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Power Point with Jack Graham

Jack Graham - Growing In Godliness

May 11, 2025 | 27:29

Jack Graham - Growing In Godliness
Dr. Jack Graham's mission is to glorify God by introducing Jesus Christ as Lord to all people.
#Faith #Pastors #WalkwithGod #Religion #Evangelism #SpiritualGrowth #Encouragement #JackGraham

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Power Point with Jack Graham | Jack Graham - Growing In Godliness | May 11, 2025
  • ♪♪♪
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  • There is no person that god cannot save!
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  • There is no promise that god will not keep!
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  • There is nothing that our god cannot do!
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  • Take god's word, the jesus book,
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  • And turn to 1 peter, chapter 1.
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  • We are living in a hopeless world and that is because the
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  • World is without hope because the world is without god. and
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  • Increasingly godless and therefore, increasingly
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  • Hopeless.
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  • So peter was writing to people living in the world like you
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  • And me. in that day... first century... they were dealing
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  • With all kinds of pressure and persecution and all the rest.
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  • And from that day until this day, we face that kind of
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  • Opposition and people are getting more and more hostile
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  • Towards the christian faith and to christians. so we are living
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  • In this world. we're not there yet. you know, we like to think
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  • About... i do... the sweet by and by; going to be sweet. but
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  • We live in the nasty now and now. we do. so how then shall
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  • We live? how are we to live on our way to heaven? the bible
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  • Says we are to live in hope. and hope is an anchor for the
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  • Soul. it tethers us when winds blow against us. and so we are
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  • Thankful for this living hope that we have in christ.
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  • We are alive in christ because he lives also. and we are safe
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  • And secure in this hope. we are... we've learned that we
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  • Are kept by the power of god. in this doxology, this hymn of
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  • Praise that he gives us in the opening stanza of this
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  • Scripture, he's speaking of being held in the grip of god,
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  • The omnipotent, almighty grip of god; we are kept. and,
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  • Having been chosen and kept, yet we go through trials and
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  • Tribulations and struggles and suffering.
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  • Verse 9 tells us in chapter 1... the result of it is...
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  • The outcome of this is the salvation of our souls.
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  • Salvation. what a great word! what a great savior! we are
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  • Saved from our sins because of the cross, by the power of the
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  • Resurrection. we have been saved! and the result of that
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  • Salvation is that one day we will be with him forever. and
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  • That's such great hope in these times.
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  • And therefore, verse 13 which we're about to read, you see
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  • The "therefore", the "wherefore" at the start of
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  • This sentence because peter is turning the page for us here.
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  • This is hinge... the therefore is the hinge upon which the
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  • Rest of the message of 1 peter hinges. and peter moves from
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  • Exaltation... this great glorious praise of god, to
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  • Exhortation. remember, we said that peter uses a lot of
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  • Imperatives, and in one sense that fits simon peter, doesn't
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  • It? he's in effect, pounding the pulpit. he's putting
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  • Exclamation points on what he's about to say. he is... it was
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  • Staccato-like action, giving us a lot of verbs to tell us then
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  • How we are to live. again, he moves from the indicatives to
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  • The imperatives. and with these imperatives he shows us how we
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  • Are therefore to live in this hope.
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  • 13) therefore (verse 13), preparing your minds for
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  • Action, and being sober-minded, set your affections... or set
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  • Your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at
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  • The revelation of jesus christ.
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  • And if you're taking notes in your bible... i like to mark my
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  • Bible and underscore "revelation of jesus", just put
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  • Second coming there, because this is the second coming, the
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  • Return. jesus is coming again in great power and glory. verse
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  • 14) as obedient children, do not be conformed to the
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  • Passions of your former ignorance,
  • 00:04:56.119 --> 00:05:02.024
  • Often unbelievers think they're so smart; smarter than god,
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  • Smarter than everybody. “oh, i'm not a christian; i'm a
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  • Thinker now. i'm an intellectual now.” no, you're
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  • Not. if you don't know god, you're ignorant.
