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Sermon of the Week 
Monday, November 04 2019

It may be the perfect wife, perfect husband, perfect children, perfect friend, perfect church, perfect pastor, perfect job, perfect neighborhood.. etc, etc…

Well, to begin with, if you find perfect, you’ll just mess it all up, because you’re not perfect yet. We’re on that journey, but none of us have arrived yet!

Once upon a time, a perfect man and a perfect woman met. After a perfect courtship, they had a perfect wedding. Their life together was, of course, perfect. One snowy, stormy Christmas Eve, this perfect couple was driving their perfect car along a winding road, when they noticed someone at the side of the road in distress. Being the perfect couple, they stopped to help.

There stood Santa Claus with a huge bundle of toys. Not wanting to disappoint any children on the eve of Christmas, the perfect couple loaded Santa and his toys into their SUV. Soon they were driving along delivering the toys.

Unfortunately, the driving conditions deteriorated and the perfect couple and Santa Claus had an accident. Can anyone guess who survived the accident? …….

No one survived, of course. There is no Santa Claus, and there is no perfect man or perfect woman that ever really existed other than Jesus.

Having been around a few years, I have become acquainted with the terms which some have used to explain a person who is out of the will of God. Those terms which I refer to are “The Perfect” will of God and “the Permissive” will of God. The “Permissive” will of God refers to the fact that due to some wrong choices and bad decisions, a person must now live with less than the perfect will of God. It’s like getting a tattoo of a girlfriend or boyfriend in a prominent place on your body and then when you break up, they’re gone but the tattoo isn’t!

What if we thought of our decisions like tattoos which we have to live with long after the temporary circumstances we’re in have changed and are long gone.. Would you still want that tattoo? (You’re going with Bob, but Billy is always there with you!!)

*…...Many have used the example of the Israelites when God brought them out of the bondage of Egypt. We could say that the perfect will of God was for them to go directly into the promised land and enjoy the land flowing with milk and honey, which would take 4 weeks. But the permissive will of God allowed them to choose to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. …..We could say that but it wouldn’t make it so…. 

So, let’s look at what the record says…

The book of Hebrews expands on this point:

*…..Hebrews 3:16 “Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? v17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? v18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? v19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief”.

Hebrews 4:1 “Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith”.

Don’t take my word for it, God’s own inspired record doesn’t call it His permissive will, it is called “unbelief” and “rebellion”…..You can put lipstick on a pig, but it won’t make It a runway model…..(How quickly the new car smell wears off)

The problem with the “Permissive will” mentality of thinking, is that it’s often a way to sugar coat unbelief and rebellion.  It eradicates right and wrong, transforming them into just a series of excuses without accountability.  It turns the clear-cut directives of God into gray areas of our existence.

And let me add that there are folks who are living with someone else’s disobedience and rebellion through no fault of their own….But that doesn’t give them the right to live bitter and down in the mouth and full of unbelief!!

My mom used to come home from work and give each one of us kids a swat with her hand, then she’d say, “I don’t know what you did but I know you”. 

I’m so glad I have Jesus who says “I know what you did and I still love you, but I won’t leave you like that”….

He wants us to get wisdom, righteousness, the mind of Christ, and the knowledge that is from above. Another way of saying “Permissive will” Is to say that we are walking in less than the very best God has for us. 

He that knows to do right and does it not, to him/her it is a sin….

It’s not the same as buying a new car and saying, I could have had the deluxe seats with the vibrator, and heat massage. I could have had the computer screen in the dash and surround sound. And I could have had the TV for the kids in the back seat to watch. But I can live without all those things and still get where I need to be.

The big difference here, is that getting a car is not based on unbelief and deciding against God’s values, unless God specifically said for you to do that.

A young person starts dating someone who has no desire for God or any desire for leading their home in honor of Him. And they marry, and like the tattoo, when they change their mind about the unbeliever, they still have to live with it!!!

I have heard young Christians argue something like….. “But I believe God brought them into my life for a reason.” That may be, and I don’t argue with that.

Young folks need to be like the young woman who liked a guy but would only sit with him in church, would only go out with him with the church group, and on condition that he attended church with her every Sunday. Then after a month, she would not see him unless he received Christ as his savior. Then she would only see him if he was baptized. Then she would only see him if he tithed. After that she accepted his proposal of engagement, and would only marry him after she was satisfied that he read the bible with her and prayed regularly. They enjoyed a great marriage….

