Sermon 4-25-2021

If, You Are On The Lord Side 

Separate Yourself!

Ex 32:26 (NKJV) — 26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. 

The principle of sanctification/separation - concept of being set apart as sacred. Meaning belonging to God. Who is on the Lord’s side must be apart, sanctified, separated from that which is no of God. This concept is rarely being taught in today’s churches.  It drives away church members. It makes them uncomfortable when they realize that God has an expectation of them. They are looking for feel good messages and how to overcome for themselves. Please understand we can’t do anything by ourselves. We need the grace and favor of God on us. That comes from obeying him!

Moses establishes this divine principle when he tells the people who are with the Lord, to separate themselves from those who are not with him. He had gone up the mountain to meet with God. When he did not return promptly the people had Aaron, the man of God create an idol for them. They had him create something that they understood. Then, they made that idle their God and worshiped in a way that they wanted to worship. They created a God in the way they wanted a God to be.

When Moses returned, he was angry and in order for God to render judgment on the guilty Moses made the statement, “whoever is on the Lord side, come to me!” Those who were on the Lord side separate themselves from the others.

This is a recurring theme throughout the bible. Those of the kingdom of God must separate themselves from the kingdom of the world. Then God treats them with distinction as they have treated him with distinction.

Check it out and I dare you prove me wrong! We must separate ourselves from those that are not of the Kingdom. We are among them but not of them.

Paul said: 2 Corinthians 6:14–18 (NKJV): 14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”

17 Therefore, “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18  “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

There is a commanded responsibility that the child of God has from God. Few people do it. We must be separate from the people of the world. Jesus restates in His prayer for us, when he said, Jn 17:17 (NKJV) — 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 

Thus, we are to be separated by the word of God. We are to have it as our truth. Not the truth of the world, or man’s truth. We are told very plainly and clearly, Romans 12:2 (NKJV): And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. God will honor you when you do. I really want you to get this in your mind. God created you uniquely distinctive from everyone else in this world. You have a purpose and God will give you the ability to fulfill that purpose progressively in this life if in every way you can you submit to your transformation according to the word of God that works within you. Then gradually you will see the will of God being fulfilled in your life. 

What we are discussing today is separating yourself from the common to become uniquely what God has created you to be.

If you expect God to honor you, you must honor him. If you expect him to make distinction for you in the world, that is if you expect miracles, and special treatment as his child, you must make distinction between yourself and the children of the world. 

Think about this. Has he not said? 1 Sa 2:30 (NKJV) — 30 …for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.  This means, the word of God must be honored above the things of the world. You cannot go along with the world and think that you can honor God at the same time. You must be separate from the world. Separated in that you think and do. You must not think nor act like the people of the world.

Listen. No one can serve two masters. You are either a child of God, or a child of the world. You must choose to travel the narrow road and not the broad Road. You must be willing to be different from others. The world wants you to line up with it. If you do, you will go to hell in a hand basket with it.

John tells us this very clearly. 1 Jn 2:15 (NKJV) — 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

Here is what Jesus says to us if we are not careful regarding the world’s enticements. Mk 4:18–19 (NKJV) — 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 

The problem with most of us is, even as Christians, we get caught up and too concerned with what the world has to say about things. 

We have become passionate about things of the world, and passive about things of the Word. 

We accept the ways of the world and embrace them. We don’t confront evil because we are afraid. We don’t want to face the challenges  and the retribution of men. But scripture tells us,  it is God we should be concerned about. Mt 10:28 (NKJV) — 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

When Peter and the other apostles were challenged by the political leaders not to preach in the name of Christ they said, Ac 5:29 (NKJV) — 29 … “We ought to obey God rather than men. “ They boldly preached the gospel and had been put in jail but the miraculous happening in their lives because they were willing to stand apart from the rest of the world and an angel delivered them from jail.

We in today’s church have become insensitive about the word and honor of God. We accept and mingle with the world. We are more concerned to be politically correct. God has commanded us to be separate from the world. Moses commanded the people, “Whoever is on the Lord side -- come to me!”. Separate yourself from the others!

The Bible tells us, we are destroyed for lack of knowledge. You must learn the truth, you have to understand you cannot love the world. You cannot be of the world and be of the kingdom of God at the same time. You have to make a choice. The choice has to be clearly evident that you are for the Lord. Moses words were clear. “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!”. You cannot be wishy-washy. You cannot be part with God and part with the world. You have got to stand out! 

As a child of God, you should stand out from the world!

