← Church of the Highlands - Sunday Messages - Audio
Church of the Highlands - Sunday Messages - Audio
Purity To Make A Difference
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Part 2 of Different to Make a Difference
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Oh, we knew better than that. We got a lot to celebrate. Amazing. Amazing. Well, hello to all of our locations. Anyone joining us online, our correctional facilities. What a joy it is to be together in God's house. And I just can't stop smiling today. Just the overflow of what God did yesterday. It was truly beautiful. Couldn't hardly wait to be here today just to celebrate with you. God is a good God and what an honor it is just to represent him to our world. So, hey, at Highlands, we get accused of being a very clappy church from time to time. We gonna prove them true today. Can you put your hands together one more time? Let's just celebrate what God did yesterday. And I can't wait to preach. I can't wait to preach. I believe God's got a great word for us today. But we do have to testify for a moment. So I have a piece of paper in my hands. It's gonna do. I'm gonna do my best to try to capture what was really hard to capture yesterday because of the scale of it all. But I do wanna celebrate a little bit, really what God did and what all of you guys were a part of, what we were all a part of yesterday. Yesterday was to God be the glory, the largest serve day in the history, not just of our church, but globally. And I have a picture for you. 3,008 churches around the world. That's what you're a part of. Highlands. Yeah, we're gonna clap. We're gonna clap right there too. That's beautiful. And listen, what a beautiful picture of the body of Christ, just globally saying, yeah, you know what? We're gonna get outside our walls and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Here at highlands, we had 964 total projects completed. 18,598 Dream Teamers let us know that they were serving yesterday. Can we put our hands together? We're going to clap a lot. Come on, put our hands together right there. And I just. I love you, Church of the Highlands. I love being a part of this miracle. And I know for the almost 19,000 that were there, thank you for serving others. I know there maybe have been reasons you couldn't have the red shirt on yesterday, but even if you weren't there, you were there because your generosity was. And what a miracle it is to be a part of. Of all of this. You know that that's a big number of total dream teamers. I love that almost 800 of us got to serve in our correctional facilities yesterday. And we had just dozens of Baptisms that happened. So many testimonies of what God did. I want to say to every man and woman joining us right now from a correctional facility, you are not a project. You're part of our church family. Come on, Highlands, let's love on them. We love you. It's an honor to serve you. Truly an honor. Just number after number, but 6,68,827 meals were served yesterday. Just hard to even get our minds around that. Collectively, we served 70,937 man hours yesterday. So if one person was doing that, it would take eight years, 24 hours a day, serving eight years to do what we did in just one day. But here's the one that really matters. All across church of the Highlands Yesterday, we saw 435 salvations. Come on. The biggest round of applause right there. What a miracle. And I felt this yesterday. Fresh touch on serve Day. What God, Honestly, what God's doing in our church right now is just electric. What the power of God is doing. And so it's an honor to be a part of that. I could share so many stories, but I found this one that it's a short story, but it's a beautiful picture of really the prayer behind Serve Day. And we serve all year long. In fact, if yesterday was your first day serving, it was hopefully a moment to whet your appetite for what we do every first Saturday and throughout the year. But this really. If you want to know what's the heart of Serve Day, it is this story right here. Dr. Kevin Bussey, who's a dear friend and one of our professors at Highlands College, had an idea, a vision. He and a team for an outreach project where it was very practical, where they would help people in the East Lake part of Birmingham by pumping free gas. So that was the serve project. But while they were there meeting people, they got a chance to pray with people. And yesterday in Eastlake, five people gave their heart to Jesus at a gas station. That's the vision. But it goes on that one of those people, I love this. Her name is Flower. What a beautiful name. Gave her heart to Jesus at a gas station yesterday and today. I'm not sure which service, but she is at church today. So can y' all say hello to Flower. Today we welcome you to the body of Christ. We welcome you to the church of the Highlands. And that really, that really, that story is the perfect picture of the vision and now planted here in the house. And so maybe you're with us for the first time because of yesterday, for Whatever reason, maybe you saw us serving or you were part of one of those moments. It's an honor to have you with us. And I just love what God is doing. This month is a big month for us. We've had summer blast. We've had serve day in here. In a couple weeks, we have our motion student conference. Any young people in the house of God today, make some noise. And so just. It's hard to, you know, all these events are just hard to kind of wrap your mind around what God does. The Legacy arena, downtown Birmingham, full of, will be full of 17,000 young people who will spend three days in the presence of God. And it's such a powerful moment. We are over 90% filled already. And so there are some seats, but they're going fast. So if you haven't registered, this is my plea to you. If you're a middle school, high school, college student, get registered. And parents, grandparents, or even friends, you need to know if money's an issue, we always have scholarships, so don't let that keep you from going. So that motion is for young