Being Different

[0:00] Ezekiel 44 verse 23! And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them! to discern between the unclean and the clean. I'll read it again. And they shall teach my! people the difference between the holy and profane and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

[0:30] The difference. Ezekiel records now that God's leaders, God's people need teaching about the difference between the profane or the unholy and the holy, between the clean and the unclean.

[0:49] And in this world that Ezekiel was in, the people around had soaked up the heathen culture that was around them. This was something that was happening to God's people, and it's happening likewise all the time, really through history, that the society that we live in, we know it's a pagan society, don't we? It's a society that by and last doesn't follow the Lord, doesn't follow God's truth, doesn't follow that which is holy in its thinking, in its ways, in its ideas. And we know that the word tells us strongly that as Christians we are to be in the world, but not of the world. There should be a difference. There should be something that's different, that marks us, that sets us apart. As we know, we should be separated, set apart. So there's a difference, there's a distinction in how our lives should look compared with the lives of the pagan world, and the influences of the culture of this world, that can really stunt our growth as Christians, and stop us from living for Christ, and living in victory.

[1:51] And it can hinder our love towards the Lord. And we know that the Lord wants to bless our lives. The Lord Jesus wants to give us a life filled with Himself, filled with His will, what is right for our lives. And yet the world, by and large, it's lost, it's hell bound, it's godless, and it's heading down that helter-skelter eventual road to destruction and desolation.

[2:20] And so, I want to put it to you tonight about the difference that should make you, as God's people, distinct and separate, different. And firstly, you can think about, in terms of a few ways that we can be different, that this difference can be seen, and we can see it, is that, as a church we should be different. Because we know the very word church means a called out. It's got the sense, the Greek word for church means called out, a called out people. And we ought to be, as Israel was called out of Egypt, we ought to be called out, taken out, different from the world, distinct from the world. And the Bible talks about a different church, a church that is different from the run of the mill. Of course, we know in Revelation there's different churches listed there, the seven churches in the first chapters of Revelation, and they all have different grades of different qualities and different negative qualities too.

[3:26] But the Lord Jesus, we know, he's coming back for a church which is a wonderful church, perfect church. It's not, I don't think it's here yet, at the time it's in my hope that we would be a church such as this. But we know that there's a different kind of church that is spoken of, for example, in Ephesians 5, verse 25 onwards, a church that has got strength, a church that has got quality, a church that has got the holiness of God, a glorious church it's called. As we read there in Ephesians 5, from verse 25, husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 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. Now God says that church is going to happen one day. It's going to be a church that the Lord Jesus is going to come back for. And really, he loves the church, he gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, that he might present it to himself, a glorious church one day, without spot, without wrinkle, without any such thing. But it should be holy, without blemish. As we know, in our world today, there's much to be desired. In modern church some could rightfully say it's in a state of apostasy. There's an apostasy that you can see so much to be desired in church circles in terms of the wickedness and the sin that abounds at times amongst those who should be God's people. I'm going to quote here from somebody and describe some of the ways that you could put it in words about what's happening to Christianity today. So this is someone else saying this.

[5:26] Christian rockers invade our churches, looking and acting just like their worldly counterparts. Their music and performances imitate that of the world and appeal to the fleshly outer man, but leave the spiritual inner man empty and malnourished. Theatres and movie rental stores are mobbed by Christians desiring to watch the latest R and PG rated films, belts from Hollywood, and like Jonah, they pay their fare in order to enter a state of rebellion against God's clear commands. Christians dressed sensually, imitating Hollywood fashion and style, with many now daring to enter the house of God dressed in revealing clothing. Christian television contains doctrine of no substance and instead of promoting faith rooted and grounded in Christ and the cross. It promotes a faith based on experience and feeling and leaves in its wake a hungry multitude travelling from preacher to preacher looking for their next fix. Now this is the state at times that is at times around about us in the church world and every one of us can be guilty of that. I can be guilty of being lax, of being comfortable, of being careless. Some churches, as they say, sound more like a night club or a disco, popping the latest worldly style or the catchy heavy beat rock music, flashing disco lights. But is that the focus? Should that be the focus? Should that be where the energy is poured in? Or should it be into the Word of God? Should it be into the edifying? Should it be into sound teaching and learning about walking with Christ? You could say, why not go the whole whole, why not have the hip hop, the electro, the rap, the dance, set up a bar, bring in the booze, let the women dress without decency or modesty, get on the hip charts, bring in the amusements. Or are we being too old fashioned to think that way? But scripturally, we need to be scriptural people to ask ourselves, are we honouring the

