Set Apart for Holiness

Introduction

Greet Everyone

everyone greet everyone/whole camp prayer

Talk about ground rules for camp:

I don’t waste your time, you don’t waste mine. I don’t want you to just come and LISTEN to the preaching. This camp is about RESPONDING to God, letting God do a work in you.

Let’s not “warm up” let’s just get straight into it. Typical camps get going last night but that’s way too late.

You know why I’m so adamant about this? Because I believe that God is actually wanting to raise up a generation right here of people who will be Set Apart - people that He can use, people that WILL actually usher revival back into not only their churches but their families as well.

And so we come to our theme for this camp - Set Apart.

But this isn’t really common lingo anymore, nobody really KNOWS what it means to be “Set Apart”

But did you know the bible actually has a term for it - a term you’ve definitely heard before: Holiness.

Yeah - the meaning of the term holiness is actually to be Set Apart unto God. To be different because He is different.

To show you how important it is - take a look at Hebrews 12:14 “14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

Without holiness we can’t actually SEE the Lord, we don’t experience Him, and maybe this is why we don’t see Him move much in our lives anymore.

Holiness is a Christian non-negotiable.

It’s not a suggestion - it’s a standard.

And to start of this camp - I want to talk about being Set Apart.

Pray

Segment 1: Intro to Daniel

Daniel in the OT is one of the best examples that i can think of when it comes to being Set Apart for God.

Daniel 6:4 “4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.”

This is a man who lived in Babylonian captivity for pretty much his entire life - and yet somehow managed to stay Set Apart. He is one of the only major figures in the Old Testament about whom nothing negative is recorded.

You guys would know about Daniel for his bravery in standing up against the King of Babylon. And being thrown in a Lion’s den as a punishment, and yet surviving because the Lord protected him. And for another incident that he was connected to where he refused to bow to a statue of the king and had his friends thrown into a blazing hot furnace - which they again survived due to the Lord’s protection. Eventually rising up to be the chief governor over Babylon - over what was a hostile nation to his culture and people, from where he was able to exert significant influence for God.

Well - what gives a man the strength to be THIS Set Apart for the Lord?

This is a question that we really need to ask - how did Daniel and his friends manage to stay Set Apart for God in a culture that was actively trying to eliminate their culture? How did they manage to thrive in a nation that was trying to rob them of their very identites.

This question is pertinent to us because we are more like Daniel than we may think - because we, too, LIVE in a hostile culture, we live in a world that is constantly trying to reshape our identity - trying to get us to conform to its pattern. We live in a world trying to rename us.

And that’s exactly what happened to Daniel and his friends. They were renamed quite literally by babylonian society. The name Daniel is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my judge.” He was renamed to Belteshazzar “Bel protects his life”

Hananiah “YHWH is gracious” became Shadrach “Command of Aku”

Mishael “Who is like YWHW?” became Meschach “Who is like Aku?”

Azariah “YHWH is my help” became Abednego “Servant of Nego”

These men were quite literally RENAMED by a culture that was trying to kill off their identity. A culture that did NOT want them to be Set Apart - by a culture that wanted them to conform.

How did they remain Set Apart? How did they keep their holiness when everything around them was trying to take it?

I’ll tell you how - Being Set Apart begins with knowing WHOSE you are before you decide on WHO you are.

Babylon was trying desperately to tell them WHO they were - but they stood firm because they knew WHOSE they were.

Let that be a lesson for us today - in this world that is so often just trying to tell you who you are. Who you should be, what you should think like, dress like, sound like.

Remember something, Christian, before you even think about WHO you are - remember WHO’S you are first.

Remember that you ALREADY BELONG to someone. Remember that you may be IN the world but you are not OF it. Remember that you have a God who is calling you to be Holy - just as He is Holy.

Segment 2: A decision, not the default

Daniel 1:8 “8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.”

Right from the start - I want you to see something. Holiness is a decision, not the default.

Daniel RESOLVED - he CHOSE to be Set Apart, to be Holy unto the Lord.

To be Set Apart is a DECISION - it doesn’t just happen because you’ve decided to call yourself a Christian. We are Set Apart by God but we still have to LIVE APART from the World.

