Open Door Fellowship

Pentecostal Church of God, Bland Mo. 65066

Full Gospel Ministry in Song and Word

Pastor Rev. Steven Wagner Telephone: 573-437-5190

Rt 3, Owensville MO. 65066

Date: 1/11/98

 

DIRTY LUMPS SPOIL THE BREAD

 

Scripture: 1 Corn. 5:1-8

(1 Cor 5:1 KJV) It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.

(1 Cor 5:2 KJV) And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

(1 Cor 5:3 KJV) For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,

(1 Cor 5:4 KJV) In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

(1 Cor 5:5 KJV) To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

(1 Cor 5:6 KJV) Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

(1 Cor 5:7 KJV) Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

(1 Cor 5:8 KJV) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

a. In the New Testament, leaven is a symbol of any evil influence which, if allowed to remain, can corrupt the body of believers. Jesus warned His disciples against the leaven of the Pharisees, their teaching and hypocrisy (Matt. 16:5-12; Luke 12:1). Paul urged the Corinthians to remove wickedness from their midst and become fresh dough, unleavened loaves of sincerity and truth (1 Cor. 5:6-13). Jesus also used leaven to illustrate the pervasive growth of the kingdom of God (Matt. 13:33).

 

I. Achan brought defeat to Isreal.

(Josh 7:1 KJV) But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

(Josh 7:7 KJV) And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!

(Josh 7:11 KJV) Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.

(Josh 7:12 KJV) Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

(Josh 7:13 KJV) Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

(Josh 7:15 KJV) And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

(Josh 7:21 KJV) When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

(Josh 7:26 KJV) And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

(Josh 8:2 KJV) And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.

II. Ananias and Sapphira thought they could keep back some of their money and it wouldn't matter.

(Acts 5:1 KJV) But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

(Acts 5:2 KJV) And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it, at the apostles' feet.

(Acts 5:3 KJV) But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

a. You know when we hold back on God it isn't man we are deceiving its God. But we think if we can fool man, or maybe we don't care we just do it, we are doing to God and it is hurting the Kingdom of God and those around us.

(Acts 5:4 KJV) Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

(Acts 5:5 KJV) And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.

(Acts 5:6 KJV) And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.

(Acts 5:7 KJV) And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

(Acts 5:8 KJV) And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

(Acts 5:9 KJV) Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

(Acts 5:10 KJV) Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

(Acts 5:11 KJV) And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

a. The problem with a lot of people today sitting in Churchs is they don't fear God, only man, and sometimes not even man. Even though the pastor tells them what God says they still choose to disobey God because they don't fear Him.

b. God needs to kill a few again to get some attention.

(Acts 5:12 KJV) And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.

(Acts 5:13 KJV) And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.

(Acts 5:14 KJV) And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

(Acts 5:15 KJV) Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

A. When the lump is cleaned up and only the unleavended bread is their is releases Gods blessing on us and Gods work goes forward.

a. When Israel Got rid of Achans sin.

b. When the disciples god rid of Ananias and Sapphiras sin God blessed them.

1. David Mosbys testimonie of his Church.

2. You can't allow sin to remain in the Church, I'm talking about believers that are in the Church, that are practicing sin they will effect the whole Church. Especially people in leadership roles.

3. If people are in leadership roles and are living in sin, they will leaven the lump if you allow them to remain.

(Mat 13:33 KJV) Another[1] parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like[2] unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures[3] of meal, till[4] the whole was leavened.

(Gal 5:9 KJV) A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

B. What is the sin in your life that is keeping you from serving God, is it like

a. Achan saw the silver and gold and couldn't resist it.

b. Ananias and Sapphira looked at the money they had and kept some for themselves. They like people today that can't trust God with giving their tithe that is Gods, so they bring down Gods curse on themselves.

c. David that saw the beauty of Bathsheba and lost his family over it.

d. Samson that saw the beauty of Delila and lost his eyesight and power with God over it.

e. The drugs of this world, that rob all of your self respect, your mind, your family, your life.

f. The power of money and position that drives you, to have more and more, never satisfied. That takes all of you time away from God because you can never get enough, that robs your compassion for other people, your always to selfesh to give to anyone else in need, because you can't let go of your almighty dollars you have.

C. I wonder what is leaven in your bread this morning.

D. I wonder if you realize it doesn't just effect you, but it effects the Church when you live in sin and are a part of the body of Christ.

a. It stops the hand of God moving and operating freely among the Church.

b. It can stop miracles and the operation of the spirit among the body.

c. If you are a leader and you are allowed operate in the body of Christ it will effect the out pouring of God in the Church.

E. This morning if you are hear and you have some hidden sin in your life its time to get rid of it.

a. For yourself

b. For the body of Christ

c. Don't make the pastor have to deal with it, do something about it now.

1. As the pastor of the Church I have to make sure to the best of my ability that this does not happen.

2. This isn't a easy job, and I have had to deal with this from time to time, please if your in this congregation and their is sin in your life, your ministry is suffering, your life is suffering, please repent and get rid of it or step down from you position.

3. I believe God has made this very clear in the prophetic messages he has been bringing out Church, in the last few months, its time to clean our selves up that God can move in this Church the way he wants to.

4. If your not going to be a part of what God is doing in this Church then you need to get out of the way so that it will release the hand of God.