Come Out From Among Them — Shane Idleman

The Call to Come Out and Be Separate

The message tonight. The title is come out from among them and be separate. Or to shorten it a little bit come out from among them. And tonight i'm talking about the why and When I talk about this again in a few weeks, it's going to be on the how.

Okay shane. How do I come out from among them and I could talk about both tonight, but we'd be here for a while. So I just want to focus on this verse many of you know. The famous verse come out from among them be separate.

Holiness Begins in the Heart

And why is this so important? Well, the topic i'm talking about is holiness. You ready for this? Holiness and holiness is not wearing some special thing on my head or putting on a garment or Walking around being holy and and looking holy holiness is is something in the heart.

Come out from among them and be holy. And I want to submit to you if god's church was holy. We would turn this nation around holy and set apart for god. Not weird not legalistic but filled with the spirit of power.

One of the greatest evidences of genuine faith is obedience to god. You know what? Let me switch mics. What do you guys think? Let's get a little windy. There we go. All right. How's that better? Okay, it reminds me of my early years.

Holding this and then this hand here and it's hard to hard to walk around a little bit, but i'm going to try. One of the greatest evidences of genuine faith. You hear of genuine faith a lot these days, right?

I'm a christian people say i'm a christian and being baptized doesn't mean you're a christian or going to church. Doesn't mean you're a christian or having a bible doesn't mean you're a christian. One of the greatest evidences of saving faith is a love for god and his word and obedience to it.

So all these people saying well i'm a christian. But they don't obey god's word or they or they do things not according to god's word. You have to really wonder where are their hearts at? Now i'm not talking about perfection or I wouldn't be allowed to be up here preaching.

But we are talking about direction direction of the heart. So one of the greatest evidence of a changed life is genuine faith obedience to god's word. So what is holiness? That's the topic i'm talking about tonight holiness is separation.

Living in the World Without Being of the World

Come out from among them and be separate. So the question is are you are you? Affecting the world or is the world infecting you? That's the difference christians are supposed to be holy and set apart for god and and and through the power of the holy spirit.

Make a difference. Now here's an analogy that might help. A ship is in the water, but the water is not in the ship. Amen. The same thing with the christian when that verse that we love to quote but not many people understand it.

Well that to be in the world, but not of the world and many times it's the opposite. We're of the world. So we're not affecting the world. There's a big difference there and it's it will definitely play a role in your spiritual health.

There's a poem that says this all the water in the world. However, however hard it tried could never sink the smallest ship unless it gets inside. All the evil in the world the blackest kind of sin can never hurt you in the least unless you let it in.

And holiness my call to you tonight Is not to be weird or legalistic or follow rules. But out of the abundance of the heart a love for god and his word you want to be holy and set apart. So what you watch looks different.

Amen. What you view on youtube what you do on facebook on tiktok on instagram how you live your life looks different. There's a different light shining. It's not the darkness of this world. It's the light of the gospel and when you live for jesus christ and when you name that name.

Oh, what a beautiful name that name is. Is it not that name that has changed your heart and changed your life and because of that change because of that change? I want to live holy and set apart for you and i've noticed the more holy I become and consecrated I become.

And wanting more of god the more the power of the holy spirit I feel. And the more I look like the world I want to embrace the mindset of the world and go the direction of the world. I begin to quench and grieve the spirit.

And that's what paul was talking about to the church in rome. He said be not conformed to this world but be Transformed by the renewing of your mind. So most christians if you do nothing you're going to be conformed to this world.

That means like a potter having a piece of clay. He's conforming it to the image. So that's why we will talk like the world and act like the world and and and do things just like the world. There's no power.

There's no difference. And is it not true that there is nothing? There is no one more miserable than a christian quenching and grieving the spirit of god. That's why you can hear a pin drop. Because that's the lives of many of us.

We're not living holy lives and set apart for god. There's a there's there's a besetting sin. Maybe or there's a wrong attitude and a grumbling and complaining and a bitterness and a jealousy. And we have all these wrong attitudes and and we're miserable and we're unhappy and god says come out from among them and be separate.

