Encounter Church Hawaii

Join us every week as we unpack Peter's final letter to the Church.

Pastor TJ kicks off our new series on 2 Peter. Join us every week as we unpack Peter's final letter to the Church.

Transcription:

God is awesome. So blessed in this Kingdom Gold Series…

Lya: Jesus as the realization of the Father on earth Ashok: Faith Jade: Freedom Carlo: Don’t worry Mike: Grace of God

Don’t worry, you have freedom from sin and death and have been granted the grace of God through faith in Jesus, who is the very image of God the Father.

As I was practicing Being with God, asked what He wanted to share. True Jesus fashion, answered with a ?? He asked me what I felt He was teaching me. Without a doubt: How to constantly fail at being holy.

Not struggling with my identity as a holy son from head knowledge, but an active experiential knowledge of holiness and walking in it daily.

Who feels holy? I don’t ever feel holy. My son challenges ability to walk in holiness daily.

I’m realizing: ever increasing sensitivity to His holiness in my life and deepening desire to live holy as he has empowered me through relationship with Jesus. But feel holy? Not so much. The only Holy I feel is Holy failure.

Title of message is: Set Free To Be Holy: How to live out our holy identity.

Let’s define some words:

Definitions: Holiness the state or quality of being holy Sacred or set apart; Dedicated to the service or worship of God

Identity: noun the condition of being oneself, and not another: condition or character as to who a person is; the qualities, beliefs, etc., that distinguish or identify a person

Holiness is the unique identity of God - He alone is holy. Get that straight! Separate from God we are all just helpless piles of sin.

We through Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit now have access to His holiness.

As I approach Jesus’s perfection/holiness, magnifying glass on my personal imperfection. more I approach His holiness = more magnified my own sin

“As we approach holiness, seriously - we see that His moral perfection and infinite hatred of sin leaves us with utter dismay because of our lack of holiness.” Jerry Bridges

To be holy: expectant command, way of the Christian’s life. “Be holy, for I the Lord am holy”. Christians to live out holiness, conspicuous

3 identities To start to understand holiness as our identity, look at the 3 identities of a believer: picture of the gospel, then look at a biblical principle for walking in our identity of holiness.

First Identity Who we were created to be: Designed Holy Identity Gen 1:26 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Our original designed identity was to be fully with God, in perfect communion, united, and perfect. We were originally created to walk with him in wonderful relationship. It was an identity of holiness.

Second Identity 2. What we were born into: Fallen Sinful Identity Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned

Adam sinned and broke that communion which transferred a fallen, skewed identity to the rest of mankind. Now man is born into a sinful reality. Broken and separated from God with no opportunity in himself to reconcile.

Third identity 3. Who Christ redeems us to be: Redeemed Holy Identity Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

God destined Jesus from the beginning to come down from heaven and redeem us back to our rightful place through baptism into his death on the cross. Through his blood we are cleansed, we are made holy, we are redeemed back to our rightful place in His Kingdom. Holiness is who we are and what we are to pursue.

Jesus’ life in both an example for us to follow and an opportunity for us to live out. Jesus knew the father, in knowing the father, he knew how to be and what to do. If we know Jesus, then we should know: Being Holy is not just our position, it’s our pursuit.

The Be-Do is this: BEing in Jesus, BEing with Jesus, and BEing who Jesus declares us to be is the essence of holiness. It’s the transformative pursuit of God’s holiness in our lives. BEcause BEing who God created us to BE and calls us into BEing is an invitation to live out our true identity as holy sons and daughters of the one true God.

Being with Jesus reveals my example of holiness Being with Jesus strengthens me to battle against my sinful flesh, and walk in holiness Being who Jesus has created me to be, through His blood, is to actively be holy

Holiness, because of salvation, is my life’s pursuit. - “Be holy, for I am holy.”

The degree of God’s holiness I access and reveal through my life is up to me.

