Rookie Mistakes Series: #3 Purity Before Peace (Part A)

One thing that will kill a friendship faster than anything as insincere as being a fraud is pretending to be friendly when you're not sincerely matters once you are known to be someone that is fake problem but it is an honor for people to say this a straight shooter. Just as yes is no is no doesn't mean that he always gets it right, but at least a trustworthy. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Ricky is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through a series called rookie mistakes. Please stay with us after today's message here.

More information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of James chapter 3 as he begins his message piece before purity.

James chapter 3 will stand and read verses 13 through 18, but our text will be verse 17 please stand who is wise and understanding among you, let him show by good conduct that his works are done in meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not to send from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic for where envy and self-seeking exist confusion and every evil thing.

Are there wisdom that is from above is first pure than peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James writing to believers what he said about demonic consensual behavior is saying to believers all don't go don't go that way. Well, this is our third session in a series entitled rookie mistakes and this message is entitled piece before purity in our taxes. Verse 17 but the wisdom that is from above is first pure than peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy out again for those of you who may not of been following the study. This came about by my looking in my notes on great principles of the Christian faith, and realizing that many of these basic principles that are great principles are violated by Christians, even though it's is written down in Scriptures there for us. We are exposed to them early on, some have drastically reduced the rookie mistakes. So as a Christian because they adhere to these things, recognize that the basics are essentials. The basics aren't for babies. Therefore, all of us to develop in our faith in and be effective in our faith. And if you abandon the basics you undermine your own foundation.

Others, however, not been so quick to learn these lessons. They leave home and they live at home making rookie mistakes and hopefully as we go through some of these will become better doers of the word. Those of us who are aware of these mistakes perhaps will just be refreshed and made that much stronger but I don't want to make mistakes, especially the amateur ones. My goal as a Christian is to be an expert in the same sense that the Levite priest.

They knew what they were doing when they offer the sacrifices they were very careful to not offer that which was impure or unholy or violated their faith meant something to them is a lot of people play Christianity pretended that mean something to them and it does not know the doesn't fly with God.

You may pulled over on people, but you're not going to pull it over on the Lord, the Lincoln quote. The least he gets credit. You can fool some of the people some of the time which can fool all the people all the time something like that. There is beauty in God's word versus the corruption of God's way. Purity define what we mean by it. Of course, free from the mixture admixture pollutants free from corruption of those things are prohibited. Those prohibited elements aren't to be in something that is designed to be without them. It's clean innocent. Even we can go so far as to say perfect, pure, righteous their levels of purity, of course, the purity of God is beyond us, but we are commanded to does not suggested it is commanded of us that we be holy. Holiness is actually a little bit more than just purity.

Holy involves so much more than just keeping out the additives. It includes power and the attributes first, that belong to God, and better for some that are available to us. Matthew chapter 5 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. What we were just saying about seeing God.

I want to see you with our physical eyes at secondary without soul that is primary that is eternal purity enables us to see him him purity obscures the vision. The sight of the Lord's will in his work, and we are speaking were going to have to labor to keep these things intact in our own life.

So James says but the wisdom that is from above is first pure than peaceable is not downsizing the value of peace is emphasizing the vitality the essential nature of purity.

First Peter chapter 1 because none of us are inherently pure. We are purified in Christ, if he is our Lord and we hope to disown that which is impure Peter right. Since you have purified your souls. And that is of course in coming to Christ and obeying the truth through the Spirit is written down in the Scriptures. That's what we look to follow. Purity is more of a quest for us in a full-blown achievement. We don't arrive to the top of the hill of purity and plan our flag there that I have arrived and is nothing further for me to do fact the person that has arrived is not going any further. It is a quest, but not without God's blessings, not without rewards we do achieve something in the pursuit of righteousness destroy not pursuing righteousness. If you come out of sin. You know what that is about pursuing purity is not legalism it is not self-righteousness does not make us holier than thou.

It may make us more humble than what we used to be. Hopefully we won't notice it, but we will look to be obedient because that's what it is about obedience is not legalism. It's obedience it's compliance you know if you are noncompliant with something. Those in control of common slap you with a summons force you to comply. We understand in everyday life, how important it is to comply with the Lord as best we can to many Christians have posted on their Facebook pages. I at the whole Facebook thing is bizarre to me it's it's at the Blarney world. I like you you I mean is that but anyway I digress. And I like to digress. Anyway coming back to what I'm talking about on Facebook pages, you can go on some Christian flatmate as you cringe you cringe at the debate in the blatant impurities that they have put on their pages you and say they should know better. So rookie mistake the something very basic to our faith, not in the advanced laying out for someone under the hint of the God's dispensation over the ages. You know that the dental little bit more advanced, but the basics of purity sub scriptural alliances got to be careful about those things very serious. So our text which is teaching, which I believe Lord says I want to speak on this.

