Thank you for listening to Servants for Christ. And all that we do and all that we say, we want to give glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for tuning us in as we get into the wonderful Word of God. For the next few minutes, let's take the beautiful Word of God and share it with each and every one of you as we have a sense of anticipation to take the Word of God and to listen to its truth for each and every one. Thank you for tuning in here on this Halloween night. We want to talk to you about restoring holiness in a world of darkness Take your Bibles with us if you would to first Peter chapter 1 verse 16 first Peter chapter 1 verse 16 the Bible says because it is written Be holy for I am holy Let's have a word of prayer before we get into our message. Heavenly Father, we're aware of how easy it is to get caught up in the world around us. On this night, where the world often focuses on things that lurk in the shadows, remind us of your light and call to holiness. Help us to set our lives apart, shining brightly for you May your spirit guide us in wisdom, courage, and joy as we pursue a life that honors you. In Jesus Christ we pray, amen. It was a small town in Pennsylvania and there was a family that experienced a surprisingly Halloween night years ago. A powerful storm hit the town, trapping them all in darkness. And with no electricity, they struggled to find their way back home. clinging to the flickering flashlight and each other. Finally, home, they lit candles, they huddled together, and just then, they noticed their elderly neighbor alone outside. Struggling in the wind, braving the storm, they welcomed her inside and found warmth in the light that they shared that night. They learn that in darkness, love and courage can turn any night into a blessing. You know, this story reminds us that even when we're surrounded by darkness, and as the world today celebrates the Halloween season, we're called to be different, to shine a holy light in the world that is around us. You know, one of the first things that we see restoring holiness in a world of darkness is first the call to holiness. First Peter chapter 1 verses 15 and 16 tells us, but as he which hath called you is holy so you be holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be holy for I am holy. When we look at We can understand God's holiness because Isaiah chapter six, verse three says, and one cried unto another and said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. Now think of God's holiness like trying to picture the sun up close. You don't get close and go, oh, just a nice warm glow. No, it's intense. It's overwhelming. It's inspiring. It's impossible to reach on our own. You see, God's holiness is pure and unlike anything that we know. And yet he calls us to reflect this purity in our own lives. And so we see that there's the understanding of God's holiness, but there's also the purpose of being set apart. Paul said in Romans 12, 1, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. You know what? When we look And when we try living or setting apart can be a lot like being the only one who's serious about exercise at the office. You know, while everyone's bringing donuts and you're over in the corner with a salad, the world's distractions are the donuts. They may look great, but they'll leave you weighed down. God calls us to train ourselves for Him, resisting what pulls us away and instead dedicating ourselves to what brings light. And so when we look at the call to holiness, understanding God's holiness and the purpose of being set apart, we see living out holiness in daily life. Because Paul said in 2 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1, having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. You know, I heard about a man who decided to start cleansing his own house to surprise his wife. He scrubbed He dusted. He vacuumed. But then his wife came home and said, that's great, but what about the upstairs? You see, he only cleaned the areas people saw. But God wants us to keep every floor of our lives clean, especially the parts that no one else sees. true holiness is doing the right thing even when it's hard or even when no one else is watching and so when we look at restoring holiness in a world of darkness we look and we see that uh... the call to holiness but confronting darkness with light because in the book of ephesians chapter five verses eight through eleven It tells us, as I kind of paraphrase, for you were sometimes darkness, but now are you light in the Lord. Walk as children of light and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. When we confront darkness with light, we've got to recognize the darkness that's all around us before we can do anything else. John chapter 3 verse 19 says, and this is the condemnation that light is coming to the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Well, have you ever opened a teenager's room in the morning? That room can feel like darkness itself, but we've all got those dark rooms in our lives that we'd rather keep hidden. Recognizing this darkness around us helps us to stay alert, avoiding falling into them old patterns of past days. And it reminds us that God's