How to Walk in the Dark - Part A

Peter is saying.

Picking up on this rock in the dark to punch holes in the darkness, the past to say no to the old life. Those were the days you lived in ignorance.

Peter Woodson did know what you are doing simply things you used to do one not a theologian once said killing soon will be killing you today on connect with Skip Skip shares how you can walk in Jesus life while living in a dark world. But before we begin. Here's a great resource that will help you walk into the peace that Jesus questions can be ambushed by supply struggles that feels anxiety is a problem it's a problem all human beings. At some point have to deal with understanding and overcoming anxiety if possible and want to help you move from feeling paralyzed by anxiety finding lasting keys with three powerful resources, overcoming an anxious mind, a new booklet by high-tech teaching worship any uncertainty on CD class is over worship sure we can replace your anxiety. This resource bundle is $35 or more today to help connect more people to the principal connectwithskip.com/offered to give online securely or call 819 to 1888 okay first Peter chapter 1 was shown in 2004 games and apps. When an American by the name of Matt Emmons so close to the gold medal. He could taste it was in first place this competition was the man's man's three position 50 m rifle competition. All he needed for his final shot was something near the bull's-eye didn't even have to be spot on to somewhere near so in that final-round Matt Emmons in first place takes his rifle aims it pulls the trigger, but the shot did not register on his target, Matt Emmons was standing in line number three lane number three. The target that he just shot was in lane number two.

He aimed at the wrong target. Something distracted him and it was the kind of mistake that was unheard of at that level of competition. The judges gave him a zero and suddenly Matt Emmons went from first place to eighth place. All because of a distraction. You live in a dark world and a punch holes in the darkness. Prepare your mind, live in the light of the coming of Christ that be a real hope. Second shaper conduct from the mind to the actions computer writes verse 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves of the former losses in your ignorance. We didn't know any better, but is he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct couple things that Peter writes about the move from what we think to what we do and he says when you when you're in the realm of action, conduct there's a negative part and there's a positive part. There's a part that you don't do and is a part that you do the negative. This simply put, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts you ever stopped to remember who you used to be before you came to Christ, we are all holy like you are now just stop to think about your past like your BC days before Christ.

I was a moron I think the things I said the people I hung with the things I did how cool I thought I was and sometimes sometimes I'll hear Christians almost reminiscing about their past life like over the remember the good old days. All what are you talking about. Yeah, remember the good old days when you want all those parties you felt so alone when you went there all the fake friends that used to surround you as they wanted something from you remember feeling more alienated and more isolated good old days we tell you about the good old days. According to Paul the apostle. Here's an honest look back. This is Ephesians chapter 2. Once you were dead, you are doomed to forever because of your many sins used to live just like the rest of the world full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the year. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way.

Following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature and we were under God's anger just like everyone else know that is an honest look back dead doomed a prisoner to our own loss and in the bull's-eye of God's anger. That's where you came so Peter is saying.

Picking up on this walk in the dark of you to punch holes in the darkness cut off the past.

You have to say no to the old life.

Those were the days you lived in ignorance. Peter Woodson you did know what you are doing you didn't know any better. Now you do.

Simply put, there are things you used to do.

You are not to do their people you used to hang out with that are just not good for you to hang with anymore.

There are Internet sites you used to visit that you have no business looking. There are books you used to read that you want to leave alone. Did you know the word no and all is a spiritual word. Try it sometime. Just say no feel so good now.

I don't mean live a negative life that temptation to the compromised should I negotiate the just say no and walk away, cut it off to say no to your past is not enough.

Saving the shaper conduct yesterday. Yes, your father, verse 14.

Look at it. Look at it as obedient children see what is doing. He's connecting you with your heavenly father you are to be children that are obedient in verse 15, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct holy be holy holiness. We hear that word a lot kind to say frankly that's a very churchy word and it's a word we use and we sing and we pray for. We toss around and frankly I just wonder if you really understand what it means. Quite frankly, holiness asked 10 people sick.

Gaston people try to view every action want to try this year in Starbucks say hey you 10 people, I'm in a try word association. What first comes your mind when I say this were ready. Holy, you might stop a few somebody might say candlelit Cathedral all rebuild sing for you or us in Moncks with long beards like the guys on Duck Dynasty who lived on the deserts and some monastery somewhere mind is funny things with the word holy, the Bible tells us God is holy, is the essential part of his character. When the Angels were worshiping God in Isaiah's vision of it. They said holy, holy, holy, three times for emphasis.

Interesting that insight, loving, loving, loving, merciful, merciful, merciful, just does just even though God is all those things.

The primary attribute noted was his holiness was a me means unique means different means other other gods out there in this is God's holiness. Listen to this verse in a translation called the message Eugene Peterson as obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, life energetic and blazing with holiness. I love that a life shaped by God's life.

