God calls us to consecrate ourselves—living holy, set-apart lives—so we are ready for Him to work wonders in and through us.
There’s a hush that falls over the heart when you sense God is nearby. Not in the thunder, not even in the headlines, but in the ordinary—the kettle singing in the kitchen, a lunch pail packed for work, the Bible open on a worn table. In those moments, something within whispers, “Get ready.” Consecration is the quiet knocking before the door swings wide. It is the shoelace tied before the race, the apron cinched before the meal, the lamp trimmed before the watch. And all of that whispers this good word: God is about to do what only God can do.
Isn’t that what we long for? To wake to wonder. To live light on our feet and clean in our hearts. To bring our Mondays and midnights, our tears and tasks, our hopes and habits under the kind, searching gaze of the Holy One. He calls us to be set apart, not to step away from life, but to step into it with His likeness. The call to consecration is not a cold summons; it is a warm invitation to be close to the God who is holy and to be ready for His work in and through us.
Joshua stood on the riverbank with a nation and a need. The waters of the Jordan ran strong, the land ahead stretched wide, and the promise of God was as steady as the morning sun. Before the waters would part, before the people would pass through, before the priests would plant their feet on riverbed stones, a simple word rose to the surface: “Sanctify yourselves.” Clean hands. Clear consciences. Consecrated hearts. Ready people.
And long before that riverbank morning, the Lord had already named the pattern: “Be holy, for I am holy.” The God who rescued Israel from Egypt did not merely give them a map; He gave them a manner of life—distinct, devoted, daily. The smallest gestures mattered. The smallest choices counted. Because life with God is a holy calling that touches everything from your worship to your workbench, from your prayers to your pantry.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote it like this: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship) Strong words. Sobering words. But also freeing words. They nudge us to lay down what weighs us down—our pride, our shortcuts, our secret compromises—and to step into the light where grace cleanses, power strengthens, and purpose steadies the soul.
Will you let the Lord set you apart today? Will you say yes to holy habits—habits of confession and kindness, Scripture and service, humility and hope? Will you clear some space on the inside so the Spirit can rearrange the furniture of your affections? What could God do in a church that is clean, in a people who are pliable, in a family that is willing? What wonders might He work when we bring Him our ordinary and ask Him to make it His instrument?
That is the path we’re taking together today. We will look at consecration and see how it readies us for God’s work. We will learn how distinct lives are shaped by obedient choices. We will discover how holiness is practiced daily for God’s purposes—right where we live and love and labor. And we will ask the Lord to make our lives a landing strip for His wonders.
Scripture Reading Joshua 3:5 (KJV) “And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” Leviticus 11:44 (KJV) “For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
Think of it this way: God’s tomorrow often travels on the rails of today’s consecration. A heart made ready is a heart that can carry wonder. When the Lord asks us to be holy, He isn’t handing us a heavy harness; He is giving us a holy hope—His own likeness shining through our lives. The world is weary of spectacle and short on substance. It longs to see a people who actually live what they sing, who keep short accounts with sin, who bless their enemies, who tell the truth, who keep their promises, who wash feet and carry burdens and make room at the table.
Consecration sounds like a big word, but it often begins with small steps: - A whispered prayer before the meeting. - A sincere apology instead of a quick excuse. - A Bible open instead of a phone scrolling. - A generous gift no one knows about. - A lonely neighbor remembered with a warm meal.
These are not grand gestures for applause; they are quiet seeds sown in the soil of a surrendered heart. And seeds, in the care of God, become shade trees and storehouses. He takes the simple offering of a sanctified life and writes a testimony that outlives us.
Friend, God is not far from you. He is near, and He is holy. He is kind, and He is holy. He is faithful, and He is holy. He is ready to do what only He can do—and He invites us to be ready, too. Let’s open our hands. Let’s open our calendars. Let’s open our consciences. Let’s tell Him, “Whatever You say, wherever You point, however You lead—yes.”
