Dr. Jim Schettler: Alive in Christ Results in Separation from the World

if you have your Bibles please take it and turn to Genesis chapter 12 and as you do let me just take a moment and mention to you where our pastor is tonight our pastor is in Washington DC for the National Day of Prayer and he was also invited tomorrow to be able to go to the White House and we're very thankful for that we want to pray for him but we also want to pray for safety in his travels and I know my pastor I think you know yours I think my pastor would rather preach in God's house than be a visitor in the White House so let me encourage you to be praying for him for Sunday as well but we're thankful that there will be good salt and light in the White House tomorrow so we're thankful for that right we're going to take a moment and pray for him but let's go ahead and read our text tonight in Genesis chapter number 12 now as we continue in our theme of a live in Christ that the more that we are understanding that concept and I really do believe that we're getting a hold of that concept the more that that occurs it's going to result in things one of the first things that alive in Christ will result in is separation from the world you're not going to be able to continue to connect with the world to be alive in the world and being live in Christ now even before we read let's explain what we mean by the world obviously the Bible speaks of the world in three different ways many times there's scripture references speaking of the world and it's God's creation and we are very thankful for God's creation we're thankful for the planet that we live on and we should be good conservation 'he's a conservationist of what god has given to us we ought to be good stewards of that and we're thankful for the creation when we started Joshua camps I said man we can't run that whole camp on this campus we got to get up into those mountains because I want the young people to experience the creation that God has done and we've done things like that and I growing up with our boys it wasn't always matter of fact very rarely was it Disneyland or Disney World or any of those things on vacation it was camping trips it was hiking it was boating it was getting out in the creation of God so we're thankful for the world in God's creation and number two though the world can mean us for God so loved the world that's us the people well obviously we're not talking about separation from people tonight we're one of the most evangelistic churches you'll ever see so in that sense we want to reach the world for Jesus Christ so what do we mean when we talk about the world because we're going to talk about separation from it tonight what I broke down as a definition an organized system of philosophy laws and lust to develop an independence from God the world is cosmos an organized structure and organized system of philosophies of laws of lust to develop an independence from God it's anti God it's everything against what we believe in we hold dear college students will be going home real soon and they need to stay away from the planet not from people but from an organized system that is there to take their heart away from the things of God all of us we have to fight ruled leanness constantly and it's everywhere abounds us and of course social media and the internet brings that organized system of philosophy of laws and lust to develop independence from God very close with us tonight I would like to talk to you a little bit about being alive in Christ will result in a separation from the world a separation is an extremely important doctrine because separation is what gives us our distinction in our discernment most dangerous time to drive in any location is at dusk because at dusk at Twilight is when you can't distinguish things and even your headlights really don't work that well it's sometimes it not sometimes it is safer to drive at night with good headlights than to drive at dusk even with your headlights because things are a blur they're not distinct since creation Satan has had a goal his goal has been to destroy separation between things and there's a reason when you destroy separation let's take for just a moment gender if you destroy the distinction between male and female things get blurry and when things get blurry you get confused today in our society men act like women women act like men and so we're very confused about our function our role because separation has been torn down if you tear down separation and distinction between things it brings confusion well that confusion will bring conflict you'll begin to argue well this is your responsibility this is what you're supposed hey this is right no this is wrong this is right and there's that confusion because of a lack of separation leads to conflict well we can't live with conflict you just can't live in it so what do you got to do you got to compromise and somewhere along the line you can't continue to live in the conflict so you begin to compromise and erase the separation which then will bring corruption and we find that that is exactly Satan's plan so separation is extremely important for us to discern between right and wrong the word holy in the Old Testament actually means to cut apart to separate everything really matter of fact I wrote this statement down you know I believe that every decision you make for God's glory after salvation is ultimately a separation decision every decision that you make for the glory of God after you're saved really is a separation decision you're separating from something so tonight I'd like to give you three great truths about separation and I'm gonna use Genesis chapter 12 as our text you know we I don't usually do this I no pastor does but we've kind of just had a long day or whatever I think it'd be good let's all stand for the reading of the Abrahamic covenant here by the way you can't read these four verses and not think to yourself anti-semitism isn't the wisest thing in the world friend we want to be friends with the Jews we want