When you do stand out, the world will hate you for standing out for the Lord. He knew this. It is to be expected: Here are the words Christ said to us about separating ourselves. Mt 10: 32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 

You have got to separate yourself from the world! You have got to be clear about your separation. It must be plain to everyone you are with the Lord, and not with the world. You cannot sometimes be with God and sometimes be with the world. You must be separate! God has words for those who play him. Re 3:16 (NKJV) — 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 

There is no neutral ground here! You cannot be silent! If you are on the Lord side you have got to stand out!

Let us examine the case with Moses and draw parallels with what is happing today.

Moses had gone up the mountain to get the 10 Commandments. He was gone for a period of time. The people became restless. While Moses was gone, the people got Aaron, the priest of God, to fashion a golden calf for them. They would worship it as opposed to the word of God. This is also like Christ has gone up into heaven, and he has been gone for a period of time. Paul told us 2 Ti 4:3–4 (NKJV) — 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 

Think and note the similarity with today. Ex 32:15–29 (NKJV) — 15 And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. 16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets. 17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said: “It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, But the sound of singing I hear.” 19 So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it. 

The people’s disobedience, immorality, and idolatry had made them unclean. Their immorality made them unclean on the inside and they needed cleansing inside. 1 Corinthians 6:18 (NKJV): Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

Exo 32:21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?” 

22 So Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 

It is so sad that we have men of God that will yield to what people want as opposed to what God says.

What the world needs is more men and women who will stand for the truth of God’s word and not yield to the demands of the world.

Aaron caves in. 24 And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.” 

Please notice the material they built this calf out of. People make idols out of things with monetary value. Many people sell their souls and worship things that get money for them. Even the priest of God will turn their eyes away from evil, if it means they can get the gold. 

Politician’s support what brings the gold in from the people. The word of God says when it comes down to money 1 Ti 6:10 (NKJV) — 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

It is a great matter of truth that many people refuse to speak the word of God because it will interfere with their income. We have but to look at the trouble that Paul encountered when he spoke against the goddess Diana in Acts the 19th chapter. His preaching the word interfered with their income. 

Paul also said how the word of God must be spread.

Ro 1:16 (NKJV) — 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 

Let us continue with our reading,  25 Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), 

Notice the word, “Aaron did not restrain them”. Aaron represented the men and women who proclaim the word of God. It is the responsibility of the men and women of God to speak the truth so that the world will not be lost. To those whom much is given much is expected. However, in this case the one that knew the word of God did not restrain them. How many people have you not restrain for fear of what the world may say about you? He had a responsibility that he did not perform it for his people.

26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. 

Now we see those that were Godly separated themselves. It was not everybody, it was a minority! Only the sons of Levi! One tribe against 11. Moses would command them to be aggressive because the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force!

What are the consequences to those who did not separate themselves?

27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ ” 

28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.” 

Today we have built many golden calf’s. Numerous one of them. Open your eyes and see how we have dishonored him and violated his word. We have submitted to the ways of man. Many pastors have become Aaron and submitted to the will of the people. 

I will speak of four major golden calf’s we are worshiping in our time

• We have re-defined worshiping together. 

Today we’d rather do it online but God clearly said: Heb 10:25 (NKJV) — 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. 

Are you willing to separate yourself from those who will say otherwise?

• We have re-defined marriage. 

Adultery and fornication in our society is very common. We have redefined marriage. God has said; Ge 2:24 (NKJV) — 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 

Are you willing to separate yourself from those who will say otherwise?

• We have re-defined gender. 

We have gone against his divine design when he said, Ge 1:27 (NKJV) — 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 

Are you willing to separate yourself from those who will say otherwise?

Now, specifically, regarding what we have before us today this Sunday, 

• We have redefined the beginning of life. God said,

Ge 2:7 (NKJV) — 7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 

Ps 139:16 (NKJV) — 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. 

Je 1:5 (NKJV) — 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

How many prophets have we been silent to the murder of? 

Lk 1:39–41 (NKJV) — 39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 

When the midwives in Egypt refuse to murder the Hebrew boys, they had to stand out and be different and as a result, Ex 1:20 (NKJV) — 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. 

Are you willing to separate yourself from those who will say otherwise?

You have but to look around and you see so much foolishness contrary to the word of God. Think about it! The golden calf is being worshiped! What are you saying about it? Are you one who is silently agreeing with the worship of the calf which set up by our government?

I believe that God has spoken to many of you. There are things that you need to do. 

Remember the words of Moses. “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!”

Therefore, if you are on the Lord side, separate yourself! Or be judged with the unrighteous!

We have taken the word of God out of our society that we might honor him. We now do silent prayers even in churches so as not to offend others. 

Are you willing to separate yourself from those who will say otherwise?

Are you willing to separate yourself from those who will say otherwise?

Though you might be willing to say you are now, when you stand before God what will you have done?