christian in your classroom. When we tell your classmates that you sing and dance in church, they will be shocked. Because the life that you live in the classroom, the life that you live in your home. See, if your parents have ever told you and you say you go to church, you are a suspect. Because whatever life you seem to be living outside of church, it's not aligning with who a believer must be. Some of you, if we see your friends, we will be shocked for you. He says what part has the believer with the unbeliever? Give them the next verse. And what accord is that? And what agreement has the temple of God with the temple of idols? For you are the temple of the living God. I want you to pay attention to this part. And God has said, I will dwell in them. I will work among them. I will be their God and they shall be my people. God's promise is that he will be our God. He will walk in the midst of us. When you survey the landscape, most churches today speak in past days. You read books like God's Generals. And most pastors are saying back in the day there was power in the church. People used to work miracles. Right now miracles are relics in the church. They are things that do not happen. And the reason why we have the absence of miracles is not that God has stopped working. But God does not find place in the church. God cannot find a place in your life. The Bible says that in a great man's house, not only are there vessels of gold, of silver, of clay, of anything. But he says if a man will patch himself, he shall be a vessel of use fit for the master. So when it comes to God, God has no work with you based on your abilities. He works on you based on the fact that you are holy, that you belong to him. So the reason why we are in church today, and there is no power, there is no miracles, even the church does not belong to God. The church has become a place where people are advancing their own ideologies. People want to get their own things across. You are singing in the choir, you are not singing because your voice belongs to God. You are singing because you want them to know that I can do it. Last week someone sang and the person sang and this week it's my 10. I will show them that they should have given it to me last week as well. You are dancing and you want to stand in the front. Antigena, I don't want their back, I want their front. There is some guy in church that you want him to see you dancing. So you are doing all of these things not because you belong to God. Not because you are doing it out of the hearts for God, but your motives, your actions, everything else is from a very selfish base. And then we cry out and we are praying for revival. See, you can pray for revival for the next 10 years. If the church does not move to a place of holiness, there will be no revival. If we do not get back to a place of holiness, we are going to become an ancient relic. Yesterday I was speaking to a group of people and I was telling them the church is losing its power. We are losing our witness to the world because we look like them. And when it comes to doing the wicked things of this world, they are better than us. You see, we want to so much look like the world. The excuse we gave is that you see Paul said you become all things to all men. So instead of evangelizing, we are using marketing strategies. When we look at your dressing, we can't even tell that you are a believer. You take your fashion inspiration from Beyoncé. When we check your phone right now, we look at your music playlist. We cannot tell that you are a Christian. There must be difference. I remember some years ago I was driving and the police officer stopped me. She was asking me for some money, something small for the boys. And I professed my statement by saying, I am a Christian. I do not pay bright. This lady arrested me and took me to the police station. I spent seven hours in the police station all day because of ten cities. It's not that I didn't have the money in my pocket. The money was in my pocket. It was a matter of principle. I am a believer. What would you do when compromising is not expensive? Would you be a believer? "Sekariko, kwa taa, kriksia." "I spent seven hours." "I was sitting at a counter-bark, my dad came." "I was like, Neh, what should I do?" "I said, "We're a kriksia." "We don't pay, but I go to the office." "What about you?" "She will have to process me to court." "When I go to court, the finest 400 CDs." "Our other paid 400 CDs, the pay 10 CDs." "It's a matter of principle." Later I asked the lady, "Why are you keeping me?" "Process me for court. You don't have the right to detain me." They said, "They are still doing something." So my dad's driver came to the office and was like, "What do I want to do?" I said, "Go to my office desk. My first drawer, I'll pull it to open. There's a new testament line in there, bring it to me in there, self." They brought me the new testament. I was there reading my new testament and I struggled with my son, but I did not read in silence. I was reading out loud, because somebody needs to hear their gospel. Use a new opportunity. Every