Separation: How to Attain, Part 1

Driving home: Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, or obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind, that thin…

A brother's letter includes a quote from Susanna Wesley, defining sin as anything that weakens reason, impairs conscience, obscures God, takes off relish for spiritual things, or increases the body's authority over the mind, serving as a 'great means of grace' to check his heart.

I came across this quote by Susanna Wesley some years ago, and it's been echoing in my ears confirming what you have been preaching in recent days, specifically this matter. This matter of worldliness. It has proven to be a great means of grace to put a check on my own heart in many areas. And here's the quote from Susanna Wesley.

7:30 - 7:55 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, or obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind, that thin…

Another brother's letter confesses his sin of 'surfing the channels on my TV' with the intent of changing immediately when unacceptable content appeared, illustrating a specific area of worldliness and the deceitfulness of sin.

As you spoke of nonconformity to the world and separation from the world. The adjective was the word increasing since that message. I've been asking myself, where should I be increasing in these graces and your application touched upon an area in my life where I've been lax and sinful. Quote surfing the channels on my TV.

9:15 - 9:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin demonstrates the biblical pattern of ethical instruction, which includes both negative prohibitions and positive commands, drawing examples from Psalm 1, the Ten…

Martin uses Psalm 1 and the Ten Commandments to illustrate the biblical pattern of combining negative prohibitions ('walks not, sits not, stands not') with positive commands ('delight is in the law of the Lord'), justifying his own sermon structure.

Or positive and negative. And I'm sure as you read your Bible. You see this again and again. For example Psalm 1.

12:16 - 12:24 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Connecting John 17:14-16, Matthew 5:10-12, and John 3:19-21, Martin explains that the world's hatred stems from the light of kingdom character exposing its evil deeds, contrasting…

Martin contrasts the world's philosophy ('Pump up your self, you can do it') with the Beatitudes ('Blessed are the poor in spirit'), showing how kingdom character is diametrically opposed to worldly thinking and thus provokes the world's hatred.

The world says. Pump up your self. You can do it. If you want to.

26:55 - 27:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Connecting John 17:14-16, Matthew 5:10-12, and John 3:19-21, Martin explains that the world's hatred stems from the light of kingdom character exposing its evil deeds, contrasting…

Jesus' statement that 'men loved the darkness rather than the light' is illustrated by men being like 'moles that love to scurry in the dark corners of their cave,' emphasizing their aversion to light that exposes their evil.

But men are like moles. That love to scurry. In the dark corners of their cave. They don't light the light.

30:04 - 30:12 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Connecting John 17:14-16, Matthew 5:10-12, and John 3:19-21, Martin explains that the world's hatred stems from the light of kingdom character exposing its evil deeds, contrasting…

Martin quotes Dr. Donald Carson's commentary on John, explaining that the world's hatred of Jesus and His followers stems from their testimony that its deeds are evil, and their allegiance to the King makes them 'alien' to a society of rebels.

Lest their deeds should be reproved. Listen to the comments. Of Dr. Donald Carson.

31:03 - 31:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Do all things without murmuring and disputing, shining as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.

Martin uses the humorous example of wearing a Puritan wig or 'kooky' clothing styles to clarify that separation from the world does not mean adopting absurd or anachronistic external appearances, but rather a fundamental difference in lifestyle and values.

Is the way of death. I have been brought. Into the way of life. Now does that mean we're to go back.

35:58 - 36:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Using Leviticus 18:1-5 and the example of Daniel, Martin illustrates how God commanded Israel to be distinct from surrounding nations in every facet of life, emphasizing that…

Martin shares his personal experience of finding Leviticus 'rough going' in his Bible reading, but praying for understanding, which led him to see its relevance to the principle of separation.

In my regular Old Testament reading, some of you know this, I try to read through the Old Testament, once every two years, the New Testament once a year, in my own devotions. I came into Leviticus, and I said, Lord, I know every word is just as much as inspired here as in Ephesians, but it's rough going. All the details of the sacrificial system, how the offerings were to be presented, how the priests were to be dressed, and what they were to do, and what they were not to do, and then all of these directives that touch the principle, the personal life, the sexual habits, the social life of the...

47:07 - 48:04 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Using Leviticus 18:1-5 and the example of Daniel, Martin illustrates how God commanded Israel to be distinct from surrounding nations in every facet of life, emphasizing that…

He uses the specific Levitical law against cutting the corners of the beard to illustrate how God's commands extended to even seemingly minor aspects of an Israelite's life, distinguishing them from Canaanites and Egyptians.

God had a rule. A guy is looking in the mirror and he wants to clip his beard and he hears God says, You shall not cut the corners of your beard. Oh, wait a minute, God, I like a rounded beard. You're an Israelite.

49:34 - 49:48 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You're not an Egyptian. You're not a Canaanite. You're an Israelite. And that lays upon you solemn responsibilities. That every facet of your life reflect that you embrace my way as your God.

The story of Daniel, a teenager taken to Babylon, is used to illustrate maintaining one's identity as an Israelite and purposing not to defile oneself amidst a foreign, worldly culture.

Remember Daniel? He's just a teenager. And he's taken out of Israel into Babylon. They give him a Babylonian name.

51:12 - 51:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not uncritically absorb cultural norms, but examine what is fitting for a child of God.

Martin provides a detailed historical example of how evangelical attitudes towards movies have changed from the 1950s (where theaters were equated with 'whorehouse or bar') to the present (where millions watch modern, eroding standards without qualms), illustrating cultural osmosis and a lack of critical discernment.

When I grew up in my evangelical circles, we're talking back in the 50s, one of the things that evangelicals saw clearly was that for the most part, the stuff that came out of Hollywood was not fit for a child of God to watch. We're talking about in the 50s.

54:25 - 54:46 Read in full sermon