people. All right? So adults, you can't go to motion. Y'. All. Got it. Say got it. But I am gonna invite you to a motion related event, and I'm kind of begging you on this one if you're able to be a part of it. The night before motion on July 22. Put it on the screen, guys. Yeah. That we're gonna have a prayer service at the arena, and I need everybody who can be there to come pray. We're gonna lay hands on every seat and just pray for every session. You can sign up through the app, but 6:30 on the 22nd, it'll be a beautiful way for you to be a part of that motion week. And then one more thing to let you know about some new vision. I really felt in my heart God really spoke about a month and a half ago that the last Sunday of this series, which will be July 26, we are going to have a baptism Sunday, everybody, where we're after every service, we're going to celebrate what God's doing in people's lives through water baptism. So if you've never made your decision for Jesus public, this is your Sunday. In fact, this year alone, we've had 12,969 salvations. That got one. Wow. That should probably have a clap. That's another clap moment. We're a clappy church. So if that's you and you haven't, or even if you've given your heart to God, Maybe even years ago. But you haven't gone public. This will be the perfect Sunday. So invite friends, family, and of course, it's also the Sunday after motion. So I believe a lot of young people are going to go public with their faith. And so I want to preach now. So if you have your app, open it up. It's perfect moment just to reflect. Everything I just shared is a miracle. By the way, can we never let any of this become normal? I really believe God has so much more in store, but really the key for us is that we would just stay humble and pure and just make it all about him and just never lose the sense of wonder that 453 people yesterday who were destined to an eternity away from God are now going to spend eternity with God. And all these numbers are not normal. It's different to see 20,000 people serve. It's different to fill up an arena with young people. But here's the key kind of idea for this whole series this month, and that is that Christianity has always been different. And we're not going to shy away from that. We are going to boldly celebrate the fact that God has called us to be different and God has called us to live differently in the world that we're living in right now. Not different, just to be different. And that's where I want to be really clear with up front. We're not looking for any attention to be drawn towards us. And here's the topic or the theme of the whole series, and that we are different to make a difference, that we live differently so that we can point people to Jesus. And that's what our key scripture, 1 Peter 2, 9, says. You are a chosen people. You're a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and somebody just needs to receive this today. You are God's special possession, that if it would have just been you, he would have gone to that cross just for you. And that he has saved us and rescued us. That again, let that never become old news. That is good news, everybody. But it comes with a job description that because of what he's done in our life, we can declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. Can we for a moment remember that moment? For me, I was 17 when God called me out of darkness into his wonderful light. And now we get the beautiful opportunity to share that story with others. That's what it really means to be a follower of Jesus, is to know him and to make him known. We are different, to make a difference. So I want us to Reflect on just this idea for a moment. And before I get into our topic, even thinking about the history of Christianity. So, of course, Jesus is born, and he lives a perfect, sinless life. He does public ministry for three years, and he goes to that cross. And on that Good Friday, he dies on that cross. He's put into that tomb. Hey, everybody, Easter was coming. Can I get an amen? Three days later, he comes out of that grave. And then for 40 days, he really equips and continues to minister to his disciples. And then he ascends to heaven. And then 10 days later, the Holy Spirit descends into that upper room. And that is the day that really the Church of Jesus Christ was born. And on that day, Peter preaches a sermon where 3,000 people at least give their heart to Jesus. So at that moment, here's what I want you to capture. At that moment, the entire church was just three, maybe, maybe 5,000 total people. Now, fast forward 300 years, and despite crazy opposition, despite plagues and Roman persecution, there are now millions of Christians. So here's kind of the. The idea of the whole series is how did we go from really 12 disciples to millions of Christians to what we see now, billions across the planet? How did this happen? And I'll tell you how it didn't happen. It did not happen because we blended into culture. And there's always been that pressure. And we are not going to. We are boldly going to preach the fact that we've been called to be different. I'll tell you how it also didn't happen, though, in those early years. It didn't happen because we were put in charge. So a sociologist back in the 1990s, his name was Rodney Stark, studied this question. How did Christianity explode? It was in those early decades, growing 40% per decade. So he's a sociologist. He scientifically goes through a process of studying Christianity. Kind of a fun side note, when he started this research, he was an agnostic, had no faith at all. He. He ends up giving his heart to Jesus as the more he studies, that'll preach all in itself. The more he studied the history of Christianity, he ends up becoming a Christian. But here's what he found. How did we experience that growth? And here. Hey, how are we gonna experience growth in 2026? Here it is. Christianity's growth wasn't primarily driven by miracles or preaching. It was the kind of life that Christians lived, that we were different and that made