Opening Prayer Holy Father, we come to You with open hands and honest hearts. You are good and You are holy. Sanctify us by Your truth; Your word is truth. Wash our minds, cleanse our motives, and renew our first love. Where we have grown dull, sharpen us. Where we have grown weary, strengthen us. Where we have grown careless, correct us in kindness. Make us a consecrated people—clean, courageous, and compassionate—ready for the wonders You desire to work among us. By Your Spirit, teach us to obey in the small things, to trust You in the hard things, and to praise You in all things. We ask this in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.
God often links His action to our attention. He tells us to make space in our hearts and homes, and then He moves. Joshua told the people to set themselves apart today because God would act tomorrow. That pattern still holds. Readiness opens the door to His work.
To “sanctify” means to set apart for God. It means clean hands, honest motives, and a willing will. It is grace first, then our yes. God washes. We yield. He draws close. We welcome Him with a clear conscience and a clear path.
This kind of setting apart changes how we carry the day. It shapes what we bring to God and what we refuse to carry. It trains our ears to hear and our feet to move. When the call comes, we are not scrambling. We are steady and free to obey.
The people by the river had a promise and a task. They did not know all the details. They only knew who was leading them. So they prepared. They cleaned up, laid aside what would get in the way, and waited for the call to step forward.
Leviticus says, “Be holy, for I am holy.” That word tells us why this matters. We belong to a holy God. We live under His name. Our choices show whose we are. Holiness is a family resemblance, learned in small acts repeated with care.
This is not about earning. It is about alignment. When our hearts are tuned to Him, His directions are clear. When our lives are uncluttered, His strength has room to carry us. When our motives are simple, His glory has nothing to compete with.
There is a weight to this, and there is also peace. Sin drains. Shame fogs the mind. Hidden things steal courage. Consecration clears the air. Trust rises. Joy returns. Courage grows quiet and strong.
Think of how a craftsman lays out tools before the work. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is random. The bench is clean. The hand is trained. Then the making begins. In the same way, God trains our hearts, sets our lives in order, and then puts us to use.
This readiness touches real places. It shows up in what we speak and what we refuse to repeat. It shapes our screens and our spending. It steadies our plans and our pace. It softens how we treat people who test us. It keeps us alert to small nudges that matter more than we think.
When Joshua said, “Sanctify yourselves,” he tied preparation to promise. The order matters. First, set yourselves apart. Then, see what God will do. This is not a formula. It is a relationship. God invites us to clear the way in faith while He prepares to act in power. The people did what they could do—get clean, get ready, pay attention—and then they watched what only God could do.
“Yourselves” matters too. Joshua spoke to all, and each person had a part. A camp cannot be clean if the tents are careless. A people cannot be ready if the homes are tangled. The call lands in the father’s hands and the mother’s voice. It lands in the young who are learning and the old who remember. Leaders set the tone by their lives. Friends urge each other on. When each heart answers, the whole community stands ready for the Lord’s next step.
The word “sanctify” in their world was plain. It meant wash up. It meant put away what defiles. It meant set apart what belongs to God alone. Before Sinai, the people washed their clothes and kept themselves ready for a holy meeting. Before the river, they would have done the same sort of acts. Today the signs look different, yet the heart is the same. We confess sin by name to God. We make things right with people we have wronged. We silence the noise that fills every spare moment. We choose clean words. We cut off habits that dull the soul. We bring our plans under God’s will and ask Him to say what stays and what goes.
Leviticus adds the why behind the what. “I am the LORD your God…be holy, for I am holy.” Holiness is not a trend. It is the life that fits God’s nearness. He does not just rescue. He forms. He teaches us how to eat, work, rest, and love in ways that reflect Him. He marks our time, our tables, our relationships, and our work ethic. When we answer that call, we carry His name well. Then, when He moves among us, no one doubts whose hand is at work.
Distinct lives take shape choice by choice ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
Sermon Central