light needs to reach every room of our lives. And so confronting the darkness with light, we recognize the darkness that's around us first. But secondly, we walk as children of light. Matthew 5 16 says, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father, which is in heaven. There was a story of a pastor who was driving through a very heavy storm. and his headlights were the only thing guiding him forward. And yet, every time he looked into his mirror, he noticed other cars following his taillights. Just as he followed the light, others were following him. And in the same way, when we live as children of light, others will follow the path that we light up, leading them toward Jesus. And so, we look at how that confronting darkness with light, we recognize the darkness that's around us, and secondly, walk as children of light, but also We see, thirdly, rejecting the works of darkness. Paul said in Romans 13, 12, the night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Well, imagine trying to run a race wearing full armor like a knight. And it sounds heavy, right? But Paul isn't talking about clunky metal. He's talking about spiritual strength. And when we put on the armor of light, We are equipped to face whatever comes our way, confident in God's protection and direction, praise God. And so we see that when we restore holiness in a world of darkness, there has to be a call to holiness. We will be confronting darkness with light. But lastly, in closing, we need to pursue holiness through Christ. The writer of Hebrews chapter 12 verse 14 says, follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. The first thing that we see about pursuing holiness through Christ is the power of God's grace in holiness. And so, Titus chapter two, verses 11 and 12 says, for the grace of God that bring us salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. There was a man who was drowning, but when the lifeguard came, the man started trying to swim on his own. And the lifeguard shouted out, stop moving. I can't save you if you keep fighting. God's grace works much the same way. we must surrender to His strength, allowing Him to lift us out of sin's grip and to lead us into holiness. And so, when we're pursuing holiness through Christ, there's the power of God's grace in that holiness. But also, secondly, the transformation through the Holy Spirit, thank God, because Paul said in Galatians 5, 22 and 23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, and against such there's no law. Have you ever tried growing tomatoes in poor, horrible soil with no acicity? The result is usually disappointing because the Holy Spirit is like that perfect soil, making growth possible, but with Him, We produce fruit that changes us and the world around us. Qualities that make us look more like Jesus every day. I wonder what kind of dirt you've got in your ground, huh? What are you trying to grow without the right soil of the Holy Spirit, that perfect soil that makes growth possible. And so, when we look and realize that when we restore holiness in a world of darkness, we see that we pursue holiness through Christ. But first of all, there's the call to holiness, confronting darkness with light. But pursuing holiness through Christ, there's the power of God's grace in holiness and transformation through the Holy Spirit. But last but not least, The third thing, holiness as our testimony, because Paul said in Philippians 2.15 that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crook and perverse nation among whom you shine as lights in the world. Have you ever met someone who lives so differently? It's like they're from another world. Well, We should be that kind of foreigner to others. When we walk in holiness, our actions stand out, drawing attention not to us, but to the one who transformed us. And so, as we've seen the call to holiness, is a call to daily choices, to reject darkness and to follow Christ. We don't do it in our own strength, but through the power of the Holy Spirit shining as lights in a world that desperately needs hope. God's holiness is our strength and our testimony to a watching world. I hope and pray that as you begin to have that restoration of holiness in a world of darkness, that you will remember the call to holiness and confronting darkness with light and pursuing holiness through Christ. Hope and pray that you have a wonderful coming weekend. Let's close out with prayer. Thank you for your call to holiness. Help us to walk in your light, not just tonight on Halloween night, but every day. Empower us by your spirit to live lives that honor you, filled with joy, peace, and purity. Lord, kids are receiving candy tonight because it's a traditional thing. But Lord, I also pray that you would watch over them, keep them safe, that no harm would come their way. And Lord, may they be able to enjoy their adventure of being able to go out and collect candy. And Lord, have a fun time. I want to add, Lord, I pray for my brother in Christ, Darrell Pruitt, And I pray for Andy Anderson that's in the hospital, and I ask God that you will intervene into all of the prayer requests of our church at Bethel Crossroads. In Jesus' marvelous mighty name, amen. you