And I want you to listen here because I know what you may be thinking - “But Jon, it’s just food. It’s not that big of a deal.” “Wasn’t he making a bit of a big deal - it’s just what he’s eating”.

Listen to me, young person - because this is a faith lesson that I don’t want you to miss. Every large consequence starts as a small compromise.

What I mean by that is when you compromise “What will you eat?” eventually one days becomes “Who do you worship?”

What may start as small as “it’s only one Sunday, that won’t make a big difference” - turns into deconsecrating the value of church. What may start as “it’s only porn” leads to a deconsecrating of the body that God has given you. What may start as “it’s just a bit of unforgiveness.” leads to an abuse of the grace that God has given you.

Do you know why? Because every one of those decisions - even the small ones, ESPECIALLY the small ones represents a decision made in a DIRECTION. It represents a choice that we make. To be set apart, or to conform to the pattern of the world.

The danger of the small compromise is not what it costs you today - it’s what it permits tomorrow.

ILLUSTRATION: Depression - out of church

Can I share with you something quite personal? Many of you know there was a time in my life that I struggled with serious mental health issues for around 2 years. What you may not know is that I didn’t go to church for those two years - I visited here and there but largely I was done with church, and by the end of those 2 years I was nearly done with faith.

And I think many people just assume that wow - something terrible must have happened, like the mental health issues must have been really bad if they knocked you out of church. You know - the truth of that is, yes, they were bad but - no, honestly it wasn’t the depression that nearly cost me my faith.

You know how it started? I can tell you because I remember exactly how it started. It didn’t start with a massive issue - like a huge big massive incident, I wasn’t booted out of the church, in fact the leadership really wanted me to continue coming to church regularly, I didn’t hate anyone there - that was my family still, I felt hurt but not nearly enough to stop attending church let alone leave the faith.

You know how it started? It started with the smallest idea: I’m going to take a week off church for my mental health. That’s it. That’s literally it. A week felt good - and so it turned into a month, and then a year, then 2 years - and then a complete faith crisis.

Now - am I saying that nobody can ever take a week off church without being compromised? Am I saying that things would definitely have been different if I had stayed in church through that difficult time? Well, no to both - but you’re missing the point if you think that’s what I’m saying.

My point is that holiness/to be Set Apart is a decision - and every small or large decision matters. There is no such thing as being spiritually stationary - you are either being formed TOWARD God or being formed AWAY from God. So - Is your heart leaning toward holiness - or tending away from it? Your decisions, small or large will reveal this to you.

Segment 3: Environment is not Identity

But you know something I want you to catch in this? Is the way that Daniel goes about Holiness, how he stays Set Apart.

He doesn’t do it in a way that simply just cuts off every connection from Babylonian society.

Look at the way he handles the food incident - he doesn’t just flat out reject the food and say “nup, stuff you guys - I’m gna eat what I want and you can’t stop me.” He suggests a plan, an alternative - and goes out of his way to prove it. And his alternative actually turns out to be BETTER than the way that the babylonians suggest

Daniel 1:15 “15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food.”

That is NOT a man who has disengaged from the culture and thinks being “Set Apart” is just to cut off any interaction with society.

This is a man who is trying to STAND OUT in His environment - a man who understands that a part of being Set Apart is a redemption of the society that he’s in.

A man who understands that salt doesn’t purify from a distance, but has to make CONTACT in order to fulfil its purpose. That’s a man who understands that light doesn’t shine by remaining hidden - but must expose itself to fulfil it’s purpose.

You aren’t set apart to be praised - you’re set apart for His PURPOSE.

Segment 4: But even if not

And that’s not easy - it’s often not easy. Life isn’t easy for the person who chooses to be Set Apart unto God.

And we see this in Daniel and in Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego - who had spent their lives in Babylon being Set Apart. What happened? Well the king built a statue of gold and forced everyone to bow down to it. And decreed that anybody who refused to bow down to this idol IMMEDIATELY would be thrown into a blazing furnace.

This is improtant for you to know - when you have been Set Apart, you can expect to Stand Out.

Daniel 3:10–12 “10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.””

BOW OR BURN

When you are Set Apart, when you are Holy in a culture that is trying to get you to conform - expect to stand out. Expect opposition, expect people to notice you, and question you.