other new to preach. It was an easy thing to do. I remember some two years ago, when Uncle Abeku was getting married and we're driving to Kumasi, I had exchanged cars with a friend and I'd not check their blessings and insurance. Not knowing their insurance had expired. And the police officer stopped me at Konongo. He took my driver's license and was like, "Wash, you find something for them?" He said, "I'm a Christian, I don't pay bribe." He was like, "Oh, he will seize my license." So I said, "If you take this license, you keep it." So today my license is in Konongo. Because there are things, it may look like nothing, but if you can stand for God in the little things, when it comes to the big things, God will be just to honor you. Because you have shown to the world that I belong to God. For some of you when you're writing your guests, those of you going to write the B.C. Some of you your parents are in church, but they are running around looking for a poor for you. Go and tell your parents that you want to live your holy life. You see, just even as a matter of principle, this is why we have a lot of half big people in our industries in Ghana. Most people get there and they've copied their way through life. So even sometimes writing an email, or responding, somebody has to guide you because when you're in Jesus, they're my self-ocopied. When you're in secondary school, you're essaying you copy it. So you don't even have the mental capacity to sit down and draft a common email. Go and tell your mother, when tell your dad that a stubborn preacher man came and said that we have to be holy. So I'm not going to use the app. When I was in the university, there was a time where I had very few friends in my class because I told them that if you want any help, I can tutor you, spend the whole night teaching you. But the moment we enter the exam room, forget that you know me. If you are failing and you call me, I want to mind you. Not because I'm wicked, I want to be holy. My life is not my own. In that exam room, I'm not sitting there for myself. I'm representing God. And we want to live anyhow. And then when we are failing and things are not going well, we are praying to God. See Ghana is hard, Ghana is struggling because with our mouth and we are making noise that we are Christian nation. But no one steals more than the Ghanaian politician. And every Sunday they are in church. I'm preaching this message to you at the young age today because you are the future of Ghana. You are the future of the church. You are the hope that we have. And already looking at your lifestyle. Just I will dwell in them and walk amongst them. Next verse. Therefore, come out from amongst them and be ye separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is on clean and I will receive you. Next verse. We are going to tapasavim verse one. I will be a father to you. And you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Verse 11, tapasavim verse one. Therefore, having these promises be loved, let us cleanse ourselves from the filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. What is God's promise to His people? I will be your father. I will be your God. I will walk in the midst of you. What is our response to God's promise is to perfect and live a life of holiness. That is all God is asking from us. To perfect and live a life of holiness. There are two sides to the holiness equation. Think of it as a battery. A battery has a negative terminal and a positive terminal. So there's a negative side of holiness. I don't mean negative in terms of bad, but I mean negative in terms of a side of a terminal. The first part of holiness that we must work on is what I call separation. Separation. Let's come out from amongst them and be ye separate. When there is no clear cut line of distinction between you and the world, we have a problem. The way you talk. Some of you, the way you talk is bad, though. Your language, your text message, if we are to go through your phone, see the text correspondence between you and your friends. That's all. Some of you, if we go through your phone right now, we'll whip. I mean, young young children and already people have started sending naked pictures, news and. Oh, I know you have been doing it. But there must be a clear line of separation. I always use analogy. For me, the day I got born again, the Bible says we have been translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his deasand. So I took it as though the day I got born again, I was standing at the border of heaven and hell. If I stayed there for too long, anything that can push me or has an ability to push me would throw me back to the other side and I do not want to go there. So I ran as fast as possible to the other side and drew a line of demarcation. When I got born again, me, I was in the world. And the world knew me. We were friends. Very close friends. The reason I can speak to this is because I was doing all of these things. I was in church every Sunday. I never miss the Sunday. But the world knew me. And heaven did not know me. When doing all of these things coming to