2 Thess 2:15-17 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 
	So then, brothers, stand firm… we are in the midst of looking at the aspect of the seriousness with which we stand before God. How much does He earnestly mean to us? Do we covet and honor His Holiness with the same gravity and extreme measure which He places upon it? It is not acceptable to lightly regard the glorification of Jesus Christ. As Paul writes in 2 Cor 4:5-10, For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 
We are at the point of God’s vital interest superseding everything else. This is an overwhelming and severe challenge to the very core of our being, to the depth of Christ in us. No longer can we set our minds on simply being good Christians, doing what we think is required to meet the doctrinal demands of our understanding. When we delve into the nucleus of the very Holiness of God, as declared in the glory of Jesus Christ, we are declaring that it is absolutely no longer our life, in any form or measure. We are asserting our death to sin. It no longer has any pull in our lives. We are not dying, not trying to die, not floundering in our feebleness as being desirous of Christ – We are DEAD; absolutely, incontrovertibly, unapologetically dead to this earth and its every avenue of entrapment that once reigned in our hearts!
	Scripture does not give any leeway for half-heartedness to the things of God. We are to evaluate every aspect of our walk on this earth in the measure of the Word of God in action by the Holy Spirit. 1 Thess 5:19-22 Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. Hold fast – abstain from every form of evil. These are not wishes and mere suggestions for a better life. This is the command of God, and as such, true and unbendable, no matter how much we try to fit our thoughts and our ways into a pattern of pseudo-obedience. …abstain from every form of evil….	
	Heb 3:13-15 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end; while it is said, "Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me." There is no avenue of denial to the fact that we are to hold fast to Christ, all our days. We are to regard our relationship with God in Christ Jesus as the only portion of value in our life today. 
This world throws its deceit and its confusion upon us everyday, in so many subverting ways in its deceptive influence to cause us to think that we are pleasing God in our walk. When we choose to live our lives in the manner of seeking after both the riches of God and the riches of this age, we are in fact denying Him the very means of bringing glory to His Son. He will not tolerate that one minute, one iota. His holiness is unchangeable and utterly non-negotiable. Too many of us are not willing to hear the voice of God to obedience, absolute, and unqualified obedience. We are like the Children of Israel who cried out for Moses to tell God to quit talking to them, for they were afraid lest they would perish. Do we desire to hear Him, no matter what the cost, or are we in fear of losing something in which we glory other than Christ? Money, self-gratification, fame, drink, drugs, pornography, power, position, and a myriad of other things that our hearts crave more than the absolute Holiness of God, is categorically unacceptable in the Light of the glory of Jesus Christ. 
Before we slough this off as not pertaining to us, consider how we approach God in our hearts and thoughts. Do we approach Him in the full confidence of being conformed into His holiness in Christ Jesus, or is there that sin, that distraction, that desire which means more to us than Christ’s glory? If we are genuine in our passion after the depth of God, why do we permit ourselves to wallow in the unholy filth of the sin of this age? Why do we continually allow ourselves to be distracted and sidetracked by the deceit and cunning of this age, rather than empowered by the Holy Spirit to live completely unto Christ Jesus?
	We use the excuse that we are only human, after all, that we aren’t perfect, that we sin because we can’t help it. Before we settle our hearts into that vein of human self-justification, please read very carefully and deliberately God’s Word as recorded in Heb 10:19-29. This was written to those who were Christians, who had accepted Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior, who were redeemed by His blood and indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 
	having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience… bodies washed with pure water… hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering… stimulate one another to love and good deeds… not forsaking our own assembling together… encouraging one another… if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins… How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 
This is not hell fire and brimstone for the unsaved; this is the point of choice for a Christian, for you and for me. We can choose to be dead to this world, or we can choose to be dead to God. Yes, we will be saved, yes, we will go to heaven, yes we are still a Christian, but we willing forfeit the complete, intimate, and holy relationship with God that is open to us by, through, and in Jesus Christ. That is the new and living way because He is the only way into the very heart of God’s holiness. If we choose the sin over the holiness of the glory of the Son of God, we will completely lose the full blessing of God upon our lives on this earth. Before each occasion of sin, before each temptation of this age, the Lord faithfully and earnestly allows us to choose. If we choose Him, He is our strength and wisdom and ability to overcome, and in that choice of Him, He creates an ever deepening and greater fellowship of intimacy of fellowship in His Own Glory. If, however, we choose the sin, we deliberately turn our backs away from that Holy relationship and choose to shun the increasing blessing of God in our lives. Our choice is simple; it is intimate fellowship in the glory of Christ or the tawdry and depilating disillusionment of the lies of this age. We have that choice before us and I pray that every one of us responds to the call of God rather than to the siren lure of this deceitful age.