Holiness is decreed over me, but is also a table set before me. I can choose to eat and strengthen myself in order to live out his holiness, or I can starve and struggle.

Without active pursuit of holiness: Redeemed but languishing. Empowered yet emaciated.

BUT SINCE I am (holy, righteous, redeemed, his son) then I am to comport my life in such a way that reflects and reveals His holiness, which I have open access to. Set free to be holy.

Now the DO, Out of all of that BEing I am drawn to do: The principle to live holy lives is this: OWN -> DENY -> OBEY -> TRAIN -> REPEAT

[say it with me]

Take Ownership: Holy Responsibility [OWN SLIDE] Leviticus 11:45 (ESV): For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Romans 6:8-11 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

I need to take responsibility for the holiness I have access to. I need to take full ownership/responsibility for the state of my heart and emotions daily, I need to seek his heart, I need to draw near to Him, I need to make Him, and being with Him, the priority in my life. My personal holiness is reflected in the amount of focus I have on Jesus.

A.W. Tozer: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

When I take ownership of the amount of holiness I reflect in my life, I actively pursue the heart of Jesus to work in and through all of me.

Deny: Holy Rejection [DENY SLIDE] Ephesians 4:22 (ESV): …put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, Matthew 16:24 (ESV): Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Jesus himself tells us that denial is part of our walk.

Romans 6:12-14 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

“The consistent teaching of Christ Himself and of His apostles is that when self is denied Christ ascends the throne, assumes the responsibility, and by His own in dwelling through the Holy Spirit communicates all the power necessary to obedience.” G. Campbell Morgan

In our self denial, we give up any ownership to self and yield everything to Jesus. In denial I abandon my ego, my will, my strength, in all ways, at all times to the Son, Jesus Christ.

With my everything in denial, Jesus is able to fill the center of my being with his Spirit, directing me in all ways at all times towards holiness.

Denial makes less of me, and more of Jesus. It prioritizes Jesus over my affections of self. Unless I first deny, I can’t obey.

Obey: Holy Surrender [OBEY SLIDE]

Ephesians 4:23-24 (ESV): 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness Romans 6:17-19 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. KJV: holiness.

Jesus calls us to obedience John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”

And models it for us in the garden: Mark 14:36 (ESV): “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

It’s summarized in the greatest commandment: “Love God with all your heart mind soul and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.” To obey God is to love God. If we say we love, without obedience, we lie to God and ourselves.

A life of DISobedience is a life of self-centeredness and a declaration of war to God.

A life of obeDIEnce is a life reflective of Jesus and empowered with the Holy Spirit in all holiness.

Train: Holy Discipline [TRAIN SLIDE]

Hebrews 12:11 (ESV): For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Philippians 2:12-13 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Greek word there for “work out” means is katergazomai which means “to continually work to bring something to completion or fruition.” Train. Discipline.

A disciple has discipline in holiness. We must discipline ourselves to be obedient daily. Train to be holy. Train to be righteous. Train for all God calls us to in His word. Training is a mindset of doing through being. He empowers us to do! And when we train ourselves to be holy, we desire more of him.

OWN DENY OBEY TRAIN REPEAT: When I take Ownership that Jesus has made me holy through his shed blood that leads me to Deny my self, flesh, and affections of anything unholy which allows me to Obey God’s word, will and way which activates my Training in holiness through obedience to walk out the holiness of God in my life, which increases my ability to take even more ownership, and so on.

Holiness is not just our position, it is our pursuit. It is how we become the fullness of who God has intended us to be.

We have been set free, to be holy. Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification (holiness) and its end, eternal life.

Activation Questions:

What is God telling you about your identity of holiness? Where in your life is God inviting you to own, deny, obey, and or train your holiness?

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John 1:14-17

[14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. [15] (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) [16] For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. [17] For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:21-24

[21] But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—[22] the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

An experiential encounter with the Loving Christ WILL change your life.