[7:31] Lord Jesus Christ in how we worship, in how we meet together? Are we honouring Christ in our devotion, in our worship? Are we different? Is there a difference? And you know, I can think back as a young sterk when I was torn away from my homeland of England and transplanted in this completely different world of Australian and people were all talking funny and I had to learn how to adopt an Aussie accent. And people used to say that I was different. They used to call me Polly, that was one of my nicknames amongst others, that I had as a young man. And you know, you can think of how you can stand out from the crowd and be different. And in a way, as a Christian, shouldn't that be true for you? Should it be true for you when you're in the workplace, when you're in the home place?

[8:24] Shouldn't it be evident that you belong to the Saviour, that you belong to the Master? Shouldn't there be a difference? A difference. A difference about you. A difference. Something that stands out and makes you stand apart.

[8:37] Sets you apart. As the word separates you, or holiness, as that stands off. Separation unto the Lord. If you think of, as was read this morning, Matthew 7, how the Lord talked about, are you going to get grapes from a thorn bush, or figs from a thistle bush?

[8:54] Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. And it says that one day, God's going to hear those trees down, who don't bring forth the good fruit, and be cast into the fire. He says, wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

[9:12] Where's the fruit? From some of the superficial kind of Christianity that we see evident today, there's not a lot of lasting fruit. There's not a lot that's tangible from a lot of that.

[9:26] And so, it makes one question. When we can't see the fruit, we question, what's going on? I believe you could honestly say that rock music is a corrupt tree that brings forth bad fruit.

[9:40] I've not seen much good come out of rock music in the influence it's had in my own family, in terms of the influence of rock music, in terms of the secular messages, the messages that promote immorality at times. And of course you could say that about any style of music, but particularly evident in that style of music. But the question is, are we promoting something that's a corrupt tree, that's not bringing forth good fruit? Or is our music designed to worship and glorify God?

[10:13] Are the words such that they are true, that they're evident true? It's evident true doctrine, sound doctrine. And as the Bible tells us to, to admonish one another, to teach one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, that that message of our songs is meaningful, it's true. As it says in the word that we should worship Him in spirit and in truth.

[10:38] Are we in church to worship God or to praise a performer? There's sometimes where the spotlight is on the choir or the crew in the front or the jazz band and the drum kit.

[10:52] Is that where the focus should be? Or shouldn't the spotlight rather be on the Saviour? And on the message of the Gospel, on the truth of God's Word? As someone put it, our worship services are not performances to be viewed, but they are an encounter with God.

[11:08] That's what it's all about. It's that when we come and met together, when we depart, that we'll have met with God, we'll have some refreshing, we'll have some truth that stirs and impacts us and changes us from the inside out.

[11:22] That there's truth to what we are on about. And it's been said that the thing missing in most worship services is an awareness of the presence of God. That the presence of God is here.

[11:35] It doesn't matter that there's not the razzmatazz and the glitz and the showy stuff. What matters, and then you might have that too maybe to a degree, but what matters, what counts, at the end of the day, is that the presence of God is there. That when you boil it all down, there's something there that you've met with Him.

[11:54] That we're not just having a meeting, but we're meeting with God. That it is Him that is the focal point. And that we're not just a spectator, but that we're a participator in that communion with God.

