God Knows Everything | A Sermon on Psalm 139

Introduction
Vacation Bible School at my church, Stark Methodist Church, is July 13-17.  We’ll step through the mist into Rainforest Falls (by Group Publishing), overflowing with wild waterfalls, towering trees, and colorful creatures. Beneath a canopy of chattering birds and howling monkeys, kids plunge into a lifelong adventure of discovering the nature of God. They’ll explore what it means to be rooted in relationship with God, their creator, a safe place in life’s storms.  If you haven’t done so already, I suggest you talk to Kristin Williams to find out how you can get involved.

The title for Day 2 of VBS is “God Knows Everything” and the Memory verse for the lesson is Psalm 139:1 

Psalm 139:1
O Lord, you have examined my heart, and know everything about me.

Kids Today
The kids in our community live in a world that constantly watches them.  They have cameras on their phones, pictures on social media, and security cameras in their schools.  Everyone is watching!  In spit of all that attention, many kids still feel unseen, unknown, or misunderstood.

Psalm 139 reassures kids (and us) that God doesn’t just watch them, God knows their hearts—like a loving Father.  God sees their struggles, their dreams, their quiet worries… and God cares. 

God Saw David When No One Else Cared
To illustrate how God sees and knows us and how He cares, our VBS lesson takes us through the life of David.  Before David was a king, he was just a kid who was over looked by his family.

From Scripture, we learn young David was sent out to watch the family’s flock of sheep.  In the cold of night, David looked up into the stars and tried to count them, thinking of the God who made them.  When a Lion or Bear attacked, trying to steal on of the sheep, David trusted God to help him fight off the predator.

And when David was left out in the field while the rest of the family had a feast, God saw David and knew him and knew his heart.  God didn’t forget about David.  God chose him to be a king who was a man after God’s own heart. 

Do You Ever Feel Forgotten?
Kids today, often feel overlooked or forgotten. 
Even if we lavish attention on them, do we just see a little kid?  Or do we see them as the unique individual they really are?  Do we just treat them like a kid?  Or do we take the time to really get to know them and treat them with respect and not just a kid?

 How about you?  Do you ever feel overlooked or forgotten?  

I want you to know, you are more than just a vote to be counted, or a customer to be served, or a number in a database.  God sees you for who you really are.  He sees you and He knows your heart—because He made you.

God Sees When You’re Mistreated
God saw David out in the field and knew his heart and chose him to be the next king of Israel.  But the current king, Saul, was jealous and tried to kill David.  He saw David as a threat.  David had to flee for his life and spent years as a fugitive hiding in caves in the desert.  Even though David had served Saul faithfully, Saul wanted him dead.

But even while David was hiding, God continued to see David.  You can hide from people, but you can’t hide from God.  God saw David. He saw his suffering.  He saw his integrity.  God saw that David tried to do the right thing even when others didn't treat him fairly.  And God never forgot David.  He took care of him and continued to bless him. 

Do you ever feel like you have to hide from people?  Do you ever have to hide your true feelings?  Do you ever keep your mouth shut instead of saying what you really feel?  Sometimes it’s better to stay silent than to say what you really think.  But it never feels good, does it?  Oh that we could always and everywhere just say what’s on our mind.  But that wouldn’t be wise or even necessarily helpful.  So, we bite our tongues sometimes until we nearly bite them off.

But God sees us even when we’re hiding.  He sees us and He knows our heart.  And He knows that sometimes it’s better to silent.  He gave us Proverbs 21:23 which says: “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.”

But if you ever feel unseen or unheard because you have to keep your true heart hidden, know this:  God sees you.  God hears you.  God knows your heart.  God knows everything.

God See Our Sin
God sees everything.  But that means God also sees our sin.  But the Good News is, God loves us anyway.  And we see this play out in the life of David too. 

Eventually, David did become king, according to God’s plan.  And David was a good king.  He loved God and he loved God’s people, Israel.  But David was also a human, and humans—even the best ones—are full of sin.

And one day, David committed adultery with a woman named Bathsheba and she became pregnant.  David tried to cover it up.  When he couldn't manipulate Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, into sleeping with to make everyone think it was Uriah's child, David had Uriah murdered by stationing him on the front line in the army when they attacked a city.  Uriah was killed in battle because of David's orders.

David tried to hide his sin so no one would see what he had done.  But God saw it.  God knew David’s sin.  And God sent a prophet to expose David’s sin so he could be held accountable, repent, be forgiven, and be healed.