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  • And that was all of us before we met jesus, before jesus lit
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  • Up our lives, before the light turned on, we were walking in
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  • Darkness and in ignorance. he said, so don't go back to that,
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  • The way you lived in ignorance in your former life. but be
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  • What? verse 15:
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  • 15) but as he who has called you is holy, you also be holy
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  • In all (a-l-l) all your conduct,
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  • 16) since it is written...
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  • And he quotes directly from leviticus. and he says:
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  • 16) ... you shall be holy, for i am holy.
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  • In the bible, hope and holiness are essentially connected. in
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  • Fact, in 1 john chapter 3 and verse 3 the scripture says, "he
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  • Who has this hope in him (this hope of christ, this hope of
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  • The coming of christ) ... he who has this hope in him,
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  • Purifies himself as he is pure." so do you see it? hope
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  • And holiness are connected. and therefore, just as god is holy,
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  • We also are to be holy.
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  • The life of a believer is to be a holy life.
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  • So what motivated us to do this? what causes and
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  • Challenges us to do this? this is why peter gives us these
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  • Imperatives. you see them there? there are three in verse
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  • 13. he said first, “preparing your minds for action.”
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  • Paul speaks in the armor of god of the belt of truth. a soldier
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  • Would cinch everything up with a belt... tighten the belt
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  • And... or if someone was running or working, they would
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  • Pull up the loose ends of their robes and cinch them into the
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  • Belt, tie them up so they would be encumbered in the work or in
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  • The war... whatever they were doing. so that's the
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  • Illustration that he's using. he's saying gird up, gear up,
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  • Prepare for action. be disciplined in your mind, and
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  • Not complacent, but committed.
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  • You know, one of the biggest challenges we have in the
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  • Church... not only this day, but i've seen it my whole
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  • Life... is just complacency. it's one of the big problems
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  • We've got in our country right now, is complacency.
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  • Nick saban, the former coach of the crimson tide, said this:
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  • “complacency creates a blatant disregard for doing what's
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  • Right. you can't do what you feel like doing. you've got to
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  • Choose to do the things that are going to help you
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  • Accomplish the goals that you have.” well said, nick saban!
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  • That's good coach-speak.
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  • But it's also truth. because you don't become holy by just
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  • Hanging out with god. complacency is not it!
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  • Sometimes you do things you don't feel like doing in
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  • Discipline, in the disciplining of your mind, the discipline of
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  • Your body in order to accomplish the goal. and if the
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  • Goal is godliness... if the goal is christ-likeness... if
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  • The goal is holiness, then prepare; discipline your mind
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  • For action. you can even use the word gear up or roll up
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  • Your sleeves or tighten your belt.
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  • It's a great word picture, isn't it? don't be mindless in
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  • A mindless world. not in the former way of your ignorance as
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  • We noted. the world is mindless; the world is without
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  • Purpose; the world is going nowhere. when peter preached on
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  • The day of pentecost, when he gave the invitation, he said,
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  • “save yourselves from this crooked and untoward
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  • Generation.” untoward? it means a generation that's going
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  • Nowhere. and people are like minions, mindless, going
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  • Nowhere without god and without hope.
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  • So, don't live like this! as christians, prepare your mind
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  • For action. this is why we want to be christian thinkers. we
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  • Want to think deeply about the things we believe. what is true
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  • And what is untrue.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Thanks again for tuning in to powerpoint today. and we just
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  • Want to take a little break because, we want you to have
  • 00:10:20.142 --> 00:10:23.012
  • Something very important at powerpoint. we like to put
  • 00:10:23.012 --> 00:10:26.415
  • Resources in people's hands that, encourage you to know
  • 00:10:26.415 --> 00:10:29.351
  • Christ and to know him more and more in your life. and, of
  • 00:10:29.351 --> 00:10:32.788
  • Course, that's always god's word, the scripture.
