Sunnyside First Baptist Church
Who "I AM" - Holy

  • Holy, Holiness, Be Holy

    These are terms that get thrown around readily by readers of the Bible. Sometimes in the best of times and other times in the worst that man has to offer in regard to Yahweh, God, El or whatever that you call him.
    It’s probably best to provide some sort of definition at this point. The problem is that most people cannot agree on a clear, succinct definition of what it means to be “Holy.”
    We know that God is “Holy” and He has called us to be “Holy” but what does that mean. I think that we might have several different definitions rolling around in our skulls.
    May of you know that I grew up as a Roman Catholic kid from a small town in South Dakota. My Dad and I faithfully went to mass on Saturday nights usually out to dinner afterwards.
    I was kind of a late bloomer and didn’t have my first “Holy” (whatever that means, aren’t all communions “holy?) until I was 13 years old.
    That night, in front of the church, Monsignor Thomas Vessor gave to me my first communion. I at that time felt “Holy.” Can’t explain it, can’t describe it but I felt it.
    I think that maybe my experience was not so much different that many of you have had at sometime in your life.
    I again had that “feeling” accompanied with many tears when I accepted the Lord, in my car sitting there bawling my eye’s out.
    There are certain songs that remind of and put me in a “Holy” place. I hope that this song does that to you, just listen and imagine.
    [Bethany sings “I can only imagine..”]
    You see that feeling of closeness to God, is how we are created. We have ruined it by pushing God away, by closing off His Holiness in our lives, by flat out rejecting Holiness.
    Well… what is Holiness? What is God’s Holiness? How can I be “Holy” or Is God only Holy?
    Let’s look at the Old Testament...
    Leviticus 20:26 NIV84
    26 You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.
    Okay we have more than a few clues here that gives us some insight...
    “You are to be Holy to me...”
    How are we to “be” to God? That bring up for us many thoughts.
    Reverent
    Obedient
    Focused on Him
    Aware of His presence.
    Set apart for Him
    “Because I, the Lord am holy”
    God defines “Holiness”
    God should be the object of our worship… when we worship, when we sing and pray. Worship is not about us, its not about us “feeling” good, its not about us at all...
    It’s all about God!
    “I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.”
    So we have a statement that we can grab onto and process.
    God literally told his people to be separate… to move to a particular place, take that place, make it their own.
    AND, AND to live with and for God. Of course they usually failed...
    Holiness is defined in Old Testament terms like this...
    It is Holy, Something is Holy, God is set apart
    God alone is Holy!
    Some place or some thing is set apart
    A place… A tabernacle, A sanctuary
    The Holy of Holies… a place in the temple so sacred that only the priest can go. It contained the Ark of the Covenant.
    I hope that you can have a better idea of this idea of Holiness and being “set apart” from the Old Testament.
    Now lets be honest here with each other… In some churches and denominations they have taken this idea of “being set apart,”
    and said that everyone that is not of a such and such denomination or church cannot be saved,
    cannot take communion,
    refuse their membership
    to see movies, or watch television.
    That’s not the intention of God for us to live in isolation, for us to live as an island, for us to live apart from His creation and His people, all people.
    Let me tell you the difference for us!!!
    The difference is our relationship to Christ.
    As long as we are in a relationship with Jesus our call in this world is different.
    We are to set ourselves from sin… set ourselves apart from the world and its draw towards the things of satan and evil and not the things of God.
    Christ saw the need, the redemptive needs of his people
    John 1:10 NIV84
    10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
    John 9:5 NIV84
    5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
    John 13:1 NIV84
    1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
    and Finally from John 17… This is Jesus talking
    John 17:13 NIV84
    13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.
    You see we want all of the benefits of the cross without the sacrifice of what it was to get there.
    Turn with me if you will to Matthew 27:45-51
    Matthew 27:45–51 NIV84
    45 From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
    Our opportunity to embrace Grace was worn on the shoulders of Jesus Christ.
    The moment that the curtain tore… no longer was the Holy of Holies for only the Priest and the sacrifice.
    But we… ALL of US can approach the Place of Holiness, and the Person of Holiness, In His sanctuary, the temple because of the death of Christ.
