1 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:09,480 Amen. Yes, please open your Bible to 2 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:13,520 the New Testament book, Second Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 3 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:15,200 14. We're going to go all the way 4 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,280 through to the end of the chapter and into verse 1 of 5 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:22,200 Chapter 7. Title of tonight's message is 6 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:28,240 Separated for God's Glory. As you're turning there, I'm 7 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:32,119 sure that you've all seen two things that just do not fit 8 00:00:32,119 --> 00:00:34,360 together. They cannot coexist. 9 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:39,760 You can't mix oil and water. They just won't be able to blend 10 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,440 together. The old square peg in a round 11 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:46,400 hole. Or if you've ever frustratingly 12 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:52,120 perhaps been in a boat, a rowboat with somebody and you're 13 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,480 rowing forward and they're pulling backwards, just think, 14 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,400 what are you doing? Simply doesn't work. 15 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,240 Paul uses a similar image and picture for us in 2nd 16 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,280 Corinthians 6. He urges believers, you and I 17 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:11,440 tonight, not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. 18 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,560 Now in farming terms, the audience would be very familiar 19 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:18,840 and I'm sure many of us are. The yoke was a wooden harness 20 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:23,960 that would link 2 animals together to strengthen them, to 21 00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:27,000 combine their forces to plough a field. 22 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,200 But if you put an ox and a donkey together for example, 23 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,160 that yoke they would pull in different directions and the 24 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:39,720 result would be frustration for the farmer, no doubt for the 25 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:46,680 animals involved, injury perhaps, and certainly futility 26 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:48,520 when it comes to the task at hand. 27 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:53,000 Now in the same way Paul will warn the church that partnership 28 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,080 with the world, with the world's values, with the world's 29 00:01:56,080 --> 00:02:00,480 practises will only pull us away from Jesus Christ. 30 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:06,640 But his call is not just to separate from and out from the 31 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,560 world or out from sin and out from compromise. 32 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:13,040 That's part of it. But there's also a call for 33 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:18,640 separation unto towards God to enjoy his promises, to enjoy his 34 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:21,760 presence, to enjoy his power in our lives. 35 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,000 There's, you see, both a negative and a positive attached 36 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:30,520 to this idea of separation, one being an away from that which is 37 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,280 dangerous, that which is harmful, that which is contrary 38 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:38,360 to God, and the other being a positive which is towards God, a 39 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:42,440 no and a yes. You see, when you're and I 40 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,320 became Christians, we have a new life. 41 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:49,120 We have as a consequence of that new life, new relationships. 42 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:51,680 We experience a new relationship with God. 43 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:56,160 No longer are we what the Bible declares we once were, enemies 44 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:59,320 with God. Now, instead of running from 45 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,720 God, we're walking In Sync with God as his sons and as his 46 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,880 daughters, as the family of God. There's that relationship that 47 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:10,000 we now enjoy with God. We have a new relationship with 48 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:11,160 the devil. You go. 49 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:12,960 I never knew I had a relationship with the devil 50 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:16,240 before you did. The Bible tells us that you were 51 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:21,240 once a child of the devil, but that now, now you're an enemy of 52 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,320 the devil. You've been transferred out of 53 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,080 the Kingdom of darkness and into the glorious Kingdom of light. 54 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:28,880 You have a new relationship with the church. 55 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,520 You have a new relationship with unbelievers. 56 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,120 Not sure if you recall what it was like when you weren't saved 57 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,920 and how your attitude towards believers was. 58 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:39,720 You thought Christians were perhaps weird. 59 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,040 Crazy. Now you find yourself hanging 60 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,480 out with the very people that you thought were crazy some 61 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,080 5/10/15 years ago. The people that you were joking 62 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,040 about and making fun of are now those that you would call 63 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,760 friends. What a change, what a 64 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,560 transformation. You have a new relationship with 65 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,520 the unbelieving world. You're living a life that is 66 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:05,360 separated unto God. What we're talking about tonight 67 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,120 is the doctrine of separation. Before we read, I want to take a 68 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,880 bit of time here to address this somewhat to lay a bit of a 69 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,520 foundation for us. So we'll spend a bit of time in 70 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:16,920 our introduction. We're going to spend a fair 71 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,680 amount of time on .1, and then we'll move through points two 72 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,400 and three fairly quickly tonight so that you know where we're 73 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:24,840 headed. What we're talking about is this 74 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:28,200 doctrine of separation. I want to point out that there 75 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:31,760 are two extremes to this doctrine, often that we find 76 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:36,320 ourselves as Christians leaning towards, and we commonly hear 77 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,080 separation referred to as sanctification. 