In, But Not…. Of!

• As Individuals and as Groups of Christians, we are called to be ‘In the World, but not ‘of’ the World! 

• What does this mean?

• Does this mean the ‘Physical Planet’?  Obviously not! John 17:15… not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

• It means, rather, the Spirit of and Interests of,  this Wicked World’s  Social Environment.

 John 17:15 last part. 1 John  2:16          For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

 2:17   And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

Jeremiah 23:13        And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err. 

 23:14            I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. 

• What values do the ‘World’ uphold mostly?

Ezekiel  16:49           Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 

 16:50            And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw [good]. 

Jude 1:6         And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 

 1:7     Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 

 1:8     Likewise also these [filthy] dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. 

Luke  16:13   No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 

 16:14            And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 

 16:15            And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 

23:5    But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 

 23:6   And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 

 23:7   And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 

 23:8   But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren. 

 23:9   And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 

 23:10            Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, [even] Christ. 

 23:11            But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

• In contrast, what does God call His People to Uphold?

Matthew  23:10      Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, [even] Christ. 

 23:11            But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 

1 Samuel  8:4           Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 

 8:5     And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 

 8:6     But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. 

 8:7     And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 

Mark 12:14  And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? 

 12:15            Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see [it]. 

 12:16            And they brought [it]. And he saith unto them, Whose [is] this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s.  

 12:17            And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.

2 Corinthians 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 

 6:15   And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  

 6:16   And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

 6:17   Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, 

 6:18   And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

• How well did His people uphold these values in the past?

Ezekiel  20:24           Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols. 

 20:25            Wherefore I gave them also statutes [that were] not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; 

• What about during the Christian era?

Revelation 3:1         And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 

 3:2     Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 

3:9      Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 

 3:10   Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 

 3:11   Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 

 3:12   Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name. 

 3:13   He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 

 3:14   And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 

 3:15   I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 

 3:16   So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 

• Does He call us to separate from the World today?

Isaiah  8:12   Say ye not, A confederacy, to all [them to] whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. 

 8:13   Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and [let] him [be] your fear, and [let] him [be] your dread. 

 8:14   And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 

 8:15   And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. 

 8:16   Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 

Amos  3:1      Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, 

 3:2     You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 

 3:3     Can two walk together, except they be agreed?  

2 Corinthians 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 

Revelation 14:8       And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 

17:3    So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 

 17:4   And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 

 17:5   And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

18:1    And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 

 18:2   And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 

 18:3   For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 

 18:4   And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 

 18:5   For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 

• How much should we separate?

2 Corinthians  6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, 

James  4:7     Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

 4:8     Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded. 

 4:9     Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and [your] joy to heaviness. 

 4:10   Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. 

• As a Church group?

Ephesians  5:25       Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

 5:26   That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  

 5:27   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. 

Revelation14:4        These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, [being] the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. 

 14:5   And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. 

 14:6   And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them

• As Individuals?

1 John  2:14  I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 

 2:15   Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

 2:16   For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

 2:17   And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

• What do we miss out by giving full allegiance to God?

Luke  18:28   Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. 

 18:29            And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 

 18:30            Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. 

• What do we gain instead?

Matthew 19:29       And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 

 19:30            But many [that are] first shall be last; and the last [shall be] first. 

• Are we, as individuals, and as a church group, to be clearly separated from the ‘world’?

• Unashamedly YES!

• In which way and on what basis?

Romans  1:16           For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

AMEN