to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and we do believe that the Abrahamic covenant is very much real today as well it's a great passage for many of the things that are happening in our culture today and what we as Christians believe Genesis chapter 12 and verse number 1 now the Lord had said unto Abram get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee and I will make of thee a great nation and I will bless thee and make thy name great thou shalt be a blessing by the way whenever God has blessed you it's for a reason God's blessed you to be a blessing to others verse number 3 and I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curses thee and in thee shall all families of the earth earth be blessed and then the first three words of verse four would you say him with me just the first three words of verse four everyone together so Abram departed father may we depart from the world not the planet not people but from that system that is against everything we hold dear Lord if students go home this summer I pray that they will depart from the worldliness I pray that Lancaster Baptist Church I thankful for an under Shepherd a pastor who constantly warns us against worldly living I'm thankful for that Lord I'm thankful for a church that loves the people of the world and yet separates from the sin of this world Lord I'm thankful tonight for your word and I'm thankful Lord that Jesus Christ sanctified and separated for our sakes in what he did for us on the cross father I pray tonight that the three simple truths on separation will not just be another message to hear but Lord may we apply what we get tonight they Marilee and Jim Shetler apply it may this members of Lancaster Baptist Church and guests that are here tonight and Lord for our college students that have been such a blessing to our church for these last nine months Lord may they go back and be separated from the Philistines from the world and Lord I ask and pray that tonight these principles will not be just wasted on a Wednesday night for 35 minutes God may we take them and use them in our life the only one that I know that can do that is the Holy Spirit and I believe it will only be done by the name and the glory of your son Jesus Christ so it is in his name and Lord we take a moment and we pray for our pastor we're thankful Lord for the influence you've given our pastor we pray tomorrow that you would put a special blessing upon him with the people that he'll rub shoulders with tomorrow lord I pray that his testimony and his faith would be worked in other people's lives may his separated life be an influence to people in DC Lord I pray you bring back safely and I ask Lord that he would preach Sunday with great power now tonight we need that same power I ask that you'd be with me Lord you know my voice is a little weak tonight but my heart is overflowing in what we're going to give I pray for a separated flock tonight as a result of being alive in Christ we pray these things now in Jesus name God's people said and you may be seated number one separation can be positive separation can be positive now whenever you hear a preacher get up and he's going to talk about separation you kind of want to put your safety belt on and go oh boy here it comes but can I tell you that separation is an extremely positive situation and it's extremely positive for your walk with the Lord and there's so many benefits from it and you know I was thinking have you ever been in a situation before that you absolutely dreaded going in - only to find out that things really turned out really well at the end I'd been pastoring for about nine years or so I think I was 39 or 40 years of age and a man started coming to our church a very distinguished man went out and visited him found out he was a believer he had been watching our telecast and he said I think I'm gonna go try visiting the church so he came and visited and I went out and visited him found out he was a dentist that scared me a little bit and I'll tell you the reason why but so he was a dentist his name was dr. Doug Hightower and he was well known in the community had a good testimony and he began to come to church he was actually just starting in a relationship though he was an older man had never been married and he was starting to date a woman that had never been married as well and I had the privileged to do their their wedding ceremony and in the course of him coming to church being discipled dr. Hightower came up to me and I was dreading this day he came up to me one day after church in the foyer and he shook my hand and he said pastor where do you go for a dentist I was 39 years a of age and I'm very ashamed to say this but it makes a great illustration so I'm gonna do it I hadn't been in a dentist since I was 18 when I went off to college that's thirty nine years old and I was just like oh man and with every year that goes by you just think to yourself the medical insurance we had didn't cover dentist and everything seemed to be okay and I brushed my teeth so I just kind of like just went from one year to the next and I just knew that day was coming when dr. Hightower was gonna ask me and he did he said where do you go and I said well guy up in Traverse City Michigan Traverse City Michigan I said yeah it was when I was in high school and he said pastor you need to come and see me well first thing I thought to myself was I can't afford you man there's no way I can afford you and and he continued on to say you make an appointment this week well if I ever dreaded anything it was going to dr. Hightower his office oh man I didn't know where it was or anything and point was kind of an unusual address and I knew most of the streets and everything and it was way off into the woods down by a creek and I gotta tell you it was the most beautiful office I have ever been in still to this day it was Windows everywhere there were birds and squirrels running around the trees I thought like wow this is like a tree house office and it was just gorgeous you walked in and it was the nicest elevator