church, the day I got born again, that day I took my phone. I was using a Motorola V3. I broke the phone into two. I'm not saying go and destroy your phone. So that none of my friends from my past life would be able to contact me. I've never used that phone number again. The people that used to be my friends back then, today some people see me and we are total strangers. Because I knew that if I want to go to heaven, see it, don't think when it comes to your salvation, first of all, be selfish. After you have been secured, then you can look back and think about others. You must first of all, there was a time where Jesus was talking to the disciples and was telling them how Peter was going to die. And Peter was asking, what about John? Jesus, that is none of your business. You focus on entering fast. And that is how your mindset should be. Do everything it takes to make heaven. I cut these friends off. I mean at a point I was very sick even if you cut your hair in a certain style you can't be my friend Someone who said it was extreme that's what has kept me You must pursue holiness I would lock myself in the room read a Bible all the time Spend hours in prayer Because I want to belong to God. I want my life to be forgot When God wants someone the prayer used to pray every day. It's like God if in my generation Somebody wants anyone who is speaking your word that they can say that this person is speaking the word of God Father let it be me prayer every day So it's demanded separation Separation in the way we think Separation in the way we dress separation amongst our friends says come out from amongst them and be in separate Whenever God wants to use their people check throughout the scripture the first injunction that God places on you is separation When God wanted to call Abraham is that's come out from your father's house come out from your family leave them go to a land that I will show you When God wanted to use the nation of Israel he gave them laws that would separate them That would make them different from the nations around them and today God is giving us the same instruction come out from among the world and be separate Take it from somebody who has been in the world before there's nothing there for you I remember I gave this advice to a cousin of mine and he says he wants to experience the world who come back. We are still waiting for him Every night before I go to bed I pray for salvation This was somebody who lived with me in the same house We went to youth come together He would wake up in the morning and be praying with me sometimes he wakes me up to pray This guy is in the world whenever I go on Facebook and I see Facebook prayer I weep Smoking weed chasing girls doing all kinds of things This is someone who you should sit and catch on a Sunday morning like this see don't listen to this and think it is far fetched You are just two choices away from such a life And the first choice you need to make is a life of separation That from today I'm drawing the line Every one of us in our Christian war there must come a time where you draw a line and say that from this day I'm separate from this world I'm not going to do things the way this world does them I'm not going to do things the way the way other other Because sometimes the temptation is that even the people that you come to chat with are compromising And that's that that's the worst place to find yourself Whether that the people around you who are supposed to encourage you and help you to be spiritual are also compromising and they make it look as though it is normal Says come out from among them and be When Paul wrote to Timothy is a Timothy should be an example to the believers not to unbelievers because for a believer to be an example to an unbeliever, it is a given If your life cannot be an example to an unbeliever your Christianity suspect But he caused him on the two a higher standard That even amongst believers you must stand out and be an example In your lifetime another Christian should be able to point to you and say that I became serious with God when I met you I fell in love with God when I encountered you I decided to take God seriously the day I had you talk to me If no one has said that about you start working your way there Because the positional holiness has been given to you. We have been called to wait this day So separation says do not be an equal you together with the unbelievers come out from amongst them and be separately The second part or the positive part of the pursuit of holiness is what I call consecration What's the time now Consecration Where us separation Means to create a gap between you and the well Consecration means to draw near to God so you are not just creating a gap or separating yourself from the things of this well Because he said therefore having these promises Let us cleanse ourselves from all the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit separation But it says let us perfect holiness the things that we need to pursue Perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord consecration It means that there are things in your life