31 Faith-Building LessonsSample

LESSON 18

Washed, Pruned and Purged

There have been some major changes that have taken place in the Body of Christ over the last few years. Because of these changes, I shared some things with my staff that I felt very strongly that God was saying. I not only ministered to them, but I also warned them concerning their spiritual lives. I believe you and I are in a position where the Holy Ghost is demanding that the Church clean up its act.

Have you noticed over the last few months that God has been dealing with you very strongly about your life? Have you had to deal with sin lately? Have you had to quit sweeping some things under the rug and take authority over them once and for all? If you are listening to God, you have. I believe the Spirit of God is declaring and issuing an ultimatum that God’s temple be cleansed, and we are the temple. God is not going to manifest Himself in a temple filled with filth.

We keep saying, “God send the glory. Oh God, let us see more glory.” If God turned the volume up on His glory in the state the Church is in presently, it would kill half of His people. You cannot stand in the midst of the glory of God with sin. In days of old, when a priest entered the Holy of Holies and had not purified and cleansed himself, the glory of the Lord took his life.

I believe there has been a side of the faith message that perhaps we have not talked much about, but from now on, God is going to have us emphasize it. Yes, we are the righteousness of God and thank God, we have learned that we must get rid of sin consciousness. However, the fact that we have been made the righteousness of God does not give us a license to sin. It does not permit us to keep playing around with sin. You know as well as I do there is sin in God’s camp. There is sin in the faith camp. There are ministers who are meddling with sin. We are living in an age when these things are going to be exposed. It’s already happening.

There are Christians who are playing religious games. They talk the talk, but they do not walk the walk. I am not saying these things to condemn, but there is coming a time when I believe God is going to raise up His messengers to declare warnings unto the people of God for their good. We cannot just keep playing around by going to convention after convention, hitting a few church services, listening to a few tapes, and still harbor things in our lives that we know good and well we must get rid of – or we are never going to see the glory of God as He desires. The Bible says that the glory of THIS latter house shall be greater than the former (Haggai 2:9). If God demanded sin to be removed out of the camp in the former house, then He is going to demand it even more so in the latter house.

I have determined that I’ve worked too hard, given too much, traveled too many miles, stayed up too many nights, prayed too many hours, and studied too much to blow it right here at the end. I do not intend to be left out of the greatest move of God that this planet has ever seen because of some dumb sin!

God is raising up an army of people who will not only refuse to compromise their faith, but they will refuse to compromise holiness as well. We need to understand something about holiness. Holiness is not a bunch of “thou shalt nots.” Holiness is nothing more than being of one mind with God. That means you love what He loves and hate what He hates. That’s what holiness is.

God is going to lead this Church He is building in this generation into a walk of holiness that is going to stagger the world. That does not mean we will be a bunch of long-faced, dried- up, half-dead, worn-out, pitiful-looking people. The glory of the Lord is going to be upon us. The Bible reveals to us that the glory of the Lord is going to be upon us, and it shall be SEEN on us.

In Ephesians 4:8 and 12, we are told that God has given gifts unto men. In verse 11, He begins to reveal to us what these gifts are. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelist; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints. Do you believe that God intends for the saints to become perfected? That is a goal that God has for the Church. We have come a long way, but we are not there yet. I believe God is accelerating things, and we are very rapidly reaching a nearer state of perfection than the Church has ever known.

The demand of Almighty God is that His people get their lives in order. If you do not get it in order now, you may be in deep trouble.

Some people have the idea that the perfecting of the saints is going to take place when we get to heaven, but it is not. Jesus is coming for a glorious Church. He is not going to take an immature Church to heaven. God has given gifts to the Church to bring perfection to the saints – the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

You are going to see in the last days that God is going to bring on the scene in full force the apostles and prophets. The Bible says that God started and built the Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20). You are going to see that not only are the pastoral, teaching, and evangelistic offices going to come to a greater level, but you are also going to see the prophetic and apostolic offices come to a greater dimension. God is raising them up. Do not be concerned about who they are. Do not try to point them out, and do not become a self-appointed one. You will know them by their fruit. They are going to be very needful in these last days to bring perfection on the saints.

You need to be exposed to all five offices. One office alone cannot fulfill the whole dimension of the ministry of Jesus. Brother Copeland has a part of Jesus’ ministry. Other men and women who are called of God have their part in Jesus’ ministry. But it takes all five offices to bring perfection.

Notice he said in verse 13 of Ephesians 4: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

That means we are going to grow up and be as big spiritually as Jesus. We are going to grow up in His stature. When I received salvation and began to follow Jesus, I began to look unto Him and say, “Thank God, one day I am going to grow up and be as big as Jesus. I am going to learn how to talk like He talks, act like He acts, walk like He walks, love like He loves, forgive like He forgives, heal like He heals, and cast out the devil like He does. I want to grow up and be as big as my Master.” That is what He is saying here. The Church is going to grow up and become as big spiritually as Jesus.

