Brother Gary Sunday Morning 8/2/15

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 8/2/15

A vessel unto honor:

Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Dealing with the thought of walking worthy of the vocation that we are called to do, the burden of my heart is that we would know that calling that God has called us to do and be equipped to do it.

Paul wrote to those that were saved and sanctified in Rome.

Rom 1:7  To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God calls men and women out of sin.  This accomplishes more than one thing.  One of the greatest things that it accomplishes is being called out of darkness.  We remember the darkness of sin. 

The Psalms teach that all the foundations of the world are out of course.  Everyone that is not saved and not serving God by doing all they can do, their lives get out of course and they walk on in darkness.  Even a single candle gives light but if you walk very far away from that candle then you get in darkness.

Jesus is the light,

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

We all meet with sincere people that have good intentions.  Many of them have the thought, “I am right with God because I have joined church,” or “I have shaken the preacher’s hand”, or “I am baptized.”

The calling to be saved is: 

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

This means to have a new birth.  In Titus it speaks of the washing of regeneration.  In order to be saved there must be a deliverance from sin.  The bible says this is the will of God that would have all men be saved.

Then it is vital that we have a desire to come to the knowledge of the truth.  When we are saved we want to know everything that we can about God and truth.

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Pro 23:23  Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

God will have all men to be saved.  There is a very universal call that goes out to all men.  Jesus invites them to be saved. 

I had a wonderful experience of having our grandchildren here for VBS and watching the effect, the influence, and the change that took place by them being consistently under the gospel, the loving care, friendship, and fellowship of the family of God.  It changed their outlook, their behavior, and what they enjoy doing.

One of them said, “I wish we could have VBS all summer.”  Children coming into the presence of God changes their lives.

We had the wonderful experience of going to Athol to the youth revival for two days and it was wonderful to watch how the gospel effected and changed lives.

It was wonderful to watch the influence of the revival upon the souls of our congregation and upon the visitors.  Most pastors do things differently.  Our services are different than they are in Chicago or Carmichael.  There are differences of operation but the same spirit.  There are things that we do differently but we are worshipping the same God.

Brother Alex’ grandson wanted to talk to me.  Way back when he was a child, God put a desire in his heart to be saved, to serve God and use his life to serve God.  I don’t know when God begins dealing with a boy, a girl, a man, or a woman to be used of God.  My father was a marvelous preacher.  I don’t know if he ever thought of preaching before he was saved or not. 

Paul grasped, “Let us walk worthy of the vocation that we are called in.  In order to be worthy you must be saved.

A man I worked for talked to me, “Someday I would really like to do something for God.  I don’t know what that is, but I would like to do something.”  The requirement is that we first be saved.

Salvation produces a new creature.  “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart.” 

The way that we know that we are saved is that we are changed, changed in our heart.  Your mind is habitual, you will have to train it to not think on the thoughts that you have thought for however long.  Salvation produces a new creature.

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

That is the new creature experience.  You are not the same anymore.  Paul wrote and John quoted Jesus on the Isle of Patmos as saying, “Behold I make all things anew.”

The first making anew is that when we get saved we become a new creature.  As we walk with God there are many things that get purged away.  There are desires.  “As much as I want to love this there is something crying out, “I want to love and serve God and do His will.”

1Th 4:3  For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

1Th 4:4  That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

It is the will of God that you be saved; it is His will that you be sanctified. 

This was written to gentiles that had been influenced by the Jewish teaching.  The majority of the Greeks there resisted the message of the Messiah.  There were those that had been converted to know that there is only one true God that would someday send a messiah.  When Paul preached about Jesus they realized, “I want to be saved.”  They had been raised in a heathen culture.

We are challenged this morning, “God we want to possess our body in sanctification and honor.”  Each of us has opportunities every so often where we make a choice, “Do I want to possess my vessel in sanctification and honor or do I want to be my own man or woman?”

There are some that through their personality or experiences want to row their own boat and be in charge or their lives. 

We understand that but the bible teaches, “Possess your body in sanctification and honor.”  “God, I have been cleansed in salvation from the old man.  I have been cleansed in sanctification, and God I want to be set apart for you.”