God sees when we sin.  Even if no one ever finds out, God knows.  And sin breaks His heart and separates us from our loving God. Sin cuts us off from life.  But even when we sin, God never stops loving us.  Romans 5:8 tells us:  “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

I don’t know what you’ve done—what sins you’ve committed.  But I know you’ve sinned, because we all have.  Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard.”  So we are all guilty.  And God knows it. 

Psalm 139:2-3 says:  “You know when I sit down or stand up.  You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.  You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.  You know everything I do.”

And still, “God loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  Because “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Jesus already paid the price for our sin.  He took the penalty on himself, even though He was completely innocent.  Jesus offers mercy and forgiveness if we will repent and turn to God through Him.  If you have not done so already, I pray you will repent and turn to Jesus. 

Conclusion
So, in a few weeks, we will welcome a crowd of kids to Stark Methodist for Rainforest Falls VBS.  On day 2, we will teach that God knows everything about them.  Even if they feel unseen by the world, we will remind that that God sees them and cares.   

But today, I want you to know:  God see you.  God knows everything about you—and that’s a good thing!  Because God loves you unconditionally.

God sees your struggles, your dreams, your failures, your quiet struggles… and God cares. 
So put your faith in Jesus Christ.  Don’t hide from Him, don’t run away.
Run to God through Jesus Christ His Son.  Be accepted.  Be forgiven. Be loved.
And then you can go out and love others the way God loves you.

God is Our Creator | A Sermon on Genesis 1

Introduction
Today, we commissioned our River of Life volunteers.  It’s an important ministry God will use to bless homeowners in our community.  It will bless the adult and youth volunteers as we serve too.  The mission starts in just a few days, but we’ve been preparing for this mission for a long time.

We have another mission that is coming up July 13-17 called Vacation Bible School.  So today, I begin a new sermon series that will help us prepare for VBS.  Each Sunday, I will share a message based on the themes from VBS.  And I think the theme today relates to River of Life as well.  Because it’s about our origin story.

It’s about why we are called to serve one another and treat each other with dignity.  It’s about how a person’s worth is not valued by how much money they have, what talents they possess, or even what they can contribute to society.  We are all priceless treasures because we were crafted by God’s ingenious design.  We are the crown of His whole creation.  And each one of us bears the image of God.

Psalm 103:22
Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
    everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.

The Theme of Day 1
The lesson for Day 1 of our upcoming VBS is about the origin story of all creation & humanity.  It takes us all the way back to Genesis 1 and creation and encourages us to praise God who created it all.  This is an important lesson for kids and for all of us, because it reminds us when we believe in God we can also believe in ourselves. Remember the creation story in Gen 1?

Genesis 1:1-2
¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.^{[a] 2} The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.     

There was a time nothing existed.  But God took nothing and He made something special.  I was blessed as a child to be surrounded by people who encouraged me to believe in myself.  My mom would often tell me, “You can do anything you put your mind to.”  My Grandma said, “God loves you and I love you.”  And though there were sometimes mean people who tried to put me down saying “You’re stupid” or “you’re nothing,” I had enough people I trusted saying “You’re something special!" that I didn’t let the mean people get to me.

I think about that when I see kids nowadays.  You don’t ever know what they are going through or how the people around them make them feel.  What message are they getting?  Do they know they’re loved?  Do they know they are one of God’s most precious creations?  Or do they think their value is tied up in how well they perform, how pretty or handsome they are, or what grades they make in school or how fast they run? 

How about you?  What do you believe about yourself?  Do you realize you’re one of God’s greatest treasures?  I don’t mean do you know that up in your head.  I mean, do you know it deep down in your heart.  I mean look at how beautiful is God’s creation.

On the first day, He said, “Let there be light.  And there was light.”

On the second, He created the sky.  

On the third Day, He made the seas and dry land with all the trees, plants, and seed-bearing fruit. 

On the fourth day, God created the heavenly bodies to mark the seasons, days, and years and to govern day and night. 

On the fifth day, God created fish and birds to govern the sea and the sky.  

And it was all good.  God said it was good.  And we see it is so, so good. So beautiful!  

But then something was still missing.  Something else was needed. So on the sixth day, God made people, male and female, in His image, to be like Him. 

He made us to be caretakers of everything He had already made–the fish, the sea, the birds, the sky, the animals, the earth.