  • 00:10:32.788 --> 00:10:34.957
  • And my friend o.s. hawkins, doctor o.s. hawkins has
  • 00:10:34.957 --> 00:10:38.494
  • Written, a devotional book that we are offering. in fact, this
  • 00:10:38.494 --> 00:10:42.098
  • Is one of many devotional books that doctor hawkins has written
  • 00:10:42.098 --> 00:10:45.534
  • There. over 2 million in print and sold and more to come. but
  • 00:10:45.534 --> 00:10:49.805
  • This one is called the jesus code, and it is a companion to
  • 00:10:49.805 --> 00:10:54.543
  • Your personal bible study and for your gift of any amount, we
  • 00:10:54.543 --> 00:10:58.180
  • Want you to have it.
  • 00:10:58.180 --> 00:10:59.415
  • But o.s. is here with me in the studio today. tell us, o.s.
  • 00:10:59.415 --> 00:11:02.585
  • What the jesus code is all about.
  • 00:11:02.585 --> 00:11:04.754
  • [o.s. hawkins] well, it's just a devotional book, jack, that,
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  • You know, reading devotional through the new testament some
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  • Years ago, i was astounded at how many times jesus asked
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  • Questions in the bible. he was always asking questions. 150 of
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  • Them escaped his lips that are recorded in john. and we know
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  • The bible says at the end of the book of john that if
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  • Everything jesus said and did had been recorded, all the
  • 00:11:26.308 --> 00:11:29.512
  • Books couldn't contain him. but we have 150.
  • 00:11:29.512 --> 00:11:32.047
  • So i picked 52 questions, one for a week of devotional
  • 00:11:32.047 --> 00:11:35.050
  • Throughout the year, 52 questions that i think every
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  • Believer ought to be able to answer before they get to
  • 00:11:40.222 --> 00:11:44.193
  • Heaven. for example, job ask, if a man dies, will he live
  • 00:11:44.193 --> 00:11:49.632
  • Again? in the book, in the gospel of matthew, who do you
  • 00:11:49.632 --> 00:11:52.535
  • Say that i am?
  • 00:11:52.535 --> 00:11:53.736
  • There just 52 questions that all of us should be able to
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  • Answer before we get to heaven.
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  • [jack graham] yeah. questions like, what are you doing here
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  • To elijah? and in the beginning, in genesis, has god
  • 00:12:01.043 --> 00:12:04.480
  • Said and on and on. so, so many questions that people have are
  • 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:09.018
  • Answered in the bible. in fact, all of our questions are
  • 00:12:09.018 --> 00:12:12.087
  • Answered in god's word. that's what this book is about. right
  • 00:12:12.087 --> 00:12:15.724
  • Out of scripture is full of god's word.
  • 00:12:15.724 --> 00:12:17.626
  • It's not just nice thoughts or, good ideas. this is god's word,
  • 00:12:17.626 --> 00:12:21.764
  • The questions of the bible for your gift of any amount. we
  • 00:12:21.764 --> 00:12:25.334
  • Will send you right away that jesus code - 52 scripture
  • 00:12:25.334 --> 00:12:28.771
  • Questions every believer should answer.
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Secondly, he says... and this, by the way, has to do with our
  • 00:12:46.355 --> 00:12:51.227
  • Emotions as well, and that's what he gets to when he says,
  • 00:12:51.227 --> 00:12:54.296
  • "be sober..." do you see that word there? or be steadfast is
  • 00:12:54.296 --> 00:12:57.266
  • A better definition in some ways, but we have a sober hope.
  • 00:12:57.266 --> 00:13:02.538
  • And i think i put on the notes: a sensible hope. a life of
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  • Holiness... a life of hope is a life of sobriety... a life of
  • 00:13:08.444 --> 00:13:19.822
  • Sobriety. and the word here means serious or self-control.
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  • Literally the word means without wine.