[12:06] And so, I pray that we as a church will have a soundness of doctrine and not fall for that which is shallow or empty, and lacking of truth. Someone has said that a Muslim or some other religious person could easily go along to some churches and sing the same songs without any challenge to His faith because they are without doctrine, no salvation.

[12:30] Now, I don't think you could sing that many of our songs without getting a clear message. When you've got songs that talk about the blood, you've got songs that talk about forgiveness of sin, you've got songs that talk about the cross of Calvary, the grace of God, you've got songs that talk about our God and His love saving souls of honouring and worshipping Him of the home to come that He's won by virtue of the blood that He shed for us.

[12:58] And that's what matters. It's not about entertainment. It's not about even style of music. It's about is what we are doing worthy for His worship. Because worship means worth-ship. It means that there's a worth.

[13:11] It means that we're putting value on God. It means we're setting Him apart. As it talks about, we should set apart the Lord Jesus in our heart. We should set Him apart. And that which we do is worthy of Him, giving Him the worth, the value, the honour that He is deserving.

[13:27] The gates of hell should be crumbling before us as we take back territory from the enemy, not retreating in defeat. And so God's looking for a different church. A church that is a spiritual church for a people who are different.

[13:40] God's local church is not meant to be a social club, but a holy gathering of God's called out, blood-bought people. That's what we're meant to be. We're meant to be a group of switched on Christians, not an uncommitted group of careless ones.

[13:57] The Bible says that the church is something very special to the Lord Jesus, as we read there in Ephesians 5, 25, that He would give Himself for it. That He would love the church. He gave Himself for it. He died for the church.

[14:12] That's how precious it is. That's how valuable it is. He's going to make something very special out of the church. We know in that future time, God's holy people in that church, as we gather in the ultimate senses.

[14:24] He gathers us, whether in the rapture or in the resurrection, as we meet Him, when we pass away, we'll be gathered together. There'll be a great gathering, a great reuniting. And if the church meant so much to Christ, what should it mean to us?

[14:39] It should be everything to us. That God's people, the assembly, the fellowship of God's people, is something that's very valuable. Christ gave His life for it. We should love the church like He did, too.

[14:51] To be involved in the work of the church, to be part of the service of God in the church, to want to encourage and support the work of the local church, and find God's purpose for each of us in the church.

[15:03] That every one of you, every one, has a gift, or numbers of gifts, and talents, and callings, abilities, God-given callings. That He's got a purpose for you within His church.

[15:16] Now pagan culture says that these things are unimportant. That the church isn't important, and that it's just something from a bygone era. But the work of the church is really, it's the most important thing in the community.

[15:29] It should be that we are a beacon, a lighthouse, something that shines God's gospel light into the darkened world that we're living in. And so it's important. And yet, all across our world, there's a breakdown of truth, of values.

[15:43] Christians are not respected like they used to be. I know I was talking to someone of late, talking about the rapture and about the tribulation. Some Christians think we may go through the tribulation.

[15:55] Now our stand, and my understanding as a church is that we will be saved from wrath through Him. That we will be safe just as Lot was rescued before Sodom fell, just as Noah was saved before the judgment fell at his time of the flood.

[16:13] Likewise too, we will be taken up to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we be ever with the Lord. Many of God's saints around the world, they're already in tribulation.

[16:24] They're already happening, it's already happening in many nations of our world. They're already having tribulation. Right now we just happen to be in a country that it's not affected us yet. We should be like the early church that there was fear there, there was a respect there.

[16:39] As we read in Acts 2, 42 for example, I'll just flick there. But the world looks at the church today and sees no difference between them and itself. You see, many Christians, there's nothing to distinguish them, there's nothing to set them apart.

[16:53] And that's not to mean we need to walk around like Quakers or like the Amish and driving carts or buggies or what not, or live some kind of obscure cut-off life. But we should have something that sets us apart.

[17:07] That, wow, there's something different. There's something different about Nicole. There's something different about Paul. There's something that sets them apart from the crowd. There's something that's happened to them.

