Matthew 3:12 -Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
These writings are designed to clean up our lives, our characters, to help us depart from the path of sin that the flesh loves to walk on and anything that is destroying our walk on this path to change. This sermon is to shake up and take off the old self, our iniquities that have clouded our mind, our judgment, our understanding of the truth; and work a new person in us that is fit for the kingdom to come.
Hopefully we will allow this path to change us and to draw out the hidden things of our life that don’t belong. We will hopefully come to the knowledge of the truth that will place the Light of truth down into the corners of our souls and brush away all the filth that may seem nothing to us, but is everything to the Lord. The smallest things that linger in our life is what Christ is directing our path to clean up so to have no spot or wrinkle. Do you want to venture into this truth and purge away old self, to purge away our idols that have been kept in the heart that is full of the lust of the world? Do you want to venture down this road that is so small that it is very easy for the enemy to find you there because very few walk down this road, the path to change?
Many cannot handle this path to change. Many cannot survive on it. Many have fallen from it. Many give up on it. Many die from self on it. Many die spiritually and physically. Many lives are broken because of it. Many cry from it. Many suffer on this path to change. Only a few find it.
This road is likening to hot coals of fire. There are arrows of pain that come from the enemy, but there is a Comforter to comfort. There is a Light that proceedeth from the throne of God, which will direct all our ways. This light melts the heart. It purifies the soul. It turns the eyes from evil.
This path causes division among loved ones. This walk will make the weak strong. This road will bring life to the dead. It will bring joy amidst the pains. This road will bring about a change that will change others. To make this journey, it calls for the armor of God. To take this flight, it calls for eagle wings if you will fly to the heights of righteousness. This road will prepare an army to fight in the battle of battles to come. This path will turn the way of a fool and bring him into the counsel of the wise. This road will turn the wise in their own eyes into babes of Christ. This road will turn the wicked from their evil ways. It is on this journey that brings true enlightenment. This road has a Helper that will come to all your cries. This path will remove the scars of sin. This road has the greatest Physician. This Path to change will sure bring a change for good in our life. Do you want it? Are you thirsting for it? Are you hungry for it?
This road has broken kings and kingdoms. This path has destroyed the evils found in kings and emperors, and it has brought kings down to their knees. It has set up rulers. It has brought the high to low. And it has brought the low to high. It has made the rich, poor. It has made the poor, rich. This road will use all who venture upon it. This road will set the captives free. It will humble you. It will encourage you. This journey is a battle. The path to change will inspire you. This road will knock you down off your high horse. It will remove the proud in the proud.
This road crosses mountains of trouble. We will be persecuted on this road. Many have been tortured for walking on this path. Many have become martyrs. This route will bring you to the wilderness. This journey will cause you to walk through the wilderness of change. The wilderness will change you or remove you. Do you want it?
This journey is not easy. It is the hardest path to walk on. This path is for a lifetime. It is not for the weak. It will turn a sinner into a saint. It will turn you into a soldier. This path, this road, this walk, this journey: it is to the way, the truth and the life and no one can enter therein, but by the Door, which is Christ, Jesus.
Jesus is the path. He is the way to change. He is the Life-Giver. He is the road to perfection. He is the Master-builder of this road. He will help you pass through the wilderness. Do you want Him?
In order to travel on this road, you must have Christ. You must cooperate with the Devine Spirit of God. This route will crush your chest and break you to pieces. This road calls for you to bear your own cross. This route calls for you to suffer. It calls for departing from the world. It is not an easy road, but its reward is great. This road will surely test you. It will bring you to everlasting life. It will bring you to the kingdom of God. Surviving this road will bring you through the narrow gates of eternal life. The reward is great. Do you desire it?
On this path, you can call out to the Saviour. He will lighten your burdens and direct your path. King David counsels us about this road. –Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. -Psalms 23:4.