a difference. Can I get a better amen in church today? This is what God's invited us Into. And this is actually an excerpt from his book. He said, to cities filled with the homeless and the impoverished, Christianity offered charity as well as hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate basis for attachments. To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family. To cities torn by violent ethnic strife, Christianity offered a new basis for social solidarity. And to cities faced with epidemics, fires, and earthquakes, Christianity offered effective nursing services. I love that testimony. You know what that tells you, by the way, Serve Day was never our idea. Serve Day's been happening since the beginning. This is the history of our faith. So we're preaching. I just want cards on the table. We're preaching this series right here in the middle of summer, really as an equipping series. I know we have people who are with us for the first time, and I love that all throughout the year. But in the summer, it's kind of the home team for the most part here at church. But I know, I feel it so deep in my spirit. We are heading into this fall. Revival is happening in America right now. And I believe we're going to see right here at Birmingham, Alabama and Georgia, we're going to see a Move of God this fall. And this series is really about equipping us to get ready for what I believe God wants to do through all of us, that we would see in our moment that we live differently and it makes a difference. And so there's four areas we're leaning into, and these are pretty bold. Pastor Chris talked about generosity last Sunday. I'm gonna preach on purity today. Next week, we're gonna talk about forgiveness and community. That these are the four areas that if we live differently, it makes a massive difference. And these aren't just our ideas. This is what Jesus has actually commanded us to do. This is what Jesus said. He said, I want you to live this way. I want you to live as salt. You are the salt of the earth, and I want you to live as the light of the world. Tell your neighbor. Salt and light. Tell your other neighbor. We are salt and light. God calls us. Jesus calls us. Look at me. To be salt and to be light, like in this world. God has called us to be attractive. But also probably because of the way we live, a little offensive that people are going to look at us and they're going to say, man, I really. I love a lot of what they're doing, but I'm not sure I like all of it. It's like, it's so different. It's attractive and offensive. Can you think of anything in your life that you kind of love it, but you also hate it? Come on. Anybody got some ideas? How about my gym people out there? You love the gym, but you kind of hate the gym. Wave at me out there. Anybody out there? That's me. I never wake up thinking I can't wait to get to the gym. But I know I need it. Lately I have started cold plunging. I am currently in a love hate relationship with Kosti. One excited cold plunger out there. I never looking at the cold plunge. I'm never really excited to get in there. But when I get out I feel better. Like, I love it, but I hate it. Maybe there's food in your life that you love and hate as a kid. Broccoli. Actually, broccoli was just a hate, hate, hate relationship. It was never love. How about hot sauce? Like you love it, but like a day later you hate it. Which I can just put one restaurant in that bucket as well. Taco Bell. You may love it when you eat it, but a day later you're gonna hate it. I gotta get one more off my chest just to move on. I can't even preach. I gotta get this off my chest. And you may judge me afterwards. I give you permission. You have permission to judge me. I love that chick. Fil A is closed on Sunday, but I kind of hate it. Anybody else out there, it's like, I love it, but thank you for that witness. But I never want it more than on a Sunday. So God's called us to be attractive, but we just got to understand that's also going to be offensive at times and maybe no other topic more than the topic of purity. I'm going to talk for the next few moments. Once again, I hope you have your app open. We're going to dig into this. What a huge opportunity to make a difference in the world through living a life of purity. So we're going to talk about purity as an entire topic. But anytime you talk about purity, it's probably for a lot of us, you immediately think of sexual purity. And I do want to lean in there for a moment, as you heard your campus pastor share, because it's very important for me to say a few things about that specific. Again, we're going to talk about all of purity. But we are called to be different in the area of sexual purity. And that was true in Rome in those early days. It's definitely true in our culture. And these are. I've just tried to capture the spirit of the Age here, none of this is new information for anybody. But in our world today, we just have to recognize that when it comes to sex, primarily, this is true. Sex is an appetite for people to satisfy. So the way the world views that is, it's really not much different than hunger or thirst. That was true in Rome. It's true today. Of course, now. Today, through instant access, if you have that hunger, you have access through the Internet, apps, pornography. I mean, it's just 24, 7 on demand. And we definitely are facing a spirit in this age where it's just, you know, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas has never been true. An entire city is built around the appetite of that kind of pleasure. Secondly, what's normal is that the body is a commodity to use. And we're getting ready for 21 days. You're going to hear more about this in this area. I've come across in the last few months some stats that just really honestly grabbed my heart. And as a church, we're already doing a lot, but I feel called through prayer and through. Just through missions and our outreach and through our generosity to do even more is. I mean, this was heartbreaking. I discovered in some research that