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Complete Sermon Notes
The Power of Purity
INTRO: ACTS of the Holy Spirit using pure vessels: Pure in heart and action
We have to remove the pollutants. Water from the curb or from your sink? The sink still has minor pollutants.
THE POWER – OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE – 18 yrs. Of Silence
When we put good food in, we want to continue consuming healthy food [we feel better] – it’s the same with spiritual principles. IT’S HARD TO BREAK THE CYCLE.
As Purity Increases, so does spiritual power and unity – purity grows the church; faith is increased and demonic strongholds are obliterated.
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ACTS 5:12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
POWER It appears that the apostles had powers beyond normal believers [seasons of outpouring]. They were young in the faith but walked in purity.
UNITY “Often, the fact that God’s people are together all with one accord is a greater display of the power of the Holy Spirit than any particular sign or wonder. Our hearts and minds can be harder to move than any mountain!” ~ David Gusik
COST “None of the rest dared join them” – count the cost of purity.
A proper understanding of dying to self is crucial – the price of being Chosen and called and used is often suffering. From the children of Israel to Moses and Joshua and John the Baptist and Jesus and Stephen the first deacon.
CHURCH GROWTH – “Added to the Lord” – Pastor Cho leads the World’s Largest Church with 7 Sunday services!
FAITH The shadow of Peter – there’s no power in the shadow or in the garment – but God allowed it; maybe a step of faith: Noah built, Moses delivered, and Joshua entered.
Calvin – “The Papists are deceiving by the wrong use they make of this, not only to get support for false miracles, which they say take place at the tombs of martyrs, but to vaunt their relics to us.”
FAITH – trust in God’s word and His promises.
PRESUMPTION – making assumptions [assuming] and it usually involves rushing vs. waiting.
HEALED – the closer you draw to God via purity, the more you know His will. Jesus didn’t pray for everyone.
TORMENTED Tormented by unclean spirits – experience severe mental or physical suffering – plagued, haunted, distressed, or agony.
The vast majority of those I know who are tormented, are not walking in purity.
A brief look at Purity in the Bible
A defiled temple
A defiled conscience “To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled” (Titus 1:15).
Hebrew – ZAKU – clean and innocent in God’s sight. TAHOR (taw-hore’) – ceremonially and physically. / Greek – HAGNEIA – Purity by example (1 Timothy). Purity in Christ.
Job 4:17 Can mankind be just before God? Can a man be pure before his Maker?
Psalm 18:26 With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.
1 John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Psalm 24:3-4 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place?
James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
“Blessed are the pure in heart”: I’m hungry for more of You.
A. THE DEFILED – to mar or to desecrate God’s image in us
1 Cor. 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
Prov. 20:9 Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin”?
GODDE PASS – It’s impossible to drive off Godde Pass and not be changed – it’s impossible for you to experience God and not be changed.
B. THE UNDEFILED – The undefiled have been cleansed by the blood of Christ – but they can dabble and fall back into defilement – repentance cleanses.
CLOSING PRAYER TIME – Recommit to Purity – He’s a covenant keeping God. God says do this and I will do this.
From “If my people” to “I will pour water…”
From a small book, When God Stepped Down from Heaven.
He stood up and said, “Lord you made a promise – are you going to fulfill it? We believe that you are a covenant keeping God – will you be true to your Covenant? You said that you WILL pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. Lord I do not know about these others, but I know my own heart. I’m telling you right here and right now that I’m thirsty. I am thirsty for a manifestation of the presence and power of God. And Lord, before I sit down, I want to tell you that your honor is at stake.”
IF YOU PURSUE Him YOU WILL FIND Him
IF YOU CALL on Him He WILL ANSWER
IF YOU COME HOME prodigal son HE WILL RESTORE YOU
IF YOU’RE thirsty HE WILL SATISFY
IF YOU’RE BROKEN He will mend.
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