This road has a reward. Do you want it? Then walk it! This road rebukes and reproofs and corrects and it hurts, but there is a Healer. Can you deal with it? This road softens the heart of the hardened. Do you want to be unhardened? Then be broken and walk. This path is straight and narrow and a few survive it. Are you ready for it?
Adam and Eve fell on it. God’s love saved them on it. He washed away their sins. He will wash away yours. Cain killed his brother on it. Abel was murdered on it. Jacob fought for it. His hip was broken by it. He wrestled the archangel Michael on it. He was given a new name on it.
Abraham became a friend of God on it. He was known as the father of faith. He was called to offer up his own son on it, would you? Moses walked on this path. Moses killed on it. Moses helped others walk on it. He met God on it. He died on it. God took His life on it and raised him back up from the dead on it. He went to heaven on this road.
Noah builds an ark on his journey. Noah got drunk on this road. He became of preacher of righteousness. Noah saw the earth destroyed on this path. Noah ventured into the new world. Many prophets were raised up on this path. Many died on it. Many priests were raised up on it. Some offered up strange fire and perished for it. Solomon built the house of the Lord on his journey. He called it Solomon’s temple when it was supposed to be the Lord’s temple. Solomon sinned against God on this road. God forgave Him in all His mercy and kindness.
This route gives goodness and mercy. For this road is full of love. It is full of compassion. It is tender loving. This path has so much grace. This road has everyone on probation. This road calls for us to be proven. It will cut like a knife. It will pierce the heart. This road has a double edge sword. The Words of Christ will cut all who walk this road. It will bring sight to the blind. It will heal all sickness.
This road will sanctify you and purge out the old self. Just ask king Nebuchadnezzar about it. He was broken by it. Daniel became his good friend on it. The king found the King of kings on it. He bowed before heaven on it. He spent seven years in solitude on it. He ate with the beast of the fields. Do you want to? Can you? Will you?
This journey develops patients and requires obedience. It calls for us to be perfect as the one who made this path. This flight will take you where you have never gone. Do you want to board? This journey calls for repentance. Can you do it? We can do all things through Christ.
This road has a good shepherd. This road is forever learning. It is forever teaching. It is forever growing. This journey will bring you to your final home. This path leads you to your mansion in heaven. This road has a time of trouble coming such as never been. This journey has a resurrection for the just. This road has a judgment day. This road has an appointment to meet the Creator.
This road has many enemies. Can you handle it? This journey brings blessings. It can also curse you. This path to change is available to all. This road requires holiness to be established. It requires fear in the Lord, which will bring understanding. This path will change sinners. This path will remove iniquities. This road will remove old friends. Do you desire this change?
This road will expose your darkness. This route brings you to confession. This route teaches the need for change. Do you want to change? Then let us act like it. Let us walk like it. Let us talk like it. Let us love like it. Let us treat others like it. Let us walk this road.
This road calls for unity. This road does not stand for division. This path removes back biting, faultfinding, gossiping, and trouble-makers. This road will remove unrepentant sinners. It will remove barriers. This road removes divisions and dissensions. This path will remove your anger and your hate. This road will remove all unrighteousness. This route has rules that govern our conduct. This path has a gospel order. This road teaches us how to deal with others. It teaches tenderness to the sinners.
This path calls for reform. Do you want to reform? This journey calls for a dress code. It calls for good health. It calls for temperance in all things. It calls for health reform. It has a prescribed diet for the temple. This narrow path calls for character change. It calls for bridling the tongue. This road will take down the banner of Satan. This road will cast out demons. This journey calls for laborers. It calls for sowers. It calls for over-comers. This path calls for trumpets.
On this journey it can shorten your days or extend your life. Not all who travels on this path will sleep. This path saves. This path loves to help others. This path is a lesson book for the world to come. This path will instruct. This path has signs. It warns us of dangers. This path has unseen forces helping us. This path is full of war. This path loves us. It will perfect us. This path loves the sinner, but hates the sin. This road will destroy all sins and purge our iniquities. Do you want to change and walk this narrow path to change?