music you ever heard in your life I mean it was just like wow this it smells good you got glass window squirrels are jumping from tree to tree and I'm thinking wow wow this is a nice dinner but I know what they do here and my name was called and I came in the secretary said are you dr. Hightower's pastor yeah don't forget it either be nice to me you know I didn't know so we get in the back and they got to take the x-rays and you they're putting things in your mouth and they're making those noise you know I think I might come on man oh they're gonna pull everything out you know and then I'm thinking I can't afford this there's no way well he did the x-rays they did the cleaning they I was in there I'm telling you for two and a half hours and we got everything done and he said yeah I had three cavities but he said they weren't that bad and we could fix him you'll come back in and I'm taking all man and we get in there and he's given me all the things he's showing me the x-rays and everything and he brings in a lek tricked toothbrush I never had one of those before a sonic care it's called wrapped in a really nice package and he said he said I want you to have this and I said I said pastor I don't think I said doctor I don't think I can afford that he said I'm given to you as a gift and I said okay well that's really not get electric you know toothbrush and and then we you know we get up and we start walking I said wha and I bring up my credit card he said no no no you're my pastor I'm taking care of you and I said oh no come on no I can't do that he said no you're you're my pastor I'm gonna take care of you I said I have noted at this this day he took care of all everything I did for the next 10 years of my life he took care in affected when I was in Santa Maria I flew back two times for him to take care of me the flight was cheaper than when it would have cost in santa maria so i went back a couple times and I had to finally get a crown and and he took care of me but I'll never forget when I walked out that day I got this electric toothbrush I got a bag of enough toothpaste for the next two years I got mouthwash I got the coolest things in the world nothing it didn't cost me anything and I thought and that was like one of the best experiences of my life but when I came to the dentist that day I thought oh man it's gonna be bad I want to tell you something when you come to the doctrine of separation many times you think oh man here it comes they're gonna lay now I'm gonna have to get rid of this dress I got to get rid of this music I gotta get rid of this oh man this is I'm gonna have to get rid of these things oh man here comes the separation message before we go home here comes the big separation message oh brother Shetler can I tell you number one separation can be positive and when we separate from things well let me just give you some points abraham learned three extremely positive truths about separation number one separation is not only from someone or something but it's also to someone or something notice what it says now the Lord had said unto Abram get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred there separate from that and from my father's house and then look what it says on to a land that I will show thee you know the word Pharisee in the New Testament actually has the idea from its core its root it actually means to separate well Pharisees separated from everything the problem is they never separated onto God I share this with you when you separate from someone or something that is means that you're supposed to separate to someone or something else August 16 1980 I separated from every woman in the world and separated to the greatest woman in the world made a good choice that day you separate from something on to someone and it's so important to understand this isn't a bad thing this is a good thing separation isn't and when we separate this summer from the world it means we're supposed to separate on to God hold your place in Genesis 12 we'll be back but you've got to read you gotta hear this passage most of you know it but listen to 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 listen to these two verses wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a father and listen to this you're gonna separate from the unclean thing you're gonna separate from the world but look what's gonna happen and uh you're gonna separate to me and I will receive you and will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty see we got this whole thing wrong on separation the more you separate from the world the more you separate onto God and I'll tell you this actually you begin by separating onto God the world will go by the rule by the wayside there won't be the attraction this summer all of us Lancaster Baptist Church and college students separate on to the father and by doing that it'll take care of everything else and this is a positive thing separated separation is not only from someone or something but also to someone or something number two separation is not always explained why but it's always rewarded if obeyed I absolutely loved this part in a world that we got to have all the answers and we got to know all the whys our God does not give us a lot of why's for His commandments he gives us a commandment and by the way I would much rather have a promise than an explanation how about you I would much rather have God give me hey you do this this is what I'll do for you that sounds really good I don't even have there's no y in here look at this now the Lord had said unto Abram back to Genesis 12:1 get the out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee and I will make of thee a great nation whoa stop we're missing something here there's got to be another verse in there something he never tells him why he says to Abraham he says Abraham I want you to get away from your family I want you to get away from you why God I want you to go in another country why Lord notice there is never an explanation for the separation but there's something better than an