[17:18] Acts 2, 42, it says, They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread and of prayers, and fear came upon every soul. And many wonders and signs were done by apostles, and all that believed were together and had all things common.

[17:33] There was so much happening there. There was gladness and singleness of the heart. There was a praising God and having faith with all the people. The Lord added daily to the church such as should be saved. There was a fear that came upon every soul.

[17:44] The church was a fearful thing. There was a respect there. And yet, where's the respect for the church now? We see, as we know in the media, by and large, the church is painted. And rightly so, in those quarters where there's abominations going on, a total decay and a total state of godlessness.

[18:01] And yet, the church, the real church, God's church, we should be moving forward and moving in his spirit, moving in his direction, moving as his word would guide us and lead us to, to be different and set apart from this society, to be going, not flowing with the flow, but swimming against the tide and living as we do in a society that's unclean and unholy, as those that are clean and holy and dedicated to Christ.

[18:33] And the word tells us, as we know, we're called to be light, to be called to be salt, we're called to be his witnesses, to be different and to be consistent with Christ. We need to have the trendy views that we can adopt the philosophy and methodology of the world and just swing around, swing along to the funky sound of the world and follow after the pied pipers of this generation that are taking them to hell.

[19:00] We need to see that there's a course that is downward and hellward and warm people. As it says in the word, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation or conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God, where according to his promised look, for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

[19:23] That's in one of the epistles of Peter. That one day the Lord Jesus is going to destroy this present world. He's going to go up in an eruption, in a catastrophic destruction.

[19:35] And then it says that there's going to be a renewed earth, a renewed heaven, a renewed earth. So, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness?

[19:46] As we know it says in Hebrews 11 and 1 Peter 2, that we're called to be strangers and pilgrims in this world. And so we should be different. Let's be that different church.

[19:57] As we are that different people, we are to serve a different master. It's like the Lord Jesus says you can't serve God and mammon. You can't have a foot in both camps.

[20:08] Who is your master? I love how Joshua prays, how he says, Master. Sometimes we say, Lord, Lord, Lord. He says, Master. The same word in a sense, in effect.

[20:20] But sometimes do we stop and think when we call him Lord? Is he really Lord? Is he your master? Do you serve a different master? We know that the world is mastered by its desires.

[20:31] There's a desire for pleasure, a longing for wealth or recognition or success. Others in our world, they're mastered by addictions, by drug abuse, by the booze, by substance abuse, by the pokies.

[20:45] They're mastered by it. It's got a hold on them. They're confined, they're held by that. And yet the Christian instead, shouldn't our overwhelming desire be to the master, the Lord Jesus, to serve him, to please that one master, the Lord Jesus as our Saviour?

[21:02] Can we ask ourselves, is he the master of our home? Is he the master in my work life? Is he the master in my recreation time? Here's a quote, God is a holy God.

[21:15] A consuming fire to truly be in the presence of our holy God will mean a meltdown of pride, selfishness, bitterness, lust, covetousness and love of the world.

[21:27] Can we think of what it would be to stand in his presence? Just to be in sight of him? Just to be in awe of him?

[21:39] If we could physically see him, visibly see him with our physical eyes, what it would be? It would be amazing. You'd think of Moses at the burning bush. What a sight, what a wonder.

[21:50] Our God is a consuming fire. Christ is living in the heart. That one who is the consuming fire, that one. He should be all consuming of us.

[22:02] He should be that one who is all encompassing and the one who fills our life. And we want to serve him, to live in his way, our master.

[22:13] He's given us his instructions. Shouldn't we take this seriously? I think sometimes we treat the word of God lightly, too lightly. It's been said this book is absolute, not obsolete.

[22:24] Absolute, not obsolete. It's absolute truth. It's God's authoritative truth. We can take it as the absolute truth from God. A holy book penned by holy men. As we read in 2 Peter 1.

