Prayer Meeting 11/6/2024

The Gift And Beauty Of Holiness - Part 3

(Thomas Brooks)

Watch the Full Sermon HERE.

Well tonight we will conclude our three part teaching from a section of the works of the wonder Cambridge puritan Thomas Brooks.

We are sharing but Snippets from the vast work from Brooks’ volume 4, where he shares a whole volume from one verse:

Hebrews 12:14

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord

Brooks’ full title is: ‘The Necessity, Excellency, Rarity And Beauty Of Holiness’. We have simply shortened it to ‘The Gift And Beauty Of Holiness.’

Again, we open with our puritan prayer, the same prayer we have used throughout this teaching, from ‘The Valley Of Vision’ page 304 in the leatherbound version and p168 in the paperback. The prayer is called ‘Happiness’, and the more I read it, and study this teaching from Brooks, the more I think it must be from him.

Oh LORD, help me never to expect any happiness from the world, but only in thee. Let me not think that I shall be more happy by living to myself, for I can only be happy if employed for thee, and if I desire to live in this world only to do and suffer what thou dost allot me. Teach me that if I do not live a life that satisfies thee, I shall not live a life that will satisfy myself. Help me to desire the spirit and temper of angels who willingly come down to this lower world to perform thy will, though their desires are heavenly, and not set in the least upon earthy things; then I shall be of that temper I ought to have. Help me not to think of living to thee in my own strength, but always to look to and rely on thee for assistance. Teach me that there is no greater truth than this, that I can do nothing of myself. Lord, this is the life that no unconverted man can live, yet it is an end that every godly soul presses after; Let it be then my concern to devote myself and all to thee. Make me more fruitful and more spiritual, for barrenness is my daily affliction and load. How precious is time, and how painful to see it fly with little done to good purpose! I need thy help: Oh may my soul sensibly depend upon thee for all sanctification, and every accomplishment of thy purposes for me, for the world, and for thy kingdom. 

Hebrews 12:14

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord

The quote from Brooks we have used the most throughout, and also on Sunday mornings is:

…that we would labour after holiness, without which there is no happiness.

Nothing has substance that feeds the soul, equips the mind, and purifies the heart than pursuing holiness. Without that, all happiness is futile and fleeting at best.

Okay, tonight I’m going to share from Brooks ‘four proofs of little holiness’, as Brooks calls it. And then four means to help us pursue holiness.

Brooks shares eight on each, but for the sake of not scrimping too much on each one, for time sake, I will share four from each. None is better than the other, I’ve just picked that which I found most helpful and convicting, and what I believe as your pastor you will too.

Okay, first the proofs that we lack holiness.

One:

You have given a high place and given a high price to the toys, the trifles and the vanities of this world.

In other words you value way too much the things of the world. That you pursue them, think of them, and look for fulfilment in them rather than in the pursuit of holiness.

Over the years I’ve seen Christians exhaust an alarming amount of energy and time in the seeking of vanities. Of the things that are not holy, nor can bring us to holiness. Seeking the creature rather than the Creator.

Two:

You have attained little holiness when your fears and adversity causes you to faint.

In other words, a lack of perseverance; serial quitting when pain comes or trials. This is proof of little holiness.

The men in ‘A Cloud Of Witnesses’, the Apostles, the puritans - were holy men because you could see it in their perseverance. All growing believers become men and women who become better at persevering.

One thing I really don’t miss as a pastor is when I pastored everyone almost everyone with poor coping skills. Which was proof of a lack of holiness. Yes, and that for some part was down to the teaching, but mostly down to me persevering with non-saints.

Oh I could talk all night on this subject. But I won’t. I will simply say if you’re not coping better now, you have little holiness.

Okay…

Three:

You are easily tempted to sin.

Brooks adds:

…when you’re easily swayed by error.

Gullibleness is not a sweet gift God bestows among the nice. But it’s a serious weakness that needs the pursuit of holiness, and accountability.

Too often this kidy, ditsy condition is viewed as harmless; it is neither harmless nor endearing, as it can so easily lead people astray.

A mind that’s not captured and renewed is easily ensnared and trapped. The devil roams like a lion and devours.

If you watch those wildlife programs, you see the lion looks for the weak, or injured, or isolated wildebeest.

The devil prays on ignorance, no matter how nice. Warm and fuzzy it is, and will render you ineffective at best; lost and a false witness is more the likelihood. Who have a shallow ‘underdog’ gospel.

The devil sends them out into the world, to bring a message of all-encompassing love.

Okay, last one in the proof of little holiness, as I said there are 8 but I’m only giving four. It was a debate with this one and a barrenness of fruit. But I will share this one:

Four:

Your indifference towards holiness

Meaning: you don’t have a real desire to pursue the things of God; you are happy to not worship, to not pray. You’re not convicted enough by lack.

Jesus calls it ‘lukewarm’ when He visits the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:

Revelation 3:15-17

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—”

Basically not saved but not bothering. If you’re in that place, I would plead you seek the Lord before you can’t.

Okay. Four means to help us pursue holiness. Again, Brooks has 8, I will share four. But will only head them with one word. That encompasses Brooks’ points.

One: ‘Prayer’

Yes it’s as simple as that, yet we find it such a slog at times. No greater thing than prayer to draw us towards holiness.

Brooks writes:

It’s the prayers of holy men that make the saints rise in grace and holiness.

Two: ‘Thank-fullness’

What is true thankfulness but remembrance? For sure a lack of thankfulness will always reveal a lack of holiness and its pursuit.

To be thankful is to be grateful for you as ‘a creature becoming a new creature’ - paraphrasing Brooks from another part of the works.

Three: ‘Be willing to stand against false worship and gods’

This is something that will both prove your holiness but also disprove it. You can’t deny the true God, and can’t stomach a false one.

Today this is getting rarer. We just are way too accepting of false religions and idol worship.

I was reading Carey Neuhoff the other day. He was saying the problem with the church is that it’s not solely driven by those that are unchurched, and it needs to be.

What?!?

In another point Brooks says, on a proof of holiness is that:

You can’t bear mixtures of worship that makes it vain worship.

Okay, lastly…

Four: ‘look to scripture to see the blessed promises within.’

‘God will never leave you nor forsake you.’

‘He who has began a good work, will bring it to completion.’

Ephesians 3:18-21

That you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus says in John 10:27-30

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my father’s hand. I and my father are one.

We must search them and stand on them. Yes, we must be willing to examine ourselves and crucify the flesh. But we must also look to the blessings written and said by our Lord concerning us.

I will close with Isaiah 48:31

but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

These are the promises of us who pursue holiness, who wait on the Lord, who seek Him, who have been called and set apart as a chosen generation.

Amen.