The Process of Perfection

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The Lord came to this earth with a purpose. To call out from this world a body of people that would be known as His Church.
He mentions it to Peter in Matthew.
Matthew 16:18 NKJV
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
He said “I will build my church”. He is going to perfect it and present it to Himself in the not to distant future. We are quickly approaching that terrible and glorious day.
Today I want us to look at the process of the churches perfection. What is God’s plan for perfecting an imperfect people to present to Himself.

John the Baptist

He was the forerunner to Jesus Christ. His message was one of repentance. People by the hundreds would go out into the wilderness to see and hear this wild man who lived on locusts and honey, wearing animal skins. He only had one message, repent.
Acts 19:4 NKJV
Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
Beyond believing God for what he offers. Repentance is actually a person’s first step toward God.
John was the forerunner to Christ preparing the way…if you want to be ready for God when he comes. Repent.
When those who were present on the day of pentecost ask “what shall we do?”
Acts 2:37 NKJV
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Acts 2:38 NKJV
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
What is repentance?
Repent: It means to sorrow enough for your sins that you will turn away from them. You will stop committing that sin.
John the Baptist also preached that people should believe on Him that comes after me.
Matthew 3:11–12 NKJV
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire!
Many people in their pursuit of God stop short of this experience. For some it is that they are unaware that such an experience exists.
Acts 19:1–6 NKJV
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
If you have not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the witness of speaking in a language you do not previously know or understand… God has that experience for you. You can have that today if you will just believe Him for it.
For some they have been taught by church leaders in error that the experience was only for a select group at the start of the church age.
Peter preaching at Cornelius home. Cornelius is a gentile.
Acts 10:34 NKJV
Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
God will not give an experience to one person and that same experience with Him not be available to all that pursue after Him.
The experiences of the apostles are available to each of us today!
Matthew 3:11–12 NKJV
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor.
The threshing floor was the place where the wheat of the field would be taken and broken. It would separate the useful wheat from the chaff and stalk.
The greek word that is translated here as “thoroughly clean” means to cleanse of all impurities, elements that are regarded as undesirable.
In harvest, the wheat was the desired element. The hard stalk and the chaff that came with the wheat it was undesirable.
I have heard this scripture used in the context of God will separate the believer from the unbeliever. I agree with that. Also I have heard it preached that God will purge the church of members regarded as undesirable. People who are fronting… they are not serious about their relationship with God. I can agree with that principle.
But I believe looking at the context of the scripture, the personal nature of what John is saying. “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Maybe John intends for his statement to be taken at a personal level.
John is saying there are some undesirable things in you that when Jesus Christ baptizes you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He is going to purge you of the impurities. He is going to separate the useful from the unusable.
Get real: There are some undesirable and impure things in each of us, that only repentance and the baptism of the Holy Spirit can purge from us.
Cleansing is an ongoing process.
Repentance and the baptism of the Holy Spirit brings us into God’s process of perfection.
John 15:1–2 NKJV
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
The branches that are not producing fruit will be cut away. But even if we are bearing fruit we will still be cleansed. It is the pruning process that causes more fruit to be produced.
God always has intended more for you! Look at someone and say. God’s not done. There is more for you!
Get Shelley: I am moving people to the Altar Call.
Ephesians 5:25–27 NKJV
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
We are in the process of perfection. We must yield to God’s order and permit him to sanctify and cleanse us…So that He can present to himself the church He desires.
Altar: Steps of repentance, Baptism of water in Jesus name, ask for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Maybe God is cleansing something undesirable out of your spirit and life...
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