And again, I wish I could take some time on how to do that tonight. But I just want to spark the fire and I also want to clarify for you. Let me see these little i'm gonna have to bring bring bigger brackets next time.

Salvation, Repentance, and Sanctification

I want to. I want to talk though a little bit about holiness as far as salvation so you're not confused. Okay doing certain things and obeying god does not save us. We do these things because we've been saved.

It's a big difference. So the bible also says that a person is holy when they repent of their sin. And they believe in jesus the holy spirit comes in and changes their heart and changes their life. They are holy that decision.

They are holy and set apart for god however. That's automatic. But sanctification is a process. Amen. Has anyone arrived yet? I would love to talk to you afterwards if you are arrived and you are the perfect christian and you've never messed up.

So that's why it's a process. They call it sanctification. And the more you submit to the work of the holy spirit the more holy you become. And if you are lacking spiritual fire fire tonight spiritual fervency a Desire for god a hunger for god's word and the bible's boring and church is boring.

I I want to submit to you that if you are a believer. It's because you're quenching and grieving the spirit of god in most cases. When god calls us to be holy we step back. And we begin to compromise.

Holiness, Joy, and Everyday Choices

And I also want to remind you that holiness and unhappiness. Do not go together what I mean by that is you ever see those people walking around with sour faces. Like they just drank some kale juice or wheat grass.

And they just they just walk around and i'm so holy and i'm just mean to everybody and i'm legalistic. And i'm you can't you did you go to the movies? Let me how those shorts are too short. You're wearing what are you wearing there and and they're just walking around miserable and not happy and that's not holy holy.

Now you might challenge somebody in certain areas. But holiness is a power of god living upon your life you're you're holy and separated like john the baptist like samson like like eli and like Samuel and so many people come out and they were different.

There's a different and a distinction from them. I guarantee the number one movies on netflix better not be your number one movies. Oh another pin dropped. I know what that means conviction alert. You see because as the mind goes the spirit follows.

If i'm watching things that pull me down spiritually, it will affect me at a very deep level. So the verse obviously that we've been waiting for is found in second corinthians. And I love what paul says here.

He says oh corinthians, and I know what he's saying there. It's it's that language. Oh church. Do you ever get passionate for your kids or for your grandkids when you see them doing something? That they shouldn't be doing or walking in a direction.

They shouldn't be walking kids. Why don't you wake up and that's what paul is doing to the church in corinth? And of course it applies to us as well. Oh church do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness. And what communion has light and darkness. And I was reminded when elijah called down fire on mark mount carmel. He had the whole Nation of israel many of them before him and he said people how long will you waver between two opinions?

How long will you jump on this side and jump on this side? If god be god follow him and I believe the same call goes out to our nation today. How long will we waver between two opinions if god is on your side serve god fully surrender your heart in your life don't step keep keep going back and forth and Loving the things of the world and then trying to serve god and then loving the things of the world and trying to serve God you become miserable.

And as we know you can't do both, correct? He who loves the world does not have the love of the father in him. There's two competing Forces or voices for your attention that being the world and of course that being god.

He says what communion in other words, what fellowship has light with darkness? And what accord has christ with baal. And what part has a believer with an unbeliever? Now many of you know. That this is talking of course and we can apply it to marriage to those getting married.

If you're unequally yoked in other words, you're a person that you love god. You're on fire for god, but this person's not the bible encourages us to rethink that relationship. And that word yoked there in deuteronomy.

The Meaning of the Unequal Yoke

You can look it up. They prohibited The and the children of israel yoking up two different types of animals. Now kids. Are you ready for a quick history lesson? What is a yoke? It's not an egg. It was a big wooden instrument that an oxen would have around its neck.

And on the end of it It would be tied to the plow. And that plow would go through the dirt and plow up that fall of ground and next to the oxen will be another oxen. So these two strong oxen would be yoked up yoked together and they would pull that.

So you're not going to yoke up a lamb with an oxen. What would happen that lamb wouldn't even have its feet above? It'd just be pulled along by the ox and you're not gonna link up an ox with the horse.

