Holiness Matters

Micah J. Sturm 

Can I drink? No.

Can I smoke? No.

Can I watch that? No.

Can I go there? No.

Can I have everything I want? No.

Can I say those words? No.

Can I just blend in with everyone else? No.

Because someone told me “No”…

My life has been spared much heartache caused by sin.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,”

‭‭Titus‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Micah J. Sturm

Jesus is apolitical.

He transcends the temporary agendas of those seeking advantage or advancement.

We drag Christ through the mud of our politics. 

His sacred name is invoked on practically everything one can imagine.

The kingdom of God supersedes all earthly governments. 

Remember, our Master taught us to be model citizens.

We ought to pray for a nation to be at peace, prosperous, productive, and protected.

But ultimately, this isn’t accomplished by politicians and policymakers.  

This kind of environment comes from hearts made pure by the Prince of Peace.

It’s Thursday of Holy Week—He’s washing feet. 

Micah J. Sturm

Our expectations can get off track easily.

We expect the grandiose, but Christ is humble.

We expect justice, but Christ extends mercy.

We expect immediacy, but Christ is patient.

We expect accommodation, but Christ acquiesced to the point of death on a cross.

We expect happiness, but Christ is holiness in humanity. 

We expect accumulation, but Christ is the love that gives away.

Unreal expectations distract, diminish, and destroy. “I want what I want…”

Jesus says, “I want what He wants!”

Christ exceeds all expectations!  

Micah J. Sturm

Recently, I finished 1,827 days as pastor of our flock in Georgia. 

They heard 708 sermons from me.

Just thinking over the past five years and sharing a few lessons learned by a middle-aged preacher…call them my “last-Sunday thoughts…”

(1) We need more URGENCY! Time is moving quickly! 

(2) Words are powerful…they either energize or drain the hearer.  “Oh, be careful, little mouth, what you say!”

(3) Time + Energy = Difference 

Prioritize…Rest…Encourage…then see and be the difference!

(4) Lost people matter most.

(5) We’ve confused the shepherd/sheep model in the Church.  Sheep are not pets to be pampered.

For the shepherd, the sheep are his livelihood—his ‘life’s work’ to which he becomes very attached as the sheep provide companionship with the wool and milk to meet the needs of others. They further the shepherd’s work by reproducing and enlarging his flock.  

For the sheep, the shepherd is their very life.  He leads, feeds, and protects them.  

(Psalm 23–Led/ Fed/ No Dread)

(6) Pastors and their families get discouraged.

(7) Success is not always measurable.

(8) The miracle of grace where God sanctifies a believer entirely is a definite necessity for this journey! (I still preach holiness because I’ve seen both the devastation of carnal attitudes AND the beauty of those lives devoted fully to Christ!)

(9)  The fruit of the Spirit must be tended to be kept fresh!

(10) Struggle does not get the last word—resurrection does!  

www.podbean.com/ei/pb-w4nu2-19e34f5

Yesterday, I preached from Matthew 3:1-12.

John the Baptist’s message is clear:

“WATER”…this moment is entry into a life beyond forgiveness—kingdom living!

“WORTHY “…holiness can only be received in humility…we are not worthy to carry His shoes either!

“WINNOWING”…our forgiven hearts need cleansing from the worthless things that clutter our lives…the chaff He burns up in entire sanctification!

Thanks be to God!

Micah J. Sturm

It’s a long story, but I was born to preach Jesus Christ.

The call came to an eight year old boy who loved books. For my eighth birthday, I got my first “big boy” Bible—a black bonded leather with red-letters and no pictures.

I’ve always enjoyed stories.
The Bible has become a close companion.

Details drive stories deeper into my heart and bring the scenes to life.

“Stories are the lifeblood of the body, and the blood of Jesus is the Life of all life, the Story of all stories…

If you cut preachers, they bleed the Scriptures, and their bloodletting is healing, a balsam of the body, a balm for the soul”
(Leonard Sweet, Giving Blood, 25).

Here’s three reasons I preach:

HOPE
As bad as it is, we have hope in Jesus!
The world needs this Good News!

HEALING
Brokenness, dis-ease, and despair all find remedy in Jesus!

HOLINESS
God’s grace is greater than our sin.
He calls us to be holy.

The goal of the gospel is not only to get us into heaven, but to get heaven into us—that’s a miracle of grace that transforms everything!

Jesus Christ is Hope, Healing, and Holiness.

This is why I preach…the Story must be told!

Micah J. Sturm

“Oh, that’ll never happen!”

Too often we limit the One for whom there are no limits!

THE LORD LIKES THE UNLIKELY!

Look at His way of working…

• A 600-year old amateur sea captain named Noah (Genesis 7:11)
• A baby shower for parents Abraham—age 100 and Sarah—age 90 (Genesis 18:10)
• A preaching donkey [just stop there] (Numbers 22:28)
• A boy and a sling shot does more than an army (1 Samuel 17)
• Surviving an enclosed campfire (Daniel 3:11)
• Sleeping well on Lion-Mane pillows (Daniel 6)
• A small, unimpressive village—Bethlehem (Luke 2:4)
• A young, faithful woman—Mary
• A devoted, hardworking carpenter—Joseph
• A manger (Luke 2:7)
• Poor shepherds (Luke 2:8)
• A leper (Luke 5:12)
• A widow losing her only son…(Luke 7:13)
• An IRS agent in a sycamore tree gets saved (Luke 19:9)
• Malchus gets his ear back (Luke 22:50)
• THE CROSS
• “But on the first day of the week…” (Luke 24:1)

Need a miracle?

The response is not—“Oh, that’ll never happen!”  Have hope in God!

THE LORD LIKES THE UNLIKELY!

He just might use YOU in the most unlikely way today!

Micah J. Sturm

Somehow we’ve missed it.

We know the story Jesus told about The Good Samaritan, but we’ve missed it.

One group says the Samaritan is “good” because he does good deeds.

Running a shelter, food bank, or health clinic is helpful, but not necessarily holy.

Just because it’s charity doesn’t mean it’s Christian.

Good deeds cannot gain godliness.

Another group piously stops here.
Their “love” for God stays sealed in hearts.
Missing it.

REAL LOVE LEAKS.
It overflows out of a full heart…unable to be contained.

The Good Samaritan was good because his heart was filled with the love of God and it leaked!

Jesus says, “You go, and do likewise”—

Be so filled with the love of God, by the Spirit of His only Son, that a trail of love is left.

This begins in a moment of miraculous grace, but bubbles over into the lives of others—this is true holiness.

Make it so, dear Lord.