A Return to Holiness | Sins of Attitude
A Return to Holiness • Sermon • Submitted
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· 13 viewsGod's judgement of actions and character goes beyond the surface and is weighted by the attitude in which someone does something or is at the heart of the individual.
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Introduction
Last week, as we began this series on A Return to Holiness in preparation for revival, we addressed Sins of Thought. I pray that you truly did meditate on that message this week and ask God to help you be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2) and also sought God this week in helping you bring every thought and imagination under the submission of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). This week, we begin to address another area of sin that is often overlooked, attitude.
I remember growing up, and I know that this will surprise some of you, I got in quite a bit of trouble for two things in particular while growing up: 1) my mouth and 2) my attitude. These two particulars caused me more grief growing up than anything else I do believer. As I look at the church today, I see over-and-over where this area, sins of attitude, birth more conflict within the church and between brothers and sisters in Christ. In the end, it also quenches the Spirit of God and keeps God from bringing revival.
My Favorite Illustrations (Could It Be Me?)
Could It Be Me?If something is wrong with your church and you wonder why, the place to start seeking an answer is with yourself. Is your church unfriendly? What about you? Is it unconcerned about the lost? Are you? Is it behind on its budget requirements? Are you behind, or are you penny-pinching in your giving? Is there hostility in the fellowship? What of your attitude and behavior? You may or may not find the answers within yourself. Nevertheless, you need to be certain you are not part of the problem before you begin pointing an accusing finger at others.
There’s only one way to guarantee what I was told I needed quite often growing up, a guaranteed attitude adjustment and that is through the time in the Word of God, time in prayer, and prayerfully and honestly asking God to search you and show you where you are lacking and where you need to change. Notice I did not say your spouse, your children, your neighbor. I said you. I said me.
Opening Passage
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Outline
1. The attitude of Indifference
1. The attitude of Indifference
One of the worst attitudes that anyone of us could have about anything is the attitude of indifference.
Concise Oxford English Dictionary Indifferent
1 having no particular interest or sympathy; unconcerned.
2 neither good nor bad; mediocre.
▶ not especially good; fairly bad.
This is where many are within the church today. They have attitude that is best defined as having no particular interest or sympathy, unconcerned. They have no particular interest in faithful attendance. They have no particular interest in consistent bible study. They have no particular interest in personal prayer life. They have no concern about the finances of the church, the activities of the church, and interest or concern in serving the church. They in essence come to church to just have a check put on that to do list and say we were at church this morning, if they even do that. Many within the church are as just as the church of the Laodiceans, which is why many compare this church to the church of America. The condemnation of our Lord toward them should be a warning to us all.
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
The passage of Scripture should warn us that we must be either hot for God or cold for God, but we cannot ride the fence for it belongs to the Devil. Where do you stand this morning in heart and passion for the Lord and His kingdom? Hot? Cold? or in the Devil’s land riding the fence post and suffering from the attitude of indifference?
Indifference is not the only attitude that plague many within the church. There is another attitude and it’s the attitude of self-egotism.
2. The attitude of self-egotism
2. The attitude of self-egotism
The attitude of self-egotism is characterized by...
i. Pride and
i. Pride and
We see pride flesh itself out in our relationships.
We find it fleshed out with our relationship with each other.
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
We find ourselves more pushing personal agendas, personal likes, and personal opinions rather than learning to come in agreement with one another. Let us be reminded that the Lord has called us to submit each other. We are to seek unity. Too often we fight about negotiables and we ignore non-negotiables. To put this another way, we all too often major on the minors and minor on the majors.
We our pride get in the way of unity within the body.
We find it fleshed out with our relationship with God.
We refuse to admit we are sinning. We refuse to let God move in our life. We refuse to let God work in our hearts. We stand before Him with stiff necks and shake our pointy fingers at the Lord and say, I’m not changing, you must change. Your word must change. Brothers and sisters, may I submit to you that this is not how it happens.