You have to have the The same power the same authority going the same direction. So paul says do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers that could apply to business deals. That could apply to so many different things.

What fellowship has light with darkness? There's a difference. There's a distinction with christians. And again tonight i'm talking about the why. And next time I want to talk about the how how to go about doing this.

Of course it's used for marriage. But the core principle is this be not conformed to this world. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind and then paul goes on to say therefore come out from among them and be Separate what that looks like even especially the pastor many years ago.

I had to decide I can't run with the same old crowd. I can't do the same old things. I have to be different. I have to be distinct and as a believer. Sometimes you can't run with the same old crowd. You've got to come out with among from among them be separate and say i'm going to bed early.

I'm not partying. I'm, not hitting the club scene. I'm not getting involved in all that gossip and slander. I've got to be different because I want the spirit of the living god to be flowing out of my life.

Can I get an amen from those who want the spirit of god to be moving in their life? Listen that's how we're going to change this nation. That's how we're going to change this nation. If you've been following this ministry for any length of time, you know that i'm my heart is for revival for restoration for renewal when god revives his church when god wakes up his people.

And he always does that in a setting of coming out from among them and being separate. So i'm going to talk about the problem with holiness. And the pain of holiness and the power of holiness and I will be done.

The Problem: Holiness Is Not Popular

The problem with holiness. Are you ready for this one? I don't think anyone is going to be surprised by this. It's not popular. You guys keep moving way down there. So i'm so if you don't hear and where the speaker's down there, so that's good.

But i'm going to try to work my way around and make this make this applicable to everyone in here. The the problem with holiness is it's not popular. So kids that's why often they turn away from god, they're not going to like you on facebook on tiktok on twitter on instagram.

There's there there. It's not popular. Have you ever tried to be holy and set apart for god? Are you popular with your friends that are not? Or do they call you names? And belittle and mock. And that's why I believe many people are not standing up boldly right now in this day and age because we're tired.

And they're tired of being mocked and put down. So the problem with holiness, it's not popular. And I asked that question earlier are you influencing the world or are you being influenced. Are you affecting the world?

Or are is the world infecting you? So once we overcome that hurdle. Understanding what I do for god is not going to be popular. I can even tell you right now that a voice crying in the wilderness preaching from the power of the holy spirit.

The word of god is not popular in a decaying society like america. Have you caught that yet? They don't like people calling out sin and calling them to holiness and righteousness. And then we have the pain of holiness.

The Pain of Resisting the Flesh

Why why is there pain because it's a battle? It's have you ever tried to serve god and had to fight something inside of you called the flesh? Here's why. The flesh is like a magnet to sin. Just pulling and pulling and pulling.

And to be holy and set apart for god. There's a push against that and there's a there's a running toward god. There's a seeking after god. There's a travailing. There's a passion plea for god and it's a fight.

It's a battle to fully surrender our lives to god. And the pull to god must be greater than the pull of sin guys. Here's how you get away from sin. You don't just try harder and just sit there and grin and bear it.

My my my my pursuit toward god has to be greater than the pull of sin away from from god. So that's where you're getting on worship. You're getting into the word of god and you're saying lord I'm going to seek you with all of my heart and with all of my strength and that pull to the savior Is greater than that pull away from him.

And you ask god I need your help here. Anybody said that recently? I would encourage you to do it lord. I need your help without you. My marriage will fail without you. My kids will reject you without you.

My business will not succeed lord without you. America is on her way to hell. Lord, we need you. You are our only hope you see the old time saints used to cry out to god and i'm not embarrassed. Again to cry out to god and say lord.

We need you. You are our only hope we cannot look to anything else christ. Almighty, would you come back and rule and reign again on the throne? Would you take over my heart and begin to shape me and point me in the right direction lord?

Would you fill my kids with your spirit? Oh god, we need you. See there's a passionate pleading. There's a desperation a desperate call to god. And one reason I look to the old testament is because paul told me to first corinthians 10.

He said that these things were written For our admonishment that we might not lust after evil things like they lusted. There's principles in the old testament. And that's why we have to put on the weapons of our warfare.