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  • Live a sober life, live a self-controlled life. you don't
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  • Need substances to keep you going. you have the holy
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  • Spirit. “don't be drunk with wine whereas excess, but be
  • 00:13:42.011 --> 00:13:45.147
  • Filled with the holy spirit.” so the idea here is to be
  • 00:13:45.147 --> 00:13:48.751
  • Sensible and to be sane, to be calm, cool and collected.
  • 00:13:48.751 --> 00:13:54.256
  • Another word you can put in there is the synonym
  • 00:13:54.256 --> 00:13:56.659
  • Level-headed.
  • 00:13:56.659 --> 00:13:59.962
  • And one of the reasons peter uses the same word in 1 peter
  • 00:13:59.962 --> 00:14:03.766
  • 5:8, when he says, "be sober (why?) because your adversary,
  • 00:14:03.766 --> 00:14:09.805
  • The devil is running and roaring throughout the earth,
  • 00:14:09.805 --> 00:14:12.975
  • Seek whom he may devour." so if you're not sober... if you're
  • 00:14:12.975 --> 00:14:18.447
  • Not alert... if you're not awake... if you're living in a
  • 00:14:18.447 --> 00:14:21.517
  • Stupor and you're not ready for it, the devil will eat you
  • 00:14:21.517 --> 00:14:25.721
  • Alive." so he says, "be sober, have a strong hope,
  • 00:14:25.721 --> 00:14:32.795
  • Have a sure hope."
  • 00:14:32.795 --> 00:14:34.797
  • And finally, he said "have a sure hope. set your hope..."
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  • See it again, look back at verse 13. you have your bibles
  • 00:14:38.834 --> 00:14:42.104
  • Open. look at it again. it says, "set your hope perfectly
  • 00:14:42.104 --> 00:14:46.208
  • On the grace... the grace of the lord jesus christ. set your
  • 00:14:46.208 --> 00:14:51.747
  • Hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the
  • 00:14:51.747 --> 00:14:55.317
  • Revelation of jesus christ."
  • 00:14:55.317 --> 00:14:56.785
  • Now watch this. so we get started with grace. salvation
  • 00:14:56.785 --> 00:15:01.490
  • Is all of grace. not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be
  • 00:15:01.490 --> 00:15:04.994
  • Received. you don't earn or merit or deserve salvation.
  • 00:15:04.994 --> 00:15:09.098
  • Christ did it all. that's grace... that's grace. and you
  • 00:15:09.098 --> 00:15:12.768
  • Receive his grace through faith. so that's how we start,
  • 00:15:12.768 --> 00:15:16.005
  • But how do we finish? "oh, i know, i'm going to work as hard
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  • As i can to be a better person. i'm going to do the best i can
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  • To quit doing the things i used to do." no. that's not how to
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  • Be saved. salvation starts with grace and is sustained
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  • Throughout our lives by grace.
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  • You say, "can people fall out of grace?" no, because it's
  • 00:15:34.390 --> 00:15:36.725
  • Grace! if you think you can lose your salvation, it's
  • 00:15:36.725 --> 00:15:41.597
  • Because somehow you think you have earned or deserve the
  • 00:15:41.597 --> 00:15:44.633
  • Salvation that you've been given. no! it's all of grace!
  • 00:15:44.633 --> 00:15:49.438
  • It's grace through and through. and when we get to the end,
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  • That's what he's saying here... when we see jesus... when jesus
  • 00:15:53.008 --> 00:15:56.412
  • Comes again, it will because of grace! as the hymn writer, the
  • 00:15:56.412 --> 00:16:00.983
  • Great john newton said in amazing grace, "t'was grace
  • 00:16:00.983 --> 00:16:04.720
  • That brought me safe thus far, and grace will bring me home."
  • 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:11.527
  • It's grace, grace, grace and more grace.