He said, reign over it all (on His behalf).

And then, and only then, did God say, “it was all very good.”  
It was so good, God decided to take the seventh day off just to rest and enjoy it all.

Now, I don’t know if you realize just how special you are, but you are.  As beautiful and precious as creation is, you are the crowning jewel of it all.

God loves you.  In Genesis 2:7, it says he made the first man from the dust of the ground–imagine the mighty hands of God sculpting a human out of clay.  Then, it says, “He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”  Oh my!  The Creator God who formed a billion trillion stars and carved out the grand canyon, knelt down to earth and breathed His spirit breath into the nostrils of His dirt man!  That is how we–God’s image bearers–came to be.

Made in the Image of God
And when I look at you today, that’s what I see.  I see people who bear the image of God.  I see people God loves so, so dearly.  He loved you so much, as Jeff preached last Sunday, “He sent His one and only Son so that whoever believes in [Him] will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

 

But we don’t always see ourselves the way God sees us.  Even though we hear His Word.  Even though we may have people–preachers or teachers or parents–who tell us: “You're precious.  You're a treasure.  You’re not nothing, you’re something special!”

And the people we serve this week at River of Life, they’re something special too.  That’s why we serve them.  They are made in the priceless image of God.  God loves them so much, He sent Jesus to die on the cross for them too, just like us.  And so we go to serve these precious people and I pray God gives us eyes to see them like God sees them.

And in a few weeks, we will host Vacation Bible School here.  And we have the wonderful privilege on the very first day, to tell the kids how God created us, and how they can find confidence in knowing they are crafted by God’s ingenious design.

Closing
Kids often hear (we all do) we need to make something of ourselves–be smarter, cooler, more successful.  But God’s Word flips that script.  Before we ever tried to prove our worth, God already designed us with purpose and love.  This truth changes everything!  We don’t need to chase approval or compete for value.  We already matter because the creator of the universe formed us intentionally, in His image. 

So you can walk with confidence, knowing you belong, you hold value, and you have been created for something extraordinary.  And whenever you look around and notice how wonderful is the world God created, you can give praise and celebrate God’s goodness and creativity.  You can join with the psalmist “Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom!  Let all that I am praise the Lord.” (Psalm 103:22)

So first, I want you to realize your precious worth as a bearer of God’s image.  Let this sink in today, like you never have before.  You are loved.  You are special. You are important to God and this world.  You are a person of priceless worth who bears God’s holy image.

Second, I want you see that the people all around us–the pretty ones, the ugly ones, the young and old, the rich the poor, and even the ones who smell bad, are also made in God’s image. He loves them and wants them in His eternal Kingdom.  And He is sending us to serve some of them this week at River of Life.

Third, I want you to be thinking ahead to VBS.  We will have the great privilege of serving those kids and telling them and showing them that they are precious and special and that God loves them and so do we.  It's something really important we need to do. VBS isn't just a tradition we do every year. And it's not just a way for us to attract more kids, more you families to our church (though that would be nice). But what we're doing is so much more. We get to tell these kids, show them, God loves them and we do too. Not because they're cute. Not because they're smart. Not because they're young. They are special and they are loved because God made them with His own hands, in His image. 

And you need to know that today too. God loves you. Not because of whatbyou have or what you can do or who you know or what family you came from or your history or your heritage or anything like that. God loves you because you bear His image. You're His son, His daughter. You're His masterpiece. And that makes you special.

So, Praise the Lord, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.  Let all that you are praise the Lord.

The Apostle's Creed - Articles 4, 7, 9, and 11

Introduction
This past Sunday, my church held a unique service different from our typical Sunday service.  This service was based on the 12 articles of the Apostles' Creed.  The Apostles' Creed is a short statement of core Christian beliefs that has been used by the Church since ancient times. It summarizes foundational doctrines about God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, forgiveness, resurrection, and eternal life. The Creed is called the Apostles' Creed because it is traditionally believed to reflect the teachings of the apostles, though it was not directly written by them. It serves as a unifying confession of faith for Christians across denominations, guiding worship and teaching while connecting believers to the historic Church.

The service included scripture and 12 hymns associated with each article of the creed.  You can watch the full service here.  In this blog, I want to share the short sermonettes I gave for articles, 4, 7, 9, and 11.  