that you must now begin to actively pursue You must actively pursue your quiet time with God There are moments in your day that must be set apart. No one can come in that time you have with God Some of you the holiest thing in your life is your mobile phone Because it is so dear to you and set apart. No one can touch it And that is how your time with God should be That's when when you are spending time in God's presence When you are there with God no one can come here Because your life is given to God Your life is set apart for him you are pursuing God You are pursuing God in prayer Some of you way you hear faster than your heart is beaten But you see if we do not pursue God Tell tell tell the screen to second Timothy chapter 2 with our way from verse 19 Second Timothy Says nevertheless the solid foundation of God's stance Haven't they see their Lord knows those who are his Is he? To be holy means you belong to God And if the script I say the Lord knows those who are his it means that amongst all of us sitting here God knows those who are holy God knows those who are truly his You can say you a believer and all I I can do is believe you I can go with your way But if I will tell us the foundation of God's stance having this seal the Lord knows those who are his You can pretend you can lie to me but you cannot lie to God You can lie to your parents you cannot lie to God You can pretend to uncle be you We will give you the platform Here in the search do whatever you want to do, but you cannot lie to God When God sees you he sees rights through you he sees through their gimmicks. He sees through their lives He sees through their masks. He sees through their facade The Lord knows those who are his and says and let everyone who names the name of the Lord Depart from iniquity the swimming But in a great house There are not only vessels of gold and silver But also of wood and clay Some for Anna and some for this Anna Next best therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter He will be a vessel of Anna sanctified and useful for the master Prepared for every good work some of you you are praying God open my eyes to see Lord. I want to be used by you This is what this is the price to be The first point cleansing yourself from the latter separation the next best Flea also useful last Flea useful as some of you see sin And you want to go see the problem with young people is we want to want to test the boundaries of our safety net So you want to see how close you can get without actually falling That is that is why you people like asking this question is kissing a sin Why why are you asking that question? Let's let's let's have a conversation today Why why are you asking that question? Why would you go to the market and go and buy rice? 'Gwen by veggies, buy your meat, prepare your nice steak fry' and then you sit down across your leg and look at the food. That is what you do when you say, 'We are just kissing and holding each other, we will not do anything.' 'Babos has flared for last!' 'It isn't negotiate with it.' 'Oh, she is coming to my house, we will not do anything.' 'It is just a 'Evices, you know your mom is not there or dad is not there.' 'Then, then, then, then, then, when everything has happened, I don't know what has happened to her, it is the work of the devil.' The devil knows nothing about it. When you were planning and you were texting each other and setting the mood and doing all of those things, the devil was minding his own business. Some of the times, even your synchrocs, the devil. This new generation, some of the things you do, the devil is in shock. 'Ey, it's like 'Ey!' 'Just flee you fool us!' 'Run away!' Because sometimes, when you do these things, the price, the price you pay, what to cost you, it should be too much. You come out, right? The devil talks about such people, he says, 'Someone will be saved, but even through fire.' Have you ever watched a cartoon or a movie where someone was in a abandoned house? And they were able to escape, but when they came out, they were smoked all around them and you could see that they had barely made it. Some of you, that is how you make heaven. Barely! If you do not flee you fool us. You enter heaven and we are smelling the sweet fragrance of worship. You are smelling like smoke. He says, 'Flee you fool us!' When your friends are coming with their ideas, telling their skills, she's fine, or meeting them for the corner thereafter. 'Flee you fool us!' When they add you to that telegram page, 'Flee you fool us!' Oh, you think we don't know, we know all the facilitators they know. 'Flee you fool us!' Well, you know, right? This is right, I feel like my boyfriend will look at you some way. They'll call you this. 'Flee you fool us!' If it's not here anything from today's message, 'Flee you fool us!' We don't know, see, some sins that we don't negotiate with it too. I'm telling you, you don't want to pay. You're going to do something with some girl or some guy who has no future. Then in the next few years, God will bless you. You become a minister of states. You become a man of God standing on the property, then somebody comes and points to you and says, 'Oh, this guy, my ex-boyfriend, I slept with him. God forbid!' See, it happened to a, this thing's I'm telling you, I know stories, it happened to a cousin of mine. She was dating this guy back in the day, and my parents, and my parents were talking about it. 