Set Apart For a Greater Purpose
Set Apart For a Greater Purpose
You have been called to be holy for a special purpose.
Holiness is being set apart. It’s being set apart for something.
Welcome to the Light of Christ Weekly Podcast. Light of Christ Anglican Church is located in Georgetown, Texas at MLK and University Avenue. We are a modern expression of the ancient faith. You can learn more about us at LightofChristGeorgetown.org.
Our sermon soundbite today is based on John 17:19, where Christ prays to the Father, "And for their sake, I consecrate myself that they also may be sanctified in truth."
So he prays for our security. He prays for our oneness, and finally, he prays that we be set apart, set apart. The Bible words for this are words like, holy. This is the same word. And, you'll see it throughout John 17. Holy, consecrated, sanctified. All these words mean the same thing, meaning to be set apart for a special purpose.
Sometimes when we think about being holy what's the first thing that you think about? For me, I think about, "Oh, holiness is not doing bad stuff." I think of the 10 Commandments, "Thou shalt not, thou shalt not, thou shalt not, thou shall honor your father and mother." And, then "Thou shalt not." It's a lot of thou shalt nots, but being set apart is much more. Obviously part of it is not doing certain things for sure. But, holiness, being set apart, is actually being set apart for something. You see, every yes we say is a no to something else. Every no we say is a yes to something else. They are two sides of the same coin. Yesterday, when I said yes to painting the front of my house, I said no to grilling a T-bone steak on my grill.
Had I said yes to grilling a T-bone steak, I would have had to say no to painting. But I needed to paint because they're saying it's going to rain for two months. Well, not two months, but for a week and a half starting sometime today. So, I had to paint, right? Every yes is a no to something else and every no is a yes. And, we've been called to a huge and beautiful, yes. We have been set apart for a higher purpose.
I remember being at a party once and this guy was there who was just ripped and shredded. He was a huge, big guy. And, I think we were going to drink some margaritas or something. And, I said, "Hey, do you want one?" He's like, "No." It was a perfect time for a margarita. “You don't want a margarita?” And he pulls out of his backpack some plastic bottle and pours some weird looking powder in there and puts water in there, shakes it up and drinks it. I was thinking, "Oh, that's a poor substitute." Why did he say no to the margarita? Well, he had a bodybuilding championship coming up. He had to be in perfect shape. He said no to the margarita because he had a higher yes. And likewise you have been set apart to a higher yes.
And, this is what Christ is praying for us. This is God's deep desire. This is the Holy Spirit's work. This is what He will most certainly accomplish. We have been set apart for the purpose of loving. We have been set apart for the sake of others, to use your unique gifts, to bless those around you. And, as we are called to that set-apart-ness, to be like Christ, who was so different and weird than the people around Him. We have been called to be set apart and weird, to be that guy, when everyone else is “drinking a margarita”, who drinks some powder in a bottle. People don't understand, but we have a higher purpose.
And so, we say no to lying. We say no to sexual immorality. We say no to greed and selfishness, because we are saying yes to a greater purpose. We have been set apart and this is Jesus' desire. This is the Holy Spirit's work. And, this is what He most certainly will accomplish.
Thank you for listening to the Light of Christ Weekly Podcast. Let us end our time together with a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer. This prayer by John Wesley can be found on page 673.
I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.
