Day: March 10, 2025

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Nobleton Community Church
29084 Sentinel Street PO Box 224
Nobleton, Florida 34661

Rev. Paul V. Lehmann, Pastor
813-389-8683
Nobletoncommunitychurch.org
info@nobletoncommunitychurch.org

OUR VISION IS:
To experience SPIRIT-FILLED WORSHIP AND PRAYER
To be involved in EVANGELISM, DISCIPLINING AND TRAINING PEOPLE
To use our SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To SERVE AND REACH PEOPLE FOR CHRIST, BOTH
“ACROSS THE STREET AND ACROSS THE WORLD”

Nobleton Community Church
Date March 9, 2025
Text: I Thessalonians 5:23-24; Galatians 5:19-24
Pastor Paul Lehmann

Listen to live audio here

In Galatians 5:22-23, we see the fruit of the Spirit…love, joy, peace, forbearance (or patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Some of these obviously overlap in how they play out in our lives. They are all things that should be seen in a Christian’s life, as opposed to the characteristics mentioned for those outside of Christ. They should be evident in a person who is walking in the Spirit. Does this mean that if we don’t always see these things, that a person isn’t saved? No, not at all. Does it mean that they aren’t walking in the Spirit? Well at the time that we don’t see the manifestation of this fruit, we can say that we are not walking in the Spirit if we manifest the works of the flesh mentioned in verses 19-20 of Gal. 5. “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery: idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” Then Paul says something very harsh: “ I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” You don’t have to act on every one of these to not be a part of the Kingdom of God. What he is saying is; that if your lifestyle, is to walk in the flesh, and not in the Spirit, —– basically your lifestyle is one of living in sin

What we want to talk about this morning is this idea of:

:Being sanctified through and through or wholly, or entirely as some translations have it.

So what is sanctification?

The generic meaning of sanctification is “the state of proper functioning.” To sanctify someone or something is to set that person or thing apart for the use intended by its designer. A pen is “sanctified” when used to write. Eyeglasses are “sanctified” when used to improve sight. In the theological sense, things are sanctified when they are used for the purpose God intends. A human being is sanctified, therefore, when he or she lives according to God’s design and purpose.

The Greek word translated “sanctification” (hagiasmos [aJgiasmov”]) means “holiness.” To sanctify, therefore, means “to make holy.” In one sense only God is holy ( Isa. 6:3 ). God is separate, distinct, wholly other. No human being or thing shares the holiness of God’s essential nature. There is one God. Yet Scripture speaks about holy things. Moreover, God calls human beings to be holy as holy as he is holy ( Lev. 11:44 ; Matt. 5:48 ; 1 Peter 1:15-16 ). Another word for a holy person is “saint” (hagios [agio”]), meaning a sanctified one. The opposite of sanctified is “profane” ( Lev. 10:10

Basically, sanctification t is how God makes us holy. Paul didn’t leave his readers without a solution to the problem of what seems to be impossibly high standards. After describing what the holy life looks like. Paul told us how ordinary Christians like us can live in the kind of holiness described in the verses that we read. Sanctification means “set apart” and “made holy.” In sanctification, ordinary things became hallowed. In the Old Testament, the temple and altar, timbers and stones, places and days, the priests became holy. But in the New Testament, the apostles, the Word of God, and us become holy. We become holy because we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, when He comes to dwell within us. God’s sanctification changes things. Ordinary items were changed so that they became something new—the ordinary becomes sacred and holy. (II Cor. 5:17)

Look at our text: (v. 23-24) “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless…The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.”

In this passage, Paul is calling for the sanctification of people. Transformation of ordinary Christians into a holy people, so they can live like he just described. He was not talking to unbelievers, but Christians in Thessalonica. This actually gives us a good understanding that when we receive Christ into our lives, and he becomes our Savior, that we can’t just live anyway we want to and still expect to be included in the Kingdom of God and receive Eternal Life. If you want to say the person who lives like that was never saved in the first place, okay. But only God knows if that is true. Because we can’t just make these kinds of statements, just to fit our theology.

The important thing is that as professing Christians we become completely set apart for God and live by the Spirit and not according to our fleshly desires.

When we experience the invisible work of God transforming ordinary people into the sort of persons who live extraordinary lives by God’s power, we can also live, abstaining from every form of evil.

Does that mean that once we are sanctified, that we will never sin? No, a thousand times no.

James says, that “if we say we have no sin, the truth is not in us, and we are liars.“ What it does mean is, we are more apt to pursue righteousness and what the Lord wants us to do, rather than be drawn towards wanting to sin. Is it still possible to yield to temptation? Absolutely, but the Holy Spirit will convict the saved person, and also the sanctified person, as to the sin in his or her life that must be confessed (I John 1:9).