  • 00:16:11.527 --> 00:16:16.131
  • And therefore, this is a sure hope. and therefore, we are to
  • 00:16:16.131 --> 00:16:21.970
  • Be optimists. i'm a christian optimist. now if i wasn't a
  • 00:16:21.970 --> 00:16:28.777
  • Christian, i'd certainly be a pessimist. no wonder we have so
  • 00:16:28.777 --> 00:16:32.281
  • Much cynicism in the world. and skepticism in the world,
  • 00:16:32.281 --> 00:16:37.219
  • Because there's no hope. people don't have hope in christ and
  • 00:16:37.219 --> 00:16:41.723
  • There's no good outcome. you look at the world, there's no
  • 00:16:41.723 --> 00:16:44.393
  • Good outcome in this.
  • 00:16:44.393 --> 00:16:45.994
  • But god is saying, there is an outcome, and this outcome is
  • 00:16:45.994 --> 00:16:49.098
  • The salvation of your souls. this outcome is the return of
  • 00:16:49.098 --> 00:16:53.001
  • Jesus christ. and as someone said years ago, "it's your
  • 00:16:53.001 --> 00:16:56.371
  • Up-look that will determine your outlook in life." i like
  • 00:16:56.371 --> 00:17:01.410
  • That! so when you've got the right up-look... onward and
  • 00:17:01.410 --> 00:17:04.480
  • Upward, by grace... you know he's coming; you're looking
  • 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:08.016
  • Forward to his return. our hope, therefore, is not
  • 00:17:08.016 --> 00:17:12.421
  • Half-hearted hope. look at that phrase again. he says, "you
  • 00:17:12.421 --> 00:17:19.795
  • Hope fully on the grace of god." it's not half-hearted
  • 00:17:19.795 --> 00:17:26.535
  • Hope; it is a full burst of hope! it is a robust hope! and
  • 00:17:26.535 --> 00:17:33.142
  • Therefore, a resilient hope.
  • 00:17:33.142 --> 00:17:35.410
  • I like what dr. jeremiah johnston said about christian
  • 00:17:35.410 --> 00:17:38.914
  • Thinking in our world. again, strong mind, sure mind,
  • 00:17:38.914 --> 00:17:42.684
  • Steadfast. he said, “believers who are constantly
  • 00:17:42.684 --> 00:17:45.988
  • Strengthening their biblical world view are unshakable.”
  • 00:17:45.988 --> 00:17:52.794
  • It's true. that's why we say get in your bible and get the
  • 00:17:52.794 --> 00:17:57.466
  • Bible into you! because this is where we strengthen our
  • 00:17:57.466 --> 00:18:01.303
  • Convictions; this is where we grow our character; this is our
  • 00:18:01.303 --> 00:18:07.376
  • Hope. therefore, we don't live in doubt and fear and
  • 00:18:07.376 --> 00:18:10.746
  • Uncertainty. we live fully in. i'm all in; how about you?
  • 00:18:10.746 --> 00:18:17.152
  • So what are we to do then? he says, as god is holy, says the
  • 00:18:17.152 --> 00:18:26.862
  • Lord, you be holy. be holy as god is holy.” now what does it
  • 00:18:26.862 --> 00:18:35.237
  • Mean to be holy? and let me clear up a couple of
  • 00:18:35.237 --> 00:18:40.309
  • Misconceptions. first of all, it doesn't mean to be haughty,
  • 00:18:40.309 --> 00:18:47.516
  • Holier than thou. self-righteousness is the
  • 00:18:47.516 --> 00:18:51.553
  • Opposite of true holiness. many of you think of being holy as,
  • 00:18:51.553 --> 00:18:58.327
  • You know, religious movement of some kind. it is somber and
  • 00:18:58.327 --> 00:19:02.130
  • Stiff. to be holy is to be buttoned up and never have any
  • 00:19:02.130 --> 00:19:06.935
  • Fun, to be pious and cold and rigid. no. remember our
  • 00:19:06.935 --> 00:19:12.574
  • Definition of holy earlier, that it means to be separated.
  • 00:19:12.574 --> 00:19:18.614
  • And just as god is separated from all sin and evil, so are
  • 00:19:18.614 --> 00:19:23.919
  • We to live a separated life. be holy as god is holy.
