Untitled Sermon (19)

Leviticus 19:2 KJV 1900

2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.

Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel

this is for all of God’s people - members of World Missionary, GHSJBC, all christians, preachers, deacons, choir members, leaders, Sunday School teachers . .

tell them all for this is important information, foundational information

news you can use

Ye shall

there is an expectation

at a job there are expectations, duties to perform, deadlines to meet, projects to complete

in a marriage there are expectations - duties to perform, obligations to meet, roles to be fulfilled

at a school there are expectations - assignments to complete, objectives to achieve

on a football team, there are expectations, duties to perform, roles to fulfill, goals to accomplish

with all of these things - do this, do that, be here, and be there, take care of this, and take care of that, finish this and finish that, be like this, be like that

and in those areas of life (job, school, marriage, team, community organization) we don’t complain too much, and we take on those expectations and responsibilities with the understanding that expectations are natural

but in church, in the Christian walk, we seem to get mad when there are expectations

upset when there are duties to perform

upset when there are deadlines to meet

bent out of shape when there are objectives to achieve

feeling some kind of way when there are roles to perform

we get disturbed and even dismayed when it is suggested that Christianity comes with responsibilities

seems that many want to be a Christian, but yet have no expectations put on them

and we hear words like, “you can’t tell me how to life my life” and “who are you to tell me what to do?”

yet everyone else is telling you how to live your life

job, school, spouse, your team, your organization, the government, your family, your peers

I am here to remind those who call ourselves Christians, that we have some “you shalls”

there are some expectations

there are some responsibilities

and the expectation is this . . .

be holy

what is it to be holy?

Set apart, separate, sacred . . . .Dedicated for specific purpose

so you have the ordinary and then set apart from that you have the extraordinary

the normal and separate from that you the special

regular and standing over here you have the different

share info with 40 and younger crowd

many of us 40 and up have had a mother, grandmother, aunt, or some relative that had a special room in the house

it was the cleanest room, and had the most beautiful furniture, everything in it’s proper place, sometimes the furniture would be covered in plastic

and everyone knew, especially kids - you never go in that room, just look at it as you pass on by . . . most times even the man of the house would just pass on by

I had a great aunt, and she had a room like that, looked like a furniture showroom, but we knew not to enter

As a child I visited a friends house, and he was quick to say, with fear in his eyes “we can’t sit in that room”

if that room was ever used, it was only for special occasions, or for special guest

as I look back, that room fit the definition of holy

set apart, separate, dedicated for specific purpose, special, different, even sacred

And God is telling his people that they are expected to be holy, like that room . . .

you are not a normal room - you are set part, separate, special, different, because there were called and dedicated for a specific purpose

so to be told “Ye shall be holy” is more of a compliment than a burden

like you would a son,

So God gives the in the following verses, what many call a lot of regulations and rules . . . I see them as expectations

Family relations, Giving, Neighbor relations, Job relations, Morals, Treatment of the weak and those in need, how they talk Talk - no gossip, Treat animals, what you Eat, how you were to look, Treatment of elders, Conduct business

These are the expectations because you are to be holy

you are not to be like the other nations - you are to be set apart

there is supposed to be a difference between Israel and every other nations

there is to be a contrast in how citizens of Israel act and how the citizens of other countries act

Christians are supposed to be set apart, different

And today, we are in the world, but not supposed to be of the world

why?

for I the Lord you God am holy

let me ask this: Do you want a holy God or a normal god

God that is special, different, set apart . . . or just a god like all the others

cool thing about normal gods is that you can make them up

pick their name, pick their character, pick out the rules

normal gods don’t keep promises

but a holy God is a covenant keeping God

normal gods can’t hear you in the midnight hour

Holy Definition