Key points
1Ezekiel's temple vision reveals God's house rule: absolute holiness.
Pastor Bill walks through Ezekiel 43, where God's glory returns to the temple and declares that His throne room demands absolute holiness because it is His house and He rules it. He notes the temple is measured out as a sign of ownership, and everything in it points forward to the ultimate fulfillment the book of Revelation later draws on.
When you look at God's glory, you will know how not glorious you are
2We are now the temple, so that holiness standard now applies to us, not a building.
He explains that under the New Testament, believers who have put faith in Jesus have received the Holy Spirit and have become the temple, so the 'don't act like that in church' mindset misses the point — wherever a Christian goes, they are the temple.
3Holiness means being set apart in character, not just keeping a do's-and-don'ts list.
Pastor Bill defines the Hebrew word for holy as 'set apart' and contrasts an immature rule-keeping faith with real holiness, which is conforming to the character of God because we were made in His image and Christ died to reform that image in us.
4Because Christ's righteousness has been imputed to us, we already stand holy in God's eyes — sanctification is living that out.
He explains the seminary term 'imputed' — God took our sin and credited us with Christ's righteousness — so positionally we are already holy, even while we still wrestle with our old self. Sanctification, he says, is the ongoing process of setting out to live what has already been given, avoiding the two extremes of earning holiness by law-keeping or presuming grace excuses continued sin.
it's not sinless perfection, but a surrender to be perfected
5Hebrews 12 calls believers to run the race by faith, following the example of the 'crowd of witnesses' including Ezekiel.
Drawing on the 'faith hall of fame' of Hebrews 11 and into Hebrews 12:1-4, he shows that Old Testament saints never fully saw the promise fulfilled but trusted anyway, and now they cheer believers on as they run their own race of faith.
God didn't die so you can continue to living the life that he died to save you from
6Running the race means running for the best (dropping what weighs you down, including unresolved hurt), running away from sin, and running with endurance.
He unpacks the three commands in Hebrews 12:1 with stories — his son stripping down to run freely at a wedding, the parable of the nail left in the sold house that ends up ruining it, and the danger of treating faith like a sprint instead of a marathon. He addresses church hurt directly, distinguishing forgiveness (which only takes one person) from reconciliation (which takes two).
you're not letting them off the hook. You're letting yourself off the hook
A story from life
Pastor Bill's son Jaden, as a toddler ring bearer, stripped off his tux at a wedding reception to run freely
Illustration
A parable about a nail left in a sold house — the original owner uses it to hang a rotting carcass and reclaim the property, illustrating how one unchecked sin can make a life unlivable
7Endurance comes from keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, who endured the cross because we were the joy set before Him.
He compares this to driving on a beautiful road trip versus looking around and drifting off course — we move toward whatever we fix our eyes on. He closes with the story of Otto von Habsburg's funeral, where all his titles were rejected at the church door and only 'a mortal, sinful man' was let in, to show that only our relationship with Jesus ultimately matters.
What matters is do you know you're a mortal sinful person that needs Jesus and you keep your eyes fixed on him
Illustration
The historic Habsburg funeral ceremony in Austria — the crown prince's titles are announced twice and refused entry; only when he is named 'a mortal, sinful man' are the doors opened
The reality is authority is not the problem
Application
Pastor Bill's charge is to start living what you've already been given rather than waiting to earn it.
Identify what's weighing you down
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you good-but-restricting things, or old hurts you're carrying like an anchor, that aren't sin but are slowing your race.
Forgive what's holding you back
If someone hurt you, including church hurt, choose to forgive even without reconciliation — forgiveness only takes one person and releases you, not them, from the anchor.
Find your nail and remove it
Name the one sin you've left unaddressed, confess it, and actually turn around rather than just feeling bad and continuing forward.
Do the things God's commanded, not just avoid the don'ts
Examine whether you're skipping giving, serving, or using your gifts, and recognize that neglecting these commands is sin too, not just breaking the 'don't' list.
Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus
Stay in the Word, in community, and in worship so your attention — and therefore your direction — stays on Christ and the love that sent Him to the cross for you.
Take it into your week
Rewind AI contributed study material from the sermon transcript; church-authored wording and verified sermon quotes keep their own source. Always trust the sermon itself over anything here. How Rewind uses AI