Listen guys, I don't know where this belief came in that christianity is easy. And that you can just sit back and relax and it's and and just enjoy a lot. I wish it was true. I wish it was true. I wish we could just sit back.

And just enjoy life. There's no spiritual battle. But that's not reality. The reality is we need to shoot people straight. And I believe kids are are walking away, you know the statistics over the last 20 years.

Why are young adults walking away from the faith. Because we've painted a false view of christianity in many cases. We don't equip them in apologetics. We don't strengthen them in spiritual warfare and we just throw them out to the wolves and expect it all to work out.

No, your home has to be a a a place of holiness and righteousness and you prepare those. There's nothing wrong with laying hands on your children and grandchildren. Amen and saying devil. You will not have this child.

I plead the blood of jesus christ. I might even fast today. I'm getting serious. This kid is this child is going to be called of you. You are going to use this child. This is how I fight my battles on my face and on my knees before almighty god lifting up her hands and worshipness worship and brokenness and humility.

The Power of Holiness and Purity

The power of the holy the power of holiness, oh, I love this last part the power of holiness. Isaiah 52. He said awake awake awake put on strength. In other words get up and put on strength come out of your slumber.

Wake up church and look to god and god alone strengthen yourself. And god will go before you. Is that interesting? God doesn't bless passivity. Whenever i'm passive he doesn't bless that because in my case it's laziness.

But when god says go out. In faith and strength that I will be with you. It's a good reminder to you that if there's no purity, there's no power. There's something about that word purity purity. Being pure and holy not perfect.

I know many of you have fallen. I've fallen. I could share my testimony sometime. God's not looking for perfection. I don't care if you blew it last week. I don't care if you're in the in the pits. In the dark dark dark darkness of a stronghold and a bondage.

God can set you free. He wants you to turn your life completely over to him. No purity no power. I'll tell you what the most. One of the most tremendous times i've ever felt the power of the holy spirit in my life.

Was it when I went from darkness to light? Like in a week. Right. I was closing down schooners. I was at the fair getting drunk. And then I turned my life completely over to god and the power of the holy spirit came within me and the bible becomes alive.

Christian worship comes alive. I want to boldly proclaim god's truth, but they'll say no. No, you've got to wait a couple months. No, no, no, you got to give it a year. Let's see if you're sincere. God knows if you're sincere or not.

He sees your heart in the split second. And as soon as you make that full confession that full surrender god begins to work in that heart. And it begins to fill you up with boldness and power because now you have hope.

Now you have peace. Now, you know that you're in right relationship with god. And I want to remind you as well that obedience to the word leads to holiness. Anytime you obey god's word that will lead to holiness.

Consecration and Obedience to God's Word

Holiness coming out from among them. Be separate when I obey god's word. Psalm 91 for example says that there are blessings to those who abide and who seek and who consecrate themselves to the lord Lord.

There's so many verses that when a person says lord i'm setting my life apart for you. It doesn't mean you get weird. Doesn't mean you go live in the desert doesn't mean you just. Don't don't go around anyone and and live in a monastery.

It doesn't mean all that. Just means lord. You are the focus of my life what I watch what I listen to how I spend my time. How I spend my money. All of it lord is going to be centered on who you are in my life.

I want to be holy and set apart for you. Consecrate yourself. In the old testament they used to say consecrate yourself purify yourself for tomorrow you will do great exploits. There's always a coming out from among them and being separate and then god uses you because when you're in Amid the in the midst among them and continuing in the sin God can't work in that there has to be a coming out and seeking him.

But people often say but I don't read the bible. Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but illiteracy does not make disobedience. Okay? We have to know what the word of god is. I'll share four verses with you and it's going to convict 90 of the people in this room.

Four Practical Areas of Obedience

Do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the holy spirit. Let no unwholesome word proceedeth out of your mouth, but what is good and edifying toward others do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

And finally humble yourself under the mighty hand of god. In due time he will exalt you. I just give you four things to work on. Overcoming addiction. Not being one who slanders and gossips and is negative and critical.