explanation there's a promise if you separate this is what I'll do for you listen to Psalm 84 11 the Lord thy God is a Sun and shield the Lord will give Grace and glory listen no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly you separate and you will never have any good thing with elde from you you do what is right and you separate God will bless but why why do I have to walk upright I wouldn't worry about why you have to walk upright just walk upright and if you do no good thing will he withhold to like thyself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart yeah why do I need to delight that don't worry about the why just delight in the orange and he'll give you the desires of your and we all know prophets 3 5 & 6 trust in the Lord with all thy heart lean nada - they own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and what he shall direct thy paths we are so consumed gotta know why gotta know why now I want to talk to you about why for just a moment it's so it's amazing how we're so messed up about this we want wise for Commandments but so often we don't want wise while we're going through suffering oh no no you don't want to question God you don't want to ever question God why we're no no that's just completely reversed if you're going through a trial if you're going through suffering you ought to ask yourself why why am I going through this trial Lord that's a good why and there's only three reasons why you're going through suffering number one your sin number two service for the king or number three strength to go to him second Corinthians chapter 12 verses 9 through 10 I learned that when I am weak I go through these infirmities it is so God can be by strength for a Philippians chapter 1 verse 29 some are given and that word has to do with a gift given suffering to serve the Lord and then Hebrews chapter 12 we go through sufferings sometimes because we're living in sin now I had that outline and I wanted to put another s in there there's four reasons why we go through suffering number one is sin number two is service number three is strength and number four is stupidity and there's a lot of truth to that some of you are going through suffering for one reason you're stupid you're doing things that are really dumb and because you're doing it you're going through suffering but I want to tell you this it is okay to ask why you're going through a trial there is nothing wrong to go to God and say God why is this Valley here why is this trial happening is there something in my life are you trying to make me real I your grace is this an opportunity for me to serve you for your glory why am I going through this but that's not where we asked why what do we ask what why why is this commandment so what does this mean what why do you want me to do this God that's where you don't ask why you trust God that the laws that he's placed in our play in place in our lives and the commandments of God are there for our good I don't have to understand why I just have to claim the promises that come with it I think that's a really positive part of separation and then number three separation and boy this is good separation is not only for you but for others now when you get to this point in your spiritual journey you've matured you've kind of gone up another level you've climbed up another step hey you're going up the right direction when you begin to understand that separation isn't only for yourself it is for others I wrote down a statement yesterday your separation from the world today maybe someone's protection from disaster tomorrow your separation from the world today maybe someone's protection from disaster tomorrow you say no to something that you can say you don't really I really think I could do this I could probably listen to this I could probably wear this I could probably do this but you know what I'm gonna separate from that that's so much for me but for others if you're a parent in this room you know exactly what I'm talking about I love the passage in John chapter 17 and John 17 verse 17 jesus said and this is really the Lord's Prayer here and he's praying to the Father and Jesus says sanctify them through thy truth thy Word is truth and then he says in verse 19 of John 17 and for their sakes I sanctify I separate myself that they also may be sanctified through the truth we talked to the college students really quick when you go back home some of you are going into some really tough family situations some of you are going back to some youth groups where a lot of teenagers are struggling there may be things that you could do or say or wear or listen to that really wouldn't affect you at all but do you understand that you don't just separate for yourself you separate for those coming down the way every mom and dad in here understands this completely there's things that we have said no more got a little child though no more I was telling you about drew and Noelle and it's gonna be interesting because I am sure there's a lot of things that are gonna come - no no no no we don't do that anymore why cuz we got a little one that we're caring for you've got to understand that separation isn't just for you when you separate from from the world and other things it gives you a testimony it brings people to your Savior because you got something that they don't have and there is something about your separation in the way that it can protect others when we decided to come here there were things that we separated from that we had not separated from before and there was a reason for the sake of the college students we wanted to influence for the cause of Christ and we've gotta understand and mature to a point separation is a positive thing we don't just separate from things we separate to Christ we don't need to know why for everything and I want to tell you something you separate for other people not just yourself separation number one can be positive number two separation me needs to be practical it's don't give me all this theoretical separation stuff if it's not practical I'm a