[22:35] For the prophecy came not in old times by the will of man, but the holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. The holy men of God. The holy people put this penned this book.

[22:46] And we know holy people translated this book. As we've seen through history, holy people have been martyred for this book. That we can hold it in our hands, in our language. And our master is different.

[22:58] We have a different ethos. A different culture. A different philosophy. We know this world is self-driven, isn't it? By and large it's all a very selfish, pleasure-driven, selfish-driven world.

[23:09] But it's no longer self that we serve. As a Christian, you've got a different master. We don't serve ourselves and our own interests now. We serve the master. The Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ.

[23:20] And knowing and following this new master makes life complete and fulfilled. So we see there's a different church. We should be a different kind of people. People should say, They talk different.

[23:34] They walk different. They look different. There's something about you that Christ is in you. The hope of glory. And in the workplace you don't carry on with the smutty jokes or carelessness.

[23:47] That's not to say you can't enjoy yourself and have fun. But you don't find your fun in smutty jokes. You don't find your fun in the language that mocks God or curses Christ.

[23:59] You're saviour. You don't join in that party. You don't join in that crowd. You're different. You're different people. And secondly, there's a different master. A different lord. A different saviour.

[24:10] A different master who masters you. Who drives you. Who you are driven by. And thirdly, you'll have different priorities. There'll be different priorities. When you become a Christian, your priorities change.

[24:22] You start to realise there's an eternity ahead. You start to realise that eternity means more than this earthly now. That the heaven to come and that the one that has called you to be his, deserves your all.

[24:35] He deserves your heart, your love. And there's a different priority. Sanctified means set apart as holy. We're called to be set apart people. There's a difference.

[24:46] There's a distance. It's like there's a distance there. There's something happens there. When you become a Christian, there's a setting apart. A separating. We're poles apart. Or we should be from the world.

[24:57] I know I've seen... There's an article I read lately. And it's kind of really in mockery really of this godly family that had an obvious dedication to the Lord.

[25:09] They're homeschooling their children and bringing them up without the over influence of Hollywood in the home. And trying to have a home where Christ was the master, the unseen guest.

[25:21] The one who's there at the home. In the heart of the home. Yet the world would look at a family like that and poke fun saying... In the art of it it said things like, you go to the living room and these little kids stand.

[25:34] There's no Pokemon there. There's none of the video games, the violent video games there for the younger boy to play with. There's something different about that home.

[25:45] They don't want that trash. They don't want that stuff. They want to have a home that's built on the foundation of Christ. They want a home where there's a love for Christ and a love for that which is good and wholesome and godly.

[25:59] And shouldn't we be poles apart from the world? There should be something that we don't want to be just like the world and the things of the world. Living how we want but what the Lord wants for our lives.

[26:11] In ways that would be pleasing Him. And not the world around us. I'm not meaning to say that we have to be dowdy or out of touch with modern technology and so on.

[26:22] Technology of itself is not wrong. But it's where does our focus lie? And how do we use our lives and the things that we have in our lives that will bring glory to Him? And if there's question to it, let's put it aside.

[26:35] Let's not take that which is questionable. Let's take that which is unquestionably in His sight something that He would be pleased with. It says that the Lord Jesus, He says of His followers in John 17, They are not of the world.

[26:48] Even as I am not of the world. When you get saved, you're not of the world anymore. You're in a different class of people. Not that there's an upper class and a lower class.

[26:59] But as a Christian, you know, whatever... As I was talking about this morning about someone who counted himself a scum. He was a killer. He was a crude, violent man.

[27:11] And he says that Christ saved him. And that's how he referred to his old self. But as a Christian, you get renewed. You get a whole brand new heart, a brand new star. And you're not of the world anymore.

[27:22] It's gone. That old way. That old thinking. That old living. And you're united with Christ in that inward spiritual work. As he becomes your new master. And we're detached from the world. We don't belong to that anymore.