Article Four – “…He descended to the dead.”
I think most people in our congregation are familiar with the statements from the Apostles’ Creed that say: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.”  But the last statement may be unfamiliar.  “He descended to the dead.”

The confusion stems from the fact this statement about Christ “descending to the dead” or “descending to hell” is included in the traditional forms of the Apostles’ Creed but not the ecumenical form many congregations have used.  The ecumenical version was used in many congregations (like ours) for the last century, but the traditional Apostles’ Creed has been used for most of the Christian Church’s history for 2000 years.  Some creeds, including the oldest creeds that were used in the 2^nd and 3^rd century, did not include the phrase “He descended to the dead.”  But the overwhelming majority of Christians through the centuries included the phrase “He descended to the dead (or hell)” as they recited the Apostles’ Creed.   Well?  Did Christ descend to the dead or not?

1 Peter 3:18-20 in the Bible says of Jesus: "He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, He went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits—to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built."  The “imprisoned spirits” were people who died before the time of Christ.

Ephesians 4:9 says, "What does 'He ascended' mean except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions?"  Where else could Jesus have descended but hell (or the place of the dead)?

There is an understanding in Scripture (and among early Christians) that Jesus descended to the place of the dead (Hell or Sheol) and shared the Gospel with those who died before He came so they too would have an opportunity to repent and believe and be saved.  Think of all the heroes of the Old Testament era like Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and David.  These people never had a chance to hear Jesus’ message of salvation.  They died before He came.  But God, in His infinite mercy and ultimate justice, would not leave anyone out of His plan to save the world—even if they lived and died before Jesus’ time on earth.  So, Jesus descended to the place of the dead (AKA Sheol or Hades or Hell) and preached the Good News.  And anyone who believed and accepted God’s grace was saved.

The points we can take away are these:  First, God is just – God would never condemn someone without them having a fair chance to be saved. Second, though Christ was God, He was also human and really did experience everything it means to be a human—including death and the reality of what can happen to sinners who face judgment in hell.

Article Seven – “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” (see Acts 1:9-11)
This really is an important statement to affirm.  Christ was clear.  He said He would come again.  The angels were clear.  Christ will come again.  The Bible is clear.  Christ will come again.  It has been nearly 2,000 years since Christ ascended into Heaven.  After so long, some might think Christ will not return as promised.  But we affirm He will.

And Jesus said no one knows when the second coming will happen, but that He will return “like a thief in the night” and catch many by surprise.  So, we should always be ready and live as if His return is imminent. 

You will see Jesus face-to-face in your lifetime.  Either He will return for the whole world al at once in the second coming or He will return for you individually when you die.  And when He comes, what will He find when He evaluates your life?  Will He say of you, “Well done, good and faithful servant?”  Or will He say, “Away from me, you have lived a wicked life and never repented and turned to me as Lord.”

Remember, none of us knows how long we have—whether it is years or days, or moments.  Therefore, repent and turn to the Lord now for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!

Article Nine – “I believe in the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints.” (see Colosians 1:18, Ephesians 1:22-23, & Hebrews 12:1)

I get more questions about this one statement in the Apostles Creed than any other.  I get it. 
It was the same question I raised when I first attended a Methodist Church as a boy and recited The Apostles Creed.
I thought we were Methodist.  Why do we say we believe in the “catholic Church”?

The word catholic means universal. We do not profess to believe in the “Roman Catholic Church” (which is only one denomination of the WHOLE Christian Church). No, we believe in a universal Church that transcends denominational lines and includes every person around the world who follows Jesus Christ as Lord. This universal (or Catholic) church includes Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, people who attend non-denominational churches, and people from every other Christian denomination.  It even includes Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians if they truly follow Jesus as Lord and Savior.  This is the universal (or catholic) Church.  And I believe in the holy, catholic church.

The second part of article nine is important too and related: “I believe in… the communion of saints.”  The communion of saints is the community of all believers—both living and dead—who follow Christ.  The communion of saints includes you and me (if we are truly Christian) as well as all the Christians who lived over the last 2000 years and are now living with Jesus in heaven.  Even though we cannot see those saints in Heaven, we join with them in praising God every time we worship.  They care about us and cheer us on as we seek to live for God in this life (Hebrews 12:1).