pornography is $100 billion business every year. That is heartbreaking. But sex trafficking in Our age is $173 billion a year criminal enterprise yearly. And I'm just telling y' all from the deepest part of who I am. We're already doing a lot, but I feel like we are, as a church, are called to do everything we can to rescue those precious children and women who are sex trafficking and come alongside ministries and even pray, honestly, just pray for that wicked spirit that's around all of that to be broken. And so that's deep in my heart. But all that just represents the idea that bodies are just something to sell. And we see that in so many different ways. And ultimately, this is the spirit of the age. If it feels good, do it is a doctrine to obey. So if it feels good, really in any area, then I'm going to do it. And that leads always, by the way, to misery. It was said of Rome, it could be said of America. I read this quote that the soul of the society in Rome was rotten. And so when Christianity came along, it was like, oh, there's a better way. I think it's so true. We're living in that same kind of moment where when we live differently, it's going to make an immediate impact. And so Christianity comes along, it offers something different. And it was really what Historians say was the first sexual revolution. And I want to celebrate this today, that for us, we live differently. For us, sex is a covenant gift to enjoy. It's not an appetite. It is meant in covenant. Sex is designed for marriage. One woman and one man. That is how God designed it. Not because he's old fashioned, but he's the one who made us. He knows the best way for us to live. Can I get a better amen? And so he invites us. He invites us into abundant life. And again, this has always been radically different in the world. I found this passage from a guy that's not a Christian. He, he was this philosopher and he was observing Christians in Rome early on. And this was his reflections. It says they marry like other men and they beget children, but they do not cast away their offspring. This is so funny to me. They have their meals in common, but not their wives. He's like, they just live in covenant. And that was making a difference for him. And honestly, maybe not as dramatically, but in our day and age, you know what? We're going to live the way God's called us to. People are going to notice that it's going to make a difference. Secondly, the body is a temple to honor. This is what we believe. This is probably the most important thing for me to say today around this area. First Corinthians 6. This is what we believe because God's word teaches us this. Our bodies are not our own. This building is not a temple. Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit and we have been bought with a price. We talked about it earlier. Hey, Jesus went to that cross and he died for us so that we could live. And in response to that, what do we do? We, we honor God with our bodies. Can we put our hands together? I mean, I just want to celebrate the fact there are a higher standard for us and God invites us into that. And ultimately that leads to really our truth. And that is not if it feels good, do it, but if it is good, do it. That God invites us again to follow him. And when we do that, we find the good things he has for us. Instead of a rotten soul, it leads to abundant life. But as I mentioned, I want to expand this teaching today beyond just sexual purity to the concept that God teaches from Genesis to revelation around purity. And there are really two words that I want to teach you and I want to give you a definition and we're going to unpack it practically today that are so important. But I just got to tell you, really, this whole teaching today but what I'm about to share with you is radical. It is so different than the world. And honestly, it's even different than maybe sometimes we see it even as followers of Jesus. There's a standard that God has called us to, and it's a really big deal. Can y' all handle this today? Okay, I got enough amens. I'm gonna go for it. Two words in the Bible that God uses to really teach us purity. In the Greek, it's katharos. In the Hebrew, it's tehor. And that katharos word is really where we get around purity. The concept of clean or clear, like clear water, like clear. And tehor is all about purity. Like, it would be used to talk about pure gold. It's not mixed with other. So biblical purity is those two ideas at once that God's called us to live clean and unmixed. And this is the definition that I put together. Biblical purity is a life that is clean and whole, not polluted by sin and not divided by competing love. And that is a massive concept. It's a massive truth. I think sometimes we can maybe imagine the not polluted by sin part, but it's. It connects also to not having this divided heart, not having this divided mind, like not divided between competing loves that God would be. There'd be no idolatry in our heart. That's all wrapped into purity. And if you call yourself a Christian. If I call myself a Christian, I wanna be really clear today. This is how God calls us to live. This is his standard. And of course, it is different. It's all, again, all throughout the Bible. 2 Corinthians 7 says it this way. Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from. Does that say 50%? Does that say 70%, 99.9%? No. What does it say? Purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. And I'm telling you, in this confused world, man, that's going to make an impact. And that's what 1 Peter 2 tells us, is when we live this way, people notice. Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, here it is church. They may see your good deeds, and they're not going to glorify us or a red shirt or. It's never been about us. It's about them seeing Jesus and glorifying Him. And I'm so passionate today because I wouldn't be on this stage without a group of people living this way. So I've shared over in different moments parts of my testimony. I want to share kind of a new chapter of it today that really this topic couldn't mean more to me because again, I wouldn't be here without people having stood up and lived out that standard. So I grew up in a small town in east Alabama and I love small towns. So grateful for where I grew up. The name of my town is Lionville, Alabama. You should definitely go on a road trip to Lionville, Alabama. What are you going to find? Well, there's not much. Don't blink. You will miss it. But we're very proud. We have a Piggly Wiggly. We got at least four dollar stores because, I mean, that's an important part of a small town. My dad loves Dollar General the most. He's like, why would you need a Walmart? We got a Dollar General. It's better. I can get in and out quicker. And so we real small town. I loved all of that. And we were part of a little Methodist church, First United Methodist Church in downtown Lionville, Alabama. And so again, grew up in church. I have amazing parents. We were church people. But honestly, it wasn't a big deal in our family. It was part of our tradition. But God wasn't really a big focus of our family. But I was sprinkled as an inf. Anybody sprinkled out there? I know you don't remember it, like, I don't, but I was sprinkled. I've seen the picture. And I was a part of Sunday school where very quickly I learned in Sunday school, no matter what the question is, the answer is almost always Jesus. I would often get caught not paying attention. I wouldn't know what to say. And I discovered quickly, if I just say Jesus, 99% of the time I'm right. And how can you really say it's wrong? The answer is Jesus. Later on, I was a part of vacation Bible school. And again, I loved all this, but I never really connected with God. I love church. And so vacation Bible school was awesome. My favorite parts, of course, I love crafts. All the popsicle sticks, those crazy eyes and those little fuzzy strings. You don't know what I'm talking about. I can smell that hot glue gun right now in craft time. If you go to vacation Bible school, you gotta love snack time. And this is gonna sound weird if you're new with this, please forgive me, but for some Reason the Kool Aid is always better at church. So we invite you, if you're new, to drink the Kool Aid here at Church of the Highlands. I can't wait to see that on Instagram. All right. It'll be awesome. And we played dodgeball and all the things you do. And then later on, I was even in the youth group where I didn't really get to know God, but we had a lot of fun. We did lock ins, which, by the way, when I was a youth pastor, Everborn kid parents would say, can we do lock ins at Highlands? I was always. When I heard that, I was always like, I love your kids more than you do. Why would you ever have a co ed sleepover at a church? That is never a good idea. But I loved all that. But it never connected. So When I was 13, 14, I really drifted away from church and 100% had really never been connected. I'd never had a real relationship with God. And a lot of that was me just trying to find my own identity. It was a small town, so I don't want to exaggerate this, but if I could do it in that small town, I did it. I mean, it was me trying to find an identity, like trying on a hat. I was just trying this on, this on, this on. And so if there was a party on the weekend, if they were drinking on the weekend, I was gonna be a part of that. My parents knew none of that. It was all in secret. I felt horrible on the inside, but I was really just searching. One night, I went to a party at a friend's house. A guy who I was about to say his name. I'm not gonna say his name. I went to his house, and he grew up with his mom. It was a single mom home. And at this home, she had a liquor closet. It was a big liquor closet. And during that night, we just ended up breaking into it and stealing a bunch of that. And so, of course, we got caught. The next morning, she calls my parents, and they come down. I'll never forget them coming down to my room and telling me they'd received this phone call. And basically they found that whole secret life I'd been living all came out in that moment. And what hit me the hardest of anything was they said, we love you, Mark, but we're so disappointed in how you're living. And, man, that just broke my heart that I ended up in this situation. And my parents were old school. They did some other things. They also grounded me. And it was full on three Months. You're not going anywhere. And I say this to any parent. They grounded me from everything except for church. Don't ever ground your kids from church. And so that's all I could do. So then I went back to church. That's what got me back to church. I walked in the doors of this little youth group. It was not a sermon. It wasn't any of the formal programming. For about two or three months, I just watched these teenagers. They were not perfect, but they were living for God, saying yes to him and no to sin. It was their testimony to. It was their life. I said yes to Jesus at 17 because of the. Because of the witness of those who are different and making a difference. Can we thank God for all those who've shown us what this whole thing looks like? And again, that's what I want to equip us with today. And here's the question. And I want to get really practical here today in this crazy world we're living in. Okay, you're like, okay, Pastor Mark, I want to live this way. I get it. That's what God teaches. How can we live pure lives? Well, I got good news for you today. The Bible is very practical in this area. And through the Apostle Paul, God gives us a filter where you're able to live in this world and all the insanity, all the decisions that come at us 24 7. There is a way we can filter those to ultimately living the pure life God has called us to. And I want to share this first scripture again. The Apostle Paul, all the ones. I'm going to share this whole concept he teaches so well. 