[27:33] We don't belong to that scene anymore. To that stuff anymore. It doesn't have any attraction to us anymore. Because we're attracted to that which is a higher... It's higher ground. It's a higher way of living.

[27:45] A greater way of living. We're transformed as we come to the foot of the cross to the new master. And he detaches us from the world. And so we can find that grace that God wants to give.

[27:57] And friends, I just want to urge you today to think about how can you be different? How can I be different? How can I find those things in my life that I know God is not pleased with?

[28:11] Those things that I need to detach from my life. That I need to ask God to help me. To rid my life of those things that are not pleasing to him. And to get back to God's Word.

[28:23] To get back to those priorities that are eternal. Eternal life. Eternal truth. You're meant to be different. You're meant to be different. So that your driving passion is not that which the world would be driven by.

[28:36] Your desire, your goal, your love is a focus of your life upon pleasing the Lord. That master, the one, he deserves your all. He deserves your heart.

[28:47] He doesn't deserve second best from you. He doesn't deserve what's left over from you. He deserves your heart, your all, your love. And to live a life that is pleasing to him.

[28:58] And just drawing to a close here. 2 Corinthians 6 it says, What fellowship or what kind of mixing together has righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion has light with darkness?

[29:10] It's like if you were to go to a petrol station and accidentally fill your petrol tank with diesel instead of petrol. You will have to get a mechanic to pump it out of the tank.

[29:22] Diesel and petrol are similar. They're both fuels. But the difference is enough to ruin your car if you try to drive on the wrong fuel. Is there an evidence in your life that you're a Christian?

[29:34] Conversion means a changed life. If you become a Christian, there should be something happens. A difference. There's a difference. Yeah, there's a change. There's a point when you say, Yes, that was it.

[29:46] There was a change there. There was something that happened on the inside of me that's going to make an eternal difference in my life. A distinction. Because you're supposed to be peculiar.

[29:57] The word says it's meant to be peculiar. It should really stand out about you that there's something different. Christ is in you. And so you have nothing in common with unbelief, with bad language, with the ways of the world, the pride of life.

[30:14] Are you prepared to be different? To be made right? Purifying is a refining process. And that's what God wants to do with each one of us. Friends, just to recap that verse, it says, And you shall teach my people the difference between the profane and the holy.

[30:32] And cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. There's a difference there. There's a discernment. The Bible talks about discerning. And we all need discernment.

[30:43] I know I need discernment. We all need to be discerning about doctrine, about teaching, about questions, about choices in life, about lifestyle. Some may mock and scorn at a message like this and think that we're not keeping up with the times.

[31:00] We're not being relevant. We're out of date, out of touch. But really, who do you want to be in touch with? You know, it says touch not the unclean thing. If keeping in touch or keeping up with the times, keeping relevant means getting out of touch with God, then that's a problem, isn't it?

[31:18] We'd rather be separated and out of touch with the world, certainly. And, of course, I'm not meaning, as I've repeated, that we're going to be some kind of weird kind of wacky group of people.

[31:35] But what matters is not what people say about you, but what God says about you. When the time comes, and it will come, that every one of you, it says that every one of you, every one of us, will give account of himself to God.

[31:50] Romans 14, 12. That every one of us will give account of himself to God. And that will happen for you. You will have to give account. You will have to say what you've done with the life that you've been given to live.

[32:03] Some people will be willfully ignorant. They'll hear the challenge to be different. They'll hear sermons like this. They'll hear challenges like the Gospel message. And they'll say, no, I just don't want to be different.

[32:16] I want to follow the crowd. I don't care where the crowd's going. They'll care that they're on that broad way, as the Lord Jesus talked about in Matthew 7, that leadeth to destruction. They don't care because their mates are going with them.

[32:29] But when they get there, their mates are not going to be in sight. There's going to be blackness forever. There's going to be eternal torment. There's no company in hell. Though your friends might be there, brothers and sisters, people tonight, don't choose the broad way that leads to destruction.

