Its Time for Some R & R.

Martin Luther noticed that there a number (99) to be exact unbiblical practices within the church. The reformation is the story of how a grouop of Godly mwn went about removing these practices and reforming the church to its biblical example.

The exact same is true for each and every christian who, Like Luther, cannot reconcile their practices and lifestyle to what the bible calls them to be.

That is why im following up lst week sermon with this message.

Reformation begins when you come to a point and realisation that you cannot contune to live the way you are. That sin has corrupted practically every part of your life and the things that matter are starting to sliop away.

This is what happen to Isral many times. False gods, idleness and backsliding caused the nation to suffer terribly. And God sent leaders to call the people back to God.

1 Samuel 7:3 KJV 1900

3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

Often families also need a reformation.

Genesis 35:2 KJV 1900

2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

Notice what is common: Get rid of the false and get clean.

Martin Luther looked closley at the church, he examined it cearfully to see what was wrong. Thats exacally what God tells us to do.

2 Corinthians 13:5 KJV 1900

5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

And as you examin youself you get to work cleaning up yoiur spiritual house by repentance.

In fact thats what reformation is: Its a house clean.

Horders - Sin hourders.

lies, addiction, porn, lust, gossip, laziness, negclet...

But There is a problem.

Spiritual reform is wonderful, needed and is the start of every move of God in a persons life.

But Jesus warned about a potential danger regarding cleaning your house.

Matthew 12:43–45 KJV 1900

43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

This introduces us to the other R.

Reformation is cleaning the house. Regeneration is filling that house with the Holy Ghost.

It is an active pursuit of Jesus in our everyday lives.

it is not just an absence of sin but pursuing the presence of God. It is this pursuit of god, this following after the holy spirit that keeps our lives clean of sin.

Galatians 5:16 KJV 1900

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

The flesh has a mind. The Holy Spirit has a mind. The mind of the flesh is things about evil things. Jesus told us what comes from the heart of man.

Matthew 15:19 KJV 1900

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

Reformation without regeneration is like spraying a house while a skunk lives in the walls.

Reformation can clean the heart, but Regeneration changes the heart. And this changes means that our minds and thoughts are not occupied by the lusts of the flesh by rather we are occupied by the things and thoughts of God.

Romans 8:5 KJV 1900

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

For me, the active pursuit of God in our lives begins when you stop being a member and start serving. Serving God requires you to be active in the pursuit of His presence.

Joshua’s famous statment.

Joshua 24:15 KJV 1900

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.