You know, if you're a Christian. If I'm a Christian. There ought to be a family resemblance. I remember as a boy I go places and you know it. I heard people say that Slough height six son.

I heard that a lot. I'm not just Skip I'm blue height six son wherever I went. I carried my dad's reputation around with me and it put pressure on me as a good pressure to have that I had to not tarnish his good name. I had to conform to some kind of a standard yes I individuate it I was my own person, but I was also blue. Height six. Either another name is do you the name of Christ we are children of our heavenly father to live a holy life simply means that people look at your life in the Gulf. You must somehow be connected to God somehow related and live in such a way that God would so to speak. Look down from heaven and say that's my boy. That's my girl in the days of Alexander the great. One of his soldiers was caught deserting in a battle. That soldier was brought before Alexander the Emperor, he heard the charges and he said to the young soldier young man, what is your name.

He looked up and said my name is Alexander Sir. The Emperor was taken aback and that he became angry and he said soldier you either change your behavior or change your name my name Alexander I want you to be brave and other work holiness, a reflection of family resemblance as he is holy, who called you. You be holy you be other personal set of what you start looking at holiness defined by the word wholeness, WHO, L. E. Ness when you are holy, you become holy become complete, you become well-rounded. The closer you follow God and pursue God and become more like God. The whole complete package of life and when you pursue him and you start emulating his traits and become more and more like him. There's a power in that, unlike anything else tired of the native who went to large city, for the first time and had never seen electric lights.

He was so dazzled by them.

He was given some extra spending money so he bought a sack full of light bulbs in light switches and sockets took him back onto his village and started stringing him up on the outside of his house and in the trees by his house. All his neighbors were looking Adam, what are you doing, he said to just wait just wait.

Just watch just wait nightfall came in the neighborhood.

The whole city.

The village was gathered up. He said not now just wait and watch this and he flipped the switch and nothing happened because nobody told him about electricity is not enough to just turn from the darkness to live in the light you got plug into God. You say no to the old pasty say yes to your father and that shapes your conduct. So how do you walk in the dark begins in the mind. You prepare your mind think clearly.

Hopefully shape your actions negatively. Don't be like it used to be you didn't know any better than you know better now. Say yes to your father pursue him closely.

Third, finally, focus your will focus your will for 16 because it is written, be holy, for I am holy now before I jump into that. There's there's something in the previous verse in verse 15 registered jumped out at me this week I am on my way get a notice.

It's a subtle phrase it just made my brother actually said that. Notice what it says at the end of verse 15 he called you is holy, be holy and in some of your conduct. You see that in some of your condo that I misread it. I'm so I'm sorry, did misread you also be holy and most of your conduct yeah I misread it again. It says what all your conduct. It says that I'm to be holy and all my conduct was the same degree going to notice is my mean some different notices in the great means all. In fact, the Phillips translation renders it in every department of your life you when you bring Jesus into your life. He comes into live as a resident, not a tourist. He wants to keep every room I was in North Carolina this week I visited not only the Billy Graham training center where I spoke but I had an afternoon free.

I went to the Biltmore estate. I took my son I been there before. Want to see it again want to show him.

Biltmore estate is the largest home in the America 250 home rooms 250 rooms in a single home.

Many stories the castle central heating in the late 1800s and 65 supplemental fireplace, huge took her to her room to room, but there were sections of the Biltmore estate that are off-limits to roped off can go in that hallway can see in that room and I come up to the rope and it's my tendency. I want to see what's in that room because it says I can't see what's in that room.

So why can I see what's in that room all well. She said you don't want to see it.

It's sorta like this room and if you take the special tour we could show you in the somebodies of the room so there were certain rooms off-limits for me.

Okay I'm a tourist I'm not a resident. I get that when you receive Christ into your heart and you give them the key to your life. He lives there is not a Taurus and he wants access to every single room in the house all your conduct all your conduct will spell it out God when I wake up God in the shower God at the breakfast table God in the car God at the office God of the factory God in the classroom God in the boardroom God in the bedroom all your conduct all your conduct. Holiness is letting God conquer interspace when he conquers interspace your outer space. If you find CS Lewis wrote how little people know who think holiness is dual when one meets the real thing is irresistible, even if 10% of the worlds population had it would not the whole world be converted before the years and you know he's right. The world doesn't understand holiness, which is why we have to show them those 10 people at Starbucks we mention holiness then don't get it that the see it.

We have to show them where the gods like me show you years ago there was a lighthouse in Florida.

One of the glass panes broke out, they ordered a new one, but temporarily they had to close it up so they put a piece of tin over where the glass was on one side. Problem is, is when the ship was trying to get into the harbor and looked at the lighthouse. He didn't see a light and saw a dark spot, could navigate one of the things we discover as we grow in Christ is that we have a few dark spots.