We don’t want to point you to someplace we have not been.

Lya - we have a good good father

Ashok - how do I deal with unbelief

Jade - freedom we have been set free

Carlo - seek first His kingdom

These discoveries are about a person, Jesus Christ, that will change your life

Grace will change your life

We’re familiar with the word, it’s safe to keep as a word

When it becomes the presence of the living God in my soul - it becomes real for the first time.

It’s not a concept, it’s not a word. It’s a reality. Because God is a God of grace.

We live in a world of ungrace

How hard for us to believe that true grace is real?

What’s so amazing about grace? We believe it’s too good to be true. It’s amazing because it’s freely given because of the amazing character of God himself.

Undeserved favor

Grace is an outside gift that has nothing to do with what we deserve, merit, or can earn.

God says there is no limit to my grace

John 1:16 Grace upon grace

Phillip Yancey: Grace means there is nothing I can do to make God love me more, there is nothing I can do to make god love me less.

Everything in life says we have to earn God’s grace. But it’s not true.

God is gracious!

“God does not become gracious to me because Jesus died for me. Jesus died for me because God is gracious to me.”

Exodus 34:6; Psalm 103:8, 111:4

He came here so that we might receive the fullness of his grace.

Our soul condition before God, was drowning.

What is your theological view:

Has God sent you a life preserver or rescuer?

Mike was the son.

Because the father had known the grace of God, he was able to show it to his son: Mike.

What is the kingdom gold?

Ephesians 2:8-9

[8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Galatians 2:21

[21] I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

2 Corinthians 5:21

[21] For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Romans 3: 23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Would you allow Grace to embrace you?

Would you respond to the grace that is offered to you?

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“Dad, it’s ok, be patient! Patience is a fruit of the spirit!”

I got checked so hard by my 5 yr old son…

I am a healed and redeemed worrier

The people that know me best, know that I worry!

God was testing me: because if I was going to teach it, I better believe it!

Worry is the feeling of uneasiness or beiung overly concerned about a situation or problem. With excessive worrying, your mind and body go into overdrive as you constantly FOCUS on “WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.”

We worry and focus and spend so much energy on something that hasn’t even happened.

85% of the things that people worry about, never happen.

I face worry daily

Worry becomes a problem when…

When it overwhelms us

When it consumes us

When it becomes the center of your life

Ultimately worry blinds us and causes us to lose trust in God.

When we worry we forget about God

We forget about who He is

These worries could be good things in our lives

Could be unprofitable - self image, approval, etc…

What causes us to worry:

We don’t fully trust or believe God will take care of us
We forget God is all powerful
We try to control our lives, outcomes and circumstances
We forget how much God loves us

God wants us to let go. Literally of all of it. To put our trust in Him.

There is an answer to our worry!

“"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:25-27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

How much more are we valuable in this earth, to our maker?!

We who bear the fathers image, aren’t we more valuable?!

Can worry add an hour to our lives?!

Jesus calls us out!

Worry gives us something to do, but we never go anywhere!

Worry is a thief. Not a contributor.

“And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:28-30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Grass?! I take care of the grass, how much more will I take care of you?!

O you of little faith!!!

This is not new to God!

But we still question. We still doubt.

God has done it before, He will do it again!

The fact that it’s not new, and what we believe here, influences how we move forward in life.

How do we overcome worry and begin to trust in God?

This is the answer:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33-34‬ ‭ESV‬‬

His kingdom

His righteousness

These need to be the main focus of our lives!

This dispels all worry! This brings the provision of God.

We have to SEEK - it’s an action. An unrelenting pursuit! Urgently pursue all of God!

How do we seek him first!

Acknowledge who He is!: Psalms 46:10 Be still and know that I am God
Remember what He’s done
Confess our weakness
Surrender our outcomes to Him
Invite others in

Activation questions:

What are some of the worries that are overwhelming our lives?
What can I do now to start trusting God?