And not being equally yoked with sin and humbling yourself under the mighty hand of god. I was amazed. I spent a lot of time this week in the old testament. How much the people complained and grumbled and complained.

That's actually why he led them in the wilderness for so long because of grumbling and complaining any conviction in that. And sometimes we think of that incident where they ate so much quail. God brought quail for a whole month.

And you do you know it wasn't wrong to ask for quail. Read the text. They said oh if we were just back in egypt. Oh if we were just back in egypt. We could have meat and leeks and onions and all this good food if we were just back in england and uh, and um.

In egypt god brought us out to this desert to kill us grumbling and complaining. I know this is hard to hear but grumbling and complaining. Will quench and grieve the spirit of god. And there's a lot to grumble and complain about right now, isn't there?

But we have to be different in this area as well. So let me leave you with this prayer and worship will transform your life. Worship is a lifestyle. Yes. Yes, it is. But sometimes you also need to press in and press in.

Worship, Humility, and Surrender

Let me ask you this question. Why is it so hard for men to worship? Well, i'll tell you why there is a lack of humility. We say I can fix this. I can fix this problem in my life. I don't need god. I'm, not the problem other people are.

Or that my favorite one you ready for this one shane? I'm, just not emotional. I'm, just not emotional. Well, you express anger real. Well you get excited about sin. No, no, see the problem isn't emotional the problem is.

The heart does not fully surrender to god. Tozer said I want to experience god or I don't want to have anything to do with religion. Amen. It's okay to be emotional. I'm not talking about emotionalism where you just get emotional and it's just it's just it's not good.

It's kind of weird. It's just you know, the emotionalism not stable. But i'm talking about when men and women meet the risen savior and they are filled with the spirit of god. There should be some type of emotion my lord when god visits you and saves you and sets you free and fills you With his spirit and now there's a love for truth the love for purity a love for that.

You might get a little excited. I don't know. Of course we will. We need to get rid of all these excuses of why we are not worshipers and become men and women again. Where our kids or grandkids will find us on our face worshiping and crying out to god.

In the old testament many times they would fall down in the holy presence of god. They would like prostrate on the floor. They would bow their knees. They would raise their arms and they would lift up a holy praise to god almighty because they are on fire with the holy spirit.

And that's coming from someone who's conservative worship is where pride collides with humility. And humility wins. Oh the beauty of brokenness, I wish I had time to tell you about the beauty of brokenness the beauty of brokenness being broken before god.

The Beauty of Brokenness

I don't know who said it but the saying is That god has to break you. Greatly before he can use you mightily. Many of the people you listen to on the radio or some of your some of my favorite preachers or different things.

If you knew the backstory of how much brokenness took place. How much of humbling and god breaking them and breaking them and breaking them. It's hard to tame a wild stallion. You have to break it. Oh the beauty of brokenness.

I believe god is breaking the church during this season. I really do. I believe he's breaking a lot of christians the beauty of brokenness. I mean think about that for a minute. Where do we get our olive oil?

Ask the olive how it felt. Where do you get your perfume women ask the flower petal? See that through that brokenness. And i've seen god would break a person and then he can rebuild them. That's what god does he breaks them.

He shatters their life in pieces so that nothing matters anymore not their accomplishments. Nothing matters anymore. They can do nothing without god. They are broken. They are shattered on the floor and god says now I can use you in that famous song up from the ashes.

I will arise because god will rebuild my life. God will strengthen me. God will redeem me. God will lift me up. Although I fall god will hold me up with his right hand and the wonderful thing about being broken and worshiping is There's the power to overcome sin.

A Fresh Filling of the Holy Spirit

Listen before I preach these sermons I have to live them. And i'm telling you the power of god is so evident in those who are broken and humble and set apart for him. If we had time we would go to acts 4 and I think this is what many people need Acts 4.

If I had a message right now, I would title it. I need another feeling. I need another feeling. What were they talking about? They were already filled with the holy spirit a couple chapters earlier. And it's interesting the disciples Were in this room.