Few a lot and part of our Christian growth is to identify and remove those dark spots, and put in its place holiness.

That's what God wants in that room in that area. With this relationship all your conduct. Now I did promise 1/3, and I started and I stopped and I go back to focus your will for 16 because it is written, be holy, for I am holy. If you call on the father, who, without partiality, judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves to the time of your stay here in fear.

Please just read the first word of verse 18 we get to that next time. The first word of that is all part of the same sentence, knowing no EEE talks about this what God said.

There's going to be a judgment and we know something that's important.

Knowing goes beyond just thinking that knowing goes beyond just doing certain things when you when you are in the realm of knowing something you're in the realm of deeply held firmly held convictions convictions or beliefs firmly held. They are ideas and beliefs.

You're firmly convinced of your firmly committed to any wishy-washy person can have a belief stable believer somebody US convictions and your interspace will get conquered when you move from belief system to convictions. I'm convinced one of the reason people fall away from the faith, as they say. Or as Jesus put a get choked up by the cares of this world is they have never formulated deep held convictions. I know this to be true. So we go from thinking to action.

Really we end up with the firm basis of deeply held convictions. Focus your will to. That's based upon a couple of things this base. First of all, upon Scripture written Scripture verse 16 because it is written, be holy fries quoting Leviticus because it is written so Peter is anticipating his audience and what should I be holy.

Peter, good question, Peter would say because God said so in his book it is written, a phrase found 80 times in the Bible, usually in the New Testament, pointing back to the Old Testament.

A person who has conviction that somebody was wrestled with the Scripture and come out the other end of the rustling saying I believe this to be the word of God you never listen to vintage classic Billy Graham Crusades is one crazy always says over and over again the word phrase.

The Bible says. The Bible says for God so loved the world, the Bible says all of soon the Bible a string of Scripture you know why he says that his many years ago was a youth when he was at Forrest home in California youth. He was struggling with Scripture I can put my mind around it. Intellectually I don't I don't understand it all, and he went out and he prayed. He got on his knees. He said God is a lot of this book.

I do not get I believe it to be your word and I will proclaim it as your word, I've come to an end of my intellect and all I know is is that when I wheeled this sword. It's like a fire that melts the ice off the hearts of unbelievers and from that moment on he was. The Bible says. The Bible says because he saw the power and the strength of written Scripture Peter couldn't of said what he said it is written, unless you believe that to be so. Second, you focus or low based upon future judgment.

Don't miss it in verse 17. If you call on the father, without partiality, judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves to the time of your stay here in fear person who lives with convictions like this has those convictions because he believes there will one day be a final reckoning of final accounting Scripture is your flashlight in the dark world. God's judgment is a light at the end of the tunnel. There will never be a brighter day in your whole life than the day of judgment. According to Paul first Corinthians 4 therefore judge nothing before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in the darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time. Each one will receive his praise from God that day is coming through the day of judgment, I heard about a family that was going on vacation, there was a thief across the street in the car waiting to watch the family go.

They left he waited for nightfall. He picked the lock. He opened the door to the kitchen. It was completely dark, and he heard a voice. Jesus sees you and so do I. He was scared.

He turned on his flashlight looked around, saw nothing.

He continued his work again. The boy said. Jesus sees you and so do Y.

To his freaked out. He looks around looks around. Can't see anybody third time Jesus sees you and Soto are at this moment he turns on the overhead lights and he looks across the kitchen and there on the counter was in a cage apparent.

And he said all system bird in a cage, then he saw the Doberman pinscher with glistening teeth. On the other side of the catching in a crouching position and just then the parrot said attack Jesus attack was the day of judgment for that. The first of those is aware that some owner called his dog Jesus on works in the story. If you want to walk firmly and confidently in a dark world. If you want to see in the dark.

You want to punch holes in the darkness they clearly live holy choose decisively and you will be you will be contrary to what the world says the most enlightened person that works of Skip Heitzigs message from the series rocksolid right now you Skip with an important message. There are lots of people who feel lonely and rejected in this world, but we want them to know that there is a Savior who loves them so much he died for, and you can be a vessel that God works through to bring those people out of darkness into his glorious light by giving a gift today to keep this program going strong for you and others you help share the saving message of Jesus Christ with the lost world. Here's how you can do that they should connectwithskip.com/donate to give your gift today that's connectwithskip.com/donate or call 800-922-1888. Again, that's 800-922-1888 coming up tomorrow. Skip Heitzigs shares how you can find your true and lasting worth in the God who loves you unconditionally. You are precious to God. The old house is worth. God the love of God, the most famous person of I John three for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten does not say, for God so ticked off at the world that is kind of fun to punch everybody out. You got five holiness is so skewed presentation of connection communications through