If we want to see revival, it will take us letting go of our pride, admitting our pride, and humbling ourselves before God and repenting of our sin and seeking the Lord.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
The other area that self-egotism fleshes out is a case of...
ii. selfishness
ii. selfishness
All to often we think about ourselves, our agenda, our feelings and we forget that other people have feelings, have ideas, have flesh in this game too.
Truly, what we find within the Scripture is a call to look out for others and think of others and their needs, their spirit more so than our own.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
One way we are hurting each other is through our words. Too many of us do not have a filter and if we do have a filter, we do not use it. We call people names. We bully people with our words. We try to manipulate and cause guilt. That’s not what God has called us to do. He has called us to be builders not destroyers. There truly power within the tongue. As the apostles Paul wrote:
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
3. Attitude of Partiality
3. Attitude of Partiality
Several years ago, early in my ministry, I pastored a church and one of these families as that church was very poor, uneducated, and did not have good hygiene. I heard over-and-over, preacher water isn’t that expensive. Why don’t they take a bath? Why don’t we tell them they don’t need to come back until they bathe? We don’t want them here. Over-and-over I told them, they are welcome. We will love on them and support them as every other individual here.
On the flip side of that coin, over and over again, at that same church, I would find someone that came and visited that may have a little money or be a close friend to that were complaining about the others and they would come and say, meet this person. We need them here.
This is not how the church is to be. We are to welcome everyone. We are not to show partiality. Yet, we find ourselves over and over doing so. The Scriptures warn against this.
1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
4. Attitude of Unbelief
4. Attitude of Unbelief
We can not please God without trusting and having faith that He can deliver on His promises.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Many within church are not seeing revival and not seeing victory over sin and not seeing healing in your home, because you say you have faith and trust the Lord but in reality, you don’t.
58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
5. Attitude of the world
5. Attitude of the world
A wordly attitude is characterized by...
i. carnality and
i. carnality and
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
ii. greed
ii. greed
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
6. Attitude of Unforgiveness
6. Attitude of Unforgiveness
This final area of sins of attitude is possibly the one that causes most to struggle. Unforgiveness is hurting the church and hurting the child of God. It is quenching the Spirit from moving.
I remember growing up and hearing about how two of my aunts were mad at each others for twenty plus years over one of their boyfriends stealing the car radio of the other’s boyfriends.
I knew of a friend of mine that for ten plus years was mad a fellow church member because they took their Tupperware dish and never returned.
I know of people who are mad a preachers for something they did forty years ago.
In all these situations I submit to you that one that was bothered the most, hurt the most, grieved the most, was not the one that committed the offense. It was the one who refused to forgive. It cost them more than anything. Truly the Holy Spirit is and was quenched in their heart. He will remain quenched if they do not forgive.
You say, you don’t know what they did. You are right, I don’t. But God forgave you despite you. He has shown you what true love is.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
The world says get payback. Give them what they have coming. Praise God He does not give us what we have coming or deserve! We must learn to truly following the teachings of Christ.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
We must grasp and under a vital truth…If we expect to be forgiven, we must first forgive others. Many of us stand in guilt because we have not forgiven.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Amanda Rowett wrote an article on unforgiveness for bellvuechristiancounseling.com and defined unforgiveness and its results in a very clear picture She writes:
Unforgiveness is a state of emotional and mental distress that results from a delayed response in forgiving an offender. It is characterized by indignation, bitterness, and a demand for punishment or restitution. Unforgiveness creates a domino effect that negatively impacts every part of us, including our emotions, thoughts, behaviors, body, spirit, and relationships. With unforgiveness, time does not heal all wounds ̶ in fact, time further worsens and infects emotional pain. Unforgiveness is like carrying around a huge weight. The longer we carry a grudge, the heavier the burden becomes. In the absence of a timely response, the roots of unforgiveness only go deeper, further entangling us.
Conclusion
Could it be that my attitude, your attitude, the church as a whole’s attitude, is what is keeping us from seeing individual and corporate revival? Do I, do you, do we all need an attitude adjustment. We only find way for this to change. The change only comes when we humble ourselves before God, allow God to search our hearts (Psa. 139:23-24). Then we allow ourselves to be broken over our sin as God is broken over of our sin and find restoration and revival through repentance.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.