Sermon-w11

Scripture Reading (NIV):
Ex 19: 1 - 20
1 ¶ In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the
same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
2 For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had
pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying,
Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and
brought you unto myself.
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a
peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words
which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all
these words which the LORD commanded him.
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.
And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
9 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people
may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the
people unto the LORD.
10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to
morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight
of all the people upon mount Sinai.
12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves,
that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall
be surely put to death:
13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it
be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the
mount. {trumpet: or, cornet}
14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and
they washed their clothes.
15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
16 ¶ And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and
lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so
that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at
the nether part of the mount.
18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in
fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount
quaked greatly.
19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses
spake, and God answered him by a voice.
20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD
called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.

Hebrew 12:18 - 29
18 ¶ For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor
unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated
that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch
the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:
21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to
God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, {written: or, enrolled}
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that
speaketh better things than that of Abel. {covenant: or, testament}
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that
spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from
heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I
shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as
of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. {are shaken:
or, may be shaken}
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby
we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: {let…: or, let us hold fast}
29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Gal 5:1, 13 - 25
1 ¶ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

13 ¶ For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the
flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. {ye…: or, fulfil
not}
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are
contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before,
as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. {affections:
or, passions}
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Message

When God speaks with a voice of thunder, He’s calling us to live a life of Holiness, dedicated
unto him. Like Moses, Elijah , Isaiah, Paul and John... God is calling us to listen to His voice,
linger in His presence and go forth in His name. God is calling us to be the light and the salt
in the world that has lost itself.

God has called us to be a Holy “set apart” people. Wholly His; wholly dedicated to Him
without reservation. This means consecration. A consecrated man/woman has given his/her
all, is lost in God. God is looking for a people who will give themselves to Him in total
consecration.

Generally when people give themselves to God they go to one of two categories (theologies).
They either emphasis the freedom Christ brings or they emphasis the need to obey God’s
laws. Both are true and right when they are correctly understood.

Often those that emphasize obedience more towards legalism and those that emphasize
freedom move towards carnality. The legalists or Pharisees who believe they are Righteous
and Holy because of what they do (and they tell people) and those who love freedom
emphasize they are free to do anything and not bound by laws and end up in carnality and
sin. (They feel people should hear God for themselves.)

God is addressing both groups here, come to mount Zion with 1000 upon 1000 in joyful
assembly. If you really want to obey God you are called to be free, truly free in Christ. If you
want to be truly free you need to obey God’s call to Holy Living - the two are essential.

God is calling us - like the people of Israel to consecrate themselves - they were to ascend
the hill, but only when they were ready.

Seven aspects of holiness in our process of consecration with the Lord:

1.        Our Choices
2.        Our Beliefs
3.        Our Company
4.        The Word
5.        Prayer
6.        Conquering the Flesh
7.        Worship
1.Our Choices

The choices you make, make you! Charles Gordon’s book.
Our lives consists of millions of decisions, some made consciously, some unconsciously.
We make them and we are responsible.

2.        Our Beliefs

What do you believe? Just this question has changed my life when I’ve been willing or wise
enough to ask it.

3.        Our Company

Your company makes you. We behave like the people we spend time with. Check out your
company.

4.The Word

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Reading scripture daily aloud is a
constant check, balance and plumb line.

5.Prayer

There are different types of prayer
        Asking
        Seeking
        Soaking
        Proclamation
        Faith for healing
        Loving
        Warfare
        Praying scriptures

Most people (1) ask God for things and many (2) give thanks. There is a great need for the
body of Christ to discover prayer and use it.

Don’t pray when you feel like it, pray what you feel.
6.Conquering the Flesh

Follow after the Spirit and you will not gratify the flesh. The flesh and the Spirit are at war - if
you obey the one you hurt the other and you get its rewards.

7.Worship

The highest path to holiness is love.

Love God in worship,
Love God in worship,
Love God in worship!

Without holiness no man will see God. Without love there is no holiness because holiness
has its root and foundation in love.

The highest path of worship is to love God and obey Him.

Church on the Way.

God is Still Calling! 13/03/05 Sermon - week 11

St. Georges Presbyterian Church Bluff, Durban, South Africa.