  • 00:19:23.919 --> 00:19:29.591
  • We're to be separated from sin. we don't live above sin. we're
  • 00:19:29.591 --> 00:19:34.263
  • Tempted by sin, but we know sin exists and the goal in
  • 00:19:34.263 --> 00:19:37.733
  • Christian life should be not to sin. maybe you hadn't thought
  • 00:19:37.733 --> 00:19:44.806
  • About that in a while. who got up this morning and prayed,
  • 00:19:44.806 --> 00:19:50.312
  • "lord, may i not... help me not to sin today." it'd be a good
  • 00:19:50.312 --> 00:19:56.885
  • Prayer to pray. you say, "is that even possible?" yes, it's
  • 00:19:56.885 --> 00:20:00.155
  • Possible. yes, you will sin, yes you will fall. we live in a
  • 00:20:00.155 --> 00:20:05.494
  • Broken world. we live in broken bodies and there is sin to deal
  • 00:20:05.494 --> 00:20:09.231
  • With. but it is the holy ambition of the christian to be
  • 00:20:09.231 --> 00:20:13.935
  • Holy, to be holy simply put, is to be godly. it is to be
  • 00:20:13.935 --> 00:20:19.107
  • Christ-like. it is, as peter tells us in the next chapter to
  • 00:20:19.107 --> 00:20:23.645
  • Follow in his steps. ephesians 4:15 says, that we should be
  • 00:20:23.645 --> 00:20:28.283
  • Growing in every way more and more like christ.
  • 00:20:28.283 --> 00:20:32.220
  • This is holiness.
  • 00:20:32.220 --> 00:20:35.223
  • Another... another synonym type word for this is
  • 00:20:35.223 --> 00:20:39.528
  • Sanctification. that's the work of the holy spirit; that god is
  • 00:20:39.528 --> 00:20:44.066
  • Made... you know, when you talk about holiness, we have a book
  • 00:20:44.066 --> 00:20:46.902
  • That's called the holy bible. we call it the holy bible.
  • 00:20:46.902 --> 00:20:50.138
  • Maybe when you were married someone called it holy
  • 00:20:50.138 --> 00:20:53.008
  • Matrimony because you are separated to one another. and
  • 00:20:53.008 --> 00:20:56.645
  • We have a book. it's not just another book. it's not just one
  • 00:20:56.645 --> 00:20:59.381
  • Of the billion books in the world. this is god's book, this
  • 00:20:59.381 --> 00:21:02.984
  • A holy book. when you come to god's church, you're to come
  • 00:21:02.984 --> 00:21:06.755
  • With a kind of holy reverence for god, and adoration and
  • 00:21:06.755 --> 00:21:10.325
  • Awestruck at the wonder of who he is. not just to hang out
  • 00:21:10.325 --> 00:21:14.730
  • With jesus for a little while, but to seek him and to walk on
  • 00:21:14.730 --> 00:21:18.633
  • The highway of holiness. god has made this
  • 00:21:18.633 --> 00:21:22.537
  • Possible through christ.
  • 00:21:22.537 --> 00:21:26.742
  • And so i close with an acrostic that will help you to take this
  • 00:21:26.742 --> 00:21:31.713
  • Home with you. h-o-l-y. here's what it means... here's how i
  • 00:21:31.713 --> 00:21:36.852
  • Should say. you say, is this... how is this practical? how can
  • 00:21:36.852 --> 00:21:42.357
  • I live a pure life in an impure world?
  • 00:21:42.357 --> 00:21:44.659
  • How can i possibly live a holy life?