So when someone finds themselves in a bad choice situation, where they’re     living with the bad tattoo they no longer want, what can be done about this problem?

This guy put the face of his x girlfriend on his arm with “I love you”… bad choice!!!!

In this and every such case, when we make bad choices, the solution is always and simply the same.  It comes down to one word – Repent, and sin no more! That’s what Rebellion is a sin, it’s also temporary insanity!! Jesus said that Repentance releases righteousness, (or right thinking)                                         

Get back tight with God and let nothing come between your obedience and honoring Him! Get started and never look back. Get back on track. If you weren’t attending church faithfully….start. If you weren’t tithing….start. If you weren’t praying and reading your bible consistently…..start! If you weren’t witnessing to others, start!

A man was dying and he was concerned about getting into heaven. As he was praying about it, knowing his life was far from perfect, an angel showed up and said "Put your mind and heart at ease, Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you points for each item, and I’m sure you’ll be OK. When you reach 100 points, you get in."

"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."

"That's wonderful," says the angel, "that's worth five points!"

"Five points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."

"Terrific!" says the angel, "that's certainly worth another 6 points."

"Six points? Wow, this is not easy. How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans for years."

"Fantastic, that's good for 3 more points," he says.

"THREE POINTS!!" the man cries, "At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!" ….."Alright, now you’re ready to come on in!"

Accept No Substitute, GRACE, is not a substitute for obedience and honoring God with our choices and decisions…. 

The word ‘good’ suggests the existence of another word ‘bad’. The word ‘light’ informs us of the existence of the word ‘darkness’. The word “perfect” suggests another word, “imperfect”…..

Don’t blame God for the heartache from the bad tatoos we all may have gotten, just determine that your life will be a life of obedience to Him. He forgives, he heals and he restores…..

Romans 12:2 “and be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that of God, and acceptable, and perfect will of God”

Richard Rohr said that “Maturity is the ability to joyfully live in an imperfect world”       I came across some reminders that we are living in an imperfect world…we know…

1---That Light travels faster than sound. That’s why people appear bright until                 

    you hear them speak.

2--- Sometimes our concern is that If we agree with someone we’d both be wrong.

3---We don’t really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

4---War does not determine who is right – it only determines who will be left.

5---The evening news is where they begin with ‘Good evening’, and then spend the rest of the time telling you why it isn’t. (it’s an imperfect world)

6---If you think nobody cares about you, try missing a couple of payments.

7---Never take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

8---Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

9---Some people cause happiness wherever they go. Others cause it whenever        

    they leave.

Anyway, we all live in an imperfect world, with imperfect people….so let’s enjoy it!!!

God was making a strong statement when He brought the Hebrews to the entrance of Canaan, the land of promise….

Let me set this up for you. The place where they had come to, was between the Jordon, which opened so they could cross over, under the leadership of Joshua, and the entrance to the land of Canaan.                                                                                                                                                                      Achan had led a rebellion to overthrow Joshua as God’s appointed leader and many followed him. As a result, God allowed the people of Ai to defeat them and they repented before God and separated themselves from Achanand the rebellion. God opened the ground and swallowed up the rebellion, then He helped them defeat Ai and put them back on track. The first thing they did was to rebuild their altar (representing their worship and allegiance) to God and then they offered themselves once again to Him.

Joshua 8:30 “Now Joshua built an altar to the LORD God of Israel in Mount Ebal, v31 as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. v32 And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. v33 Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. 

Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. v34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. v35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them”.

After they conquered the people of Ai, they came to a valley between two mountains, on one side was Mount Ebal and on the other side was Mount Gerizim. Mount Ebal is called the mountain of cursing and Mount Gerizim is called the mountain of blessing or mercy. It was between these two mountains that they entered the land. 

How prophetic, that they were prophesying about the death of Christ who would die on a mount of cursing, so that the blessing could flow out to the world. 

In each of our lives, there is a mountain of misery and there is also a mountain of mercy, and each person must choose one or the other, and we choose it every day. God calls us to the mountain of blessing, but wonder of wonders, folks choose Ebal over Gerizim every day. Everyone must choose which mountain they will climb.  