An earthen vessel is something that is created.  It has gone through many processes as Brother Jim taught us.  It is beat, it has various things removed, it has gone through the kiln and not cracked, and now it is very useful. 

So it is for everyone that God thinks of in the world.  Being a vessel of honor is not just for special people.  God is not a God that is a respecter of persons.  The issue is:  Will we choose to be a vessel to honor?  Will we choose to realize that God is speaking to us? 

I believe that God speaks to individuals in childhood.  I believe that God speaks to teenagers.  There will be a lot of voices.  There will be a lot of instructors.  There will be people that will give them the best of their counsel but it is contrary to what God has for them.

There will be those that will look on the youth and say, “As gifted as you are you should do this or that.”  They are telling it from their point of view.  There is a God in heaven that has a specific plan.

This is the will of God even your sanctification…

The beauty of being cleansed.  I am told that there was a proverb that an older Native American man said to a younger, “There are two wolves in you: a good and a bad.”  The younger asked, “Which will I be?”  The older replied, “The one that you feed.”

In the gospel it speaks of the inward foe, the nature of wrath.  It can be eradicated and you can be cleansed.  Sanctification is twofold, it takes the rebellion, the anger, the self, and all that the self-life produces.  But sanctification also sets you apart for God.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

You may wonder, “Define the treasure.”  In the preceding verse he spoke of light, we think of the treasure of God and Jesus and salvation.  All that is of God is a real treasure. 

You and I are the earthen vessels.  In the kingdom of God there is neither male nor female.  You sisters are earthen vessels just like the brothers are.  The children are earthen vessels.  If there is one that would think, “I am just an old grandmother.”  No you are not.  You are a precious earthen vessel.

God in His mercy helped this earthen vessel to get saved and sanctified.  Now it says that we are an earthen vessel that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.  We have the power to live so that our testimony is the same at home as it is at church. 

It is the same when everything goes wrong.  Your testimony remains right and is unmarred.

Tit 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

We go to Missoula often.  Every time we get to go and see our grandchildren there is something that is filled in my heart. 

There is this alley in Missoula that I drive often to  buy my wife a latte.  I see there a man that reminds me of what I would have been if I had not gotten saved.  I see him sitting in the same spot week after week.  He shows the journey of a very hard life.  I would be there. 

It is according to His mercy that He saved us by the washing of regeneration.  This is being washed by the blood of the Lamb and coming alive to God. 

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Titus 3:5 By the renewing of the Holy Ghost.  I remember as a child how convicted I was of being naughty.  I thank God that that conviction came back to me when I got older.  I was under conviction when I got saved.  I thank God for it. 

There is a goal in my life to keep conviction real in my life.  The way to do this is to humble yourself when you are convicted.  When you are convicted then ask God to forgive you.  If you hurt someone then ask them to forgive you. 

If you as a couple speak harshly to the other then clear it up quickly.  Say, “I am sorry.”  Don’t blame them, “I am sorry but it is your fault.”  No.  Say, “I am sorry.

Tit 3:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Kindness and the love of God:  Isn’t it marvelous that He was so kind?

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

This is the experience of that earthen vessel, sanctified, set apart, and cleansed by the washing of the Word.  Isn’t it wonderful how God’s Word produces?  It produces clarity of heart, a cleansing of being set apart. 

It produces:

Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Isn’t it wonderful to live without condemnation?  To know, “I did my best this last week.  I know I am saved, and sanctified.” 

It delivers you from oppression.  If you let what is going on in the world affect you then you will be oppressed and depressed.  If you let what is going on in most families affect you, it is depressing.  There are a lot of depressing things. 

Psa 87:7  As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.

The world will leave you looking down but David said, “My expectation is from God.”

Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

There is something within that saved and sanctified soul, “I want to walk so that I don’t let the flesh spot me so that I don’t have it in my mind to say “I will have my own way no matter what.””  God will let you have your own way but it is too expensive. 

We want to walk without wrinkle or blemish on our testimony. 

Sanctified and cleansed by the washing of the water of the word.  The result of the purging, if any men purge himself of these he shall be a vessel to honor and meet for the mastor’s use.

2Ti 2:21  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

God’s plan is so perfect.  We were all sold under sin and had come short of the glory of God.  He made a way that we could be cleansed and made a vessel of honor to God.