  • 00:21:44.659 --> 00:21:47.629
  • Number one, harness ... harness your thoughts, harness your
  • 00:21:47.629 --> 00:21:51.666
  • Thought life. "h" is for back what we said, "gird up your
  • 00:21:51.666 --> 00:21:58.173
  • Mind", prepare your mind. did you know that your mind... or
  • 00:21:58.173 --> 00:22:03.245
  • Rather, your actions follow the strongest, most dominate
  • 00:22:03.245 --> 00:22:06.214
  • Thoughts in your mind? it's true; that's just a
  • 00:22:06.214 --> 00:22:08.116
  • Psychological fact. your life will follow the dominate
  • 00:22:08.116 --> 00:22:14.055
  • Thoughts of your mind. and so what we have to do is to
  • 00:22:14.055 --> 00:22:18.794
  • Control the way we think. and yes, you can.
  • 00:22:18.794 --> 00:22:21.863
  • Again, by getting god's word into your life. whatever is
  • 00:22:21.863 --> 00:22:25.033
  • True, lovely, good report... think on these things. you can
  • 00:22:25.033 --> 00:22:28.036
  • Only really think one thought at a time. and if you're
  • 00:22:28.036 --> 00:22:32.107
  • Thinking the right thing, you can't be thinking the wrong
  • 00:22:32.107 --> 00:22:34.476
  • Thing. and so harness your thought life, because this
  • 00:22:34.476 --> 00:22:39.881
  • Again, will help you strengthen your conviction and grow your
  • 00:22:39.881 --> 00:22:44.052
  • Faith, and discern god's will and build a firm foundation.
  • 00:22:44.052 --> 00:22:47.756
  • This will grow you in godliness to harness your thoughts.
  • 00:22:47.756 --> 00:22:53.028
  • Holiness is a deeper devotion. "lord, i'm fully yours. all
  • 00:22:53.028 --> 00:22:57.466
  • That i am, all that i hope to be, i give to you." that is to
  • 00:22:57.466 --> 00:23:01.703
  • Harness your thought life.
  • 00:23:01.703 --> 00:23:03.138
  • I like the way that jerry bridges, who wrote a wonder
  • 00:23:03.138 --> 00:23:07.042
  • Book on pursuing holiness. you know, the bible says “pursue
  • 00:23:07.042 --> 00:23:10.745
  • Holiness.” the bible says perfect holiness in the fear of
  • 00:23:10.745 --> 00:23:14.883
  • God. he said, “holiness is not a series of dos and don'ts.
  • 00:23:14.883 --> 00:23:20.121
  • That's the problem we have here sometimes; we think of holiness
  • 00:23:20.121 --> 00:23:22.891
  • As being exterior. our list, we live on a list or we live on
  • 00:23:22.891 --> 00:23:26.595
  • Somebody else's list of what's right and what's wrong. no,
  • 00:23:26.595 --> 00:23:29.431
  • What does the bible say? and it's not a series of dos and
  • 00:23:29.431 --> 00:23:33.168
  • Don'ts but conformity (watch this) conformity to the
  • 00:23:33.168 --> 00:23:37.138
  • Character of god and obedience to the will of god! that's why
  • 00:23:37.138 --> 00:23:42.077
  • It says in this passage obey as dear children of god; like
  • 00:23:42.077 --> 00:23:47.315
  • Little children surrender their lives. harness your thoughts.
  • 00:23:47.315 --> 00:23:51.419
  • And then order your steps. "o" is for order your steps. be
  • 00:23:51.419 --> 00:23:57.526
  • Sober, self-controlled. because when we're biblical...
  • 00:23:57.526 --> 00:24:03.331
  • Christ-centered in our thoughts, we are balanced.
  • 00:24:03.331 --> 00:24:08.236
  • Harness your thoughts, order your steps, trust god to obey
  • 00:24:08.236 --> 00:24:13.074
  • Him in all things. and if god convicts you that something
  • 00:24:13.074 --> 00:24:17.913
  • You're doing is not right, then stop it in the power of the
  • 00:24:17.913 --> 00:24:25.020
  • Holy spirit by harnessing your thoughts
  • 00:24:25.020 --> 00:24:30.492
  • And ordering your steps.
  • 00:24:30.492 --> 00:24:32.527
  • And then let "l" stand for lift your eyes... lift your eyes.