When we yield our will completely over to the control of the Holy Spirit, and don’t do things that are sinful, or put ourselves in a position to sin, or go places where sin abounds, then the Holy Spirit will give us victory.

In order to maintain spiritual health, we must remember where our spiritual strength lies. You cannot do this on your own. You cannot make yourself holy by your own strength. The only way to develop and maintain spiritual strength is to depend entirely on the power of God’s spirit at work in your life.

Paul says the work of sanctification is God’s responsibility. He emphasizes in verse 24…(v. 24) The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Exercising discipline, though, is our job; we must make the effort to give up sin. Practicing discernment is our job; we must make the effort to do it. However, making us holy is God’s job, and he will do it. We will fail from time to time in exercising discipline or practicing discernment, but the good news is that God will not fail in his commitment to make us holy, if we ask Him to do it. But It is crucial for us to remember that we do not depend on ourselves, but on God, for our goodness.

What does it mean to depend on God? Well, this can be seen in your attitude towards sin. The fact is, we all miss the mark; we all fail. When it happens, what is your response? Is it, “Oh no, God could never love me now. I’m not perfect.”? If that is your response, you are depending on your own goodness, not on God.

When you sin, your attitude should be, “Lord, I have broken your law. It is wrong. By your mercy, through the blood of Christ, please forgive me. And by your strength, help me not to do it again.” Once again as I mentioned, John says in :1 John 1:9;..” If we confess our sins, he is faithful and will forgive us our sins and purify (or cleanse) us from all unrighteousness”.

It is up to us to confess; –he forgives,– he cleanses and he purifies.

Paul had big expectations of God’s sanctifying work. When God sanctifies a person “through and through,” he sanctifies that person completely, wholly, entirely. But that does not mean they have no room for growth.

Just in case we missed how complete this sanctification can be, Paul explained the outcomes;

Then our spirit, soul, and body will be preserved blameless. There isn’t much left if your entire spirit, soul, and body have been sanctified.

In our society today, we are a ‘do it” people, especially in North America. We are a practical people who tend to take every instruction for holy living as something we can do by trying harder or doing better and better until some day we finally reach our goal. But that is not what this verse says. It does not say. “Try harder to live this way until you finally achieve your goal.” Instead Paul simply said, “May the God of peace sanctify you.”

It is true that some people seem to be able to help themselves a bit, and some even a lot, but nobody on earth can sanctify themselves through and through. Only God can do this.

This whole sermon series is about TRUSTING.

Today’s scripture calls us to trust God to sanctify us through and through—completely, wholly, entirely. God might sanctify you slowly and gradually over many years, or do it in spurts with interspersed rest stops. He might do it instantly, or in a few weeks, and you will be a completely different kind of Christian in only a short time. However God does it, he will do it. God is in the business of transforming ordinary Christians into extraordinary saints. He might do it slowly, or He might do it quickly, but be encouraged!

You are going to be a holy person! If you want to be. If you are willing to be.

What about you?

Have you seen God at work already in your life? Is He already changing and sanctifying you since you were saved? Have these changes God’s already made been good for you? Don’t you think God wants to release even more power in your life?

God is going to sanctify you fully!

Our role is to wait, hunger, thirst for righteousness, ask in prayer, and knock until God does his work of sanctifying us through and through. But I must warn you, when you yield everything to Him, and allow Him to do anything He wants with your life, He may ask you to do some things that shock you. Things that you may think you can’t possibly do.

The biggest thing holding back God’s sanctifying work is us. Our unwillingness to yield to Him control of our lives.

God seldom sanctifies what has not been surrendered. Is there anything you have that you have not surrendered to Christ? Anything you are holding back? Some secret sin you feel guilty about, but still delight in it? God will sanctify whatever we fully surrender to him. Is there something you have not fully surrendered to Christ?

What we yield to God, he will cleanse, empower, and sanctify. If we yield things to him one by one, he will sanctify them one by one. What is it you need to yield to Jesus today? Are you ready to yield everything? Are you ready to say, “I surrender all” to Jesus?

We can’t become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ by “trying harder.” We should instead rely on the One who can actually make us holy—the Spirit of God Himself.

