Pastor's Sermon Outlines

JULY SERMONS

 JULY 6, 2008 AM

 “OUR SUPREME COMMANDER”

SCRIPTURE READING: PSALM 46

 SCRIPTURE TEXT: Isaiah 54:5

    For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

 INTRO: God has promised that His people would be fruitful.

    A promise is only as good as the character of the one making the promise.

    In Isaiah 54:5 God manifests His character in six different ways which in turn show us that He will keep His promises.

    In His first manifestation, God revealed His creativity, wisdom and foreknowledge as our Maker.

    In His second manifestation, God revealed His love and concern for His people as a husband.

    In His third manifestation, God reveals His power and authority as The LORD of Hosts.

    The size of the problem is no problem.

 2 Chronicles 14:11 And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

    The difficulty of the problem is no problem.

   Jeremiah 32:17 Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

    God has the authority, power and resources to accomplish anything.

 Romans 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

NOTE: It says that God is the LORD of hosts, not the LORD of host.

 I. THE LORD OF ALL ANGELIC HOSTS.

 1 Kings 22:19 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.

    A.  GOD SENDS A HOST OF ANGELS TO DELIVER ELISHA

 2 Kings 6:16-17 (KJV) And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.  And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Psalm 68:17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.

    B. GOD SENDS ONE ANGEL TO DELIVER JERUSALEM.

 Isaiah 37:36 Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

 II. THE LORD OF ALL HEAVENLY HOSTS.

 Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

 A.   GOD CAUSES THE SUN TO STAND STILL.

 Joshua 10:12-13 Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.  And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

 B.   GOD MOVES THE SUN BACK TEN DEGREES.

 Isaiah 38:8 Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.

    C. GOD LEADS THE WISE MEN BY A STAR.

 Matthew 2:2, 9, 10 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him … When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

 III. THE LORD OF ALL THE ANIMAL HOSTS.

 A.   GOD USES A DONKEY TO CONVEY HIS MESSAGE.

 Numbers 22:27-28 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

    B. GOD USES A RAVEN TO FEED ELIJAH

 1 Kings 17:2-6 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, “Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.  And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.”  So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.  And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.

    C. GOD SHUTS THE LIONS MOUTH THAN OPEN THEM UP.

 Daniel 6:22-24 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

 B.   JESUS PAYS HIS TAXES BY A FISH.

 Matthew 17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

IV. THE LORD OF ALL HUMAN HOSTS.

    A.  NEBUCHADNEZZAR.

 Daniel 4:17 … to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

    B. SENNACHERIB.

 2 Kings 19:28 Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

 Job 12:19 He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

 Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

 V. THE LORD OF ALL SATANIC HOSTS.

   A.  JOB

 Job 1:12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

 Job 2:6 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

    B. THE DEMONIC.

 Mark 5:12-13 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.  And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

 James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

    God is the LORD of Hosts.

   CONCLUSION: Do we believe God’s promises and receive, or do we doubt and go without?

    Doubt is always destructive. 

   Faith is forever constructive. 

   The man of faith builds. 

   The man who lacks faith breaks down.

JULY 6, 2008 PM

“THOMAS’ CONFESSION”

SCRIPTURE READING: JOHN 20:19-31

 SCRIPTURE TEXT: John 20:28

 And Thomas answered and said unto him, “My Lord and my God.”

 INTRO:  Thomas was troubled and perplexed; he truly had not yet come to a full understanding of who Jesus was.

    Until we understand who Jesus is, we will never make Him God or Lord of our lives.

   There are a lot of people today who claim to be Christian yet have never made Jesus either God or Lord of their lives.

    The first step in becoming a Christian is making Jesus our God, the second step, living the Christian life, is make Him our Lord.

    It is one thing to say Jesus is my God it is something entirely different to say He is my Lord.

    There are many today who want Jesus to be God of their lives, (saving them from sin and Hell), but are unwilling to make Him Lord of their lives by seeking to serve Him.

    We worship our God on Sunday and we serve our Lord Monday through Saturday.

 I.  JESUS MY GOD

 NOTE:  We make Jesus our God when we recognized Who He is and what He has done for us.

 God is the one we worship.

 John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

 ·         We worship who we admire

·         We praise who we worship

·         We seek to be like the one we worship

·         We worship with our hearts (love) not just our emotions (lust)

  True worship involves both our heart, our emotions and our actions.

 NOTE:  Hollywood has corrupted love and has changed it into lust.

    There are those within Christianity who have changed true worship into emotional demonstration.

    They are looking for an emotional high.

   There is a difference between true worship (love) and an emotional high (lust).

    The question we must answer is, do we really worship God in love or is it just an emotional high.

 II. JESUS MY LORD

 NOTE:  When we make Jesus our God we will then see Him as our Lord.

    The Lord is the one we serve.

