"Keep Doing What You’re Doing" By Bob Heirtzler October 1st,
2017
Good morning, church. What a beautiful October day! All that heat is gone away. And, like Ashley says, I think winter is going to be here next week, the way it is around here, but there is warmer weather coming. I'm very thankful, and it's an honor to be here today. I am very thankful that God gives me the opportunity to share His Word. And, also the opportunity to work with my leadership here: Parrish Lee, and Andy Giebler. My theme Scripture today is in Exodus chapter forty, verse thirteen. Thanks Malcolm. Exodus forty, verse thirteen says:
Exodus 40:13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
The section that I have today is about sanctifying yourself. I remember when I first came around, October 1979—so, this is a precious month to me—that I sat down in the Bible study, and one of the first Scriptures that they shared with me was that day is that. I had to think about what's the holy garment and what's the unholy garment basically, and the first scripture that I remember Jim Ottoson sat down with me was in First John, chapter two, verses fifteen through seventeen:
1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
So, I had to learn that, if they shared a scripture with me about lust and things of temptation, there had to be a way out of it, and I didn't know what it was yet. I mean, if God shared this and God has never left me empty handed at the end of the day. If something's happening, there's got to be an outcome, here. The other scripture was in Romans, twelve, verses one and two, that he says, here:
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [Just your reasonable service, huh?] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
So they shared these Scriptures with me and I knew there had to be another section. So, how do I get this? How do I get this holy garment upon me, just like Aaron? We have an Aaron here; I was going to use him, today, but, short notice. How do I get this holy garment upon me, now? And I turned to John fourteen, verse twenty-six.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
So, now that I know there's a teaching process. I have to be taught something to get this holy thing upon my life. How do I get this holy garment upon my life? Back then, they placed it on Aaron, so how do I get it today? We go to Acts, chapter two, verse thirty-eight. It says:
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
So, I had to get baptized in Jesus’ name to get this holy garment upon my life. Not just upon me, but through me. I had to let go of my past and move forward. A lot of us have been in that same boat in this room. When we get baptized, we let our past go, and God forgives and forgets. It's kind of funny that nothing but the blood of Jesus washes our sins away. I asked my niece, she's a forensic scientist, when you go to a murder scene, is there still traces of blood, even though they did thorough cleaning, and tried to cover it up? She said, “There is always blood left behind.” But just think about this for a moment: God's blood cleans us as white as snow. There is no traces of sin in our lives, ever again; it is gone. He forgets our past, it’s gone, He gives us a fresh start, that holy garment that's upon us. The second part is about, to be anointed of God.
To Be Anointed of God
If we turn to Luke, chapter four, verse eighteen. And I want everybody to do an exercise with me: every time it says me a point to yourself like this. Okay, Luke, chapter four, verse eighteen.
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
He has something for me to do. And, all of us as a group, too. In First Peter, chapter two, verses nine and ten. Why did he do that? It's because:
1 Peter 2:9-10 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
He called us from darkness, wherever that darkness was at, and put us in the light. It doesn't matter about our past. It doesn't matter; God cleans it up, and we move on. It doesn't matter if we have someone like Parrish has shared, he came from a Muslim background, how that God had to constantly chip away at that thing around his heart, that He could reach him—He got to him, that he could be saved, and we've got a country boy over here, Andy. Both of them had to do the same thing to accept God. So, it doesn't matter who we are or where we come from. We all have to go through the same door and that’s baptism in Jesus’ name to make it to Heaven. It doesn't matter. That's the Word. It says in John, four, twenty-four:
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
God has taught us that we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. And, then, God has to sanctify us, which we talked about in the previous month of September. And Second Thessalonians, chapter two, verses thirteen through fifteen.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
God has chosen each and every one of us to salvation through sanctification of the spirit that believed the truth. God has cleaned us up so that we can move forward in the Truth. I was raised that there was three gods; I realized there wasn't. I was raised that I had to tell the guy behind the curtain all my sins; I realized I didn't have to do that. I was already telling the Guy upstairs all my sins; He already knew. I didn't have to tell anybody. Things I was brought up, I go, "Oh, I don't have to do that no more?” The first time I ever—I wasn't allowed to read the Bible when I was in the other church I was at. I'm not going to name the church. The preacher did the reading for us, so how do I know he was telling me the truth? We were told he was telling us the truth; found out he wasn't telling us the truth. And, when the pastor here, Pastor Davis, here, took the Bible, I guess God pricked his heart because he turned the Bible around, pushed it at me and said, "Here, read it for yourself.” I said, "Oh, I can read the Bible myself?” I saw baptism in Jesus’ name. I saw things and I said okay. He says in verse fourteen:
2 Thessalonians 2:14-15 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, [So, what we've been taught we have to have been teached by somebody, right?] whether by word, or our epistle.
So, whether somebody preaches a message, or writes letters to us, or even Bible studies, it teaches us to know the truth, amen? God is good today. God is good every day. God was good yesterday. But yesterday's not here no more. God is good today. So, now, why did He do all this? So we can keep on doing what we're doing, which is the title today, to minister one to another. We've already heard testimonies this morning on how to minister one to another. Matthew, chapter five, verse sixteen:
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Let's keep shining our lights for people around us. Let's keep doing what we're doing. Why? because we're not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Romans, chapter one, verse sixteen:
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Why? because all Scripture... In Galatians, two, twenty—I'm sorry, I'm going too fast. I'm not ashamed to take a stand to say:
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
We are crucified with Christ when we get baptized. When we need prayer, I've already heard it, we've already said it this morning. The prayers that came up this whole month of September we saw the healing side of it. Any sick among you? go to the elders of the church. If it’s not a Sunday, then call someone on a Monday. Call someone on a Tuesday. Yesterday, I was a breakfast fellowship with Kirk. We were talking about a woman named Virginia that called it two in the morning, when I had the phone watch there at the church. She said I need prayer and she gave me a whole list. I didn't hear her breathe once. She just la la la la la la la. And I consciously wrote things down, so that I could make sure that I covered everything that she asked, and then I said a prayer for her right away, and she said, "Thank you, I needed that. Good bye.” I said, "Okay.” Call to the elders of the church when you need prayer. So if you need prayer at two in the morning or two in the afternoon, call somebody, text somebody, you know? They might not get that message right away, but they'll get the message. Does that make sense? And we need to what? In second Timothy, two, fifteen. We need to still do what we're doing.
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
That's in second Timothy, two, fifteen. Why? Because all scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). God has given us the Bible, the Word of God to study from. Not a catalog, not a fishing magazine, not Encyclopedia Britannica, not Google whatever, not whatever else is out there. But the Word of God is what we are going to be judged by, basically—not basically, it is, that's what we're going to be judged by. And, keep going, here, it said, in Titus, two, one.
Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
We all have to be on the same page together and share the word. If one person does one thing, and another person does another thing, we're not on the same page. That's why we have leaders to make sure that things are going as smooth as it is, and they have to answer to their leaders. Does that make sense? So, I will go back to the beginning. Exodus, forty, thirteen.
Exodus 40:13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
In closing, we need to have the holy garment upon use holy—through baptism in Jesus' name—to be anointed by the Holy Ghost in our daily lives, and be sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and prepared to minister and to serve others. Amen?
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