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Mom fought to hold onto Indian Christian tradition

Ashok and sibling were very American as they grew up

A lot of contention in home through this

How much faith is required to see God answer prayers?

Mark 9:14-19

[14] And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. [15] And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. [16] And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” [17] And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. [18] And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” [19] And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.”

Mark 9:20-24

[20] And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. [21] And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. [22] And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” [23] And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” [24] Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Jesus’ fame is well spread. The father is desperate. Disciples cannot help. Everything has failed for the boy.

Jesus challenges the man’s lack of faith. The father understands that he is being challenged in his faith. The father responds truthfully and says he believes and asks for help for his unbelief.

He was struggling and truthful.

The father is literally asking for more faith to believe.

Mark 9:25-29

[25] And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” [26] And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” [27] But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. [28] And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” [29] And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Against all odds. The fathers smallest faith request was heard.

The disciples were dismayed.

Jesus challenged the man, but also encourages him to hope again.

And the man prays: help my unbelief!

God is bigger than our faith

His answers are bigger

He loves his children regardless of our levels of faith

We ask God: can you do this? And he says all things are possible for he who believes.

Application questions:

What are the obstacles in your life that keep you from trusting God more than you do?

What areas in life do you find the hardest to have faith in God?

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Galatians 5:1-14

We want you to encounter God, everywhere in your life

We want to move from spectators to participators in the kingdom

Our gathering nights are the huddle: the real game is out of these walls

When you think of the word “freedom” what do you think about?

We have to take our freedom in Christ just as seriously as a nation takes its freedom and protects it.

The Galatians started to learn and believe that they had to work towards their salvation. Paul is angry.

Someone preached a different gospel and they believed it.

Jesus set us free from:

Performance (law and works) - Galatians 5:3-4, Galatians 3:18 - but we stand on promise
Lies - Galatians 5:7-9 - we stand on gods truth
Sin - Galatians 4:3-7, Romans 6:10-11, 14 - we stand on sonship

Activation questions

What Is keeping you imprisoned today?

Remind yourself you’ve been set free

Take every thought captive (2 Cor 10:5)
Watch your intake (Matt 5:29-30)
Invite someone in (Galatians 6:2)
Live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25)

2 Corinthians 10:3-4

[3] For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. [4] For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

Your freedom is not just for you, our freedom is to share with and free others

Our freedom is to love one another

Our freedom is to give to the world the love of God

Galatians 5:22-23

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Response:

Say it: I’m in bondage to ________

Break it: in Jesus name I break ______ over my life

Shake it: I turn from _________ and it no longer has dominion over me, I have been set free.

Walk it: help me Holy Spirit to walk this out, in your power Holy Spirit I am empowered to walk this out.

Private:

My own inaction and lack of holding on to and walking out in the truth of God’s word for me as His heir. I have not fully believed, in my heart that all of his promises and power is for me as well.

Galatians 5:1

Don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery

I would continuously submit again to slavery. Over and over again.

Say it: I’m in bondage to “my unrighteous anger, expectations, and desires”

Break it: in Jesus name I break the lie of “my unrighteous anger, expectations, and desires” over my life

Shake it: I turn and run from “my unrighteous anger, expectations, and desires” and they no longer have dominion over me, I have been set free.

Walk it: Help me in your power Holy Spirit,I am empowered to walk this out. I am no longer in bondage to this or anything not of you father.

I no longer see me as “I think” I am, but I see and am who “God says” I am.

When I have theses thoughts, I will yield all to the Spirit. I am free.

I am only who God has declared me to be in Jesus. Simply a son of the most high with all privileges and honor and power given to me through the blood of his son. I bear my cross daily as he bore for me so that I crucify the flesh and experience his power and freedom. I declare what is dead to be dead and what is alive to be alive.

I am not a victim, I am a victor.

What is his, is mine! Not because I have said it, but because he has declared it in power and I can only receive it!

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Lya Vegh

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