78 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:43,480 Maybe you've heard of that term. So for the Christian, our 79 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:48,320 salvation, it begins with justification and then there's 80 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:52,480 sanctification. Both are part of salvation 81 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,320 justification. That's the initial act where God 82 00:04:56,320 --> 00:05:00,720 declares you and I as believers, where once we were sinners as 83 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,880 now righteous. That is what we call our 84 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,880 position, our standing in Jesus Christ. 85 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:12,320 And then sanctification is when having now become a Christian, 86 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,440 there is this commencement of a lifelong process, the Holy 87 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:21,400 Spirit at work and you changing you, transforming you, making 88 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:25,920 you into the image of Jesus Christ, that sanctification both 89 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:30,560 are again part of what we call salvation justification, your 90 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:35,760 standing and your position in Christ sanctification, your 91 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,320 practise, how you live out your daily life as a Christian. 92 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,160 And a lot of times people get those two confused and it causes 93 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:49,160 all sorts of issues in them doubting their salvation because 94 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,000 they're not really living a sanctified life. 95 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:52,920 Many people think, oh, am I saved? 96 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,200 Am I not saved? And you know, that fluctuates 97 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,440 day to day. Justification does not alter our 98 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,760 position. Sanctification is what we're 99 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,480 concerned with and what we're particularly looking at tonight. 100 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,960 So Paul's focus is that once we're saved, what needs to 101 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:12,800 happen is that we need to grow in holiness and likeness to 102 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:16,600 Jesus Christ that that we live a life that is separated different 103 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:18,800 to the world and the people around us. 104 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:23,720 Sanctification, obedience to the Holy Spirit in our living. 105 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,920 And there are two extremes that people often head to in there. 106 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:33,880 One is isolation and the second is assimilation. 107 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,360 Isolation is this where where Christians often feel like that 108 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:40,720 they should never ever talk to a non Christian ever again. 109 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:46,800 Never be around a non Christian ever again or do anything with a 110 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,800 non Christian. Now, if you go to a restaurant, 111 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:51,840 you've asked for the sanctified section. 112 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:56,040 And we want a spirit filled waitress, please, if we can. 113 00:06:56,040 --> 00:07:01,480 And we want the Holy Ghost menu. And so we have churches that 114 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,200 have restaurants and we have, you know, churches that have all 115 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:08,560 sorts of activities based on kind of isolating believers 116 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:10,920 together, you know, ask for no more and creating these 117 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:15,040 Christian bubbles. Now, I don't believe biblically 118 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:18,680 that as we read the Scriptures that that God wants us to live 119 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:23,400 a, a monastic life, to go out into a monastery and to fully 120 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:27,160 isolate from the world that that may serve a purpose for a period 121 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:31,120 of time, don't get me wrong, but not as a permanent feature of 122 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:35,680 life and living. You see, the salt is no good 123 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:37,680 unless it gets out of the salt shaker, right? 124 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,560 You and I, we are called the salt of the earth. 125 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,760 A light that is hidden under a bushel has no effect. 126 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,640 We are called the lights of the world. 127 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:52,120 And I think one of the reasons why the world has gotten so bad 128 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:55,600 is because the salt and the light have not permeated into 129 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:59,240 the world as they should and having a a sanctifying effect on 130 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,120 the world around us. Now, I believe we need 131 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,720 Christians in every area of life. 132 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:09,600 We need Christian bankers. We need Christian lawyers, we 133 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,640 need Christian principles, Christian teachers, Christian 134 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:16,720 nurses, Christian sales assistants, Christian grocery 135 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:21,280 store workers, to to influence, to permeate like the salt of the 136 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:22,800 earth and the light of the world. 137 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:27,480 But the second extreme to that is assimilation, where we become 138 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,640 too much like the world. Rather than being a light to the 139 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,880 world, we become like the world. When we're like the world and 140 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,880 it's ideas and it's philosophies and lifestyles, then we're no 141 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:42,440 longer any good to the world. The salt that loses its 142 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:46,240 saltiness is good for nothing, Jesus said, but to be thrown out 143 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,360 in the way and trodden under the feet of men. 144 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:51,440 Jesus declared. You see, there's no difference 145 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:53,680 then between the non Christian and the Christian. 146 00:08:53,680 --> 00:08:55,880 And there ought to be. So we can find ourselves 147 00:08:55,880 --> 00:09:00,640 swinging from one of two extremes, either isolation or 148 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:04,120 assimilation. So where do we go when we're 149 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:06,760 unsure? What example do we look to? 150 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:12,440 We look to Jesus, right? Jesus demonstrated this, this 151 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:14,880 tension of what? Is it isolation or is it 152 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:16,280 assimilation? Which one is it? 153 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,320 Remember that Jesus went to the home of a Zacchaeus. 