What Shadow Are You Casting? By Brother Curtis Hansen

         Before we dive into the message that is prepared for you this morning, we need to go to the book of Colossians chapter 2 and verse 8. The primary scripture we are going to be reading from is in Leviticus, but, this verse is something I want you to keep in mind through the week.

        8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rdiments of the world, and not after Christ.

        It should not be a surprise to anyone of you that we are still living in the period of grace. You are going to still sin, and have transgressions before God, but you are in the time of grace. If you feel the conviction in your heart, you can call out to God for forgiveness or repentance. Don't confuse this period of grace as acceptance or approval. A life lived in sin without conviction is iniquity.

        To repeat a point made often in messages over the last several Sundays, there are 3 types of men. There's the righteous, the sinner, and the ungodly. Water baptism and receiving Jesus name just takes you away from the inherited sin, the generational iniquity. The holy spirit leads and guides you, but you need to hear, discern and allow what it's communicating to you.

        There are traditions ans structure in the operations of church. Every church has some structure. I know it sounds kind of funny, but rules give you freedom. They give you guidelines and establishes parameters for your life. The old testament is really a prelude, a shadow of things to come. It isn't Jesus or church. It's something you can follow and keep you fixed on the path.

        Let's examine that verse in Colossians. How does man spoil you? He will tell you whatever what you want to hear. He will give confirmation to your bias no matter how wrong he is. Philosophy is the study of the fundamentals of existence. It's primary tool is to question everything in life. I'm asking you this morning to quit trying to debunk things outside your worold and start unloading things in your life.

        The spirit of God will clean your life internally but only if you allow it. If what you so in your faith isn't all based in scripture, if you cannot trace every belief you have to the text, than why are you doing it? If it isn't in your bible why are you practicing it in church? Why are you allowing it in your home? Jesus isn't in your religion. Where is he? He's in holiness. Holiness is what you should be working towards. If we are God's children we should be what God is. God isn't a denomination nor practice nor tradition. Who's God and where does he show up?

        We are now going to be reading from Leviticus chapter 19. We will begin reading at verse 1.

        And the Lord spake unto Moses saying,

        2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy.

        3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

        Let's look at some of these commands in verse 3. Honor your father and mother as well as keep my sabbaths. You need to have honor in your house. Keep your sabbaths. It is important for you to get under a pastor. Sabbaths are still very important in your life.

        4 Trn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God.

        5 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord, ye shall offer it at your own will.

        Offering at your own will. If you give anything to the Lord, whether it's tithes, offering, your time, it is at your own will. The Lord never forces you to offer anything. Man certainly will force you. You can't be saved out of fear nor live your life in fear.

        6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and it ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire.

        7 And if it be eaten all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.

        You are subject to holy restrictions. Look at verse 7 again. Those who put off their peace offering until days after it should have been disposed of can be lukewarm believers. Just drifting along in life and going wherever their whims take them. It shall not be accepted. If you don't do it God's way, his detailed instruction, it won't be accepted.

        8 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the Lord: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

        This verse highlights iniquity. Iniquity is written about in more detail in the new testament. The new testament speaks about grace, but man will abuse and misuse the promise of grace. What's your faith like in your home? Are you praying? Are you teaching? What are your lines you've drawn? What have you cut off? What is iniquity? You aren't following Jesus if you are compromising or you are using bits of scripture to justify your iniquity. You are following your flesh's desire and giving Jesus lip service. The person in verse 8 is cast out as not holy. You are profaning God with your life and the shadow you cast. These verses are summarizing the new testament.

        9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.

        What is your field? It's your home. It's where you work. Leave some corners for the poor and the stranger.

        10 And thou shalt not glean the vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God.

        11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

        Quickly, let's go to Colossians 3:9.

        9 Lie not one to another, seeing ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

        If you can't treat each other right in the church, how can you treat each other in the world? Let's return back to Leviticus. 

        12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.

        Stop being horrible around others, misrepresenting the name of God because he is holy.

        13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

        If you owe someone money, you pay what you owe is the gist of verse 13. You have allowed the world to set up the rules. When are you going to allow God to practice his rules which have already been written.

        14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord.

        Don't curse the deaf. God can change anyone. He has changed you. Quit looking for fault in others to feel better about yourself. Allow God to work his perfect work in you and others. You will find peace in allowing. Don't cast a shadow on others. You don't need to be an offense to others.