I pray that it will rattle the cage of the captives and lure the wicked from their wicked ways, fitting them to be a new creature in perfect righteousness for Christ. I hope that this will bring a band of unifiers’ of truth that cannot be broken. I pray that this sermon will cast away the weaknesses and to make strong the foundation we are to build upon. This message is calculated to help us become more like our Saviour so that we can venture into the good ground of understanding the prophetic writings of Revelation as well, which will lead us to the Fountain of waters where we will never go a thirst again and to the Bread of Life where we will never go hungry again.
John 4:14 -…whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
For Christ is a well of living waters, and a stream of life from heaven, unto all who call upon His Name.
And the Christ said…
Psalms 116:13 -I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
John 7:37 -…If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Because…
Matthew 5:6 -Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
And be filled with the Bread of righteousness, filled with the Bread of life.
John 6:48-51 -I am that bread of life.Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
We have got to learn to lean upon the Rock and trust in Him who gave us life and does not want us to fade away like the summer nights. We have got to learn to not lean upon our own understanding and what spues out of the mouth of the wicked, and these false teachers who are not the workers of righteousness, but of sin that worketh death. We have got to depart from evil.
Proverbs 3:5, 6, 7 -Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
This sermon is to also help us gain a better understanding of all that we need to know so that we can receive the crown of life, which is promised to those who change their course of old self, by turning from their wretched ways. Hopefully our ears will be open so that we can see ourselves for who we are today that is not so fit for His kingdom to come yet, and hopefully, our minds and hearts will be like new bottles that are changed and ready to hold what love God is ready to pour into them so to be perfectly fitted for His kingdom to come.
We have all got to understand the condition we are in because we can always do better; for we are called for a higher calling and we need to see to it that we walk as we are called to walk in perfection as our Father in heaven is. Oh, wretched people that we are, who can deliver us from this old person.
Romans 7:25 -I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Who is willing a wanting to purge the old self in us and make us pure by removing the dross that is not calculated to serve His purpose and become a faithful city for the world to see in all Christ’s righteousness that is available for all if we would but turn from our evil ways.
Isaiah 1:25-27 –I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
By examining self and looking into the mirror of the law, seeing our wretchedness, we can turn to Christ with a broken and contrite heart, which will bring us to our knees in humbleness and confession and working the fruits of repentance. Then, by doing this, we shall become a purified, new creature for Christ. By becoming “A New Person”, the old self will die as the leaf that falleth from the tree in the fall night; and will become “A New Person” for the Lord to work through and with.
In order to become a new person in Christ, the old self has obviously got to be destroyed, broken to pieces and given a new heart, a new direction that is found on the straight and narrow path of righteousness in perfecting perfect love for our God in heaven and for others.
The old person (old bottle) needs to be broken and rebuilt, placed into the fire to be molded and fastened unto perfection, without blemish, without spot, without cracks so to hold all the truths that Christ will pour into the new bottle; so that His pure wine of truth may be used to fill up other bottles. We cannot have old bottles, old self containing pure truths that is found in the Word of God. Eventually the old will break and perish, but a new bottle that is made by the great Molder of the bottle will never break, but will inherit an unbreakable bottle that is full of righteousness that will be strong.
Matthew 9:17 -Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
Job 17:9 -The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.
Many obtain a surface knowledge of truth and Bible doctrine, and then stop there, and they think they know it all. But do they really know it all? Hardly, their fruits proclaim! God’s Word proclaims that we must constantly move forward, ever changing into perfection. Those who measure themselves among themselves, and have reach a standard, which others have reached; they are satisfied to stop learning and sit at easy in their bad attitude and character; failing to realize, sitting in self deception because they have the truth, but yet not over-coming their inherited traits, is fruits of self destruction.
