Learning How to Stay Different
Than the World
2Corinthians 6:17
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
6 Sept, 2009
AM
I.
Introduction (2Cor 6:17; Heb 7:26)
A.
This
morning, and all this month, I want to learn about being “Separated Christians.”
1.
Unified together as you learned last month
2.
But
separated from the world, from sin, and separated unto God
B.
Biblical separation is a part of the Bible that so many dare not teach, because
it is offensive to people, even Christians. People don’t want anyone telling
them NOT to do something, or to stop their drinking, or to live differently.
Doctors gave up a long time ago trying to tell people to stop smoking, and to
eat right. Nobody listens!
C.
Let
me set forth some things right now about preaching this topic.
1.
It
is VITAL. Living clean and godly is a vital part of the Bible and needs to be
preached.
2.
It
is the Christian LIFE. It is not my intention to hurt or offend you in anyway
but to help you understand what biblical separation is and the necessity to
practice it individually and as together a New Testament church.
3.
This
month, we are going to look hard at several issues and practices of God's people
in the area of separation, dedication, consecration. I want to challenge you to
not become irritated and upset about what the Bible says, but to simply consider
how you are living, and whether God means it when He calls us to live
differently than the world around us.
D.
A
great thought on separation by Vance Havner. "We are not to be isolated but
insulated, moving in the midst of evil but untouched by it." Separation is
contact without contamination. Jesus was "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners" (Heb. 7:26), yet He was "a friend of publicans and sinners"
(Luke 7:34).
II.
Message
A.
What
Is Biblical Separation?
1.
Definition: What does that mean?
a.
To be “separate” does NOT mean giving away all your money and living like a monk
(celibate), or a hermit.
b.
But being fundamentally different from the world around us – set apart –
sanctified – consecrated – dedicated to God alone!
c.
It simply means, Putting a bit of space between you and the world we live in so
that you can belong only and always to God
d.
Hey, you will have to work with all kinds of people, live with the unsaved, meet
them, eat with them - But you must stay different from them!
e.
Bible separation is the practice of separating from sin and error so that you
can live in truth and in righteousness.
f.
The
Bible makes it clear that there is a division, a BIG gap between what is right
and what is wrong. People want there to be a whole load of GREY areas where it
doesn’t matter how we live
2.
Christians are different not by accident, but by our new nature (2Cor 5:17) – by
God’s design
a.
People are not different on accident, or by chance – but by design!
b.
God does not call us to be weird, but different by design. A special kind of
different. A peculiarity, that is godly, and clean, and pure, and wholesome, and
Christ-like.
1)
We have a different heart the moment we were born again
2)
We were born into a different Family – God our father, Jesus our older Brother –
no longer in the devil’s family (
3)
We now have a different destination – heaven now!
4)
We live on a different diet – the words of God, truth, prayer, singing praises
5)
We enjoy different thrills – some call us boring – we have more fun than should
be legal
6)
It is all part of God working in us at salvation!
c.
God calls us to stay different, instead of starting out godly, and clean, and
ending up filthy like the world around us (2Pet 2:22)
d.
The world calls us foolish, and ignorant, and troublesome. But God calls us
different, and peculiar and holy
e.
You became kind of separated when you got married. You put some space between
you and your old girlfriends when you got serious about marriage with that woman
sitting next to you
f.
Sports athletes put distance between them and the beer and the chocolate cake
when they set out to break a world record!
3.
Separate in what ways? Different in what ways?
a.
In the way we dress – why continue to look like all we think about is ourselves,
and wanting everyone’s attention?
b.
In the way we talk
c.
In the way we judge
d.
In the way we make promises and commitments
e.
In the way we love
f.
In the way we spend our Sundays
g.
In the way we raise our families
h.
In the way we spend our money
i.
Don’t you see? We should live differently in EVERY WAY
j.
This whole
B.
Why
Live Separate from this World?
(Titus 2:14; 1Peter 2:9; Rev 4:11)
1.
Preview – Three reasons to live differently
a.
Because We Belong to God
b.
Because God is Holy
c.
Because We Cannot Live in Two Worlds
2.
Because We Belong to God
(1Cor 6:19,20)
a.
From the womb (Gal 1:15; Isa 49:1,5; Jer 1:5) – there goes abortion out the
window
b.
Created for His glory.
Man
is not an accident. We were created by God for a great purpose – for His glory
and His good pleasure.
c.
Every part of our bodies, and every thought of our hearts ought to be for God’s
glory (1Cor 10:31). We have been fed a lie that only our church time belongs to
God, but every moment of every day, every thought, every act – they all belong
to G0d – they are all for His glory! God needs to be in
d.
BUT We all went astray (Isa 53:6). It was SIN that separated us from God (Isa
59:2)
e.
But thankfully, mankind has been purchased back by God (Titus 2:14) – not ever
by our own efforts
3.
Because God is Holy
(1Pet 1:15)
a.
God
is Light and in Him is no darkness AT ALL (1
b.
And
yet, He has called us to draw near unto Him
c.
BUT,
only to become different –
d.
Your
relationship with Jesus should be changing you, not ever leaving you the same
e.
Religion just makes you feel comfortable as you are
f.
Salvation, and sanctification makes you more and more like Jesus
1)
Your
thought life ought to be cleaner today than it was last year
2)
Your
heart ought to be fuller, and more joyful than this time last year
3)
Your
tongue ought to be more controlled than it was last year
4)
You
SHOULD be more holy as you grow in the Lord
5)
You
will
4.