Scroll down to bottom find more info

Nobleton Community Church
29084 Sentinel Street PO Box 224
Nobleton, Florida 34661

Rev. Paul V. Lehmann, Pastor
813-389-8683
Nobletoncommunitychurch.org
info@nobletoncommunitychurch.org

OUR VISION IS:
To experience SPIRIT-FILLED WORSHIP AND PRAYER
To be involved in EVANGELISM, DISCIPLINING AND TRAINING PEOPLE
To use our SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To SERVE AND REACH PEOPLE FOR CHRIST, BOTH
“ACROSS THE STREET AND ACROSS THE WORLD”

Nobleton Community Church
Date March 2, 2025
Text: Matthew 24:1-14 Revelation2:3-6
Pastor Paul Lehmann

Listen to live audio here

Valentine’s Day was this past month. Hopefully this is not the only time of the year that we tell our loved ones that we love them. We mustn’t be like the man who was criticized by his wife. She said to him, “you never tell me you love me! He responded. “I told you I loved you when I asked you to marry me. If I change my mind, I’ll let you know!” That doesn’t cut it does It ladies? With our wives, husbands, children, grandchildren and anyone whom we care about, we need to let them know that we love them. When Jeannene and I end a phone conversation with each other we end it with—”I love you.” And it is the same with our children and grandchildren when we talk to them on the phone or say goodbye to them.
I want to ask you a question this morning; “Is your love growing and becoming softer, brighter, more daring, and more visible? Or is it becoming more discriminating, more calculating, less vulnerable, and less available? This is a very important issue, for your Christianity is only as real as your love is. A measurable decrease in the ability to love is evidence that:
A STONGHOLD OF COLD LOVE IS DEVELOPING WITHIN YOU.
In our text from Matthew, we see that Jesus was talking about the end times. He said that “because lawlessness is increased, Most people’s love will grow cold.” Especially in the last few years, with so much lawlessness in so many of our large cities. Crime and Murder rates have increased tremendously since these cities want to defund the police, and many police officers are retiring earlier, and others are just quitting. All of this increase in lawlessness since we have had an open border for the last 4 years. .But then there are cities like Chicago which have experienced lawlessness for years, and more recently Portland Oregon, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City.
Back in the late 60s almost all of you will remember that we saw a lot of lawlessness. College students especially rebelled against the police, and many other joined in against all government authority and University officials. We saw demonstrations of all kinds especially against the war in Viet Nam. However today, it seems that the lawlessness is against individuals. The news is full of people disappearing, or missing, and murders abound, and the recent protests are against the President’s executive orders. But we often see it within households, among relatives too. Law enforcement frequently tells us that most of the disputes they are called to settle, are domestic.
There is certainly a stronghold of “COLD LOVE” that is prevalent, just like Jesus said there would be. A major area of spiritual warfare that has come against the church is in the sphere of church relationships. Satan knows that a church divided against itself cannot stand. We may enjoy temporary blessings and seasonal breakthroughs, but to win a citywide, or in our case maybe a county wide war, Jesus is raising up a united church. An earmark of this corporate, overcoming church will be its commitment to LOVE. Yet, because of the increasing iniquity at the end of this age, true Christian love will be severely assaulted.
There can be no spiritual unity and hence no lasting victory without love. Love is a passion for oneness. Bitterness on the other hand is characterized by a noticeable lack of love! This cold love is a demonic stronghold. In our generation cold love is becoming increasingly more common. It shuts down the power of prayer and disables the flow of healing and outreach. In fact, where there is persistent and hardened unforgiveness in a person or church, (like the account of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:23-35) the demonic world has unhindered access.
We see that Jesus is teaching that if we don’t forgive others here on earth, he won’t forgive us either. That’s a pretty hard concept to hear.
Not only does this cold love cause a lack of forgiveness, but the Scriptures warn that even a little root of bitterness in a person’s life can spring up and defile us (Hebrews 12:15 says; “See to it that no one misses the grace of God, and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many”
Bitterness is unfulfilled revenge. Another person’s thoughtlessness, lack of love, or even cruelty may have wounded us deeply. It is inevitable that in a world of increasing harshness and cruelty you will at some time be hurt. But if you retain in your spirit the debt the offender owes you, that often will rob your heart of its capacity to love, imperceptibly, like the “frog in the kettle” you will become a member of the majority of end time Christians whose love is “growing cold”
Bitterness is a classic symptom of the STRONGHOLD OF LOVE.
To deal with this, you must repent of this attitude and forgive the one who hurt you. Now I know you might be thinking. Pastor Paul, you just don’t understand—-you don’t know what I have had to go through in the past. It is too much to ask to forgive someone who was offensive to me, and caused me heartache even today. You’re right, I don’t know what you went through, or are going through now. But I do know that this painful experience was allowed by God to teach you how to love your enemies and to forgive them. Millions of souls are swept off into eternal judgment every day without any hope of escaping from embitterment, but you have been given God’s answer for your pain. God gives you a way out. LOVE and forgiveness, as you forgive those who have sinned against you.
