Procrastination

• I Thessalonians 5:2-3 – The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
• Luke 12:20
• II Corinthians 8:10-12 – Do what you can today! Don’t wait for the perfect time.
• II Corinthians 6:1-2 – Now is the favorable time.

Desire

• Genesis 3:6 – People often do things just because they want to.
• I Timothy 2:14
• Numbers 25:1-8 – Why serve idols? Because it involved, food, fornication, and fun.
• Revelation 2:14
• If I want to be a better Christian and better influence on others, I must work on my desire. I need to learn to desire what God wants, not what I want.
• If I really want to do something, I will find the time to do it.
• Matthew 5:6
• Acts 20:7; 17:11
• Matthew 22:35-38
• I Corinthians 12:13
• Galatians 3:28 – You can be a Christian no matter what state you are in.
• Colossians 3:11

How is holy living possible?

Is holy living even possible?

• Key passage: Romans 6:5-7
  • This is our goal.
• Romans 6:12-19
  • Do not let sin reign in your body
  • Sin shall not have dominion over you
  • We are under grace
  • Slaves of sin no more
  • Slaves of righteousness now
• Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ
• I John 5:14-15 – Ask according to His will. He hears us.
• What is the risk if we don’t believe we can be HOLY?
  • We might get the idea that all we need is grace.

God’s role in our holiness

• Hebrews 10:10 – Through the body of Christ, sacrificed once for all people, we can be made holy.
• Ephesians 2:8-10
  • Saved by grace (God’s favor)
  • Through faith (man’s part)
• All Christians are “sanctified”
  • I Corinthians 1:2 – people who were “sanctified in Christ Jesus”
  • I Corinthians 6:11 – people had been “sanctified”
  • I Corinthians 3:1-3 – Who were these sanctified people?
    • Faithful Christians, but they also still had problems
• Christians are also “being sanctified”
  • Hebrews 2:11 – Greek tense is continual
  • Our relationship to God and Jesus is different through sanctification.
  • I John 1:6-7 – Blood of Christ continually cleanses us from sin

Introduction

• Matthew 6:9-13

The point of prayer

It’s not to show off (Matthew 6:5)

• Long prayers are not bad – Jesus Himself sometimes prayed for long amounts of time.
• The problem is when you are making a long prayer just to show off.

It’s not to have “meaningless repetition” (Matthew 6:7)

• Don’t just say the phrases by rote without meaning.

It’s not to provide information to God (Matthew 6:8)

• God already knows what we need before we ask.

It’s a personal connection with God (Matthew 6:6)

• God is not too busy to listen to us. He wants to hear from us.

“Pray then, in this way …”

“Our Father, who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name.”

• “name” can refer to more than just your literal name.
  • Matthew 10:22; 12:21; Acts 3:6
  • It can also refer to a person’s power, reputation, etc.
• We should keep God holy and revered in our minds.

“Your kingdom come.”

• Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17
• At the time, the kingdom was imminent.
• Acts 2:29-36 – Jesus fulfilled the prophecy made to David a thousand years before.
• After Acts 2, the kingdom was already in existence. Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:9
• We could still pray this in the sense of God’s rule coming into people’s hearts.

“Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

• Matthew 26:39

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

• I Peter 5:6
• God cares about things that matter to us.
• I Thessalonians 5:17 – We should be praying daily.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

• Matthew 6:14
• This is referring to transgressions and spiritual debts.
• Acts 8:13, 18-22
• Christians maintain their relationship with God via prayer.
• I John 1:9

“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

• James 1:13-14
• Scriptures often references indirect action. We know that God Himself does not tempt anyone, but He allows us to be tempted through our own free will.
  • Acts 1:18
  • John 4:1
  • Job 42:11

“[For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]”

• This verse was not included in the most ancient manuscripts.

James 5

• James 5:3 – The meaning of the end of this verse is a bit unclear. It may just mean that this problem had become especially bad recently.
• James 5:4 – Under the Law of Moses, workers were to be paid at the end of every day.
• James 5:6 – Compares James 2:6. The rich were abusing the poor.
• James 5:7 – Be patient! The “coming of the Lord” may mean the second coming of Christ or it may just mean God’s punishment on the unrighteous wealthy men in James 5:1-6.
• James 5:10 – Be patient like the prophets. Many of them were treated horribly.
• James 5:11 – Job is the example of patient suffering. But the Lord is full of compassion and merciful. This is the lesson we should get from Job!
• James 5:13-15 – Is this referring to spiritual or physical illness?
  • The work of elders – Titus 1:9; I Timothy 5:17
  • Anointing with oil – Psalms 23:5; Hebrews 1:9
• James 5:20 – This is a concise refutation of “once saved, always saved.”

Holiness: optional for Christians?

Holiness is not optional because:

It is given through Christ

• II Timothy 1:8-10 – This was the plan from the very beginning.
• Hebrews 10:10-14, 19-26 – By Christ’s one perfect sacrifice, we can be made holy.

It is required for fellowship with God

• Who will see the Lord?
  • Hebrews 12:14
  • Psalms 15:1-5 – Who shall sojourn in your tent?
    • Psalms 15:2
      • He who walks uprightly
      • He who works righteousness
      • He who speaks truth in His heart
    • Psalms 15:3
      • Does not slander with his tongue
      • Does not do evil with his neighbor
      • Does not take up reproach from his friend
    • Psalms 15:4
      • Despises vile people and honors God-fearing people
      • Who keeps an oath even when it hurts
    • Psalms 15:5
      • Who is fair and honest in financial matters

It is required for effective service to God

• II Timothy 2:19-21 – Do you have “china” (place settings) in your house?
  • II Timothy 2:21 – Gives a description of the honorable vessel. “Set apart as holy” and therefore “useful to the master.”