154 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,200 Remember the wee little man? We sing the song. 155 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,200 It was a tax collected, despised by many. 156 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,720 Even his own disciples freaked out when Jesus said Zacchaeus, 157 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:31,560 come down from that Sycamore tree, I'm coming to your house 158 00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:33,400 for tea. And a few moments later, what 159 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:35,880 happened? Zacchaeus was a converted man. 160 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,760 When Jesus allowed the sinful woman to let down her hair and 161 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:46,400 to touch his feet, to wash his feet with her tears and then to 162 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:51,600 wipe those feet with his hair, some of the religious leaders 163 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,080 freaked out. Does does he know who she is and 164 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:58,200 what she's done? And then consider we looked at 165 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,920 it briefly this morning, John chapter 4, when Jesus waiting at 166 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:06,440 Jacob's well outside of a Samaritan town and along would 167 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:10,880 come a Samaritan woman, wicked by all definitions of various 168 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,520 people. She'd had five husbands and she 169 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:15,920 was now living with a man who was not her husband. 170 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,040 The modern church would have a freak out session would not have 171 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:20,840 a bar with the likes of that right? 172 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:25,600 She even was shocked that Jesus would spend time dialoguing with 173 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,680 her. She said you a man and a Jew 174 00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:32,720 would talk to me. And So what is Jesus example as 175 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,960 we look to him? Jesus actually had contact with 176 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:38,680 sinners, but he was never contaminated by them. 177 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,200 That's the secret. So we we want to, we need to 178 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:46,640 make and have contact with unbelievers, with non 179 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:51,120 Christians, but we don't want to be contaminated, influenced by 180 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:52,640 them. The influence ought to happen 181 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,200 the other way. And this is a delicate balance 182 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:59,280 that Paul covers for us tonight in our passage as we now move to 183 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,480 this. We're to be separated from the 184 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:07,360 world and separated unto God, to be Christ like and impactful for 185 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:09,760 the Kingdom of God. So I want to Orient our thoughts 186 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:13,480 under 3 headings tonight as we examine the verses before us. 187 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:17,600 Firstly, the incompatibility of the yoke in verses 14 through to 188 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:21,960 16 out of chapter 6. Secondly, the invitation to 189 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:26,640 separation in verses 17 and 18. And then lastly, verse 1 of 190 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:30,960 Chapter 7, the incentive of holiness. 191 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:38,560 Let's read verse 14. Do not be unequally yoked. 192 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:40,480 I'm reading from the New King James Version. 193 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:45,280 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. 194 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:50,080 For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? 195 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:52,880 What communion has light with darkness? 196 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:56,400 Notice all of these terms that he employs here are terms of 197 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:02,760 intimacy of affiliation. Verse 15 and what accord that 198 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:06,360 word accord there is where we get the English word choir, like 199 00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:11,040 a collective of voices singing and functioning together as one. 200 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:15,000 What accord has Christ with Belial? 201 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,480 That's another term for Satan, for the devil, or what part has 202 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:24,320 a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement verse 16 has 203 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:28,840 the temple of God with idols for you are the temple of the living 204 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:31,200 God. As God has said, I will dwell in 205 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,720 them and walk among them. I will be their God and they 206 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:39,320 shall be my people. Paul begins do not be unequally 207 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:43,280 yoked with unbelievers. Now let's go a little background 208 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:49,440 here that remember Corinth was a very large city some 700,000 209 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:53,120 they estimate in population at this point in time the city was 210 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:56,640 a wealthy city. It was called the Vanity Fair of 211 00:12:56,640 --> 00:13:01,000 the Roman Empire because Corinth was this resort type of 212 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,960 destination. It was a city that attracted 213 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:07,600 pleasure seeking tourists from all over the region. 214 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:10,640 And when I say pleasure, it was wicked pleasure. 215 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,960 It was a port city which made Corinth a convenient and popular 216 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:20,120 stopping place for sailors usually looking to get drunk and 217 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:24,000 to indulge in one night stands. The slogan was at that time what 218 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,840 happens in Corinth? Stays in Corinth. 219 00:13:27,560 --> 00:13:31,200 Sounds so familiar doesn't it? The city of Corinth was also 220 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,640 filled again with these shrines, with these Pagan temples, the 221 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,320 most popular being the temple of Aphrodites. 