'Leave this boy, you'll leave this boy, you said no, I mean love, you know?' Eventually, they broke up. God bless there, she got a good job, she got a good husband, they're married, they live in Germany now. There's a time she came down, and she was just walking through the old neighborhood, and her ex-boyfriend appeared, and the guy was about to mention to him, she went to hide. 'Cause she's ashamed to be associated with such a person. And that's some of the things that you pull out during today. The people that you are doing things with, some of them, some of them, excuse me to say they don't have a future. That's the truth. And you don't know that now, but you have given your everything to some foolish boy. The boys who you have, the small pockets money your parents are giving you. And I don't have data, then you're sending all your money, you're buying data for someone. Flea root for us! When you come to church and we ask him for special offering for, 'Soodat Aid', you don't give. But when your girls' data is finished, you are the first to buy. But you are the first to buy. And you have to find people who are on this journey of holiness. And pursue it with them. Sometimes these things we see it. If you show me your friends today, show me five friends of yours. I can tell when I, in the next five years, used to be in church or you would be out to the door. Pursue righteousness. Let it be a way of life for you. Righteousness means you are in a right relationship with God. It means that your relationship with God matters to you. Above everything else, that is what you are pursuing. Say, 'Young man, before I became a pastor, I told myself that there are messages to me, I will never preach. Of course, it is not, I don't want to compromise anything in my work with God. So even if the message is not comfortable, once I know it is God, I will come and preach it to you. If you like, don't invite me again. I remember years ago, I was speaking to some of their youth. Some are told that they don't like it when I come and preach. Because Uncle Beth Moore, when he comes, you come and talk about our sin. Every day, we have to stop this, we have to stop that. Yes, you have to stop. And I will not stop talking about it. Until the last one of you here is living a pure and holy life, we will talk about it. If I don't come to church, next time, they will, we will meet in your house. So pursue righteousness, pursue faith, pursue love, pursue peace with all those who call on the name of the Lord with the pure heart. Today I came to just stare you up to pursue holiness. Because like we read in Hebrews 12, says without holiness, you and I will not see God. I don't know about you, but me, my heart's desire is to get to heaven and to hear these words, "Down good and faithful servants." You have been faithful in these little things. Come and rest in your master's joy. These are the words I want to hear when I get to heaven. If I don't hear anything else, these are the words, "Down good and faithful servants." Because once I was alive, I pursue God. Once I was alive, I lost God. Once I was alive, I drew a line between myself and this world. That the world is dead to me, and I'm also dead to the world. We don't have any relationship. When people play some of these worldly songs around me, and I don't know the song, they are shocked. I don't spend my leisure time listening to this song. Some of you, if you hear the intro bits, you can jump. We will not finish with the intro and you will be out of your seat. They never see me come. Those who are the dance moves. Every poplar song, they even know the dance that goes with it. Ywe sy'u cyhartuv Irogujus by tahimp Yue sey Irogujus by tahimp Irogujus by tahimp Irogujus by tahimp Irogujus by tahimp Irogujus by tahimp So. (Applause) (Applause) (Applause) (Applause) So in the. In the morning I was going to write "Physical Chemistry." An after-scal chemistry repires One of the hard-deceivers you ever write in your life. Not because of the subject matter. But even though the subject matter is difficult, the subject matter is difficult, the lecture component is a problem. Because his exam. His exam setup is quite different. So here's how the exam is setup. A hundred questions. He'll give you two statements. And the possible answers are those. As follows. If statements A is true and statements B is true and statements A and B are related in any way of form. Choose A. If A is true, statements B is true. And they are not related. Choose B. If A is true, M B is false. Choose C. If A is false, B is true. Choose D. If A is true, if A is false, B is false, choose E. So in answer one question, you have answered about ten questions just to be able to get one. And the exam is structured plus one minus one. So if you don't know the