God is ready for the Church to grow up. Verses 14 and 15 say:

14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which in the head, even Christ.

Notice that everything Paul said here by inspiration of the Holy Spirit is a goal God has for the Church for maturity, growth, perfection, unity, and knowledge. The fact that he says that we are going to come into the knowledge of the Son of God says to me that in these last days there is going to be an explosion of revelation knowledge that will come to the Church.

In these passages, Paul describes God’s plan for the maturity of His Church. We are to grow! Some of you are going to grow faster than ever before if you will flow with God. Those who do not flow with God may end up in worse shape than ever before.

Why is God so interested in the saints becoming perfected? In Ephesians 5:27, we see what God has in mind. Here, Paul is speaking about the relationship between a man and his wife. He says it is much like the relationship Christ has with the Church. He begins to talk about the Church in verse 27, That he (Jesus) might present it (the Church) to himself a glorious church. Do you believe God is coming for a glorious Church?

What is a glorious Church? It doesn’t sound like a Church that is weak, or that is being suppressed by the world. To me, it doesn’t sound like a Church that is just barely making it. I would suggest that you quit listening to the doom and gloom preachers who talk about how bad the Church is becoming. I am totally convinced that we are the generation that shall be known as the glorious Church, and we shall usher in the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

The Bible says He is coming for a glorious Church. What is a glorious Church? It is obviously one that is full of glory.

What is glory? You can describe the glory of God as the expression, the manifestation, the demonstration, and the personification of the invisible God. When a church is full of glory, that church has the ability to express, demonstrate, manifest, and personify the invisible God. I do not believe a Church like that is going to be suppressed. This Church is going to be on top of things. In fact, the Bible reveals to us that God will establish His Church, and it will be exalted! People shall flow into it.

God is not building a Church that is going to be suppressed by the world but a Church that impresses the world. What kind of testimony would it be when the world is at its worst, and we are no better? What kind of testimony would it be to the glory of God when the world is falling apart, and we are worse off than they are? That is the reason in days past the world has not wanted to have anything to do with us. They thought we were a bunch of weaklings, people who could not make it in society.

We were the people on the wrong side of the tracks. We were failures in society, so we just joined a church. Not so today. We are not in the minority; we are in the majority. We’re not failures anymore; we know who we are in Christ, and we’re determined to win!

God is building His Church and Jesus said, The gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). He says He is going to have a glorious Church. A glorious Church is a powerful Church, a mighty Church. It is a Church that is marching on, taking back territory that Satan stole from us. I am convinced in these last days, we are going to march into Satan’s camp and take back everything that he stole from us.

Ephesians 5:27 says: That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

This is a glorious Church! A Church with no spots, no wrinkles, and with no blemishes. A Church that is holy. He is taking us there right now!

God is purging and cleansing the Church. Let’s look at John 15:1-2. It says, 15 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me (in Christ) that beareth not fruit he taketh away. There are going to be some people who won’t flow with God or adhere to His prophets. They never have, and they are not going to start in this generation. Not everybody is going to listen or be willing to submit themselves.

The Bible also reveals to us that in the last days, Satan will dispatch a mighty army of seducing spirits. If possible, they will even deceive the elect. There are some ministers who are not going to flow with God. They are going to want to do their own thing. They are not going to want to preach what God is saying to preach.

This is not the time to run from God, but the time to run to Him. This is not the time to become selfish, self-centered, and negligent of what God is saying. This is the time to tune your ear to God, and whatever He says unto you, do it!

Again, He says, Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away. There are some of God’s people that are going to be taken away because they won’t flow. Those that remain are going to be part of the glorious Church, and there will not be one spot or blemish on them.

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away. You should make a decision now that if you are not fruitful, you will become fruitful. John 15:2 goes on to say, and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it. We do not like to talk about being purged. Some people say, “Oh, don’t talk like that, that’s not positive.” Yes, it is. Jesus said He is going to do it. He said, “I will purge you.”

Do you have fruit trees? Have you ever purged or pruned them? I have pear trees at my home. We have beautiful, sweet pears. When they come out, those trees get so full that the limbs break. Now, in the natural you look at that and think, “Let’s not bother that tree. It is bearing so much fruit, let’s not dare touch it. Just leave it alone.” But if I do that, it will wither up and die. So I must purge it or prune it in order that it may bear more fruit. Jesus said, “All of those branches in Me that are bearing fruit, I am going to purge them.” Why? So they will bring forth more fruit. Do you want to bring forth more fruit? Then, you must submit yourself to the purging of Almighty God.