 ·         We serve at His pleasure

Luke 17:7-10 (NLT) "When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, he doesn't just sit down and eat.  He must first prepare his master's meal and serve him his supper before eating his own.  And the servant is not even thanked, because he is merely doing what he is supposed to do. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are not worthy of praise. We are servants who have simply done our duty.' "

 ·         We serve out of love not fear

 Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 1 John 4:15-19 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.  We love him, because he first loved us.

 ·         We serve to please Him not ourselves

 John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

 John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

 ·         We serve to profit Him

 Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

 ·         We serve wholeheartedly

 Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

 Colossians 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

 Colossians 3:23-24 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

 CONCLUSION:  The question we must continually ask ourselves is, “Who or what Jesus is to me today?”

   Have we made Him both Lord & God of our lives?

JULY 13, 2008 AM

“REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB”

 SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 49:1-12

 SCRIPTURE TEXT: Isaiah 54:5 (KJV) 

     For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called.

 INTRO: The greatest theme in the Bible is the story of man’s redemption.

    In the first three chapters of the Bible, God created man in the Garden of Eden to have fellowship with him but man sinned and that fellowship was broken.

    The rest of the Bible is filled with the story of how God redeemed fallen man and made a way that man could once again have fellowship with God.

ILL. “Twice Mine”

    The Children of Judah were faced with going into Babylonian captivity, but God promised them that He would bless them and they would once again be fruitful.

    They were to prepare their hearts for the time God was going to pour out His Spirit upon them and fulfill His promise.

    This promise was not just for the Jews but it is now given to God’s Church.

    In the fifth verse, God manifest Himself in six different ways to show Judah that He was going to keep His promise.

    God refers to Himself as THY REDEEMER.

 I. WHAT IS A REDEEMER?

NOTE: A redeemer is one who has the responsibility of restoring the rights and privileges of the one who needs to be redeemed.

 Leviticus 25:47-49 (NIV) If an alien or a temporary resident among you becomes rich and one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells himself to the alien living among you or to a member of the alien's clan, he retains the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his relatives may redeem him: an uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in his clan may redeem him. Or if he prospers, he may redeem himself.

 NOTE: The first thought of redemption is in regards to the physical or natural world.

 1 Chronicles 17:21 (KJV)  And what one nation in the earth is like thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be his own people, to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, whom thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

    The Jews were looking for redemption from the natural world.

    Many people today see God as only a means to meet their natural needs.

    The idea of redemption includes deliverance from all forms of evil, both physical and spiritual.

    There are those who wish to play down the fact that God redeems us from physical evils in the natural world.

    Jesus came to redeem us from both the evils of this natural world and the evils of the spiritual world.

 Ezekiel 34:16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

    There are times when God will allow physical calamities to come into our lives in order to develop spiritual qualities.

    He was sending the Jews into Babylon because of their sins, but He promised to bring them back to Jerusalem as their Redeemer.

 II. WHO NEEDS TO BE REDEEMED?

 NOTE: All of us have sold ourselves into the slavery of sin and need to be redeemed.

 Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

 Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

 A.   WE ARE REDEEMED FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN.

 NOTE: Redemption’s negative power.

 Galatians 3:13 (KJV) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

 Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

 Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

 B.   WE ARE REDEEMED TO LIVE A GODLY LIFE.

 NOTE: The aim of redemption is to make men like Christ.

    Redemption’s positive power.

 Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 NOTE: Through Christ’s redemption we are set free to live an abundant life in Him.

 John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 Ephesians 3:17-19 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

    Redemption is a continuous process.

 C.   ALL HAVE BEEN REDEEMED BUT NOT ALL WILL ACCEPT THEIR REDEMPTION.

 NOTE: The vast majority of Jews, remained in Babylon.

    The dreadfulness of sin is largely in the love of sinning.

    They are like a prisoner that has been given a pardon but refuse to accept it.

 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

 III. HOW ARE WE REDEEMED?

 NOTE: We are incapable of redeeming ourselves.

 Proverbs 20:9 (NIV) Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin"?

 Isaiah 64:6 (NLT) We are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away.

NOTE: We are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb.

 Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

 Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

 1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

 Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

JULY 13, 2008

OUR HELP IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE

SCRIPTURE READING: PSALM 46

 SCRIPTURE TEXT: Psalm 46:1

 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

 INTRO: What good is a place of refuge if it does not protect us, what good is strength if it does not deliver us? 

    What we need is help that will not only protect us from the attacks of the enemy but will also give us the strength to defeat the enemy.

 Psalm 37:40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

   We have often heard, “God helps those who help themselves.”

    The truth is God helps those who cannot help themselves.

 Psalm 40:17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

    He is a Help, a present Help, a Help found, one whom we have found to be so; a Help at hand, one that is always near; we cannot desire a better, nor shall we ever find the like in any creature. Let those be troubled at the troubling of the waters, who build their confidence on a floating foundation; but let not those be alarmed who are led to the Rock, and there find firm footing.

  I.  WHERE ARE YOU LOOKING FOR HELP?

 NOTE:  When you are facing a situation that is too great for you to handle alone, where do you go to for help?

