A Call To Be Different

The Call to be Different

Pastor Glenn Newton November 16, 2003

“Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will

gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become

a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay,

grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The

unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools

will not go about on it.

No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be

found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD

will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

Isa. 35:6-10

I read a story of a little boy named Bron who goes to church for the first time with his

Aunt. He watches with interest every part of the service. Then the preacher climbs into

the high pulpit, and Bron hears terrible news. A brave and kind Man was nailed to a cross

a long time ago, and He feels a dreadful pain even now because people are not doing

something He wants them all to do.

Bron thinks the preacher is telling the story because a lot of people are there and

will do something about it. He sits impatiently on the edge of the pew. He can hardly

wait to see what the first move will be in righting this injustice, and he expects that after

the service somone will do something about it. Bron begins to weep, but nobody else

seems at all upset. The service ends; the people walk away as if they had not heard such

terrible news, as if nothing remarkable had happened.

As Bron leaves the church, he is trembling, His Aunt looks at him and says, “Bron,

don’t take it to heart -- someone will think you are different.”

This morning I have some disturbing news for you........

The truth is there’s something about human nature that causes us to shrink back a little

when we hear this news.....

What is it? If your a Christian this morning this is for you. If this morning you are here

investigating Chrisitanity and want to know more about what it means to be a Chrisitan,

then what I’m about to say is something you will need to consider and accept if you

choose to Follow Christ.

What is it? We Have Been Called To Be Different. REPEAT

Now I’m not talking about Weird, different. Even though some of us may fall into that

category......

This morning what I want to show you is that Christ has called us to be different, different

from those who don’t know Christ, different from those who reject Christ. Shouldn’t we

be distinct, separate, not the same, out of the ordinary, unusual?

Christ was distinct, separate, and out of the ordinary, and he called His followers

to be like Him. We have been Called to Be Different.... How are you living?

Let’s go to the Word and see what the Bible says about how we are to live, or

how we are to be different.

First, look at Heb. 12:14 with me.

HEB 12:14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without

holiness no one will see the Lord.

I wanted to share this verse with you first because there’s alot of people out there

today who would try and tell you that if you have been saved, then you really don’t need

to worry about how you live, because your signed, sealed and delivered.

Let me make it clear this morning, the Bible doesn’t teach that kind of nonsense.

By defintion, to be a Christian, is to be a Christ Follower, and Jesus said many times over,

and in many different ways, If you are my disciple, you will obey my commands. Jesus

said, If you love me, you will obey my words. A Christian is someone who knows Jesus

personally, who has a relationship, friendship with Him, and who desires to continually to

become more like Christ... to become Christlike in their words, actions, thoughts, and

deeds.

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without

holiness no one will see the Lord.” One of the ways to describe the Biblical word Holy,

is to use the contemporary word Different.

I need to make this point, just so there’s no confusion. I don’t equate Holiness

with long dresses, hair in a bun, no make up, and no TV on Sunday. Those are all