222 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:41,720 The goddess of so called love employed in this temple some 223 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:46,040 1000 plus prostitutes, both male and female, who went out every 224 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:49,800 night soliciting business in the name of worship, selling their 225 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,760 wares. In fact, in Rome at the time, 226 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:55,960 they had a saying to describe those whose lives were 227 00:13:55,960 --> 00:14:00,600 characterised by living loose, by being immoral and typically 228 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,600 drunk all of the time. They were said to be behaving 229 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:08,040 like a Corinthian. And so it was to these believers 230 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:11,600 living in this city, Corinth, this type of environment that 231 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:18,240 Paul writes these words. Be not unequally yoked to an 232 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:21,800 unbeliever. Now, this is probably the most 233 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,360 familiar and most often quoted portion of Scripture out of 234 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:26,640 Second Corinthians. I'm sure that you've all heard 235 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:30,080 of it. The context, again, is important 236 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,800 for us to consider in verses 11 to 13 and in verse 1 of chapter 237 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:36,400 6. What Paul has been talking about 238 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:40,600 all through this is how that was that the Corinthian church were 239 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:46,360 being persuaded by false teachers to disregard Paul's 240 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:49,800 gospel, which was the gospel of Jesus Christ that he was 241 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:52,800 preaching. And so there was this error in 242 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,760 the Corinthian church that they were being LED astray by these 243 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,760 false teachers. And in fact, by by identifying 244 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,880 them in this way, what really Paul is saying of the false 245 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:03,680 teachers is that they're unbelievers. 246 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:07,720 They're not in fact saved that what they're teaching is 247 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:10,600 something that is altogether contrary to the gospel. 248 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,360 The problem again with the Christians in Corinth is that 249 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:18,640 many of them, one way or the other, were either buying into 250 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:22,400 the philosophies of these false teachers or, as we discovered in 251 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,320 First Corinthians, they had a reputation for being a very 252 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:29,040 carnal church. They embraced all sorts of 253 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,040 liberties and thought they had all of these freedoms that saw 254 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:34,440 them breaking many of God's moral laws. 255 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,680 As a consequence, they're either buying into the deceptions of 256 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:42,200 the false teachers or they were embracing lifestyles and ways of 257 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,400 living that were akin to their old ways of living prior to 258 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,640 their salvation and coming to Jesus Christ. 259 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:53,280 So this writing that Paul says do not be unequally yoked 260 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:57,040 together with unbelievers in verse 14 is a call and a 261 00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:59,400 reminder for them to be separate. 262 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,440 So let's look at this picture that he has for us, the yoke, 263 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:06,040 the binding of two animals together. 264 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:10,760 Paul takes them essentially back into the Old Testament, into the 265 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:13,880 Pentateuch, the book of Deuteronomy, specifically in 266 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:19,760 chapter 22, verse 10, which specifically forbade the yoking 267 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:24,800 together of an ox with a donkey because they have different 268 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:28,560 strengths, different gates, different temperaments. 269 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:31,480 It was unkind again to the animals. 270 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:33,360 It was unproductive for the farmer. 271 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:36,440 And Paul uses this to demonstrate, to show how 272 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:39,720 disastrous spiritual mismatches are. 273 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:44,600 What was the yoke again? A yoke was that wooden frame or 274 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:49,760 bar with typically loops, often made out of leather at either 275 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:52,760 end that would fit around the necks of the two animals, 276 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:58,880 harnessing their power together, forcing them to function as 1 277 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:03,080 entity, one being. And so yokes then have 3 278 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:05,680 characteristics which will connect to why it is. 279 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:09,440 Paul uses this as a picture first. 280 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:13,520 It would tie 2 animals into a close relationship with each 281 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:17,440 other, having a a common goal and a master over them. 282 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:20,960 And this would not be a superficial relationship. 283 00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:25,960 Then the second is that that yoke would not be easily broken 284 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:29,680 kind of a permanent relationship. 285 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,360 And This is why the Church has often always taken this passage 286 00:17:34,360 --> 00:17:36,680 to refer to the marriage relationship. 287 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:41,040 You know, marriage is that kind of yoke, a permanent, binding, 288 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:43,640 lasting connection with somebody else. 289 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:48,240 It is more than a superficial relationship. 290 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,360 It is a relationship that cannot be easily broken. 291 00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:53,640 That's the the picture that is in mind here. 292 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:57,480 Now it could also be argued in this that when Paul is talking 293 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,720 about here this yoke that it applies to any close 294 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:04,520 relationship then that we as believers have with unbelievers. 295 00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:06,760 Consider the dating relationship. 296 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:09,520 People talk about missionary dating. 297 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:14,240 Ever heard that phrase? It can refer to friendships or 298 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:18,400 even a business partnership or the big push in today's day and 299 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,760 age, in the spiritual age in which we seem to be living of of 300 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:25,040 multi faith worship of it, we'll just let's have a gathering. 301 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,720 We'll have the the Muslims speak, the Hindus speak, we'll 302 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,680 have the the Buddhist speak, the Jew, the Christian alike, and we 303 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:36,080 can all come together. And that yoking now the third 304 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:39,320 mark of a yoke here is that it constrains someone. 305 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:44,040 It does not commit independent action. 