In John's Gospel, chapter 4, Jesus confronts the woman at Jacob's Well. In an attempt to change the subject of her own sin, she asked Jesus if Mount Gerizim was indeed to be a mountain of blessing. You see, Samaria was located at the foot of Ebal the mount of cursing. She was pointing back to the actual event that occurred in Joshua and was prophesied in Deuteronomy. Jesus replied that the mountains didn't matter, but only those who worship in spirit and truth. Jesus was saying that the Old Testament mountains were a north star to point us to the truth - to the fact that there is no place of perfect blessing, but there is a PERSON of perfect blessing - and that person is Jesus, who died on the mount of cursing for us to have the blessing!

Some years ago an artist portrayed temptation in a painting. The picture revealed a man standing at a fork in the road, where one direction was"Right," the other direction was "Wrong." Interestingly, each road looked the same to the man in the painting. For the person viewing the painting, however, there was a view over the hillside. Out beyond the path that wasWrong there was a great fiery pit waiting to trap the unsuspecting traveler, but unless the traveler knew what was beyond the hillside, he was trusting his feelings, and not the map he could have that would have steered him right. We have the map, it’s called the Bible, and unless you read it and know it, you will go by your unreliable feelings….

When you see pictures of Fantasy Fest, you see happy people, laughing and celebrating. They never show you the folks with venereal diseases, or hanging over a toilet bowl, or the broken homes and families from rebellious living, or lives out of control with drugs and alcohol….I love to have fun, but not at the cost of my values. 

Why would you put hot sauce in your eye and wonder why you’re going blind!!!!

Eve only took one bite of the apple and we have felt the bite marks everysince.        No one never thought that first cigarette could lead to cancer and heart disease, or the first drug experience could lead to an overdose and death, or the first act of unfaithfulness could destroy a family and affect generations…..

Some sing, “I did it my way,” but I’m glad I changed my song to, “I did itGod’s Way.” That, my friend, has made all the difference in my life and my eternity!

There is never a perfect time for you to take action. There is never a perfect time for you to launch that new project, to spend time with your family, to read the book you’ve been meaning to, or change a habit, or develop a new habit. Once we acknowledge this, our lives will become much more meaningful and fulfilling. 

I’m too tired. I don’t have the time. I am not capable. Someone else will do it. It’s too late now. Now is not the right time. I am not talented. I am not ready. I’m too scared. . I don’t feel motivated.  Nobody will help me. What if I fail

And on, and on, and on, and on…… TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!!…..

That’s the problem with waiting for perfect! That perfect person, perfect thing, perfect place, never comes! Even in the millennium, when everything is so great, the Devil will be released at some point! 

Studies consistently show that when we look back on our lives the most common regrets are not the risks we took, but the ones we didn’t take. Of the many regrets people describe, regrets of inaction and indecision, outnumber those of any actions that were taken by nearly two to one.

Have you taken time to look behind the curtain. God’s word lets you look behind the curtain. Some of you have been praying about a situation for a long time. You don't see anything happening. You could easily be discouraged. But what if God were to pull back the curtain and allow you to see into the future and you knew that on November 12, at 2:33 in the afternoon, it was going to happen, you were going to meet the person of your dreams, that new job would call,  the opportunity you’ve dreamed of would happen. You wouldn't be discouraged any longer. You would be excited. You would start getting yourself ready. You would go buy some new clothes. You would envision how it would be and prepare yourself accordingly. Why? You know the big day, the big dream is coming. IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN! You have His word!!!!

I know a young lady that was believing to meet the right man. She was at college and the big annual banquet was coming and none of the right people had asked her to go with them. She worked in the cafeteria to help with her school bill, and one day she had sat down by herself and was feeling badly about the situation. A young man who also worked in the cafeteria, saw her looking down in the dumps, and sat down at the table. He put a dry mop over his head to be cute, and said, “Hi, I am Ann Landers, and I’m here to solve your problems. You can tell me anything” She did and he offered to take her to the banquet. They began dating and he followed her home, and before long they got married and have had many great years together. Thatguy was me, and the girl was Winnie…. Was it coincidence, or just luck…. No it was a “Set Time”, arranged by the giver of every good and perfect gift, because we put Him first.

Didn’t God tell us in Jeremiah 29:11 “I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for success and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.”

How about 1 Peter 5:6 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, v7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you”.                                                                                                                                 And then there’s John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly”.

Trust and obey and let God have His way. The problem with waiting for perfect, is that you can miss God’s best for your life. 