	Look to scripture, throughout all scripture and lay it open before the Lord God Almighty and ask Him to validate His Holiness in His every Word. Consider the Ark of the Covenant, the earthly type of the relationship that can be ours, if we so choose, in Christ. It is the very presence of God that is set in that Covenant, and always will be. God was very, very deliberate in the preparation that was required to enter into that holy place of His presence.
Look at how much was required of the High Priest, just to enter in once a year. God desired that communion, He made the way for it to be established, but it demanded absolute holiness to be in the presence of God. A rope was tied around the ankle of the High Priest because if he was not properly prepared, he would die before the Lord. He was still one of God’s people. He was still of the order of Levi. He was still chosen to bring the sacrifice of atonement before God for the people. But, all of that mattered not before the holiness of God if he had not properly obeyed every commandment of the Lord in his preparation to enter into the Holiness of God’s presence.
	Consider what happened when that Ark of the Covenant was taken out of the Holies of Holies. When the Philistines captured it and took it unto themselves, they were beset with the judgment of God. 1 Sam 5:7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god." And 1 Sam 5:9-12 And it came about that after they had brought it around, the hand of the Lord was against the city with very great confusion; and He smote the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them. So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it happened as the ark of God came to Ekron that the Ekronites cried out, saying, "They have brought the ark of the God of Israel around to us, to kill us and our people." They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people." For there was a deadly confusion throughout the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. And the men who did not die were smitten with tumors and the cry of the city went up to heaven. 
	Even when it was returned to the Sons of Israel, God demanded that His Holiness be honored, absolutely and completely honored. These were His people. They were the chosen ones of God, but that did not prevent them from receiving the penalty of dishonoring the Holiness of the presence of God. 1 Sam 6:19+20 And He struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck down of all the people, 50,070 men, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth-shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up from us?" 
	We are all familiar with the story of Uzzah, who suffered death because of the irreverence and disobedience of not honoring the Ark of the Covenant as the very holiness of God. It was being transported by cart, in order to more quickly bring it back to the city of David. It was man’s use of his own ingenuity to deal with the holiness of God, but it was completely against the specific requirement of absolute obedience to God’s Holiness. 2 Sam 6:6+7 But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. And the anger of the Lord burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down there for his irreverence; and he died there by the ark of God. 
	Rev 11:15-19 contains the declaration of all the Holiness of God in the Living Ark of His Covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ. His rule is forever and forever. It is in our total relationship of holiness unto God that we will see that which is foreordained. This entire world will suffer the death of its choice to deny God, but not those who can sincerely and completely join in the chorus of the voices that declare God’s unending Holiness and Sovereignty. And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, "We give Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign. "And the nations were enraged, and Thy wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to Thy bond-servants the prophets and to the saints and to those who fear Thy name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. With this unquestionable revelation of the glory and the holiness of Jesus Christ in view, why do we still choose to lust after and to honor the vile things of this age with our thoughts, actions, and hearts? 
	We draw to a close this morning with the words of Samuel as recorded in 1 Sam 12:20-25. These are written in order to encourage us in the manner in which we choose to live unto the glory of Our Lord and Savior. And Samuel said to the people, "Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And you must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile. For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king shall be swept away." 
If we will serve Him with all our heart, with no reservations, with no willingness to defile ourselves with the sin of this age, and with our hope of glory set in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, we will find His absolute blessing pervading our entire life on this earth, now- today! If, however, we choose to half-heartedly and nominally declare the Lord, if we continue to allow ourselves to be willingly enslaved to the sin of this world, we will find ourselves swept away by the flood of His Holiness. We will be saved, but we will be without the blessing of the Ark of His Covenant in its rightful place in the temple of our hearts.
    	So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word… Amen.

Guests
Announcements:     Men’s meeting tomorrow
Wednesday Night Night Prayer Meeting
			Women’s Meeting
			Young People’s Meetings
			Dupar’s 6 AM
Other announcements? 
Friday, Nov 30 – Lompoc Thanksgiving/Christmas celebration (number of attendees?)
Birthdays:		Today – Jenny Lyche
			Wednesday – Eunice Heidrich
					
Anniversaries:	Wednesday – Ken and Joan King
	Today’s benediction is Isa 1:16-20, "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless; Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. "If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; "But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Amen