Holiness Is Right
Stewardship • Sermon • Submitted
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· 507 viewsThe purpose of this sermon is to convey the tenants of living holy in order to be good stewards
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Pre-Intro:
Pre-Intro:
Honor God, Pastors, Elders, and Members
We are continuing in our study of Leviticus and Stewardship.
Stewardship definition (not only deals with money) Mange, work, care for
Central Proposition of the book of Leviticus is that it is a guide to Living Holy.
3. The text today is coming from , and the title of today’s message is “Holiness Is Right”
Introduction:
Introduction:
Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service, you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already.
– C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
We are commanded to be good stewards over what God’s creation as well as what he has blessed us with. As you can see in the quote that we can’t give God anything that he does not already own, so we must learn what it takes to be stewards over what he allows us to have.
There are four principles of stewardship according to Hugh Welchel
1. Ownership
2. Responsibility
3. Accountability
4. Reward
And you will see as God teaches us the statutes of Holiness how it relates.
Stewardship means to manage and work, or to care for. I hear you asking me what does stewardship have to do with Holiness? Stewardship is an expression of Holiness:
* You cannot pursue holiness without coming face to face with your faithfulness as a steward. At the same time, holiness is a requirement to stewardship on a relational basis.
What God has created is sacred and He wants Holy people to be stewards over his creation. Today we are going to learn some of the requirements of a Holy life. I am not talking about Holiness as in the Pentecostal Holiness denomination.
I. Laws of Holiness
I. Laws of Holiness
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
We find no where in the scriptures where God demands for us to be of any denomination. Here he specifically commands the Israelites to be Holy. Not Holiness, but Holy. We were created in the image of God and part of that image is that he is holy or set apart from sin. YHWH is sacred. Here the word for Holy is qadosh (kaw-doshe') is a noun.
Show how our makeup matches the image of God and how the essence of Holiness must exist in order for our spirit to be connected to His spirit.
Notice the recurring theme as we continue to the next verse:
Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.
lev
The recurring statement is I am YHWH your God. Not only is He emphasizing his personal name, but he is letting us know that he desires a personal relationship with his people.
Your first blank is:
Being Holy requires a personal relationship with God!
This is what God wants from us. We should desire it just as much as he wants it.
Notice how God has designed these statutes to delegate how we should be towards others, because we are to be stewards of each other as well. He is directing how we should relate as well as how we should relate to Him.
“When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted. It shall be eaten the same day you offer it or on the day after, and anything left over until the third day shall be burned up with fire. If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is tainted; it will not be accepted, and everyone who eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned what is holy to the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from his people.
“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.
lev 19:
Sacrifice so that you may be accepted, not the sacrifice.
The reason of this strict prohibition seems to have been to prevent any mysterious virtue being superstitiously attached to meat offered on the altar.
This was the earliest law for the benefit of the poor that we read of in the code of any people; and it combined in admirable union the obligation of a public duty with the exercise of private and voluntary benevolence at a time when the hearts of the rich would be strongly inclined to liberality. In other words another example of our duties as stewards.
Your next blank is:
Being Holy requires providing for others!
Providing for those who are less fortunate, or have fallen on hard times
Example of the desire to sit in stores during Christmas and pay for peoples layaways. Think of something you would love to do above and beyond your church stewardship
lev 19:11-19
“You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.
“You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
“You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind. You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material.
Remember I said living holy guides how we deal with others and here in these verses we are told to be fair to each other. If we must judge each other we are to do it justly and without vengence. Remember that scripture over in :
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
This verse is confirmation for verse 5 in today’s text that said it’s not about the sacrifice being accepted, it’s about you being accepted.
This is living holy and being good stewards over each other and God’s possessions.
Your last blank is:
Being Holy requires a principled conduct toward others!
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Holiness covers every aspect of our lives; how we relate with God and people. The holiness of God meant that the Israelites had to display holiness in their interpersonal relationships.
Living a holy life is a requirement to be good stewards of God's creation. By having a personal relationship with God, we automatically have a desire to provide for those in need and a loving approach to dealing with others. By living holy we manage what God has given us dominion by working to spread the love and good news of God while caring for each other. Holiness is personal, providing, and principled. And remember those principles of stewardship Ownership, Responsibility and Accountability? We own nothing, god owns it all and we are responsible for the management and work required for the upkeep of the kingdom and will be held accountable to each other as well as God to keep each other encourage in our journey to living holy.
Living a holy life is a condition we must meet to be good stewards of God's creation. By having a personal relationship with God, we automatically have a desire to provide for those in need and a loving approach to dealing with others. By living holy we manage what God has given us dominion, by working to spread the love and good news of God while caring for each other. Holiness is personal, providing, and principled. And remember those principles of stewardship Ownership, Responsibility and Accountability? We own nothing, God owns it all and we are responsible for the management and work required for the upkeep of the kingdom and will be held accountable to each other as well as God to keep each other encourage in our journey to living holy.
Living a holy life is a requirement to be good stewards of God's creation. By having a personal relationship with God, we automatically have a desire to provide for those in need and a loving approach to dealing with others. By living holy we manage what God has given us dominion by working to spread the love and good news of God while caring for each other. Holiness is personal, providing, and principled. And remember those principles of stewardship Ownership, Responsibility and Accountability? We own nothing, god owns it all and we are responsible for the management and work required for the upkeep of the kingdom and will be held accountable to each other as well as God to keep each other encourage in our journey to living holy.
I’m reminded of the song by Desmond Pringle where it says,
There's a difference between wrong and right
There's a difference between darkness and light
There's no compromise we must draw the line
Sin is still a reproach but holiness is right
Now the world is living all kinds of lifestyles
But the life of a Christian should be pure and undefiled
Everybody has faults to repent thereof
And then walk in the light because holiness is right
The old folks used to sing:
copyright <a href="https://elyrics.net">http://elyrics.net</a>
I’m not doubting about the way
I’m walking in the light
I know holiness is right
I’m not doubting about the way
Celebration:
Celebration:
But wait a minute preacher. You said there were four principles earlier! What about the reward? This is where somebody needs to shout right now! because the Holy Spirit revealed to me when we are good stewards over what He has blessed us with, he will bless us with more , and when we are good stewards over that, more blessings will come. No matter if it’s stewards over money or possessions, we must manage what we have before we can expect to receive more.