Embracing God's Authority: A Call to Holiness

Summary

From a young age, there’s a natural resistance in us to authority—we want to do things our own way. I shared a story from my own life about ignoring my baseball coach’s instructions, only to learn a hard lesson about the importance of listening and submitting to those in authority. This lesson is a mirror of our relationship with God and His Word. The Bible isn’t a book of suggestions or good ideas; it’s the very Word of God, breathed out for our teaching, correction, and training. God’s commands are not up for debate or adaptation to fit our preferences or the culture around us. If we truly love Jesus, we will keep His commands—not just try our best, but surrender our will and align our lives with His Word.

We live in a world that constantly pressures us to conform, but God calls us to be countercultural—to be set apart, holy, and different. This isn’t about being strange for the sake of it, but about living in a way that reflects God’s character and truth. Throughout Scripture, God’s people are called to resist the ways of the world, to avoid adopting the values and practices of the surrounding culture. Holiness simply means being set apart, and that’s God’s design for His people from the very beginning.

The church’s identity is rooted in being distinct from the world. When we start to look, act, and think like the culture, we lose our purpose as the pillar of truth. Our calling is not to echo the world, but to echo Jesus—the way, the truth, and the life. Friendship with the world, as James warns, is enmity with God. We must not compromise the truth of the gospel for the sake of popularity or acceptance.

At the heart of God’s commands is love—first, to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and second, to love our neighbor as ourselves. Loving God is not a fleeting feeling, but a daily, wholehearted devotion that shapes our desires, identity, and thoughts. Loving our neighbor doesn’t mean affirming everything they do, but caring enough to speak the truth in love, even when it’s hard. True love is rooted in God’s truth, and we can only love others rightly when we first love God fully.

Key Takeaways

- Submission to God’s Authority Is Foundational
Our natural inclination is to resist being told what to do, but spiritual maturity begins with surrendering our will to God’s authority. The Bible is not a collection of suggestions, but God’s unchanging Word meant to guide, correct, and equip us. True discipleship means listening and obeying, even when it goes against our preferences or the prevailing culture. [52:22]

- Holiness Means Being Set Apart, Not Isolated
God’s call to holiness is a call to be different from the world, not to withdraw from it. Holiness is about reflecting God’s character and living by His standards, not blending in with the values and practices of the culture. This separation is not about superiority, but about faithfulness to God’s design and purpose for His people. [57:41]

- The Church Must Resist Cultural Compromise
When the church adopts the world’s values—whether in ethics, priorities, or identity—it loses its distinctiveness and betrays its calling. Our allegiance is not to any political or cultural movement, but to the kingdom of God. The church exists to proclaim and embody the truth of Jesus, even when it’s unpopular or costly. [01:02:53]

- Loving God Requires All of Us, Every Day
To love God with all our heart, soul, and mind is a daily, intentional act of devotion. It means letting God shape our desires, identity, and thoughts, so that He is our first and last thought each day. This kind of love is not passive or occasional, but active and consuming, leaving no room for rivals or idols. [01:10:49]

- True Love for Neighbor Is Rooted in Truth, Not Affirmation
Loving our neighbor as ourselves doesn’t mean agreeing with or affirming everything they do. It means caring enough to speak the truth, even when it’s difficult, because we desire their ultimate good. Real love is willing to risk misunderstanding or rejection in order to point others to the life and freedom found in Christ. [01:16:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[52:22] - Learning to Submit: The Baseball Story
[54:46] - Counterculture: What It Means for Christians
[56:13] - Jesus’ Command: If You Love Me, Keep My Commands
[57:41] - How God’s Word Teaches Us to Be Different
[59:16] - Old Testament Calls to Separation
[01:00:25] - The World’s Hatred and Our Identity
[01:01:23] - The Church as a Pillar of Truth
[01:02:53] - Echoing Jesus, Not the World
[01:03:50] - The Danger of Compromising with Culture
[01:05:18] - Shepherds for Sale: Selling Out to Culture
[01:07:45] - The Tragedy of Being Misled
[01:09:36] - The Greatest Commandment: Love God
[01:10:49] - Loving God with Heart, Soul, and Mind
[01:14:14] - Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself
[01:16:16] - What Real Love for Neighbor Looks Like
[01:19:39] - Invitation and Response
[01:23:06] - Announcements and Closing