pretty practical guy so you just can't give me a message on separation and not make it practical so let me give you three areas that I think our separation ought to be very practical number one separation should affect our attitude number two separation should affect our appearance and number three separation should affect our activities and we've got to make this practical and I can't think about more practical passage for our separation than first Peter chapter two in first Peter chapter two verse number nine I encourage you to jog it jot it down and run on over there in your scriptures first Peter 2:9 but ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation now notice the separation there it doesn't say but you are a generation no no here's the separation you're a chosen generation it doesn't even just say you're a priesthood no no you're a royal priesthood boy what a phrase that is it doesn't just say you're a nation no it says you're a holy nation a peculiar people what what makes you peculiar is the separation of me stranger weird it means protected inside of a circle inside a boundaries you've separated you got walls of protection around you they each should show forth the praises of him so it's going to be your separation that's going to show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into this marvelous light now listen to this stuff which in time past were not people we're not a people but are now the people of God and now that you're the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now you have obtained mercy dearly beloved here's the practical I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims and we're not part of this world man abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul stay away and by the way abstains a great word boy you're not gonna fight fight fleshly lusts you're gonna have to abstain from it you're gonna have to stay away from it having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that means you work hard in the area that means you punch in at the right time and you work and give a day's work and that all the Gentiles say man I gotta tell you I that's one of the best workers I gotta tell you they got one of the best attitudes man they're just look at these things that are in this this pastures goes all the way to verse 21 I like verse 13 submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the lord's sake man these are just practical things on separation live differently in your activities your appearance your attitude whether it be to the king as supreme we're on the governor's look at verse 15 for so is the will of God that with well doing he may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free and not using your liberty here we go for a cloak of maliciousness but as servants of God okay so separation can be positive but number two separations gotta be practical and how does it become practical I think number one with your attitude our attitude ought to be different I had an attitude change I had an attitude adjustment this afternoon and I just every time you know you study God's Word and you get into God's Word and then something happens to test what you're gonna preach and I gotta tell you I had an attitude problem this afternoon and the Lord just brought me Jim your attitude needs to be different from that of the world we don't and I wrote down some things separating complaining from being thankful now listen when you are thankful in a time of distress and everyone else is complaining about the food or the weather or wherever you are they're complaining about whatever's going on you be thankful that separates you from an organized system of lust and laws and and philosophies when you begin to become thankful in a time where everyone else is complaining you have separated your attitude and I will tell you the world is dying to see an attitude of thankfulness when everyone else is complaining I'll tell you the greatest breed ground for this is airports I mean people are so negative at airports and if you are ever nice to a stewardess if you are ever nice to an agent they look at you and they're going like wow wow now I didn't have an attitude changed I had an attitude problem today but I have to tell you something else I went to a restaurant just to study by myself and I got a booth and I got my Bible out and everything like that I was really nice to the waitress and everything and I asked her if there was anything I could pray for about and she said her family and everything like that and at the end and I was there for about an hour so hour and a half just going through my message and at the end I said I need the bill and she said it's taken care of I said why she said I just wanted to pay for your bill I said no you're not paying here we go again with the dentist you know the outcome of this don't you I bought for a little bit but I go okay go ahead you know and you know what I said why did you do that she said well I saw you studying the Bible and she said you just have such a cheerful spirit and I thought to myself in one hour I'm gonna have a really bad attitude you know and it can change quickly but I thought it was interesting she said you don't want I don't think how did she say I don't want to exaggerate but she said I haven't served anyone as cheerful as you in a long time and I thought to myself you know what separate your attitude from other people I I was on both ends of the spectrum with that in one day and by the way it doesn't happen with us sometimes as well separating bitterness by being forgiving you know people are gonna hurt you when you give forgiveness to people it is unbelievable the difference that it makes separating greed from giving man the world is just everything they can get you'll be about everything you can give separate pride from from being humble man when someone's just so boasting about themselves and there's humility it's just like you immediately take notice of them separating fear from having faith there's such an anxiety today when someone has confidence and Jefe