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.
Because God sent Jesus to be "IT" there is no sin that is so powerful that we have to remain in hiding! For Romans 6:14 tells us that sin will no longer exert dominion over us - because we are no longer slaves to the Law - but now abide under God’s Grace. In other words - God gave us Jesus to be "IT" and he is saying come out come out where ever you are. Telling us he is giving us freedom from our sinful nature - Letting us no sin no longer has to rule over our lives - Satan would love us to believe we are bound in our sin - that they are just bad habits too hard to break. But Jesus has called us out of our hiding - he has shown us the light - he is beckoning us to come to our designated place of safety - Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are!
That means anyone and everyone can be saved! It is not based upon the church you attend, the extent of your Bible knowledge. It is not about your tithing - your attendance - your talents. There is no sin that can preempt you from having the opportunity of Salvation. 1 Peter 2:24 tells us simply - that Jesus bore our sins on the cross to free us from our sins - so that we might have a righteous life - and that he was wounded that we might be healed.
Pain - heartache - addictions - mistakes - depression - lifestyles choices are causing some of us to hide right now. Longing for relief and release from the suffering. But the word tells us that Jesus was born to die for all of our pain! He died for the distress of illness. He died for the tears of heartache. He died for the anguish of depression. He died for the grip of grief. He died for the bondage of sin. He died so that we can face tomorrow with joy. He died so that we may have victory over our affliction and have a life of eternity. So whatever state you are in - whatever sin you feel is to dreadful to be forgiven - Jesus was stretched out on the cross with outstretched arms - beckoning to each of us hiding in our sin - afraid of being exposed - terrified - tortured - to simply Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are!
You see we don’t have to remain bound by our mistakes - or tied up by our mishaps. John 8:36 tells us That when Jesus sets you free you are free indeed! So we can shout "I am free at Last - Free at Last - Thank God Almighty I Am Free At Last!" Free from the bondage of sin. Alcoholic - Drug addict - Jesus says Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are. Liar - Cheater - backbiter - Jesus says Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are -- There is no sin too big for him to wash you clean of - Prostitute - Drug Dealer - Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are. He is Calling us out to be his disciples - He is calling for the ones somebody told could not be saved - Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are.
He is saying to us - Come Out Come Out - and get to know me. Come Out Come Out - and love me. Come Out Come Out and live your life for me. Come Out Come Out - you are free from your past. Come Out Come out - your trials and troubles are only temporary. Come Out Come Out - no weapons formed against you will prosper. Come Out Come Out - You are now free to walk in purity. Come Out Come Out - you are free to be all that God wants you to be. Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are.
Once we come out of our hiding place - once we have made it to the designated safety place. Once we have given our lives to Christ - he wants us to understand that we are safe and secure. That our future has been established. Our education will not nullify it. If our husband or wife leaves us = it won’t eradicate it. If we flunk a test at school it won’t eliminate it. The war of Iraq won’t terminate it. My employment status can not abolish it. - So don’t wait until you feel your life is right to Come Out. Don’t wait until you get things in order - to Come Out. Don’t wait until you have the right clothes to Come Out. When Paul penned the words at Romans 8:38-39 - "For I am convinced that neither death nor life. Neither angels or demons.
Neither the present or the future. Nor any powers. Neither Height nor Depth. Nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus Our Lord! In other words once he calls us out - and we come running - Satan can’t take you back. Now I won’t say Satan won’t try to make you think he can - But the word says that Nothing Will - Nothing Can --- Not our future nor our past . Not what you have done or what you may do.
So many people misconstrew what God wants for His children. So many think that our Salvation is based upon living a life of perfection. Some thing it’s based upon how many years you have been a member of a particular church. Others think it is based upon how much you contribute. But the reason we do these things is not to become saved - but because we are saved. We go to church to learn more about the one who called us out and to thank him for doing it. We tithe because we are grateful for the fact that the one who called us out has reconciled us back to the one who provides for us. We live Holy and Righteous because we want our actions to be pleasing to the one who sent Jesus to be It.
So where ever you are - what ever you have done - who ever you are - you have the chance to Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are. This is a new day - yesterday will be erased - Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are. Today is the beginning - yesterday is dead and gone - You can come out -
Jesus is waiting for you
You can come out
Jesus is calling for you
You can come out
Jesus died for you
You can come out
Jesus Got Up for you
You Can come out - Come Out Come Out Where ever You Are!
He’s calling the ones rejected to Come Out and be accepted
He’s calling the depressed to come out and be delivered
He’s calling the hopeless to come out and find hope
Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are
He’s calling the unloved to come out and be loved
He’s calling the confused to come out and find peace
Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are
He’s calling the down and out to come out and be picked up and turned around
He’s calling the broken hearted to come out and receive joy
He’s calling the drug abuser to come and receive a never ending high
Come Out Come Out Where Ever You Are
He’s calling the struggling mother to come out - and let him provide
He’s telling the unemployed father to come out - and let him give a peace that will subside
Come Out Come Out Where Ever You are.
Jesus is "IT" he came from a mansion to a manger
From a Kingdom to live in poverty
He gave up His Golden Crown for a Crown of Thorns
He left his majestic seat - to be placed on a seat of persecution.
He descended from his place of Glory to be lifted up on a Cross to fulfill our redemption Story
He took on our sins so that we could Come Out
He suffered pain and torment so that we could Come Out
He hung up high - so that we could come out
He was laid in a borrowed tomb - so that we could come out
But Glory be to God. - to solidify our place in Glory. - he Got up - nullifying deaths finality. - kicking Satan to the curb - eliminating his power - removing his trump card. - allowing us to come out of hiding - and letting us run to the safety place - Salvation. --- COME OUT COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE!