This scripture says that He is going to purge the Church or the branches. Let’s turn to Matthew 3:7-11 and see one of the ways God is going to purge the Church. This purging has got to take place in order for the Church to become a glorious Church. It reads:

7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bringforth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

Notice that John is speaking of two baptisms: the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the baptism of fire. Have you been baptized with the Holy Ghost? When you were baptized with the Holy Ghost, you experienced a measure of the baptism of fire, mostly in the form of zeal. You became zealous. When you were baptized in the Holy Ghost, there was a fire that began in your spirit. You were “on fire,” so to speak. What happened? The next thing you wanted to do was tell somebody. You were zealous. You did not stop to think that they might not want to listen. That fire in you drove you, compelled you to tell somebody. It caused you to want to go lay hands on the sick. You were full of zeal.

But that was only a measure of the baptism of fire. The greatest measure of it has been reserved for the last days. We are experiencing it, but it is going to become greater. Notice what the Bible says about Jesus and the baptism of fire. Verse 11 and 12 says, 11but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:12Whose fan is in his hand. Jesus has a fan in His hand. Why do you suppose He has a fan in His hand? to keep you burning!

Jesus has a fan in His hand because He knows some of His people are not on fire, they are just smoking. So He is fanning you! The flames are going to get higher and higher and higher, and your zeal is going to return like it was when you were firstborn again. Instead of being selfish in these last days, you are going to look for people to win to Jesus like you never have before. Your fire is coming back!

The glorious Church is going to be a soul winning Church. It is going to have the heart of God and souls. Jesus is fanning the Church today. He is causing the flame to come up again in the form of zeal. Notice in verse 12, Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor. Remember Jesus said, Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it (John 15:2). Matthew says that Jesus has a fan in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor. Jesus is going to use the baptism of fire in these last days to purge the Church.

Let’s continue in verse 12, He will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The Church is going to experience the baptism of fire, and it is going to thoroughly purge the Church until every spot and every blemish, and every wrinkle and all the chaff is removed. All that will remain is pure wheat – a glorious Church. How? Through the baptism of fire.

We are in it right now. That is why things are getting hotter around you. That is why God is not allowing you to get lazy. It’s the reason God keeps stirring you up every time you try to settle back and allow apathy to come upon you.

These are exciting days. This is not anything to run from. Somebody might say, “I’m not going to submit myself to the fire.” For you to refuse to submit to the baptism of fire is to refuse to submit to God. He is a consuming fire. Look at Isaiah 4. It says in verse 2, In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and fruit of the earth shall be excellent. We are going to become beautiful. We are going to become glorious. Let’s see what will cause us to get that way as we read on in verses 2-4:

…2and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. 3And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: 4When the LORD shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

The spirit of burning is the way He is going to remove the filth, the spots, and blemishes: by the washing of the water of the Word and by the baptism of fire. He is going to thoroughly purge His floor by the spirit of judgment. The Bible says that judgment must begin at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). It is starting with His preachers, and it is filtering right down to you!

Look at Malachi 3:1-2. It says:

3Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. 2But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap.

What’s He doing? Washing and purging.

Verse 3 says, And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi… What does this imply? The sons of Levi were the priesthood. The Bible says, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood (1Peter 2:9). God is purifying the priesthood today. God is getting His priests ready to sound an alarm of praise because the Lord of the Covenant is about to come and dwell in His temple.

Let’s go back to Malachi 3:3, And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. What is he talking about? the baptism of fire, washing and burning. Gold and silver are purified by fire. The Church is purified by fire.

Turn to Zechariah 13:8-9. It says:

8And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Do not resist the fire! It should be your goal and ambition to go through the purging and washing of Almighty God so that you will be able to be a part of that glorious Church that has no spots, blemishes, or wrinkles. And you will stand and usher in the King of kings, the Lord of lords – Jesus is His name!

Would you like to see what this glorious Church is going to look like when it has experienced the washing away of filth and the purging through the baptism of fire? Look at Isaiah 60:1. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. If He is going to have a glorious Church, then the glory is going to be upon everyone in it. The glory is going to come and reside in you and be on you. People are going to see it on you. Look at verse 2. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people… do not stop reading there. I have heard preachers stand up and preach this and stop reading right there. They left such a negative tone in the service.

He reveals that it is going to become darker in the world. It is going to get worse. If you think it is bad now with pornography, witchcraft, drugs, crime, and all that you and I are exposed to today, you haven’t seen anything yet. Satan is going to pull out all the stops. It is going to get worse. But when it gets worse out there, it gets better in here. The world is going to become darker, and the Church is going to become brighter.

It says, For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. It will get so dark in the world, yet they are going to have to have something to run to, and Jesus said, Ye are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). The glory of the Lord will be upon us.

My friend, it’s time for all of us to become very serious about our walk with Christ. In this teaching, I have shared with you an important message that I believe God is declaring to this generation. Submit yourself to Him wholly. Don’t resist His work. Let Him purge you and make you a beautiful branch filled with His glory.