Here we are, as Paul said, that which I first received. I delivered to you. That's the process we are submitted and committed to. Otherwise we are calling the shots.

It is purer because it comes from God and it leads to God and so our text again.

The wisdom that is from above comes from God is first pure, it's not first peaceful it is first pure, then peaceful is the byproduct even say gentle I'll get to that little bit. As many of us, especially me in my thinking and need that emphasis willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy, but hypocrisy is acting it's okay to act in the proper environment. One thing that will kill a friendship faster than anything is insincerity is being a fraud is pretending to be friendly when you're not sincerely matters once you are known to be someone that is a Franco problem, but it is an honor for people to say there's a straight shooter is yeses yes is no is no doesn't mean that he always gets it right, but at least a trustworthy. It would be great. Some Christians would say if we could just pray with anyone. I don't mean that that is a goal I mean that is a desire all any clean that up a little bit. There are those Christians that find no problem with accepting false views if it will keep the peace. One time is making a hospital call story. Everybody makes moves of a family member of someone who attended the church. I did not know them, but they asked with. I would go see them. I was already in the hospital and another called and so I went there, and I'm talking with the person in the end, of course, as we do, you begin say this person is really not into the Lord. I'm not saying that they weren't Christian but claiming to be Christian. It wasn't that love of the Lord just radiating and as I was there a few people other people in the room and another there clergyman came in the room with the collar on and all that. Not knocking that are promoting it one way or the other, but it was clear who this person was any sort of gunner took over which I led him to some humble and the alternative was to hit him in the head with something and I sensed that the spirit was in leading me to do that say he says let's all pray and I wanted to say excuse me, hopefully you are what makes you think I want to pray with you. I don't know what you believe in you can believe in fairies or something so I was about to make a scene. Andy he prayed, and when everyone said amen I did not because I don't know who he was in the way he was dressed was a clue that he wasn't who I would be comfortable with some of you say on this a little harsh will and he read from first John chapter 4. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone into the world if his prayers were solid and God would have no problem receiving them. If his prayers were not solid and the need have a problem with me saying amen an agreement with them so I let it pass. I bring the whole story up to illustrate that when trying to be abrasive harsh towards others.

But we have to understand that what we believe special. There's nothing like it on the planet on Mars or anywhere. It is given to us by the Lord and we have been entrusted with a stewards.

Another example, but not for me. Peter and Barnabas. This powerhouses of the faith. What Barnabas went through what Peter went through in the preaching of the kingdom and they go to Antioch in Syria where the church was just exploding with new attendees. Gentiles were leading into the church. Paul and Barnabas were ministering there. Peter came up to see it and then James the author of the letter struggled with legalism a bit because you know the sermon on the Mount James letter is sermon on the mount light but anyway he sends up these other Jewish believers. This is not a slight on our Jewish brothers and sisters to slide on those who try to mingle Christianity with anything else anonymous life in an address of anyway they they wanted to keep the peace. Peter and Barnabas. They wanted to keep the peace. And they made a rookie mistake I should've known better. They probably kicked themselves. Christianity was in jeopardy right there in Antioch. If no one stood up.

Judaism would've swallowed up the work of the Holy Spirit, God was ahead of them, Paul.

Paul had the painful assignment of putting his two beloved friends and their place in front of everybody.

Paul call them out, because to Paul purity was more important then peace. He wanted peace, but not at the cost of purity, they were wrong relationship to verse 11. Now when Peter had come to Antioch.

I was starting to his face because he was to be blamed on his Paul right as he wants others to get it. He wants them to understand as painful as it might be to Peter to have this repeated. In fact, Luke in the Gospels is so painful to him. He doesn't deal with it. It doesn't give us more information. Paul gives us what we have is this before certain man came from James. He would eat with the Gentiles and when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision and the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy, purity, the words of James not James's understanding of the purity was good, very Jewish, and he was not yet this new wineskin which was going to be the second part of made will get it next session because that's another rookie mistake is inflexibility.

But anyway, James is not expanding wasn't becoming a new wineskin to see what the Lord was doing at a fast rate widens a was not expanding at the same rate that Paul was expanding Paul's pulling skies up with them and they didn't even know they force them to rethink everything.

That's what the preacher does you come the church. He brings out the word of God, and he forces by sharing truth is truth demands a decision truth confronts us and and Paul, of course, a master at doing that simply because he kept purity ahead of peace.

All of his ministry, so hypocrisy for the sake of peace, amateur amateur rookie mistake. Don't do it.