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

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### Bible Reading

- 2 Timothy 3:16-17
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

- John 14:15
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

- Matthew 22:36-40
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

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### Observation Questions

1. According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, what is the purpose of all Scripture? What does it mean that it is “breathed out by God”? [52:22]

2. In John 14:15, what does Jesus say is the evidence of loving Him? [56:13]

3. When Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment in Matthew 22, how does He summarize the law? What two relationships does He focus on? [01:09:36]

4. The sermon mentioned that “holiness” means being set apart, not isolated. What Old Testament examples were given to show God’s call for His people to be different? [57:41]

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### Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon compared ignoring a baseball coach’s instructions to ignoring God’s Word. Why is it so hard for people to submit to authority, especially God’s authority? What does this resistance reveal about our hearts? [52:22]

2. The pastor said, “If you love me, you will keep my commands” is not just a suggestion from Jesus. What does it look like to surrender our will to God’s authority in practical, everyday life? [56:13]

3. The sermon talked about the church losing its distinctiveness when it starts to look like the world. What are some ways churches or Christians might be tempted to “blend in” with culture? Why is this dangerous? [01:02:53]

4. Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. How is this kind of love different from just having good feelings about God? [01:10:49]

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### Application Questions

1. The pastor shared a story about ignoring his coach’s instructions and learning a hard lesson. Can you think of a time when you resisted authority—God’s or someone else’s—and what the outcome was? What did you learn from it? [52:22]

2. The sermon said that spiritual maturity begins with surrendering our will to God’s authority. What is one area of your life where you struggle to let God have the final say? What would it look like to surrender that area this week? [56:13]

3. Holiness means being set apart, not isolated. Are there ways you’ve tried to “fit in” with the world that you now realize go against God’s call to be different? What is one practical step you can take to reflect God’s character instead? [57:41]

4. The church is called to resist cultural compromise. Have you ever felt pressure to go along with something you knew wasn’t in line with God’s Word, either at work, with friends, or even in church? How did you respond, and what would you do differently now? [01:02:53]

5. Jesus says to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. What is one daily habit you could start (or restart) to help you grow in wholehearted love for God? [01:10:49]

6. Loving your neighbor as yourself doesn’t mean affirming everything they do. Is there someone in your life you need to speak the truth to in love? What holds you back, and how can you approach them with both truth and compassion? [01:16:16]

7. The sermon said, “You can disagree with someone and still love them. But if you affirm their lifestyle, you’re not loving them.” How do you balance truth and love in your relationships, especially with people who don’t share your beliefs? [01:19:09]

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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Ask God for courage to submit to His authority, for wisdom to live set apart, and for hearts that love Him and others with truth and grace.

Devotional

Day 1: The Authority and Purpose of God’s Word
God’s Word is not a collection of good ideas or suggestions, but the very commands and instructions of God, given for our teaching, correction, and equipping so that we may live lives pleasing to Him. When we resist or ignore God’s Word, we miss out on the fullness and direction He intends for us, much like a player who refuses to listen to the coach and is sidelined as a result. The Bible is unchangeable and is meant to shape us, not to be adapted to our preferences or the shifting values of culture. If we want to be complete and equipped for every good work, we must submit ourselves to the authority of Scripture and allow it to guide our lives, even when it challenges us or asks us to do what we may not want to do. [52:22]

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Reflection: In what area of your life are you resisting God’s Word or treating it as optional advice rather than as the loving command of your heavenly Father? What would it look like to submit that area to Him today?


Day 2: Called to Be Set Apart from the World
God’s people are called to be holy, which means to be set apart and different from the world around them—not conforming to the culture’s values, but living according to God’s standards. Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly instructs His people not to imitate the practices of the surrounding nations, but to be distinct in their conduct, identity, and priorities. This separation is not about isolation or superiority, but about reflecting God’s character and fulfilling His purpose for us. When we blend in with the world, we lose our identity as God’s people; when we live set apart, we become a light that points others to Him. [57:41]

Leviticus 20:26 (ESV)
“You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.”

Reflection: What is one way you are tempted to blend in with the culture around you? How can you intentionally choose to be set apart for God in that area this week?


