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Sabbath, October 16, 2004Sabbath, November 20, 2004 Pastor Tom Hughes
Newark Seventh-Day Adventist Church

“CLEAN CLOTHES”


“Father, the vision of Joshua the high priest certainly has many things to teach us. We’ve been learning in the school of trial; we’ve been learning in the school of hard knocks, and it is not a gentle teacher.

When we have suffering and trials, no one likes it while in the trial but it does bring forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness.”

As all of us have been tested and tried in the crucible of trial this week. We have learned what we are made of. We have had to face fear and doubt. We have had to face the evil one, and we have had to face our own weaknesses and shortcomings. But in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

Thank you for bringing us through this difficult period. Tonight, Lord, as we have this praise concert, as we lift You up, as we praise You for all the good things You’ve been doing for us this week, we pray that You would lift our spirits and set our feet on a course that will bring joy and revival to the Newark Church.

Bless this sermon and the thoughts You have given. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.”

The minister and the devil: Why was the devil standing at the right hand? To oppose… who?…the minister. Satan is there to oppose the man who stands as a representative of the people.
Joshua stood there and the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you. The LORD has chosen Jerusalem and he rebukes you. Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

When I stand before God as the head of this church, as the pastor of this congregation, I represent you in much the same way Joshua represented the people in the old days. And I have a devil; who is opposing me every inch of the way! He is accusing me and he is accusing you. In one version, it says Joshua was standing there in filthy garments that represented the sins of God’s people.

Believe me, my garments are plenty filthy with my own sins; I don’t need yours! But in a very real sense, the minister stands before the congregation as the representative of the church and he pleads for forgiveness. And it says here that we are “brands plucked from the fire.”

In other words, hell has a spot reserved for you but Jesus has plucked you from the fire. You are already “on fire” according to what the Bible says. If you don’t know Christ, you’re already lost, you’re already hell-bound, you’re already gonna be burned.

Now the Baptists have something when they preach about hellfire and brimstone. They just say it’s gonna last too long! They’re not totally wrong, there is going to be a “hell” someday. Amen? And all of us are bound for hell. The Bible says some of us are like “brands plucked from the fire.”
You know, when I was reading John 14 to Emma in the hospital, and as I read the verse, she would say it out loud from memory with me. And I’ve seen so many of these saints as they age and they end up in the hospital or they need ministry and they will, while I read Psalm 103 or John 14:1-3, they’re saying it right along with me. They’ve got it memorized. They’ve got it down cold! And her family was amazed as she just cited those Bible texts from memory.

God’s people are brands plucked from the fire. And the Word of God that we hide in our hearts is our defense against this evil demon who is attacking us; who is against us; who wants to kill us and destroy us.

Some of us were horrified and shocked at the extent to which the devil will go to attack the church, and our families, and our children. Don’t be shocked! It says Satan is standing there to oppose us. We have an enemy and there is a hell to shun and a heaven to win. This demon stands there and opposes us but God says, “I have plucked them from the fire.”

“Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the angel, and then he answered and spoke to those who stood before him saying, take away the filthy garments from him. And to him he said, ‘see, I have removed your iniquity from you.’”

Who removed his iniquity? God! Who took away his garments? God!

That’s why we say, “Come to the Lord just as you are ‘without one plea but that Thy blood was shed for me.’” Don’t try to change your:

Homosexuality

Alcoholism

Sexually perverted appetites as you peruse the internet

Don’t try to change the filth you watch on TV

When you hear the call of Christ, run to Jesus! Don’t try to clean up your life first before you come to Him or you’ll never come to Him! Come just as you are immediately.

When you hear Christ calling:

come to Jesus,

fall on your knees before Him

pray and ask Him to forgive you for your sins

ask HIM to remove your iniquity

Some of these things are too much for us. If you try to gain the victory first before you come to Christ, you’ll never gain the victory. You’ve gotta come first just as you are “without one plea.” You’ve gotta come to Jesus. Yes, you shouldn’t have done what you did, don’t try to change it apart from Christ.