  • 00:24:32.527 --> 00:24:37.566
  • For he said, "rest your hope fully on this grace." i am not
  • 00:24:37.566 --> 00:24:44.873
  • Living for today; i am living for eternity today. we live for
  • 00:24:44.873 --> 00:24:58.486
  • Eternity today. and you know what? your day is going to be a
  • 00:24:58.486 --> 00:25:02.357
  • Whole lot better if you live for eternity now. you might
  • 00:25:02.357 --> 00:25:08.330
  • Just start marking in your journal in your bible, the
  • 00:25:08.330 --> 00:25:10.799
  • Little words... e.t. not extraterrestrial, but eternity
  • 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:15.036
  • Today. i have a friend, david mckinley who does that in his
  • 00:25:15.036 --> 00:25:18.173
  • Bible. he sees something that challenges him to make heaven
  • 00:25:18.173 --> 00:25:22.010
  • And hope the habit of his heart and he'll put e.t. there.
  • 00:25:22.010 --> 00:25:26.915
  • Eternity today!
  • 00:25:26.915 --> 00:25:28.516
  • And then "y" stands for yield... or says yes to what
  • 00:25:28.516 --> 00:25:35.423
  • God tells you to do. it's the mark of the surrendered child
  • 00:25:35.423 --> 00:25:40.261
  • Of god. yield your life; give your life. as paul says in
  • 00:25:40.261 --> 00:25:43.865
  • Romans 12, verses 1 and 2, offer your life as a living
  • 00:25:43.865 --> 00:25:47.736
  • Sacrifice unto god. "don't be conformed to this world, but be
  • 00:25:47.736 --> 00:25:52.140
  • Transformed by the renewing of your mind" as a living
  • 00:25:52.140 --> 00:25:54.776
  • Sacrifice, and god will give you the grace and the help to
  • 00:25:54.776 --> 00:26:00.749
  • Do what he calls you to do.
  • 00:26:00.749 --> 00:26:03.885
  • Sometimes when i pray in yielding my life and my day to
  • 00:26:03.885 --> 00:26:08.490
  • The lord, giving my life to the lord, i'll just pray right
  • 00:26:08.490 --> 00:26:12.060
  • Through my body. the members of my body. i'll start with my
  • 00:26:12.060 --> 00:26:16.898
  • Mind and my brain, the way i think; my mouth, what i say. do
  • 00:26:16.898 --> 00:26:23.772
  • You think your speech should honor god and be holy speech?
  • 00:26:23.772 --> 00:26:29.778
  • Or should we mouth like the world? should we sound like the
  • 00:26:29.778 --> 00:26:33.314
  • World? no, i dedicate my mouth. another word for this whole
  • 00:26:33.314 --> 00:26:37.719
  • Thing is to consecrate and to dedicated. so my ears... what i
  • 00:26:37.719 --> 00:26:42.524
  • Hear; my eyes... what i see; my heart... the way i feel and i
  • 00:26:42.524 --> 00:26:46.194
  • Love; and my hands... what i do; my feet... where i go. i
  • 00:26:46.194 --> 00:26:49.264
  • Just pray right through and say, "lord, my life is yours.
  • 00:26:49.264 --> 00:26:53.835
  • I'm a living sacrifice."
  • 00:26:53.835 --> 00:26:55.804
  • This is what it means to be holy. to harness your thought
  • 00:26:55.804 --> 00:27:00.675
  • Life; to order your steps to obey god; to look up with
  • 00:27:00.675 --> 00:27:05.680
  • Constant hope and trust in him. and then to yield your life
  • 00:27:05.680 --> 00:27:10.251
  • Completely as a fully devoted follower of christ. be done
  • 00:27:10.251 --> 00:27:15.890
  • With the complacency and consecrate your life to the
  • 00:27:15.890 --> 00:27:21.096
  • Lord. amen?
  • 00:27:21.096 --> 00:27:23.064
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:27:23.064 --> 00:27:23.064