Article Eleven – “I Believe In The Resurrection of the body."  (See Job 19:25-27 & Romans 8:11)
That seems straightforward enough, but I think we don’t fully consider what it means.  The idea of Heaven is common in popular religion in America.  Even those who do not attend church may believe the idea that when a person dies, their spirit will go up to heaven.  But Christians boldly proclaim, “I believe in the ressurection of the body.”  Of the body…  The teaching of the Holy Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and therefore the belief of the Christian Church, is that our physical bodies will be resurrected.  We will not be disembodied spirits floating around in heaven.  No.  We will live forever with Jesus with a perfected, healed, physical body.  God created Adam and Eve as physical creatures with perfect bodies and we will ultimately have our broken, sinful bodies healed and restored to perfection. 

Jesus is our example.  He was born as a baby and lived on earth in a physical body.  He died after His physical body was crucified on a cross.  And then He rose from the grave on the third day.  He was not a spirit or a ghost.  He ate breakfast with His disciples.  He told Thomas to touch His physical hands and feel the actual nail scars.  If Christ rose to eternal life in a physical body, so too will we.  So, we believe in the ressurection of the body.”

The Full Apostles’ Creed
Now that we have examine the meaning of these articles of the traditional Apostles’ Creed, read the whole creed as one and contemplate the meaning in these historic words. What new insight do you find in them?

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 

He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried. 

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father,

He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Closing
Today, we have examined 4 articles of the Apostles' Creed, affirming the foundational truths of the Christian faith. We have declared our belief in God the Father, the Creator of all; in Jesus Christ, the Savior who conquered sin and death; in the Holy Spirit, who empowers and guides us; and in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the ressurection of the body, and life everlasting.

As we leave, let us carry these truths in our hearts and live them out in our lives. May the faith we have affirmed today shape our actions, inspire our worship, and deepen our love for God and one another.

Remember, this Creed is not just words we recite—it is the foundation upon which we build our whole life.  It guides us to live boldly for Christ, trusting in His promises and sharing His love with a world in need.

Now, as you go, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forever.  Amen.

 

God Wants You to be Holy

Introduction
I haven't always been a Methodist.  I grew up going to Baptist churches.  So when I started attending a Methodist church, I was curious what were the differences.  Someone told me a joke I have always enjoyed.  They said, "You know what’s the difference between Methodists and Baptists?  Methodist say hello when they see each other in the liquor store!" 

And it is true that Methodists are much more open about the fact that we may enjoy an acholic beverage (while Baptist who do might not want to admit it).  There may be other difference we notice--we like to light candles and recite the Apostles Creed and other responsive liturgical readings.  However, the real difference are much deeper than these surface level issues   It's theological.

Methodists have a distinct emphasis on God’s grace. Grace is the undeserved gift of God’s divine help.  All Christians believe God's grace is what saves us--rather than our good works--because we can't earn salvation; it's a free gift from God for those who believe.  However, Methodists really emphasize God's grace and we even spell out the three main ways we experience God's grace.  There is the prevenient grace of God that helps us before we even think about God.  Then there is the justifying grace of God that saves us when we realize who Christ is and we repent of sin and turn to follow Jesus.  And today I want to talk about the third grace--sanctifying grace--that works to actually heal us and make us holy.

In the UMH, we have 22 songs under the theme of Prevenient Grace and 20 songs about Justifying Grace.  However, we have 154 songs about Sanctifying Grace!  What does the number of hymns for each category tell you about how the Methodist church's emphasis on sanctification?  It is very important to us! 

Sanctification is the life-long process of God healing us of sin and perfecting us in love. True Healing comes as we surrender ourselves to God and let His grace transform us.  Healing comes as we obey and do those things God asks of us.  

A man who is seriously ill, physically, will never get better unless he goes to a good doctor and follows the doctor’s treatment plan.  However, it doesn’t matter if the doctor is the best doctor in the world; the sick man will not get better on his own if he doesn't follow the doctor's treatment plan.

Well Jesus is known as the "Great Physician".  He is the greatest spiritual healer of all.  And we need healing.  We can't heal our own sin-sickness.  Jesus can heal us, but unless we follow The Great Physicians treatment plan for us, we will not get better.

Romans 6:12-18
¹² Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. ¹³ Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. ¹⁴ Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

¹⁵ Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! ¹⁶ Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. ¹⁷ Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. ¹⁸ Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

Key Verses
Let me point out a few key phrases from this reading that shows what God expects from Christians after Jesus saves them.  Romans 6:14 says, "Sin is no longer your master… You are free by God’s grace…"
Romans 6:15 says, "Since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!"  So we see, God expects Christians to put away sin because we've been set free by His grace.