And honestly - just between us, can I share with you that sometimes it worries me when Christians aren’t standing out? When we fit in so well that the world can hardly tell that we’re any different from them. Because this ISN’T a COVERT faith. Because to be Set Apart means to BE. SET. APART.

And so when we fit in with the world so well that we actually find it a bit comfortable - we HAVE to pause, we HAVE to ask ourselves some honest questions - are we set apart, or are we fitting in?

Because this passage? This trial? This is the culmination of being Set Apart - THIS is where we see the difference between casual faith and consecrated, holy faith. This is often where we see those who are Set Apart, and those who choose to Fit In.

And Shadrach Meschach and Abednego, in response to this situation, deliver one of the most powerful responses to the king when they are confronted and given one last chance to bow down to this idol, one last chance to conform, one last chance to fit in.

Daniel 3:16–18 “16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.””

BUT IF NOT - BUT EVEN IF HE DOES NOT. You know what that translates to? It translates to “I’m All in.” There’s no backing out. I’m Set Apart or I’m dying, there is no other option for me. I would rather DIE before I conform, I would rather DIE before I fit in, before I give up my holiness. I’m All In.

I WOULD RATHER BURN THAN BOW

And of course - we know what happens in the end; God doesn’t deliver them from the furnace - but He walks through the furnace Himself with them. Daniel 3:27 “27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them.”

Hebrews 12:14 “14 Strive.. for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

Kind of takes this passage to another level doesn’t it? The holiness - the set apartness that quite literally had them SEE God, had them walking with Him, through the fire.

They didn’t make it out of the fire DESPITE their holiness, they made it out of the fire BECAUSE of it.

The end result being that the King Himself ordered the whole of Babylon to worship God. PURPOSE.

Segment 5: This is what God wants

And tonight my friends - can I just tell you that I don’t need a special download from the Lord to reveal to you that THIS is what God wants! A generation, THIS generation that is Set Apart. A generation that God can use to usher REVIVAL into our churches, into our schools, into our families, spheres of education, spheres of government.

God wants a generation so filled with faith that the deepest cry of our hearts is “BUT EVEN IF NOT” - We’re ALL in. BUT EVEN IF this leads to my reputation being in tatters, BUT EVEN IF this leads my family to turn me away, BUT EVEN IF I have to give up my comfort, BUT EVEN IF I have to stand alone, BUT EVEN IF it costs me deeply, - BUT IF NOT - let it be known to you - that I will NOT serve your gods or worship the images that you have set up.

I WOULD RATHER BURN THAN BOW

God is seeking for a generation of believers who are willing to be Set Apart - who are willing to make the decision for holiness. To be Set Apart to be USED by the Lord for His Purpose.

And He is calling YOU and YOUR generation to take up that mantle. To BE Set Apart.

A generation who pushes away casual faith, who rejects casual Christianity, who are tired of being in POWERLESS churches, and having a POWERLESS faith - a form of godliness yet with no power. They’re tired of it!

No - God wants a generation who’s hearts are ALL IN. Set Apart. Holy for His purpose.

The only question that remains tonight my friends - are you that generation?

ILLUSTRATION: Jim Denison

I know I have told this story here and many other places - but it’s a story that I constantly use to challenge myself in my faith. Many of you have heard it before, but I pray that it may still capture your heart like it does mine. This is a real story.

I was once listening to a pastor by the name of Jim Denison - who was sharing about a time that he was serving as a missionary in East Malaysia. While he was there he attended a small church, and at one of this church’s worship services, they had decided to hold a baptism for anyone who wanted to get baptised.

At that time a young teenage girl came forward to get baptised amongst others. Pastor Jim noticed that she had brought some worn out luggage and placed it near the entrance of the church. So he asked the senior pastor about it - the pastor pointed to the young teenage girl and just said “Her father said that if she was baptised as a Christian, she could never go home again. So she brought her luggage.”

Because being Set Apart is a choice. Because real faith in God has a cost.

Because a faith that costs you nothing is worth exactly that.

Because cheap faith produces comfortable Christians - and comfortable Christians will never change the world.

Altar Call

Tonight the response is simple - will you choose to be Set Apart for the Lord?