LifeSong Church of the Nazarene

Date:  November 11, 2019

Special Guest Minister:  Reverend Bill Cox

Personal Holiness

Ezekiel 44:10-17

Worship is ushering ourselves in his presence. Don’t care if you like it…It’s not about you it’s about Him!

Read: Ezekiel 44:10-17 Good news this morning

• Exodus 28:42 detailed description Trousers from waist to thigh call linen “underwear” not to sweat

What in the world are we gonna talk about today? I do want to communicate a fresh word from the Lord. If you will lean in the Lord will give you a first time or new perspective on this passage. I don’t have a title for the sermon yet…. maybe together we can figure it out.

• Eli was in the priesthood and had forgotten what the priesthood was all about. The bible says Eli was very heavy, Obese, fat…the scripture was describing him physically and spiritually, Eli has become consumed with flesh. The bible says he was lazy undisciplined blind lost his vision. He had been in ministry so long he became fleshly, undisciplined he has no vision and he would not discipline his sons. They were totally immoral he would not straighten them out…call them out for sleeping with woman in the church. Eli was a mess spiritually and he was in the priesthood and his family was a mess too. Doing church stuff while all kinds of immorality was going on.

I’ve got good news this morning but first we must address the bad news so relax

1. Personal sin according to this passage does not stop ministry in a person

• This is a “Mystery” to many of us to watch people minister with amazing gifts that God had given them and even under an anointing and yet privately they were living in sin. It puzzles people.

Romans 11:29  “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” When God gives a gift he does not take it back. He does not say no longer will this gift work. Bad sin can be happening for a season God will allow that person to continue to function as normal. You might say that’s a good sermon for ministers but I’m not a minister I’m not a priest. Well the bible says in

• Revelation 1:4-6 says “you’re a priesthood of believers” it not an elite group of priests and ministers… all of us are ministers. According to Revelation if you’re a believer you’re a priest unto our God.

• Ecclesiastes 8:11 “because judgement is delayed men think they get away with it. When your attitude as a believer becomes it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission, you’re in trouble. When our attitude become, I’m not asking I’m going to do it you’re in trouble

• Sometimes we look at people with great gifts blessing and anointing outwardly we see success outwardly we see great things and God using them BUT if were not careful we think we can judge by the outward and the truth is they may seem like a wonderful man of God but you may need to ask their wife you may need to ask their children.

In this text Gods was saying I see there are two priesthoods that are in my house that are in my temple.

• One is the priesthood of Eli there off their wrong and they are not living right They are ministering, and I will use them for a season. I’m still gonna let them minister in my house. BUT NOTICE in the text Gods says they will minister to them but will not come near to me. Because I love my people so much if they can sing play teach preach use their gifts I’ll give them time to repent I’ll offer a path back….but the gifts are used to benefit my people only ministering to the people because I love them. The word wont return void. Singing can be about Jesus and change a person’s life and how there they are living calling upon the Lord to be saved……. God’s gifts are without repentance. God loves his people so much he’ll use a donkey, a big fish to reach his people.

Eli priesthood is impure living a life of compromise saying I can live like I want, and my gifts still work. Judgement doesn’t immediately come. LISTEN God could be blessing your socks off Business person, your gift may be in spite of personal sin. Merciful gracious God long suffering and patience with us waiting on repentance.

• Ezek 44:11 minister before them but you will not draw not near to me. ELI priesthood will flow through to the people, but you will not come near to me God said. You will not have intimacy with me in my Holy place. SCARY hit me. Outward performance apart from God.

• I could be drunk last night, and my gift would still work I could be running around and for a season my gifts will be effective for the people but YOU WILL NOT DRAW CLOSE TO GOD he will keep me at arm’s length.

Question. What Kind of priesthood do you want to be? Do you want a walk that looks religious outwardly and everybody thinks one thing but personally your unclean?

An outward relationship but far from God? I want to have a good life that enjoys life has fun is blessed is successful ..but more than that I want to be pure I want to be clean be holy like Jesus I want to be sanctified and set apart

Title of the Sermon ARE YOU NASTY?

• I can’t tell by how successful you are, I can’t tell by how you sing I cant tell by how religious you look ushering, playing instruments, making the bulletin, showing up and sitting in your holy seat…the issue is when God looks beyond the surface to the inside does he see the linen underwear personal holiness in areas in life that people cannot see!

The Eli priesthood is corrupt and unclean…BUT THEN there is the priesthood in verse 15 the Levites that have kept my charge they shall come near to me they shall minister to me They shall be clothed with linen underwear because I don’t want them to sweat….mans curse from Adam for sinning you will have to now produce instead of getting provision. Coming near to God is not done by our work our sweat its done by his wiliness for us to be holy set apart and our love response of conforming to His desires personal holiness. The Priesthood of Zadok who kept charge of my sanctuary.