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, I have the right to do anything you say, but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything, but I will not be mastered by anything. And what Paul's saying here is basically, we have the right to do a lot of things. But how do you go from what I can do? I mean, without God, I can do anything. How do I go from all of that? Ultimately, through the power of the Holy Spirit. How do I go from all things I can do to the things I should do? And what he's going to give us through some different scriptures, is a filter. So I have a filter here on stage just to kind of unpack this idea. This is a pure filter. P U R. And I have a jar of. I have no idea what. I asked the team to make me some water that I would get to purify. I think they made. I don't. This looks like number One, I'm just gonna be honest. I don't know what this is, but maybe that's the best way to represent all that we face in the world. Can I get an amen? What this represents is I'm speaking to everybody. Hey, parents, this next few moments are for you 24 7. Decision after decision, how to live, what to say yes to, what to say no to. Have y' all noticed? It comes at us nonstop. So what the Bible's gonna help us do is go from all of this through the filter God is gonna give us ultimately to the life and the lifestyle God has called us to live. Here's the first part of the filter. Write it down. Today, what is number one pleasing to God? This is my first question when I'm facing any lifestyle. Decision number one, what is pleasing to God? The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5 says, for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. And here it is. And I love the language here. Find out what pleases the Lord. And I'm gonna do my best on Sundays to teach it. And you're gonna be in small groups and you're gonna learn it, but I love the fact that it's putting it as a personal responsibility. Hey, go find out what is pleasing to God. And the good news is we have a manual for that called the Bi B L E. And the first place we look, when we don't know what to do, the first place. I want this to be our first reaction in those questions, in those moments when something's coming at us. And what you have to do is say no to the pressure. Before I say yes or no to anything, I'm just going to get in the word of God. This is the truth for on how we live our life here at Highlands. We are Bible people. And the first thing we're going to ask ourselves is, what does God's word teach me about this decision I'm trying to make? What does God's word say about money? What does God's word say about relationships? Next week, I'm going to talk about this one. What does God's word say about forgiveness? Here's what you're going to discover as you ask those questions. In any area of your life, you're going to find answers. And there will be places where God's word tells you specifically to do something. And if his word says do it, what are we going to do? We're going to do it. There's going to be other places you're going to discover so clear, I mean, go to the Ten Commandments. You can see some of these where God is going to tell you not to do things. If he says don't do it, we're not going to do it. He'll mark some things sin and he'll mark some things as a part of our mandate as a follower of Jesus. And when we find those things, hey, everybody, case closed. We gonna follow the Bible. We are Bible people. But there are other things that you're gonna discover along the way that live in this kind of in between place, maybe a little bit more of a gray place where God doesn't specifically speak to us. And in those moments, he is going to call us to the second part of this filter, which is a very personal journey with him. The first question is, is it pleasing to God? Here's number two. Does this uphold my convictions? Does this uphold my convictions? Now I love this next scripture, one of my favorites in the Bible. If you've never locked in on it, this is a gift for you today. Romans 14:23, massive revelation. But if you have doubts about whether you should eat something, you are sinning. If you go ahead and do it. Now the example is eating. But you can expand this to any area of our life. For you are not following your convictions. Look at this last sentence. If you do anything you believe is not right, then for you, for you it is sinning. So the Bible is a standard for us all. But convictions are things that God has spoken to us uniquely. Now they're never in contradiction to God's word. But what does this mean, Church? That means that how we follow God is going to uniquely look different for all of us. That there are gonna be some things that I feel free to do based on my relationship with God that you're like, you know what my conviction is not to do that. Now again, never in contradiction to his word, but the opposite is gonna be true as well. You're gonna do things that I don't do. You're like, pastor, how do we discover this? Through relationship with the Holy Spirit. What is the Holy Spirit saying to me? And I get asked all the time to go like hard in the paint on topics, you know, I do my best anywhere the Bible's clear. You are never gonna see me. You will never see me back away one inch. I will die for this word. I will die for it. We're going to preach the word of God. Can I get an amen? But I get asked all the time in these other areas to like take this bold Stance and I have convictions. And if we're one on one or maybe in a small group, we can go deeper in those. But I get asked all the time, usually through email, usually on a Monday morning. Pastor Mark, tell us what to do about music, what to listen to, what not to listen to. Can you tell us what movies to watch and what not to watch or what to drink or not to drink or how to vote or, you know, the school one is always dangerous. Pastor Mark, can you tell us, do you prefer homeschool or public school? I'm never going to go there, just so you know. Can you tell us about Harry Potter? Can you tell us about Halloween? I get this one a lot. Like, even in conversation. What is your stance on tattoos? And that's the one I'll share. Can I share? Can I get one off my chest on tattoos? Here's