Day 3: Loving God with All Your Heart, Soul, and Mind
The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind—a love that is not just a feeling, but a daily, wholehearted devotion that shapes your desires, identity, and thoughts. This kind of love is self-sacrificing, loyal, and committed, putting God above all rivals and idols. It means waking up each day with God as your first priority and laying your head down at night with Him still on your mind. When your love for God is central, it transforms every aspect of your life and keeps you rooted in Him rather than in the shifting sands of culture or personal ambition. [01:10:49]

Matthew 22:37-38 (ESV)
“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.’”

Reflection: When you wake up and when you go to bed, what is truly on your heart and mind? What is one practical way you can express your love for God with your whole being today?


Day 4: Loving Your Neighbor Means Speaking the Truth
To love your neighbor as yourself is not to affirm everything they do, but to care enough to speak the truth—even when it’s hard—about what leads to life and what leads to harm. True love is not passive acceptance or agreement with harmful choices, but a willingness to gently and honestly point others toward God’s ways, just as you once turned from your own destructive patterns out of love for yourself. Loving your neighbor means showing compassion, kindness, and respect, while also holding fast to the truth of God’s Word, refusing to compromise or water it down for the sake of cultural approval. [01:17:34]

Matthew 22:39 (ESV)
“And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Reflection: Who in your life needs to hear a loving but honest word of truth from you? How can you approach them with both compassion and conviction this week?


Day 5: The Danger of Compromising with Culture
When the church or individual believers compromise with the culture—adopting its values, priorities, or ethics—we risk losing our identity in Christ and leading others astray. Jesus warns that there will be those who think they are serving Him, yet have been misled by adapting God’s truth to fit cultural trends, only to hear, “I never knew you.” The call is to remain faithful to the gospel, to resist the pressure to conform, and to echo the words and truth of Jesus rather than the world. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we must guard against drifting away by holding fast to God’s unchanging Word. [01:07:45]

Romans 12:2 (ESV)
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Reflection: Are there any beliefs or practices you have adopted simply because they are popular or accepted in culture? What step can you take today to realign your life with the truth of God’s Word?

Quotes

And when Jesus clearly says to do it his way in John 14, 15, Jesus says, if you love me, you'll keep my commands. And he's just not asking us to consider this. Jesus doesn't say that this is up for debate or interpretation. Jesus doesn't say to try your best. Jesus doesn't say get up in the morning and just try your best to follow your commands. Jesus has given us a command that if you love me, if you feel deeply about me, if you really, really, really love me, then you'll follow your commands. [00:56:13] (00:00:32 seconds) Edit Clip

All the word holy means is to be, to be set apart, to be different. And once I figured out that that's what that word holy meant was that I was just to be different because God clearly tells us, don't do what the rest of the world does. Be set apart from them. [00:58:46] (00:00:15 seconds) Edit Clip

James tells us this in the Word of God. It says, you adulterous people, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be in front of the world makes himself an enemy of God? Those are some pretty scary words. And that's not soft language. James has actually given us some fiery truth here to this. [01:03:35] (00:00:28 seconds) Edit Clip

The church isn't American. It's not progressive. It's not conservative. We're not Republicans. We're not Democrats. Democrats, the church is a kingdom culture. We're citizens of heaven. It's what the Bible says. When we become a Christian, we become a citizen of heaven. We're radically different and we shouldn't mirror the world. [01:04:54] (00:00:28 seconds) Edit Clip

The first and great commandment is to love God. And this isn't a warm and fuzzy feeling like, I love Big Macs, right? Or I love apple pie. This isn't a, I just kind of, I think I love something. This is a self -sacrificing love. This is an obedient love. It's a loyal, it's devotion, it's a commitment. And who do we love? God. God the Father. God of Israel. Jesus uses the full title to remind us who we're really dealing with. We are called to love the Creator, the Redeemer, and the only true and living God. [01:09:53] (00:00:53 seconds) Edit Clip

You can disagree with them and still love them. But I'm telling you this right now. If you affirm their lifestyle, you're not loving them. You're hurting them. That's not what love is, guys. [01:19:18] (00:00:16 seconds) Edit Clip

If you love Jesus, you will do as he asks. That's the first commandment. That's the great command is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. And I'll tell you what, you can't love your neighbor unless you love God first. It's impossible. [01:20:09] (00:00:19 seconds) Edit Clip