Lukewarmness is a crime against heaven and all who detour from the path of change and venture on the path of lukewarmness, they shall surely be brought down to destruction. Just take a look at the SDA Church and you will have a good picture of what lukewarmness means. They have the knowledge of the truth, but their stained characters of worldliness are just what it is, Satanic.
Let us not sit in this life comfortable with self, but move forward because knowing the truth, preaching the truth is just part of the formula that equals a saint. Coming to church and hearing the truth is just a small portion of the formula. Applying what we learn and know, where our evil traits and characters are forever changing into the image of God is our higher calling. If we are not ever changing into the image of God, there is a problem. If we are not departing more and more from the world, what it offers: music, sports, movies, night clubs, clothing and what have you, we are ruining self in the long run.
The voice of God bids us to go forward. Many people have talents, numerous talents, but they do not improve their opportunities, and their talents do not increase because they are burying them in the sand like a dog returning to his own vomit. When men and women hunger after knowledge for the purpose of blessing their fellow humans, God will fill them with all they need and bless them.
He will prepare the new bottles for the new wine. There will be an expansion, a development of the higher faculties, so that people will become deep thinkers. If the people who have talents would not settle down satisfied that they have sufficient for the great work for the lost and self; if they would dig deeper, there would not be such a shortage of laborers. If we would dig much deeper, then the hidden treasure that God has placed in us would by diligent efforts be brought to the surface.
If we go to God and allow Him to work His works of righteousness in our lives, molding us into His likening, and if we purge out self, empty self; then the Lord shall have a vessel of hounor and of great worth that will serve others of His truth so they may drink the pure wine of present truth as we know it.
By allowing the great Molder of truth to work on us, perfecting His character in us, that new person will prove to the world that we can stand amidst a broken world, which is soon to melt by fire. To perform all the good works of our great Molder, we must all flee from youthful lust of the flesh, departing from every ounce of worldliness, sinfulness, and all our iniquities that have left us scares of our past and tainted our characters till this day.
2 Timothy 2:21, 22 –If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, [and] prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Christ will help us remove the dross of even our inherited traits that have been a part of our life even from within the womb. Those who have raised us and down throughout the generations in the world, have passed on good traits and bad traits. A lot of these bad traits has corrupted us and stopped many of us from taking the next step that we are required to take if we are to be a part of the heavenly family. We must move forward. We can move forward if we would put Christ first and love Him supremely. When we love Him supremely, everything else will change and there will be visible proof that we are walking on “The Path to Change”. Christ is our great Helper that will help us make it home in victory, so take hold of His help and keep moving forward. Do not ever be happy and do not ever settle for how you are now. We have got to remember that we will forever be growing into the image of God. Strive for perfection in all things.
2 Peter 1:10 -Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.
Those who behold the Saviour will realize what Christ is to us and how MUCH we mean to Him, will be diligent.
Those of us who live on the path to change, will live on the plan of addition, constantly adding to his and her own faith virtue, He will live on the plan of addition, adding to his faith virtue.
2 Peter 1:5-9 -And beside this, giving all diligence, add toyour faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye shall] neither [be] barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
And we can accomplish all this according to his divine power, which He hath given…
2 Peter 1:3, 4 -According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
These words are full of exact instruction, which should strike a note with us, because it is the keynote of victory.
This is a process in which we are to grow in Christ Jesus. Those who cooperate with the Saviour will not be found tomorrow as he was yesterday. Every single step in the direction of Christ will change the old self. Day by day he will follow on to know the Lord, which he may know that that by going forth is a step closer to heaven. Of those who live on this path, making this journey their home, will come to the sign where it is written, “Ye are complete in him.”
Colossians 2:10 -And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
God will complete us if we allow Him to. God will work in us, to will and to do of His good pleasure. Our reward in heaven above depends on our daily walk and conversation here below. If we are Christians indeed, Christ is formed within, the hope of glory. This hope of glory that the apostle Peter presents before all that venture on the path to change in Christian progress, every step of which clearly represents advancement in the knowledge of God and all His truths, and in the walking down this road to change there is no standing still, no standing idle.