The Scottish preacher Stephan Olford tells of a Baptist preacher, Peter Miller, during the American Revolution. He was from Pennsylvania and was a friend of George Washington. A man named Michael Witman was an evil-minded person who did all he could to oppose and humiliate Pastor Miller. One day Witman was arrested for Treason. Pastor Miller traveled 70 miles to Philadelphia to plead for his life. No Peter, Gen. Washington said. “I cannot give you the life of your friend.” “My friend!” Miller exclaimed, “He is the bitterest enemy I have!” What! You’ve walked 70 miles to save the life of an enemy? That put this matter in a different light. I’ll grant your pardon!” And he did. Peter Miller took Michael Witman back home——no longer an enemy but a friend. That’s THE POWER OF GODLY LOVE AND FORGIVENESS.
Verses 9-12 in our text tells us THE OPPOSITE OF THIS LOVE— that this coldness of love results in persecution and hatred of Jesus Christ. Because of this, many will turn away from the faith and even betray and hate each other. Many false prophets and teachers will deceive many people. There will be an increase of wickedness and THE LOVE OF MOST WILL GROW COLD. Because of all this, we must be on our guard. Jesus is warning us of what will be the signs of the end times. But he tells us “he who stands firm until the end will be saved.
The shocking thing is that we see an increase of all of this in every generation. It does seem that this prophetic teaching fits today’s society very well. May we be determined to keep our “first love,” and not lose it like the church in Ephesus did. We read in Rev. 2:3-4 where Jesus in all of his resurrected and heavenly brilliance is revealing certain things to John on the island of Patmos. He says, “you have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you that you have forsaken your first love.” What’s going on with you anyway? Do you have any idea how far you have fallen? Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I’m well on my way to removing your light.” But then he says, “you do have this to your credit. You hate the business of the immoral Nicolaitans. I hate it too.” Now the Nicolaitans were so called believers, who compromised their faith in order to enjoy some of the sinful practices in the society of the Ephesians. Their attitude was similar to a lot of Christians today when they want to do something that they know in their heart, God doesn’t approve of. Their attitude is, “It really isn’t so bad, and it won’t affect my faith.”
Another thing we should guard against is being sucked into the thinking of the world. We read in Romans 12:1-2; {Don’t be conformed to this world, or paraphrased; “Don’t let the world push you into its mold.”
As you embrace God’s love and begin to walk in forgiveness, you are actually pulling down the stronghold of bitterness and its manifestation of COLD LOVE in your life. Because of this experience, you will eventually have more love than you ever did. You truly do need to thank God.
I want to make it perfectly clear; there is no such thing as love without commitment. This is true in the marriage relationship or lack of marriage relationship. Just because a couple lives together, doesn’t mean they are committed. A marriage is more than just a piece of paper, which a lot of young people think today. A marriage is a commitment, first to God, and then to each other, declared before a body of witnesses, which should be the Body of Christ—believers in Jesus Christ. People sometimes say, “I loved once but I was hurt.: That seems to be their reason for never committing again.
When it comes to the church, the same reasoning prevails. “I was committed to Christ and serving Him, once, but those in the church used me.” This becomes the reason that some never want to be a part of another church congregation again. People withdraw from being committed, never realizing that their love is growing cold!. It may not seem like they have become cold—because some of these same people, might still go to the church, maybe even read their Bible sometimes, tithe, sing, and look like Christians, but inside they have become distant and aloof from other people. They have withdrawn from the LOVE OF GOD, and are really distant from him and others too.
Jesus said…”It is inevitable that temptations or ‘stumbling blocks’ come.” (Matthew 18:7) In your life there will be times when even good people have bad days. As long as you live on earth, there will never be a time when obstacles will cease to be on your[PL1] path—-in your way. We don’t stumble over boulders, but over stones,—usually little things. To stumble is to stop walking and fall. Have you stumbled over someone’s weakness or sin lately? Did you get back up and continue loving as you did before, or did that fall cause you to withdraw from walking after love? To preserve the quality of love in your heart, you must forgive those who cause you to stumble. Otherwise your heart will harden towards them. We must not form a negative opinion of someone (even though they may deserve it), but when we allow these feelings to crystallize we develop a hateful attitude. When this happens, your heart will “cool” towards God.
Rather than allow that to happen, we have the option of allowing an underground river of love to spring into action. By “love” I mean a compassion that is empowered by faith and prayer to see God’s best come forth in the one I need to love. When I have love, I have predetermined that I am going to stand with him or her, regardless of what they are going through , or what they are doing.
We each need people who are committed to us as individuals—people who know we are not perfect but love us anyway. The manifestation of God’s kingdom will not come without people being committed to each other to reach God’s fullness. We sometimes sing the chorus; “They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love!” That’s the difference we should make in the world, as the Church endeavors to demonstrate THE LOVE OF GOD in us. This “Gospel of the Kingdom” (verse 14) must be preached to all nations, and then, Christ will come back again. When He becomes so “new” in our lives, that we become people who overcome the obstacles of each other’s faults; then we will become what God has called us to be, the living body of Jesus Christ—with warm hearts, —-not cold.