Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are

Come Out

Come Out

Where Ever You Are!

1 Peter 2:9-10 & 21-24

But you are a chosen generation. A royal priesthood, a holy nation. His own special people that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. We were once lost but now we are found who were once without God’s mercy but now have obtained his mercy.

For to this we were called because Christ suffered for us. Leaving for us an example we should follow. The one who was without sin - who told no lies. The one who was persecuted - but persecuted no one. When he suffered - he did not threaten- but instead turned it over to God. The one who bore our sins up on Calvary’s cross - so that we who were dead in sin might live for righteousness. By his stripes we are healed.

There was a game we used to play when I was a child called "Hide and Seek." Now we all know the basis for this game. One person is "it" and the others try to hide. When my brothers and sisters and I played this game = it was always at night time. And the person who was it had a flashlight. The person who was it would search high and low for those of us hidden in the darkness - shining the light on us when we were found. Once you were found, you would run to a designated safe place - ours was a tree in the back yard. But if the person who was it could not find a particular hidee - he or she would yell "come out come out where ever you are."

Now think about the persons who were hiding. In darkness, crouching, anxious. Every breath you took - made you nervous. Every sound you heard - caused your heart to jump. Everything around you caused you to be apprehensive. And even though the purpose was to not be found, when the person who was "It" finally found you, it was a sense of relief - and you ran to your arc of safety. And when the person who was "It" called out "come out come out where ever you are" those who remained in the nooks and crannies were able to come out and run to safety!

That’s us before and after salvation. Before salvation, we were crouching in our sin. Hiding in our shame. Lurking in the darkness of our stank attitudes. Every time someone mentioned one of the sins we were embedded in -- our hearts would pound, praying that it wouldn’t be revealed. Each time we heard the preacher speaking on forgiveness, judging, lying, cheating, fornication, adultery, idolotry, pride, greed, drug abuse, bed hopping, wine guzzling..or what ever it was that we were attempting to hide - we felt panic and fear of our darkness coming to light. But when God sent down Jesus to be "IT" and to search and to find those of us who were not really hiding - but were in essence Lost - to die so that we could be found - he allowed us a chance to run to the designated Safe Place - called Salvation! He came and taught - healed - and found those who were in darkness - and calling out when he hung on Calvary cross - because the word says "If I be lifted up from the Earth = I will draw everyone unto me." Or in other words the one who is "IT" was calling out to those yet in hiding....."Come out Come Out Where Ever You ARE!"

Look at the history in the word of God - why did God have to send someone to find us. Well let’s see...... God created mankind placed them in the Garden of Eden...... Gave them everything they needed. Sin came on the scene - tempted them - they succumbed - they hid from God........ God banished them from the Garden........... And from the Garden........ to the Flood ....... To the Wilderness experience ........ to the destruction of the tower of Bablyon....to the prophesy of John the Baptist of the one coming to save... we were hiding in sin! And God being merciful as he is didn’t want his children to remain anxious - fearful - doubting - so he sent someone to find us and bring us into the light.... calling out "come out come out where ever you are" allowing us to run to the safety of salvation!

Yes you see the Lord understood that we didn’t have the sense enough to come out of hiding on our own. We would be just like one of the characters of the old show :The Little Rascals: You know how they would play a game of hide and seek and someone would always be left hiding after the game was over - Well God understood that after the game of life was over - his children would still be hinding in sin if he didn’t let them know that it was safe to come out.