306 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,240 The two animals had to work as one. 307 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:52,120 So putting all of this together, to be not yoked together with an 308 00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:56,840 unbeliever would mean this. Not putting ourselves in a close 309 00:18:57,360 --> 00:19:01,880 permanent relationship, not easily broken or a relationship 310 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:07,160 that would restrict us or constrain us in our actions, in 311 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,360 our thoughts, in our expressions with a non believer. 312 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,880 So this would definitely apply to a close friendship. 313 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:17,600 This would definitely apply to the dating relationship, 314 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,240 definitely apply to the marriage relationship. 315 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:24,560 Even a business partnership would fit under that umbrella of 316 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:28,920 the picture here that is given to us by Paul and the principle 317 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:33,400 that he pulls out through verse 14 and into 15 when he asked 318 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:36,320 these five rhetorical questions. What partnership has 319 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,400 righteousness with lawlessness? The obvious answer, None. 320 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:42,200 What fellowship is like with darkness? 321 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:47,760 The obvious answer, None. What accord has Christ with 322 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,240 Belial, a name for Satan? None. 323 00:19:51,120 --> 00:19:53,960 What portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 324 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,480 None. What agreement has the temple of 325 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:00,240 God with idols? There isn't any agreement. 326 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,720 Each answer is the same. There is no relationship. 327 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:05,840 There is no fellowship. There is no accord. 328 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,200 There is no portion, There is no agreement. 329 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:12,280 Oil and water don't mix. Christ and compromise don't 330 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:16,520 belong together. And so establishing the picture 331 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:20,320 and the principle behind it now he reminds them of the presence 332 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:24,200 of God. We you are the temple of the 333 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:27,600 living God. And the issue isn't just 334 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:31,600 incompatibility then with sin, it's about intimacy with God. 335 00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:36,400 If God dwells in us as the temple of God, his argument is 336 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:41,080 how can we yoke ourselves, bind ourselves, connect ourselves 337 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:43,880 with that which defiles His presence? 338 00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:50,160 The two cannot cohabitate just as his example is. 339 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:55,520 God would not allow an idol to be erected in the temple and him 340 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,400 be OK with it. You know, they would be familiar 341 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,360 with the Old Testament and God's harsh words against you shall 342 00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:05,840 have no other gods before me. The picture is there. 343 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:11,640 It just, it cannot exist. I don't know if you've ever seen 344 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:17,280 the Looney Tunes cartoon where you've got the sheepdog Sam and 345 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:19,640 then the wolf Ralph. He kind of looks like a wily 346 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:22,080 coyote. And they're all cordial and 347 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:23,680 friendly, you know. Good morning, Ralph. 348 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:25,440 Good morning, Sam. Good night, Ralph. 349 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:27,440 Good night, Sam. And then they clock in. 350 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,280 They punch their ticket and commence the day's hostilities 351 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,240 against each other as sheepdog and wolf trying to catch the 352 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:35,800 sheep. You know, God and and the devil 353 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,160 aren't like that. They don't kind of coexist in 354 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:39,680 this cordial relationship. Where? 355 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:41,280 How are you, Satan? Oh, yeah, not bad. 356 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:41,880 God and you. Yeah. 357 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:42,560 Yeah. Good. 358 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:46,120 And then commence hostilities. They cannot coexist together 359 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:50,760 Christian as the temple of the living God in whom God dwells 360 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:55,960 cannot have cohabiting via yoking things that devile defile 361 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:59,000 his presence. And so the application then 362 00:21:59,360 --> 00:22:02,840 consider it for young people who are your closest friends. 363 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:09,680 Are they pulling you toward Christ or away from him? 364 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:16,400 For singles here, be wise in your dating relationship. 365 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:21,120 Marriage is the deepest, the strongest yoke to. 366 00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:24,920 Going in opposite directions will tear you apart. 367 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:32,120 And for all of us, what are you yoked to in daily life, in in 368 00:22:32,120 --> 00:22:36,240 the partnerships that you have in in the business practises, in 369 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:40,360 in your entertainment choices? Do they honour Christ or do they 370 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:46,280 hinder faithfulness to Him? So that's our first 371 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:49,560 consideration, our second, the invitation to separation. 372 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:56,720 Verse 17 to 18. Therefore come out from among 373 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:58,720 them and be separate, says the Lord. 374 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:03,560 Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. 375 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:09,040 I will be a father to you. Verse 18 And you shall be my 376 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:12,320 sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. 