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Northside Church of God

A Vessel Prepared: Sanctification and the Promise of Power

A Vessel Prepared: Sanctification and the Promise of Power

God desires more than our presence—He desires our purity and readiness. In A Vessel Prepared: Sanctification and the Promise of Power, we explore how God’s call to sanctification is not about legalistic perfection but about removing what hinders His Spirit’s work in our lives. Sanctification is a divine act of grace—setting us apart from sin and consecrating us for His glory. But sanctification is only the beginning! It is the preparation for the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, filling clean and yielded vessels with His power. Join us as we discover how a sanctified life becomes a ready vessel—a vessel prepared to be filled and used by God for every good work.

Locations & Times

Northside Church of God

3225 Cairo Rd, Paducah, KY 42001, USA

Sunday 9:45 AM

A Vessel Prepared: Sanctification and the Promise of Power
John Wesley said:
“Sanctification is the grand depositum which God has given to the people… and this doctrine, along with the power of the Holy Spirit, is to spread scriptural holiness over the land.”
I. Sanctification: A Work of Grace and Faith
a. Sanctification is both positional (we are set apart in Christ) and progressive (we grow in holiness daily).
b. In the Church of God, we affirm that entire sanctification is a definite, instantaneous work of grace—a second definite work after salvation that cleanses the believer’s heart from the nature of sin.
Church of God Declaration of Faith: “We believe… in sanctification subsequent to the new birth, through faith in the blood of Christ; through the Word, and by the Holy Ghost.” (Church of God Declaration of Faith, Article 6)
c. However, the Bible teaches in a progressive sanctification that is an ON-GOING work in our lives, until the day we are glorified and resurrected a knew in Christ.
Church of God Doctrinal Commitments: “Sanctification is a second definite, instantaneous work of grace, subsequent to regeneration, by which the believer’s heart is cleansed from inbred sin.” (Church of God Doctrinal Commitments: “Sanctification”)
Church of God Practical Commitments: “The sanctified life is characterized by the fruit of the Spirit and separation from sin and worldliness. The believer is expected to demonstrate personal holiness, both inwardly and outwardly, as he or she grows in the grace of God.”
(Church of God Practical Commitments)

d. Sanctification is not about outward rules; it is about inward transformation by the Holy Spirit.
e. It is God’s grace that does the work in us
“Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer, setting him apart from sin and the world, and consecrating him to God.”
R. Hollis Gause (Church of God theologian)

II. Sanctification Makes Room for the Holy Ghost
a. In Acts 1:4-5, Jesus told the disciples to wait for the promise of the Father—the baptism in the Holy Ghost.
b. They were already believers, but they needed to be sanctified and purified so they could be filled with the Spirit’s power.
c. Sanctification is the preparation of the vessel; the baptism in the Holy Ghost is the filling of that vessel.
d. The Church of God teaches that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is subsequent to a clean heart—it is God’s way of pouring out His power on sanctified vessels.
III. A Call to Consecration
a. God cannot pour out His Spirit into a life that is cluttered with sin, compromise, or self.

b. Just as the upper room believers tarry and seek God with unified hearts, we must also consecrate ourselves.
c. Sanctification is the spiritual housecleaning that prepares us for the infilling of the Holy Ghost.
d. Consecration is our response to God’s sanctifying work.
“Sanctification is not something Jesus puts into me—it is Himself in me.”
Oswald Chambers
e. Sanctification requires our willing surrender. We must yield fully to God, so His Spirit can move freely in us.
IV. The Promise of Pentecost: The Next Step
a. Next Sunday, we will celebrate Pentecost, the day the Holy Ghost was poured out on all flesh.

b. Today, let’s recognize that the power of Pentecost is available to all who are sanctified and set apart.

c. God desires to fill clean, open, surrendered vessels with the fullness of His Spirit.
“We are determined, by the help of God, to do all He commands us, to walk in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord blamelessly, and to live for God in this world.”
Bishop R. G. Spurling
V. Conclusion & Application:
a. Let this Sunday be a time of reflection:
- Are we vessels prepared for the promise?
- Are we clean and sanctified vessels?

b. Let the prayer of Psalm 139:23-24 be on our lips:
c. Invitation to sanctify ourselves afresh—to remove every hindrance and surrender fully to Jesus.

d. Next Sunday, we will come expecting to be filled with the Holy Ghost and power—but today, let’s make sure our hearts are clean and ready!

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Northside Church of God

Northside Chuching of God

Northside Church A PLACE TO FIND FAITH, HOPE AND DIRECTION! _______________________________ Proud member of the  Church of God (Cleveland, TN)
https://northsidepaducah.org/

Tithe and Offering

2 Corinthians 9:7 KJVEvery man according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let him give]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.  God's people have always been characterized by giving, but the way they've given has changed over time.  Giving is an important aspect of the Christian life. After all, Luke records that Jesus himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). At Northside, we want to encourage all members to pray about giving and give as God leads them. 
https://northsidepaducah.org/giving-online