[32:43] Choose the narrow path that leads to life. As the Lord Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one else can take you there. Only he. So, say, no, I want to hang on to my old master.

[32:54] I want to hang on to the one I've followed since I was born, effectively. That's the master that is self and Satan. My own way. I want to sing like Sinatra. I did it my way.

[33:05] And they will cherish the old life, the corrupt tree with its bad fruit. They won't see that they need to change. And it will be true of them, as it says in 1 Corinthians 14, But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

[33:18] Some will be ignorant. They will willfully be ignorant. They won't want teaching that challenges to how they live. They won't want teaching that touches the raw points or touches their holy cows.

[33:31] They'd rather have teaching that will mislead them and pat them on the back and say, She'll be right, mate. But sometimes, false teaching, it can take some time to unlearn.

[33:43] I know that was for me too. At times I've had teaching that now I see wasn't quite as it should be. And we all need to come to that point of discerning.

[33:55] Discerning the difference. Finding the difference. Because people today, the devil is very good at smoke screens and trickery. He's very good at that. He's the master of deceit.

[34:07] As we know, he's deceiving and deluding whole generations of people. And just to draw it to a close, it's going to cost you to become a Christian. It's going to cost you to be a Christian.

[34:18] It's going to cost you. It's going to mean a separation from sin. It's going to mean that we need to learn the difference. To discern, to find that which is holy and that which is profane.

[34:29] There's a difference there. You can't trick yourself and think that you can live in sin and think that you're right with God. There's a difference between the profane and the holy.

[34:41] There's a difference between that which is clean and that which is unclean. You know that. The Word tells you that. I don't have to point out every detail of that. It's between you and God to get it right tonight.

[34:53] Don't leave it another day. There's a difference. God wants us to learn that difference. To be a different church. A different kind of people from the world around us. A people set apart, called out.

[35:04] A different master. We don't follow that old snake anymore. And his devilish ways. And the Pied Piper. He might play a nice tune now and again. But we're not interested in that.

[35:15] We want to follow the master. The one who gave his blood. The one who loved the church and gave himself for it. And we've got a different priority. Our priority is not that which the world would count as a priority. That the world would value.

[35:27] But that which God would value. When everything else goes up in a puff of smoke. There will be something to show for your life. That you've been saved. Not by works but by his blood. As you've truly trusted him.

[35:39] And his work of the cross for your sin. And truly given your life to him. From now for eternity. And that there will be a life lived for his glory. There will be things to show for your life.

[35:50] That something good was done. With the time that you were given. As his steward of it. So friends to close. Be saved today. If you're not saved. Be saved. If you're not sure you're saved.

[36:02] You can be sure now. You can be sure now. Not because I pray a prayer over you. Or because you go through some ritual. Or some kind of a performance. But you can be saved today.

[36:14] By putting your faith in Christ. By losing faith in yourself. And finding faith in him. By losing faith in your efforts. And strength.

[36:25] And trying. And putting your faith in his done work. His finished work. Of the cross for you. Where he bled and died for you. That you might have his life.

[36:37] Given to you. As his gift to you. And yet we must see our great lack. Our great loss without him. And turn to him. And to. And Christian. Re-commit your life to him today.

[36:48] I know there was a time in my life. When I was coasting along. As a Christian. And I made a profession which. Was somewhat vague at the first time.

[36:59] But then. The second time. There was an evangelist. Nicky Cruz it was at the time. At a rally. And I chose of my own volition. Of my own purpose. To re-commit my life.

[37:10] And that moment was very special to me. That re-commitment was a special day for me. And likewise too. I'm not saying you get saved and lose it. And get saved again and lose it. But there's a sense where. Maybe you need to refresh it.

[37:22] To refresh that love. To re-commit that life to him. That you have. Re-commit it. Make today a day of re-commitment. That can be a beautiful thing that you can do. To commit your life to that difference.

[37:33] To that different master. To that one who can make a difference. From the inside out. To that one who can make a difference. that one who can make a difference from the inside out.