377 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:17,400 Paul here quotes the Old Testament prophet Isaiah and 378 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,720 also Ezekiel. And there's a call to purity 379 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:24,080 here that he declares and separation doesn't mean 380 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:25,960 isolation. In this Paul is not telling 381 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:30,320 Christians to withdraw from unbelievers after all. 382 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:36,240 Again, he himself lived amongst engaged with unbelievers, 383 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:41,200 preaching the gospel again and again, but it does mean refusing 384 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:44,720 to share in their sin. A good example is to think of 385 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:50,360 Daniel in Babylon who was able to serve faithfully without 386 00:23:50,360 --> 00:23:54,360 defiling himself. And there's a call to privilege 387 00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:56,640 here. Notice the promise that God 388 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:02,240 gives, having separated out from the promise is I will be a 389 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,080 father to you. And then back in verse 16, and 390 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:10,200 you will be my people, he says. And there's a relational aspect 391 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:12,120 here. It's not a a legalistic thing 392 00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:16,680 going on. God calls us to come out from 393 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:20,280 sin, not to punish us, but to welcome us into his presence. 394 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:24,440 You see separation out from the world is separation under him 395 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:27,280 and leads to intimacy and fellowship and a strong 396 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:29,760 connection of privilege with him. 397 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:34,120 And it builds into a priority then because we see that if God 398 00:24:34,120 --> 00:24:37,480 is our father and, and we are his children, you know what that 399 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:39,240 declares for us? Our identity. 400 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:43,880 It prioritises who we are in this world. 401 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:46,560 We don't belong to the world, we belong to him. 402 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:48,760 We're we're above the things of the world. 403 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,520 We have a clear calling, a clear identity, a clear character 404 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:53,920 about who we are as children of God. 405 00:24:53,920 --> 00:25:00,400 We're sons and daughters of God. And so the point is again, that 406 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,560 certain things are fundamentally incompatible. 407 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:09,600 Imagine for the athletes amongst us trying to run a 5 kilometre 408 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:14,200 run with a sandal on one foot and a cowboy boot on the other. 409 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,000 I don't think you're going to go very fast. 410 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:23,160 You might not even go very far. There are things that just do 411 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:26,680 not work well together, right, or belong together. 412 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:31,120 And there are things that will keep you from experiencing all 413 00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:34,840 that God has for you. You know, when you read 414 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:36,640 Scripture, it's all through the Bible. 415 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,280 You see this pattern everywhere. This principle declared again 416 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:44,840 and again God calling His people to come away from the things of 417 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,680 this world, and then to be separate. 418 00:25:48,120 --> 00:25:53,840 And we call that word holy, or set aside for the purpose of 419 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:57,480 Him, to be with him, and for the purpose of His use. 420 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:03,520 God called Abraham Genesis 12, out of air of the Chaldees. 421 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:08,040 He called Lot out of Sodom Genesis 19. 422 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,800 He called the people of Israel out of Egypt in Exodus and and 423 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:16,280 gave them a whole list of laws that would ensure that they 424 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:20,960 lived and and worship different to the nations around them. 425 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:29,160 Today God calls you and I, the church, to be separate, and one 426 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:33,080 day soon and very soon, Jesus is coming and He will call us home 427 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:35,160 to be forevermore in His presence. 428 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:40,560 And so you are tonight either one of the people responding to 429 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:45,080 the call to come out or you're part of the crowd that God is 430 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:49,160 calling people to come out of. There's only two options when it 431 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:53,240 comes to Scripture. There are the righteous and 432 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:59,040 there are the lawless, those in the light and those who love 433 00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:04,400 darkness, believers and unbelievers, those who are the 434 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,560 temple of God, those who worship idols. 435 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,480 And if you're in the group tonight that has responded to 436 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:15,320 the call of God, then you need to be aware of the warning that 437 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:20,800 Paul gives of not being too cosy with the world, knowing that it 438 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:25,120 is going to try to pull you away from the holiness and purity 439 00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:28,880 that God desires for you and in you. 440 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:34,680 And the world does this by urging you to appreciate, value, 441 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:38,440 pursue, to tolerate and approve of things that God condemns. 442 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:42,760 But let's not just talk about the things that God wants his 443 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:45,640 people to come out of and to pull away from. 444 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:49,200 But also let's notice the divine initiative in the heart of God 445 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:51,840 in this. He doesn't just sit idly by and 446 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:55,560 and let things happen. He invites us in this to come 447 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:57,960 into a deeper and deeper fellowship with Him. 448 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:02,080 I will be your Father, You will be my sons and daughters. 