it's all gonna work out it's gonna be good boy what a separation that makes Lancaster Baptist church members must be separated in our attitude college students this summer wherever God places you may your attitude just be different than everyone else around you I am Telling You that kind of separation brings the world the people to God separation should affect our appearance in 1st Timothy chapter 2 and I think this is a great verse in 1st Timothy chapter 2 it talks specifically about dressing as the appearance of godliness what an interesting verse that you can actually dress verse number 9 in like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefacedness that means that you would wear something that no you wouldn't blush at about the way somebody's looking at you with shamefacedness and sobriety and with broided hair or gold or pearls or costly array but listen to verse 10 but which becometh women professing godliness with good words that means there is a way to dress that is godly there is a way that you put your by the way it's not only what you wear sometimes it's how we wear it isn't it there is a way to dress men and women that professes godliness there's a modesty about it that makes you very separate from this world we uh we took the college students down to Santa Monica Pier and we had a great time but I got to tell you some people dress really weird I'm just telling him but I will tell you something I was really thankful for you know I was really thankful for more than anything else this past Saturday it was cold I wasn't worried about our college students the way that they would dress I was worried about everybody else on the pier and because it was cold everyone actually didn't dress too bad glue weird no no a lot weird but not too but not too immodest you know what there is a difference you know this summer as the weather gets warmer sometimes our clothing isn't as modest is it I think we separate in our appearance and our attitude I'll tell you the other thing is and I think this is so true is our countenance and this is what aleni said to me today smiles and joyfulness for countenance proverbs 27:17 iron sharpens iron so is a man sharpened by the countenance of his friend his face he smiles there's joyfulness on there that is separate from what the world looks like the world's grumpy the world's got terrible expressions and have a face that shows you have a risen Savior have a face that shows joy smiles separation should affect our appearance separation should affect our attitude and I know what separation should affect our activities can God be seen in it don't do anything church member don't do anything college student this summer that God can't be in it and whatever you do wherever you go yeah play golf just fine with me go ahead do this go waterskiing just make sure you can bring God into that activity and if you can't bring God into that activity let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven and I'll tell you this next one is really important can God be pleased with it whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God can God be pleased with it you know the question should never be what's wrong with that it should always be everyone together it should always be what oh that was not good Church let's try that one again the question should never be what's wrong with it it should always be what what's right with it the next time you come to an activity don't ask so what would be wrong with me doing this no don't ask that ask this what would be right with me doing this activity and if you can't come up with an answer don't do the activity don't watch that movie don't do it if you can what would be good about me doing this thing whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever you see separation should affect our activities our appearance in our attitude number three and we're done separation will become personal now this is a very very important point I want you to notice something as I study history to me history is not about nations history is not about movements history is not even about ideas history is about individuals could or bad history is about individual people now I want to tell you about separation I don't yeah we can corporately separate we could have policies or rules or whatever as a church and have standards as a staff and as a college but I gotta tell you the key to separation the key to separation has got to be personal somewhere in your life you've got to say I'm turning from that and I'm gonna turn to God in this area I am going to separate I'm gonna give that up I'm gonna surrender that I am gonna separate this thing in my life you know what it's not that it's the most wicked or evil it's a good thing but it's not the best thing and I am gonna separate that for the cause of Christ now there is a young man that has taken captive I don't know early teens mid-teens he's skillful he's wise apparently there's no blemish on him he's probably a good-looking Jewish young man and he's taken captive to the Babylonians now I want you to know this there is not one babylonian that has ever read the book of leviticus there is that one babylonian that has ever heard of the book of leviticus there is no one in babylon that knows anything about the Jewish dietary laws no body so he didn't do it with every eunuch and everyone looking is he going to eat of the food is he going to drink oh let's see they don't know Levitical Levitical laws they don't know what's kosher and what's not kosher but Daniel did Daniel knew the law Daniel and his conscience knew what was right and wrong in daniel 1:8 you don't have this scene everybody's watching is he going to eat no but Daniel purposed in his heart he's separated in his heart no I am NOT going to eat of that food you know what Daniel did he made it personal and I don't know if you've ever noticed this before but if you read Daniel chapter 1 I believe it's 14 times you will see the words them there and children speaking of all of the ones that came that were taken in captivity I think