    No longer do we live by the law… we live by GRACE!
    No longer is the Holy One far off and foreign to us. He is God, But He is also Friend and Brother, and Redeemer,
    Holiness is as close as turning our minds and hearts to Him in prayer. THANK YOU JESUS!
    HOLINESS IS NOW SHARED WITH US BECAUSE OF CHRIST
    It is important to us to embrace that holiness
    We have to participate in that Holiness
    We have to practice that Holiness.
    1 Peter 1.14-19
    1 Peter 1:14 NIV84
    14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
    I’ve done the king of stupid things in my life… Although I don’t want to compare notes.
    But my calling is now to conform to righteousness and not to ignorant evil ways.
    If you are doing something and you don’t know which it is it’s probably ignorance. It’s probably sin.
    1 Peter 1:15–16 NIV84
    15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
    By His Grace we are called to be Holy. Let Holiness guide your every move.
    I have a series of questions about allowing God to be our guide.
    Do we allow God’s Holiness, to be reflected in us
    In business- is it fair, is it right, is it legal?
    In our relationships - Are you putting others ahead of yourself, are your serving sacrificially to those who are closet to you.
    In the world - Do others know that you serve Jesus first?
    With our enemies -Do you acknowledge Christ.
    Vs. 17
    1 Peter 1:17 NIV84
    17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.
    OK, I been hammering this concept home whenever I had a chance over the last several months.
    We can be political… Thanks to our US Constitution,
    We can be “rich”… As long is our first concern is taking care of others and not just stuffing your mattress full of cash.
    We can have differing opinions about many things… It’s important that we come together on what we agree on and leave the rest for the worms to eat.
    Live here… not as citizen of earth, a people that are bound here. Live as a people that are just passing through. We are to pick up as many other people for God while we are here but our home and citizenship is in Heaven.
    Vs. 18-19
    1 Peter 1:18–19 NIV84
    18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
    Realize, finally bring the whole idea into your soul, leaving everything else behind, leaving your previous life behind.
    Your former life was EMPTY...
    It might have been filled with “stuff” but it was empty
    The Blood of Jesus filled that emptiness and gave you direction.
    No longer were you out in the wind hanging on for dear life
    The perishable things of life are exactly that perishable.
    Don’t hold tightly on to stuff, hold tightly to God, his people and the things of God. Everything else, treat as disposable. If your going to die, your can’t take it with you and if the Lord returns it’ll probably be burned up.
    1 Peter 1:19 NIV84
    19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
    Finally… Acknowledge, finally
    The great cost that was paid for your very soul. Jesus Christ, broke the back of the law. Taught us to love and what does he want in return… LOVE!
    As we finish today and transition to Communion I want you think about something.
    Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice...
    His Father sent him knowing what would have to happen...
    He was like the lamb being led to slaughter...
    He willing, truly willingly was hung on a cross and in doing so brought on himself the sin of the world
    Servers please come forward!
    We practice open communion here. If you are a follower of Jesus please partake with us.
    If you have not yet acknowledged Christ as Savior let the cup and the bread pass you.
    Nobody will call you out if you don’t partake. In the same fashion if you want it not to take because of an issue with a friend, neighbor, let it pass and pray for an answer.
    Servers you can begin passing
    1 Corinthians 11:23–24 NIV84
    23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
    Holy, Holy, Holy
    1 Corinthians 11:25–26 NIV84
    25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
    Holy, Holy, Holy
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  • We Fall Down
  • The Rock Won't Move
  • You Are Holy (Prince Of Peace)
  • God Of Wonders
  • I Can Only Imagine

      • Leviticus 20:26NIV

      • John 1:10NIV

      • John 9:5NIV

      • John 13:1NIV

      • John 17:13NIV

      • Matthew 27:45–51NIV

      • 1 Peter 1:14–19NIV2011

      • 1 Peter 1:14NIV

      • 1 Peter 1:15–16NIV

      • 1 Peter 1:17NIV

      • 1 Peter 1:18–19NIV

      • 1 Peter 1:19NIV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:23–24NIV

      • 1 Corinthians 11:25–26NIV

  • Holy Holy Holy (Nicaea)
Sunnyside First Baptist Church
sunnysidefbc@gmail.com
509-837-3084
https://sunnysidefbc.faithlifesites.com
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