And yet I know in this church. There have been many over the years that have made this very mistake when you reach them. Pastor and we don't compromise.

Hopefully I'll get to some of that moment. Our Lord, our Christ in you, not just incidentally, I never really comfortable with referring to him as just Jesus.

He is the Lord Jesus is the Christ mean I'm not playing that on you that you have to do it my way. Baptists notice that over the years. He's more than just Jesus help anyway when he dined with a tax collector and outcast, even it did not compromise with him, nor did he slam him.

He just remained pure in his presence. So much so that over dinner.

Zacarias converted submitted to the Christ repented and conform to the Lord reshaping his own life.

He kept our Lord did purity in the forefront entire life of our Lord is characterized by purity.

That's we love them so you read them in the Gospels is yes. This is the one person that has it together. You know we've we find heroes as people go in our lives people. We look up to and admire. And that's good. We need them younger Christians.

You should have such people in your life that you can look up to as I want to be like Batman or I want to be like that woman righteous man a virtuous woman is no substitute for, and we older saints, we should be working and it ain't easy as we still have a carnal nature will working so that others can just say that very thing. I'm try don't want to be a cranky old man unless it served my purpose, holiness, purity is very attractive is attractive to to all of us. Not a single born-again believer. I believe, is not treat holiness is something that's unimportant. We love it.

We have outside the sanctuary holiness to the Lord. It's in the Scripture description of Moses and Joshua knows moments in our life when when they're told by the Lord, take the samples off your feet. The ground to stand upon his holy we are attracted to that would want to I want some of that Peter and Paul and John. When John falls down before the Lord. In Revelation, as though he would had died in the Lord puts his hands on him and encourages him and strengthens him. We are attracted to this. All of those men and women in Scripture who love forward of a loved holiness went forward to serve gallantly. That's why their stories are retold to us and preserved in writing in God's word to keep purity before peace. We have to accept holiness. We have to understand enough of its value, how essential it is. Even though we are not now again you see Joshua and Moses, standing before the Lord taking their sandals off their feet in his presence, our feet must remain shod in the presence of unholiness. We do not take our sandals off we bear the armor of Christ as Paul talked about an Ephesian six we have to guard against lawlessness. Scripture says that because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Make sure this not you and me. We have no excuse to be loveless.

That is a natural reaction Scripture saying lawlessness is coming on such a level can be almost impossible to love anybody. How can you love someone would so was so evil, evil, evil is is not only human.

There is a contributor an unseen sponsor of evil. It is the underworld. Human beings are sinful. Yes, and they can do evil things. But that evil the capacity for humans to hold evil is supersized by hell. Demonic activity is the one of the lessons with the did with the pigs running off the cliff. One man can hold more demon good look at all want more demons in 2000 pigs. We have the capacity for evil, but we have the capacity for righteousness and truth and endurance. I don't like the word endurance alike to more before became a Christian before I became a Christian word endurance belonged on the marathon or something. Always a forced march, but as a Christian it's to be everywhere in our lives to endure to take the pain and continue to be obedient in the process as best we can. So we keep our feet shod with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the helmet of salvation and the breastplate of faith and the shield of faith. The best breastplate of righteousness sword.

We we we retain these things and if we don't we begin reading the wrong materials listening to the wrong sermons posting the wrong things and we begin to put chumming this with each other ahead of purity, holiness is active.

It reminds us that God, if not we has it together all the time that God is not fumbling through anything that he is self existent, self glorious, and worthy of it. We are attracted to that.

So, anything less. When we begin to compromise and turn our back on the value of holiness. We introduce 11 or is a better word that might strike a little bit closer to the damaged 11 will cause on the spiritual plane rocked. It's okay bread is not okay in theology.

It's not okay in the Christian walk give you an example of corruption over that which is good. Your Etta, a party celebrating one of my sermons. It happens I just find that the stupidest thing in the world. That's why keep doing. I can't help it.

Anyway, and over the punch bowl. Someone sees a giant aerobics knees could be a lot of things I'm not drinking any of that punch. Goldwater found in all just be parched but I'm not going to have any of that punch because something is been added to it. I'm really not fond of. That's the kind of sensory perception. We need spiritual sensors need to go off gallantly the blow. This is an impurity that can not sidestep. We're glad you joined us today to learn how to avoid some rookie mistakes in the fit.

Pastor Rick will have more to share. Next time I cross reference radio ministry of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville, Virginia like to listen to more teachings from Pastor Rick. Or if you'd like more information about this program invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast so you'll never have to miss a program. Just search for cross reference radio iTunes Google play music or your favorite podcast but a great way to keep God's word with you where ever you go. We hope you'll tune it again next time. As Pastor Rick continue studying through the Scriptures right here on cross reference radio