Trust God's timing. Stand still and you'll see how God will deliver you. When you remain in obedience, you can trust that almighty God will fight your battles. Friends, there are set times in your future. Get dressed up, prepared and expectant. Quit worrying about when it's going to happen. God can see the big picture. He knows what's best for you. Dare to say like David, "God, my times are in your hand".

While you’re waiting, Let God be your only hope. Jehoshaphat’s prayer in…                                   2 Chronicles 20:12 “Our eyes are set upon you.” God is our only hope: “My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from this snare.”                             Psalms 25:15 “My eyes are continually toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net”.. Just be careful that your hope is not in someone or something other than God. Things, people, and situations change like clouds, but He never changes, there is no shadow of change with Him.

While you’re waiting, Be still and get alone with God.                                                      Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.” This is where your refreshing and renewal will come from. This is your source of right perspective and balance in the midst of an imbalanced world. Jesus is our best example here. He never ended His day or started his day, without getting away from everyone and everything and hearing from the Father. It was all about “Not my will but your will be done, Father”….

While you’re waiting, Give God the right to over-rule.  

Proverbs 16:9 “A man may make his plans, but God will have the final say.”God is sovereign, and that means Above or superior to all others….Supremein power, rank or authority. God reserves the right to work and move in His own time and in His own way. He always works all things out for our good. Do you fully believe that God is sovereign in your present situation and your future direction? Then don’t make plans in unbelief. He will make a way where there is no way!

We give Him the right to take away what is unnecessary, and unprofitable, and reshape our character, our attitudes and our values.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint!!!!

So, isn’t it interesting, after saying all this that Jesus tells us in

Matthew 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”

(WHAT YOU TALK’N BOUT WILLIS?)

Some might say, “That’s about as likely as the Washington Redskins, winning the national championship this year….!! Well at least the Nationals made me proud!!

God would never tell us to be something if we could never BE IT! 

Understand First, that God became us in Christ, so we could be like Him. When we receive Christ, we receive Perfection. Then, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and when the Holy Spirit came in to dwell, perfection moved to the inside of us!

Also, let’s understand that the Greek word for “Be perfect” is in the progressive tense, which is actually “Be, Being Perfect”…. 

With Christ by the perfect Holy Spirit within us, we are being perfected as we experience all the diverse circumstances, interactions, and experiences of life. We have perfection within us, working it’s way out through us!

So you smile when you don’t feel like smiling. You give a cheery word when you don’t feel cheery. You help someone when it’s not convenient. You give when you have already given. You make time when you don’t have time. And you serve when you feel like you need to be served. 

It’s about being made perfect in love, perfect in hope, perfect in faith, perfect in surrender.

I’m not what I need to be, and I’m not yet what I’m going to be, but I’m not who I used to be, either!!!

But thank God, we have received the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. 

(Tell someone….”Go on into perfection)

Love never fails. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. We are moving to perfection and by faith, calling the things that are not as though they were!

We are declaring that God who has begun a good work in us will perfect it until the day of His appearing….

Every musician, every singer, every sports team will tell you that practice makes perfect!

As we practice toward perfection, it’s always good to have friends who can give you feed back. I’m not talking about the situation like the group of pastors who got together to share their trials and struggles to encourage, inspire and pray for one another. And one pastor said, I’ve really had a struggle with drinking lately. I used to be an alcoholic before I was saved, and I’ve been dealing with some strong temptation. Another pastor said, I was a womanizer before I was saved, and I have been hit with some strong temptations lately myself. Another pastor said, I did a lot of drugs before I was saved, and I’ve been taking opioids to deal with pain, and I’m concerned. Finally the last pastor said, I have a problem with gossip, and I can’t wait to tell everyone, everything I have just heard!…..

We all need a support group, who will nudge us in the right direction (just leave that one guy out!) We all need folks who will hold us up and not condemn us for our imperfections. Who recognize that there are two mountains we all must pass through to get to our promised land and those folks will walk with us and stand by us as we make our journey together through Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit….

Thank God for are all those who are on their own journey to perfection of the heart. For out of the heart flow all the issues of life. 

Let’s close our time today with the words to the song, “A Perfect Heart”

Lord of life, giver of all things, Life and health, power and peace

Let my heart cleave always to You, And my will, find sweet release

I’m amazed at Your talents, I stand in awe of One so great 

Now my soul begins to sing out to the source from which it came.

Bless the Lord who reigns in beauty; Bless the Lord who reigns with wisdom and with power. Bless the Lord who fills my life with so much love, He can make a perfect heart.

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