<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Untitled Document • Why Christians Need To Be Different
• Many Claim The Name Christian.
• But Few Let Christ Live In Them.

• Introduction
• We live in strange times, there is no doubt.
• It seems that the world wants everyone to fit in and be normal.
• Yet the world tolerates all sorts of people who are trying to be different, and they have an expectation that they should be considered normal.
• Trans-gender behavior, tattoo inked bodies, weird clothing, wild hair-do’s, and things like that.

• Introduction
• The world actually makes it hard for a Christian to be different as they should be.
• What we will see is this: They do not want to tolerate Christians being around them.
• They do not want Christians trying to influence them to be different from others in a spiritual way.
• They love the shocked look upon others who consider them different
• But, let us see what kind of “different” the Christian is supposed to be.

• Introduction
• 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;”
• The King James version uses the word peculiar.
• Peculiar (peripoiesis) means, “completely obtain as a full possession.”
• Christians belong to a special group of people who are the unique possession of God.

• Introduction
• That makes us different from other people.
• Christians make up the body of Christ, the church.
• Church (ekklesia) literally means “called out”
• We’re different – “called out” – from the world.
• How are we different? How are we supposed to be different?

• Christians Are Different From Their Former Selves
• Colossians 3:1-10
• Romans 6:6
• How To Become Different—the Bible tells us.
• Must be born again John3:3-5
• Romans 6:1-6

• Christians Are Different From The World
• The world is opposed to God 1 John 5:19.
• It is impossible to be of the world and of God at the same time 1 John 2:15-17.
• James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God”.
• What do we mean by ‘the world’?

• Christians Are Different From The World
• “The world” is defined by the elevation of the urges of the flesh over the teaching of the Spirit.
• It is characterized by:
• Loving temporal & material things more than spiritual things.
• Loving this present time more than eternity.
• Loving self more than God & others.

• Christians Are Different From The World
• The world doesn’t know God John 17:25.
• We were part of this world before we were born again Ephesians 2:1-2.
• Now we are no longer part of this world John 17:14.
• Subsequently, the world hates us John 15:18-20.

• Christians Are Different From Other Religious Groups
• Groups That Do Not Acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord:
• Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.
• Jesus is the only way to heaven John 14:6.
• Salvation can’t be found in any other name Acts 4:12.
• Christians shouldn’t regard such religions as equals.

• Christians Are Different From Other Religious Groups
• Denominations:
• A denomination is a ‘subgroup’ of what the world calls Christendom;
• It is nothing more than organized religious division.
• Denominational division is fundamentally opposed to the will of Jesus
John17:20-21

• Christians Are Different From Other Religious Groups
• Denominations have gone beyond the teachings of Jesus Christ and His New Testament.
• Some teach and believe error about the Deity of God.
• Some teach that the Bible is not 100% authoritative.
• Many exist because they want to serve God their way instead of His way.

• Christians Are Different For A Reason
• Persecution is inevitable to those who are different 2 Timothy 3:12.
• Friends and family from our past will ridicule you.
• That which is dearest to us, Satan will use against us.
• The world will hate and mock you John 17:14.
• People from other religions will make accusations against you.

• Christians Are Different For A Reason
• Reasons to endure and continue being different:
• It unites us with the rest of God’s people 1 Peter 5:9.
• It allows us to share in Christ’s sufferings Colossians 1:24.
• It makes us stronger and better James 1:2-4.
• It demonstrates Christ’s approval Acts5:41.
• It will give us the crown of life Revelation2:10.

• Conclusion
• Christians should be different from:
their former selves who used to be of the world.
• We are to separate ourselves from other religions because they do not serve Christ as the true church does.
• There is a reason we are to be different. So that we can lead people from the world to Christ and God.
• Are you doing your part?

By Carey Scott from an outline by Ben Giselbach

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