it's 14 times that they're them.they and children are mentioned after verse 8 you never hear about the rest of the Jewish ones that would except for Shadrach Meshach and Abednego who also did not eat of the food you never hear about what happened to all the other Jews that were taken captive after verse 8 and now it is individual because it says but Daniel up until that time it was the children it was they it was were taken and the children were taken and and the children of Israel were taken in the best of the children you got them they D the children but now verse a but Daniel purposed in his heart he made separation personal man our College students have been given a faculty and staff that has poured our beliefs in our conscience into our students with every moment of class it's like we got a train eeeh we're pouring in but I will tell you you college students at some point kind of make it personal it's got to become yours and I will tell you we have one of the coolest pastors anywhere I love Pastor Chapel and that guy Sunday night he lets us have it done me and he is a separated man but that don't work for you man you can't live your Christian life on Paul chapels separation at some point bud it's got to be yours not Lancaster Baptists and there's gotta be something that inside of you your conscience says you know what we're gonna turn that movie off you know what I'm not gonna go there you know what I'm not gonna do that and that's the Holy Spirit and when you become alive in Christ it's not your church that dictates your separation when you're alive in Christ it's not your college what tells you what's right and wrong when you're alive in Christ it's the Holy Spirit in your conscience that says they'll do them Holy Spirit says go talk to them and you cannot completely fully grasp alive in Christ until it results in separation you will never be alive in Christ that it will not produce in your own conscience I can't do that anymore very transparent testimony enclosing i pastored the campus church in Pensacola for several years and that one day dr. mrs. Horton called me in and I'll never forget this as long as I live dr. mrs. Horton looked at me and they said this they said Jim you're fine young preacher God used you mightily college students loved you and you got a great ministry in the community but I'll never forget this they told me but Jim you can't live on our convictions they got to become yours and we noticed sometimes when you preach you say the right things but do you believe it and I gotta tell you I walked out of that office that day and I said you know the Lord I've been here a long time did I believe what I believed because somebody told me or has my separation become my separation do I do what I do and dress the way that I dress and listen to what I listen to because the Holy Spirit's telling me because I'm alive in him where somebody else is telling me and I was already pastoring and I want to tell you this at some point you got to take separation it can be positive it's gotta be practical but at some point separations got to become personal it's out of the years and you gotta say no god this is mine this is what I believe what areas of separation is God dealing with you and your conscience allow the Holy Spirit to convict or convince you through truth in your conscious I'm a big conscience guy I believe the most important part of our being is the conscience I think the Holy Spirit when he comes in I think that's where he dwells and it's our courtroom and the Holy Spirit because there's a lot of things I can't find Bible verses for but I have the Holy Spirit living in my conscience and I allow the Holy Spirit know Jim and you want to stay tender I had a bad attitude today so I had to text three people I hadn't get a chance to see em I hate texting this kind of stuff when I see him I'll say something but I said I got a text them before I preached and I had to get something right with three people that I had a bad attitude with today and it you got it you gotta be sensitive to the conscience because if you want God's power Paul says in acts 24:16 I have lived all my life with a void of a conscience a void of offense of my conscience that when the Holy Spirit says hey man you're doing this wrong you get it taken care of and you stay tender to it I would tell you this if I could do anything for all of our students that are going home this summer if there could be a magic wand that I could put out you know what I would do that these students would listen to the Holy Spirit in their conscience this summer to have the greatest summer in the world I think Pastor Chapel would say if I could do anything for the members of Lancaster Baptist I just wish they would listen to the Holy Spirit in their conscience has foul faith have it to thyself before God happy is he who condemned it not himself in that which he loveth but if he doubt if he's damned already for whatsoever is not of faith is sin if God I have lived with a clear conscience and that is where separation meets the road is when your conscience says hey don't put those on when your conscience says no turn that off when your conscience says go talk to that person and the Holy Spirit is the one speaking to you and you listen to that my friend I'll tell you what separation at that point becomes very very personal I think it's positive I left that dentist's office I thought let's go over the worst day of my life I left that dentist's office going like that was the coolest thing in the world I challenge you go through separation and see on the other side as you separate from the world and you separate to God if you go like wow this is what a live in Christ is all about

Channel: Lancaster Baptist Church

Views: 1,074

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: lancaster baptist church, lancaster baptist, baptist church, paul, chappell, paul chappell, pastor paul chappell, Genesis 12, Dr. Jim Schettler, alive, Christ, separation, world

Id: 8_dbJtZKOy0

Length: 52min 54sec (3174 seconds)

Published: Thu May 02 2019