Here are some other scriptures that show that God wants us to be holy.  1 Thessalonians 4:3, "It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality"  And Jude 1:24 says, "All glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy."

There are even more challenging verses from God’s Word about what God expects with regard to holiness, such as Hebrews 12:14, which says, "…seek to live a clean and holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord."  And 1 John 3:9, "Those who have been born into God’s family do not sin, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they have been born of God."

God’s Prevenient Grace draw us to Him. His Justifying Grace forgives us and sets aside our sin.  However, God doesn’t want us to remain in sin, so His Sanctifying Grace heals our sins and leads us to become holy. 

Now all Christian denominations know this and preach about sanctification.  However, sanctification has always been the hallmark of the Methodist movement.  John Wesley and the early Methodist were specifically motivated to urge Christians everywhere to "Spread Scriptural holiness across the land" (in other words, to truly be reformed and to help reform people everywhere to live holy lives).

Perfection In Love
Methodists believe God’s sanctifying grace through the Holy Spirit can perfect us in love in this lifetime.  We will still be tempted.  (Even Jesus was tempted.)  We will still make mistakes. We will never have perfect knowledge in this life, but we can have perfect love.  John Wesley taught perfect love is when everything you do is motivated by sincere love.  Thus, in this state, even the mistakes you make flow from love.  That is what we are aiming for! 

Strive for perfect love!  Let God change you!  Don’t be lazy and don’t you dare sell out!  God wants more for you than mediocrity!  He wants you to be holy!  And you can be holy, because God’s Sanctifying Grace can heal you and make you Holy.  Eventually, Lord willing, everything you do may be motivated by love!  But you can’t sit back and make the excuse, “Oh, no body’s perfect…”  That won’t get you anywhere.  But God’s healing grace can take you all the way to perfection in love—if you will let Him! 

Personal and Social Holiness
True Methodist doctrine shouts holy sanctification loud and clear!  It motivates us to be changed and to help change the world. 

Some Christians live their lives as if they’re just waiting to die.  They say, “I’ve been saved. 
I know I’m going to heaven.  What more is there?” 
There’s a lot more!  We are not just waiting to die.  

We pray in the Lord’s prayer:  “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  These are not empty words.  They should be the yearning of every Christian’s heart.   I believe God answers prayers, don’t you?  So why would He not answer the Lord’s Prayer? 

It is not God’s will that you continue to be dominated by sin.  God wants you to actually be free!  Does that seem impossible?  Well Jesus reminds us in Mark 10:27:  “With men it is impossible, but not with God.  Nothing is impossible with God!”  And Jude 1:24 says, “All glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling…”

We cannot free ourselves or stop ourselves from sinning own our own.  But God—through the Holy Spirit—helps us & sanctifies us to grow more & more like Jesus.  We ought to pray for and hope for and cooperate with the Holy Spirit, trusting God will heal us.  If you aren’t aiming for perfection, what are you aiming for?  And if you aren’t aiming for perfection, what do you think you will get?  

This is not a burden, because we don’t do it by our own strength. It’s not a matter of will power.  It’s not us buckling down extra hard, gritting our teeth, and making ourselves better people.  Sanctification is a matter of cooperation.  God makes the changes in your life, but, you’ve got to cooperate. 

Jesus is a wonderful physician, but you’ve got to follow His treatment plan.  Are you?  Are you actively praying?  Are you reading your Bible?  Are you celebrating the sacraments regularly?  Are you serving God and others?  Are you supporting God’s mission financially with a cheerful heart?  Are you devoting yourself to the Lord above all else?

The Christian faith is not just a personal thing.  It is also social.  We are called to spread scriptural holiness across the land.  Christians have changed the world for the better over the last 2,000 years.  It’s not God’s will that our world continues to be broken or that Christians throw up their hands in resignation and say, “There’s nothing we can do about it.” 

True Christians have always worked to better the world.  Even Christians who were being brutally tortured and executes for their faith, have followed Christ’s example of sacrificial love and sought the salvation of their persecutors.  Surely Christians today can change our world in 21^st century America for the better, but it won’t happen unless you take seriously God’s call to be Holy People.  It cannot happen just because you, by you sheer will power, resolve to make the world holy.  It can only happen when you cooperate with what the Holy Spirit wants to do in you today.