 Isaiah 10:3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for
             help? and where will ye leave your glory?

NOTE: Too often we seek help from the wrong source.

2 Chronicles 16:7-9 (NLT)  At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, "Because you have put your trust in
           the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram.  Don't you
          remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and horsemen? At that time
          you relied on the Lord, and he handed them all over to you.  The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen
          those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on, you will be at war."

II Chronicles 32:8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the
            people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Psalm 20:7 (NLT) Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, but we boast in the Lord our God.

Psalm 60:11 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

Psalm 146:3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

NOTE: God should be our first not our last line of defense.

Psalm 34:7-10 (NLT) For the angel of the Lord guards all who fear him, and he rescues them.  Taste and see that the Lord is
            good.  Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!  Let the Lord's people show him reverence, for those who honor him will have all
            they need.  Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will never lack any good thing.

Psalm 121:2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

NOTE: Not only is God our best source of help, but when fighting spiritual battles, He is our only source of help.

II Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

 NOTE: God is the only source of help that we can completely depend upon.

 Psalm 94:17 Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

II. NO ONE IS BEYOND THE NEED OF GOD’S HELP.

NOTE: There are those who claim they will never need any ones help, let alone God’s help.

Isaiah 28:15, 18  Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

NOTE: In this life, there will be many times we will be in need of God’s help.

Psalm 142:4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

 NOTE: We will even face times of discouragement.

Psalm 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him
           for the help of his countenance.

NOTE: There will be times we need to draw from past deliverances.

Psalm 63:7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

Psalm 146:5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:

III. WE CAN LIVE IN PEACE, KNOWING GOD IS OUR HELP.

NOTE: Knowing our source of help will bring us peace.

 Psalm 124:8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;
            yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

NOTE: It does not matter what we are facing, God is able and willing to help us.

Isaiah 50:7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I
            know that I shall not be ashamed.

Isaiah 50:9 Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the
            moth shall eat them up.

NOTE: It does not matter where we are; God is there to help us.

Psalm 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

CONCLUSION: No matter what situation we find ourselves in we can come to God for help.

Help is now available to carry us through life. No matter what confronts us—trial, trouble, tribulation, temptation—help is available, the very help of God Himself. God will pour out His marvelous grace upon us—all of His strength and blessings. God’s grace will strengthen us to walk right through the trial and trouble. His grace will help us conquer and triumph over all circumstances and situations.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time
            of need.

JULY 20, 2008

 “THRICE HOLY GOD”

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 6:1-7

 SCRIPTURE TEXT: Isaiah 54:5

     For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

INTRO: As God sought to comfort and reassure the Jews as they faced going into captivity that He would deliver them, He referred to Himself as the Holy One.

    What does the term HOLY mean to you?

    Many people have a misconception on what is holiness.

    They only consider the outside of man.

 Matthew 23:25 (GW) "How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of cups and dishes. But inside they are full of greed and uncontrolled desires.

    The holiness that comes from man will produce spiritual arrogance.

    Holiness that comes from God will produce true humility.

 Exodus 3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

 Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

 1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

I. HOLINESS IS A DIVINE ATTRIBUTE OF GOD.

 Psalm 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

 1 Samuel 2:2 There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

 NOTE: Because God is holy, He is free from sin and all its ramifications.

Habakkuk 1:13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

   Because God cannot change His nature He cannot lose His holiness.

    He always has been holy and He will always be holy.

 II. GOD’S HOLINESS HAS TWO ASPECTS.

 A.   NEGATIVE

NOTE: Sinful man cannot come into the presence of a Thrice Holy God.

 1 Samuel 6:20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?

 Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

    In the Tower of Babel, man tried to approach God in their sinfulness.

 John 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

 B.   POSITIVE.

 NOTE: God cannot have one standard from Himself and another for His people.

    Because He is holy He demands that His people be holy.

 Leviticus 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.

 1 Peter 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

 NOTE: If God is holy and sinful man cannot come into the presence of the Thrice Holy God how is this to be?

    Because God is holy it means that He is also good and kind.

    Therefore, God has made a way for penitent man to come into His presence.

 Psalm 130:3-4 If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?  But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

 John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Hebrews 9:11-12, 24, 27-28 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: and as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 III. HOW DOES GOD’S HOLINESS ENCOURAGE US?

 Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

 A.   BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY HE CANNOT LIE.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

 Romans 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

 NOTE: Whatever God has promised He will fulfill.

 B.   BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY WHAT HE DOES IS RIGHT.

 NOTE: Because God is holy He works in righteousness.

 Jeremiah 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

 Psalm 119:137 Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments.

 Psalm 145:17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

 C.   BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY HE IS ALSO JUST.

NOTE: Because God is holy He will provide a way for us to become holy.

 Zephaniah 3:5 The just Lord is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.

 CONCLUSION: Because God is Holy we can put complete trust in Him.

    Because God is Holy He will not ask or demand us to do something that we cannot accomplish.