John 17:6-19 New King James Version (NKJV)
6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. 9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept;[d] and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
- We are in this world, but we are not of this world. Even after our old man has been evacuated, the world is ever with us. Everywhere we look, the world system is in full operation, catering to, furnishing and giving expression to the flesh.
- The worldly system with all of its standards, customs and behaviours is ever seeking to compel us to live our lives according to it dictates. The world pressures us to bend to its methods and dance to its tunes – to do things, even spiritual things, its way. But we are not of this world.
- Jesus said that we are those who have been given to Him ‘out of the world’ (vs 6). We are a people set apart from the world by our Lord Jesus because of His life that we carry.
- The world hates us because we are not of its stock any longer – we are not of this world.
- The world system has even found its way into the church, seeking to dictate how services are conducted, how money is raised and spent, how leaders are selected, how to attract more members and so on. The world has quietly brought its customs to the pulpit and the pews in our churches.
- The world system is set up primarily to oppose God in every way and everything. It sets out to be independent of God. It is enmity with God (Romans 8:7; James 4:4).
- Praise God! Jesus has overcome the world! John 14: 30 & 16:33
2 Timothy 2:20-21 (New King James)
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work
2 Timothy 2:20-21 (Amplified)
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, and some for honourable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use]. 21 So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honourable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.
- In this daybreak, God is seeking those who will be the rods of His strength for the coming revival.
- Revival is precious to God. He will only send those who have taken time in the daybreak to consecrate themselves.
- To be profitable to God in the day of His power, WE need to separate ourselves from every contaminating and corrupting influences. The world is a contaminant and a corrupting influence. We must be deliberate in standing aloof from it. We are not of this world.
- We must be fit and ready to be the rods of His strength in the revival that is around the corner.
Luke 9:23New King James Version (NKJV)
23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Luke 9:23Living Bible (The Living Bible)
23 Then he said to all, “Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences and carry his cross with him every day and keep close to me!
- There is only one way to deal with the ever present world system – the Cross.
- We must carry our cross daily. We must deliberately take up the issue of the cross individually EVERYDAY, not just once in a while.
- If we don’t take up our cross daily to deal with the world, we will quietly fall into compromise with the world!
- But we can’t afford to be found as contaminated or corrupted vessels in the day of God’s power if we want to usable and sendable in His hands.
- We must decide to take up the cross daily- by if we are crucified to the world and the world to us (Gal 6:14).
Galatians 6:14Living Bible (Living Bible)
14 As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in all the attractive things of the world was killed long ago, and the world’s interest in me is also long dead.
Galatians 6:14 The Message (MSG)
14 For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate.
- Lord, I thank You for choosing me out of the world!
- Lord, please help me, to discern everything that is of the world in my life. Help me, to identify any of the world’s good in my life and to do away with them.
- Jesus, just as the prince of this world found nothing of his in You, let it be the same with me.
- Lord, keep me, preserve me from the evil one.
- I am not of this world! I died to the world because of the Cross, therefore, I will not be swayed by it in any area of my life. I am free from the pressures of this world.
- Lord, help me. not to be contaminated or corrupted in anyway by the world.
- Lord, let me be fit and ready to be the rod of His strength in the revival that is around the corner.
- Help me, to carry my cross daily, raising it up against every manifestation of the world. Jesus, as You overcame the world in Your day, help me to do the same in mine.
- Lord, I re-affirm my decision to be Your disciple by denying the flesh, taking up my cross daily and following You all the way.