They were praying they prayed for boldness. And the it's the bible says the place shook and that they were all Fill filled with the holy spirit if you are empty tonight. Let me tell you all you need is a fresh filling of the holy spirit.

And if you don't think that's biblical look it up go home and look it up. Especially in the greek language when paul says be filled with the holy spirit. It's a continual feeling of the holy spirit because Things are going out.

I need god to come in. Trash is going in. I need god to push it out. I like dio moody. I'm a leaky vessel. And I need to sit underneath the fountain of life to be filled mindly with the spirit of god and only repentance can clean that heart.

Knowing Jesus Through Repentance

And I want to ask the question tonight many of you many of you have met jesus, but do you know him? I can meet someone tonight, but I don't know you. So many people they've met jesus. But they don't truly know him.

So I want to leave this thought with those of you Who are christians? And you've been struggling. Maybe you've been depressed. You've been anxious. You've been fearful. You've you've god is distant. The bible's boring.

You don't even know why you're here. You don't really want to go back to church. God's not moving in your life. You're not witnessing to others. You'd rather put on george straight than he'll song. Well, there's a couple good songs out there by the end.

Every time I say that I get lectured by somebody, you know, there's some good country gospels. I know I know. But you know i'm talking about if that if that desire that hunger is gone. God's call is always very simple.

But not easy. He says turn back to me. Seek me with all your heart seek me with all your strength. Turn back to me repent. It's a change of mind god. I'm repenting of these things in my life that are pushing you out of my life.

And I need a fresh feeling of the holy spirit. I need it. I'm not preaching at you. I'm preaching to all of us. We need a fresh feeling of the holy spirit. So if you are a believer tonight and god is distant and your faith is growing cold.

Let me encourage you to spark the embers spark that fire during closing worship or go get baptized. That's what I did in 2000 just 20 years ago I went and I surrendered and I got baptized and I believe from that day forward it changed my heart.

You want to know why because I I kept walking around. I don't need to be baptized. I've been a christian quite a while. I think I was baptized when I 12. I don't need that kind of stuff. What was the reason.

Pride arrogance. And at 30 years old I humbled myself. And I believe that was a turning point in my life. But I also want to shift gears for many of you tonight. You might have a wrong view of god, but I want to tell you that god loves you his ways his precepts his word.

God's Word as Loving Guardrails

Does not cause you to stop having fun. They are guardrails through the canyons of life. God's word is a guardrail. It doesn't prevent you from having fun. It protects you from falling. So it's not an angry god who is just looking to get you.

It's a loving god. His voice is true. His ways are right. His name is holy. His commandments are just his principles are pure. Oh, what a beautiful name that name is when we bow our knee to jesus christ for the first time and god begins to set You free and the burden of sin and shame and guilt is lifted.

And now you can say like pilgrims progress like christian and and john bunyan's classic that that burden has fallen off. And i've been set free for the who the sun sets free is free indeed. Oh, what a beautiful name that name is.

The name of jesus christ my king and I will declare to you tonight that I will bow to no other king. No matter what happens in our nation king. Jesus is still on the throne king. Jesus will not be defeated king.

Jesus will see you through. I believe that boldness is contagious. I got a very encouraging text just yesterday jack. Hibbs texted me and said I encouraged him. And I told him you encourage me. It's people like him and macarthur.

John, macarthur and these people who stand up that give us that boldness. And i'm just here to maybe give you some of that boldness. It's okay to be bold in this culture. Did you know you can be both loving and bold?

Jesus was. He was a boldest man that read some of what jesus said you you brood of vipers. You whitewashed tombs. You pharisees you look nice on the outside. But you're a dead man's bones on the inside and you will be judged and condemned in the final judgment.

Repentance and the Finished Work of Christ

That's jesus's words. We need to be bold in this culture. Our kids need to see boldness not arrogance. Boldness. So if you've never repented. And allowed jesus christ to save you and set you free now many of you have been playing church.

You go to church with your parents. You kind of own a bible you go to a christian school. You're here tonight. I'm not i'm living america. I must be a christian. No. Actually, none of those things make a person a christian the one thing and one thing alone.