449 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:06,040 And He's offering to heal more and more of our wounds, offering 450 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:10,280 to teach us new ways to live, giving us a purpose and an 451 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:14,320 identity in Him, a reason to live each day, and the spiritual 452 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:17,600 strength to do it. I will be a father to you. 453 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:24,800 We're part of the family of God. We have access to him in a way 454 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:27,000 that others don't possess and have. 455 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:30,000 That means he's wrought resources at ours. 456 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:35,640 That means his power is ours. There's a wonderful dynamic in 457 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:39,160 all of this. And so for families as an 458 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:42,960 application in this, what boundaries maybe need to be 459 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:47,680 established and set in your home, in media, in in 460 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:54,600 friendships, in in priorities so that Christ remains central for 461 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:58,880 for workers. Where do you need courage to say 462 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:04,840 no, to compromise, even even if it costs advancement for all 463 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:06,760 believers? Don't think tonight of 464 00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:09,880 separation is lost. Oh man, what am I giving up and 465 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:12,600 what am I sacrificing? Think of it as gain. 466 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:15,520 And what you're gaining is this. You're gaining God's smile, 467 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:22,520 God's welcome, God's fatherly embrace, and so press into a 468 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:26,360 greater relationship with him, separate, come out of the world 469 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:31,080 and separate unto him. And there's an incentive lastly 470 00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:33,680 of holiness that now springs out of this. 471 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:39,680 In verse 1 of Chapter 7, Paul concludes therefore, or since 472 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:45,920 having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from 473 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:51,160 all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in 474 00:29:51,160 --> 00:29:55,720 the fear of God. And so the motivation that he 475 00:29:55,720 --> 00:30:00,320 declares for us in this, the incentive of holiness is 476 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:05,400 therefore or, or since or because we have these promises 477 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:10,120 that should, should, should motivate you unto holiness. 478 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:13,400 And what are the promises? The promise that he's just 479 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:17,560 written for us is that God would dwell with us, that God would 480 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:21,840 walk among us. God would be our God and and be 481 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:24,360 our Father. You see, holiness then isn't 482 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:28,360 motivated out of a fear of punishment or or a fear of being 483 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:31,240 caught with the hand in the cookie jar, but by the joy of 484 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:37,720 belonging with God the Father and the method of holiness. 485 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:41,480 Let us cleanse ourselves here. This this doesn't mean self 486 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:45,200 salvation that we have to earn our salvation, but rather here 487 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:49,760 it's Speaking of a lifestyle of active repentance, like washing 488 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:54,520 your hands before a meal. We confess our sin and and we 489 00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:58,600 turn from it so that we enjoy fellowship with God. 490 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:01,640 And then there's a maturity that comes out of it. 491 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:06,560 Bringing holiness to completion or to perfection, says holiness 492 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:12,840 then is progressive. Day after day, verse by verse, 493 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,840 chapter by chapter, book by book through the Bible, year by year, 494 00:31:16,840 --> 00:31:21,000 the Spirit conforming us into the image of Christ. 495 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:25,120 Maybe in all of this, this this marriage illustration might 496 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:27,960 help. April and I have been married 497 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:41,960 for 26 years, right? Take a drink of water, all 498 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:45,480 right? But you know, it's not enough 499 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:52,280 for me to just love her and be devoted to her and, and be 500 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:55,880 committed to her. You know what else I have to do? 501 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:02,000 I have to say no to other women, right? 502 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:10,880 We say, but we, we had that in our vows, you and no other, 503 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:13,160 right? We, we make that declaration. 504 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:17,280 It's it's totally unacceptable for me to tell my wife I love 505 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:20,040 you. You're my wife. 506 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:23,640 I'm I'm married to you. But there are some other women I 507 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:28,800 like as well I want to spend time with, and I'm going to take 508 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,840 them out to dinner and buy a few things She'd be like. 509 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:39,280 And So what I'm saying is, as a Christian, just like in 510 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:43,280 marriage, it's not enough for you to say I love Jesus, I love 511 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:45,240 Jesus, I love Jesus, I'm a Christian. 512 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:49,640 You also have to say I don't love the world. 513 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:55,240 I'm not attracted to the world. I'm not going to follow the 514 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:57,960 world. I'm not going to be like the 515 00:32:57,960 --> 00:32:59,400 world. You see, again, there's a 516 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:04,320 positive a yes, and there's a negative no. 517 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:09,280 So just as in the marriage relationship, I have to love my 518 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:13,160 wife. I keep my distance, I have my 519 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:16,040 eyes only for her. Say no to others. 520 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:17,720 That's what it means to be married. 521 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:22,160 And as Christians, we are the bride of Christ. 522 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:27,080 The Bible says don't then flirt with the world. 523 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:31,040 The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh. 524 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,680 John puts it this way in first John, love not the world nor the 525 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,240 things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the 526 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:40,000 love of the Father is not in him. 527 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:46,320 So guard your heart, guard your mind. 528 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:54,560 What you watch, what you read, what you listen to, you know, 529 00:33:54,560 --> 00:34:00,000 the podcast, the information, the advice that's given out, who 530 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:03,760 you associate with and, and what they promote and what they 531 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:10,000 advocate, the ideologies that the paradigms in, you know, the 532 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,440 parenting philosophies that people espouse. 533 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:15,800 Say no to the world, Verse 17 and 18. 