answer, don't answer. Because you can finish the exam when you are own the lecture marks. And he will take it from your mid semester. If you finish the exam with minus five. And in the mid semester you have T.H.G. You go into your mid semester and take it out. You end up with 25. So you can finish the exams and be west off than you started. When you go to the exam hall, just on my way to the exam hall. I've given my life totally to God. To God, this life is what you do with as you please. I was walking to the exam hall and I had God speak to me clearly. But my men are sitting on the lane. I sat down where everybody was walking to lectures. I sat down on the floor. And God told me to sing. And He told me the exact song to sing. So I was not asking it. Rescue the paration. Care for the dying. How many of you know this song? So I was singing. Rescue the paration. Care for the dying. What else people were passing by me to go and write the exam? I got to the exam room just when people were going to say down to study the exam. When I looked at question one, I knew I was done. You've been there before, right? When some of the exams were you feeling you know? After writing your name, you know you can't write anything else. [MUSIC] So I finished writing my name and I put my head on the table. Because we both know the outcome. God and I know that this if I can't do it. Then I had the same voice that spoke to me, sits down and sing. Number one, A, then I said that second. And number two, B, I started shading. And I, ah. So when I got to number seven, just like Beth, am I going to write? How are you following a voice to be cycling? When you can finish disciplining your own. So when I got to seven to one, I said no, this thing. And I said, this is not enough. So I stopped at 71. And they didn't continue to the 100. When we came there next semester, when the lecture and the lecture worked, the doctor events are dying. Anybody who has gone to take a look for him. If he's the GFSE chemistry, if you can change your lecture, please do. [MUSIC] He walked into the class. Who is Beth, one man? Say, our son, tens, that's, I was skeptical. Because I didn't know what's there. What was behind the who is Beth, one man? So my hand was up like this. Oh, no, put your hand up well. Just stand up. Everyone in the class, clap for him. [APPLAUSE] And in the exam, I had 71. I was the only person that's here to get an egg in his paper. Not because I studied hard, but because I had made a vow to God that this life would pursue him and to honor him. And the scripture I read in second Timothy says, I will be your father, and you will be sons to me. But what does he ask of you? He says, flee from these things. Pesue holiness. And this morning, more than anything in your life don't pursue money. Don't pursue fame. Don't pursue the things of this world. Pesue holiness. And God will honor you. Today where I'm in life. I may not be where I want to dream about, but I'm okay. Because God has honored me. Because I chose to honor him with my life. Let's rise and pray. I don't know the current situation in your life right now. But you want to pray and ask God to help you live a holy life. The Holy Spirit that is given to us, that is His primary purpose. His name is the Holy Spirit because He's the one who makes us holy. I want to pray this morning and say, Father, help me. Help me to live a holy life. I give you my life this morning. Take it, mold it, transform it. Do whatever you want to do with my life today, God. I surrender it all to you. Oh yes Lord, matahiko rasataka timinyantas. Yaba leba barra da layando sataya. Father this morning we surrender it all to you. We give our lives to you. We surrender our lives to you. Father this morning we draw a line. We separate ourself from this world. See the Father do with our lives what you will. Place in our heart the desire to pursue you. All the days of our lives. Oh yes Lord, caribas sadabala badabadosa dabaha. Take my life and mold it. ♪ So take my heart and hold it ♪ ♪ Take my heart and transform it ♪ ♪ Take my will ♪ ♪ Call for men ♪ ♪ To yours ♪ ♪ To yours ♪ ♪ Of all ♪ ♪ Holiness ♪ ♪ Holiness ♪ ♪ That's what I long for ♪ ♪ Holiness ♪ ♪ That's what I need ♪ ♪ That's what I need ♪ ♪ Holiness ♪ ♪ Holiness ♪ ♪ That's what you long for me ♪ ♪ From me ♪ ♪ To take my life ♪ ♪ In love and take my life ♪ ♪ Transform it ♪ ♪ Take my will ♪ ♪ Call for men ♪ ♪ To yours ♪ ♪ To yours ♪ ♪ Follow ♪ Father, we thank you. I thank you for the lives of these young ones. Father, I thank you, O God, that your word declares that out of the mouth of babes and tackling your working strength. Father, I pray for them that you grant them conviction of heart, strength of spirit. Father, strengthen them with might by your spirit in your inner mind. Father, may they resolve to live holy lives. I pray for grace for them. I may they stand for you. And Father, may you honor their decisions. Honor them with your presence, with your power. All the days of their lives, as they stand for you in Jesus' name, amen. May please be seated in God's presence. (audience applauding) (gentle music)