Disinfection is a process, you can’t just apply a solution without following the process. In the current environment, everybody thinks that they are an expert when it comes to what they should do to keep themselves safe from “the virus”. I can’t even tell you how many times I have heard the wrong terminology being thrown around when it comes to cleaning and disinfection. People everywhere think that if they just use a disinfectant like bleach or Lysol on a surface then that surface is going to be disinfected. That is not how disinfection works. You can not disinfect a dirty surface, the surface needs to be cleaned first. Sanctification works the same way, you can’t be sanctified until after you first receive the new nature. Just because the label on a “disinfectant” states that it is an all in one cleaner and disinfectant, does not mean that both things happen at the same time, the fact that a chemical is a cleaner and a disinfectant just means that it is capable of performing both functions; however, those functions do not occur simultaneously. You would need to clean the surface with the product and then reapply and allow the product to dwell for the appropriate amount of time. The Lord will clean you up (at salvation) and when allowed to dwell, will also sanctify or disinfect your life

The Lord is interested in a restored relationship with us

​Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 

The Lord not only wants to be the restoration specialist for us, but he also wants us to follow him, and in so doing, to be restoration specialist’s ourselves, by being ambassadors for Christ, we can show others how they too, can be reconciled to God, and how they can also have a restored relationship with their creator.

The Three Most Important Things You Can Do

The following are the three most important things that you can do, to protect your relationship with the Lord. First and foremost I want to remind you of how important your relationship with the Lord really is; according to the Apostle John, without that relationship, it is impossible to experience real joy:

​That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

1 John 1:1 

1. Develop a desire to Worship

There are Christians that we all know, that have decided that they don’t need to attend church, it is true that you don’t need to attend church to be saved, but you do need to attend church to properly worship him.

​Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:25 

Before we can develop a desire for worship, we first must take a look at Gods definiton of worship, and what his idea of acceptable worship includes.

WORSHIP: To adore; to pay divine honors; to reverence with supreme respect and veneration.

Webster 1828

Worship: The practice of expressing praise, thanksgiving, adoration, etc. to a deity.

The Lexham Cultural Ontology Glossary

Last week we saw how Saul idea of worship was flawed:

​And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

1 Samuel 15:13–15 

Saul had his own ideas of what worship should look like, and what was acceptable worship in his own eyes. You see, the Lord had instructed him to utterly destroy everything that the Amalekites had, but Saul decided to keep the best of the animals so that they could be used to sacrifice to the Lord. Saul was placing his idea of worship ahead of the Lord’s idea of worship. The Lord’s idea of worship, was for Saul to follow his instructions, but Saul wanted to worship in his own little way. If we are going to develop a desire to worship the Lord in the way that he deems to be acceptable, we need to take a look at the elements of proper worship.

Elements of Proper Worship

►Praise

​Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: Praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: Praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

Psalm 150:1–6 

►Thankfulness

​Offer unto God thanksgiving; And pay thy vows unto the most High:

Psalm 50:14 

►Confession of sin

​If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear me:

Psalm 66:18 

►Reading Gods word

​And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Nehemiah 8:5–6 

►Singing

​Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing.

Psalm 100:2 KJV 1900

2. Develop a Desire to know him

​Philippians 3:8–11 KJV 1900Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

How to know him

►Spend quality time with Him

​John 10:1–10 KJV 1900Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
​John 4:42 KJV 1900And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

►Keep His commandments

​1 John 2:3–6 KJV 1900And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.​John 15:15 KJV 1900Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

3. Develop a Desire to serve him

​Titus 2:11–14 KJV 1900For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
​Holman Illustrated Bible DictionaryService: Work done for other people or for God and the worship of God.

Characteristics of Bad Servants

►Idleness

​2 Thessalonians 3:11 KJV 1900For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

►Dishonesty

​Ephesians 6:6 KJV 1900Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

►Disloyalty

​Luke 16:13 KJV 1900No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

►Discontentment

​Matthew 20:9–15 KJV 1900And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

►Refuse correction

​Proverbs 29:19 KJV 1900A servant will not be corrected by words: For though he understand he will not answer.

►diligence

​Ecclesiastes 9:10 KJV 1900Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
​Proverbs 22:29 KJV 1900Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; He shall not stand before mean men.

►Faithfulness

​1 Corinthians 4:2 KJV 1900Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

►Honesty

​Titus 2:9–10 KJV 1900Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

►Obedience

​Ephesians 6:5 KJV 1900Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

►Perseverance

​2 Thessalonians 3:12–13 KJV 1900Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

►Respectfulness

​1 Timothy 6:1–2 KJV 1900Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

►Willingness

​Titus 2:9 KJV 1900Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;

Why you should desire servanthood with the Lord

The Lord’s care for his servants

​Psalm 35:27 KJV 1900Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: Yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, Which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.​Isaiah 54:17 KJV 1900No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; And every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.​Daniel 3:28 KJV 1900Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
​John 12:26 KJV 1900If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.​1 Corinthians 3:10–15 KJV 1900According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

doing these three things will enable you to protect your relationship with the Lord

doing these three things will allow you to abide in him and will allow him to dwell in you

doing these three things will assist you in the process of sanctification

Our hope at Irvington Bible Baptist Church is that this podcast provided some encouragement and has helped you to develop a closer relationship with the LORD Jesus Christ.