The faith, the virtue, all knowledge, the temperance that is required in all things, whereby we are called to develop patience, and godliness, perfecting brotherly love and kindness and charity, these are the signs on the path to change. By showing victory by walking and taking step after step, walking over every mountain, and climbing the to the Christian heights that will work righteousness, it is proof that Christ is abiding. Without Christ we can do nothing.
John 15:5 -…for without me ye can do nothing.
As Christ is living within every child of God He will bring wisdom, He will perfect righteousness in us, and then He will work sanctification in us, and then redemption will come for us where we are finally saved with Christ eternally.
God is calling His people to glory, and this calling will be manifest in the lives of all who are truly connected with Him. By become partakers of the heavenly gift, we will walk forward on this path to change unto perfection, being kept by the power of God through faith in all that we do. Take a look at 1 Peter 1:3-7.
1 Peter 1:3-7 –Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
The power of Christ that is within us will change us. Christ desires, in all His glory to give us all His virtue and to reach to the highest standard; and when, and by faith we decide to lay hold of His mighty power, when we plead for that mighty power, and when we seek for the power of the Holy Spirit, we will then be made complete in Christ, which we can then stand before GOD the Father; for Christ’s unfailing promises will be given to us all.
When we seek Christ and gain His power, which is the safeguard against all temptation; and it is this alone that can make one like God in His divine character. His is through the knowledge of God and of His Son Jesus Christ and the precious Holy Spirit are given to the true Christian all things that pertain unto life and godliness. -1 Peter 1:3. There is not one good gift from heaven that is withheld from the true and sincere Christian who is striving and contending for the righteousness of God.
None need to fail in attaining to the character of God. Through the sacrifice made by the slain Lamb of God, He has made provision for all that pertain to life and godliness. Perfection comes by living a continual life of constantly resisting the temptations of Satan. Whatever force we surrender to is the character we will become. We cannot serve two masters and walk the gray road and ride the fence, and think that we are going to understand heavenly truths, so we must choose good or evil. Walk the straight and narrow road or the road to destruction. We have to decide.
We must be obedient to all the principles stated in the Ten Commandments. And be assured, no man can reach to this high standard of righteousness without Christ. So, if you’re bearing the fruits of righteousness, you have divine help. And with this divine Helper, we will understand the path to change, we will understand more fully the written Word of God and especially the book of Revelation which is full of symbolism which is another language of itself.
If we see that we are only obeying half the time, then we are clearly serving two masters half the time. As I have said before, examine…examine…examine and see where you’re at on the path to change. Measure your life sermon and see what needs to change and change it through much practicing.
Our obedience to God can be made perfect only by the incense of Christ’s righteousness working in our life, which is mixed heavenly fragrance with each and every act of obedience we perform. It is all of our duty to overcome every fault. And we are to constantly, never ending, pray and pray that we will be healed from sinful ways, traits and habits, which again, will bring wisdom in the things of God that we find in His written Word.
Remember, as we strive to die daily, day by day we have the assurance that God is laboring for all of us who contend and desire to overcome. As we strive to add grace to our life, God will then give grace; thus it is proof the plan of addition is working and God will continue with the plan of multiplying.
And one thing that we need to be careful of while we are venturing down the path to change, as we are growing in Christian experience and obtaining to godly character, let us never get caught of guard by putting our trust and faith anything else but God. If we put our trust and faith in anything apart from God, we will lose sight of the Saviour and we will lose sight of all His heavenly truths. We must never forget who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. We must never forget who He is to us, which is everything.
Hebrews 12:2 -Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Amen…Amen…Amen. And if we want to be set on the right side of our Lord and Saviour, let us remember to strive against sin.
Hebrews 12:4 -… striving against sin.
Peace be unto us all this day.