y'. All. Want to know what I believe about tattoos? I don't have any tattoos, but my best friend Blake has lots of them. Figure it out. All right, so if it's clear in God's word, we know it's pleasing to him, not pleasing to him. It's clear. But you have the Holy Spirit for a reason. I'm charging us. Church develop personal convictions fueled by the Holy Spirit. And then what Romans 14 says, once you have them, you better live by them, because if you don't, you're sinning. That's a pretty powerful statement. Here's the third part of the filter. Is it pleasing to God? Is it upholding my convictions? And then number three, does it represent God's kingdom? And I just, man, this is all about the love of God. No other faith has even imagined that there would be a level like this, a standard like this. It's amazing that God has not called us just to live according to his word or our own convictions, but also he's going to call us at times to lay down things that we would normally do or that we believe in, to lay down those rights for the sake of others. Again, never violating his word or our own convictions. But there's going to be times where it's just like, you know what? Just lay it down. And back to Romans 14. This is the apostle Paul. He really gives us all three of the filters in this one passage. And I just, I'm a Bible nerd. I just love this so much. Romans 14 says, Therefore, this is great church. Let us. Can we stop passing judgment on each other? It is so easy to get judgy in the house of God. And it's Never on the big things that we all agree on. Is it like Jesus, like we're there? But it's the small things usually around those personal convictions that you see someone else so easy to get judged. Hey, by the way, we're not gonna do that. We're gonna be a people of unity. We're gonna focus on the majors, we're not gonna focus on the minors. And we're not all at the same place in our journey. God's doing a work in each of us, and we're gonna let the Holy Spirit authentic. We're just gonna push people to Jesus in a real relationship with him. Let's don't judge each other. Instead, make up your mind not to put a stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. Here's where we get into the filters. Look at this language. I'm convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. Well, that's, that's, that's a truth in the word of God. Nothing's unclean in itself. Paul's discovered that in the word of God. That's the first filter. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person, here's that conviction part. Then for that person, it is unclean. But here's the third one. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, then you're no longer acting in love. Do not, by your eating, destroy someone for whom Christ died. Third question. What does love, God's love, require of me? And this again, this is not just important for our witness. This is so important for our unity. Can I. This is Mark. And I'm gonna do. Keep me accountable. If it gets in the way of us, I'm gonna lay it down because I love you and I want to do life with you. If it gets in the way of us, I'm laying it down. And if it gets in the way of us sharing Jesus with the world, it's not worth it. How can we put a stumbling block in the way? Can I get a better amen in church today? How can we put a stumbling block in the way, in the way of anyone? These are our filters. What a gift from God. And what's so beautiful is what is confusing and chaotic and crazy. 24 7. And I feel all that you feel. Again, I'm speaking to everybody but parents. I feel it all. If we put these filters in, it, what was so confusing gets filtered. And look at that now it's pure. And now we know how to live the way that God has called us to live unmixed with the world around us. Put it on the screen, guys. P U R. Y' all know I'm a pastor. I gotta give you an acronym to remember it. PUR there's your filter. Is it Pleasing to God? Upholding my convictions, Representing God's kingdom. So I've left attention hanging. We're going to close. I've left attention hanging on purpose to this moment. So anytime I've ever preached on the concept of purity as a youth pastor or in rooms like this, the moment I say the word, I feel the pressure of the room increase. It's like a barometer. You can. I can feel. I just can feel it on the stage. I can feel that. And the reason is. And so I feel the weight of this moment. The reason is, is the enemy just has a way. The moment this topic is spoken on to immediately bring condemnation, that he would just try in this moment to stir up guilt, that we would all start thinking of the ways, let's be honest, myself included, that we've messed this up. So we're having this kind of conflict in a room like this where we. We know we've messed this thing up. Even as a follower of Jesus, maybe for decades, you're like, I'm still messing this thing up. I feel the weight of all that. At the same time, we cannot deny that purity is a big deal to God. So what should we do in this moment? Well, we're going to look at his word. Psalm 24 says, who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false God. That scripture is probably the best reminder in the entire Bible. Just clear reminder, man. Purity is a big deal to God, but it also may be one of the heaviest scriptures, at least in my own life I've ever read. That reminds me, well, God, if I know my past, I don't have clean hands and a pure heart. So how am I ever going to see you? Maybe that's where you are today. You're just kind of in this space you walked in. Maybe it's something. I have a friend that did something years ago that he and I are still praying through. Like he is carrying the guilt and condemnation of a decade and a half ago. On a daily basis, we're praying to break that off of his life. Maybe that's you. Maybe you walked in today with the weight or guilt or condemnation of messing this area up. Last night with something you looked at or clicked on or partook in, or maybe even this morning. And all that just stirs it up. And scriptures like that, I preach it out. And maybe the rest I have felt before. You're filling in this morning. This morning is this. Okay, I see that. But then who may ascend? Like, well, then what do we got to do? Who may ascend? And can I answer that question today? No one can ascend the mountain of the Lord. All have sinned and fallen short of his glory. So how can we be pure? How can we experience God? Well, David, the psalmist doesn't finish Psalm 24 right there. We usually quote that and miss the last part, which is actually the best part. It goes on in verse 8 and 9. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong. The Lord strong and mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates. Lift them up, you ancient doors that the King of glory may come in. Look at me, Church. We could never ascend that mountain. So God didn't call us up the mountain. He came down to us. And the King of glory went in when we couldn't go up. And it was. It was true for David, and it is true for you today. What is God doing in this moment right now? Revelation 3 tells us. He's standing at the door and he is saying, let me in. No one can ascend that mountain. So I'm ready to come in. The King of glory, who is strong. God wants to come into your heart today and purify you. For some of you, that means today, let him save you. I'm going to pray for this in a moment. I got good news today. Romans 10:13. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. I don't care what your resume is. I met a guy yesterday, John, 25 years in prison, saying yes to Jesus, and now living for him. He got saved because of a hygiene kit. You may have seen him in the video. Well, guess what he's doing now. Yesterday he was making hygiene kits to send back into the correctional facilities. If God can save me. If God can save him, he can save you. And you don't have to clean up. And this is for somebody specifically today that you're, like, right on the edge. I can feel. Feel this right now in this moment. And you're just wrestling with the fact that you kind of want to get some things right. Listen, stop it. He wants in. And all the mess, you don't have to clean up, Just let him in. And if you've already gotten Saved. I mentioned it earlier. In a few weeks, we're gonna have that baptism Sunday. I do want to say this. In this moment, for some of you, you're like, I'm already saved, but I'm still wrestling in my relationship. For some of you, God's calling you to go public with your faith. You're actually wrestling with your faith in a way that you can't even imagine because it's already only been private. It's never been public. I believe God's going to speak to some people today. Let him save you. And then finally today, we're going to pray. Let him cleanse you. This is for anyone who's a follower of Jesus. You're saved. But you just got to be honest in church today, you're not living in purity. You can receive today the fresh grace and mercy of Jesus in the Bible Belt South. Every heart and every mind open right now. We see God so incorrectly out of a religious mindset often, and we imagine God. It's like a bank account, and if I don't have enough in there, I can't withdraw. Maybe you're like, I wasn't a serve day yesterday, so how can I ask for forgiveness? Nothing could be further from the truth. We imagine the worst part of God's day is forgiving us, especially forgiving us again. I felt that the opposite is true. The best part of God's day is forgiving you. It was for the joy set before him. Don't steal God's joy today. Let him forgive you. Let him create in you a clean heart. Bow your heads and close your eyes. We're gonna pray together. God, I thank you for your presence. Right now, you're moving in this place. God, I thank you for the higher standards you've called us to and the fact that you called us there through your strength, not our own, through your grace, not our own. God speaking to you right now in this moment, at every location, we're together as a church, family. And you, you need to get that first idea. You need to get saved, that you know that's the moment. Your hands are sweating, your heart's racing. Maybe for you it's a rededication. Regardless, you just know today's the day for a. You're tired of leaning in your own strength. Today's the day. If that is you, I'm gonna pray. Pray with me today. Say, jesus, today I give you my life and I open the door to my heart. King of glory, come in. Do what I can't do. I turn away from my Strength. Today I declare you my Lord and my Savior and God, fill me with your Holy Spirit so I can live for you. God, I thank you for those who just made that decision. Everything has changed now. For anyone who is a follower of Jesus, who just in this moment, in God's presence, you're ready to let go of some things, to be washed white as snow as far as the east is from the west, just to see some things that maybe you've been struggling with for years broken off your life. Guilt, condemnation, sin, whatever it is, you know, don't miss this moment. No one's looking around. I'm not going to embarrass you in any way. Just pray with me in this moment. I'm going to use the words of Psalm 51 to lead us. Just say to God right now, God created me a clean heart. God, I'm asking you to forgive me and just name those areas of your life. Be bold today before God. God, I was wrong when I did this. This was not of your will. I repent right now. Just repent. Just take a moment. God, create in us a clean heart and renew in us a steadfast or strong spirit. God, we're praying for your strength to walk away from those things and live differently today. God, we're asking today for the joy of salvation. God, I pray that guilt and condemnation would be broken and that even as we say amen in a moment there'd be a new joy. God, your grace, your mercy, your love, overwhelm us with your love right now. In Jesus name God, we thank you for what you're doing and we give you you all the praise and all the glory and God's people said amen. Can you put your hands together and help me celebrate all those who made that decision?