Nobody knows what you are wearing under your priestly garment?

Nobody knows what color your underwear are, and were not gonna check! Nobody knows if you have underwear on. Only God and you know and that is what he is saying in the text! Only God and you know personally if you are living the life.

Remember growing up and going to fancy place .GRANNY PUT ON YOUR GOOD UNDERWEAR YOU MIGHT BE IN A WRECK.

• Underwear doesn’t show external only you and God know if you have it on or not.
• God is talking about personal holiness its private personal its internal
• God says there are two relationships you can have with me. Both want a relationship with God or they would be in the house. There are two types of believers here today outer court relationship saved back slidden refuse to clean up internal life. God says I’ll use you for ministering to them my people, but you will not come near to me.

But there are others who will say purge me sanctify me and take it out of my life take my life God. I’ll give it up and take up my cross and God says come on in.

• Man looks on outward God looks on the heart. Man looks at the external God looks on the interior. God know what’s on the inside.
• In Exodus it says if a priest came into God presence without personal holiness underwear He killed them. Today we are under grace and mercy. God relents for a season giving us time to repent. You may function for weeks, months or even years looking outwardly successful….but you’re not close and eventually sin finds you…

Question (7 billion people) God mercy gives us chance after chance, but you will sense something is still missing…chance after chance but closeness missing….Success blessing you can’t tell if a person is intimate with God…look at them how religious…you don’t know they can be doing remarkable things but not be intimate with God…People say oh look how holy and great but the truth is God says both are in my house…good results towards Gods people doesn’t always mean personal holiness and closeness with God.

• I don’t want to minister to them I want a ministry that ministers to Him. Right now, at FCN people are serving volunteers and staff ministering to the people one has intimacy with God and the other held at arm’s length.
• The difference is the personal underwear. It’s the private life that really matters.

God is getting ready to change the priesthood on some people if they don’t get it right.

• Saul’s replacement David, Pharaoh replaced by Moses Pharisees replaced by Jesus

Your either of the priesthood of Eli at arm’s length or the priesthood of Zadok that can come near

We go on and on accepting Gods mercy thinking God’s winking at you….he aint winking at you. Eli corrupt family unclean drugs looking at places on the internet smoking….I shouldn’t have said that I got a bunch of you made at me….might as well go for broke this morning and leave pastor Brent a mop! Just get it all out. Do you think I’ll go to hell if I smoke cigarette NO youll just get to heaven quicker than I am. Vaping get rid of it. Not doing you any good. If God wanted you to smoke he would have put a chiminy on your head.

• FRANK La Desma STORY

I’ll tell you what I would rather have someone who smokes in the church than some one who talks about people. Someone who is real with there weakness and confesses it before God truly wanting to come close to Jesus. They stumble forward toward Jesus wanting to do right. God knows the difference of faking it and really wanting to do right. EVERYTIME GODS GRACE SHOWS UP SAYING get up I CAN DEAL WITH YOU come to me come. I can’t deal with the fake outward stuff BUT I can deal with some body’s heart who wants to change wants to come wants to do better.

• I aint perfect I need to pray a lot read a lot ask for forgiveness a lot because I want to be like Jesus

What I’m trying to say is to be used by God is a precious thing…treasure it! Don’t play with Gods gifting talents favor Mercy and Grace. You lose your closeness and anointing the difference between a Eli priesthood business, teaching, playing serving for the people but far away from God and a Zadok Priesthood close and intimate ministering to God.

• 2 Timothy 2:19-21  a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver wood some for honor and dishonor therefore if anyone will cleanse they will be a vessel of honor.

Play the game for a season Eli with no underwear personal holiness you will be lonely and one day will be exposed OR Come in this season Zadok humbly and honestly asking God to purge you cleanse me change me and as you empty out God will pour in getting closer and closer

You want Gods favor ask to be purged if a man will purge himself God honors that.

What mom puts milk in a dirty bottle purge yourself and God will pour himself in. I’m not talking about perfection there are no perfect people but people that wants to please God. FCN become a people that wants to purge anything in our lives that is not like God. I know this is heavy, but this is the kind of peaching that will get you to heaven the kind of preaching that will make you do an inspection of your soul.

Grace giving you what you don’t deserve Mercy not getting what you deserve. You don’t know what He has held back…what he’s holding back today…waiting for you to draw near. Red Sea baby’s in grave danger didn’t know..

Leave Eli’s outward religious life and draw near to God like Zadok with holy undergarments…things done for him that only you and he know living a clean life for him that only he and you know …a life that is pleasing satisfying blessed merciful gracious abundant and intimate for others and more importantly for your closeness with God. Amen