534 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:17,760 Therefore, come out from among them. 535 00:34:18,480 --> 00:34:23,280 Be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and 536 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:26,960 I will receive you. I will be a father to you. 537 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:30,840 You shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord 538 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:36,920 Almighty. So God's call tonight, it's not 539 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:39,880 just don't be yoked, don't be yoked. 540 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:49,880 His call is be mine, be mine. And it's a jealousy, not against 541 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,880 other things, but it's a jealousy for us, for our 542 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:57,320 benefit. Separation isn't about distance 543 00:34:57,320 --> 00:35:00,440 from the world so much as it's about devotion unto Christ. 544 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:06,280 So the incompatibility of the yoke is you cannot serve Christ 545 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:10,720 and compromise by by serving and and following and and loving 546 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:15,440 others and other things. The invitation to separation 547 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:19,640 come out, separate out from the things of the world and separate 548 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,680 unto God, and He will welcome you as His child. 549 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:27,800 The incentive of holiness is a a pursuit of purity because his 550 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,560 promises are yours and mine and ours. 551 00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:35,000 So again, there's very practical applications in this text. 552 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:39,320 And I again for the young here in our midst, choose your 553 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:45,960 friends and future spouse wisely, prayerfully for parents, 554 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,280 protect your family from worldly compromise. 555 00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:54,960 For workers, live with integrity in in your business and in your 556 00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:59,800 career and in the decisions made for us as a church, Be holy. 557 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:03,440 Together we are God's dwelling place. 558 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:09,080 To be yoked with Christ as freedom to be separated unto Him 559 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:12,800 is joy. To pursue holiness in His 560 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:16,640 promises is life. Let us endure in this 561 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:21,600 separation, not as lost, but as glory, for God Himself is our 562 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:25,040 reward. So tonight, look at the things, 563 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:29,560 look at the people in your life and ask, is, is this leading me 564 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:32,440 closer to God or further away from him? 565 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:37,520 Don't just ask, is it OK? Ask does it please God? 566 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:45,720 Does your heart, do your desires accurately reflect God or do you 567 00:36:45,720 --> 00:36:50,720 need some work done in there? Now the best way that you can 568 00:36:50,720 --> 00:36:54,360 grow stronger in your walk with God is to get into God's Word 569 00:36:55,560 --> 00:37:01,800 and get God's word into you. Psalm 119, verses 9 to 11. 570 00:37:01,800 --> 00:37:08,600 How can a young man person cleanse his way? 571 00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:11,440 By taking heed according to Your Word? 572 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:14,560 Verse 10 With my whole heart I have sought you. 573 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:19,120 Oh, let me not wander from your commandments, Your word. 574 00:37:20,560 --> 00:37:24,680 Have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you? 575 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:27,360 So Christian, believe it tonight. 576 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:34,160 If you want to grow, you want to mature, get into the Word, the 577 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:38,440 Bible, and get the Word into you. 578 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:47,160 If you don't establish it, have some daily reading of Scripture 579 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:53,400 and praying. Download an audio Bible on your 580 00:37:53,400 --> 00:37:54,520 phone. Listen to it. 581 00:37:55,840 --> 00:38:01,080 Get into a Bible study and you need to remove to eliminate 582 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:04,240 certain things out of your life. But but don't just leave that 583 00:38:04,240 --> 00:38:06,160 space empty. Well, I've I'm done away with 584 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:08,320 those things. Instead, fill it with with other 585 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:10,960 things, with good things. You need to form new habits, new 586 00:38:10,960 --> 00:38:14,440 patterns, new desires. You need fellowship as we are 587 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:16,200 tonight. You need connection. 588 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:20,080 You you need to fill that with the right things. 589 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:26,960 And so here's now the connection in this 1-2 Corinthians tonight 590 00:38:26,960 --> 00:38:29,800 in chapter 6 is do not be unequally yoked. 591 00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:32,200 You can never hear the word yoke, I think, without 592 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:37,720 remembering the words of Jesus in Matthew 1129 to 30, who said, 593 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:45,520 take my yoke upon you. Learn from me, for I'm gentle 594 00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:50,000 and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 595 00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:54,120 My yoke is easy and my burden is light. 596 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:58,320 I like the sound of that yoke. Let's pray. 597 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:01,240 Lord, we thank you for this word tonight. 598 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:08,440 Perhaps the conviction the Holy Spirit brings in studying, in 599 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:13,520 looking through this, as we examine and consider ways that 600 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:19,800 we have been unequally yoked, help us to separate out from the 601 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:22,440 world the things of the world, the things that are contrary to 602 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:27,520 you and separate unto you, to press into you and enjoy the 603 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:31,960 intimacy of that fellowship. You as our Father, we as your 604 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:35,360 sons and daughters. For we are your temple, Lord 605 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:40,680 God, we are your dwelling place, we are your people. 606 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:48,240 And may we as a church be marked by a pursuit of holiness, of 607 00:39:48,240 --> 00:39:54,160 sanctification, desiring all the more to be like you. 608 00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:58,800 Lord Jesus Christ, You've loved us with an everlasting love. 609 00:40:01,720 --> 00:40:03,760 So now, Lord God, I pray for your people. 610 00:40:05,240 --> 00:40:10,160 May we enjoy your presence. May we know that you are with us 611 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:12,640 each and every day. Empower us. 612 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:17,640 Enable us to live for your glory, to be the salt of the 613 00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:19,240 earth, to be the light of the world. 614 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:24,480 Pray and ask these things in Jesus name. 615 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:27,400 God's people said Amen.