What did Jesus say? “Without me, you can do…” What? “…nothing.” Nothing! Come to Christ just as you are. Get down on your knees and pray right away and give your heart to Christ and ask forgiveness. Ask Him to wash away your sins. And the Bible says He will remove your iniquity.

It wasn’t Joshua who overcame; it was Jesus who overcame for him. It was God who took away his sin. . It was God who took away his iniquity and he didn’t do it without effort from Joshua. There he is standing there clothed in filthy garments and God says, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you. I will clothe you with rich robes. And I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head and they put the clothes on him. And the angel of the LORD stood by and the angel said, ‘Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts, ‘If you will walk in my ways and keep my commandments, then you shall also judge my house and likewise have charge of my courts and I will give you places to walk among these who stand here.’’”

So Joshua had his sins removed, had his filthy garments taken away, he had a new white robe of righteousness placed upon him; then, and only then, did God tell him to keep His commandments.

Did he have to walk in the commandments of God? Yes, he did, but not till after he came to Christ and had his sins removed, and a white robe put on him.

Sometimes we get “the cart before the horse.” Sometimes we tell people they have to clean up their lives first so they can come to God! Sometimes they say, “You have to clean up your life first before you come to church.”

I say, “Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Come, let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.”

“Pastor Hughes, I can’t get baptized, I have to clean up my life first.”

That makes no sense. It’s like saying, “I’m too dirty to take a bath.” “I can’t take a bath, I have to clean up first.”

Is baptism the graduation or the initiation?
Is baptism a birth or a completion? It’s a birth. That’s the womb of the church and through the waters of that womb newborn babies come forth into this congregation.

And we’ve gotta get over this attitude, and I don’t know where it came from, that somehow baptism is a graduation ceremony where a perfect person pops out and never does anything wrong from then on. Baptism is a newborn baby! Newborn babies will mess their pants occasionally and you have to change ‘em.

We don’t expect you to be perfect but we do expect you to be perfectly surrendered, perfectly committed. Give your heart to God, a whole heart, a whole mind, and a whole soul. Say, “God, I come, just as I am without one plea. God, I come. Let us reason together. My sins are a scarlet!” And God says, “They shall be white as snow.”

I stand before God as your priest, as your representative, as your pastor and I say, “God, I’m not worthy! Satan accuses me.” And God says, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan. Is he not a brand plucked from the fire?”

It’s not about me, I’m unworthy. It’s about Him. He’s worthy. He’s the one that takes my iniquity away. And whether I stand here representing myself or you, it’s not about me, it’s about Jesus. It’s not about my sins, it’s about His life, His holiness, His righteousness. It’s not about the red, filthy, black garments I’m wearing; it’s about the white robe He’s wearing!

When I look at myself, I don’t see how I can be saved! When I look at Jesus, I don’t see how I can be lost!

That’s why I’ve gotta get my eyes off myself and get ‘em on Jesus.

That’s why I’ve gotta get my eyes off the TV set and get ‘em in the word of God.

That’s why I’ve gotta read the Bible

I’ve gotta pray

I’ve gotta spend time with my Savior

And then, “the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

How many of you would like to trade the clothes you’ve got on this morning for a nice set of clean clothes?

We’re all goin’ to the laundromat!

Father in heaven, we’re sinners; we’re covered in filthy clothes. We have…

(Side Two)

…on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Wash our sins away in the blood of the Lamb. Take away our filthy garments. Put Your white robe of righteousness upon us. Write our names down in the Lamb’s book of life and save us when You come. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Praise God.

“What is worldly pleasure wealth or fame without Thee, without Thee. I will leave them all for Thy dear Name this my wealth shall be.”

Is that your vow this morning? Then stand with me and sing the first and last verse of this hymn.


Special Music: Lynda Karr (Singing an original composition by Ardyth Loveridge)

Closing Song: Number 308 “Wholly Thine,” Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, 1985.

All Scriptural References: King James Version
Ellen G. White References: www.whiteestate.org
Transcription: Wendy J. Riebel
This sermon is also available on cassette tape.
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