Because We Cannot Live in Two Worlds
a.
We
have a great tendency of neglecting God’s purpose and design for us, and we end
up glorifying all the wrong things
1)
Giving all our money to entertainment, and actors, and holidays
2)
Glorifying movie stars, and filthy musicians, and authors
3)
Worshipping money and possessions
4)
God
calls this world unworthy of our love and worship (Gal 1:4)
b.
We
are the objects of God’s great love (Eph 2:4-7). Therefore, the appropriate
responses we should have toward God is to praise Him, adore Him, magnify Him and
fellowship with Him, at all times (Ps 34:1; 62:8).
c.
The
Bible teaches us that God is a jealous God, and He is jealous of whatever takes
us away from Him.
d.
Brethren, God's jealousy for us is the basis of being separated from sin unto
Him. God wants every believer to be separate from everything that would draw our
allegiance, our attention, our confidence away from Him.
e.
If
God does not have all of us, He is jealous of what takes us away from Him.
Biblical separation is separating ourselves from that which we have allowed to
take us away from God, and simply returning unto Him. It is taught throughout
the Bible and needs to be seriously practiced by Christians today (Exodus
34:14).
5.
God
demands our separation from wicked places, practices, and people. He knows if we
participate in these things, we will limit Him in our lives.
6.
Listen to me! Because God is a pure, holy, and righteous God, we cannot live
long if we continue living in sin (Rom 6:23). Therefore, separation (putting
some distance between our lives and the ways of this world) is not an option,
but a survival act.
C.
How To Live Separate Without Going OUT of this World
1.
By Choice
- It is a Choice – YOUR Choice. It is called repentance
a.
God’s choice was to draw you and I close to Himself (Dt 7:6-8)
b.
Our choice must be to go ahead and draw close (James 4:8)
c.
Since Christians are no longer children of the devil, we are commanded to walk
and abide in the light of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
1)
Ephesians 5:8
2)
Ephesians 5:11 — separation verse for sure
3)
Romans 13:12-14
d.
It involves putting distance between our eyes and ears, and the filth of this
world (Lev 20:24-26)
1)
So much on your TV
2)
So much of today’s music
3)
Even so much of the newspaper – so dark and un-educational – all only filth
4)
You need to know what is good and clean and wholesome, and what is filthy and
dirty and wrong – and keep it away from your eyes, and the eyes and ears of your
children!
e.
It not only means protecting your eyes and ears, but your minds! It means
bringing every thought into subjection to its design (2Cor 10:5,6) – They must
be used for praise, and preaching, and encouragement, and edifying, and rebuking
in love!
2.
By Constant Cleansing
a.
First by the new birth – that’s where you get your RECORD cleared in heaven
b.
Then by constantly reading and meditating on God’s word (
c.
Then by quickly confessing and apologising for all transgressions – never being
stubborn (1
d.
Then by claiming the cleansing power of the eternal blood of Christ (Heb
9:13,14) to wash every stain away (1
3.
By Fearing God
(2Cor 7:1) More about this next week
a.
Just suffice it to say, that when we truly get back to fearing God, and knowing
that He will always direct His attention at removing every sin in our lives,
then that will help motivate us to keep “short accounts” with Him, and stay
clean, and right with Him
III.
Conclusion
A.
This
B.
And staying different, instead of starting out godly, and clean, and ending up
filthy like the world around us (2Pet 2:22)
C.
Biblical separation is a part of the Bible that so many dare not teach, because
it is offensive to people, even Christians. People don’t want anyone telling
them NOT to do something, or to stop their drinking, or to live differently.
D.
God
is a God of separation. It is a good kind of separation, a holy and righteous
separation. Therefore, His people ought to be gladly separated from the evil
things of this world!
E.
As
with other things concerning God, being a separated believer for the cause of
Christ is an act of obedience. There is no middle ground. Either we are or we
are not.
1.
If
God were to pin a label on you right now, would it read "obedient" (separated)
or "disobedient" (unseparated)?
2.
This
is one area of our lives we control. How are you handling it?
F.
We
Have learned What Is Biblical Separation
1.
But being fundamentally different from the world around us – set apart –
sanctified – consecrated – dedicated to God alone!
2.
It simply means, Putting a bit of space between you and the world we live in so
that you can belong only and always to God
3.
God does not call us to be weird, but different by design. A special kind of
different. A peculiarity, that is godly, and clean, and pure, and wholesome, and
Christ-like.
G.
We
Have Learned Why we should Live Separate from this World
(Titus 2:14; 1Peter 2:9; Rev 4:11)
1.
Because We Belong to God
2.
Because God is Holy
3.
Because We Cannot Live in Two Worlds
H.
We Finally, Have Learned HOW To Live Separate Without Going OUT of this World
1.
By Choice
- It is a Choice – YOUR Choice. It is called repentance
a.
God’s choice was to draw you and I close to Himself (Dt 7:6-8)
b.
Our choice must be to go ahead and draw close (James 4:8)
2.
By Constant Cleansing
3.
By Fearing God
(2Cor 7:1)
I.
Oh that all people would know the joy of living a life dedicated to glorifying
the God who loves them, and gave Himself for them!
Craig Ledbetter | Pastor |